 | Term | Definition |
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Determination |
persistence; the ability to work steadily toward a goal until it is achieved. Jackie's determination helped her finish the marathon. |
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Cunning |
clever or sly ways of getting what one wants or of escaping one's enemies. The mouse used cunning to get the cheese. |
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Droves |
groups of animals, such as cows or sheep, that are herded together from place to place. |
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Emigrants |
people who leave one country to settle in another. |
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Conductor |
a leader of the Underground Railroad |
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Dank |
unpleasantly damp or humid. |
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Civil War |
the war between the North and South in the United States, 1861-1865. During the Civil War, the United States was divided by issues such as slavery. |
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Confidence |
a powerful belief or trust in oneself or someone else. Getting an A on her science test built Zoe's confidence in herself. |
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Battalion |
a large group of soldiers, made up of smaller companies or divisions. |
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Abolitionist |
a person who worked to end slavery in the United States. |
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Bridle |
the part of a horse's harness that goes over the horse's head. It is used to control or guide the horse. |
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Bronco |
an untamed horse |
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Cavalry |
a group of soldiers who ride on horseback |
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Artillery |
large guns mounted on wheels or vehicles such as Jeeps. |
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Chaparral |
an area thick with shrubs, and thorny bushes |
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Infantry |
a group of soldiers who have been trained to fight mainly on foot. |
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Makeshift |
used as temporary replacement for the usual item. The kitchen table served as a makeshift ironing board. |
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Fearless |
brave; unafraid |
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Immigrants |
people who come to a new country to live. |
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Intently |
with sharply focused attention. John gazed intently at the questions on his history test. |
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Enlistments |
the lengths of time for which people have joined the military. |
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Ethnic |
of or relating to a group of people who have the same national origins, language, and culture. |
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Lariat |
a long, light rope with a sliding hoop at one end, used to catch horses and cattle; a lasso. |
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Sagebrush |
a grayish-green bush or shrub with white or yellow flowers that grows on the dry plains in the western United States and smells like the herb sage. |
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Range |
a large area of land on which cattle and sheep graze |
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Station |
a regular stopping place along a route |
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Rickety |
weak and shaky |
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Pioneer |
a person who is among the first to enter or settle a region. |
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Recruits |
people who have recently joined an organization or group such as the military. |
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Patriot |
one who loves and supports his or her country |
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Stirrups |
the metal or leather loops that hangs from a saddle and holds a rider's Feet. |
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Tenement |
a run-down and crowded apartment building in a poor section or a city. |
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Veteran |
a person who has served in the armed forces. |
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Stock |
all of the animals raised on a farm; livestock. Because of the storm, the stock had to be herded into the barn. |
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Unbearable |
intolerable; too unpleasant or distasteful to tolerate. |
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Superintendent |
the person who is in charge of a building, organization, or project. The superintendent manages our apartment building. |
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Underground Railroad |
a system set up before the Civil War to help run-away slaves escape to the northern United States, to Canada, and to other places of safety. |
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Vaqueros |
Latin American cowboys who worked in Mexico and the southwestern United States. |
