The Sword of Summer — Vocabulary
Rick Riordan
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Exemplary sample	Uses	ACT/SAT
	22	top 2000
serpentsnake There was a picture of a serpent eating its tail.more Show sample from book Just before you woke the serpent, I had my eye on a Chevy Malibu radial hubcap that was worth forty dollars easy.†p.236.121 more Show general definition a snake
	16
bartertrade things of value She doesn't have money, but she is willing to barter.more Show sample from book "Honored hosts," Sam said, her voice shaky, "please put us gently and safely on the top of your table, so we may barter with you."†p.391.615 more trade Show general definition to trade things of value without involving money
	14	top 2000
severend She plans to sever the relationship.more Show sample from book Hearth and Blitz have been watching me for two years ...because they got orders from a severed head?†p.190.713 more sever → severed:to end or cut off completely -- either physically or in relationships Show general definition to end or cut off completely -- either physically or in relationships
	12	top 2000
bronzea brownish metal that is made of copper and (usually) tin The sculpture of a bull on Wall Street is made of bronze.more Show sample from book I saw roofs made entirely of silver ingots, hammered bronze doors big enough to fly a B-1 bomber through, sturdy stone towers that pierced the clouds.p.143.511 more made of a type of high-quality metal Show general definition for bronze (as in: bronze won't corrode in salt water) a brownish-colored metal with red or yellow hues that is made of copper and (usually) tin Show editor's word notes Bronze metals in the Olympics and many other contests are awarded for third place. With the discovery of bronze (about 3,000 BC), people could make tools and weapons that were harder and more durable than those made of copper and stone that preceded bronze.
	7	top 500
paradoxsomething that seems contradictory but is true It’s a paradox that the more we learn, the more we realize how little we know.more Show sample from book But I've got one more—the final paradox that will bind you: the Sword of Summer, a weapon that wasn't designed to be a weapon, a blade that is best used by letting go of it.†p.457.16 more a situation or statement that seems to contradict itself but may still be true Show general definition a situation or statement that seems to contradict itself but may still be true
	9	top 2000
immortalto live forever Zeus and the other gods were supposed to be immortal.more Show sample from book If it had belonged to my dad, and my dad was an immortal god, why had he allowed his weapon to sit at the bottom of a river for a thousand years?†p.106.58 more living or existing forever; OR someone famous throughout history… Show general definition living or existing forever or: someone famous throughout history or: someone who will never die -- such as a mythological god
	8	top 2000
aurasurrounding feeling or atmosphere The place has an aura of romance.more Show sample from book The warm buttery aura was starting to fade, but I could feel residual power tingling along my arm hairs.†p.341.47 more A distinctive quality, mood, or feeling that seems to surround a person, place, … Show general definition A distinctive quality, mood, or feeling that seems to surround a person, place, or thing; or, more literally, a glowing light shown around someone's head or body in spiritual or artistic images
	8	top 2000
prophecyprediction of the future The prophecy came true.more Show sample from book Look, I know that business with the Norns must be driving you bonkers, but we don't know what the prophecy means.†p.117.87 more Show general definition a prediction of the future (usually said to be obtained in a supernatural way)
	7	top 1000
speciesa group of similar animals or plants It is an endangered species.more Show sample from book Her thigh-length dress was stitched together from so many animal hides it probably represented the extinction of several dozen species.†p.354.86 more a similar group of animals or plants Show general definition a group of animals or plants that are similar -- typically identified as belonging to the same group when they are of a kind that can reproduce new members of the group together
	7	top 1000
intimidateintimidate → intimidated:made afraid (of being inadequate) I was intimidated on my first day at the job, but I'm comfortable now.more Show sample from book I tried to do the same for Blitz, but I doubted I looked as intimidating as a muscular dwarf in overalls.†p.307.86 more intimidate → intimidating:making fearful Show general definition to cause fear, nervousness, or a sense of inadequacy
	4	top 100
neverthelessdespite that (used to connect contrasting ideas) The class was hard. Nevertheless, it was my favorite.more Show sample from book Nevertheless, Hearth stoked the forge while Blitzen puttered around his workstation, staring in confusion at the racks of tools and baskets of metal ore.†p.307.63 more Show general definition despite that Show editor's word notes Based on idea 1 we might not expect idea 2, but this is a way of saying that even though idea 1 was just stated, we still have idea 2. Synonyms include in spite of that, despite that, nevertheless, nonetheless, on the other hand, in contrast and but.
	7	top 2000
medievalthe Middle Ages (roughly 500–1500 AD) The story takes place during medieval times.more Show sample from book They looked like maps a school kid in medieval times had made for social studies: faint sketches of a coastline, various points labeled in an alphabet I didn't know.†p.14.56 more relating to or belonging to the Middle Ages Show general definition relating to or belonging to the Middle Ages (the period of European history between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance -- roughly 500–1500 AD) Show editor's word notes Often thought of as a time of instability, superstition, plagues, feudal lords, and knighthood.
	7	top 2000
embeddedfirmly stuck into or enclosed within The archaeologists found an ancient coin embedded in the clay.more Show sample from book When I got back to Sam, we examined the meat hook, which was embedded pretty well in the bull's skull.†p.225.56 more firmly within; or placed firmly within Show general definition firmly within; or placed within in various senses, including: firmly stuck into -- as a thorn into a finger enclosed within -- as a fossil within a rock implanted as a part -- sometimes specifically of a reporter integrated in hardware -- as of a computer chip firmly set within -- as of a character trait
	6	top 2000
oblivionthe state of being completely forgotten She stopped performing and her music faded into oblivion.more Show sample from book Amazingly, we managed it without anyone getting crushed or falling into oblivion.p.263.25 more complete destruction Show general definition state of complete loss—being totally forgotten, wiped out, or lost to awareness of what is going on
	12	top 2000
atriuma large public room leading to other rooms The hotel has a beautiful eight-story atrium.more Show sample from book Lying in the middle of the atrium, I breathed in the fresh air and hoped my lungs would settle down.p.69.411 more large public room Show general definition for atrium (as in: atrium of the building) a central open space in a building -- often a large skylit hall near the entrance Show editor's word notes In ancient Roman houses and early Christian churches, an atrium was an open courtyard. In many modern buildings, it is an indoor space that may include plants, water features, and balconies or walkways to other rooms.
	4
pyrepyre → pyres:piles of wood or other burnable materials While cremation is not uncommon in the western world, open air funeral pyres are typically illegal.more Show sample from book Don't they put anything on your funeral pyre?†p.56.43 more a pile of wood or other burnable material Show general definition a pile of wood or other burnable material -- especially to burn a dead body as in a funeral rite
	3
primordialhaving existed in the earliest days The primordial soup of the early Earth was a teeming cauldron of organic molecules that gave rise to life.more Show sample from book The tree had to be rooted somewhere, but I felt woozy and unbalanced—as if Yggdrasil and everything it contained, including my world, was free-floating in primordial mist—the Ginnungagap.†p.261.82 more having existed from the beginning or from ancient times… Show general definition having existed from the beginning or from ancient times or: a primary or fundamental aspect of something
	2	top 2000
constrainedrestricted The standard of living is ultimately constrained by worker productivity.more Show sample from book The power of Frey could constrain Fenris just as it constrained the extremes of fire and ice.†p.456.81 more constrained → constrain:restrict Show general definition restricted or inhibited
	2	top 2000
gesticulategesticulate → gesticulations:gestures (hand or body movements) made while speaking or to express something The moderator turned her microphone off, leaving us to see her gesticulations, but not hear her words.more Show sample from book I do not speak Gesticulation.†p.362.61 more gesticulate → gesticulation:to make gestures (hand or body movements) while speaking or to express something Show general definition to make gestures (hand or body movements) while speaking or to express something
	2
decoysomething used to lure or distract The thieves used a fake emergency call as a decoy to draw the security guard away from the vault.more Show sample from book That has to be a decoy, right?†p.438.61 more someone or something used for trickery -- especially to lure Show general definition someone or something used for trickery -- especially to lure