Holes: Chapters 36–43

by Louis Sachar
In this comic adventure, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a juvenile detention center where the inmates spend their days digging mysterious holes. But what on earth are they looking for?

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–16, Chapters 17–24, Chapters 25–35, Chapters 36–43, Chapters 44–50

Here is a link to our lists for Small Steps by Louis Sachar.
15 words 4114 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. concentrate
    direct one's attention on something
    It gave him something to concentrate on besides his pain and weakness.
  2. bacteria
    single-celled organisms that can cause disease
    It was possible, he thought, he hoped, that he didn't get any of the bad bacteria.
  3. protruding
    extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
    He was able to lift Zero high enough for him to grab the protruding slab of rock.
  4. defy
    elude, especially in a baffling way
    He gathered his strength and for a brief second seemed to defy gravity as he took a quick step up the wall and, with Zero's help, pulled himself the rest of the way over the ledge.
  5. increment
    the amount by which something increases
    Instead they zigzagged back and forth, increasing their altitude by small increments every time they changed directions.
  6. precipice
    a very steep cliff
    As the ground flattened, a huge stone precipice rose up ahead of him, just barely visible in the moonlight.
  7. resemble
    be similar or bear a likeness to
    It no longer resembled a thumb.
  8. despair
    a state in which all hope is lost or absent
    It was the bitter smell of despair.
  9. streaked
    marked with or as if with stripes or linear discolorations
    It was layered and streaked with different shades of red, burnt orange, brown, and tan.
  10. comprehend
    get the meaning of something
    It took a moment for Stanley to comprehend.
  11. murky
    cloudy, dirty, and difficult to see through
    It contained almost two feet of murky water.
  12. fugitive
    someone who is sought by law officers
    Still, if he was going to be a fugitive for the rest of his life, it would help to have some money, perhaps a treasure chest full of money.
  13. inexplicable
    incapable of being explained or accounted for
    Instead he tried to recapture the feelings he'd had the night before — the inexplicable feeling of happiness, the sense of destiny.
  14. abruptly
    quickly and without warning
    "Hold on," Zero said, stopping abruptly.
  15. indistinct
    not clearly defined or easy to perceive or understand
    They were still too far away to see the camp, but he could hear a blend of indistinct voices.
Created on Sat Aug 31 15:04:49 EDT 2013 (updated Thu Jun 12 18:57:16 EDT 2025)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.