AP Lit.: Purple Hibiscus; Vocab and Literary Terms

Twisted or bent out of shape

prayer book; a book containing the texts used in the catholic mass throughout the year

1. a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government by a small group

2. a notable or successful stroke or move

1. a room in a church where a priest prepares for a service, where sacred vessels and vestments are kept or meetings are held

a piece of furniture with a number of open shelves for displaying ornaments

an ancestor

a low-growing plant that typically has a rosette of leaves and a slender green flower spike, widely growing as weed in lawns

a member of the clergy, attached to a private chapel, institution, ship, branch of the armed forces, etc.

1. each of a set of angled slats or flat strips fixed or hung at regular intervals in a door, shutter, or screen to allow air or light to pass through

2. a domed structure on a roof, with side openings for ventilation

1. a long narrow trench made in the ground by a plow, especially for planting seeds or for irrigation

2. made a rut, groove, or trail in (the ground or the surface of something)

a type of cassock worn by roman catholic priests

1. blend; combine

2. a thing formed by merging or blending

damage the purity or integrity of; defile

a roofed platform along the outside of a house, level with the ground floor

having been prevented from growing or developing properly

1. a ghost or ghostlike image of a person

2. the appearance of something remarkable or unexpected, typically an image of this type

1. believing in or practicing religous heresy

2. holding an opinion at odds with what is generally accepted

say or recite with little rise and fall of the pitch of the voice

1. rough fiber made from the stems of a tropical old world plant, used for making twine and rope or woven into sacking or matting

2. the herbaceous plant which is cultivated for jute fiber, with edible young shoots

a novel dealing with one person’s formative years or spiritual education

(‘); a punctuation mark used to indicate either possession (harry’s book, boys’ coats) or the omission of letters or numbers (can’t, he’s)

the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence

• reduce, reuse, recycle

• live, laugh, love

• we tried. we failed. we learned. we wil try again

a sentence that, by leaving the completion of its main clause to the end, produces an effect of suspense

• in spite of heavy snow and cold temperatures, the game continued

• with low taxes, beautiful views and a mild climate, this city is a great place to live

a sentence with the main point at the beginning of it, followed by some side points

• i went to the movies yesterday, ought candy, and shopped at the mall

• he might consider paying the higher fees at a private university if the teachers/students ratio is small, the teachers are highly qualified, and the job placement rate is high

form of sentence structure that is commonly used to form questions

• when they arrive, let me know

• If the oven is on, turn it off

• a fire, please call 911

one (such as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases

• save money by spending it

• deep down, you’re really shallow

• this is the beginning of the end

type of figurative language in which the writer establishes a comparison between two very different concepts or objects

• a broken heart is like a damaged clock

• coral is far more red than her lips’ red

• my mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing

• passed away for died

• let go for fired

• make love for sex

intentionally understates something or implies that it is lesser in significance or size than it really is

• the concert was a bit loud

• big dog as a lap dog

uses negation to create an affirmative understatement

• that wasnt half bad for something that was very good

repetition of conjunctions in close succession

• he fed me soup and he gave me new pajamas and he brushed my teeth and he put me to bed