Full Glossary for The Giver

Admonition warning

Alcove A small area set off from a larger room or space

AnimalsA tern used in Jonas' community to describe someone "uneducated or clumsy, or someone who didn't fit in".

Aptitude Skill or ability

Assimilated Absorbed

Aungmented Added to.

Benign Not harmful; gentle and calm

Birthmother A female who us assigned to give birth to three children within three years, after which she becomes a laborer.

Buoyancy The ability to stay afloat

Capacity to See Beyond Having the ability to see things that others cannot see

Carnage Here, meaning a mutilated and bloody body

Ceremony of Loss When a child dies unexpectedly, the citizens of the community repeat the dead person's name over and over - and more and more softly - during the day

Chastise Criticize

Climate Control Jonas' community controls the weather so that is is the same all the time.

Collection Crew People assigned to pick up food trays left outside of dwellings

Confort Object A stuffed animal that is issued to an infant until the child becomes an Eight, at which time the stuffed animal is recycled for another child's use

Conspicuous Noticeable

Conveyance Here, meaning trnasportation

December Ceremony The ceremony during which the children in each peer group chronologically move from one age to the next; infants are placed with family units, and Twelves are assigned their lifelong careers

Droning on Speaking continuously; chatterting idly

Dwelling A home

Ecstatic Exciting and pleasurable

Electrode A conductor through which electric charge is passed

ElsewhereA place outside of the community; Lowry only hints at what and where Elsewhere is

Embossed Embossing is a process in which letters or shapes are physically raised — for example, words in books printed in Braille; if you run your finger over the embossed letters or shapes, you can feel their outline

Exampted Freed; not responsible

Food Delivery People People in Jonas' community don't cook their own food. The food for each meal is delivered to community members by people who have been assigned to be Food Delivery people

Fretful Agitated or uneasy

Genetic Scientists Here, scientists who study human genes and attempt to eliminate differences, or unique characteristics, in people and in the environment

Geraniums Common house or garden plants that have white, pink, or red flowers

Gullies Ditches that run paralle to roads

Hall of Closed Records A building that houses various documents and video recordings; all information in the Hall of Closed Records is off-limits to the vast majority of citizens

Hall of Open Records A building that stores records about citizens and events, as well as other information that is available to citizens of the community

Hatchery Jonas' community includes a salmon hatchery, a place where salmon are raised for the people's consumption

Hearing-beyondHearing things that other people in the community can't hear because they do not have the memories and no longer have the ability; for example, The Giver hears music

Hoarded selfishly accumulated

House of the Old A facility, similar to a nursing home, in which elderly people reside and are cared for by Caretakers

Imperceptibly Without a noticiable result

Imploringly Begging for understanding in a painful situation

Indolance Laziness

Indulgently Here, meaning patiently, contentedly, and happily

Integral Necessary

Invigorating Powerfully exciting

Ironic A contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs. For example, in Chapter 1, when the Speaker informs the community that the errant pilot will be released, he uses an "amusing" tone in his voice, but the act of release is a serious, fatal matter

Languid Spiritless or weak

Lethargy Dullness of spirit; a lack of energy

Murmur-of-Replacement Ceremony When a new infant is given to a family unit to replace a child who died unexpectedly, the citizens of the community speak the child's name softly at first, then more rapidly and loudly, symbolizing the return of the dead child. The new infant is given the same name as that of the child who died

New Children New borns; infants

Obsolete of no consequence or importance; forgotten

Ominous Threatening

Palpable Here, meaning real

Parched Dried

Piecemeal scattered; not together or in unison

Port Here, a place to secure a bicycle

Relief-of-Pain medication Medication that is dispensed to community members to relieve pain so that no one in the community suffers

Retroactive Putting something in effect at an earlier time

Ruefully Regretfully or sadly

Runners Blades used to glide over a surface, usually ice

"seeing beyond" Seeing things that other people in the community can't see because they do not have the memories and no longer have the ability; for example, Jonas sees the color red in Fiona's hair

Shed Here, meaning discard or forget

Sheepish Embarrassed and uncomfortable

Sinuous Curving and supple

Solemnly Seriously, with awe

Speaker The person whose voice the people hear over the laudspeaker system

Stirrings Feelings of sexual desire

Supplementary Additional

Tunic A peice of clothing

Usages Ways in which words are used

Wheedle Here, meaning to complete for attention