Dealing with Dragons: Chapters 3–4

by Patricia C. Wrede
Princess Cimorene, bored with being a princess, runs away to live with a powerful dragon named Kazul. Her life becomes full of exciting adventures and dangerous characters: a witch, a jinn, wizards, and more!

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–4, Chapters 5–8, Chapters 9–11, Chapters 12–15
15 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. shrewdly
    in a wise or thoughtful manner
    “I quite understand,” she said, studying Cimorene shrewdly. “You must be Kazul’s new princess.”
  2. parapet
    a low wall along the edge of a roof or balcony
    Heights had never bothered her before, but there was a big difference between standing solidly on top of a tower in Underwall Castle behind a four-foot parapet and inching along a ledge barely six inches wide with nothing between her and a long fall.
  3. courtier
    an attendant for a monarch
    He reminded her of one of her father’s courtiers, a humorless, sneaky little man who had paid her compliments only when he was after something and who couldn’t resist giving advice even when nobody wanted it.
  4. dismayed
    struck with fear, dread, or consternation
    “Oh, no,” Therandil said. He sounded truly dismayed, though Cimorene couldn’t see his face because he was wearing his helmet with the visor down.
  5. visor
    a brim that projects to the front to shade the eyes
    “Oh, no,” Therandil said. He sounded truly dismayed, though Cimorene couldn’t see his face because he was wearing his helmet with the visor down.
  6. inability
    lack of capacity to do something
    “He seems to have the mistaken impression that if a princess behaves badly, it reflects on the dragon who captured her. Possibly it comes from his inability to keep any of his own princesses for more than a week.”
  7. snide
    expressive of contempt
    “Some of the lesser dragons were very snide about it when he lost his third one in a row. I believe she sneaked out while he was napping.”
  8. brocade
    thick expensive material with a raised pattern
    The hangers were now full of the most beautiful gowns she had ever seen. Some were silk, and some were velvet; some were heavy brocade, and some were layers of feather-light gauze; some were embroidered with gold or silver, and some were sewn with jewels.
  9. brimstone
    an old name for sulfur
    Cimorene noted with interest that Woraug’s scales had turned an even brighter shade of green than normal and that he was starting to smell faintly of brimstone.
  10. vigor
    forceful exertion
    “Ridiculous!” Roxim replied with vigor. “A wizard wouldn’t dare come through this part of the mountains...."
  11. undercurrent
    a feeling or tendency that is not explicitly expressed
    “What can Tokoz do about it?” Woraug said, and there was a faint undercurrent of contempt in his tone.
  12. contempt
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    “What can Tokoz do about it?” Woraug said, and there was a faint undercurrent of contempt in his tone.
  13. prim
    exaggeratedly proper
    “He could use the King’s Crystal to find out what the wizards are really doing,” the thin dragon said in a prim tone.
  14. full-fledged
    having gained complete status
    “He won’t use the crystal for anything less than a full-fledged war,” Woraug said.
  15. venture
    proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
    The silver-green dragon wanted patrols sent out immediately to eat any wizard who ventured into the Mountains of Morning.
Created on 六月 12, 2026 (updated 七月 6, 2026)

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