joy luck club vocab

Arpeggio

a chord whose notes are played in rapid succession rather than simultaneously

avantgarde

radically new or original; any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques ( especially in the arts)

Barb

a point facing opposite from the main point that makes an arrowhead hard to remove; an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect

Betrothed

pledged to be married

Docile

easily taught, led, or managed; ready and willing to be taught

Dowry

money or property brought by a woman to her husband at marriage

Guileless

free of deceit

Haggle

wrangle, as over a price or terms of an agreement

Innuendo

an indirect (and usually malicious) implication

Inviolable

incapable of being transgressed or dishonored; treated as if holy and kept free from violation or criticism

Kowtow

a former Chinese custom of touching the ground with the forehead as a sign of respect or submission

Lilting

characterized by a buoyant rhythm; happy, sweet-sounding cadence

Listless

lacking energy and enthusiasm

Longevity

the property of being long-lived

Lusterous

reflecting light; made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing; reflecting a sheen or glow

Malignant

dangerous to health; characterized by progressive and uncontrolled growth (especially of a tumor); showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite

Penance

voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong

Pretext

(n.) something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason

Verbatim

using exactly the same words

Yin

The dark, negative feminine principle in Chinese dualistic cosmology (yang is complement, the bright, masculine principle associated with heaven)