ELA Owl Creek Bridge Vocab

Ardently

very enthusiastically or passionately

Anvil

A heavy iron block used by blacksmiths, often mentioned metaphorically to describe weight or pressure.

Chafed

to be or become annoyed or lose patience, often because of rules or limits

Deference

Respectful submission or yielding to someone else's opinion or judgment.

Dictum

An authoritative statement or general truth; in the story, often used in a legal or military context.

Dignitary

a person considered to be important because of high rank or office.

Effaced

erased or made indistinct; worn away or hidden.

Ecompassed

surround and have or hold within.

Federal Scout

In the American Civil War, a soldier, often dressed in uniform, who acted as a spy or observer for the Union (federal) forces. They would gather intelligence and provide reconnaissance.

Gesticulate

To make gestures, especially when speaking, to express something

Gyration

A rapid circular or spiral motion.

Infantry

Infantry soldiers marching or fighting on foot; foot soldiers collectively.

Imperious

Commanding and arrogant; acting like a person who expects to be  obeyed.

Intonation

The rise and fall in the pitch of the voice, often conveying emotion or emphasis.

Knell

The sound of a bell, especially rung slowly for a death or funeral; also, a metaphor for impending doom.

Martinet

A strict disciplinarian, especially in the military.

Malign

To speak evil of someone, or (as used in the story) something harmful or evil in nature.

Manifestations

making your dreams and goals a reality through focusing your thoughts and beliefs, and taking action to achieve the desired outcomes and experiences.

Oscillation

movement back and forth in a regular rhythm.

Pendulum

a weight hung from a fixed point so that it can swing freely backward and forward, especially a rod with a weight at the end that regulates the mechanism of a clock.

Perilous

Full of danger or risk.

Preternaturally

In a way that is beyond what is normal or natural; unnaturally.

Prismatic

relating to or having the form of a prism or prisms.

Ramifications

A consequence or outcome, often one that complicates a situation.

Secessionist

A person who supports separating from a larger political body, especially the Southern states leaving the U.S. during the Civil War.

Sentinel

A guard who keeps watch, especially over a specific area.

Stockade

a barrier formed from upright wooden posts or stakes, especially as a defense against attack or as a means of confining animals.

Subordinates

a person under the authority or control of another within an organization

Summarily

In a quick and direct way, often without the usual formalities or processes.

Undulation

A wavy, flowing movement or form, like waves in water or ripples in a fabric.