CBSE NCERT Class 9 English reader Beehive book (prose) difficult word meanings

Here, the difficult words and their meanings of all the prose chapters of CBSE NCERT Class 9 English Beehive book have been compiled for the convenience of the students. This is an exhaustive list of the words and meanings of all the stories from the Beehive book for CBSE NCERT Class 9 English. The difficult words’ meanings have been explained in an easy language so that every student can understand easily.

 

 

 

Chapter 1 – The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov

  1. crinkly: with many folds or lines, something that is crushed.
  1. attic: a space just below the roof, used as a storeroom
  2. scornful: contemptuous; showing you think something is worthless, show your dislike for something
  3. slot: a given space, time or position
  4. geared (to): adjusted to a particular standard or level
  5. blanked out: it has been erased
  6. loftily: in a superior way
  7. regular: here, normal; of the usual kind
  8. betcha (informal): (I) bet you (in fast speech): I’ m sure
  9. dispute: disagree with when you re apposing something
  10. nonchalantly: not showing much interest or enthusiasm; carelessly

 

 

 

 

Chapter 2- The Sound Of Music

Part 1 – Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound without Hearing It by Deborah Cowley

    1. jostle: push roughly
    2. slight: small and thin
    3. daunting: frightening, Scary
    4. teenager: a person who is in his teens
    5. aspiring musician: a person who wants to be a musician
    6. Profoundly deaf: absolutely deaf.
    7. gradual: in phases
    8. conceal: to hide
    9. Specialist: a doctor specializing in a particular part of the body.
    10. Deteriorated: worsened, reduces
    11. Urged:  requested
    12. impaired: weakened
    13. pursue:  to follow

  1. xylophone: a musical instrument with a row of wooden bars of different lengths
  2. percussionist: a person who plays the drum, the tabla, etc, a person who play different musical instruments
  3. potential: quality or ability that can be developed
  4. youth: Young people, people like who are in college or high school
  5. orchestra: group of musicians
  6. auditioned: gave a short performance so that the director could decide whether she was good enough
  7. orchestral work: group performance, performing in a group of musicians
  8. Solo: to perform single, alone.
  9. most sought after: most popular, in demand
  10. intriguing: fascinating and curious
  11. flawlessly: without a fault or mistake
  12. lilt: a way of speaking like we say accent
  13. tingles: causes a slight pricking or stinging sensation
  14. resonances: echoes of sounds
  15. workaholic (informal): a person who finds it difficult to stop working
  16. enormous   – big
  17. accomplished: achieved

 

 

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Chapter 2- The Sound Of Music

Part 2 – The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

  1. banned: prohibited
  2. shrill: very sharp
  3. unpleasant:  something that you dislike
  4. generic name: a name given to a class or group as a whole
  5. Generic name means the scientific name or a broad classification of something
  6. reeded: wind instruments which have reeds like the flute, the clarinet, etc.
  7. revived: brought back to live.
  8. tonal quality: sound
  9. hollow: empty from inside.
  10. auspicious: promising to bring good fortune
  11. indispensable: without which a piece of work cannot be done, something which is necessary
  12. Ensembles (pronounced ‘onsomble’): things (here, instruments) considered as a group
  13. Laddu or laddoo are sphere-shaped sweets originated in the Indian subcontinent.
  14. paternal ancestors: ancestors of the father
  15. Captivated: attracted
  16. on end: for a very long time without stopping, continuously
  17. apprentice: trainee
  18. haunt: place you like come, where you like to visit many times a day
  19. solitude: being alone, single
  20. recital: performance
  21. taken in by: attracted or charmed by
  22. souvenirs: things given in memory of a place, person or event
  23. chartbuster: record breaker
  24. celluloid: old fashioned way of referring to films
  25. venture: project that often involves risk, something which has a lot of risk
  26. Emphasis: to lay stress on something
  27. thick and fast: he got a lot of awards and was recognized at many places
  28. conferred: given, usually an award or a degree
  29. coveted: much desired
  30. replicating: making a copy of something
  31. yearning – longing, having a desire for something
  32. devout: believing strongly in a religion and obeying its laws and following its practices

 

Please see: Class 9 English Lessons summary and Explanation
 

 

 

Chapter 3 – The little girl by Katherine Mansfield

  1. a figure to be feared: a person to be feared
  2. Glad sense of relief: feeling relaxed
  3. Fainter and fainter: to lessen or reduce
  4. slip down: come down quietly and unwillingly
  5. Stutter: to stammer, to speak with pauses
  6. given it up: stopped doing it
  7. Trying so hard: making a lot of efforts
  8. Wretched: unhappy, sad
  9. on the brink of suicide: about to commit suicide
  10. suicide: kill oneself
  11. Snoring: the sound produced by some people when there are asleep.
  12. Gravely: seriously.
  13. Laboriously: with lot of effort or difficulty.
  14. Wandered into: went into, by chance
  15. Scraps: small pieces of cloth or paper etc that are not needed.
  16. Hue and Cry: angry protest.
  17. The damned thing: used to express anger at something.
  18. shadowed room means that as it was dark, there was a light outside the room which was making shadows in the room.
  19. a sad little pattern refers to the sad atmosphere in the room.
  20. Bedclothes Refers to the sheets, the top sheets that you cover yourself when you are sleeping.
  21. Clung: to attach yourself to something.
  22. Nightmare: a bad dream.
  23. A Butcher is a person who cuts animals, who cuts meat.
  24. tucked up: covered up nicely in bed
  25. Snuggled: moved into a warm, comfortable position, close to another person

 

 

 

Chapter 4 – A Truly Beautiful Mind

  1. destined: fate, a predetermined set of events that has to happen in the future
  2. freak: a word used disapprovingly to talk about a person who is unusual and doesn’t behave, look or think like others
  3. Uttered: spoke
  4. amateur: doing something for personal enjoyment rather than as a profession, something which is your hobby and you do it as a past time.
  5. pupil: student
  6. regimentation: order or discipline taken to an extreme
  7. Stifled: unable to breathe; suffocated
  8. Left the school for good: left school forever.
  9. liberal: willing to understand and respect other’s opinions
  10. Walrus is a shape of Moustache.
  11. ally: a friend or an associate
  12. philistines: a word used disapprovingly to talk about people who do not like art, literature or music
  13. To be at odds means to be in the opposition of someone, to be against someone.
  14. patent: a document which gives the rights of an invention to an inventor
  15. absolute: measured in itself, not in relation to anything else
  16. unravelling: starting to fail
  17. faltered: became weak
  18. deflected: changed direction because it hit something
  19. Nobel Prize was based on the will of the famous Swedish scientist, a scientist who belongs to Sweden, Alfred Nobel. It was established in 1895 and the first Nobel Prize was given in the year 1901.
  20. Emigrated: leave one’s own country in order to settle permanently in another
  21. in an uproar: very upset
  22. missive: letter, especially long and official
  23. visionary: a person who can think about the future in an original and intelligent way

 

 

 

Chapter 5 – The Snake and the Mirror by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer [translated from the Malayalam by V. Abdulla]

    1. meagre: small in quantity.
    2. possessed: had
    3. solitary: single
    4. Yard is an open area like a garden or veranda.
    5. gable: upper part of a wall below a sloping roof
    6. taken time off: to take a day off, take a holiday
    7. bachelor: a man who is not and has never been married
    8. earth-shaking decision: something very important
    9. on top of it: to add on to something
    10. paced: walked
    11. valid: logical, justifiable
    12. wriggled: crawled

  1. simultaneous: happened at the same time
  2. slithered: Twisting and crawling motion of the snake
  3. hood: head of the snake.
  4. strike: attack
  5. lurked: hid
  6. feebly: weakly
  7. vermilion spot: red bindi
  8. closer quarters: to get a closer look
  9. Granite: form of a marble, it’s a stone.
  10. all I was worth:  all the strength that I had
  11. reedy person: a thing or person resembling a tall, thin – leaved plant of the grass family
  12. smeared: covered with
  13. Little to carry means his belonging were stolen and there was nothing much left to carry away.
  14. rascal: a mischievous or cheeky person, especially a child or a man, a naught person
  15. taken with: attracted by

 

 

 

Chapter 6 – My Childhood by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam [an extract from Wings of Fire]

  1. erstwhile: former
  2. innate: inborn; (a quality or feeling) in one’s nature
  3. generosity of spirit: his soul sought to help others who were needy
  4. undistinguished: ordinary or common
  5. Pucca House means a house made of bricks, cement and limestone.
  6. austere: simple, strict and severe
  7. secure: safe
  8. Materially means in terms of things like clothes food, medicine
  9. emotionally means in terms of love and affection.
  10. tamarind seeds: kind of fruit
  11. princely sum: generous amount (here, ironic)
  12. anna: an old Indian coin, worth about six paise
  13. Dinamani: a tamil daily newspaper.
  14. isolated: Lonely, cut-off
  15. Allied Forces: the armies of U.K., U.S.A. and Russia during the Second World War
  16. casualty: loss
  17. suspension: end
  18. halt: stop
  19. filled the slot – fit into a place easily
  20. pride: sudden increase in the feeling of satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements.
  21. Half a century later means after a period of 50 years.
  22. figures of authority: A person who had authority over another person; a person who has the power to give orders or make decisions.
  23. Inherited means a characteristic, or a quality which you have got from your parents or ancestors.
  24. socio-economic means in terms of money
  25. orthodox: strict
  26. Rama Kalyanam ceremony is known as Kalyanotsava. It means marriage festival. In South India, marriage is known as Kalyanam. So, Lord Ram and Sita’s marriage is called Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony. It is the ceremony of the depiction of the marriage between Seetha and Rama.
  27. could not stomach: could not tolerate
  28. downcast: sad or depressed
  29. summoned: called
  30. bluntly: speaking in a direct and honest way, even if this offends or upsets people.
  31. apologise: seek pardon
  32. quit: to leave
  33. conviction: a strong opinion or belief
  34. convey: communicated
  35. rigid: strict
  36. segregation: separation
  37. orthodox: one who follows the religion strictly
  38. conservative: traditional
  39. rebel: in opposition
  40. Mingle: interact with each other.
  41. on par: at the same level
  42. ritually pure: kept protected from all outside influences for the observances of religion
  43. perturbed: upset
  44. hesitation: doubt, delay
  45. confronted: faced, tackled
  46. imminent: about to happen
  47. Unprecedented: never done or know before.
  48. Optimism: hope, cheer
  49. Longing: desire
  50. For they have their own thoughts: Excerpt from “Your children’ – Poem by Khalil Gibran.

 

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Chapter 7 – Packing by Jerome K Jerome (an extract from Three Men in a Boat)

  1. pride myself on: am proud of
  2. fell into: here, accepted
  3. Uncanny: strange, weird
  4. cocked his legs: bent the legs on the knee as he sat
  5. Intended: planned, meant
  6. potter about: do some unimportant things
  7. loll on the sofa: to recline or lean in a relaxed manner
  8. messing about: to waste time doing something without a particular purpose
  9. sit still: sit without doing anything
  10. Superintend: supervise, manage
  11. strapped it: closed it
  12. Wild: mad with anger
  13. Haunts: to repeatedly give trouble
  14. Misery: sad
  15. cold perspiration: sweat
  16. Hunt: search
  17. mortal thing: every ordinary thing
  18. Rummaged: searched in a hurried or careless way
  19. Chaos: confusion
  20. Reigned: ruled
  21. didn’t care a hang: show no concern or interest
  22. Slammed: shut the lid forcefully and loudly
  23. Hampers: baskets used to carry food, utensils, etc.
  24. light-hearted spirit: to be cheerful
  25. Evidently: clearly, obviously
  26. Exception: a person or thing that does not follow the general rule
  27. Squashed: crush or squeeze something with force so that it becomes flat, soft, or out of shape
  28. trod on: stepped on
  29. Upset: overturned
  30. Scrape: drag or pull
  31. Oath: to swear upon something
  32. Indignantly: in a manner indicating anger or annoyance at something perceived as unfair
  33. sworn at: get scolded
  34. Squirm: to wriggle or twist one’s body
  35. Nuisance: to cause inconvenience or annoyance
  36. Stumble: to trip over a hurdle
  37. Curse: scold
  38. Conceit: here, his pride in himself
  39. Worried: disturbed
  40. Pretended: to behave as if something is true when you know that it is not
  41. land him: hit or punch someone
  42. Reflection: thought
  43. Tossed: throw something somewhere lightly or casually
  44. a bit of a row: an argument
  45. split the difference: this means that they agreed on 6.30 because it was halfway between six and seven
  46. Tumble: to fall quickly and without control

 

 

 

Chapter 8 – Reach for the Top Part 1 Santosh Yadav

    1. Contentment: satisfaction
    2. Affluent: well – to – do

  1. In line with: following or in accordance with, according to
  2. Custom: tradition
  3. the last thing: the least important thing
  4. Politely: gently
  5. Urge: strong desire
  6. Check it out: find out the truth
  7. Answered in the affirmative: gave a positive reply
  8. No looking back: to progress without interruption or impediment
  9. Enrolled: took admission into
  10. Headed straight for: went towards
  11. Matured: developed
  12. Resistance: the ability not to be affected by something
  13. Equipped: supplied with
  14. Physical endurance: strength
  15. Culmination: end
  16. Scaled: climbed
  17. Annals: historic records
  18. Bestowed upon her: honoured her with
  19. Top honours: highest award
  20. the enormity of the moment: a very great moment
  21. sink in: be understood
  22. held it aloft: held it up high
  23. fervent: having strong and sincere feelings

 

 

 

Chapter 8 – Reach for the Top Part 2  Maria Sharapova

  1. Disarming: likeable
  2. At odds with: in conflict with
  3. Poised: calm, elegant
  4. Pinnacle: the most successful point
  5. Rapid: fast
  6. Ascent: growth
  7. Endure: suffer patiently
  8. Heart – wrenching: extremely sad
  9. Depress: sadden
  10. Quitting: leaving
  11. Pursue: follow
  12. Bagging: winning
  13. Meteoric: very rapid
  14. Ambition: goal, aim
  15. Amply: plentifully
  16. Parades: displays
  17. Sophisticated: fashionable
  18. At odds with: in disagreement with
  19. Fizzy: aerated
  20. Pigeon-holed: classified, categorized
  21. Unwavering: steady, firm
  22. Grudge: oppose, mind

 

 

 

Chapter 9 – Bond Of love by Kenneth Anderson

  1. Panting: taking short, quick breaths
  2. wantonly: for no good reason
  3. prostrate: lying on the ground facing downwards
  4. scooted: ran away
  5. scruff of the neck: take hold of the back of the neck or collar suddenly and roughly
  6. Christened it: named it
  7. condiments: spices
  8. Relish: great enjoyment
  9. Floundering: struggling to move
  10. Heaving: taking deep breaths
  11. Flanks: the side of the body between the ribs and hips
  12. Gaping: wide open
  13. Hypodermic: a long needle used to give an injection under the skin
  14. Squeals: screams
  15. Antidote: a medicine taken or given to counteract a particular poison
  16. Stertorous: noisy
  17. Disdainfully: disapprovingly
  18. the sump: the base of an internal combustion engine, which serves as a reservoir of oil for the lubrication system
  19. Studebaker: an old American car
  20. Concealed: hidden
  21. curator: here, a person in charge of the zoo
  22. fretting: worried; unhappy; not relaxed
  23. Restrain: stop
  24. Conjectured: formed an opinion by guessing
  25. Hoisted: raised by means of ropes or pulleys
  26. Accomplished: completed
  27. Squad: team
  28. Gnarled: rugged, twisted

 

 

 

Chapter 10 Kathmandu by Vikram Seth (An extract from ‘Heaven Lake’)

  1. Proclaims: make known publicly or officially
  2. Febrile confusion: hurried activity; complete chaos
  3. Saffron – clad westerners: foreigners dressed as sadhus
  4. Corpse: dead body
  5. Wilted: dry and withered
  6. Shrine: a place of worship
  7. Protrudes: comes out
  8. Kalyug: it is the fourth and last stages or time period of a Mahayuga. It started with the end of Mahabharata when Lord Krishna left the Earth.
  9. Immigrants: a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.
  10. Haven: a safe place
  11. Deities: gods and goddesses
  12. Cows low: the ‘moo’ sound made by cows
  13. Marzipan: a sweet made with grated almonds
  14. Brazier: open stove
  15. Wash down: to drink something after a meal to digest it
  16. Nauseating: sickening
  17. Propelled: drive or push something forward
  18. Per se: by itself
  19. Meditatively: thoughtfully
  20. Offhanded: casual; not showing much interest in something
  21. Fingering: way of placing the fingers to play different notes
  22. Compass: here, range

 

 

 

Chapter 11 – If I were you by Douglas James

    1. Intruder: a person who intrudes, especially into a building with criminal intent.
    2. Paws: here, hands
    3. Melodramatic: excessive emotions than are required for the situation

  1. Nonchalant: not showing anxiety, interest or enthusiasm
  2. Gypsies: nomads
  3. Inflection: a change in the modulation of voiceEmbrace: accept
  4. Dandy: stylish, fashionable
  5. gratuitous double: done without reason.
  6. To beat it: to leave immediately
  7. Posh: rich, showy
  8. Pantomime: to mime or copy someone
  9. Tribute: to show gratitude, respect or admiration for someone or something
  10. Elude: escape
  11. Dodge: to avoid someone, here, the policeQueer: strange
  12. Invested in: taken up, adopted
  13. Cloak: cape, robe
  14. Sunday-school teacher: used to indicate an honest man
  15. Disguise: give a different appearance in order to hide one’s identity
  16. Muddled head: confused mind
  17. Frame: false
  18. Props: things used by actors to change appearance
  19. Spot of bother: something that causes inconvenience or trouble

 

 

class 9 english score full marks