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Cracking India Word ListChapter 1

Word Definition Page Adenoidal Exhibiting the characteristics of snoring and

mouth breathing; having a nasal voice11

Pram British English word for stroller 12Calipers Metal supports for injured legs 12Coolie An unskilled person hired for manual labor 12

Sari Clothing item for Hindu women: a long piece of cotton or silk, usually a bright color, wrapped around the body

13

Alacrity Cheerful readiness 13Platitude A dull remark 17

Sari

Chapter 2Word Definition Page

Languorous Sorrowful 20Dhurrie A cotton carpet made in India, usually with

fringe on the ends21

Sahib A respectful title for addressing an Englishman, similar to Sir

22

Knickers A loose-fitting, short pair of pants used by women and children as underwear

24

Sanguine Relating to blood (specifically Lenny’s blood because the polio virus is in her bloodstream)

26


Discordant Having a harsh sound 27Gloam Twilight 27

Masseur A man whose job is to provide massages (French) 28Engrossing Absorbing all of one’s attentions or interests 29

Raconteur Storyteller; a person who tells stories in an amusing way 29Loquacious Talktaive 29Gullibility Being easily deceived or cheated 30

Metamorphoses A process of transformation, usually for insects 31


Wizened Shriveled or withered 32Mercurial Changeable; fickle 32

Chilblained Inflamed due to moisture or cold weather 33Paucity Smallness of number; fewness 35

Memsahib Respectful title for a married English woman 35Infallible Absolutely trustworthy or sure 35

Histrionics Exaggerated actions designed to attract attention 36Ingenuity Being clever, original, and inventive 36Lucrative Producing a great deal of profit 36


Frivolity Silliness 40Tonga A light, two-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle used in India 41Sepoy A native soldier in India serving the British 41

Galvanizes To stimulate or excite 41Unobtrusive Inconspicuous; not noticeable 44

Goiters Enlargements of the thyroid glands in the neck 44Orator Speaker or speech-giver 44

Proselytize To attempt to convert others 48

Tonga


Conscientious Controlled by or done according to one’s inner sense of what is right

50

Voluptuous Having a full form or figure 50

Largesse Generous bestowal of gifts 51Furtively Slyly or stealthily 52

Dhoti A long loincloth worn by many Hindu men in India 53Insouciant Carefree; without worry 53

Jinn A class of spirits lower than angels in Islam capable of influencing humans in good and bad ways

55

Browbeaten To be intimidated by a stern manner or speech 56

Chapter 7Word Definition Page Imam A Muslim leader, usually someone who leads worship

services57

Hookah A smoking pipe with a long hose 57Invective Insulting, abusive, or highly critical language 57

Tongahwallah Cart driverJunket Trip 58

Hubble-bubble Hookah 58Hovels A small, unpleasant, or simply constructed dwelling 60

Perambulate To walk through or around a place 60Ablutions The act of washing oneself 60Chapati A round, flat, unleavened bread in India that is usually

made of whole wheat flour and cooked on a griddle62

Chapter 8Word Definition Page Giblets Inner parts of a bird (heart, gizzard, etc.) 67

Innumerable Too many to be counted 68Placid Not easily excited 69

Vituperative Bitter and abusive 69Tommy British soldier 69

Swaraj/Quit India/Home

Rule

The movement in India for the British Empire to leave and allow Indians to control their own country

70

Precariously Unstable or insecure 74

Dhoti

Morris Minor A specific type of car 75Almirah Cabinet or wardrobe 78

Morris Minor Almirah


Matric exam Secondary school exam (like the HSPE) 79Indecipherable Not able to be understood 80

Dexterity Nimbleness or grace in physical activity 83Conflagration Large fire 83

Defaulters People who cannot pay their loans 85Saccharinely Excessively sweet or sentimental 88


Percolating Filling with lively activity or excitement 89Insinuates Suggests or hints 89

Prosaic Factual; written in prose and not poetry 90Spirit stove A portable, alcohol-fueled stove 91

Punkah A large cloth fan on a frame 92Vehemently Marked by forceful, powerful energy 93

Ethereal Extremely delicate and light 95Entourage A group of people surrounding an important person 95


Affable Being pleasant and at ease with talking to others 97Irrefutable Impossible to argue with; undeniable 98

Aphrodisiac A food or drug that arouses sexual desire 98Sarkar A man who is in a position of power, especially one who owns

land worked by tenant farmers98

Congenial Easy going; gets along with others 99Hoary Gray or white as if with age; extremely old 99

Make soo- Urinate 104

sooSupercilious Haughty 105Munificence Being lavishly generous 107


Pretensions A claim of doing something 113Puggaree An Indian turban 113Zemindar Owner of real estate (property) 114Churidar pajamas

Tightly fitting pants that are wide at the top and narrow at the bottom; worn by men and women in South Asia

114

Ghadka A Sikh martial art and dance 114Pakoras A fried snack of vegetables, bread, or chicken dipped in batter

and deep-fried114

Gulab-jamans

A dessert made of freshly curdled milk kneaded into dough, deep fried, and soaked in a sugar syrup

114

Jalebis Deep fried circular or pretzel-shaped dough soaked in sugar syrup

114

Kirpans Ceremonial sword or dagger carried by baptized Sikhs 115The

Akalis/The Immortals

A Sikh group that supported home-rule for India and supported the non-cooperation movement against the British government

115

Mussulmans Muslims 118

Churidar pajamas Gulab-jaman


Consigned To be assigned to 120Pallbearers A person who helps carry a coffin at a funeral 122

Incongruous Not conforming; not matching surroundings 126

Chapter 14

Word Definition Page Maestro A man who is an expert at writing, conducting, or teaching

music128

Virtuosity Great technical skill at an art (ex. singing) 128Inexhaustible Unable to be used up 130

Rakishly In an unrestrained way 133Relinquishin

gVoluntarily giving up 135


Dervish A Muslim person who leads a life of poverty and austerity to be closer to God

136

Jai Hind A salutation, slogan, and battle cry associated with Indian patriotism; translates to “Hail India” or “Victory to India”

136

Pakistan Zindabad

A slogan and salutation used to express patriotism for Pakistan; translates to “Victory to Pakistan”

136

Desultory Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm 136Clout Influence or power, especially in business or politics 139

Buckwas Hindi word for “backwards” 140Avidity Keen eagerness 141Incipient An initial stage 141

Distillation Extraction of the most important aspects of something 141

Chapter 16Word Definition Page Kurta An upper garment of clothing; from the Persian word for

“collarless shirt”143

Holi A Hindu holiday celebrating spring and love in which people throw packets of colored dye at each other

144

Tenement Often run-down and overcrowded apartments 144Mohalla Neighborhood 144

Gowalmandi The cultural center of Lahore 144Tamasha A traditional form of Marathi theater with singing and

dancing performed by traveling theater groups in India146

Petrol Gasoline 146Celluloid A type of plastic 147

Holi


Somnambulist Sleepwalker 152Countenances Supports 152


Niceties Minor aspects of polite social behavior 155Countenance A person’s facial expression 156

Pertinent Relevant 156Dissension Disagreement 157Kali-yuga According to Indian scriptures, the last four stages the world

goes through158

Kohl Eye cosmetic 159Unerring Always right 160


Diminutive Extremely small 164Gurkha An indigenous people from Nepal 164

Ubiquitous Found everywhere 164Ingratiating Intended to gain approval or favor 166

Indiscernible Impossible to see clearly 168


Bequeathing Giving or passing on to 169Futilely Ineffectively 169

Karakuli cap Also known as a Jinnah cap; associated with the Pakistan movement

170

Achkan coats A knee-length jacket worn by men in North India and Pakistan

170

Caricatured Comically or grotesquely exaggerated 171Hauteur Haughtiness; disdainful pride 171

Pre-eminently Superior or above others 171

Karakuli cap


Shalwar Traditional dress of South and Central Asia, especially Afghanistan and Pakistan, mostly worn by women

173

Tallow A hard substance made from animal fat used in making candles 175Stoic A person who endures pain or hardship without revealing

emotions177


Gallivant To travel for pleasure 182Dicky Old British slang for the trunk of a car 182

Godown Warehouse 183Circumspect Wary; unwilling to take risks 183101 names of

GodZoroastrian list of God’s names 184

Gunnysack An inexpensive bag made of burlap 185Tarmac Road surfacing material 185

Chapter 23Word Definition Page Bereft Deprived of something 187

Marauder A person who roams, often in search of things to steal or people to attack

187

Surreptitious Kept secret 187Minarets Architectural feature of mosques; tall spires with conical or

onion-shaped tops188

Complicity The state of being involved with others in an illegal activity 190Cavalry Soldiers who fought on horseback or, in modern days, in armored

vehicles190

Perfunctorily

Done without energy or enthusiasm out of habit 191

Surfeit An excessive amount of something 191Purdah A Muslim practice of preventing men from seeing women 194

Minarets


Flagellating Whipping (here, Lenny means mentally) 196Ribald Referring to sexual matters in an amusing or rude way 196

Unwonted Unaccustomed or unusual 196Bridegroo

mGroom; the person who marries the bride 197

Baraat A bridegroom’s wedding procession 197Ghoongat Hindi word for veil or headscarf worn by women to cover their

heads and often faces197

Sehra A headdress worn at Pakistani, Indian, and Bangladeshi weddings 198Insouciant Showing a lack of concern 199

Ghoongat Sehra

Chapter 25Word Definition Page Agog Very eager or curious to hear something 201

Unobtrusively Not attracting attention 202Laxity The state of being loose or relaxed 202

Chuddar A large piece of cloth that is wrapped around the head and 202

upper body leaving only the face exposed, worn especially by Muslim women

Straitened Restricted in range or scope 203Consternation Feelings of anxiety or dismay 205

Inviolate Free or safe from injury 209Abba Arabic word for “father” 212

Lorries Trucks 216Improvident Not having foresight; thoughtless 219

Chapter 26Word Definition Page Cajoles Persuade someone to do something with sustained coaxing or

flattery221

Espionage Things that are done to spy on others 222Adroitly Skillfully 223

Incandescence Emitting light 232

Chapter 27Word Definition Page Kismet Fate 234

Pug marks Footprints of animals; from the Hindi “pug,” meaning “foot” 235Billa Hindi word loosely translating to “bandit” 236

Incredulity

The state of being unwilling to believe something 238

Chapter 28Word Definition Page Ardor Enthusiasm or passion 243

Importunate Persistent to the point of annoyance 244Delineated Indicate the exact position of 245Covenant Promise or agreement 245


Capitulating Surrender 248Concubines In Muslim societies, women who lived in a harem and were

kept for sexual purposes258

Tragedian’s mask

A traditional sad-faced mask for actors who played tragedy roles

263

Tragedian's mask


Sibilant A speech sound with a hissing effect 265Crescendo A gradual increase in sound 267

Enigmatically Cryptically 267Fastidiously Carefully 267Censorious Severely critical of others 277


Homeopath A person who practices alternative medicine 282Recriminations An accusation in response to one from someone else 284Conglomerate A number of different things put together 285

Retribution Punishment that is considered morally right and fully deserved 285Remonstrance A forcefully reproachful protest 286


Indefatigable Persisting tirelessly 287

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