Vocabulary in Coraline

An old woman who is frightening or wicked; in this story, the name used for the monstrous false mother who lives behind the hidden door and tries to trap Coraline.

A narrow alley or lane between houses, used in older British and Scottish English; here referring to a tight passageway near the old house.

A type of predatory insect known for its long forelegs held as if praying; used here as a comparison to describe something unnervingly thin and angular.

Shiny black buttons sewn where eyes should be, replacing normal human eyes; the other mother and her world's inhabitants have these instead of real eyes, marking them as false and uncanny.

The supernatural, shape-shifting creature who mimics Coraline's real mother in the mirror world; she appears loving at first but is predatory and seeks to keep Coraline forever.

A formal sitting room in a house, used for receiving guests; an older term for what most people today would call a living room or parlour.

A self-contained apartment on one floor of a building; the British English word for what Americans call an apartment.

A state of confusion or disorder; here used to describe a messy, disorganised situation or a confused state of mind.

Causing wonder or astonishment; used here to describe things in the other world that seem impossibly perfect and delightful, in a way that should raise suspicion.

To gently persuade or lure someone into doing something, often through flattery or soft words; the other mother uses this tactic to draw Coraline deeper into her trap.

Moved quickly with short, hurried steps in a way that suggests something small, furtive, or insect-like; used to describe the unsettling way certain creatures move.

Twisted and turned the body in a contorted, squirming way, often suggesting pain or something unnatural and disturbing.

Loosely coiled lengths of yarn or thread; here used to evoke something tangled, wound, and potentially ensnaring.

To provoke or mock someone with insulting or challenging words, trying to make them react emotionally; used here as a deliberate strategy in a tense confrontation.

Small animals or insects considered pests and harmful; used here as a contemptuous term to describe creatures — or people — seen as worthless nuisances.

A sitting room in a house, typically used for entertaining guests; an older or more formal British term for a front room.

Anxious, worried, and slightly irritable; describes a state of low-level distress that makes someone restless and hard to settle.

Unpleasantly damp and cold, often with a musty smell; used to describe spaces that feel neglected, dark, and unwelcoming.

Climbed awkwardly using both hands and feet, suggesting effort and ungainliness rather than easy movement.

In a direction contrary to the sun's course, or counter-clockwise; an old word associated with bad luck or witchcraft, used here to describe a particular way of moving or turning.