Encyclopedia of Solid Earth Geophysics (Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series)

squirrel stack stagger stammer a

squirrels noun stacks noun staggers staggering staggered stale b
verb c
a small, furry rodent. Some a pile of things, one on to walk in an unsteady way. adjective
types of squirrel live in trees, They staggered home after d
while others live on the top of another. the long walk. no longer fresh. e
ground. Squirrels eat nuts, Stale bread is hard and dry.
berries, fruits, and insects. stain f
stalk g
stains noun
a dirty mark that is difficult stalks noun h
to remove. i
1 the stem of a plant j
A stack of plates. or a leaf (see
stack verb plant on k
page 151). l
stadium 2 a long, thin leaf m
part of an stalk n
stadiums or stadia noun animal (see o
sea life on p
a sports ground surrounded page 178). q

squirt by seats for spectators. stall r
s
squirts squirting squirted verb stalls noun
t
to shoot out a thin jet of liquid. 1 an area divided off in a u
v
coffee stain stable or barn for one animal. w
stain verb x
y
stair z

stairs noun

one of a series of steps,

set one after the other.

staff 2 a table used to display
and sell goods, usually
noun at a market.

He squirted the dishwashing a group of people who work
liquid into the bowl. together in a business,
school, or other organization.
N rhymes with dirt
A flight of stairs.

stab The staff at the garage wear stalactite N rhymes with call
uniforms.
stabs stabbing stabbed verb stalactites noun stall
to pierce or wound with stag a spike of rock
a knife or other pointed object. that is formed stalls stalling stalled verb
She stabbed the potato with stags noun from dripping to come to a stop suddenly,
a fork to see if it was cooked. a male deer, especially a red water and hangs without meaning to.
deer that is over four years old. down from the roof The old car stalled at
stable of a cave. the traffic light.
stage N say stuk-lak-tite
stables noun stammer
a building where horses stages noun stalagmite
or other animals are kept. 1 a platform used for plays stammers stammering
and other performances. stalagmites noun stammered verb
a stable for horses 2 a point reached in the a spike of rock to stutter or speak with
progress of something. that is formed by difficulty, often stopping
They made the long journey dripping water in the middle of words and
in several stages. and builds up on repeating sounds.
the floor of a cave. stammer noun

N say stu-lag-mite 199

stamp staple start statue

A stamp staples noun starts starting started verb statues noun
stamps noun a small, thin strip of to begin.
metal used to join sheets a figure
B a sticker you of paper together. The runners lined up, ready of a person
put on an N say stay-pul to start the race. or animal
envelope or start noun made from
star stone, wood,
C package to show or another
that you have stars noun hard material.
1 an object in the sky that
D paid for it to appears as a ball of light.
be delivered. The Sun is the nearest star
to Earth.
E stamp
F stamps stamping startle Statue
of Liberty
stamped verb startles startling startled verb
N say stach-oo
G to bring your to give someone a surprise
foot down
very hard. or a shock.

H

I

J 2 a shape with five or His son stay
K stamp noun more points (see shape startled him.
L stand on page 182). stays staying stayed verb
M stands standing stood verb 3 a famous actor, actress, starve 1 to remain in one place.
or other performer. Dad stayed at home while
to be in an upright position. starves starving starved verb we went to the show.
stare to suffer or die from lack 2 to live somewhere for
N of food. a short time.
O stares staring starvation noun I went to stay with my cousin
P stared verb during the summer vacation.
to look for state 3 to continue to be in
a long time one state.
at something states noun It stayed sunny all week.
with your eyes 1 the condition of something,
wide open. or what it is like. steady
In an untidy state.
Q She stood on a box to look over 2 a group of people under adjective
the fence. one government. A state
can be a whole country 1 firm.
R or part of a country. He held
S standard The United States of America. the ladder steady.
standards noun The cat stared at the mouse. 2 continuous
state or unchanging.
a level of quality that starfish A steady fall
states stating stated verb of snow.
T is considered acceptable, to say something clearly.
or how good something is. statement noun N say sted-ee
N comparisons steadier
U The standard of spelling starfish noun station steadiest
in this class is very high. a star-shaped sea animal, steadily adverb
stations noun
V standard usually with five arms. 1 a place where buses and steak
Starfish eat plants and sea trains stop so that people
animals, such as crabs and can get on and off. steaks noun
2 a building used by a public a thick slice of fish or meat,
W adjective other shellfish. They sense service, such as the police. usually beef.
ordinary or usual. things through tentacles on A police station. N say stake
N say stay-shun
X Headlights are standard their arms (see sea life
equipment on all cars. on page 178).

Y stank
Z from the verb to stink

The boat stank of fish.

200

steal stem stern stilt a

steals stealing stole stolen verb stems noun adjective stiff b
to take something that does the main stalk of a plant that c
not belong to you without grows up out of the soil (see firm or strict. adjective
the owner’s permission. growth on page 94 and plant A stern warning. d
on page 151). not easy to bend or move. e
Magpies steal shiny things. stern
step This folder is made of stiff f
steam noun plastic cardboard. g
steps noun
noun 1 the movement made by the back part N comparisons stiffer stiffest h
lifting your foot and putting of a ship or boat i
the gas that water turns into it down when you walk along (see boat on still j
when it boils. Steam can be or dance. page 31).
used as a source of power. step verb adverb k
2 a level surface for putting The dinghy l
your foot on to help you climb was kept at 1 up until now. m
up or down, the stern He is still there. n
usually as of the yacht. 2 even so, or nevertheless. o
part of I don’t like rice pudding, p
a staircase but I still have to eat it. q
or ladder. 3 an even larger amount.
Still more snow fell. r
steel 3 a stage in a series of things stethoscope s
to do. still
noun The first step in learning stethoscopes noun t
to swim is to enjoy being an instrument adjective u
a hard, strong metal made in the water. used by doctors v
from iron mixed with a small for listening not moving or without sound. w
amount of carbon. Steel can stepladder to the heart x
also be combined with other and lungs. stilt y
metals. Stainless steel is stepladders noun z
a mixture of steel, chromium, a portable ladder stick stilts noun
and nickel. with flat steps one of a pair or
that can stand sticks noun set of long poles
up without 1 a thin piece of wood. used to support
leaning 2 something long and thin. a person or
on anything. A stick of chalk. thing high off
the ground.
grater hand whisk
pair of stilts
Many kitchen utensils are
made of steel.

steep stereo stick

adjective stereos noun sticks sticking stuck verb
equipment for playing 1 to glue or fasten one thing 3 to project out.
slanting up or down sharply. recorded sound. The sound to another.
A steep hill. comes from two different She stuck the model
directions so that it airplane together
N comparisons steeper steepest sounds natural. with glue.
sticky adjective
steer N say stair-ee-oh 2 to press a sharp point
into something.
steers steering steered verb stereo adjective He stuck a pin into
to control the direction the balloon.
something is going in.
She steered her car into The bread stuck out of the basket.
the driveway.
201

sting

A sting stomach stop storm
stings stinging stung verb
stomachs noun stops stopping stopped verb storms noun

B to prick the skin, or to cause 1 the part of your body where 1 to come, or bring, to an end. a period of bad weather with
a sharp pain. Some insects food goes after you have The rain stopped. strong winds and thunder

sting when they are frightened eaten it, to be partly digested. 2 to prevent something and lightning, or snow.
C or angry, injecting a poison
from happening. story

into the skin. stories noun
a tale, or a description of an
D event, either real or imaginary.
Tell me a story.
stink

E stinks stinking stank stunk verb
to have a strong, bad smell.

F This garbage stinks! The man stopped the boy from stove
stink noun running into the road.
stoves noun
G stir stomach stopwatch
H stirs stirring stirred verb a piece of equipment used
2 the outside part of your
to mix something for cooking or heating.

body at the front between stopwatches noun

I by moving it your ribs and your hips. a watch that can be started straight
around with and stopped to measure how
N say stum-ik

a spoon or stone much time something takes adjective
(see time on page 216).
J similar tool. not bent
or curved.

K stones noun store
1 the hard

L material stores storing stored verb
that rocks to put something away

are made of. for when you need it.

M

N A bird table made of stone. She drew a straight line.

O stitch 2 a small, loose piece of rock. N say strate
stitches noun N comparisons straighter
straightest

P a loop of thread or wool made They stored the sports strain
with a needle in sewing equipment in the cupboard.
strains straining strained verb
Q or knitting. cross store
stitch 1 to try so hard that it hurts
stores noun or tires you.
R
Be careful not to strain yourself

S The field was full of stones. a large shop or warehouse. when you exercise.
A department store. strain noun

T stitch verb stood stork 2 to pass something through
a sieve in order to filter out
larger pieces.

U stock from the verb to stand storks noun
They stood at the bus stop a large bird with a long beak

V stocks stocking stocked verb for an hour. and long legs that lives near
to keep a supply shallow water. Storks eat
of something. stool fish, insects, rodents, and
snakes. They live in
W Do you stock writing stools noun large nests built
paper in this store?

X stock noun a seat in trees and
without on cliffs.

Y stolen a back
from the verb to steal or arms.

Z A painting was stolen from kitchen stool marabou
the gallery. stork

202

strand strawberry streamlined strict a

strands noun strawberries noun adjective stretch b
c
1 any thread that is twisted a small, red fruit that is soft having a smooth shape that stretches stretching stretched
together with others to make and sweet and allows quick and easy verb d
a stronger line. grows on movement through e
2 anything that looks like a plant. air or water. 1 to pull something so that
a rope or string. it becomes longer or bigger. f
2 to straighten or reach out g
A strand of hair. as much as you
can with h
stranded part of i
your body. j
adjective
stray k
unable to leave l
somewhere. strays straying strayed verb m
n
to wander away from This cycling helmet has o
a streamlined shape. p
someone or somewhere. streamline verb q

He was left stranded street r
on the island. s
streets noun
strange One duckling strayed from a road in a city or town. She stretched t
its mother. What is the name of the street out her arms. u
adjective you live in? v
streak 3 to reach one w
unusual or unfamiliar. strength place from another. x
streaks noun y
N comparisons stranger a long, thin mark or smear. strengths noun z
strangest After the football game his the quality
clothes were covered with of being
stranger streaks of mud. strong or
powerful.
strangers noun stream
a person you have not The weight lifter had incredible The road stretches all the way
seen before or who is new streams noun strength in his arms. to the mountains.
to a place. 1 a small river.
strengthen stretcher
strap 2 a steady flow of something.
A stream of cars rushed along strengthens strengthening stretchers noun
straps noun the street. strengthened verb a light bed with handles
a strip of leather or other to make something strong that is used to carry someone
material, used for fastening or stronger. who is hurt.
or holding things. You can strengthen your
muscles by exercising.
shoulder
strap

straw 2 a hollow tube stress
used for drinking
straws noun liquids through. stresses noun

1 stalks of dried wheat or other 1 a strain on a person
or thing.
cereal plants. Straw is used for He is under a lot of stress.
2 an extra force laid on part
farm animals and pets to lie on. of a word when speaking. In
the word “stretcher,” the
stress is on the first syllable. strict

adjective

keeping closely to the rules.
The teacher was very strict.

N comparisons stricter strictest

203

stride strip structure study

A stride strips noun structures noun studies studying studied verb
strides striding
a long, narrow piece 1 something that 1 to look at
B strode verb of something.
to walk with has been built. something carefully.
long steps. A strip of paper.

C stripe The Eiffel Tower She studied the flower through
is a tall, a magnifying glass.
D stripes noun steel structure. 2 to learn about a subject
a long, narrow from books and classes.
E band of color. 2 the way She studied for her exams.
that something is put
F This swimsuit together or organized. stuffy
has blue stripes. A company’s structure.
G striped adjective adjective
struggle
H stroke without fresh air.
stride noun struggles struggling struggled The room was stuffy so she
I strokes stroking stroked verb verb opened the window to let in
strike to rub gently with the hand. to try hard, or to fight hard. some fresh air.
J strikes noun He struggled with the math
the action of stopping work problem for a long time.

K in order to get better pay stubborn
and working conditions, or
adjective
L to protest about something.
On strike. determined to have your
own way.
M strike
N strikes striking struck verb He stroked the rabbit. A stubborn mule. stumble

1 to hit something hard. stroll N say stub-urn stumbles stumbling stumbled
verb
O strolls strolling strolled verb stuck to trip and almost fall.
to walk slowly in
P a relaxed way. from the verb to stick stump
They strolled through 1 I stuck the label on the jar.
Q the woods. 2 The thorn stuck in her leg. stumps noun
stroll noun a short part of something left
R student behind after the rest has
S The tree was struck strong been cut or
students noun worn away.
by lightning. adjective a person who is studying at
2 to stop work in order some kind of school. tree stump
1 tough. N say stoo-dnt
T to protest about something. A strong rope.
2 powerful. studio
U string Elephants are very strong.
V strings noun studios noun
N comparisons stronger 1 a room where an artist or
a long, narrow cord used strongest photographer works.
for fastening or as part of N opposite weak 2 a room or building where television
programs or movies are made.
W a musical instrument (see
musical instrument N say stoo-dee-oh

X on page 133). television studio

Y

Z

204

stunt subject succeed suggest a

stunts noun subjects noun succeeds succeeding succeeded suddenly b
a dangerous action that something you are talking, verb c
is done as part of a film writing, or learning about. to manage to do what you adverb
or performance. were trying to do. d
submarine They succeeded in moving quickly and e
The stunt involved jumping the heavy piano up the stairs. without
over the cars on a motorcycle. submarines noun N say suk-seed warning. f
a vessel that can g
stupid travel underwater. success Suddenly she had an idea.
sudden adjective h
adjective N say sub-muh-reen successes noun i
a thing that works out well. suffer j
foolish, or not intelligent. substance His magic act was
a complete success. suffers suffering suffered verb k
N say stoo-pid substances noun N say suk-sess to feel pain, or to be ill. l
N comparisons stupider a material or object that can successful adjective She is suffering from the flu. m
stupidest be seen or felt. n
N opposite clever There was a sticky substance such suffocate o
on the table. p
sturdy adjective suffocates suffocating suffocated q
substitute verb
adjective 1 of a particular kind. to die because you are r
substitutes noun Pins, needles, and such things. unable to breathe. s
strong and well made. someone or something that is 2 so much. N say suf-uh-kate
A sturdy table. used in place of another person t
or thing. There was such a lot of sugar u
N comparisons sturdier decorating to do, that he didn’t v
sturdiest butter know where to begin. noun w
x
stutter margarine suck a sweet substance made y
from plants and used in food z
stutters stuttering stuttered verb Margarine is used as sucks sucking sucked verb and drinks.
to stammer or speak with a substitute for butter. to pull liquid into your mouth,
difficulty, often stopping or to hold something in your brown
in the middle of words N say sub-sti-toot mouth and sugar
or repeating sounds. lick it.
stutter noun subtract N say shoog-ur
He sucked his drink through
style subtracts subtracting subtracted a straw. suggest
verb
styles noun to take one number away suggests suggesting suggested
1 the way that something from another number. verb
is done or made. to mention a new idea
Which style of tennis racket Five subtracted from eight or plan to someone.
do you prefer, wooden or metal? equals three. I suggested going to the park
2 a fashion or design. subtraction noun to ride our bikes.
N say sug-jest
What style of car is this? subway suggestion noun

N say stile subways noun
an underground railroad
system.

205

suicide

A suicide sulk Sun superb
noun
sulks sulking sulked verb noun adjective

B killing yourself deliberately. to be silent because you the star that is the center extremely good.
N say soo-i-side are in a bad mood. of our solar system (see A superb performance.

C suit sulky adjective universe on page 229). N say soo-purb
D suits noun
sum sun superior
a jacket and skirt or pants,
sums noun noun adjective

E designed to be worn together. 1 a total made by adding two the light and heat that we higher in rank or position.
or more numbers together. get from the Sun. Soldiers must salute their

The cat was sitting in the sun. superior officers.

F The sum of 3 and 49 is 52. sunflower N say soo-peer-ee-ur
G 2 an amount of money. N opposite inferior
sunflowers noun
A new bike will cost you a large supermarket
H sum of money. a tall plant with

large, yellow supermarkets noun

flowers. The seeds a large store that sells food

I summary can be eaten or and other items. People select
used to make the goods they want and pay

J summaries noun cooking oil. for them at the exit.
K N rhymes with boot a short form of a story
or a piece of information that sunglasses
just gives the main points.
They gave a summary of the noun

L suit news at the end of the program. glasses with dark lenses that
M suits suiting suited verb you wear to protect your eyes
summer from sunlight.
to look good on someone.
summers noun

N Does this suit me? the warmest season supersonic
of the year. Summer comes
adjective
O suitable between spring and fall.
faster than the speed
adjective sunlight of sound.
P right for a particular purpose summit
or occasion. summits noun noun

the light from the Sun.

Q the highest point sunrise
of something.

R sunrises noun The Concorde was
the time when the Sun a supersonic aircraft.

S is coming up over the horizon N say soo-per-son-ic
in the morning.

T The two climbers finally sunset superstition
reached the summit of
U These boots are suitable for the mountain. sunsets noun superstitions noun
walking over rough ground. a false belief based on
the time when the Sun is fear or lack of knowledge
V N say soo-tuh-bull about something.
W suitcase going down below the horizon A common superstition
is that it is unlucky to walk
suitcases noun in the evening. under ladders.

X a large bag with a handle N say soo-per-stish-un
that is used for carrying
clothing and other things superstitious adjective

Y when you travel. sunshine supper

Z noun suppers noun

bright sunlight. a meal eaten

in the evening.

206

supply surf surfer suspicious a

supplies noun surfs surfing surfed verb survivor b
c
a quantity of something that 1 to balance on a special survivors noun
board while riding on waves a person who is still alive d
may be needed. as they begin to break near after experiencing an event e
the seashore. that might have killed them.
2 to explore the internet. He was one of three survivors f
of the shipwreck. g
surfboard N say sur-vy-vur
h
The farmer kept a supply surface surprise suspect i
of grain in the barn. j
supply verb surfaces noun surprises noun suspects suspecting suspected
something that happens verb k
support the outside or top when you do not expect it. 1 to think that someone l
She got a surprise when is guilty of something. m
supports supporting supported of something. she received the package! I suspect her of being a thief. n
verb surprise verb suspect noun o
to hold something or someone surprising adjective 2 to suppose that something p
up to stop it, or them, is likely. q
from falling. surrender I suspect it will rain.
r
These buttons have surrenders surrendering suspend s
shiny surfaces. surrendered verb
to give yourself up. suspends suspending t
N say sur-fus suspended verb u
The kidnappers finally to attach something v
surgeon surrendered to the police. by its top so that it w
hangs down. x
surgeons noun surround y
a doctor The baskets are z
who treats surrounds surrounding suspended from
patients by surrounded verb a hook.
doing operations. to be or to go on all sides
of something. suspense
She supported her friend N say sur-jun
who had hurt his leg. The bench noun
support noun surgery surrounded
the tree trunk. the feeling of being anxious
suppose surgeries noun or excited about what might
1 a medical operation that survive happen next.
supposes supposing supposed involves cutting open part This movie is full of suspense.
verb of a patient’s body. survives surviving survived verb
to think that something is 2 a place where you go to continue to live after an suspicious
true or likely. to see a doctor or dentist event in which you might
I suppose you are right. for treatment. have died. adjective
N say sur-juh-ee They all survived the crash.
sure 1 suspecting something bad.
surname I became suspicious when
adjective my friends didn’t answer
surnames noun the telephone for a week.
certain, or with no doubt. the last part of someone’s 2 behaving in a way that
I am sure you will enjoy your name that shows which makes people
stay here. family they belong to. suspect you.

N say shoor A suspicious character
was climbing into the house.

N say su-spish-us

207

swallow

A swallow swap sweep swell

swallows swallowing swallowed swaps swapping swapped verb sweeps sweeping swept verb swells swelling swelled swollen
verb
B verb to give one thing in return 1 to clean up dust, dirt, or
to make your food go for something else. to become larger.
other mess using
down your throat and He swapped his toy for her
tennis racket. a brush.
C into your stomach.

D swarm

swarms noun

E a large number of insects
moving together.

F The snake A swarm of bees. The male frigate bird’s throat
swells up to attract females.
N say sworm

G swallowed the egg whole. sway swelling
H swallow
sways swaying swayed verb swellings noun
swallows noun a swollen place on the body.
to swing or lean from She had a swelling where she
had bumped her head.
I a small bird with long wings side to side. 2 to push away.
and a forked tail. Swallows The flood swept the car swerve
eat mainly insects and off the road.
swerves swerving swerved verb
J are found in most parts sweet to turn quickly to one side
of the world. when you
adjective are moving.
K
L swam 1 containing sugar or tasting
like sugar.
from the verb to swim Grapes are very sweet.
I swam across the pool. 2 very pleasant or kind.
The trees swayed in the wind. It was sweet of you to bring
M me flowers.
N swamp
swamps noun swear N comparisons sweeter sweetest

an area of wet or marshy land. swears swearing swore sworn sweet The cyclist swerved to avoid
the hole.
O verb sweets noun
1 to make a solemn promise. swift
a small piece of snack food,
P She swears that she didn’t adjective
do it. made mostly of sugar, and
moving quickly.
Q 2 to speak rude or also called candy.
unpleasant words. N comparisons swifter swiftest

R sweat

S A mangrove swamp. noun swim

the salty liquid that comes swims swimming swam swum
verb
T swan out of your skin when you
swans noun are hot. to move through water using
She was covered in sweat arms, legs, or fins.

U a large bird that lives in and after the race.
around water. Swans feed sweat verb

V on water plants, which they
grasp with their sharp-edged sweatshirt
bills. Swans are

W related to geese. sweatshirts noun
a thick, cotton shirt

X with long sleeves. swim noun

Y swimming pool

Z N say swon swimming pools noun
a large, artificial area of
water for swimming in.

208

swing symbol system a

swings swinging swung verb symbols noun synthetic b
c
to move backward and a sign or object that reminds adjective
d
forward, usually while you of something else, or made with artificial e
materials, not natural ones.
hanging from a support. represents something else. f
g
swing
h
swing noun i
j
swirl swoop A dove is a symbol of peace. This frog is made from
synthetic fur. k
swirls swirling swirled verb swoops swooping swooped verb N say sim-bul l
to move with a twisting or to move downward N say sin-thet-ik m
circular motion. through the air in a symmetrical n
curving movement. syringe o
The boat and leaves adjective p
swirled around as they The stunt plane swooped down syringes noun q
floated downstream. out of the sky. having two halves that match a tube with a nozzle or hollow
each other. needle attached that is used r
switch sword for sucking up and squirting s
This cut-out shape is out liquid. Doctors
switches noun swords noun symmetrical through use syringes to t
a lever or button used to turn a weapon its middle. give injections. u
equipment or a machine on with a long v
and off. blade and N say si-met-ri-kul N say suh-rinj w
switch verb a handle. symmetry noun x
syrup y
swivel 18th-century sword sympathy z
syrups noun
swivels swiveling swiveled verb N say sord noun a sweet, sticky
to turn around on liquid food, often
a central point. swore a caring feeling shown by made from sugar.
someone for someone else.
Swiveling around on a chair. from the verb to swear When you’re hurt, it’s nice maple syrup
She swore she was telling to get sympathy.
the truth. N say sur-up
N say sim-puh-thee
syllable sympathetic adjective system

syllables noun symptom systems noun
a word or part of a word made a group of things that work
up of a single sound. The word symptoms noun together in an organized way.
“once” has one syllable and a sign that shows you have a N say sis-tum
the word “single” has two. particular illness or disease.
N say sil-uh-bul One of the symptoms of
measles is red spots.
N say simp-tum

synagogue

synagogues noun
a building where Jews
go to worship.
N say sin-uh-gog

209

table

A take tall
B
C takes taking took taken verb adjective
D 1 to get hold of or carry.
She took her coat off the rack. 1 very high.
TtE 2 to bring or lead.
F tactics My parents took me to The tall office building was
G table the movie theater. surrounded by shorter ones.
noun 3 to make use of something.
tables noun Take the first turn N opposite short
on the left.
4 to require or need. 2 having a particular height.
It takes three hours to cook. He is 4 feet tall.
5 to travel by or on something.
Let’s take the bus. N comparisons taller tallest
6 to remove or steal.

1 a piece of furniture methods used to make tambourine
something happen.
H with a flat surface and legs The team’s tactics tambourines noun
underneath to support it.

I helped to win the game. a musical instrument that is
tactical adjective held in the hand and shaken
or tapped to provide
J tadpole a rhythm.

K tadpoles noun
a young frog or toad. Tadpoles The thief took a wallet from

L 2 a list of facts or figures live in water. As they grow someone’s coat pocket.
written in columns. their tails get smaller
and they tale N say tam-buh-reen
A multiplication table. grow legs.
tales noun tame
M
N tablet a story about things that may

tablets noun not be true.

a small, hard piece tail A fairy tale. adjective

O of medicine. talent used to living or working
P tackle with human beings.
talents noun The bird they rescued from
the cat became very tame.

Q tackles tackling tackled verb tails noun a special natural N comparisons tamer tamest
1 to try to solve something. the part that sticks out skill or ability. N opposite wild
beyond the back end of
They had to tackle some an animal’s body. She showed tan
a talent for
R difficult math problems. tans noun
2 to seize and try to throw the color of your skin after

S someone to the ground, you’ve been in the sun.
usually in a sport such tan verb
as football. dancing at
an early age.
T

U lizard’s tail talk tangle

V tailor talks talking talked verb tangles tangling tangled verb
to say words, or to speak. to twist into an untidy
W tactful tailors noun He talked to his sister on mass of knots.
X adjective a person who makes the telephone for an hour.
or mends clothes. Tailors N say tawk The kittens tangled the yarn.
trying to avoid hurting usually make clothes to fit talk noun tangle noun
someone’s feelings. a particular person.
talkative
Y She was very tactful when
talking about his new haircut. adjective

Z N opposite tactless talking a lot.
tactfully adverb Our parrot is very talkative.

210

tank tape task teapot a

tanks noun tapes noun tasks noun tea b
a piece of work or a duty. c
1 a large container for liquid 1 a long, narrow strip My task was cleaning the car. noun
or gas. d
2 a heavy vehicle with guns of material such as paper, taste a drink made by pouring e
that moves along on metal boiling water onto
belts instead of wheels. plastic, or metal. noun the chopped, dried leaves f
of the tea plant. g
1 one of the body’s five senses
that we use to find out the tea plant h
flavor of something. leaves i
2 the flavor of something when j
three kinds you have licked
of tape it or put it in k
your mouth. l
m
tanker 2 a strip of plastic coated cup of tea n
with magnetic powder that o
tankers noun is used for recording sounds, She tried the soup to see if she teach p
a vehicle or large ship that video pictures, and computer liked the taste. q
carries oil or other liquids. information. taste verb teaches teaching taught verb
tasty adjective to help someone learn about r
tantrum tape measure a subject or learn a skill. s
tattoo He has taught history for
tantrums noun tape measures noun three years. t
a noisy display of bad temper. a tape marked in centimeters tattoos noun u
and inches that is used for a permanent picture or teacup v
measuring length. design printed on someone’s w
skin using needles filled with teacups noun x
He had a tantrum when he colored ink. a cup used for drinking tea. y
was told to clean his room. z
tar tax
tap
noun taxes noun
taps tapping tapped verb
to hit gently with your fingers. a thick, dark, sticky liquid money that people have to
that is made from coal pay to a government that is
or wood. Tar is used in used to provide public services. team
making road surfaces.
tax verb teams noun
target
a group of people who work
targets noun
an object that or play sports together.
you try to
She tapped on his shoulder. hit when taxi
tap noun shooting or
throwing taxis noun
tap something. a car that you can hire to
travel in by paying the driver
taps noun archery target money (see car on page 39).
a device that you turn to N say tak-see
control the flow of liquid tartan
or gas from a pipe. football team
adjective
teapot
decorated with a special
pattern of lines and squares. teapots noun
Tartan patterns originally
came from Scotland. a container with a spout, lid,

tartan scarf and handle that is used for

making and serving tea.

211

tear telephone tempt

A tear telephones noun tempts tempting tempted verb
tears tearing tore torn verb to try to persuade
an instrument that allows someone to do something
B to make a hole or split in you to talk to and hear that they wouldn’t usually
something by pulling hard. people who are far away, do or shouldn’t do.
by means of electrical Can I tempt you to take
C signals. Telephone is often another slice of cake?
D shortened to phone. N say temt
temptation noun
E telescope temperature
F tendency
G The dog tore his pant leg. telescopes noun temperatures noun
tendencies noun
N rhymes with care an instrument with lenses a measurement of how hot the way that a person or thing
inside it. When you look usually or often behaves.
H tear noun through it distant things or cold something is. She has a tendency to be late.
appear closer and larger. tend verb

I tear television She took the child’s tender
tears noun temperature.
televisions noun adjective
J a drop of salty water that N say tem-pur-uh-chur
comes from your eyes when a piece of electrical 1 easy to chew or cut.
equipment that receives A tender piece of steak.
K you cry. pictures and sound that are 2 feeling sore when touched.
L broadcast by a television
M station. Television is often temple
N shortened to TV.
O temples noun

a building where people

go to worship.

P N rhymes with deer The lion had a tender paw
after stepping on a thorn.
Q tease 3 gentle and loving.
He gave his baby
a tender smile.
tenderly adverb

teases teasing teased verb tennis

R to bother someone by saying Buddhist temple noun
or doing things in a playful,
N say tem-pul a game that is played with a
S but annoying way. flat-screen television racket and ball on a court
temporary divided by a net. The players
He teased his little sister about try to hit the ball over the net
adjective in a way that makes it hard
her dolls. tell for their opponent to return
lasting for only a short time. it (see sport on page 197).
T tells telling told verb

U technology to put something into

noun words, or let someone

V science that is put to use know something.
in everyday life. Tell me a story.
Medical technology.

W N say tek-nol-uh-jee temper
technological adjective

X teenager tempers noun The box was a temporary bed
Y teenagers noun 1 a mood. for the cat.
Are you in a good
a person between the ages temper today? N say tem-puh-rare-ee
2 an angry mood. N opposite permanent
temporarily adverb
Z of 13 and 19 (see growth She threw the book across tennis court
on page 94). the room in a temper.

212

tense territory texture thermometer a

adjective territories noun textures noun theft b
an area of land that is the way something feels c
1 nervous. controlled by a country’s laws when you touch it. thefts noun
2 stretched tight. or lived in by an animal. the act of stealing. d
Tense muscles. The pride of lions never left Sandpaper has He reported the theft of e
their own territory. a rough texture. the painting to the police.
N opposite relaxed N say tear-i-tor-ee f
N say teks-chur theme g
tense terror
thank themes noun h
noun noun a main subject, idea, or topic. i
thanks thanking thanked verb j
a form of a verb that shows great fear. to say that you are grateful The theme of the costume party
whether the action is taking for something. was cartoon characters. k
place in the past, present, terrorist They thanked him for l
or future. their presents. theory m
terrorists noun thank you interjection n
tent a person who uses or theories noun o
threatens to use violence to thaw an idea about how or why p
tents noun force people to do something, something happens. q
a portable shelter made of usually for a political cause. thaws thawing thawed verb She tested her theory with
waterproof material stretched terrorism noun to melt or to make scientific experiments. r
over a frame terrorize verb something melt. N say thee-uh-ree or theer-ee s
of poles. The snow started to thaw
test in the sunshine. thermometer t
term thaw noun u
tests testing tested verb thermometers noun v
terms noun to try something out. a device that w
one of the periods of measures temperature. x
time during a year when N say thur-mom-i-tur y
a school or university is z
open for teaching.

terminal She tested the liquid to see theater
if it was an acid.
terminals noun test noun theaters noun
a building at the end
of a travel route where text a building where plays and
passengers arrive shows are performed.
and depart. noun
N say thee-uh-tur
terrible the words of something
written or printed.
adjective
text message
very bad or unpleasant.
It was a terrible day. noun

terrify a written message sent
between cell phones.
terrifies terrifying terrified verb
to frighten very badly. textile

textiles noun
a cloth or fabric made by
weaving or knitting.

Heights terrified him. wall thermometer

213

thesaurus

A thesaurus thin thistle thread
thesauruses or thesauri noun
adjective thistles noun threads threading threaded verb
to pass a length of thread
B a book that groups 1 small in width a wild plant with prickly or rope through a hole
words that have similar or depth. leaves and purple, white, in something.
meanings together. or yellow flowers.
Threading beads onto a string.
C N say thi-saur-rus
threat
D thick thin candle thorn
threats noun
thorns noun a warning that something
may happen.
adjective 2 hardly covered. a sharp spike thorn There’s a threat of rain
A thin layer of snow covered on the stem in the air.
E 1 large in width the ground. of a plant. N say thret
or depth. threaten verb

F N opposite thick thorough thrill
G thick candle
3 not having much fat. adjective thrills noun
A thin man. an excited feeling.
It was a real thrill to ride
N opposite fat on the roller coaster.
thrilling adjective
H 2 packed closely together. N comparisons thinner thinnest complete in every way.
I A thick forest. He had a thorough search
thing for his book.
N opposite thin
things noun N say thur-oh
thoroughly adverb

3 having a certain 1 an object that is not alive. thought
2 an idea or an action.
J measurement in width There are four things I want
or depth.

K The plank was to do this evening. thoughts noun
three inches thick. an idea or opinion that you

L thinkN comparisons thicker thickest have been thinking about.

N say thawt

M thief thinks thinking thought verb thoughtful
thieves noun to use your mind to create
ideas or opinions.

N a person who steals things. adjective
N rhymes with beef
caring about other people’s

O thigh feelings and needs.

P thighs noun
the part of your leg between

Q your knee and your hip.

R throat
throats noun

S It was thoughtful of her the tube that leads from your
to help him. mouth, through your neck,

T She thought about what she N say thawt-ful to your stomach and lungs.

N opposite thoughtless N rhymes with boat

could eat for lunch.

U thirsty thread throne
V thigh
adjective threads noun thrones noun
N rhymes with sky
needing something to drink. a thin yarn such as cotton a special chair used

or silk, that is by a ruler of a country.

W thimble used for sewing.
X thimbles noun
N say thred
a small, hard covering worn
on the end of your finger sewing
thread
Y when you are sewing.
The thimble protects your He was very thirsty after a day

Z finger and helps you push without water. embroidery

the needle through the fabric. N comparisons thirstier thirstiest thread

214

through thunderstorm tidy timber a

preposition thunderstorms noun tidies tidying tidied verb tight b
a storm that has thunder to put in order. c
from one side or end and lightning. adjective
to the other. He tidied up his room. d
She drove through the tunnel. tick fitting closely. e
tie A tight fit.
N say throo ticks noun f
1 a small animal that feed ties tying tied verb N say tite g
throw on the blood of animals. 1 to fasten something with N comparisons tighter tightest
2 the clicking sound of a clock. a knot or bow. N opposite loose h
throws throwing threw thrown Each clock tick made me tighten verb i
verb more nervous. She tied a ribbon in her hair. tightly adverb j
to send something out tick verb 2 to score the same number
of your hand and through of points as someone else tightrope k
the air forcefully. ticket in a contest. l
They tied for first place. tightropes noun m
thud tickets noun tie noun a rope stretched high above n
a piece of paper that shows the ground that acrobats o
thuds noun that you have paid to do tie balance on. p
a dull sound made something, such as travel q
when a heavy object falls on a bus or go into ties noun tile
on something. a theater. a thin strip of fabric worn r
The book dropped to the floor around the neck and knotted tiles noun s
with a thud. tickle under the collar of a shirt. a thin piece of decorated
baked clay or other t
thumb tickles tickling tickled verb tiger material that is used as u
to touch someone’s skin a wall or floor covering. v
thumbs noun lightly, making them laugh tigers noun w
the short, thick finger set or squirm. a large, wild mammal that is till x
apart from your other fingers part of the cat family. Tigers y
at the side tide live in many regions of Asia, tills tilling tilled verb z
of your hand. from tropical forests to cold to prepare land for planting.
tides noun plains. They hunt at The farmer tilled his fields
thumb the regular change in the night for their food. before planting the new
level of the sea that happens season’s crops.
N say thum twice a day. tillable adjective

thunder The tide is out. tilt

noun tilts tilting tilted verb
to move or be moved into
a loud, rumbling sound that a sloping or leaning position.
comes after a flash of The huge pile of books
lightning during a storm. tilted dangerously.

timber

noun

cut wood that is used for
building and making things.

215

time Telling the time

A time minute
times noun hand

B 1 all of the past, present, and future. o’clock quarter past
Time is measured in periods such
as centuries, years, months, weeks, hour second
hand hand
C days, and hours.
2 a particular point in the day.

D What time is it?
3 a period in the past, present,

E or future.
In Roman times, many roads were
built throughout Europe.

F 4 an occasion or event.
I go swimming three times a week.

G

H Time-measuring devices 24-hour clock half past quarter to

winding Roman timing
numerals button
I stem
J clock
case

K strap

L dial

M pocket watch stopwatch battery

cogs

N hours minutes seconds
date

display

O
Liquid

Crystal back front front view winding back view
Display view view key

P (LCD) nurse’s watch wristwatch carriage clock

Q digital alarm clock

R Months of the year Time periods

S January month past present future
T February date
Days of the week Monday
March Tuesday
day date book Wednesday
U April Thursday
May Friday
Saturday
V June Sunday
W July
calendar
August

X September
October

Y November
December

Z

216

timetable tip tissue toilet a

timetables noun tips tipping tipped verb tissues noun tobacco b
1 to move something so that 1 a thin, soft paper used c
a chart that shows the times it is not upright. for wiping skin. noun
2 to turn something over d
when events should happen, so that the contents fall out. 2 a material that makes a plant whose leaves are e
She tipped the dirty water out up a part of a living thing. dried and used in cigarettes
or when jobs should be done. of the bucket. Brain tissue. and pipes. f
g
He checked the timetable to tip N say tish-yoo toboggan
find out when the bus left. h
tips noun title toboggans noun i
timid 1 the narrow, a flat sled that is used j
pointed end titles noun for sliding
adjective of something. 1 the name of a creative piece down slopes. k
of work such as a book, l
easily frightened or shy. Touching the tip of his nose. movie, or painting. today m
The bird was very timid 2 a helpful hint or piece 2 a person’s professional n
and flew away when I moved. of useful information. position. adverb o
timidly adverb Do you have any tips for Her title was Senior Editor. p
getting rid of stains? N say tite-l on this day. q
tin 3 a small, extra gift of money, I’m going to the zoo today.
given in return for a service. toad today noun r
tins noun I left the waiter in the s
1 a light, soft, silvery metal. restaurant a tip. toads noun toddler
an amphibian similar to a t
tin ore tin can tiptoe frog, but with a rougher, toddlers noun u
dryer skin. Toads eat insects, a young child who is learning v
2 a metal container for tiptoes tiptoeing tiptoed verb usually live on land, and or has just learned to walk w
to walk slowly and quietly move along with short hops. (see growth on page 94). x
putting things in or on your toes. They hibernate y
in winter. toe z
for preserving food. tired
green toes noun
tingle adjective toad one of the five
separate parts
tingles tingling tingled verb feeling that you would like toadstool at the end of
to sleep or rest. your foot. toe
to have a slight stinging She felt tired after working toadstools noun
feeling in a part of your body. in the garden all day. a poisonous fungus with toffee
an umbrella-shaped top.
Carbonated drinks make my toffees noun
toast a chewy sweet made
mouth tingle. from sugar
noun and butter.
tinkle
1 bread that is grilled on together
tinkles tinkling tinkled verb both sides until it is crisp
and brown. adverb
to make a light, 2 the action of wishing
ringing sound. someone well by raising your with each other.
glass and drinking. Shall we go together?
The bells tinkled as the sleigh Let’s drink a toast to the bride
and groom. toilet
moved along. toast verb
toilets noun
tiny a bowl with a seat that is
connected to a drain and
adjective flushed with water. People
use toilets to dispose of waste
very small. from the body.

N comparisons tinier tiniest

217

told

A told tonsil toothbrush torch
from the verb to tell
tonsils noun toothbrushes noun torches noun
a small brush with a long a burning piece
B She told her friends what she one of two small lumps handle that you use for of wood carried
had done over the weekend. of tissue at the back of cleaning your teeth. as a light.

C tomato your throat. top Olympic torch
D tomatoes noun
took tops noun tore
a soft, juicy, red fruit that 1 the highest point
from the verb to take of something. from the verb to tear
She tore her sleeve on a nail.
E can be eaten raw in salads or He took the can out
cooked (see fruit on page 85). of the cupboard. tornado

F tool The bird sat tornadoes or tornados noun
G on the very a violent, whirling wind
H tools noun top of the cactus. that causes great damage
I ripe beef tomato a piece of equipment that to the land and buildings.
helps you do a job. N opposite bottom
N say tor-nay-doh
toolbox 2 a lid.
tortoise
J tomorrow top
adverb tortoises noun
saw hammer 3 a spinning toy. a slow-moving reptile with a
K on the day after today. screwdriver 4 a piece of clothing worn on hard shell. Tortoises live in
I’m going away tomorrow. the upper part of your body. hot regions. They eat grass
tooth and other plants and can live
L tomorrow noun a long time (see reptile on
teeth noun page 168).
M tone 1 one of the hard, white, N say tort-us
tones noun bonelike structures inside
your mouth that you use for toss
N the quality of a sound biting and chewing.
or a voice. tosses tossing tossed verb
He spoke in a low tone. 1 to throw with a quick,
easy motion.
O N rhymes with own We tossed the ball around
before the game.
P tongue 2 to throw a coin and guess
Q tongues noun which side will face up in
order to decide something.
a flexible flap of muscle We tossed a coin to see who
in your mouth that you use should have the first turn.
toss noun
R to eat, taste, and speak.

S pajama top

T topic
U tooth
topics noun
V tongue 2 one of the pointed parts a subject that is spoken or
W N say tung on an object such as a saw written about.
or a comb. The fire was the main topic
of conversation for weeks.
X tonight
adverb comb topple

Y on the evening and night topples toppling toppled verb
of the present day. to fall over.
The dominoes
Z Let’s go to the concert tonight. tooth toppled over.
tonight noun

218

total tough toward track a

totals noun adjective preposition trace b
c
the entire amount of 1 strong and not easy to in the direction of. traces tracing traced verb
everything added together. break or damage. 1 to copy a picture by d
The total of 2, 3, and 4 is 9. placing a sheet of thin paper e
over it and drawing around
N say tote-l the outline. f
g
total The horse trotted
across the field toward her. h
adjective i
j
complete.
k
Total darkness. l
m
toucan Crash helmets are made of towel She traced the picture n
tough plastic. of a tiger from a book. o
toucans noun towels noun 2 to follow or discover p
a colorful bird with a large N opposite weak a piece of soft, thick cloth something by observing q
beak that lives in the rain or paper that is used for marks or clues.
forests of South America. 2 very difficult. drying things. She traced her family’s history r
Toucans nest in holes in trees A tough problem. back three centuries. s
and feed on fruit, insects, tower
small lizards, and eggs. N opposite easy trace t
N say too-kan N say tuff towers noun u
N comparisons tougher toughest a tall, narrow structure. traces noun v
touch The Eiffel Tower. a small mark or track left w
tour N rhymes with our behind by something. x
touches touching touched verb There were traces of a fire y
to put your hand or another tours noun town in the cave. z
part of your body a journey that takes you to
on something. see several places. towns noun track
We went on a sightseeing tour a place with houses and other
Can you touch the floor of the city. buildings, where people live, tracks noun
with your hands, while N say toor work, and shop. A town is 1 a mark or marks left
keeping your legs straight? smaller than a city but larger by someone or something
tourist than a village. that is moving.
N say tuch
touch noun tourists noun toy The fox left tracks
a person who in the fresh snow.
travels and toys noun 2 a path or rough road.
visits places an object to They drove the truck up
for pleasure. play with. a bumpy track.
3 a course used for races.
tournament jack-in-the-box They did four laps around
the running track.
tournaments noun 4 rails laid on the ground
a series of contests or for trains to run on.
matches in a sport or game.
A chess tournament.

tow

tows towing towed verb
to pull something
along behind.
The truck towed the
car to the garage.
N say toe

219

tractor

A tractor tragic train
tractors noun
adjective trains training trained verb
1 to practice doing exercises
B a farm vehicle with large bringing great sadness. or skills for a sport.
She trains for three
wheels that is used for pulling A tragic accident. hours a day.

heavy loads or machinery N say traj-ik 2 to teach or to learn
tragically adverb a skill.
C over rough ground. He trained his dog to sit.
training noun
D trail
traitor trance
trails trailing trailed verb
traitors noun trances noun
E 1 to drag something a person who turns against a kind of sleep, or a dazed
along behind or his or her country or friends state, when you are not
by helping an enemy. completely conscious.
F let something N say trans
hang loosely. trample
transfer
G trade tramples trampling trampled
H trades trading traded verb verb transfers transferring
to crush something by transferred verb
to exchange one thing stepping on it. to move something from one
person or place to another.
I for another. He trailed his toy He transferred his money
train behind him. to a savings account.

J tradition 2 to walk or move slowly
traditions noun behind someone.
The children trailed along

K a special event, belief, or way behind their mother.
of doing something that has

L continued in the same way trail
for many years.
It is a tradition to celebrate trails noun
1 a path or track. translate
M the New Year with a party. A nature trail.
N say truh-dish-un translates translating translated
verb
N traditional adjective 2 a track, scent, or The dog trampled all to turn words in one
other sign left by over the flowers. language into words
of another language.
O traffic something that trampoline She translated the French
noun has passed by. poem into English.
trampolines noun
P vehicles, ships, or aircraft a piece of gymnastic transparent
moving along a route. equipment made of strong
fabric and attached to adjective
Q a frame by springs.
able to be seen through.
R
S He left a trail of garbage

behind him.

T trailer N say tram-puh-leen This pitcher is transparent.

U There was a lot of traffic trailers noun N say trans-pair-unt
on the bridge. a small vehicle or container
that can be towed behind transplant
V tragedy a car, truck, or tractor.
W tragedies noun transplants noun
train an operation to move an
1 a very sad and organ or tissue from one
trains noun person or part of the body
X unfortunate event. a vehicle that runs on to another.
The train crash was tracks. Train cars are A heart transplant.
a terrible tragedy. pulled along by an
engine in front.
Y 2 a play with a sad ending.
Shakespeare’s Romeo and

Z Juliet is a tragedy.
N say traj-i-dee

220

transportation

transportation rudder a
elevator flap
noun b
cab envelope nose cone c
a way of carrying goods or people from
one place to another. Different methods air deflector gondola airship d
of transportation are used to travel on e
land, on water, or in the air.
f
tank g

engine propeller h
cockpit i
fuselage j

dairy tanker landing float k
wheel hull l
hood m
sea plane tail fin n
saddle o
seat rotor blade engine housing boom p
q
instrument stabilizer tail rotor
panel r
pedal s
landing
rickshaw skid helicopter t
u
fairing windshield cab horn engine double-decker v
car w
x
motorcycle passenger train track y
z
disc brake exhaust pipe saddle bridle pommel
saddle
saddle
fender pump handlebar
frame reflector

chain pedal camel funnel stirrup
deck
mountain bike lifeboat horse

rudder hull paddle steamer paddle wheel

221

transport

A transport travel tread treat
transports transporting
travels traveling traveled verb treads noun treats noun
B transported verb the raised part
to carry people or things to go from one of a tire. a special thing that gives
from one place to another. N say tred
place to another. someone pleasure.
C The goods were transported tread
by train.

D transportation noun

E trap tread They were taken to the fair
traps trapping trapped verb as a birthday treat.
treads treading trod trodden
F to catch an animal or person We traveled around the lakes verb N say treet
and hold them in some way and mountains on vacation.
to put your foot on something.
G so that they cannot get away. travel noun
trap noun

H trapdoor trawler treat
I trapdoors noun
trawlers noun treats treating treated verb
a small door cut into a floor,
on a stage, or in the ceiling. a boat that is used to catch 1 to behave in a certain
fish by dragging a large net way toward people, animals,
J behind it along the bottom or things.
of the sea. She treats her pet hamster
K very well.
The elephant trod on his foot. 2 to try to make
L someone well.

M treason
N trapeze
noun
trapezes noun
the act of being a traitor
to your country by trying to

a high swing used by acrobats tray destroy the government or
O for performing stunts. the ruler, or by helping the
trays noun enemy during a war.

P a flat board, often with a rim, N say tree-zun
that is used for carrying food

Q and drinks. treasure

treasures noun

R a large amount of gold, jewels,
or other valuable things.

S treacherous She treated the cut on
his head.
T trash adjective treatment noun
U noun
very dangerous. treaty
garbage, or something that
N say trezh-ur treaties noun
V is worthless or useless. an agreement made
W traumatic The sea can be treacherous for treasurer between countries.
a small boat.
adjective treasurers noun Signing a peace treaty.
N say trech-ur-us
X upsetting enough to a person who looks after
have a long-lasting effect the money and accounts
on someone. of a government, a club,
or a company.
Y Giving evidence in the trial
was very traumatic.

Z N say traw-ma-tik
trauma noun

222

tree

tree Leaves jagged a
teeth
trees noun leaf tip b
veins c
a tall plant with branches, needle
leaves, and a main stem called blossom d
a trunk. Trees are either e
deciduous or evergreen.
f
Flowers maple palm leaf stalk leaflet g
(petiole)
rowan h
midrib i
young j
leaf
k
leaf l
blade m
n
female umbrella pine eucalyptus ginkgo o
flower p
q
male flower leading leaf
(catkin) and flower bud r
s
silver birch apple
t
female flower scale u
(young cone) v
w
leaf x
shoot y
z
twig

branch

male lateral
flower leaf bud

European larch leaf scar

leaf canopy horse
chestnut
Seeds and
fruit trunk oak Trunk cross-section
seed

growth rings

scales sapwood
mature cones
fruit
wing spruce
quince
sycamore maple fruit
case husk

nut berry seed bark heartwood

horse chestnut holly beech 223

tremble

A tremble trickle tripod trophy
trembles trembling trembled
trickles trickling trickled verb tripods noun trophies noun

B verb to flow very slowly. a frame with three legs a cup, medal,
to shake with fear or cold. The raindrops trickled down that is used as a support or other prize

C trial the window. for a camera. that is given to
the winner of
tricycle a contest.

D trials noun tricycles noun
1 the legal process by which

E a judge and jury decide a vehicle with three wheels

whether a person is guilty or that is moved by turning the

innocent of a crime. pedals around, like a bicycle. tennis trophy

F She is on trial for theft. N say tro-fee
2 an experiment or test to see

G what something is like or to tropical
see if it works.
The new sports car passed its adjective

H trials successfully. from the hot, wet area of
N say try-ul the world near the equator.

I N say try-pod Tropical fruit.

triangle triumph trot

J triangles noun triumphs noun trots trotting trotted verb
1 a shape with three sides

K (see shape on page 182). a great success. to move the way a horse does
triangular adjective Winning the race was when it is walking fast. One

L 2 a musical instrument. child’s tricycle a triumph. of the horse’s front hooves
A triangle is played and the opposite back hoof
N say try-umf

by hitting one of N say try-sik-ul triumphant adjective are on the ground at the
same time.
M the metal sides trim trod
with a small
trims trimming trimmed verb from the verb to tread
N metal rod.
to cut the edges or ends off She trod in a puddle and
O something, such as
splashed her clothes.

hair, in order to

P make it neat. trolley car
Q trick
trolley cars noun trot noun
tricks noun
a vehicle that runs on tracks

1 a skillful action that is done in streets and is powered by

R to entertain someone. an electric current from an trouble
overhead wire.

S trombone troubles noun
T The hairdresser trimmed a situation or problem that is
worrying or difficult.

trombones noun If you smash that window,

his hair. a large, brass musical you’ll be in trouble!

U instrument, played N say trub-ul
by blowing through
V trip
trips tripping tripped verb a mouthpiece. trough
The notes are

to stumble and fall. produced by troughs noun

W I tripped over the book that sliding a a narrow, open container for
she’d left on the floor. long, bent animals to eat or drink from.

X trip tube backward N say trof
Y A magic trick. and forward.
trips noun trousers
2 something done tenor
a journey. noun

Z to fool someone. We went on a school trip trombone pants; a piece of clothing that
trick verb to the museum. you wear on your legs.

224

tuna

trout trumpet try tuck a

trout noun trumpets noun tries trying tried verb tucks tucking b
a small, brass musical tucked verb c
a type of edible fish that is instrument made of a long, 1 to make an effort
part of the same family as curved, narrow tube with to do something. 1 to fold d
the salmon. Most trout live in an end like a funnel. Notes He tried to climb up the tree. or push e
fresh water, but some species are produced by pressing 2 to test something to see if into place.
migrate to the sea after valves down and blowing it works, or to put f
laying their eggs. They feed through a mouthpiece. something on g
on insects, small fish, to see if it fits.
and shrimp. valve h
i
rainbow trout j

trowel trunk She tried on the gloves. Tuck your k
3 to decide in a trial, within shirt into l
trowels noun trunks noun a court of law, whether your pants. m
a small hand tool 1 the main stem of a tree (see someone is innocent or guilty 2 to cover up in a snug way. n
similar to a shovel. tree on page 223). of a crime. I like being tucked in bed. o
Curved trowels are 2 the main part of the body The court tried him for theft. p
used for gardening. of a person or tuft q
Flat ones are used for animal, not T-shirt
spreading cement. including the tufts noun r
head, arms, T-shirts noun a bunch of grass, threads, s
gardening trowel and legs. a shirt made from knitted hair, or feathers that grows
cotton with short sleeves or is tied closely together. t
N rhymes with owl trunk and no collar. u
tug v
truce w
tugs tugging tugged verb x
truces noun to give something a quick, y
an agreement to stop fighting hard pull. z
for a short time. My sister tugged at my sleeve.
The armies called a truce.
N rhymes with noose tulip

truck 3 the long nose of an elephant tub tulips noun
(see mammal on page 124). a plant with a
trucks noun 4 a large box with a hinged tubs noun large, cup-shaped
a large vehicle used for lid, used for storing things. a rounded, open container flower that grows
carrying goods from one that is used to store things from a bulb.
place to another. trust or wash things. N say too-lip

trudge trusts trusting trusted verb tube tumble
to believe that someone
trudges trudging trudged verb or something is honest tubes noun tumbles tumbling tumbled verb
to walk in and reliable. 1 a long, hollow pipe. to fall and roll over.
a tired way. I trusted my friend not A cardboard tube. She tumbled down the hill.
to give away the secret. 2 a long, narrow container
They trudged home through trust noun made of plastic or thin metal. tuna
the snow. trustworthy adjective The contents are removed
by squeezing. tuna or tunas noun
true truth a large, edible sea fish.
tube of toothpaste Tuna feed on squid and other
adjective noun fish. They are fast swimmers
and migrate long distances
real and accurate. something that is true. every year.
A true story. Do you always tell the truth? N say too-nuh

N opposite false N say trooth 225

tune

A tune turn tusk twist
tunes noun
turns turning turned verb tusks noun twists twisting twisted verb

B a series of musical notes put 1 to go around. a long, pointed tooth that to turn or wind something.
sticks out of the mouth of
together in a certain order The watch hands

to form a melody. turn clockwise. certain animals (see
2 to change direction. mammal on page 124).
C He sang a song and I played He turned to see what was
the tune on the piano.

D happening behind him. twig
3 to become.
tunnel His fingers turned blue with twigs noun
the cold.
E tunnels noun a small branch
an underground passage.
of a tree or shrub

F turn (see tree on
page 223).

G turns noun twin She twisted her head around.
a chance or duty that comes
to each of a number of people
H in order.
It’s your turn to do the dishes. twins noun type
1 one of a pair of children or

I turnip animals born to their mother types typing typed verb
J turban at the same time. to write using the letter and
turnips noun Identical twins. number keys on a typewriter
2 one of two things that are or other keyboard.
a type of plant with a round exactly the same.
N say tipe

K turbans noun root that is eaten as twin adjective type
a head covering consisting a vegetable.
twinkle types noun
L of a long strip of cloth wrapped
around the head, worn twinkles twinkling twinkled verb 1 a group of people or things
especially by Muslim and

M Sikh men. to shine with small flashes that are alike in some way.
of light. The store sold two types

N The stars twinkled in the sky. of boot.
2 printed letters.
This book has small type.
O turquoise twirl

noun twirls twirling twirled verb
to spin in a quick, light way. typewriter
P 1 a green-blue
stone that is typewriters noun

Q often used a machine with a keyboard,
in jewelry. used for printing letters and

numbers on paper.

R 2 the color of the stone
S turkey turquoise.

turkeys noun N say tur-koiz

a large bird that lives wild in
T the forests of North America.
Turkeys feed on acorns, turtle

U seeds, berries, and insects. turtles noun

Turkeys are reared on farms a reptile that is part of the

V for their meat in many parts same family as the tortoise.
of the world. Turtles live in water and feed

on plants and small animals. typical

W Some turtles lay their eggs adjective
on land.

X being a good example of
something, or showing all
its usual qualities.

Y They lived in a typical
city street.

Z green She twirled around to show N say tip-i-kul
turtle them her new skirt. typically adverb

226

Uu under underwater a

preposition underline b
c
below or beneath underlines underlining
something, or to underlined verb d
a lower place. to draw a line under e
something, usually to
ugly uncle stress it or to show that f
it is important. g
adjective uncles noun
underneath
unpleasant to look at. the brother of someone’s
preposition
N say ug-lee parent, or their
ugliness noun below something, or in
aunt’s husband. a lower place.

ulcer uncomfortable She is holding The children played h
the ball under underneath the table. i
ulcers noun adjective her arm. underneath adverb j
a sore patch on your skin
or in your stomach. 1 not able to relax. undercover understand k
N say ul-ser l
She was too uncomfortable adjective understands understanding m
umbrella to go to sleep. understood verb n
2 causing an unpleasant done in secret to obtain to know what o
umbrellas noun feeling or slight pain. information. something means. p
a covered frame, held up Uncomfortable shoes. The police were working on Did you understand q
by a stick that is used to an undercover investigation. the question?
protect a person from N opposite comfortable r
the rain, or as a shade from underdone understudy s
the sun. Umbrella frames are unconscious
covered with cloth or plastic adjective understudies noun t
and can be folded adjective a person who learns a part u
up when not in use. not cooked for long enough. in a play or performance so v
1 not able to think and feel, that he or she can take over if w
umpire possibly because of an illness underground the usual actor cannot perform. x
or accident. understudy verb y
umpires noun The falling brick knocked adjective z
someone who makes sure him unconscious. underwater
that players follow the rules 2 done without thinking. below the ground.
of a game or sport. He has an unconscious habit adjective
umpire verb of scratching his chin. An underground cave.
underground adverb found under the surface
unanimous N say un-kon-shus of the water, or used under
N opposite conscious the surface of the water.
adjective
uncover The diver swam among
agreed by everyone. the underwater plants
The leader was elected uncovers uncovering and animals.
by a unanimous vote. uncovered verb underwater adverb
to remove the cover, unwrap,
N say yoo-nan-uh-mus or reveal something.

The archeologists uncovered
a Roman mosaic.

227

underwear

A underwear uneasy unfortunate uniform

noun adjective adjective uniforms noun
special clothes worn by
B the clothes that you wear not feeling comfortable having or members of a group
next to your skin and under or happy. bringing to show that they
your other clothes. She felt uneasy about leaving bad luck. belong to that
the door unlocked. group. People in
C uneasily adverb It was unfortunate that he’d the armed forces,
left a roller skate on the floor. the police force,
D undershirt unemployed and some
E N opposite fortunate students wear
adjective unfortunately adverb uniforms.
F underpants
G without a job. unhappy 19th-century army
He’s been unemployed for general’s uniform
H almost a year. adjective
I undo N say yoo-ni-form
N opposite employed sad or miserable.
undoes undoing undid undone unemployment noun She felt unhappy when she union
verb failed the exam.
uneven unions noun
J to unfasten N opposite happy 1 two or more people, places,
or untie. adjective or things that are joined
unhealthy together to become one.
K not smooth or level. Russia was once a part of
adjective the Union of Soviet
L The road had a very Socialist Republics.
uneven surface. 1 not well or not fit. 2 a group of workers that join
M You look unhealthy. together to take care of the
N opposite even 2 bad for your health. concerns of employees.
N unevenly adverb It’s unhealthy to eat snacks N say yoon-yun
all the time.
O
N say un-hel-thee
N opposite healthy

P unexpected unicorn unique

Q adjective unicorns noun adjective
an imaginary animal in
R Undoing a surprising, or happening myths and fairy tales. being the only
knot in a rope. when you do not think it will. A unicorn is like a horse, one of its kind.
but has a long, spiraled Every snowflake
S N say un-doo The unexpected rain made horn on its forehead. is unique.
everyone leave the beach. N say yoo-ni-korn
T undress N say yoo-neek
undresses undressing N opposite expected unicycle
unexpectedly adverb unit
U undressed verb unicycles noun
to take unfair a machine for riding on, with units noun
pedals, a saddle, 1 a single part of something.
V clothes off. adjective and one wheel. A kitchen unit.
Unicycles are 2 a fixed amount used as
W not right or honest. sometimes used a standard by which other
That’s unfair! You have more for performing things are measured.
X than me! acrobatic tricks. A foot is a unit of length.

Y N opposite fair N say yoo-ni-sy-kul unite

Z N opposite dress unites uniting united verb
to join together or to do
something together.
The towns united in their fight
against the factory’s pollution.
N say yoo-nite

228

universe Satellites universe a

noun solar panel command b
antenna c
all of space, and everything
that exists in it. The universe dish antenna d
includes Earth, the other solar panel e
planets, and all the stars.
f
The Solar System European Communications g
Satellite 1 (ECS 1)
Landsat h
Space exploration i
flap door j

Mercury antenna main mirror small mirror k
casing casing l
magnetic m
Venus sensor antenna n
o
television solar panel p
camera q
Spacecraft Earth
dish r
engine nozzle antenna Mars antenna star s
detector
Apollo heat t
Service shield Mariner 10 u
Module v
solar panel w
x
Hubble Space Telescope y
z
Apollo docking ring power
Command window supply
Module

Apollo maneuvering
Lunar engines
Module
landing leg

hatch foot pad Jupiter radio antenna extendable
engine nozzle boom
Saturn television
upper part of the Saturn V rocket camera dish antenna
solar panel
rudder and flight deck docking Voyager space
speed brake windshield module probe

fin fuselage ringlets

heat-shield tiles rings

wing Space Shuttle rings

main engine antenna
nozzle

Uranus

unmanned main module Soyuz TM solar panel Neptune
cargo craft spacecraft 229
Mir space station

university

A university unlock unpack
universities noun
unlocks unlocking unlocked verb unpacks unpacking unpacked verb

B a place where students go for to open to take things out
the highest level of education. something by of a container.

undoing a lock.

C

D
E Unpacking a suitcase.

N opposite pack

F Graduating from university unpleasant until
with advanced degrees.

G N say yoo-nuh-vur-si-tee He unlocked his bicycle. adjective preposition

not pleasing, or not nice. up to the time of.

H unkind N opposite lock An unpleasant smell. We were awake until midnight.
adjective
I cruel or not caring. unlucky N opposite pleasant untrue

adjective unscrew adjective

having bad luck, or bringing unscrews unscrewing unscrewed false or not based on facts.
J bad luck.
verb The story about the two-tailed

It’s thought to be unlucky to to loosen by turning, dog was untrue.

K walk under ladders. or to undo screws. N opposite true
N comparisons unluckier

L unluckiest unused
N opposite lucky
She was very unkind to her adjective
unnecessary
M little sister. not in use or never used.
N opposite kind An unused notebook.

N adjective She unscrewed the numbers N say un-yoozd
from the door. N opposite used
unknown not needed.
It’s unnecessary to wear a coat unusual
O adjective in very hot weather.
never seen or heard of.
N say un-nes-i-sair-ee

P Highways were unknown N opposite necessary untidy adjective
in the 19th century.
unoccupied adjective rare or not ordinary.
Q N say un-noen
R unlikely adjective in a mess.
Her room was always untidy.
adjective vacant, or not being used.
N say un-ty-dee

S not probable. N opposite tidy
An unlikely story.
N opposite likely
untie
T
unties untying untied verb
U unload
unloads unloading unloaded to undo something that
verb
is knotted, such as rope
V to take things out of a vehicle The house had been
or thread.

or container. unoccupied for months. A very unusual guitar.

W N opposite occupied N say un-yoo-zhoo-al

X unorganized She untied the rope and unwise
rowed away.
Y adjective adjective
He unloaded the groceries N opposite tie
with no order or plan. foolish or not smart.
Z from the shopping cart. The trip was It was unwise to play catch
N opposite load very unorganized. in the house.

N opposite organized N opposite wise

230

utensil

unwrap upset uranium use a

unwraps unwrapping upsets upsetting upset verb noun uses noun b
unwrapped verb 1 to make someone sad c
or anxious. a silvery white, 1 the value
to take the wrapping or The accident upset him. radioactive of something d
2 to knock something over. metal used for a certain e
covering off something. The cat upset the vase for producing purpose.
of flowers. nuclear energy. f
upset adjective This penknife has many uses. g
N say yoo-ray-nee-um 2 the state of being used.
upside down Steam trains are still in use h
urge in some areas. i
adverb j
urges urging urged verb N say yoos
with the top part to try to persuade k
underneath, someone to do something. useful l
or turned the He urged them to be careful m
wrong way up. when playing by the river. adjective n
N say urj o
She unwrapped her present. able to be used for all kinds p
urge of tasks, or q
N say un-rap good for a
N opposite wrap urges noun certain task. r
a powerful feeling that s
up He hung upside down from makes you want to
the bar. do something. t
preposition upside-down adjective A sudden urge to sneeze. u
v
toward a higher position. urgent w
I walked up the hill to x
the house at the top. adjective y
z
N opposite down needing immediate action
or attention.
up upstairs An urgent message.

adverb adverb N say ur-junt
urgently adverb
to or in a higher position. to or on an upper story.
Stand up! urine
This gadget is useful for
N opposite down noun unscrewing lids.

upright The lights are on upstairs. liquid waste from the body. N say yoose-ful
N opposite useless
adverb N opposite downstairs N say yoor-in usefully adverb
upstairs adjective
sitting or use usual
standing up
straight uses using used verb adjective
rather than to put something into action.
bent over. most often done or seen.
The cat uses a cat flap to come I left work at the usual time.
The dog stood upward in and go out of the house.
upright on its N say yoo-zhoo-ul
hind legs. adverb N say yooz usually adverb

N say up-rite toward utensil
upright adjective a higher
position. utensils noun
a tool used for a particular
uproar She let go and the balloons job, especially one used in
drifted upward. the kitchen.
noun
N opposite downward A whisk is a kitchen utensil.
a state of noisy activity.
N say yoo-ten-sul
The crowd was in an uproar.
231

vacantF valuable variety

A adjective varieties noun
B 1 change or difference.
C 1 precious, It is important to have
D or worth a variety in your work,
lot of money. or you will be bored.
VvE 2 a selection of
G vacant vacuum flask This valuable Chinese different things.
adjective ornament once belonged The store had a variety
vacuum flasks noun to an emperor. of mugs for sale.
2 useful or worthwhile. 3 a particular type.
empty or not used. a container used for keeping Valuable help. What variety of fruit is that?
liquids hot or cold. Flasks N say vuh-ry-i-tee
H She parked in have double walls N say val-yoo-uh-bul
the vacant space. N opposite worthless various
value noun
I N say vay-kunt with a vacuum adjective
between them. van
of several different kinds.
J vaccination We commonly vans noun I bought various things
vaccinations noun call this a boxy road vehicle that is at the mall.
a thermos. bigger than a stations wagon
and smaller than a bus. N say vair-ee-us
K an injection of a substance
called a vaccine that prevents vandal varnish

L you from vague vandals noun varnishes noun
getting a person who deliberately a type of clear paint that
damages things. makes a surface tough and
vandalize verb shiny when it is dry.

a particular adjective

M disease. not clear or not definite.
A vague idea.

N N say vayg
vaguely adverb

O vain vanilla wood varnish
varnish verb
P N say vak-suh-nay-shun adjective noun
vase
Q vacuum 1 too proud of what you can a sweet food flavoring
R vacuums noun do, what you look like, or made from the pods of vases noun
what you own. a tropical orchid, also a jar used as an ornament
a space from which all, Vain people look in the mirror called vanilla. for displaying flowers.
all the time.
S or almost all, of the air vanilla pods
has been removed. N comparisons vainer vainest
N say vak-yoom vanish
2 unsuccessful.
T They made a vain attempt to vanishes vanishing vanished verb
U vacuum cleaner put out the fire. to disappear suddenly.
vainly adverb The magician waved his wand
vacuum cleaners noun and the rabbit vanished.
valley
V a machine that cleans vapor
by sucking up dirt. valleys noun
an area of lowland between vapors noun
W hills, often with a river or
stream flowing through it. 1 the gas that certain liquids
or solids give off when they
X are heated.
2 steam, mist, or smoke in
Y the air.

Z N say vay-pur N say vayz

232

vegetable

vegetable a

vegetables noun b
c
a plant, or part of a plant, that is
grown for food. Vegetables contain d
vitamins and minerals that keep e
us healthy.
f
N say vej-tab-bul g

okra flesh seed h
i
leaf pumpkin j

stem k
l
Brussels sprouts m
n
zucchini o
p
leaf eggplant q
stem
root leaf r
corncob s
beet
kohlrabi radish husk corn seed t
sweet leaf u
potato leaf v
root tuber w
x
spear y
z
asparagus radicchio stem

stalk

seed

flower head

stalk
skin

peppers artichoke chinese cabbage celery

233

vegetarian

A vegetarian velvet version vibrate
vegetarians noun
noun versions noun vibrates vibrating vibrated verb

B someone who does not eat a type of fabric A different kind or form of to make tiny, rapid,
meat or fish. covered in short, the same thing. shaking movements.

N say vej-it-tear-ee-an soft fibers. I like this version of the story. The drill vibrated noisily.

C vertical N say vy-brate
vibration noun
D vehicle adjective
vehicles noun vicious
standing straight up,
E something that is used to at right angles to adjective
transport people or things on the horizon.
land, in the air, or in space. velvet adjective likely to hurt people

F a vertical line or things.
G ventriloquist A vicious dog attacked him.
ventriloquists noun
a person who can speak N say vish-us

H without moving his or her very victim

adverb victims noun

lips. Most ventriloquists use extremely, or by

I dolls and make it seem as if a great amount. a person who has been
the doll is talking. This book is very long. harmed or killed by

J vessel something or someone.

The victim of an accident.

K vessels noun victory
1 a craft that is used for

L N say vee-i-kul water transportation; usually victories noun
anything larger than a boat. success in

M veil a contest
veils noun or battle.

N a covering for the face N say ven-tril-uh-kwist
or head that is made
of thin fabric.
verb 2 any kind of hollow
O container, usually for food.
verbs noun

P a word that describes what a When it rained, they filled The race-car driver was
person or thing is doing. A the vessels with water. thrilled with his victory.

Q sentence usually needs a verb N say ves-ul N say vik-tor-ee
in order to make sense.

R verse vest view

vests noun views noun
1 everything that you can see
S verses noun a piece of underwear worn from a certain place.

1 a section of a poem or song. on the top half of the body. There was a good view of
the city from the window.
T N rhymes with pale 2 a general name for poetry. veterinarian 2 an opinion.
He wrote a book of verse. In my view, more people
ought to travel by train.
U vein veterinarians noun
a person who is trained to N say vyoo

V veins noun 2 one of the fine tubes in treat sick animals.
1 any one of the tubes that Veterinarian can be

carries blood from other parts a leaf or in an insect’s wings. shortened

W of the body to the heart. to vet.
The vena cava is

X the major vein heart
in the body.

Y vein
vena cava
N say vane
Z

234

village visible volcano vulture a

villages noun adjective volcanoes noun vomit b
c
a community in the country able to be seen. a mountain that is created vomits vomiting vomited verb
The mountain was visible by lava from inside the Earth. to throw up the contents of d
that is smaller than a town. for miles. Volcanoes sometimes erupt, your stomach. e
sending lava and ash down vomit noun
N opposite invisible onto the surrounding country. f
vote g
visit
votes voting voted verb h
visits visiting visited verb to show your choice or opinion i
by putting up your hand or by j
to go to see a person marking a name on a piece
of paper. k
or a place. l
He voted for the candidate by m
vinegar I went to visit her volcanic adjective putting an “X” on the paper. n
in the hospital. vote noun o
noun visit noun volume p
vow q
a sour liquid vitamin volumes noun
used to flavor 1 a book, usually one vows noun r
or preserve food. vitamins noun of a series. a solemn promise. s
one of a group of natural vow verb
N say vin-i-gur substances found in foods The fourth volume N rhymes with how t
that we need to eat to of an encyclopedia. u
vintage keep healthy. 2 the amount of space inside vowel v
something, or the amount w
adjective of space that something fills. vowels noun x
a sound represented by y
old and of good quality the letters a, e, i, o, or u z
(see car on page 39). (see alphabet on page 16).
N rhymes with owl
violent
vulture
adjective
vultures noun
using strong and a large bird of prey that
damaging force. feeds on dead animals.
The violent storm threw Vultures have a good sense
cars across the street. of smell and good eyesight.
violence noun Their feet are adapted for
violently adverb walking rather than holding
onto branches.
violin parsley
Egyptian
violins noun pepper vulture
a wooden musical instrument
with four strings. The violin Foods containing vitamin C. 235
body is held below the chin
and played with a bow. vocabulary This pitcher’s volume
is one quart.
bow vocabularies noun 3 an amount.
This road has a huge volume
violin 1 all the words in a language. of traffic traveling along it.
2 all the words that are 4 the loudness of a sound.
virus known and used by a person. Can you turn up the volume
on the television?
viruses noun N say vo-kab-yoo-lar-ee
a type of germ that causes a volunteer
disease such as the flu. voice
N say vye-rus volunteers noun
voices noun a person who offers to do
something without being
the sound that comes out of told or paid to do it.
your mouth when you speak volunteer verb
or sing.
He’s lost his voice.

N say voys

wade

wake walrus

A wakes waking woke woken verb walruses noun

to stop sleeping or to stop a very large sea mammal that
lives on the ice in the Arctic
B someone else from sleeping. and hunts for its food in the
I woke up early this morning. icy waters. Walruses have
very tough skin and whiskers.
awake adjective They have a thick layer of fat
called blubber to keep them
DC walk warm instead of fur.

walks walking walked verbN say wawk

E Ww tomovealongonfoot.F
G wade waist walker
wades wading waded verb
waists noun walkers noun

to walk through water. the narrower part of your a framework, usually wand
body between your chest and waist-high, that a baby or
H We waded across the stream. your hips. handicapped person might wands noun
I wafer use to help them walk.

wafers noun wall a long, slender stick used
for performing magic tricks.
J a thin, crisp cookie that is walls noun In fairy tales, wands
often eaten with ice cream.

K N say way-fur a vertical surface made are used for casting
of stone, brick, or another magic spells.

L waffle material. Walls are used N say wond
waffles noun to enclose a space or to form
the outside structure and
M a crisp, thick pancake with inside divisions of a building.
squares pressed into it.

N Waffles are made from waist
eggs and flour.

O wait There was a high wall around wander
the garden.
P waits waiting waited verb wanders wandering wandered
to stay in a place or delay wallaby verb
Q N say wof-ul doing something until to go from place to place
a certain event happens. wallabies noun without any real purpose
R wage Wait for me! a plant-eating marsupial or destination.
S wages noun wait noun from Australia that looks My friends love to wander
like a small kangaroo. around the mall.
the money paid to some waiter / waitress N say wol-UH-bee N say won-der
in return for work.
waiters / waitresses noun wallet want
T He collects his weekly wages someone whose job it is to
every Friday. serve you with a meal. wallets noun wants wanting wanted verb
N waiter is male and waitress a small, soft case for 1 to wish to have
U N say wayj is female. carrying money. or do something.
I want a puppy for
V wagon my birthday.
wagons noun 2 to need or
require something.
W a vehicle with Do you want any help?
four wheels used
N say wol-it war
X for transporting
heavy loads. wars noun
A wagon can be
a period of fighting between
Y pulled by a train countries or groups of people.
or a horse.
N say wore
Z

236

wardrobe wash water wax a

wardrobes noun washes washing washed verb noun watt b
1 a cupboard for clothing. c
2 a collection of clothes. to clean yourself or a clear liquid that falls as watts noun
A winter wardrobe. something else with rain and forms streams, a unit for measuring d
N say wore-drobe water and soap. rivers, lakes, and oceans. electrical power. e
A 100-watt lightbulb.
warehouse wash noun N say waw-tur f
N say wot g
warehouses noun
a large building used for water wave h
storing goods. i
waters watering watered verb waves noun j
warm
to supply with water. 1 a moving ridge on k
adjective l
Will you water my plants while the surface of a liquid. m
1 having a temperature that n
is between cool I’m away? o
and hot. p
wasp water cycle 2 a vibration of sound or light q
The hot water bottle felt nice that travels through the air
and warm. wasps noun noun and moves in a similar way r
2 friendly and kind. a type of flying insect that to a wave in liquid. s
She gave us a warm welcome. can sting. A wasp uses its the process by which water
sting to defend itself and to travels around the Earth and wave t
N comparisons warmer warmest catch other insects for food. its atmosphere. Water from u
N opposite cool N say wosp rivers and oceans evaporates waves waving waved verb v
warmth noun into the air, where it gathers 1 to signal to someone w
waste to form clouds. The water by moving your hand or x
warn then falls as rain to fill an object from side to side. y
wastes wasting wasted verb the rivers and oceans. z
warns warning warned verb 1 to use more of something She waved good-bye as
to tell or signal to someone than you really need or want. waterfall the ship sailed away.
that there may be a problem Don’t waste electricity! wave noun
or danger ahead. 2 to fail to use something. waterfalls noun 2 to move backward
He wasted the sunny day by a place where a river falls and forward.
The sign on the fence warned staying in bed all day. over a steep cliff. The branches waved
of radioactivity in the area. waste noun in the strong wind.
watermelon
N say worn watch wax
warning noun watermelons noun
watches watching watched verb a large, juicy type of melon waxes noun
warship to look at and pay attention to with green skin. The flesh is a solid, oily substance
someone or something red and contains black seeds. that melts when it is
warships noun for a time. heated. Wax is used
a ship armed with weapons waterproof to make many things,
that is used during a war. Watching birds. including furniture
adjective polish and candles.
watch
not allowing
watches noun water to pass
a small instrument for telling through it.
the time, usually worn on the
wrist (see time on page 216). A waterproof coat.

237

way

A way wear weathered weed
ways noun
wears wearing wore worn verb adjective weeds noun
B 1 a direction or route. a wild plant that
to have on or covering having changed shape or grows where it
C color due to the effects of the is not wanted.
your body. Sun, wind, or rain.
D Weathered rock. Burdock is
a common weed.
E weave
The sign showed the way week
weaves weaving wove woven
F to the village. verb weeks noun
2 a method. 1 to pass threads over a period of seven days.
and under one another
G What is the right way to use to make cloth. weekend
a video camera?
3 a manner of behaving. weekends noun
Saturday and Sunday,
H She stared at him in a very the days when many people
rude way. do not go to school or work.

I weep

weak weeps weeping wept verb

J adjective to show you are unhappy
having little strength
by crying.
K or power.

L He is wearing a South He is weaving a mat out of wool. weigh
American cowboy outfit. woven adjective
weighs weighing weighed verb
M N say ware
Baby birds are very weak when 1 to measure how heavy

they are born. 2 to move in and out something is.
between objects.
N wearyN comparisons weaker weakest
adjective The river weaves its way
N opposite strong around the hills and down
very tired. to the sea.
O weakness noun

P wealthy web
Q adjective
webs noun
having a lot of money
1 a fine net of sticky threads
or possessions.
made by a spider to trap flies.
R The inventor sold his idea
and became very wealthy. 2 a collection of pages linked

S N say wel-thee electronically via the internet.
N comparisons wealthier
wealthiest She felt weary after her
long walk. wedding He weighed some beans.
T wealth noun 2 to have a certain weight.
N say weer-ee weddings noun

U weapon N comparisons wearier weariest an occasion when two people The package weighed
half a pound.
weariness noun get married.

V weapons noun weather N say way
a tool that can
be used to noun weight

W hurt someone. the condition of the weights noun

X In the past, atmosphere at a certain 1 the measurement of how
place and time, such as heavy something is.

spears and the air temperature and 2 a piece of metal with a
whether or not it is raining. known heaviness, used with
Y swords were weighing scales to determine
used as

Z weapons. a weather map how much something weighs.
N say wep-un
N say weth-ur N say wayt

238

weird wept what whip a

adjective from the verb to weep adjective wheelchair b
He wept when his dog died. c
strange which thing or which kind. wheelchairs noun
and mysterious. west What is your favorite color? a chair with wheels. People d
use wheelchairs to move from e
The tree had noun N say hwot place to place if they have
a weird shape. difficulty in walking. f
one of the four main wheat g
N say weerd compass directions. West when
N comparisons is the direction in which noun h
weirder weirdest the Sun sets. adverb i
a type of cereal that is j
welcome north grown on farms. The grains at what time.
from wheat are used for When did you arrive? k
welcomes welcoming welcomed west east making flour. l
verb where m
to show someone that you are south durum wheat n
glad they have come. western adjective adverb o
He went to the door to welcome N say wheet p
his guests. western at, in, or to what place. q
welcoming adjective wheel Where are you going?
westerns noun r
welfare a film about cowboys wheels noun which s
and other people living in a disk that turns around a
noun the western US, usually fixed, central point. Most land adjective t
during the 19th century. vehicles move on wheels u
a person’s health, happiness, (see car on page 39 and what particular thing or v
and comfort. wet transportation on page 221). things out of a selection. w
A principal has to consider Which car is yours? x
the welfare of the pupils. adjective wheelbarrow y
whine z
well 1 covered or soaked wheelbarrows noun
with water. a small cart with one wheel whines whining whined verb
wells noun at the front, used for pushing 1 to make a long, high cry.
a deep hole made in heavy loads by hand. Dogs whine.
the ground 2 to complain unnecessarily.
to obtain The toddler whined about
water, gas, going to bed.
or oil.
whip
well 2 rainy.
Wet weather. whips noun
adjective 3 not yet dry. a rope or strip of leather that
Wet paint. is attached to a handle and is
in good health. used for urging animals
Are you well today? N comparisons wetter wettest to do something.
N opposite dry
well a cowboy’s
whale whip
adverb
whales noun 239
1 in a good or suitable way. a very large sea mammal with a breathing hole in the top of
He behaved very well. its head. Whales eat fish or tiny water animals (see mammal
2 thoroughly. on page 124).
Water the plants well.
sperm whale
went

from the verb to go
I went to the grocery store to
buy some bread.

whirl

A whirl whisper whizz widow / widower
whirls whirling whirled verb
whispers whispering whispered whizzes whizzing whizzed verb widows / widowers noun

B to turn yourself or an object verb to move along very fast. a person whose husband or
around quickly. to speak in a very quiet voice. wife has died.

C whole N widow is female and widower
is male.
adjective

D complete, or with wife
nothing missing.

wives noun

E a married woman.

F wig

G He whirled the wigs noun
lasso around a false covering of
his head. hair for the head
They bought a whole quiche (see costume on
H for the party. page 51).
I whirlwind
N say hole wild
whirlwinds noun whole noun
adjective
a very strong wind that why
1 in a natural environment,
J blows in spirals, causing or not controlled
great damage. by people.

K She whispered her secret into adverb Meadowsweet
L whisk his ear. is a wild flower.
whisper noun for what reason. 2 uncontrolled, violent,
whisks whisking whisked verb Why did you go? or crazy.
The children went wild
1 to move quickly and lightly. wicked at the amusement park.

M She whisked the child out of whistle adjective N rhymes with child
the way of the bike. N comparisons wilder wildest

N 2 to beat a mixture lightly whistles whistling whistled verb behaving in a bad way wilderness
and quickly.
to make a high, on purpose. wildernesses noun
a wild area of land where
shrill sound A wicked person. no one lives.
O by blowing N say wil-der-ness
wickedness noun
will
air through
verb
P your lips. wide
a word used to show that
Q adjective the action of a verb is
1 being a large size, or long happening in the future.
N say hwis-ul distance, from one side to I will go out this afternoon.

R the other. N opposite will not or won’t
S whistle N always used with another verb
whistles noun
a device that you blow into to

T make high, shrill sounds.

U

V Whisk the egg whites until they
are stiff.

W A wide river.
X whisker white
whiskers noun N comparisons wider widest
noun
N opposite narrow
one of the stiff hairs that a color.
2 having a certain
Y grows near the mouth of measurement from one side
certain animals (see to the other.
The carpet is ten feet wide.
Z mammal on page 124 and wide adverb
pet on page 148). width noun

240

will wind wink wizard a

wills noun winds winding winks winking winked verb wish b
1 the power to choose and wound verb to open and close one eye c
control your own actions. briefly as a signal to wishes wishing wished verb
She forced me to do it against 1 to twist or coil another person. to feel or say that you d
my will. want something. e
2 a document containing something up. winter I wish I owned a car.
instructions about what wish noun f
should happen to a person’s noun g
possessions witch
after his or the coldest season of the year. h
her death. Winter comes between the witches noun i
fall and spring. a woman who j
3 determination. practices magic.
She had the will to win. k
He wound wipe wither l
willing the clock. m
2 to turn in a curving way. wipes wiping wiped verb withers withering n
adjective They could see the car winding withered verb o
its way up the hill. to clean or dry something p
in agreement with something to dry up. q
that you are asked to do. N rhymes with find by rubbing.
Are you willing to help in r
the garden? windmill s

win windmills noun t
u
wins winning won verb a building with large sails v
to come first in a game that uses wind power to turn w
or competition. a machine that grinds grain, x
pumps water, or makes y
She was very pleased electricity. z
when she won the game.
Their plant withered while
N opposite lose they were away on vacation.

wind window He wiped the without
mirror’s surface
winds noun windows noun with a cloth. preposition
a current of air. an opening in a building or
vehicle that lets in light and wire not having or not using.
The wind blew his umbrella air, often covered with glass.
inside out. wires noun He went outside without
wine a long, thin, metal thread that his shoes.
N rhymes with grinned can be bent. Wires can be
windy adjective noun used to carry electrical power. witness

an alcoholic drink made from copper wire witnesses noun
the juice of grapes. a person who sees
wise an event happen.
wing Three witnesses saw
adjective him stealing the car.
wings noun witness verb
1 one of the parts of a bird, having a lot of knowledge
insect, or bat that is used for and experience. wizard
flying (see bird on page 28, The wise old lady gave me
insect on page 108, and good advice. wizards noun
mammal on page 124). a man who practices magic.
2 one of the large, flat parts N say wize
on each side of an airplane N comparisons wiser wisest
that acts in a similar way to N opposite foolish
a bird’s wings (see
transportation on page 221).

241

wobble

A wobble wonder wool wore

wobbles wobbling wobbled verb wonders wondering wondered noun from the verb to wear
He wore a yellow T-shirt.
B to move verb the soft hair of sheep and
unsteadily. some other animals that work
to question or think about can be used to make cloth,
clothes, carpets, works working worked verb
something in a curious or and blankets. 1 to use effort to
do something.
C doubtful way. I worked hard when I painted
I wonder how she managed the house.
2 to do a job or task.
D He wobbled to arrive first? My father works in a factory.
work noun
E on his ice skates. wonderful 3 to operate efficiently.
F woke
adjective
from the verb to wake
amazing or extraordinary.

A wonderful idea.

G He woke her very early. N say wun-dur-ful

H wolf wood sheep’s wool
wolves noun
noun wool yarn

I a wild mammal that is part 1 the hard material from woolen
of the dog family and lives a tree’s trunk or branches
adjective
in cold regions. Wolves live in used to make furniture and
made from wool.
J packs and hunt other animals objects or to burn for fuel.
for food.

K This washing machine is not
working properly.
L
The train is made of wood. world
M wooden adjective
noun
N 2 a group of trees
growing together. the planet Earth and all the
woman people and things on it.

O women noun woolen hat worm
an adult human female.
word worms noun
P N say wum-an a small animal with a soft
words noun body and no legs or backbone.
Q wombat 1 a sound or group of sounds
wombats noun that stands for an idea, earthworm
an object, or an action.
R a marsupial that lives in woodwind 2 the group of letters you use
Australia. A wombat looks instrument to write down these sounds.

S like a small bear and lives woodwind instruments noun word processing worry
underground, eating leaves, one of a group of musical
roots, and bark. instruments that is verb worries worrying worried verb
played by blowing. to feel anxious.
T Some, such as writing, correcting, and I am worried about my exams.
U won the clarinet, are storing documents
made from wood electronically. N say wur-ee
from the verb to win while others, such
as the flute, are worry noun
V We won the match. made from metal.
N say wun worse
alto clarinet
W wonder from the adjective bad
X noun
very bad.
a feeling caused by Last week’s weather was bad,
an extraordinary but today, it is worse.

Y or amazing thing.
They looked in wonder

Z at the bright lights in the sky.
N say wun-der

242

worship wound wrapper wrong a

worships worshiping worshiped wounds noun wrappers noun wring b
verb a piece of paper, c
an injury to the body where plastic, or foil that wrings wringing wrung verb
to respect and love, usually is used to cover to twist something hard d
in a religious way. the skin is torn or cut in something you buy. using both hands. e

some way. candies in N say ring f
their wrappers g

N say rap-ur h
i
The ancient Egyptians She put a dressing on wreath j
worshiped many gods. the wound.
wreaths noun k
worst N say woond l
wound verb a decoration made from m
from the adjective bad n
extremely bad. wound flowers, leaves, or branches o
This is the worst storm p
I’ve ever seen. from the verb to wind tied together in a circle. q
He wound the string around
worth the package. He wrung the water out of r
N rhymes with sound the cloth. s
adjective
wove wrinkle t
having a value. u
from the verb to weave wrinkles noun v
She wove the wool into cloth. N say reeth w
N rhymes with stove a small crease or fold in skin x
wreck or fabric. y
z
wrecks wrecking wrecked verb N say ring-kul
to destroy
wrap or ruin. wrist

wraps wrapping wrapped verb wrists noun wrist

The crown was worth a lot to fold paper or fabric the joint between your
of money.
around something. hand and

your arm.

N say rist

worthless He crashed into the stone post, write
wrecking the car.
adjective writes writing wrote written
N say rek verb
having little or no value. 1 to form letters and words
He found an old vase, but it wrestle on a surface.
turned out to be worthless. 2 to create something, such
wrestles wrestling wrestled verb as a letter, by using words.
would He wrapped the present in to struggle with someone I wrote to my sister last week.
colorful paper. and try to force him or her N say rite
verb to the ground.
N say rap N say res-ul wrong
1 a word used to talk about
an action that depends on wriggle adjective
something else.
I would go to the park, but I wriggles wriggling wriggled verb 1 not correct.
have to wait here. to twist and turn from The wrong answer.
2 a word used to ask side to side. 2 bad.
for something. N say rig-ul It’s wrong to steal.
Would you like some tea?
N say rong
N rhymes with good N opposite right

N opposite would not or

wouldn’t

N always used with another verb

243

X-ray yak year

A yaks noun years noun
a period of 12 months. A year
B a wild ox with long hair is the time that it takes
and horns that lives in the Earth to travel once
C mountains of central Asia. around the Sun.
Yaks eat grass and are often yearly adverb
D used by people as a source of
food or for carrying loads. yeast
XxE
noun
F
G X-ray a yellow-brown substance
made up of tiny fungi. Yeast
X-rays noun is used in bread and cakes to
a special photograph that shows help them rise with air.

H your bones and other parts that are yap dried yeast fresh yeast
inside your body.
yaps yapping yapped verb yell
I chest X-ray to bark in a shrill way.
J X-ray verb yells yelling yelled verb
K xylophone yard to shout or scream loudly.

xylophones noun yards noun
an outdoor area around
L a musical instrument with a house or building
wooden bars on a frame. Each Our yard is nice and grassy.
bar produces a different note
yarn
M when it is struck.
N N say zy-luh-fone yarns noun

O wool, cotton, or another

P material spun into a thread

Q for knitting or weaving.

R yawn He yelled at the neighbor’s
cats that were fighting outside
YyS yawns yawning yawned verb the window.
yell noun
T to open your mouth and
yellow
U yacht breathe in deeply, usually
V yachts noun noun
because you are tired or bored.
a small ship with a sail a color.
that is usually used for
N rhymes with dawn yesterday
W racing or pleasure, rather yawn noun
than for transporting adverb

X goods or passengers. on the day before today.
I went to the zoo yesterday.
Y
yesterday noun
Z N say yot

244

yet yolk zoom a

adverb yolks noun Zz b
the yellow part of an egg. zebra zipper c
up to the present time.
The letter hasn’t arrived yet. yolk zebras noun zippers noun d
a device with two e
yoga N say yoke a striped African mammal rows of teeth that
that is part of the horse can be opened and f
noun young family. Zebras live in herds closed. Zippers are g
on open plains and eat grass used to fasten
a system of exercises and adjective and shrubs. clothing h
deep breathing aimed at or bags. i
making a person healthy in the early part of life. j
and relaxed in zip verb
mind and body. The grandmother held the k
young child in her arms. zero zodiac l
N say yo-gah m
N say yung zeros noun noun n
yogurt N comparisons younger nothing or none. o
youngest the 12 sections into which p
yogurts noun N opposite old zigzag astrologers divide the sky. q
a sour food made by adding Each part is represented
bacteria to milk. youth zigzags noun by a sign. r
N say yo-gurt a line with a series of sharp s
noun turns and angles in it. N say zoe-dee-ak
yoke zigzag adjective t
1 the state of being young. zone u
yokes noun In my youth, I had dark hair zigzag verb v
a wooden frame that fits but now it is white. zones noun w
over the shoulders of two 2 young people in general. zinc an area that is divided off for x
oxen or other work animals A place for the youth of a particular purpose. y
so that they can pull a load. the town to meet. noun A no-parking zone. z
The yoke keeps the
animals together. N say yooth a blue-white, brittle metal. zoo

yo-yo zoos noun
a place where people
yo-yos noun can observe and learn
a toy that spins up and down about animals.
on a string.
zoom

zooms zooming zoomed verb
to move very fast.

The four motorcycles zoomed
past me.

245

A Abbreviations Dec. December during the winter, and from
dept. department which time all around the
B An abbreviation is a short form of a word or world is measured.)

C phrase. Some abbreviations are made by just DIY do-it-yourself GP general practitioner

shortening a word. For example, ad is short (Used to describe repairs (The title given to an all-

D for advertisement, and max is short for and decorating that people purpose medical doctor.)
do to their own homes.)
maximum. Other abbreviations, such as HIV Human
E CD for compact disc, are made from the DJ disc jockey
Immunodeficiency Virus

F first letters of the words that they stand for. Dr. doctor (The virus that causes AIDS.)
On this double page you will find a useful
DVD digital HMO health maintenance
organizaiton
G alphabetical list of common abbreviations. versatile/video disc
hp horse power
H AC air-conditioning, or dz dozen
BC Before Christ HQ headquarters
I alternating current (Used in dates to count the E east
(An electrical current that years before the birth of HST Hawaiian standard
EAL English as
J travels first in one direction, Jesus Christ, e.g., 30 BC.) time
then in another.) an additional language.
BS Bachelor of Science hwy highway
K ad advertisement (A title given to someone who e.g. for example
L AD in the year of our Lord ICT Information and
(Used in dates to count has a science degree from a (From the Latin exempli
the year after the birth of Communication Technology
college or university.) gratia.)
ID identification
C Celsius or Centigrade Email electronic mail
M Jesus Christ, e.g., AD 400.
ESP extrasensory perception i.e. that is
From the Latin anno Domini.) c. about (A sense that some people are (From the Latin id est.)
(Used with historical dates said to have that makes them
N AIDS Acquired Immune that are not certain. From aware of ghosts and other in inch
things that most people are Inc. Incorporated
Deficiency Syndrome the Latin circa.) unable to see or feel.)
O (A disease that makes a person
unable to fight illnesses.) CD compact disc

P a.m. before noon CIA Central Intelligence EST eastern standard time (Used in the names of most
US companies.)

Q (Used with times, e.g., 9 a.m. Agency etc. and all the rest Inst. Institute
From the Latin ante meridiem.) (The US government
department that deals with (From the Latin et cetera.) IOU I owe you
R anon anonymous spies and state secrets.)
F Fahrenheit IQ intelligence quotient
S approx. approximately cm centimeter
FBI Federal Bureau (A test score that claims to
Apr. April Co. Company measure a person’s
T (Used after the names of Investigation intelligence.)
(An agency of the American
A.S.A.P. as soon as possible of some companies.) Department of Justice.) IVF in vitro fertilization

U AST Alaska standard time c/o care of Feb. February (a medical technique where

V Atl Atlantic cont’d continued flu influenza a woman’s eggs are fertilized
outside the womb.)

W Aug. August CST central standard time Fri. Friday Jan. January
Jr. junior
X Ave. avenue d died ft foot kg kilogram
g gram km kilometer
b born DC District of Columbia GMT Greenwich Mean kph kilometers per hour

Y BA Bachelor of Arts or direct current
(An electrical current

Z (A title given to someone who that travels in only Time
has a liberal arts degree.) one direction.) (The time used in the UK

246

l liter Mrs. Mistress POW prisoner of war Soc. Society a
lab laboratory sq. square
lb pound (in weight) (A title that goes before PR public relations Sr. senior b
a married woman’s name.) SS Steamship c
(From the Latin libra.) pro professional St. Saint or street
Ms. Sun. Sunday d
LCD liquid crystal display Prof. professor SW southwest e
LED light-emitting diode (A title for a married or an tel. telephone
LP long-playing record unmarried woman.) P.S. postscript temp. temporary f
Ltd. Limited 3-D three-dimensional g
MS Master of Sciences (An extra note written at
(Used after the names of the end of something, such (Having height, width, h
some British companies.) (A title given to someone who as a letter. From the Latin and depth.) i
has a science degree from a post scriptem.) j
m meter or mile university higher than a BS.) Thurs. Thursday
MA Master of Arts PST Pacific standard time Tues. Tuesday k
MST mountain standard TV television l
(A title given to someone who PTA Parent Teacher UFO unidentified flying m
has an arts degree from a time n
university higher than a BA.) Association object o
Mt. mount or mountain p
Mar. March N north RAM random-access UK United Kingdom q
max maximum NASA National Aeronautics UN United Nations
MD Doctor of Medicine memory Unesco United Nations r
and Space Administration (The part of memory in s
(From the Latin a computer that you use to Educational, Scientific, and
Medicinae Doctor.) NATO North Atlantic work on.) Cultural Organization t
u
memo memorandum Treaty Organization Rd. road Unicef United Nations v
w
(A message to remind NE northeast ref referee Children’s Fund x
someone about something.) no. number y
Rev. Reverend US or USA United States z
min minimum (From the Italian numero.)
misc. miscellaneous RIP rest in peace of America
Miss Mistress Nov. November
NW northwest (Often written on UV ultraviolet
(A title that goes before an Oct. October a grave. From the Latin v. against
unmarried woman’s name.) OK all correct requiescat in pace.)
oz ounce (From the Latin versus.)
mm millimeter p. page ROM read-only memory
Mon. Monday Pac Pacific VDU visual display unit
mpg miles per gallon PC personal computer, or (The part of the memory VIP very important person
mph miles per hour in a computer that stores W west
mp3 MPEG (Moving politically correct permanent information Wed. Wednesday
that cannot be altered.) www world wide web
Pictures Expert Group) PE physical education yd. yard
1 audio layer 3 Ph.D. Doctor of Philosophy r.p.m. revolutions per minute
(A type of digital computer
file used to store music.) (A title given to someone who (The measurement of how fast
has studied a subject to an records and other things turn.)
Mr. Mister advanced level at university.)
RSVP please reply
(A title that goes before p.m. after noon
a man’s name.) (Used on invitations. From the
(Used with times, e.g., French répondez s’il vous plaît.)
3 p.m. From the Latin
post meridiem.) rte. route

PO Post Office S south

Sat. Saturday

sci-fi science fiction

SE southeast

Sept. September

247

A Spelling guide sound than usual. They may even be
completely silent, like the k in kneel, or
B If you are having trouble finding a word in the g in gnat. The spelling guide below will
C the dictionary, it may be because you are help you to figure out the correct spelling
for some tricky words.
looking under the wrong spelling. There can

D be many different ways of spelling the same
E sound. Letters sometimes make a different

F

G As in Other ways to spell this sound

Sound

H

I a (say air) hair care, wear, there, their, prayer
a (say ay) cake rain, straight, break, veil, bouquet, obey, hay
rat laugh
Ja chin catch, question
ch did butter
ten any, said, friend, bury, head, leopard
K d me meet, seat, key, quay, machine, field, city
e fall laugh, telephone
get ghost, guess
L e (say ee) help whole
f fit damage, pretty, women, busy, build, myth
g I eye, sigh, buy, fly, dye
jump trudge, soldier, adjective, magic
Mh kiss come, anchor, sack, biscuit, walk, unique
i leg island
miss comb
Ni nose gnat, kneel, pneumonia
j not swan, cauliflower, knowledge
go sew, though, boat, slow
Ok move threw, zoom, shoe, soup, through, blue, fruit
l gone autumn, awful, broad, ought
now out, bough
P m boy boil
n zoom threw, move, shoe, soup, through, blue, fruit, queue
quite choir
Qo red rhyme, wrong
o (say oh) saw cell, psychology, science
pleasure mirage, confusion
R o (say oo) she ocean, machine, special, sure, conscience, expansion, nation
o (say aw) top debt, bought
up son, does, flood, double
S o (say ow) pull woman, wool, would
o (say oy) fur germ, heard, bird, worm, journey
very of
T oo wish what
qu (say kw) yard use, onion
r zebra busy, scissors, xylophone

Us
s (say zh)

V sh
t

Wu
u

X u (say ur)
v

Y w
y

Zz

248