All 3 Uses

vulnerable
in
Sula
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Back to her grandmother's house in the city where the red shutters glowed, and already she had been called "gal." All the old vulnerabilities, all the old fears of being somehow flawed gathered in her stomach and made her hands tremble.†
Chpt 1920
Hating BoyBoy, she could get on with it, and have the safety, the thrill, the consistency of that hatred as long as she wanted or needed it to define and strengthen her or protect her from routine vulnerabilities.†
Chpt 1921
Except for a funny-shaped finger and that evil birthmark, she was free of any normal signs of vulnerability.†
Chpt 1939 *

Definitions:

(1) (vulnerable)
easily hurt or in need of help; or easily influenced or subject to temptation
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
Specialized Definitions for vulnerable:

Ecology: species believed likely to move into the endangered category if no action is taken

Bridge (card game): the period after winning one game in a rubber when higher penalties (and bonuses) are scored