Vocabulary – “Raymond’s Run”

clutch

v. to grasp and hold tightly

The woman clutched her purse tightly to keep it from the robber.

liable

adj. likely or possible, especially unpleasantly likely

If you only wear a hoodie to school in the winter, you are liable to catch a cold.

Mercury

Roman god of speed and travel; messenger of the gods

Mercury escorts the souls of the dead to the Underworld, ruled by his uncle, Hades.

organdy

n. a stiff, transparent fabric usually used in women’s clothing

Many party dresses from the past were filled out with yards of organdy.

periscope

n. a tube-shaped optical device that lets one see into an area beyond the area he or she is in; a periscope is used by submarines to see above the surface of the water while remaining invisible

The submarine had to surface because it’s periscope was damaged by a torpedo.

prodigy

n. a person, often a child, with an exceptional talent

Melissa’s parents thought she was a vocal prodigy, but once they moved to Hollywood, they realized she wasn’t that good.

quicksilver

n. the liquid metal, mercury

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the townspeople superstitiously put quicksilver in bread to help bring Huck’s dead body to the surface of the river.

relay

n. a race in which each side uses several team members to complete the race by each completing one section of the race

The American swim team won the medley relay at the last summer Olympics.

sidekick

n. a close friend; usually not the leader of the group but a supporter

It will be interesting to see if the new Batman movies introduce a sidekick for him.

standstill

n. a complete stop; halt; pause

The sight of an elephant walking down Main Street brought traffic to a standstill.