Vocabulary Unit for A Wrinkle in Time: Chapter 5
Vocabulary Master
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Shudder (v.)—to tremble
Perturbed (adj.)—anxious, unsettled, upset
Intolerable (adj.)—unable to be endured
Shawl (n.)—a piece of fabric women wear over their shoulders
Protoplasm (n.)—the liquid inside cells that contains all the elements of living things
Orion’s belt (n.)—a constellation of 3 very bright stars
Nondescript (adj.)—lacks distinctive characteristics
Slaglike (adj.)—looks like bits and pieces of rock after usable metals are retrieved from it
Medium (person) (n.)—a person with the ability to detect spiritual dimensions
Turban (n.)—a headdress for a man where cloth is wrapped around the head
Mauve (n.)—pale purple/rosy pink
Rapt (adj.)—deeply engrossed
Curtsey (n.)—a female’s formal greeting made by bending the knees and placing one foot in
front of the other
Microbe (n.)—an incredibly small form of life
Chapter 5: Monday—Using a Dictionary/Thesaurus
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Take the words that were assigned to your particular group, look up the word in the thesaurus,
and write down at least 1-2 words that have the same meaning as each vocabulary word.
If you can’t find the word in the thesaurus, then try looking it up in the dictionary and writing
down the definition that you think best fits.
Remember, you may need to look up the root word instead of the form that you are given (ie.
scud for scudded).
You may use hard copies of a dictionary/thesaurus or you may use digital copies (look up on the
computer).
Be prepared to share your results with the class. When other groups share their research, make
sure to record their answers.
This Week’s Vocabulary Words
shudder (v.)
Orion’s belt (n.)
mauve (n.)
perturbed (adj.)
nondescript (adj.)
rapt (adj.)
intolerable (adj.)
slaglike (adj.)
curtsey (n.)
shawl (n.)
medium (person) (n.)
microbe (n.)
protoplasm (n.)
turban (n.)
Chapter 5: Tuesday—Replace the Word
Cross out the underlined words in each sentence and write the vocab word from this week’s chapter
that has the same meaning and would fit into that spot. You may have to use a slightly different form of
the word to make it fit into each sentence.
1. When the man wore his headdress, he appeared to lack any distinctive characteristics from the
other men in the crowd.
2. The woman put on a pale purple fabric around her shoulders to stay warm.
3. When the psychic looked into her glass ball, she began to tremble and seemed anxious.
4. The children’s attentions were deeply engrossed in the story.
5. The little girl showed respect by bending her knees and placing one foot in front of another.
6. After the miners retrieved the gold, the rocks that were just bits and pieces of rock.
7. Scientists study small forms of life and how certain chemicals affect the liquid inside cells to
learn more about medicine.
8. The sailors followed a constellation of 3 very bright stars to navigate their way to the island.
9. The 110 degree weather in Arizona is unable to be endured.
Chapter 5: Wednesday—Writing Sentences
Use each of the two vocabulary words that your teacher gives you in a sentence. Be prepared to share
your sentences with the class.
Vocab Word #1: ____________________________________
Sentence:
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Vocab Word #2: ____________________________________
Sentence:
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Chapter 5: Thursday—Choose the correct word from each pair given in order to complete the sentences
using this week’s vocab words.
1. The dog was indignant/shabby when another dog stole his bone.
2. The dog’s coat was somber/dappled.
3. The carpenter was judicious/deft at carving wood.
4. The father tried to gambol/decipher the instructions for putting the trampoline together.
5. The girl’s face glowed with the essence/morass of joy.
6. The old tree trunk was looming/gnarled due to its old age.
7. When the student saw that he had an F in science, he was sullen/paltry.
8. The student placed the paltry/ judicious amount of solution in the decipher/beaker.
9. With the move tangible/looming, the kids were in morass/somber moods.
10. When the mom told her son to do his homework, he gamboled/retorted that he didn’t feel
like it.
11. The student made a judicious/tangible decision to study for his vocabulary test instead of
holding his study in morass/suspension.
12. The children loomed/gamboled around the indignant/shabby house.
13. The picture was a somber/tangible reminder that their father was not there.
14. The father could not handle explaining the decipher/morass to his children.