Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: a facial expression, often ugly or contorted, that indicates disapproval, pain, etc.
Source: Dictionary.com
Found in All American Girl by Julia Alvarez
“…I locked myself/in the bathroom, trying to match my face/with words in my new language: grimace, leer,…”(lines 4-6)
In this poem, the speaking is talking about learning a new language and culture. She talks about locking herself in the bathroom to practice and perfect matching her words and her facial expressions. She implies knowing what the word means and feels like in her native language but she had yet to feel it in English.Ā Understanding the meaning of the word painted a vivid picture in my mind of a girl struggling to understand and adapt to a new culture.
