Unit 2 Vocab: The House on Mango Street

Vocabulary terms and definitions from Unit 2 for The House on Mango Street, categorized across nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

Spartan (noun)

A person from Sparta (ancient Greece), or someone who lives simply and without luxury.

Threshold

The bottom part of a doorway, or the starting point of something.

Fleck

A small spot or mark.

Bazaar

A market with many small shops, especially in the Middle East or Asia.

Canteen

A container for carrying water, or a cafeteria in a school or military base.

Linoleum

A type of smooth floor covering, commonly used in houses from the 1960s.

Brim

The edge of something, especially a container or a hat.

Cumulus

A type of fluffy, white cloud that looks like cotton.

Sire

An old-fashioned word for father or a respectful term for a king.

Analogy

A comparison between two things that are alike in some way.

Fallacy

A false or mistaken idea, especially in reasoning or logic.

Nuisance

Something or someone that is annoying or bothersome.

Metacognition

Thinking about your own thinking; being aware of how you learn.

Renegade

Someone who goes against rules or leaves a group they were loyal to.

Merit

A good quality or something that deserves praise or reward.

Vignette

A short scene or story that shows a moment or gives a quick impression.

Flick

To move or hit something quickly with a small motion.

Trudge

To walk slowly and with heavy steps, usually because you're tired.

Jut

To stick out beyond the edge of something.

Totter

To move in an unsteady way, like you're about to fall.

Recede

To move back or farther away.

Vacillate

To keep changing your mind; to be unsure or go back and forth.

Aspire

To strongly want to achieve something.

Anemic

Weak or lacking energy; diagnosis of having too few red blood cells.

Twangy

Having a sharp, vibrating sound (like a guitar or a nasal voice).

Bizarre

Strange or unusual.

Boisterous

Noisy, energetic, and full of life (often in a rowdy way).

Wretched

Feeling bad or miserable.

Despondent

Feeling hopeless or very sad.

Spartan (adjective)

Marked by strict self-discipline or avoidance of luxury and comfort

Voracious

Eager for something, especially food or learning.