Lord of the Flies

1. fair (adjective, adverb):

light-colored hair and/or skin; unbiased, even-handed; good enough

“The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way toward the lagoon” (7).

2. asthma (noun):

difficulty exhaling caused by lung spasms; often an allergic reaction to inhaled particles or a symptom of emotional stress

“‘My auntie told me not to run,’ he explained, ‘on account of my asthma’” (9).

3. beast (noun):

a monster or large animal; also the Devil

“‘But there isn’t a beast!’” (37)

4. conch (noun):

a large, spiral-shaped seashell, often used as a horn; in the story, a symbol of power

“Ralph waved the conch. ‘Shut up! Wait! Listen!’” (38)

5. savages (plural noun):

cruelly fierce; uncivilized

“‘After all, we’re not savages. We’re English, and the English are best at everything. So we’ve got to do the right things’” (42). 

6. littlun (noun):

referring to a child, an informal combination of “little one”

“‘Well, the littluns are—’ He gesticulated, sought for a word. ‘They’re hopeless’” (50).

7. shelters (plural noun):

structures that provide protection from weather or bright sun; a refuge from danger or trouble

“‘If it rains like when we dropped in we’ll need shelters all right’” (52).

8. biggun (noun):

referring to a child, an informal combination of “big one”

“[…] no one had any difficulty in recognizing the bigguns at one end and littluns at the other” (59).

9. taboo (noun):

prohibited by society

“Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law” (62).

10. sundial (noun):

a flat, circular surface or plate with a series of marks around the edge and a vertical post attached at one side, arranged to let sunlight cast the post’s shadow on the circular surface to indicate time of day

“‘We could have a sundial each. Then we should know what the time was’” (65).

11. stake (noun):

a long stick or pole with one or both ends pointed, for driving into the ground as a post or from which can be hung a large, heavy object, e.g., a killed pig, to be carried by two people

“They tried holding the whole carcass on a stake over the fire, but the stake burnt more quickly than the pig roasted” (73).

12. assembly (noun):

a gathering of people for a purpose, including discussion, ceremony, or the giving of orders

“‘I’m calling an assembly’” (75).

13. tea (noun):

a drink made from the boiled leaves of the tea plant; in England, a traditional afternoon work break where the tea and snacks are served

“‘They’d meet and have tea and discuss. Then things ‘ud be all right—’” (94). 

14. parachute (noun):

a large cloth, attached by cords to a person or object, that unfurls at a great height and enables the person or object to float safely down to the ground; in war, used by fighter pilots to escape damaged aircraft while in flight

“There was a speck above the island, a figure dropping swiftly beneath a parachute, a figure that hung with dangling limbs” (95)

15. wizard (noun):

a sorcerer or magician; in 20th-century British slang, excellent or superb

“‘This would make a wizard fort’” (108).

16. pig-run (noun): a

narrow trail used by wild pigs

“‘I found a pig-run. It went for miles’” (118).

17. sow (noun):

a female adult pig

“A little apart from the rest, sunk in deep maternal bliss, lay the largest sow of the lot. She was black and pink […]” (134).

18. carcass (noun):

the dead body of an animal

“Maurice and Robert skewered the carcass, lifted the dead weight, and stood ready” (137).

19. war-paint (noun):

makeup or paint applied to the face in preparation for battle; sometimes used to hide or camouflage the faces of an advancing war party

“‘I’d like to put on war-paint and be a savage’” (142). 

20. spit (noun):

a small stake used to skewer meat for roasting

“There was still food left, sizzling on the wooden spits […]” (149).

21. liberation (noun):

freeing from bondage or other restrictions; in the story, freedom from the limits of civilization

“They understood only too well the liberation into savagery that the concealing paint brought” (172).