Chapter 11 Wordly Wise Flashcards
ballast
n. heavy material used to make a ship steady or control the rising and falling of a vessel like a balloon.
The hot air balloon rose when the water used as ballast was let go.
buoyant
adj. 1. able to float
2. cheerful and carefree
buoyancy n. ability to float
The life jacket are buoyant enough to support a 200 pound person.
The students were in a a buoyant mood on the last day of school.
The buoyancy of helium balloons causes them to rise rapidly.
clamber
v. to climb awkwardly.
I clambered onto the roof to get the kite
detach
v. to separate from.
detached adj. not connected.
2. lacking concert; not taking sides
I detached the upper portion of the bill and returned it with my payment.
The house comes with a detached garage.
I tried to stay detached from my friends’ quarrel.
eerie
adj. causing uneasiness; strange or mysterious.
The eerie sound you heard was just an owl hooting.
fathom
n. a length of six feet, used in measuring the depth of water.
v. to figure out; to understand
The wreck of the Spanish ship lay in thirty fathoms of water.
We could not fathom how the magician made the goldfish disappear.
pique
v. To arouse or excite.
n. a feeling of resentment caused by bing ignored, insulted, etc.
Pandora’s curiosity was piqued by the mysterious box that she was not supposed to open.
It was the scientist’s pigue at not being invited to take part in the experiment that caused him to write that derogatory article about it.
probe
v. 1. to poke or prod
2. to examine closely
n. 1. a long, slender instrument used to examine a wound or part of the body.
2. thorough investigation.
The Odyssey space craft was launched in 2001 to probe the surface of the planet Mars.
The police probe into illegal gambling led to twelve arrests.
realize
v. 1. to be aware of.
2. to bring into being ; to make happen
I didn’t realize how astute your were , until you came up with that brilliant idea.
I realized a lifelong dream by going skydiving.
rupture
v. To split or break
n. 1. a breaking or tearing apart by force.
2. the breaking of a friendly relationship.
Frost ruptured the water pip, flooding the basement.
The earthquake caused a rupture in the highway that took three months to repair.
The rupture betwwn Cuba and the U.S. began when Fidel Castro seized control of the island.
sphere
m. 1. an object with all points on its suface equally distant from its center; a ball or globe.
2. an area of power, influence or activity.
spherical adj. of or relating to the shape of a sphere.
The earth is not quite a sphere because it si flattened at its poles.
The Doctrine extended the U.S.’s sphere of influence throughout the world.
The spherical lamp threw light in all directions
submerge
v. 1. to go underwater.
2. to put underwater or cover with water.
From the shore, we could see the dolphins jump and then submerge.
The tide submerges the rocks when it is high.
tedious
adj. seeming to go on for a long time; boring.
tedium n. boredom
The lecture was so tedious that I nearly fell asleep.
We tried to relieve the tedium of our long drive by telling jokes.
ultimate
adj. 1. final
2. the greatest possible; maximum
n. something that is the greatest, the maximum.
John’s ultimate goal is to be chief of surgery at the hospital.
The producer has ultimate control over the movie.
The ads claim that this soap is the ultimate in cleaning products.
unscathed
adj. completely unharmed
Because of its sturdy construction, the house survived the hurricane unscathed.
