Vacant(adj.)- having no contents; empty; void
This vocabulary word was written in chapter twenty six of “Beloved” by Toni Morrison.
Saw Sethe’s eyes bright but dead, alert but vacant, paying attention to everything about Beloved–her lineless palms, her forehead, the smile under her jaw, crooked and much too long–everything except her basket-fat stomach.
In other words, Sethe was not showing any emotion in her eyes, however she was aware of her surroundings.
Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vacant?s=t
