33 words to know before reading The Call of the Wild

1. Living a life of moving from place to place without a permanent home.
2. Relating to or characteristic of nomads.

“Old longings nomadic leap, Chafing at custom’s chain; Again from its brumal sleep Wakens the ferine strain.”

1. Irritation caused by friction (e.g., skin rubbing against clothing).
2. The act of rubbing something to make it sore or worn.

“Old longings nomadic leap, Chafing at custom’s chain; Again from its brumal sleep Wakens the ferine strain.”

1. Relating to winter; wintry.
2. Characterized by cold, bleak, or harsh conditions.

“Old longings nomadic leap, Chafing at custom’s chain; Again from its brumal sleep Wakens the ferine strain.”

1. Relating to wild animals; resembling or characteristic of a wild beast.
2. Savage or untamed in nature or behavior.

“Old longings nomadic leap, Chafing at custom’s chain; Again from its brumal sleep Wakens the ferine strain.”

1. A slang term for a woman or girl, often affectionate.
2. Informal term for flatulence.

hand, there were the fox terriers, a score of them at least, who yelped fearful promises at Toots and Ysabel looking out of the windows at them and protected by a legion of housemaids armed with

1. The number equivalent to four times ten (40).
2. A term used to describe a quantity or age.

a mad glitter in his bloodshot eyes. Straight at the man he launched his one hundred and forty pounds of fury, surcharged with the pent passion of two days and nights. In mid air, just as his

1. The state of being worthy of honor or respect.
2. A composed or serious manner.

a Scotch shepherd dog. Nevertheless, one hundred and forty pounds, to which was added the dignity that comes of good living and universal respect, enabled him to carry himself in right royal

1. A public room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served.
2. A large, elegant room for social gatherings or events.

to see the Judge, or the boys at least. But each time it was the bulging face of the saloon-keeper that peered in at him by the sickly light of a tallow candle. And each time the joyful

1. Having curls or a curved shape.
2. (Of hair) Formed in tight waves or spirals.

by the little weazened man. That was the last he saw of the man in the red sweater, and as Curly and he looked at receding Seattle from the deck of the Narwhal, it was the last he saw of the

1. A medium-sized Arctic whale with a long, spiral tusk (modified tooth).
2. Symbolic of rare or unique qualities in popular culture.

man in the red sweater, and as Curly and he looked at receding Seattle from the deck of the Narwhal, it was the last he saw of the warm Southland. Curly and he were taken below by Perrault and

1. A long, pointed tooth, especially of a carnivorous animal.
2. The hollow or grooved tooth of a venomous snake.

II The Law of Club and Fang Buck’s first day on the Dyea beach was like a nightmare. Every hour was filled with shock and

1. A breed of strong, thick-coated sled dogs originally from the Arctic.
2. The sports teams of the University of Washington, known as the Washington Huskies.

of fighting, to strike and leap away; but there was more to it than this. Thirty or forty huskies ran to the spot and surrounded the combatants in an intent and silent circle. Buck did not

1. A type of dog with a pointed muzzle and thick fur, often from Arctic regions.
2. A pointed or sharp peak, especially in reference to mountains.

mass of bodies. So sudden was it, and so unexpected, that Buck was taken aback. He saw Spitz run out his scarlet tongue in a way he had of laughing; and he saw François, swinging an axe,

1. A vehicle on runners for traveling over snow or ice.
2. A small, light vehicle used for sliding downhill on snow.

ahead at “mush,” to swing wide on the bends, and to keep clear of the wheeler when the loaded sled shot downhill at their heels. “T’ree vair’ good dogs,” François told Perrault. “Dat Buck, heem

1. A traditional Scandinavian outdoor meeting place or assembly site.
2. A gathering place for male birds to perform courtship displays.

which was communicated to him; but still more surprising was the change wrought in Dave and Sol-leks. They were new dogs, utterly transformed by the harness. All passiveness and unconcern had

1. Hard and continuous work; laborious effort.
2. To work strenuously or laboriously.

not one had shown up worthily in camp and on trail. They were all too soft, dying under the toil, the frost, and starvation. Buck was the exception. He alone endured and prospered, matching the

1. The larval stage of an insect, especially a beetle.
2. To dig or search for something, often in the ground.

himself free. But it was only for a moment. The two men were compelled to run back to save the grub, upon which the huskies returned to the attack on the team. Billee, terrified into bravery,

1. A long spear with a pointed metal head (historical weapon).
2. A large freshwater fish with a long snout (e.g., northern pike).

Once, his teeth closed on the fore leg of a husky, and he crunched down through the bone. Pike, the malingerer, leaped upon the crippled animal, breaking its neck with a quick flash of teeth

1. A set of straps and fittings used to control or attach an animal or object.
2. To utilize or control a resource or energy for a purpose.

another shock. François fastened upon him an arrangement of straps and buckles. It was a harness, such as he had seen the grooms put on the horses at home. And as he had seen horses work, so he

1. Vehicles with runners for sliding over snow or ice.
2. Flat-bottomed carts used for transporting heavy loads.

rang out. The man came back hurriedly. The whips snapped, the bells tinkled merrily, the sleds churned along the trail; but Buck knew, and every dog knew, what had taken place behind the belt

1. Walking with difficulty, typically due to injury or pain in a leg or foot.
2. Moving unevenly or unsteadily.

who, in his lifetime of deceit, had often successfully feigned a hurt leg, was now limping in earnest. Sol-leks was limping, and Dub was suffering from a wrenched shoulder-blade. They were

1. A soft, wet, pulpy mass (e.g., overcooked food).
2. A thick porridge made from boiled grains.

keep the traces taut, and on the down grades just managed to keep out of the way of the sled. “Mush on, poor sore feets,” the driver encouraged them as they tottered down the main street of

1. Used as a reflexive pronoun to refer to a group previously mentioned.
2. Used for emphasis to refer to a group previously mentioned.

Eh? For sure. One bully long res’.” The drivers confidently expected a long stopover. Themselves, they had covered twelve hundred miles with two days’ rest, and in the nature of reason and

1. A flat structure for floating or traveling on water.
2. A large amount or number of something.

made him comfortable and left him to get well, going on themselves up the river to get out a raft of saw-logs for Dawson. He was still limping slightly at the time he rescued Buck, but with the

1. A fast-moving target used in shooting sports.
2. Slang term for ejaculate (vulgar).

and Skeet and Nig—waiting for the raft to come that was to carry them down to Dawson. Skeet was a little Irish setter who early made friends with Buck, who, in a dying condition, was unable

1. Taken by force or legal authority.
2. Grasped suddenly and firmly.

was growing mysterious. It seemed like a conjuration. As Thornton got to his feet, Buck seized his mittened hand between his jaws, pressing in with his teeth and releasing slowly,

1. A small tool or device, often mechanical or electronic.
2. To move restlessly or aimlessly from place to place.

up heard him cursing Buck, and he cursed him long and fervently, and softly and lovingly. “Gad, sir! Gad, sir!” spluttered the Skookum Bench king. “I’ll give you a thousand for him, sir, a

1. Wood prepared for use in building or carpentry.
2. Trees or wooded land considered as a source of wood.

time; and once he crossed the divide at the head of the creek and went down into the land of timber and streams. There he wandered for a week, seeking vainly for fresh sign of the wild brother,

1. A small house or cabin, often in a rural or natural setting.
2. A local branch of a society or organization.

with arrows like a porcupine. At the same instant Buck peered out where the spruce-bough lodge had been and saw what made his hair leap straight up on his neck and shoulders. A gust of

1. A large deer species native to North America, Europe, and Asia, known for its broad antlers (males).
2. Slang for something big, clumsy, or awkward.

let them go, chattering in mortal fear to the treetops. As the fall of the year came on, the moose appeared in greater abundance, moving slowly down to meet the winter in the lower and less

1. The projecting part of an animal's face, including the nose and mouth.
2. A device placed over an animal's mouth to prevent biting or eating.

and made his glorious furry coat if anything more glorious. But for the stray brown on his muzzle and above his eyes, and for the splash of white hair that ran midmost down his chest, he might

1. Skillful in deception or trickery.
2. Clever or crafty in achieving goals.

fierce conditions of trail life it grew and grew. Yet it was a secret growth. His newborn cunning gave him poise and control. He was too busy adjusting himself to the new life to feel at ease,

1. A group of animals, especially hoofed mammals, living or moving together.
2. To gather, lead, or manage a group of animals.

of the younger bulls would charge back upon Buck and enable the wounded bull to rejoin the herd. There is a patience of the wild—dogged, tireless, persistent as life itself—that holds