The Things They Carried - Important Vocabulary

Rucksack

A backpack used by soldiers, often called a "ruck"

Grunt

A common infantry soldier in the US military

Artillery

Large caliber guns used in warfare on land

Ordnance

Mounted guns; military supplies and weapons

Napalm

A highly flammable, jelly

SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)

The established rules or methods to be followed routinely for a given task

Topography

The physical features (mountains, rivers, etc.) of an area of land.

Foxhole

A small pit dug by a soldier in the ground as a shelter.

Encumber

To burden or weigh down, either physically or psychologically

Acquiescence

The reluctant acceptance of something without protest or argument

Reticence

The state of being reserved or hesitant to speak freely; shyness

Apathy

A lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern

Laxity

Looseness; a lack of strictness or care

Comportment

Personal behavior or demeanor; the way one carries oneself.

Intangible

Unable to be touched;not having a physical presence

Tangible

Perceptible by touch; having a physical form

Grotesque

Comically or repulsively ugly or distorted

Surreal

Having the bizarre or dreamlike quality of a fantasy

Inertia

A tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged; a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force

Elusive

Difficult to find, catch, or achieve; hard to remember

Ambiguity

The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness

Verisimilitude

The appearance of being true or real

Platitude

A remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful

Coherence

The quality of being logical, consistent, and forming a unified whole

Vignette

A brief, evocative description, account, or episode

Palliative

Something that relieves pain or symptoms without curing the underlying cause.