Vocabulary	Definition
Abhorred	Abhorred is extremely disliking someone or something. ‘Michael abhorred his parent's chatter about his poor grades’.
Acquaintances	Acquaintances are used to describe people that Ashima was in contact with, but they aren't extremely close. An acquaintance is supposed to be a person whom one knows, but they aren't best friends or extremely close.
Acrid	Sharp or biting in the taste or smell; bitterly pungent.
Acridness	To be extremely resentful.
Admonish	To warn someone or scold them, but in a good manner. ‘He admonished the new staff member in private rather than issuing a public warning’.
Adorn	Verb: make more beautiful or attractive. ‘Pictures and prints adorned his walls’, ‘the living room is adorned by eastern-Asian decorations’.
Aftermath	The consequences or after-effects of an especially unpleasant event. ‘The emotional aftermath of Ashoke's train accident may have been what led to his spontaneous decision to move to America’.
Aloof	One is aloof when they are antisocial and distant. ‘Maria was aloof at the party because all of her friends already left’.
Anglicize	To make English in quality or character.
Arbitrary	To come about without reason, but from personal idea or impulse.
Aspirated	Pronunciation of sound with an exhalation of breath. ‘The Bengali language is known to have many aspirated 'K' sounds when pronounced correctly’.
Azure	Azure is the blue color of the sky. ‘The Azure sky was slowly fading into darkness’.
Batik	A piece of clothing designed using a method of applying wax to areas not being colored before applying dyes.
Bedridden	Restricted to a bed. ‘The bedridden patient sat all day in his room, only able to read books, watch TV, and look out his window’.
Bequeath	To give or leave behind for someone. ‘I bequeath unto you my chest of drawers’.
Berth	Noun: A ship’s allotted place at a wharf or dock, a fixed ben or bunk on a ship.
Besieged	To be surrounded by. ‘During the concert, Marco felted anxious because he was besieged by hundreds of people’.
Betel	A leaf of a plant that comes from the pepper family.
Betrothal	A sort of agreement for a marriage to take place in the future.
Bewilderment	Being completely surprised, confused, and perplexed.
Bhalonam	(pg. 26) What is considered one's "good name”, or a name for public use only.
	‘Official’ name, by which the bearer is known to the outside world.
Biryani	Rice based dish.
Blind Date	When two people on a date have never met before and were set up through a mutual friend.
Bogies	The individual railcars on the train.
Boldness of her pursuit	To be confident in pursuing someone. ‘Many women wait for men to pursue them, but she was confident when talking to Gogol’.
Bonnet	A hat, usually tying under the chin and often framing the face. It was used mostly by women in the old days but now used more by babies or young children.
Born again	When someone gains insightful knowledge or experiences a revelation, becoming a new and, usually, improved person.
Boston air	In the wintertime, Boston is cold.
Boston Globe	A newspaper based in Boston. It focuses on a combination of local events, sports, and world news.
Bouillabaisse	A soup or stew containing several kinds of fish and often shellfish, usually combined with olive oil, tomatoes, and saffron.
Boutique	Small story that specializes in one specific product, usually clothes or accessories. ‘I like to shop at boutiques, but often they are too expensive!’
Burden	Something that is carried or something that is emotionally difficult to bear. ‘It is possible that Sonia and Gogol may have seen their ethnicity and culture as more of a burden rather than a gift while growing up in America’.
Cambridge	An area in Boston.
Capitulation	The action of surrendering or ceasing to resist an opponent or demand. The high point of a rising plot or story.
Catch-22	When there's a opportunity cost in making a decision.
Cavalcade	A larger quantity of more than one of the same or similar objects all together or in a row. A cavalcade used in this story applies to Ashima’s bracelets.
Ceased	Stopped, ended.
Ceremoniously	A gesture or practice that is very polite and follows a kind of ceremony.
Cheerless sky	Usually a cloudy sky; or the absence of the sun.
Chelsea	A historic and wealthy district in New York City, located on the island of Manhattan.
Chirp	To sing or to cry like a bird.
Churning	The action of the fan: making a repetitive circular motion.
Clandestine	Done in a private place or way, secretly. ‘Fatima was afraid her mother would not approve of her boyfriend, so she decided to have a clandestine relationship behind her back’.
Cloistered	Sheltered.
	Cloistered is used to refer to being secluded or kept away from society. Line 27 on page 158 uses the word to show that in this secluded area Gogol is free.
Coincidence	Two events that happen simultaneously and have a connection but were not expected. ‘Every girl in the room was named Jessica, by coincidence!’
Cold cream	This is a type of thick cream that is used to moisturize skin. Many people also use cold cream to remove their makeup, and Ashoke uses this type of cream for shaving.
Colonial	A style of house popular in American, loosely based off housing during the late 1700s.
Commemorate	To make a memory into something physical as a form of remembrance.
Concoction	The mixture of beverages or medicine.
Consternation	Anxiety, anxiousness.
Conveyed	To take or carry from one place to another; to communicate or make known. ‘A sense of tranquility and euphoria was conveyed brilliantly through the author's text as she was describing the family’s first visit to the Taj Mahal’.
Coolie	A native worker in Asian countries considered to be unskilled.
Covet	Verb: Yearn to possess or have (something). ‘He won the coveted Booker prize for fiction’.
Crammed	Forced into, shoved. ‘They crammed the banana peels into the garbage cans, but were not able to close the top’.
Cul-de-sac	A street which comes down to an end in a circle shape.
Cuticura	A medicated powder which helps to keep healthy skin.
Dahl	Dish composed of lentils and similar things.
Dais	A type of platform or podium.
Daknam	Pet name, usually utilized only by intimates.
Dal	An Indian dish prepared with legumes.
Depot	A location where something is stored for retail. In the novel the author is defining a place.
Depression	A crevice or dip in the ground. Depression could also be defined as an illness that affects the mental state of an individual.
Desecration	This word means to disrespect or violate. On pg 67, line 32, the word is used to show that the disrespect of his last name is intended more for his parents, not him and his sister.
Deterioration	When something is slowly falling apart.
Devised	To plan. ‘The robber devised a way to steal the diamond from the gallery’.
Dida	Affectionate form of address for a grandmother, similar to ‘nana’.
Dilated	Expanded.
Diminished	Decreased, reduced. ‘Lynne’s enthusiasm for her anniversary diminished as soon as she saw her husband in a clown suit’.
Diminishing	Something fading in strength, similar to dwindling.
Discombobulate	Confused, a state of mental uncertainty.
Discomfit	To upset someone.
Disembark	To leave or remove oneself from a vehicle.
Disembodied	Lacking in substance, solidity, or any firm relation to reality.
Disheveled	Adjective: (of a person’s hair, clothes or appearance) untidy, disordered. ‘A man with long, disheveled hair’.
Dismantling	To break down into pieces.
Down coat	A coat made with small soft feather of goose or bird.
Durga pujo	A festival celebrating the goddess, Durga, that allows Bengalis to connect with friends and family
	Hindu annual holiday.
Dwell	To dwell in a place means to be present there, or to live there.
Dwindle	Something fading in strength.
Eccentric	Not like the usual; weird.
Efface	To delete.
Elation	Having a high sense of joy.
Elicit	To bring or draw out, to arrive at, to call forth, or provoke. ‘Often times Ashoke may have felt as if he needed to elicit interest and curiosity of their new country to his otherwise disinterested wife Ashima’.
Elusive	Difficult to find, catch or achieve. ‘The elusive street signs were driving her mad with fury when trying to find her way to the train station’.
Emboss	Verb: to carve or mold a design on (a surface) so that it stands out in relief or to decorate (a surface) with a raised design.
Entablature	The entire construction of a classical temple or the like between the columns and the eaves usually composed of an architrave, a frieze, and a cornice.
Environs	The surrounding parts of a district; of a city, etc.
Exasperate	To make someone annoyed or irritated.
Exasperation	This word means annoyed or frustrated. Exasperation is used to describe how the person feels about their own parents.
	A feeling of annoyance.
Expired	When something has come to an end, usually not the term used when meaning death, usually applied to food items or coupons.
Fastidious	‘Caterina's fastidious uniform illustrated how serious she was about following the school's dress code’.
	Picky. ‘He was a fastidious eater; he only liked corn flakes’.
	Possessing or displaying careful, meticulous attention to detail.
Fathom	Difficulties to grasp, understand, or conceptualize an object or idea.
Fiber optics	The use of thin flexible fibers of glass or other transparent solids to transmit light signals, chiefly for telecommunications or for internal examination of the body.
Five-o'clock-shadow	Stubble; the growth of a man's beard to the point where the color of his chin, upper-lip, and jaw is gray.
Flickering and fading in his mind	(pg. 24) An expression meaning hard to remember due to trauma, in this case.
Flokati	A thick, wool rug of Greek origin with a hand-woven appearance.
Frescoes	A method of painting done quickly with watercolor on a wall so that the colors penetrate as they dry. It was made popular by the Italian Renaissance.
Fundamentalism	Being strict about following certain beliefs or ideas/practices.
Garrison	Type of house typically two stories high, with the second-story overhanging in the front.
Gauntly	To be gauntly is to be very thin, almost bony. Sometimes used to describe having an attractive, defined bone structure.
Good Name	One’s good name seems to be the real name that they are given at birth and that usually has some sort of meaning to the parents or family. Often time’s good names are used in more formal and professional situations, but they can also sometimes be shortened into a nickname which is related to the other type of name in this book called the pet name.
Haphazard	Confusing, unorganized.
Haughtiness	‘Although his daughter did not have a tutor, his haughtiness was obvious that he was proud of her’.
	Arrogant or snobbish; expressing feelings of superiority towards others.
His expression is lost on her	She didn't notice his expression, so his expression was essentially pointless.
	This quote is used to describe Gogol at a dinner party with Moushumi and her friends. This saying means that the person whose expression has been lost on someone else has been caught off guard and is in disbelief that the other person would have brought up some information that may be personal in a situation that they may not have been inclined to share it.
Immersed	Submerged, plunged into something. ‘He immersed the dishes in water and soap, trying to clean them off’.
Inauspicious	Unpromising, unfavorable.
Incestuous	Excessively or improperly intimate, involving sexual intercourse between two closely related people.
Inconceivable	Impossible to comprehend or grasp fully.
Intermittently	When something starts and stops again.
Ivy League Colleges	Ivy League Colleges are a group of colleges in the United States that are considered to be some of the best higher education institutions in America.
Kabadi	Sport commonly played in India, a combination of wrestling and tag played in teams.
Languidly	Lethargic in manner, or lacking in energy.
Lopsided	Uneven. ‘The artist adjusted the lopsided painting so it was even’.
LSATs	The LSATs are a professional test that individuals need to take and pass in order to attend Law School.
Make love	Having consensual intercourse.
Mansard	A Mansard roof has 2 slopes where the lower slope is steeper than the other slope. ‘The Mansard style of roof is popular from 17th century French Architecture’.
Meager	Adjective: (of something provided or available) lacking in quantity or quality, (of a person or animal) lean, thin.
Meek	Adjective: quiet, gentle and easily imposed on, submissive. ‘I used to call her mouse because she was so meek’.
Melancholic	Being in a state of gloom or depression.
Minaret	A ‘tall, slender tower’, part of the architecture of a mosque.
Minuscule	Minuscule is used to indicate the very small or tiny amount of space. Using a descriptive word like minuscule, the reader truly understands that the space was extremely small.
	Small, tiny. ‘I had to put on my glasses to read the minuscule writing at the bottom of the page’.
Morose	Being gloomy, depressed, or hostile.
Mundane	A boring adjective, signifying a dull, everyday routine.
Namesake	One’s namesake is related to the background behind one’s name. The meaning or significance behind the name is linked to another person that is important to the child’s parents or family.
Nomenclature	A system of choosing names to organize things.
	Nomenclature is naming something that usually has to do with scientific discovery. ‘The nomenclature for the planet "Jupiter" came from the Roman name for Jupiter, the God of the Sky’.
Nonsensical	When something does not make sense or doesn't mean anything.
Obstetrician	A doctor specialized in who oversees the birthing process.
Paella	A spanish dish with rice, shellfish, chicken, and vegetables.
Partition	A Partition is a wall or a screen that divides a room into sections. ‘The basement had a partition to create a game room and a workout room’.
Paternal	Related through the father.
Pediment	A low gable, typically triangular with a horizontal cornice and raking cornices, surmounting a colonnade, an end wall, or a major division of a façade.
Pegboard	A wooden board, usually used for games.
Pelting	Constantly hurl or throw at something.
Penned in calligraphy	Gogol's name was written in a decorative handwriting on his diploma, which showed it was an impressive accomplishment.
Pensive	Pensive is when someone appears to be thinking very hard about something. Could also refer to sad thoughtfulness. ‘Peter, an honors student, remained very pensive in his studies at the library all semester’.
Perished	To die. ‘The goldfish perished after the bowl that held it broke’.
Perpetual	Seemingly lasting for a very long time.
	Lasting for eternity or continuing to last indefinitely for a long time. ‘After Gogol had lost his father, Ashoke, he drove into what he thought would be a perpetual state of grief and guilt’.
Persistent	Continuing firmly in a course of action despite the difficulty of opposition presented before the subject; characterized by a specified typically negative habitual behavior pattern.
Perversely responsible	(pg. 92) Feeling responsible or accountable for something not your fault that you did not do.
Pester	Verb: Trouble or annoy (someone) with frequent or persistent requests or interruptions. ‘She pestered him with telephone calls’.
Piri	Litter.
Pop bottles	Refers to opening bottles of alcohol. The phrase is derived from the sound they make.
Pradeep	Lantern or light.
Progressively increasing fanfare	A fanfare is a short tune played at ceremonies, so, this phrase means that the ‘tune was getting longer,’ or that the family began celebrating more American holidays.
Prominent	The prominent scar on his face showed how badly injured he was from the assault.
	Distinguishable, something that stands out. ‘He was insecure about prominent nose; People always noticed his prominent nose first’.
	Prominent means well known and easily seen, so it could refer to a person or a description of an item. ‘The prominent politician won enough votes to become a senator’.
Pujo money	Refers to money received as a gift during a holiday or important occasion; analogous to ‘Christmas money’ or ‘Confirmation money’.
Quality time	Time spent when getting to know another person and making a bond.
Quotidian	Of or occurring every day; daily. This brief work shifts the emphasis toward the concrete and quotidian.
Ransacked	To search for thoroughly.
	To search through crudely and quickly. ‘The thief ransacked the house, throwing clothes and books everywhere, looking for the necklace’.
Rattan	Plant whose wood is used to make furniture as in ‘rattan chair’, same as ‘wicker chair’.
Raucous	Adjective: Making or constituting a disturbingly harsh and loud noise. ‘The raucous voice of a bear’.
Ravishing	Ravishing is used when Gogol is describing Moushumi on this line. The word means very attractive.
Remnant	Something left over, a remainder.
Retract	To go back.
Rice Krispies	A common American breakfast cereal of puffed rice.
Rickshaw	A small vehicle similar to a bicycle in which passengers can be seated behind the driver. It is primarily seen in Asia.
Ridden	Dominated / harassed or obsessed. ‘Gogol may have been ridden with guilt (or guilt-ridden) after his father's death’.
Rossogollas	A Bengali dessert. They are white cheese balls dipped in a sugary syrup.
	Or ‘rasgullas’, are an Indian dessert consisting of paneer (curd cheese) in the form of a ball and cooked in syrup.
Sabbatical	Period of leave or vacation granted to university professor after a certain number of years that is used to expand on/do research.
	After a college professor has spent a certain amount of years teaching, he or she is allowed a paid absence, sometimes to go abroad.
	A sabbatical is an extended amount of time that certain professionals, especially professors at a university, are given to take off from work to do something else. In order to earn the option of a sabbatical, the individual must work for a certain amount of time before being eligible.
Sabotage	To deliberately cause damage or harm. ‘Claude sabotaged Sara’s play by running on stage during her monologue’.
Sahib	Form of address, like Mr. or Mrs.
Saltbox	Type of house mostly found in New England, generally two full stories high in front and one story high in the back
Salwar kameeze	Loose pants and a long shirt worn mostly by Asian women.
Sanatoriums	A clinic where people receive treatment for chronic diseases.
Sari	A traditional scarf worn by an Indian woman that covers shoulders.
	An article of clothing traditionally worn by women that is draped over and around the body.
	A typical item of clothing worn by Indian women
	Traditional Indian dress for women, usually brightly colored.
Sentimentality	This word is used to describe how one is feeling or excessively or extremely sentimental.
Sheer	The word sheer on pg7, line 30, is referring to thin or transparent. This is used to provide vivid detail to the sari that the author is describing in this sentence.
Shingles	A thin piece of wood, slate, metal laid in overlapping rows to cover the roofs and walls of buildings
Simultaneously	When something is occuring at the same time as something else.
Slanted	To be leaned toward one side.
Spartan	Spartan refers to a stubborn existence on pg 139, line 23.
	A barren stubborn existence.
Spitting Image	Someone who bears a strong resemblance to someone else.
Steady	Firmly fixed supported or balanced. Something that is moving steadily is something that is moving in fixed amounts of times. ‘Ashima's love for Ashoke grew steadily over time as she got to know him better’.
Sweltering	Overly or uncomfortably hot.
Tattered	To be torn.
Telegram	Form of communication sent in written form using a machine called a telegraph.
	A telegram is a form of communication used in the past in which people could communicate with others, even in different countries, through short messages.
Telescoped	The action of the train when it crashed. Telescope could also be defined as an object that an individual looks through to see magnified images of the night sky.
Tender Age	Someone who is younger; a child.
Tentative	Adjective: Not certain or fixed, provisional, done without confidence, hesitant.
Terrazzo	Smooth flooring material consisting of concrete and marble or granite; originating from Italian to mean ‘terrace’.
The Overcoat	A story by Nikolai Gogol focusing on the purchase of the coat.
The red tape is endless	This quote is used in the hospital when Gogol is born when his parents are working on naming him. Saying this means that in order to get what you want, you will have to go through a strict process in which there are many specific bureaucratic steps and guidelines that one must follow directly.
Tiffin rack	Tiffin means lunch but can be used to describe any light meal. A Tiffin Rack is an object used to transport this meal, much like a lunch-box.
Turmeric	An Indian herb belonging to the ginger family.
Twitch	To pull something
Ululate	To cry loudly. Sometimes used as a sound of intense sorrow and mourning. ‘A group of mothers ululate upon seeing their children walking their first steps’.
Unforeseen	Not felt or realized before hand, unexpected. ‘The sense of alienation and loss was unforeseen when the Ganguli newlywed's had decided to move to another country’.
Unobserved	Not being watched or cherished. Ashima feels that her life is not being completely observed by her family.
Unsuccessful schemes	Schemes are like a plan, where someone is usually tricked or pushed into doing a task that they originally did not want to do.
Unwittingly	Without humor or charm.
Vagabonds	A homeless person who wanders from place to place.
Vague	Something that is unclear or hazy. In the novel the author is using the word as an adjective to describe how Ashoke sees the palm trees.
Vestibule	A vestibule is a lobby or an entrance to a building. ‘I forgot my sandals in the vestibule of your house!’
	Vestibule is used to describe an area in the train. The word itself means an enclosed entrance of a train car. The word is used so the reader better understands what the train car looks like and how crowded it is.
Walkman	Portable CD player.
Widow’s white	Refers to an Indian tradition of the widow wearing only white clothes to symbolize mourning, similar to some European traditions of widows wearing only black.
X's and O's	Written at the bottom of personal letters, symbolizing kisses and hugs.
Yale	A prestigious university based in New Haven, CT.