Hiroshima by John Hersey

Epicenter

The central point of something, especially the point on the Earth's surface directly above an explosion or earthquake.

Detonation

The act of exploding or causing something to explode.

Radiation

Invisible energy that can be harmful in large amounts, often released by nuclear reactions.

Aftermath

The result or consequences following a major event, usually something damaging.

Catastrophe

A sudden disaster that causes great damage or suffering.

Inferno

A large, intense fire that is difficult to control.

Devastation

Great destruction or damage.

Survivor

A person who lives through a dangerous event.

Refugee

Someone forced to leave their home because of danger.

Incendiary

Designed to cause fires, or capable of catching fire easily.

Bleak

Cold, empty, or hopeless in appearance or outlook.

Atrocity

A terrible, cruel, or violent act, often involving suffering.

Volatile

Likely to change suddenly or become dangerous.

Resilience

The ability to recover from difficulty or hardship.

Humanitarian

Concerned with improving the well-being of people.

Contamination

The act of making something impure or unsafe, often by chemicals or radiation.

Fallout

Radioactive particles that fall to the ground after a nuclear explosion.

Vaporize

To turn into vapor or to cause to disappear instantly.

Conflagration

A large and destructive fire.

Disfigurement

Damage that changes the appearance of a person or object.

Charred

Burned on the outside; blackened by fire.

Rubric

A category or classification, often used in medical or organizational contexts.

Convalesce

To recover health and strength after illness or injury.

Paralysis

The loss of the ability to move a body part.

Trauma

A severe physical or emotional injury.

Immolation

Destruction or killing by fire.

Evacuation

The organized removal of people from a dangerous place.

Cataclysmic

Sudden and extremely destructive.

Rubble

Broken pieces of buildings or debris.

Prostrate

Lying flat, often because of weakness, fear, or injury.

Triage

The process of prioritizing medical treatment based on the severity of injuries.

Epidemic

A sudden outbreak of disease that spreads quickly among many people.

Emanate

To come out from a source or spread outward.

Desolate

Empty, abandoned, or destroyed; without life.

Bewildered

Confused and unsure of what is happening.

Vulnerable

Easily harmed or at risk of injury.

Reverberate

To echo or be felt repeatedly over time.

Incapacitated

Unable to act or function normally because of injury or illness.

Succumb

To give in or fail to resist, often referring to death or illness.

Ailment

A minor illness or chronic health problem.

Persistent

Continuing to exist or endure over time.

Reconstruction

The process of rebuilding after major damage.

Testimony

A statement or account given about what one has seen or experienced.

Compassion

Sympathy and concern for the suffering of others.

Indiscriminate

Done without careful choice; affecting anything or anyone without distinction.

Neutrality

The state of not taking sides in a conflict.

Pacifism

The belief in avoiding war or violence of any kind.

Humanitarianism

The practice of promoting human welfare and helping those in need.

Perseverance

Continued effort to overcome difficulties.

Atrophy

The weakening or shrinking of a body part, usually from lack of use or disease.

Hibakusha

A survivor of either of the atomic explosions at Hiroshima or Nagasaki in 1945

Putrescence

decomposed, rotten, foul-smelling matter

Moribund

at the point of death

Abrasion

Scrape of the skin due to something abrasive

Laceration

Jagged tear or cut of the skin

Miasma

a poisonous, filthy atmosphere or vapor

Vortex

a whirling mass of water or air, often used to describe firestorms

Apathetic

Uninterested; uncaring (often used to describe the stunned state of survivors)

Stupefied

With senses dulled by amazement or shock

Malaise

A sense of bodily discomfort, depression, or unease

Anguish

Experiencing intense pain or sorrow

Brackish

Having an unpleasant taste; nauseating; OR the mixture of salt and fresh water

Charnel-house

a building or place where corpses or bones are deposited

Enola Gay

the B-29 bomber that dropped the bomb in Hiroshima, dubbed with this name to honor the pilot's mother

Grotesque

(adj.) unnatural, distorted; bizarre

Jesuit

a member of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order for men, founded by Ignatius Loyola in 1534

Meiji Restoration

revolution in Japanese life and government that occurred after the accession of Emperor Mutsuhito (1867); characterized by the downfall of the shogun and feudalism and the creation of the modern state

Molotov Flower Basket (also bread basket)

Japanese name for a self-scattering cluster of bombs

Occidental

a person born in the West or a member of Western culture; Father Kleinsorge is German

sampan

small boats used in China and Japan

Shinto

A Japanese religion whose followers believe that all things in the natural world are filled with divine spirits; worship of nature, ancestors, ancient heroes, and divinity of the emperor

succor

to give assistance to in time of need or distress; help, aid, relief

Yen

basic monetary unit of Japan

self-abnegating

lacking consideration for oneself or one's own interest

breviary

a book containing the Psalms, readings, prayers, and so on of the Divine Office