Maniac Magee

Maniac Magee Glossary

Nicotine

An addictive drug found in cigarettes and cigars

Blundering

Acting or speaking clumsily; making stupid or careless mistakes

Aztec

A Native American people who lived in Mesoamerica (where Mexico is today) from the 14th to 16th centuries

Sacrifice

To give something up; a certain kind of sacrifice (including a "human sacrifice") entails killing someone or something, often for religious purposes

Phantom

A ghost or figment of the imagination

Samaritan

A charitable or helpful person, with reference to the people living in the region of Samaria in biblical times described in Bible verse Luke 10:33

Carcass

The dead body of an animal

Birth Certificate

A document given to parent(s) when a child is born and often used as a form of identification listing full name, parents' names, the time of birth, and the location of birth

Gangplank

A plank (usually of wood) used as a ramp to get on or off a ship (in tales about pirates, references are often made to being forced to "walk the plank," meaning a person would walk the gangplank over open water and then jump to his/her death)

Home Run

In baseball, when a hit allows a batter to run all the way around the three bases and back to home base, scoring a point for the batter's team

Hide

The skin of an animal

Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the World, a historical list of seven sites known to the Ancient Greeks as the most notable locales in their known world (the Colossus of Rhodes, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus)

Sleazy

Someone corrupt, sordid, or immoral; something squalid or seedy

Senorita

The Spanish word for "miss," referring to a young woman

Arctic

The polar region around the north pole or the northernmost point of the Earth, used colloquially to mean very, very cold

Polka

A lively dance of Bohemian origin in duple time

Mourner

A person who is very sad, especially because of the death of a friend or family member; one who attends the funeral of someone

Chaotic

In a state of total confusion or disorder (chaos)

Maddening

Something that drives one mad or crazy; extremely annoying

Maniac

A wild and/or crazy person, possibly dangerous or obsessed with a certain thing

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