Class 8 English Honeydew Book (Prose) word meaning

 

Class 8 NCERT Honeydew Book Chapter wise difficult word meanings 

Do you need help with the meanings of the difficult words you’re reading in Honeydew book, the Class 8 English book? We’re here to provide a helping hand. The Honeydew Book Prose glossary is organised chapter wise to make it easier to find the meanings you the words you need. Everything from “The Open Window” to “The Best Christmas Present in the World” is here for you. The meanings we provided were written by subject matter experts to ensure that you not only learn the meaning of each word, but also how it is used in the larger context of the lesson. If you want to appreciate the depth and details of Honeydew’s Prose lessons, don’t let a lack of English vocabulary hold you back. Get started right away using our CBSE Class 8 English word meanings for prose.

Here, the difficult words and their meanings of all the Chapters of CBSE Class 8 English Honeydew Book have been compiled for the convenience of the students. This is an exhaustive list of the difficult words and meanings of all the Chapters from the Honeydew book for NCERT Class 8 English. The difficult words’ meaning have been explained in an easy language so that every student can understand easily.

Class 8 English Honeydew Word meaning of Prose

• Chapter 1  The Best Christmas Present in the World
• Chapter 2  The Tsunami
• Chapter 3  Glimpses of the Past
• Chapter 4  Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory
• Chapter 5  The Summit
• Chapter 6  This is Jody’s Fawn
• Chapter 7  A Visit to Cambridge
• Chapter 8  A Short Monsoon Diary
• Chapter 9 The Great Stone Face-I
• Chapter 10  The Great Stone Face-II
• It so Happened Book Word Meaning
• Honeydew Book (Prose) Word Meaning
• Honeydew Book Lesson Explanation
• It so Happened Book Lesson Explanation

Chapter 1  The Best Christmas Present in the World

 

1. Bathsheba- (in the Bible) the mother of Solomon, also a character in the book, Far from the Madding Crowd
2. Boarded-up – covered with wooden boards
3. Bridport- A market town in Dorset, England 
4. Brute force- achieved through the application of a lot of force
5. Burned out- destroyed by fire
6. Cello- a musical instrument like a large violin
7. Clumsily mended- unprofessionally repaired as if by someone unskillful 
8. Crisp- (of the weather) cool, fresh and invigorating
9. Dugout- a shelter for soldiers made by digging a hole in the ground and covering it.
10. Frame of mind- a particular mood that influences one’s attitude or behaviour
11. Fritz- (here) a name for a German soldier (Fritz is a common German name) 
12. Frosty- (of the weather) very cold, with frost forming on surfaces
13. Gabriel Oak- a character in the book Far from the Madding Crowd
14. Goalposts- either of the two upright posts of a goal 
15. Gripping – (here) holding
16. Huddles- crowd together
17. Junkshop- A shop selling miscellaneous second-hand or old out of use material
18. Lit up- became bright with excitement, happiness
19. Lopsided- asymmetrical
20. Marzipan- a sweet covering on a cake made from sugar, eggs and almonds
21. Matron- a woman in charge of domestic and medical arrangements at an institution
22. Mingling- mix or cause to mix together
23. Muddle-headed- confused
24. No man’s land- disputed ground between the front lines or trenches of two opposing armies.
25. Outstretched- extend 
26. Parapet- a protective wall or earth defence along the top of a trench or other place of concealment for troops
27. Ration- fixed amount of a commodity officially allowed to each person
28. Restore- repair (here)
29. Roll-top desk- a writing desk with a flexible cover sliding in curved grooves
30. Schnapps- a German drink made from grain
31. Scorch marks- burn marks
32. Scruples- feelings that make you hesitate to do something wrong
33. Sello-taped- fastened or sticked with transparent adhesive tape
34. Sergeant Troy- a character in the book Far from the Madding Crowd
35. Spotted it- saw it; found it
36. Standing to- taking up positions
37. Stuck fast- shut tight
38. Suffused with- spread all over her face
39. Taken their toll on- damaged
40. Tenderly- with gentleness, kindness and affection
41. Tommy- a common English name, used here to refer to British soldiers
42. Trenches- long deep ditches in the ground where soldiers hide from the enemy
43. Veneer- a thin layer of plastic or decorative wood on furniture of cheap wood
44. Was going for- was selling for
45. White flag- The white flag is an internationally recognized protective sign of truce request for negotiation
46. Wispy- (of hair) fine

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Chapter 2  The Tsunami

 

1. Acute hearing- reacting readily to stimuli or impressions; sensitive
2. Archipelago- a group of many islands and the surrounding sea
3. Carcasses- the dead body of an animal
4. Chaos- complete disorder or confusion
5. Clinging- hold on tightly to
6. Cooperative society- A co-operative society is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.
7. Daze- a state of stunned confusion or bewilderment 
8. Enticed- attract or tempt by offering pleasure or advantage
9. Eyewitness- a person who has seen something happen and can give a first-and description of it  
10. Fled- run away from a place or situation of danger
11. Forewarned- inform someone of a possible future danger or problem
12. Guest house- a private house offering accommodation to paying guests
13. Hysterical- affected by or deriving from uncontrolled emotion; when you are hysterical, you shout, laugh or cry in a wild excited way, without any control over yourself
14. Kamorta- one of the Nicobar Islands 
15. Nancowry island- an island in the central part of the Nicobar Islands
16. Perished- die, especially in a violent or sudden way
17. Port Blair- Port Blair is the capital city of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India in the Bay of Bengal
18. Recede- move back from where it was
19. Refuge- shelter or protection from danger
20. Relief helicopters- helicopters bringing help to people (e.g. during floods)
21. Resort- a place where people go on holiday 
22. Resort- a place where people go on holiday 
23. Sixth sense- a supposed intuitive faculty giving awareness not explicable in terms of normal perception
24. Slammed- hit something with great force 
25. Sumatra- it is a large Indonesian island
26. Sumatra- it is a large Indonesian island
27. Surge- force; momentum
28. Traumatised- greatly shocked and distressed
29. Tremor- a slight shake (Earth tremors: the Earth’s shake during an Earthquake)
30. Uprooted- pull (something, especially a tree or a plant) out of the ground 
31. Whirlpools- a quickly rotating mass of water in a river or sea into which objects may be drawn, typically caused by the meeting of conflicting currents
32. Withstood- endured without collapsing

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Chapter 3  Glimpses of the Past

 

1. Adjutant- a military officer who acts as an administrative assistant to a senior officer
2. Angrez- Englishman
3. Arrears- money that is owed and should have been paid earlier
4. Brewing- something is about to happen and something is being prepared
5. Child marriage- marriage of a girl or boy before the age of 18
6. Clerk- Clerks perform a variety of clerical and administrative duties such as answering the telephone, typing documents, filing, and liaising with clients
7. Conquests- the subjugation and assumption of control of a place or people by military force; conquering
8. Cripple- cause (someone) to become unable to walk or move properly
9. Despise- feel contempt or a deep repugnance for 
10. Dethroned- remove (a monarch) from power
11. Discontent- dissatisfaction with one’s circumstances
12. Famines- extreme scarcity of food
13. Grievances- a real or imagined cause for complaint, especially unfair treatment
14. Incidentally- used to add a further comment or a remark; by the way
15. Inevitably- as is certain to happen; unavoidably 
16. Intellectuals- a person possessing a highly developed intellect
17. Learned man- a person great and varied learning
18. Massacred- deliberately and brutally kill (many people)
19. Merchants- a person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially one dealing with foreign countries or supplying goods to a particular trade
20. Oppression- prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or exercise of authority
21. Peasants- a poor smallholder or agricultural labourer of low social status 
22. Petty- of secondary or lesser importance, rank or scale
23. Pitched battle- a violent confrontation involving large numbers of people
24. Pittance- a very small or inadequate amount of money
25. Preached- publicly proclaim or teach 
26. Prosper- succeed in material terms; be financially successful 
27. Rebellion- an act of armed resistance to an established government or leader
28. Reform- make changes in something in order to improve it
29. Revolted- take violent action against an established government or ruler
30. Santhals- a member of a large indigenous group living mainly in eastern India
31. Scorned- feel or express contempt or disdain for
32. Sepoys- an Indian soldier serving under British or other European orders  
33. Short-sighted- lacking imagination or foresight
34. Sore- upset and angry
35. Subdue- overcome or bring under control; conquer
36. Superior- higher in quality
37. Superstitions- a widely held but irrational belief in supernatural influences, especially as leading to good or bad luck, or a practice based on such relief
38. Untouchability- the practice of ostracising (excluding) a minority group by segregating them from the mainstream by social custom or legal mandate (now outlawed in India)
39. Upsurge- an upward surge in the strength or quantity of something; an increase

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Chapter 4  Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory

 

1. Affluence- the state of having a great deal of money
2. Anxiously- in a matter resulting from or revealing anxiety 
3. Bawarchi- hindi word for a cook
4. Boulder- a very big rock
5. Bracing- stimulating
6. Came round- regained consciousness
7. Carry on- continue
8. Clamped- (here) put
9. Close quarters- very near to a person or thing
10. Conscientious- careful and correct
11. Deliberate- done consciously and intentionally
12. Didn’t beat about the bush- came straight to the point
13. Getting into other people’s hair- to annoy or bother someone
14. Going nuts- going mad or crazy
15. Hastings- rapidity of action or motion
16. Having a rough time- having a lot of problems
17. Head reeled- he was shocked and confused
18. Head was in a whirl- confused and able to think clearly (here)
19. Idle chat- unnecessary; routine conversation 
20. In retribution of- as a punishment for
21. Inconceivable- not capable of being imagined or grasped mentally; unbelievable
22. Incredulous- unbelieving or doubtful 
23. Intimate- very personal and private
24. Intruder- a person who intrudes
25. Lingered- spend a long time over something
26. Losing his mind- becoming mad
27. Meek- quiet; humble
28. Must see about consulting- (here) may have to consult
29. Nuisance- a person or thing causing inconvenience or annoyance
30. Off and on- now and then
31. Procured- got (with a little difficulty)
32. Ruthless- having or showing no pity or compassion for others
33. Shook his head- an act to show agreement
34. Sighed- emit a long, deep audible breath expressing sadness, relief, tiredness, or similar
35. Sleuthing- carry out a search or investigation in the manner of a detective
36. Snuggling- settle or move into a warm, comfortable position
37. Spoke quietly- speaking in a calm and even tone
38. Thoughtful- absorbed in or involving thought
39. Thrillers- a novel, play or film with an exciting plot, typically involving crime or espionage
40. Throw your mind back- think back and recall a past event
41. Tranquilliser- a medicine to reduce stress and anxiety
42. Tried to gather his wits together- make an effort to become calm and think clearly
43. Turning up like a bad penny- appearing at a place where one is not welcome
44. Unfeeling- unsympathetic
45. Utter disbelief- complete surprise
46. Utterly- absolutely
47. Wits- intelligence

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Chapter 5  The Summit

 

1. Akin- similar 
2. Aloofness- distant 
3. Ascent- climb
4. Belays- fixes a rope
5. Brutal- unpleasant or harsh
6. Communion- the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially on a mental or spiritual level
7. Conquest- conquering
8. Defied- frustrated; resisted
9. Endurance- tolerance
10. Ennobling- give someone a noble rank or title
11. Exhilarating- very exciting
12. Firm in- make yourself firm
13. Glimpsing- catch or get a sight of
14. Grim- harsh
15. Humility- the quality of having a modest or low view of one’s importance
16. Jubilant- very happy because of success
17. Majesty- magnificence or great beauty
18. Mystical- inspiring a sense of spiritual mystery, awe and fascination (other-worldly)
19. Obeisance- deferential respect
20. Ordeals- painful experiences
21. Overwhelmed- have a strong emotional effect on Formidable- strong and powerful 
22. Panorama- view of a wide area
23. Persistence- the fact of continuing in a course of action in spite of difficulty
24. Relic- artefact
25. Remote- distant
26. Resolutely- with determination or firmness
27. Reverence- deep respect for someone or something
28. Ruggedness- roughly irregular, heavy or hard in outline or form 
29. Summit- the highest point of a hill or a mountain
30. Surged- arose suddenly and intensely
31. Tinge- race; shade

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Chapter 6  This is Jody’s Fawn

 

1. A close shave- a narrow escape
2. Abandoned- having been deserted or left 
3. Acorns- small brown nuts
4. Adjacent- nearby
5. Alarm- frighten
6. Balked- was unwilling 
7. Bleat- the weak, wavering cry made by a sheep, goat, or calf.
8. Bleated- make a characteristic weak, waving cry
9. Bough- a main branch of a tree
10. Butted- hit something with the head or horns
11. Buzzard- a large hawk like bird of prey with broad wings and a rounded tail, often seen soaring in wide circles
12. China deer- a clay deer that is easily broken 
13. Clacked- make a sharp sound or series of noises 
14. Clearing- an open space in a forest, especially one cleared for cultivation
15. Clutched- to grasp something tightly 
16. Convulsion- shiver
17. Crackling- sharp sound
18. Dangling- hanging or swinging loosely
19. Delirious- (here) extremely excited
20. Dilated- enlarged
21. Doe- a female deer
22. Drift back to- go back to
23. Ecstasy- an overwhelming feeling of great happiness or joyful excitement
24. Enchanted- filled with delight, charmed 
25. Endure- (here) handle
26. Every which way-in different directions
27. Fawn- a young deer in its first year
28. Flapped- (of a bird) move (its wings) up and down when flying or preparing to fly; flutter
29. Fondle- Stroke or caress lovingly
30. Frantically- in a hurried, excited or disorganised manner
31. Gasped- catch one’s breath with an open mouth, owing to pain or astonishment
32. Gave himself over to- to spend all your time and energy doing or feeling something 
33. Gurgling- making or characterised by a hollow bubbling sound
34. Hemmed in- (here) caught in a situation where one can’t say no
35. Hissed- make a sharp sibilant sound as of the letter s
36. Hoist- an act of raising or lifting something
37. Hooves- the horny part of the foot of a horse 
38. Kept your head- stayed calm in a difficult situation
39. Light-headed- Unable to think clearly
40. Limply- lacking stiffness
41. Makes a bearing- acts as a compass and helps to identify directions
42. Mounted- riding an animal, typically a horse
43. Obliged- be grateful
44. Quivering- trembling or shaking with a slight rapid motion
45. Romp- play
46. Scrawny- thin and bony
47. Scrub- small form of a plant
48. Sidled back- walked back quietly, trying not to be noticed
49. Sleek- smooth and shiny
50. Startled- feeling or showing sudden shock or alarm 
51. Stride- walk with long, decisive steps in a specified direction
52. Stroked- move one’s hands gently over a surface, repeatedly; caress
53. Thicket- a dense group of bushes or trees
54. Thieving- the action of stealing 
55. Tumbled- having fallen or collapsed
56. Twigs- a slender woody shoot growing from a branch or stem of a tree or shrub
57. Vines- climbing or trailing woody-stemmed plant related to the grapevine 
58. Wander- to roam 
59. Wavered- move in a quivering way; flicker
60. Wobbling- move unsteadily in a particular direction (particularly from side to side)

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Chapter 7  A Visit to Cambridge

 

1. Accessory- not essential, but extra, though decorative
2. Amusing- causing laughter and providing entertainment
3. Anguish- severe mental or physical pain or suffering 
4. Astrophysicist- scholar of astrophysics – branch of physics dealing with stars, planets, etc 
5. Buoyant- intensely active and vibrant
6. Chronically- in a persistent and recurring way
7. Claustrophobic- very small and suffocating (‘Claustrophobia’ is abnormal fear of being in an enclosed space)
8. Cliche´- phrase or idea used so often that it loses its meaning
9. Disembodied- separated from the body
10. Exhilaration- a feeling of happiness, excitement or elation
11. Gleefully- very happily
12. Incandescence- inner glow or light
13. Inflection- rise and fall of the voice in speaking
14. Metaphor- a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else.
15. Patronise- to be kind or helpful to someone, but to talk to them as if they are inferior
16. Propelled- drive or push something forward (here, it means come)
17. Rumbling- a continuous deep, resonant sound (probably of the wheels, here)
18. Sentimental- prompted by feelings of tenderness or nostalgia
19. Slump- sit, lean, or fall heavily and limply.
20. Synthesiser- an electronic musical instrument, typically operated by a keyboard, producing a wide variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies
21. Torso- upper part of the body
22. Wasted- weak or emaciated

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Chapter 8  A‌ ‌Short‌ ‌Monsoon ‌ Diary

 

1. Admonishes- warn or reprimand someone firmly
2. Attics- a space or room inside or partly inside the roof of a building.
3. Blankets- covers
4. Bloodletting- losing blood (decades ago, leeches were used to remove blood from a patient’s body)
5. Blunders- act clumsily
6. Bobbing-make a sudden move so as to appear or disappear 
7. Burrows- a hole or tunnel dug by a small animal, especially a rabbit, as a dwelling
8. Caress- touch gently 
9. Chopping up- to cut something into small pieces
10. Chuchundars- hindi word for shrew
11. Cobra lily- common name of several plants
12. Conceal- not allow to be seen; hide
13. Contrive- manage to do something
14. Corrugated- (of a material or surface) shaped into a series of parallel ridges and grooves so as to give added rigidity and strength
15. Creeper- any plant that grows along the ground, around another plant, or up a wall by means of extending stems or branches 
16. Crevices- narrow openings or cracks in rock or wall 
17. Dearth- a scarcity or lack of something
18. Disconsolately- unhappily 
19. Drainpipe- a pipe for carrying off rainwater or liquid refuse from a building
20. Drenched- wet thoroughly; soak
21. Drongos- a song bird with a stout bill
22. Drumming- falling noisily
23. Ferns- a flowerless plant with feathery green leaves
24. Flitting- move swiftly and lightly
25. Heralded-  announced or brought the news of 
26. Hushed- very quiet and still  
27. Imprecations- curses 
28. Insectivorous- (of an animal) feeding on insects, worms and other invertebrates
29. Landour- a small cantonment town touching Mussoorie
30. Leeches- an aquatic or terrestrial annelid worm with suckers at both ends. Many species are bloodsucking parasites
31. Lush- (of vegetation, especially grass) growing luxuriantly
32. Melancholy- very sad (the mist is called melancholy because it makes people feel melancholy)  
33. Menace- be a threat or possible danger to
34. Mist (noun)- a cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth’s surface that limits visibility (to a lesser extent than fog; strictly, with visibility remaining above 1 km)
35. Mist (verb)- cover or become covered with mist
36. Ravine- valley
37. Rears- grow or cultivate (plants) 
38. Scarlet minivets- bright red bird like a cuckoo
39. Shrew- a small insectivorous mammal resembling a mouse, with a long pointed snout and tiny eyes 
40. Snapping up- to take someone or something quickly or eagerly
41. Squatted- sat (here)
42. Suffused- gradually spread through or over
43. Swish- move with a hissing or rushing sound
44. Thrush- a small or medium-sized songbird, typically having brown back, spotted breast and loud song

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Chapter 9  The Great Stone Face-I‌‌

 

1. Affectionate- loving, caring  
2. Banquet- feast
3. Beheld- saw 
4. Benign- kind, gentle 
5. Clustering- gathering 
6. Dashed- (here) stopped forcefully
7. Enormous- very big 
8. Fanciful- over-imaginative and unrealistic
9. Folly- lack of good sense; foolishness
10. Gazing- look steadily and intently, especially in admiration or thought
11. Gigantic- immense
12. Heap- pile 
13. Idle talk- foolish or irrelevant talk
14. Immense- huge 
15. Industrious- diligent and hard-working
16. Inhabitants- people living in the valley; dwellers 
17. Labour- work 
18. Likeness- the fact or quality of being alike; resemblance
19. Majestic- having or showing impressive beauty
20. Marvellous- extremely good or pleasing; splendid
21. Native- a person born in a specified place or associated with a place by birth, whether subsequently resident there or not
22. Noblest- having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles
23. Pardonable- able to be forgiven; excusable
24. Pensive- thoughtful 
25. Perpendicular- (cliff or rock-face) rising very steeply
26. Proclaimed- (here) said loudly, announced
27. Prophecy- statement that tells what will happen in the future 
28. Remarkable- worthy of attention; extraordinary
29. Renowned- famous 
30. Shrewdness- the quality of having or showing good powers of judgement; sharpness
31. Spectator- onlooker; watcher
32. Stirred- arouse strong feeling in someone
33. Sympathies- feelings (of sorrow, understanding and approval)

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Chapter 10  The Great Stone Face-I‌‌I

 

1. Ceased- come or bring to an end
2. Corresponded- been in harmony with
3. Custom- habit
4. Customary toil- usual work
5. Diffused- spread all around
6. Furrows- deep lines
7. Harmonised with- corresponded with, agreed with
8. Hospitably- (here) gently, kindly 
9. Obscure- not well known
10. Sage- wise man
11. Unawares- unknowingly
12. Vain- producing no result; useless

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