A
absorb v. to soak up, take in: French
fries absorb fat while they are cooking.
bitter adj. angry, hateful: He was so
bitter he couldn’t be happy for anyone
else.
accommodate v. to have enough space:
The woman built a guest house to
accommodate her aging parents.
border n. the edge of something: The
Rio Grande is the border between the
United States and Mexico.
accompany v. to go with someone else:
Her date accompanied her to the dance.
borrow v. to receive a loan of something
with the promise to return it: I asked my
mother if I could borrow five dollars.
adapt v. to change, to function in a new
way, to adjust: Although moving from a
small town to the city was difficult, he
quickly adapted.
brave adj. unafraid of danger: Malala
Yousafzai is very brave for speaking out
about the importance of education for
young girls after she was shot by the
Taliban.
ailment n. an illness, especially a lasting
condition: According to experts, color
can sometimes heal ailments.
bulge n. something that swells or sticks
out: The boy had a bulge on his forehead
after it was stung by a bee.
appeal v. to attract, please someone: The
idea of living alone appeals to many
college students.
bundle n. things close together, usually
tied or fastened: I brought a bundle of
logs to build a fire.
arrogant adj. self-important: The
arrogant student believed he could get
good grades without studying.
burst of laughter n. sudden expression
of laughter: Her joke was met with a
burst of laughter from the audience.
assign v. to give a job or tasks to
someone to do: The teacher assigned an
essay as homework.
C
capital n. wealth, such as money, land,
buildings, etc., owned by a person,
business, or institution: Some companies
begin with very little capital and yet
become very successful.
attitude n. feeling about or toward
someone or something: He has a jealous
attitude toward his more successful
older brother.
auction n. a public sale of property in
which items are sold to the person who
bids the highest: She bought that chair in
an auction last month.
B
bend v. to turn, make something curved:
That road bends around a hill.
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claim n. a statement that something is
true: The lawyer made a claim that her
client was innocent.
concern n. worry: Conservationists have
concern about the disappearance of
animals’ natural habitats.
Glossary
1
coincidence n. the happening of two or
more events at the same time by chance:
By coincidence, the academic
competition, the basketball game, and
the musical auditions were all Friday
afternoon.
courageous adj. brave, having the
strength of mind and/or body to face and
overcome danger and/or difficulties: The
courageous young people spoke out
against the unjust criminal law system.
crack the code v. to discover the
meaning of a code: The Japanese army
never cracked the code used by the
Navajo Code Talkers of the United
States military.
collect v. to ask for and receive money:
The volunteer collected one hundred
dollars for her charity group.
confident adj. with strong belief in
one’s ability or that something will
definitely happen: I am confident that
your painting will be fantastic!
D
daring adj. courageous, risky: It was a
daring move to stand up to the police
force.
confine v. to keep within limits, to
restrict: Those polar bears have been
confined in a zoo cage for 28 years.
conservation n. keeping something from
getting into bad condition, preservation,
especially of nature: All the money we
collect will be donated to the
conservation of the lion population.
conserve v. to save: Zoos claim that they
aim to conserve animals.
considered adj. thought to be: Meryl
Streep is considered one of the best
actresses in the United States.
consolation n. comfort from a loss: He
was awarded one hundred dollars as a
consolation prize after losing the race.
contentment n. a feeling of satisfaction,
happiness: The smile on his face shows
his contentment.
cope with v. to face difficulties and try
to overcome them: Pets can help
children and adults cope with physical
and mental illnesses.
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database n. information on a general
topic stored in a computer system, a data
bank: An international species database
keeps records of animals around the
world online.
decode v. to translate a message from
code into plain language: In World War
II, Alan Turing developed a machine
that could decode German messages.
dedicated adj. given completely to
someone or something: My secondgrade English teacher was extremely
dedicated to her students’ education.
detect v. to uncover, find: Some dogs
are specially trained to detect cancer.
determine v. to conclude, decide; to
influence or control: Genes determine
human traits like eye color and height.
developing country n. a nation that is
economically weak, but growing: Some
experts dislike the term ‘developing
country’ because it follows a Western
standard of economic development.
Glossary
2
device n. an electrical or mechanical
machine or tool: Cell phones and other
electronic devices have changed the way
people communicate.
E
eliminate v. to remove or get rid of: I’ve
eliminated two answer choices, but I
haven’t decided which of the remaining
two is correct.
dignity n. the state of being worthy of
honor or respect: Many zoo animals kept
in bad conditions have lost their dignity.
emerge v. to come forth: A wonderful,
sweet smell emerged from the oven
where the cookies were baking.
dip v. to put into liquid for a moment:
The writer dipped her pen in ink before
she began her next paragraph.
emotionally disturbed adj. showing
behavioral difficulties: It is important for
teachers to give care and attention to
children who may be emotionally
disturbed.
disappear v. to go out of sight: As
English is spoken in more countries
around the world, there is growing
concern that other languages are
disappearing.
distinct adj. clear, easy to see: There are
distinct differences in the ways in which
various cultures make their breakfast.
endangered species n. a plant or animal
whose population is so low that it is in
danger of extinction: If African
elephants continue to be hunted, they
will become an endangered species.
disturb v. to interrupt the sleep,
relaxation, or privacy of: I stayed quiet
around the new baby so that I wouldn’t
disturb her.
endurance n. the ability to function
properly over a long period of time,
stamina: You must have a lot of
endurance to run the Boston Marathon.
diverge v. to separate and go in different
directions: The highway diverges into a
main road and a smaller road at the next
mile.
enterprise n. a new journey or
experience: Her latest enterprise is
hiking through the Grand Canyon.
diversity n. variety: There is a lot of
diversity in the makeup of the United
States population.
do wonders v. to have a very beneficial
effect on someone or something: A
simple cup of tea can do wonders for a
sore throat.
doubt v. to be unsure but tend not to
believe: I doubt that his story about
reaching the top of Mount Everest is
true.
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equally adv. the same, equivalently:
Born in Puerto Rico, she knows Spanish
and English equally well.
exceed v. to be more than what is
expected: The world’s population is
expected to exceed eight billion by 2025.
expect v. to think something or someone
will come: He expects that the turkey
will be finished cooking in about three
hours.
Glossary
3
explode v. to blow apart with force;
burst: If you fill a balloon with too much
air, it will explode.
G
grab v. to take quickly and roughly: The
boy grabbed the last cookie off the plate
before anyone else could get to it.
extinct adj. no longer in existence,
especially a kind of plant or animal:
American lions went extinct around
eleven thousand years ago.
grassy adj. covered with grass: My
girlfriend and I spent the afternoon lying
on a grassy hill and looking at clouds.
F
fair adj. beautiful: The fair weather has
inspired many people to spend more time
outside.
fine n. money paid as a punishment for
wrongdoing: Fines for shoplifting can
range from $250 to $1,000 where I live.
honor n. high academic marks: She
graduated from medical school with top
honors.
force v. to use power to make someone
do something: Every year, around fifteen
million girls are forced into marriage at
a young age.
fortune n. wealth, riches: Bill Gates has
built a fortune on his software company,
Microsoft.
found v. to start up and support
something, usually a building or
organization: Kakenya Ntaiya founded
the Kakenya Center for Excellence, a
primary school for girls in Enoosaen,
Kenya, in 2009.
frustrate v. to prevent someone from
doing something, thwart: The navy
frustrated the enemy by forming a
blockade around their port cities.
fundamentals n. pl. basic, primary
principles: Many universities require
students to take courses in the
fundamentals of mathematics, science,
and writing.
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H
heart attack n. a medical condition in
which a person’s heart suddenly stops
beating: Physical activity is an important
part of recovering from a heart attack.
I
incite v. to cause something to happen,
make someone do something; to
provoke: The police officers’ misconduct
incited the public to protest.
indicate v. to mean, symbolize: The
triangle on that plastic container
indicates that it can be recycled.
inevitable adj. definitely going to
happen, unavoidable, certain: The
expansion of the English language is
inevitable.
inevitably adv. describes an action that
is inevitable: Politicians will inevitably
disagree on certain issues.
ingredient n. a food item in a recipe: We
need one more ingredient, garlic, to
make this dish.
item n. a general term for a thing or
object: Most grocery stores have special
lanes for people buying fifteen items or
fewer.
Glossary
4
intercept v. to stop or prevent something
or someone: They were intercepted
before they had the chance to deliver
their message.
loyal adj. faithful to others, especially
one’s friends or country: He is a very
loyal friend and would never abandon
anyone.
M
misfortune n. bad luck: She had the
misfortune to leave her house without an
umbrella in the rain.
inspiration n. the process of being
stimulated to do something, especially
something creative: The Tuscan
landscape has served as inspiration for
many artists.
inspire v. to cause to work hard or be
creative: My daughter inspires me every
day to be a better person.
mission n. the purpose of the business
that a person or organization conducts:
The mission of the organization
Jumpstart is to provide high-quality
early childhood education.
instinct n. a natural, unlearned behavior
or ability: Geese have an instinct to fly
south in the winter to avoid the cold.
modest adj. small: There is a modest fee
to enter the Calaveras County Jumping
Frog Contest.
interest n. a percentage paid on an
amount of money: The interest on
federal student loans increased again
last year.
N
nursing home n. a private institution
dedicated to the care of the elderly: They
visit their grandmother at the nursing
home every day.
invisible adj. not able to be seen: Hidden
behind a bush, the spy was invisible to
those he watched.
L
launching pad n. an area with a hard
surface from which something is
launched: The rocket will take off from
the launching pad at noon.
O
omen n. a sign of something that is
going to happen in the future: Some
cultures view the sight of an owl as an
evil omen.
line v. to cover the inside of something:
She lined the inside of a shoebox with
blankets so her new kitten could sleep
comfortably.
loan n. a sum of money borrowed at a
rate of interest: I will have to pay back
thousands of dollars in student loans one
day.
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nutritional value n. the composition of
food and how it affects the body: It is
important to choose foods with good
nutritional value.
omit v. to leave out, not include: Many
building architects omit floor 13 from
their designs because they believe that
13 is an unlucky number.
opportunity n. an occasion for personal
advancement or financial gain: If you
have the opportunity to attend college,
you should take it.
Glossary
5
optimistic adj. believing that good
things will happen: I am optimistic that
health care will become less expensive in
the future.
order v. to request food at a restaurant:
He ordered a plate of sushi for the table.
persist v. to continue steadily in the
same manner in spite of obstacles or
opposition: She persisted in her attempts
to communicate with her roommate, who
had been acting coldly all month.
overall adv. in general, considering
everything: Although she has received a
few criticisms, she is a good worker
overall.
pest n. a small animal or an insect that
causes damage to food or crops or
otherwise bothers humans: Pests have
always been a serious problem for
farmers.
P
pace n. speed, tempo of an activity: The
increased presence of fast food
restaurants reflects the pace of modern
life.
pet v. to stroke lightly and fondly with
the hand: The boy likes to pet his cat
when he feels sad.
pace up and down v. to walk back and
forth in a worried manner: He paced
back and forth all afternoon while he
waited for his interviewer to call him
back.
pile up v. to place a number of things
one on top of the other: I tend to pile up
my clothes on the floor of my closet.
passionate adj. feeling or expressing
passion: She gave a passionate TED talk
about the importance of literacy last
month.
pop up v. to appear: It seems like a new
technology business pops up every day.
preserve v. to guard, protect from harm
or change: It is important to preserve
native cultures.
paste v. to stick things together with
paste: Now we can paste the red paper
circle to the yellow paper square so it
won’t move.
pastry n. a small, sweet cake baked
from pastry dough: The pastries were the
fastest-selling items at the bake sale.
pat down v. to tap or hit something to
flatten or smooth it: To bury something,
shovel dirt over the hole and pat down
the dirt until it is smooth.
patience n. the ability to accept
discomfort, pain, or troubles while
waiting calmly for something: He held
the crying baby and waited with patience
for the noise to stop.
prominent adj. important, something or
someone that stands out: Save the
Whales is a prominent organization in
the whale conservation effort.
R
receipt n. a piece of paper showing that
a bill is paid: The receipt shows that he
bought a muffin and a cup of coffee for
breakfast.
recommend v. to tell others about
something one likes: My friend
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Glossary
6
recommended this movie to me last
week.
reflect v. to give a true image or idea
about something: His bright smile and
clean clothes reflect his sweet and
cheerful personality.
reliable adj. can be trusted: Make sure
that you get your information from a
reliable source before spreading it.
remote adj. referring to a faraway place
or time; distant: After their ship sank,
three survivors were stranded on a
remote island for a week before they
were rescued.
reputation n. an opinion about the
quality of something, such as a person’s
character: He has a reputation for being
arrogant in class.
resistant to adj. referring to something
that does not allow someone or
something to touch or hurt it: Pesticides
make plants and crops resistant to
insects and other pests.
reveal v. to uncover something hidden:
She tore off the wrapping paper to
reveal her present, a new cell phone.
ridicule v. to laugh at or criticize
someone or something: You should
consider other people’s emotions before
you ridicule them.
risk n. a chance, danger of losing
something important: She risked her life
last year when she decided to climb
Mount Everest without a guide.
rush off v. to hurry away: He only had a
sip of coffee before he rushed off to
work.
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S
savor v. to taste and enjoy something:
The two girls savored the taste of
strawberries and cheese.
scarce adj. not plentiful: Water is
becoming more and more scarce in the
western United States.
scold v. to find fault with someone, to
tell someone, in an angry way, that they
did something wrong: His father scolded
him for staying out late without calling.
scratch n. a light wound in the skin:
Amazingly, the cat escaped the fight
without a single scratch.
seasoning n. spices and other flavoring
added to food: I like to change which
seasoning I use each day so that I can
experience diverse flavors.
select v. to choose: She selected which
college to go to after a lot of thought.
sensitive adj. able to sense or feel in a
strong way: Most people are very
sensitive to color.
serving n. a portion of food put on a
plate: Six orange slices is one serving.
shovel v. to pick up or move something
with a shovel or a shoveling motion:
Because they were running out of time,
they shoveled the rest of their food into
their mouths and then left in a hurry.
shrewd adj. tending to make smart
decisions, clever: A shrewd
businessperson can predict changes in
the economy.
Glossary
7
sigh n. a long, audible exhalation caused
by fatigue or emotion: He let out a sigh
of relief after he finished his test.
substantial adj. large, considerable: She
has a substantial income for someone in
an entry-level position.
significantly adv. meaningfully, worth
noting: This year’s sales were
significantly higher than last year’s.
substitute v. to replace: Although the
recipe calls for fresh lemon juice, we can
substitute it with bottled lemon juice
easily.
skip v. not to do something that one
usually does, to miss: Irresponsible
students sometimes skip class.
solid adj. without holes or breaks, the
same throughout: She bought her a
watch made of solid gold.
soothe v. to ease mental or physical
pain, to calm and relax: I like to soothe
sore muscles with a hot bath.
step n. a walking movement, the act of
lifting the foot, moving it forward, and
putting it down: The baby took his first
shaky steps last week.
stern adj. not flexible, severe, serious:
My grandmother gave me a stern look
when I tried to argue with her.
stimulating adj. increasing energy or
activity: The scent of oranges can be
very stimulating to the senses.
stir v. to move something in a circular
motion through a liquid or mixture: He
stirs sugar into his cup of tea every
morning.
subconsciously adv. motivated by
something that exists in the mind but is
not immediately available to
consciousness: Experts say that we
subconsciously choose to wear certain
colors to communicate our desires,
emotions, and needs.
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suit v. to satisfy or please, to meet the
needs of or be convenient for: He
changed the time of the event to suit
everyone’s availability.
superstition n. unreasonable belief in or
fear of something: Many people have the
superstition that black cats indicate bad
luck.
T
tent n. a portable shelter made of
canvas, nylon, etc.: We slept in tents
during our camping trip.
threaten v. to make hostile motions
toward: The advancement of the Sahara
is threatening African farmers.
trace n. a hint of evidence: Before I sell
my couch, I need to clean up any trace of
dog hair on it.
trait n. a characteristic, an attribute:
Bravery is a trait that can be found in
many leaders.
transmit v. to pass from one to another,
send: The first telephones transmitted
sound from one end to the other through
wires.
treat v. to doctor, give medical attention
to: He waited too long to treat his injury
properly, and now he might lose feeling
in his finger.
Glossary
8
tribe n. a group of people who usually
speak the same language, live in the
same area, and have many relatives
within the group: Native Americans
traditionally function in tribes.
U
undecipherable adj. not able to be read
or understood: Her handwriting is
undecipherable.
universal adj. found or practiced
everywhere, ubiquitous: English has
become the most universal language.
unpredictable adj. uncertain, not able to
be predicted: The weather can be
unpredictable, changing from rain one
moment to sunshine the next.
W
wear n. the deterioration of something:
He has had those shoes for eleven years,
and they are showing signs of wear.
weed n. a wild plant that is not wanted in
a yard, garden, or farm: Although they
are pretty, dandelions are considered
weeds and should be removed.
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Glossary
9