This week’s vocabulary

mattedadjective

Covered with a dense growth or a tangled mass

His matted, streaky gray hair hung like a ragged curtain over a dirty face.Pg. 558

vaguelyadverb

Not clearly or definitely; in a general way

“Could be anything,” his mother said, vaguely.Pg. 559

intervalnoun

Period of time between two events

Willy waited a decent interval for his mother to waken.Pg. 560

scamperedverb

Ran playfully and quickly

The dog – tail between its legs – scampered to the lady’s side.Pg. 560

urgencynoun

Pressure; insistence

“Please don’t look at him,” his mother whispered with some urgency.”Pg. 560

contemplatedverb

Studied carefully

Willie contemplated the half-inch slice of cake his mother had just given him.Pg. 559

intentlyadverb

With close attention

The man’s eyes narrowed as he studied Willie intently.Pg. 562

portionnoun

A part of any whole; an amount of food served for one person

“I was measuring the right size. The right portion. One portion is what a person is supposed to get.”Pg. 563

blearyadjective

Dim or blurred, as from lack of rest

His eyes seemed bleary.Pg. 564

nuisancenoun

An annoying person or thing; a troublemaker

“We don’t need a nuisance like that around here. Pestering kids.”Pg. 565