Animal Farm Vocabulary

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To formally put an end to a system, practice, or institution.
Example: Napoleon decided to abolish the singing of Beasts of England once the totalitarian state was fully established.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
Example: In the beginning, the pigs faced great apathy and materialism from animals like Mollie, who only cared about sugar and ribbons.

Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Well-meaning, kindly, or charitable.
Example: Old Major is introduced as a majestic, benevolent appearance on the farm before delivering his revolutionary speech.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A feeling of being perplexed, confused, or disoriented.
Example: The animals watched in utter bewilderment as Squealer explained that the milk and apples were to be reserved solely for the pigs.

Part of Speech: Adverb
Definition: In a happy, carefree, or casual manner.
Example: Mollie blithely accepted sugar from humans, showing no regard for the rules of the Rebellion.

Part of Speech: Noun / Verb
Definition: Acts of breaking or failing to observe a law, agreement, or code of conduct.
Example: Napoleon viewed Snowball’s alternative plans as direct breaches of the farm’s security and unity.

Part of Speech: Noun / Verb
Definition: A family of young animals produced at one hatching or birth; or to think deeply about something unhappy.
Example: Clover protected a lost brood of ducklings with her foreleg during Old Major’s initial barn meeting.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A person with whom one works, especially in a profession or business.
Example: Snowball was once considered an esteemed colleague by Napoleon before being branded a traitorous criminal.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To grant or bestow a title, degree, benefit, or right; or to exchange opinions.
Example: The animals decided to confer the decoration of “Animal Hero, First Class” upon Snowball and Boxer after the Battle of the Cowshed.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To look thoughtfully for a long time at something, or think deeply about it.
Example: Boxer would often contemplate the difficult tasks ahead, always concluding that he must simply work harder.

Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Deserving contempt; despicable or worthless.
Example: The neighboring human farmers tried to convince themselves that the animal-run farm was a contemptible failure.

Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Having a meaning that is mysterious, obscure, or puzzling.
Example: When asked about his thoughts on the Rebellion, Benjamin the donkey only offered a cryptic remark about donkeys living a long time.

Part of Speech: Adverb
Definition: In a delicate, refined, or elegant manner.
Example: Mollie stepped daintily across the yard, flirting her white mane to draw attention to herself.

Part of Speech: Noun / Verb
Definition: An official order issued by a legal authority; to issue such an order.
Example: Napoleon issued a strict decree that any animal who withheld food from the regime would be punished by death.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To lower the character, quality, or status of someone or something.
Example: Forcing the animals to engage in submissive rituals served to degrade their sense of independence and equality.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A person who is very interested in and enthusiastic about someone or something.
Example: Boxer was a faithful devotee of Animalism, working relentlessly to ensure the farm’s prosperity.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A loud, unpleasant, and prolonged noise.
Example: The violent din of Napoleon’s enormous dogs barking sent chills through the assembly of animals.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To dig up something that has been buried, especially a corpse.
Example: The pigs commanded the animals to disinter the skull of Old Major and salute it reverently every Sunday morning.

Part of Speech: Noun / Adjective
Definition: A person who opposes official policy, especially that of an authoritarian state.
Example: Any dissident animal who questioned the logic of the pigs was quickly silenced by Squealer’s threats.

Part of Speech: Verb / Noun
Definition: To distribute shares of something; or a benefit paid by the state to the unemployed.
Example: Napoleon would carefully dole out rations to the animals, ensuring the pigs always received the lion’s share.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: An overwhelming feeling of great happiness or joyful excitement.
Example: The animals were in complete ecstasy when they realized the human oppressors had been chased off the property.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: The state or quality of achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.
Example: Under Snowball’s engineering leadership, the plans for the windmill promised unprecedented industrial efficiency.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To establish or settle someone in a comfortable, safe, or secret place.
Example: Old Major was already ensconced on his bed of straw on the raised platform before the other animals entered the barn.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: The action of depriving someone of membership or forcing them to leave a place.
Example: The sudden, violent expulsion of Snowball by Napoleon’s attack dogs fundamentally altered the political dynamic of the farm.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To lose strength or momentum; to speak or move hesitantly.
Example: Old Major warned the animals never to falter in their resolve, reminding them that all animals must remain united.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: Extreme scarcity of food.
Example: During the bitter winter, the farm faced a devastating famine, forcing Napoleon to deceive the human world about their food supplies.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To make small movements, especially of the hands and feet, through nervousness or impatience.
Example: The younger pigs began to fidget nervously when Napoleon announced that democratic Sunday meetings were discontinued.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A lock of hair growing just above the forehead, especially of a horse.
Example: Boxer would pull back his massive forelock when trying to process Squealer’s complex explanations of the farm’s changing history.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A period of two weeks.
Example: It took less than a fortnight for the news of the Animal Rebellion to spread across the county to neighboring farms.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To run or jump about playfully.
Example: Once the humans were evicted, the animals rushed out to gambol in the green pastures together in celebration.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: All of the people or animals born and living at about the same time.
Example: A new generation of animals grew up on the farm knowing absolutely nothing about life before the Rebellion.

Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Ugly or disgusting to look at; extremely unpleasant.
Example: The public executions of suspected traitors left a hideous impression of fear and sadness on the surviving animals.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To raise or lift something up, especially by means of ropes and pulleys.
Example: Every Sunday morning, the animals would gather to hoist their green and white flag up the flagpole.

Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame.
Example: Mr. Jones and his men suffered an ignominious defeat during the ill-fated Battle of the Cowshed.

Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: About to happen; looming or threatening.
Example: Rumors of an impending attack by Frederick kept the animals in a constant, anxious state of readiness.

Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Enduring forever; not subject to decay or destruction.
Example: Squealer insisted that the principles of Animalism were an imperishable truth that would guide future generations.

Part of Speech: Noun / Verb
Definition: A tool, utensil, or piece of equipment used for a particular purpose; or to put a plan into effect.
Example: The animals had to adapt every human agricultural implement to fit their bodies so they could harvest the hay.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To write or carve words or symbols on something, especially as a formal record.
Example: Snowball painted the wall with tar to inscribe the Seven Commandments clearly for all to read.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A small hill or mound.
Example: The animals often stood on the high knoll to look out across their vast, beautiful farm in silent awe.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A collection of people, countries, or groups that combine for a particular purpose.
Example: Despite their early revolutionary ideals, the pigs eventually entered a hidden economic league with human farmers.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: Free time, or time spent away from work and duties.
Example: While the common animals worked around the clock, the pigs enjoyed ample leisure time inside the farmhouse.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A plot or scheme, usually an evil or manipulative one.
Example: Squealer claimed that every setback on the farm was the result of a malicious machination orchestrated by Snowball.

Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Malevolent, hostile, or infectious; wishing evil to others.
Example: Napoleon warned the farm against the malignant influence of human behaviors, though he eventually adopted them himself.

Part of Speech: Noun / Verb
Definition: A movement or series of moves requiring skill and care; or a tactical plot.
Example: Snowball’s strategic defense maneuver during the Battle of the Cowshed successfully routed the human forces.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A short statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct.
Example: To assist the illiterate animals, the Seven Commandments were condensed into the simple maxim: “Four legs good, two legs bad.”

Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Quick and light in movement or action; agile.
Example: Squealer was a remarkably nimble speaker who would skip from side to side when persuading the animals.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A soft, moist mass of material, typically of herbal ingredients, applied to the body to relieve soreness or inflammation.
Example: Clover prepared a healing poultice of chewed herbs to treat Boxer’s split hoof after the heavy labor.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To alter, rewrite, or modify written material to fit a new context.
Example: Squealer would routinely retext the historical accounts painted on the barn wall to favor Napoleon’s current narrative.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To obtain something, especially with care or effort.
Example: The farm lacked resources, making it necessary to procure machinery parts through human trade merchants.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: The state of being prosperous; financial or material success.
Example: While the farm achieved general economic prosperity over time, the luxury was exclusively enjoyed by the ruling class.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To follow or chase someone or something in order to catch or attack them.
Example: The savage guard dogs were commanded to pursue Snowball until he was driven completely off the farm properties.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A place, typically a large, deep pit, from which stone or other materials are extracted.
Example: The animals dragged heavy limestone rocks from the farm’s stone quarry to build the massive windmill walls.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: One of several internal beams that support a sloping roof.
Example: The pigeons flew up to sit on a dusty rafter in the big barn to listen closely to Old Major’s speech.

Part of Speech: Verb / Noun
Definition: To bring together forces or people for a common cause; or a mass meeting.
Example: The pigs would organize a weekly rally to boost morale among the hungry, exhausted working animals.

Part of Speech: Verb / Noun
Definition: To harm or injure, typically used in its adjectival form (unscathed) meaning unharmed.
Example: Very few animals escaped the vicious Battle of the Windmill completely without some level of physical scathe.

Part of Speech: Noun / Verb
Definition: A large-scale systematic plan or arrangement for attaining some particular object.
Example: Napoleon scoffed at Snowball’s elaborate windmill scheme, choosing instead to focus purely on food production.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A small kitchen or room at the back of a house used for washing dishes and other dirty household work.
Example: Mr. Jones stumbled across the kitchen and fell asleep after drinking heavily in the farmhouse scullery.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: The state of being private and away from other people.
Example: Napoleon took the young puppies into total seclusion in a loft, raising them away from the other animals’ sight.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To avoid or neglect a duty or responsibility.
Example: Mollie would frequently shirk her work obligations, using fake ailments like a sore hoof as an excuse to slip away.

Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astute or clever.
Example: Mr. Frederick was known as a shrewd neighbor, making him a dangerous business partner for the farm.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A legal professional or agent who handles business affairs.
Example: Mr. Whymper acted as the farm’s human solicitor, handling all financial trade transactions with the outside world.

Part of Speech: Verb / Noun
Definition: To breathe noisily through the nose due to a cold or crying; or to sniff intently.
Example: Napoleon would walk slowly through the fields, pausing to snuffle the ground to check for signs of Snowball’s return.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To forcibly put an end to something; to prevent the development or expression of information.
Example: The elite pig committee moved swiftly to suppress any open debates regarding Napoleon’s executive decisions.

Part of Speech: Verb / Noun
Definition: To work extremely hard or incessantly; exhausting physical labor.
Example: The dedicated animals continued to toil day and night, desperate to complete the heavy construction of the windmill.

Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Easy to control, influence, or manage.
Example: Initially, the neighboring farmers hoped their own livestock would remain tractable and uninfluenced by the rebellion.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To tread heavily on something, crushing or damaging it underfoot.
Example: The charging human invaders threatened to trample the animals’ carefully cultivated vegetable plots.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: Violation of allegiance or of faith and confidence; treason or betrayal.
Example: Napoleon used public trials to expose the alleged treachery of anyone who disagreed with his total authority.

Part of Speech: Verb / Noun
Definition: To flow or move in a small, slow stream.
Example: A steady trickle of water leaked from the damaged well, adding to the hardships of the winter season.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A pig’s foot; or a horse bred or trained for harness racing.
Example: Squealer raised his trotter dramatically to command attention before rewriting a fundamental rule of Animalism.

Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Fully in agreement; supported by everyone involved.
Example: The general assembly reached a unanimous vote to preserve the farmhouse as a historical museum.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: Simultaneous performance of action or utterance of speech.
Example: The sheep would burst out in unison, repeating their favorite political chants for hours at a time.

Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition: Deliberately cruel, violent, or dangerous.
Example: Napoleon used a vicious pack of trained dogs to maintain strict compliance and terrify his political critics.

Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: To accustom an infant or young animal to food other than its mother’s milk.
Example: Napoleon decided to wean the puppies early so he could personally control their education and loyalties.

Part of Speech: Verb / Noun
Definition: To give birth to puppies; or a young puppy or cub.
Example: Jessie and Bluebell happened to whelp a combined total of nine healthy puppies shortly after the initial harvest.

Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: An apple or other fruit blown down from a tree by the wind; or an unexpected piece of good fortune.
Example: The common animals assumed the delicious windfall apples would be shared equally among the entire community.