Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell, Vocabulary List Chapters 6-10

to look at (something or someone) with enjoyment

I ran to the rock and put on the necklace and turned around for her to admire it.

to signal (someone) with your arm or hand in order to tell that person to come closer or follow

Beside them stood four white men and as we came down the trail, one of the men beckoned us to walk faster.

to cause soreness or damage by rubbing against something

It made me happy to have them swimming around the canoe, and though my hands had begun to bleed from the chafing of the paddle, just watching them made me forget the pain.

the usual way of doing things : the usual practice

“But first you must become a man. As is the custom, therefore, I will have to whip you with a switch of nettles and then tie you to a red-ant hill.”

to sleep lightly

Twice I dozed kneeling there in the canoe, though I was more afraid than I had ever been.

to move slowly on water, wind, etc.

During the night I had drifted south of the place I wished to go, so I changed my direction and paddled

not clearly seen, heard, tasted, felt, etc.

The moon was growing pale and there was a faint light in the east, but a strong wind began to blow.

sad and lonely

I kept thinking over and over as I swam how I would punish Ramo when I reached the shore, yet when I felt the sand under my feet and saw him standing at the edge of the waves, holding his fishing spear and looking so forlorn, I forgot all those things I planned to do.

having a shiny, smooth surface

The early morning sun shone like gold on their glossy pelts.

physical or mental effort

The tides had almost buried the canoe, and I labored many days to dig it out of the sand.

the place where a wild animal sleeps

But when the sun rose and I went out of the hut, the pack trotted off toward its lair which was at the north side of the island, in a large cave.

a happening believed to be a sign or warning of some future event

Dolphins are animals of good omen.

able to or showing the ability to remain calm when dealing with a difficult or annoying situation, task, or person

Wherever I went during the day, I felt secure with my new weapons, and I waited patiently for the time when I could use them against the wild dogs that had killed Ramo.

to think about or consider (something) carefully

“There are other things more important to ponder,” said Matasaip who had taken Kimki’s place.

an amount or number of something

Instead we ate a small quantity of dried abalone, and afterwards my brother Ramo climbed over the cliff.

to move quickly and with short steps

I thought that it was a sound made by the wind, but when we came closer I saw dozens of wild dogs scurrying around through the huts.

protected from danger or harm

The winter was half over before I finished the house, but I slept there every night and felt secure because of the strong fence.

very serious especially in an unfriendly way

Nanko made his face stern, which was hard for him to do because his mouth had been cut in the battle with the Aleuts and ever since it had always seemed to smile.

to shake slightly because you are afraid, nervous, excited, etc.

I kept on gathering roots, but my hands trembled as I dug in the earth, for I was more excited than my brother.

worried or unhappy about something

There was no sign of Ramo. I began to feel uneasy.

to try to persuade (someone) in a serious way to do something

The days since spring, whenever I went to the reef to fish, he would not go with me unless I urged him to.

without success : without producing a good or desired result

I thought of Rontu lying there beneath the stones of many colors, and of Won-a-nee, wherever she was, and the little red fox that would scratch in vain at my fence, and my canoe hidden in the cave, and of all the happy days.

to disappear entirely without a clear explanation

I sat for a long time, seeing these shapes and hearing the voices, until the sun came out and the fog vanished.

to make a serious promise to do something or to behave in a certain way

I vowed that someday I would go back and kill the wild dogs in the cave.