44 words to know before reading The Great Gatsby

1. A place of safety or refuge.
2. A harbor or port for ships.

clothes was standing with his legs apart on the front porch. He had changed since his New Haven years. Now he was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty, with a rather hard mouth and a

1. Thin and graceful in form or build.
2. Limited in width or thickness.

yellow of her hair, glinted along the paper as she turned a page with a flutter of slender muscles in her arms. When we came in she held us silent for a moment with a lifted hand. “To be

1. A large, impressive house, often the residence of a wealthy or prominent person.
2. In some contexts, a block of flats or apartments, especially in British English.

that I was not alone—fifty feet away a figure had emerged from the shadow of my neighbour’s mansion and was standing with his hands in his pockets regarding the silver pepper of the stars.

1. A small flowering plant with white petals and a yellow center.
2. A term of endearment for someone sweet or innocent.

wherever people played polo and were rich together. This was a permanent move, said Daisy over the telephone, but I didn’t believe it—I had no sight into Daisy’s heart, but I felt that

1. A covered entrance to a building, typically at the front, often with a roof and open sides.
2. A veranda or similar outdoor space attached to a house, used for relaxation.

to him any more. When, almost immediately, the telephone rang inside and the butler left the porch Daisy seized upon the momentary interruption and leaned towards me. “I’ll tell you a family

1. A soft, indistinct sound made by a person or group, often speaking quietly or indistinctly.
2. A low, continuous background noise, like rustling leaves or flowing water.

to speak when she sat up alertly and said “Sh!” in a warning voice. A subdued impassioned murmur was audible in the room beyond, and Miss Baker leaned forward unashamed, trying to hear. The

1. Not bright or clear; lacking light.
2. Having faint or indistinct vision.

and bare; the only car visible was the dust-covered wreck of a Ford which crouched in a dim corner. It had occurred to me that this shadow of a garage must be a blind, and that sumptuous

1. In a weak or barely perceptible manner.
2. With little strength or clarity.

on the table looking with blind eyes through the smoke, and from time to time groaning faintly. People disappeared, reappeared, made plans to go somewhere, and then lost each other, searched

1. To reveal secrets or private information, often in a gossipy or indiscreet manner.
2. To tell on someone, especially to report their misbehavior to an authority.

the despairing figure on the couch, bleeding fluently, and trying to spread a copy of Town Tattle over the tapestry scenes of Versailles. Then Mr. McKee turned and continued on out the door.

1. A type of evergreen shrub with fragrant white flowers and dark berries.
2. A symbol of love and immortality in ancient mythology.

stuff or the whisky distorted things, because it didn’t make any sense to me. Just as Tom and Myrtle (after the first drink Mrs. Wilson and I called each other by our first names) reappeared,

1. A distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash, such as barley, corn, rye, or wheat.
2. Typically aged in wooden casks, giving it a distinct flavor and color.

apathetically in the saucer of milk all afternoon. Meanwhile Tom brought out a bottle of whisky from a locked bureau door. I have been drunk just twice in my life, and the second time was that

1. A sparkling white wine from the Champagne region of France.
2. A celebratory drink often used for toasts and special occasions.

red-haired young lady from a famous chorus, engaged in song. She had drunk a quantity of champagne, and during the course of her song she had decided, ineptly, that everything was very, very

1. A strong, coarse cloth used for making sails, tents, or paintings.
2. A piece of fabric stretched over a frame for painting.

us.” We shook hands with him gravely and went back outdoors. There was dancing now on the canvas in the garden; old men pushing young girls backward in eternal graceless circles, superior

1. On or to a higher floor of a building.
2. The upper floor(s) of a building.

magazine, and in the station drugstore some cold cream and a small flask of perfume. Upstairs, in the solemn echoing drive she let four taxicabs drive away before she selected a new one,

1. Mixed alcoholic drinks made with spirits, juices, and other ingredients.
2. Non-alcoholic mixed drinks resembling traditional cocktails.

and shawls beyond the dreams of Castile. The bar is in full swing, and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside, until the air is alive with chatter and laughter, and casual

1. An indirect or subtle remark, often suggestive or derogatory in nature.
2. A hint or insinuation, especially one that is disparaging or improper.

permeate the garden outside, until the air is alive with chatter and laughter, and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot, and enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew

1. A great victory or achievement.
2. To win or succeed.

a bona-fide piece of printed matter. It fooled me. This fella’s a regular Belasco. It’s a triumph. What thoroughness! What realism! Knew when to stop, too—didn’t cut the pages. But what do you

1. Sought knowledge or details.
2. Made a formal request or investigation.

I began. “Don’t talk. I want to hear what happens.” “Is something happening?” I inquired innocently. “You mean to say you don’t know?” said Miss Baker, honestly surprised. “I thought

1. Employees who perform administrative or office tasks.
2. Officials who maintain records in a court or government office.

twilight I felt a haunting loneliness sometimes, and felt it in others—poor young clerks who loitered in front of windows waiting until it was time for a solitary restaurant

1. A payment made by one state or ruler to another as a sign of submission or for protection.
2. An act, statement, or gift showing respect, gratitude, or admiration.

than my generalities of those who accepted Gatsby’s hospitality and paid him the subtle tribute of knowing nothing whatever about him. From East Egg, then, came the Chester Beckers and the

1. A small, white, toothed whale found in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters.
2. A large species of sturgeon whose roe is used to make premium caviar.

and S. B. Whitebait, who was well over sixty, and Maurice A. Flink, and the Hammerheads, and Beluga the tobacco importer, and Beluga’s girls. From West Egg came the Poles and the Mulreadys and

1. A quick or brief look at something.
2. A faint or partial view.

nineteen-hundreds. Then the valley of ashes opened out on both sides of us, and I had a glimpse of Mrs. Wilson straining at the garage pump with panting vitality as we went by. With fenders

1. Having a pink or reddish color, like a rose.
2. Optimistic or hopeful; bright and positive.

languidly, their hands set lightly on their hips, the two young women preceded us out on to a rosy-coloured porch, open toward the sunset, where four candles flickered on the table in the

1. A short, sharp sound made to express disapproval or attract attention.
2. A private lesson or instruction, often one-on-one.

the red, white, and blue banners in front of all the houses stretched out stiff and said tut-tut-tut-tut, in a disapproving way. The largest of the banners and the largest of the lawns

1. A fragrant plant with purple flowers, used in perfumes and oils.
2. A pale purple color resembling the flowers of the lavender plant.

was coming up the drive. It stopped. Daisy’s face, tipped sideways beneath a three-cornered lavender hat, looked out at me with a bright ecstatic smile. “Is this absolutely where you live, my

1. A distinctive smell, often unpleasant.
2. A lingering quality or impression associated with something.

odour of jonquils and the frothy odour of hawthorn and plum blossoms and the pale gold odour of kiss-me-at-the-gate. It was strange to reach the marble steps and find no stir of bright

1. A small African antelope with a stocky build and short legs, adapted for rocky terrain.
2. A person or thing that springs or jumps like the antelope.

them feel more satisfactorily alone. “I know what we’ll do,” said Gatsby, “we’ll have Klipspringer play the piano.” He went out of the room calling “Ewing!” and returned in a few minutes

1. Lacking strength or clarity; barely perceptible.
2. A sudden loss of consciousness.

I saw that the expression of bewilderment had come back into Gatsby’s face, as though a faint doubt had occurred to him as to the quality of his present happiness. Almost five years! There

1. A medium-sized sailboat used for racing or cruising.
2. A luxurious motor-driven boat used for pleasure trips.

Kaye, the newspaper woman, played Madame de Maintenon to his weakness and sent him to sea in a yacht, were common property of the turgid journalism in 1902. He had been coasting along all too

1. Feeling or showing great pleasure or happiness.
2. Highly pleased or gratified.

there previously. “I’m delighted to see you,” said Gatsby, standing on his porch. “I’m delighted that you dropped in.” As though they cared! “Sit right down. Have a cigarette or a cigar.” He

1. The evening meal, typically lighter than dinner.
2. A social gathering where a light evening meal is served.

had moved casually on and her remark was addressed to the premature moon, produced like the supper, no doubt, out of a caterer’s basket. With Jordan’s slender golden arm resting in mine, we

1. A team sport played on horseback, involving hitting a ball with a mallet.
2. A short-sleeved shirt with a collar, often worn casually.

in a fashion that rather took your breath away: for instance, he’d brought down a string of polo ponies from Lake Forest. It was hard to realize that a man in my own generation was wealthy

1. Spoken very softly using one's breath without vocal cords.
2. Communicated in a quiet, secretive, or confidential manner.

the momentary interruption and leaned towards me. “I’ll tell you a family secret,” she whispered enthusiastically. “It’s about the butler’s nose. Do you want to hear about the butler’s nose?”

1. A type of beer brewed with top-fermenting yeast, typically darker and more bitter than lager.
2. (Historical) A fermented malt beverage, common in medieval Europe.

in the dining-room, darkened too against the heat, and drank down nervous gaiety with the cold ale. “What’ll we do with ourselves this afternoon?” cried Daisy, “and the day after that, and the

1. Comically or repulsively ugly or distorted.
2. A style of decorative art with bizarre or fantastical elements.

he took for granted. But his heart was in a constant, turbulent riot. The most grotesque and fantastic conceits haunted him in his bed at night. A universe of ineffable gaudiness spun

1. Causing fear or alarm.
2. Intensely scary or disturbing.

living too long with a single dream. He must have looked up at an unfamiliar sky through frightening leaves and shivered as he found what a grotesque thing a rose is and how raw the sunlight was

1. Having a stale, moldy, or damp smell.
2. Lacking freshness; old or outdated.

gay and radiant activities taking place through its corridors, and of romances that were not musty and laid away already in lavender but fresh and breathing and redolent of this year’s shining

1. Emitting light or heat brightly.
2. Filled with happiness or joy.

of him from beginning to end. First he nodded politely, and then his face broke into that radiant and understanding smile, as if we’d been in ecstatic cahoots on that fact all the time. His

1. Barely; almost not at all.
2. Only just; by a very small margin.

I don’t know a soul here.” “Perhaps you know that lady.” Gatsby indicated a gorgeous, scarcely human orchid of a woman who sat in state under a white-plum tree. Tom and Daisy stared, with that

1. A padded surface for sleeping or resting, typically filled with foam, springs, or air.
2. A protective layer placed under something to cushion or support it.

this was strange, because the front right fender needed repair. Gatsby shouldered the mattress and started for the pool. Once he stopped and shifted it a little, and the chauffeur asked him if

1. A person employed to drive a private or hired car.
2. A professional driver for wealthy individuals or executives.

once head of the American Legion, and Miss Claudia Hip, with a man reputed to be her chauffeur, and a prince of something, whom we called Duke, and whose name, if I ever knew it, I have

1. A printed publication containing news, articles, and advertisements, usually issued daily or weekly.
2. The organization responsible for producing and distributing such a publication.

eat, and the glass of milk spilled from his trembling hand. “I saw it in the Chicago newspaper,” he said. “It was all in the Chicago newspaper. I started right away.” “I didn’t know how to

1. A variant spelling of "caraway," referring to the aromatic seeds of the caraway plant, used in cooking.
2. A surname of English or Irish origin.

and I was rather worried. Tell him Mr. Carraway came over.” “Who?” he demanded rudely. “Carraway.” “Carraway. All right, I’ll tell him.” Abruptly he slammed the door. My Finn informed me that

1. Serious and dignified in manner or behavior.
2. Deeply sincere or earnest.

But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground. The valley of ashes is bounded on one side by a small foul river, and, when the