32 words to know before reading Kim

1. A market or street of shops and stalls, especially in Middle Eastern countries.
2. A fundraising sale of goods, often for charity.

singsong; though he consorted on terms of perfect equality with the small boys of the bazaar; Kim was white—a poor white of the very poorest. The half-caste woman who looked after him (she

1. A hereditary social class or system, especially in Hindu society.
2. A rigid social stratification based on birth, occupation, or wealth.

Is he not my disciple?” “His country—his race—his village? Mussalman—Sikh—Hindu—Jain—low caste or high?” “Why should I ask? There is neither high nor low in the Middle Way. If he is my

1. Small or little in size (Spanish/Indian context).
2. A term used in Indian slang to refer to a young boy or junior.

chased him out of his shop for spitting at the joss above the boots. “Pahari,”2 said little Chota Lal. “Aye, child—a hillman from hills thou’lt never see. Didst hear of Bhotiyal?3 I am no

1. Belonging to you (archaic or poetic form of "your").
2. Short for "thyroid" in medical contexts (informal).

land in the world. “The Hindus fell off Zam-Zammah too. The Mussalmans pushed them off. Thy father was a pastrycook—” He stopped; for there shuffled round the corner, from the roaring

1. No (archaic or formal negative response).
2. A negative vote or voter.

Bazaar. She knew Kim of old. “Oho, hast thou turned yogi with thy begging-bowl?” she cried. “Nay,” said Kim proudly. “There is a new priest in the city—a man such as I have never seen.” “Old

1. A Buddhist monk or spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism.
2. A domesticated South American camelid, similar to an alpaca.

never see. Didst hear of Bhotiyal?3 I am no Khitai, but a Bhotiya,4 since you must know—a lama—or, say, a guru in your tongue.” “A guru from Tibet,” said Kim. “I have not seen such a man.

1. (archaic) You (singular), used as the object of a verb or preposition.
2. (poetic) A form of 'you' in older or religious texts.

the openwork iron pincers, and laid it on the Curator’s table. “That is for a memory between thee and me—my pencase. It is something old—even as I am.” It was a piece of ancient design,

1. A tool or machine used to prepare soil for planting by breaking it up and removing weeds.
2. A person who grows crops or plants, often with care and expertise.

They all unloosed their bundles and made their morning meal. Then the banker, the cultivator, and the soldier prepared their pipes and wrapped the compartment in choking, acrid smoke,

1. To become limp or droop, typically due to lack of water.
2. To lose strength, energy, or vigor.

Nay, I will seek everywhere as I go—for the place is not known where the arrow fell.” “And how wilt thou go? It is a far cry to Delhi, and farther to Benares.” “By road and the trains. From

1. A follower or student of a teacher, leader, or philosophy.
2. In Christianity, one of the twelve close followers of Jesus.

old a man as thou, speaking the truth to chance-met people at dusk, is in great need of a disciple.” “But the River—the River of the Arrow?” “Oh, that I heard when thou wast speaking to the

1. Located at or toward the back (e.g., hind legs).
2. A female deer, especially a red deer over three years old.

said the lama, shifting the rosary to his hand. “Hear: for I speak of Him now! O people of Hind, listen!” He began in Urdu the tale of the Lord Buddha, but, borne by his own thoughts, slid into

1. A pincer-like claw of a crustacean, such as a crab or lobster.
2. A disciple or follower in Hinduism, especially of a guru.

I was cheered and made strong. And when I was faint with hunger he begged for me, as would a chela for his teacher. Suddenly was he sent. Suddenly has he gone away. It was in my mind to have

1. A journey to a sacred place for religious reasons.
2. A spiritual quest or significant personal journey.

Ananda’s Lord—the Bodhisat. “And He is here! The Most Excellent Law is here also. My pilgrimage is well begun. And what work! What work!” “Yonder is the Sahib,” said Kim, and dodged sideways

1. Fabric panels hung to cover windows for privacy or decoration.
2. Theatrical drapes that open or close a stage.

a few compliments as the ruth-bullocks backed and backed again. From behind the shaking curtains came one volley of invective. It did not last long, but in kind and quality, in blistering,

1. A tropical fruit with sweet, juicy flesh and a large seed.
2. The evergreen tree that produces this fruit.

the rutted and worn country road that wound across the flat between the great dark-green mango-groves, the line of the snowcapped Himalayas faint to the eastward. All India was at work in the

1. A clergy member who provides spiritual guidance in institutions like hospitals or the military.
2. A religious leader attached to a private chapel, institution, or family.

Kim, with slightly raised head, was still staring at his totem on the table, when the Chaplain stepped on his right shoulder-blade. Kim flinched under the leather, and, rolling sideways,

1. A small object worn to bring good luck or protection.
2. A charm believed to have magical powers.

that sets the serai ablaze of nights; but he looked more carefully, and, hand on amulet, drew his own conclusions. “It must be the pedigree of that made-up horse-lie,” said he, “the

1. Independent thinkers who refuse to conform to norms or expectations.
2. Unbranded cattle, especially motherless calves.

in a Colonel’s family and had married Kimball O’Hara, a young colour-sergeant of the Mavericks, an Irish regiment. He afterwards took a post on the Sind, Punjab, and Delhi Railway, and his

1. A term of respect used in colonial India for a European or other person of high status.
2. In South Asia, a polite form of address for a man, similar to "sir" or "master."

Law is here also. My pilgrimage is well begun. And what work! What work!” “Yonder is the Sahib,” said Kim, and dodged sideways among the cases of the arts and manufacturers wing. A

1. A building or group of buildings used to house soldiers.
2. Temporary or basic housing for workers or other groups.

ride. Tell me where thy barracks are and I will set thee there.” “Let me go. I can find the barracks alone.” “And if thou runnest away who will say it is not my fault?” “He’ll run back to his

1. A roofed platform along the outside of a house, level with the ground floor.
2. An open-air gallery or porch, often partly enclosed by a railing.

on the Ferozepore line. Then he would weep bitterly in the broken rush chair on the veranda. So it came about after his death that the woman sewed parchment, paper, and birth-certificate

1. A term of respect used in colonial India for European men, especially British officials or officers.
2. In South Asia, a polite title for a man, equivalent to "sir" or "master."

the middle road—all hard—takes the quick traffic. In the days before rail-carriages the Sahibs travelled up and down here in hundreds. Now there are only country-carts and suchlike. Left and

1. A Muslim who has completed the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
2. A title of respect given to such a person.

for I was but newly caught, and I wished to kill that low-caste drummer-boy. I say now, Hajji, that it was well done; and I see my road all clear before me to a good service. I will stay in

1. A flat, shallow container used for holding or carrying items.
2. A removable storage compartment in electronic devices.

dried his tears at once, and dashed to the back of the shop, whence he returned with a copper tray. “Give me!” he said to Lurgan Sahib. “Let them come from thy hand, for he may say that I knew

1. A term of respect for a gentleman or clerk in South Asia.
2. A title for officials in colonial India.

ash-smeared, and wild-eyed, in the back room. At the end of that time entered a hulking, obese Babu whose stockinged legs shook with fat, and Kim opened on him with a shower of wayside chaff.

1. A large, humped mammal used for transport in deserts.
2. A color resembling light tan or yellowish-brown.

and once as much as eight annas in money. “He is here,” said Kim, hitting a bad-tempered camel on the nose. “Ohé. Mahbub Ali!” He halted at a dark arch and slipped behind the bewildered lama.

1. A string of beads used in prayer by Catholics.
2. A series of prayers counted on these beads.

beggar’s bowl. Then the lama took snuff from a portentous wooden snuff-gourd, fingered his rosary awhile, and so dropped into the easy sleep of age, as the shadow of Zam-Zammah grew long. Kim

1. A holy person or ascetic in Hinduism, often devoted to spiritual practices.
2. A wandering monk or saint in Indian traditions, living a life of simplicity and meditation.

there lolled against the corner an all but naked, ash-smeared, ochre-barred, dusty-haired Saddhu, his swollen eyes—opium takes quick effect on an empty stomach—luminous with insolence and

1. A portable device used for rain protection, consisting of a collapsible canopy on a central rod.
2. Something that covers or includes a broad range of elements or functions.

and such a way!” The lama would throw a careless finger backward at the ridges, and the umbrella would expend itself in compliments. They crossed a snowy pass in cold moonlight, when the lama,

1. Historical term for unskilled laborers, often from Asia, working in harsh conditions.
2. Offensive term for Asian workers, now considered derogatory.

of strangers and enemies.” “For?” “For the Russians. The thing was an open jest among the coolies. Then I was called down to tell what I knew by speech of tongue. Mahbub came South too. See the

1. Intense sexual desire or craving.
2. Strong passion or eagerness for something.

swollen eyes—opium takes quick effect on an empty stomach—luminous with insolence and bestial lust, his legs crossed under him, Kim’s brown rosary round his neck, and a scant yard of worn,

1. A small, portable bed or sleeping mat, often foldable.
2. A lightweight frame used to support a bed or mattress.

him. I do not think spirits—” “Get him a glass of sherry, then, and let him squat on the cot. Now, Kim,” continued Father Victor, “no one is going to hurt you. Drink that down and tell us