Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, Vocabulary List Chapters 13-15

a person who does something poorly : a person who is not skillful at a job or other activity

He had pulled off the headset and was mouthing some words that even an amateur lipreader could have figured out.

fear that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen : a feeling of being worried about the future

Roy felt a strange mixture of apprehension and excitement.

a strong and definite statement that something will happen or that something is true

You have my personal assurance that Mother Paula's is working closely with local authorities...

a person who is hurt or killed during an accident, war, etc.

Among the casualties was a stone-crab boat called the Molly Bell, which was torn from her anchorage and swept up a swollen tidal creek, where she wallowed and sank from sight.

the act or process of doing what you have been asked or ordered to do : the act or process of complying

You have my personal assurance that Mother Paula's is working closely with local authorities, in full compliance with all laws, codes, and regulations.

to admit to be true

Later, after visiting the Bozeman library and consulting Sibley, Roy's father conceded that Roy had been right.

showing that you are saying something that is secret or private

"Ciggies," Roy said in a confidential whisper.

no longer cared for or used by anyone

Nearby a white heron posed regally on one leg, in the same tree where the boys had hung their shoes before swimming to the derelict boat.

in very bad condition because of age or lack of care

Each season she grew more shrunken and dilapidated, surrendering her sturdy hull and deck to the ravages of woodworms, barnacles, and weather.

an object or picture used to suggest a thing that cannot be shown

Roy smoothed out the paper, which bore the Mother Paula's company emblem at the top.

the state of being very tired : extreme weariness

Steadily he ran out of steam, the angry curses dissolving into moans of fatigue, the name calling into sickly wheezes.

having a red or reddish color

His face was florid and smudged with dirt.

a particular way of walking

In the distance, a bulky figure appeared in the middle of the road. It was advancing in an odd halting gait.

dirty

A movement at the corner of his eye made Roy glance up from his comic book-and there he was on the sidewalk, running again! Same basketball jersey! Same grimy shorts, same black-soled feet.

having or showing a desire to cause harm to another person

Dana grinned malevolently. His teeth were nubby and yellow, like an old barn dog's.

to appear suddenly

A woman not much taller than Beatrice materialized in the doorway behind her.

to gradually change into a different image

Then, as the quarterback was about to kiss her, she morphed into a dead iguana.

unpleasant in a way that makes people feel offended, annoyed, or disgusted

Roy wondered what made a grownup turn out so ill-tempered and obnoxious.

an experience that is very unpleasant or difficult

Clearly it was an ordeal, raising a goon like Dana.

full of danger

And there she stayed, for the creek was so slender and the currents so tricky and the oyster beds so perilous that no salvage captains would risk their own vessels to retrieve the Molly Bell.

the size and shape of a person's body

Leon looked as if he hadn't spent five minutes in the exercise room since retiring form pro basketball; all that remained of his NBA physique was his height.

offensive language

Then came another SNAP, punctuated by a muffled profanity.

an expression of strong disapproval

Roy expected a mild rebuke, but his mother only smiled.

almost not at all : scarcely or hardly

There was scarcely enough space for a dry perch.