consult
seek information from
We were far too old to settle an argument with a fist-fight, so we consulted Atticus.
unsullied
spotlessly clean and fresh
Atticus's office in the courthouse contained little more than a hat rack, a spittoon, a checkerboard and an unsullied Code of Alabama.
satisfactory
meeting requirements
Jem and I found our father satisfactory: he played with us, read to us, and treated us with courteous detachment.
tyrannical
characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule
She had been with us ever since Jem was born, and I had felt her tyrannical presence as long as I could remember.
absence
failure to be present
Our mother died when I was two, so I never felt her absence.
revelation
an enlightening or astonishing disclosure
Dill had seen Dracula, a revelation that moved Jem to eye him with the beginning of respect.
concede
be willing to yield
It was all right to shut him up, Mr. Radley conceded, but insisted that Boo not be charged with anything: he was not a criminal.
employ
put into service
Nobody knew what form of intimidation Mr. Radley employed to keep Boo out of sight, but Jem figured that Mr. Radley kept him chained to the bed most of the time.
decline
refuse to accept
In all his life, Jem had never declined a dare.
foray
a sudden short attack
Jem threw open the gate and sped to the side of the house, slapped it with his palm and ran back past us, not waiting to see if his foray was successful.
miserable
very unhappy
We saw him off on the five o'clock bus and I was miserable without him until it occurred to me that I would be starting to school in a week.
condescend
do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
Jem condescended to take me to school the first day, a job usually done by one's parents, but Atticus had said Jem would be delighted to show me where my room was.
compel
force somebody to do something
Now that I was compelled to think about it, reading was something that just came to me, as learning to fasten the seat of my union suit without looking around, or achieving two bows from a snarl of shoelaces.
