Basic Words Flashcards
(109 cards)
Adversely
In a harmful way; negatively
Excessive rainfall early in the spring can adversely affect the planting of crops.
Irrigation
The supplying of water to dry land
In dry areas of the country, you can see ditches all over the farmland for irrigation.
Precipitation
Water that falls to the Earth’s surface
In the Pacific Northwest, the high level of precipitation ensures rich, green plant life.
Persevere
To keep going, despite obstacles or discouragement; to maintain a purpose
The hikers persevered despite the bad weather and the icy trail.
Plunge
To go down suddenly; to decrease by a great amount in a
short time
He jumped off the diving board and plunged into the pool.
The value of the company’s stock plunged after its chief executive was arrested.
Adjacent
Next to
Even though the villages are adjacent to each other, their residents speak different languages.
Seep
To pass slowly for a long time, as a liquid or gas might
As the containers rusted, the toxic waste seeped into the ground.
Gut
To empty or hollow out
In order to remodel the house, we must first gut it and throw away all the old fixtures.
Corrode
To be slowly weakened by chemical reactions
Sitting in salt water, the old coins corroded and became very easy to break.
Combustion
The process of burning
When air quality is poor, combustion of materials in a fireplace is prohibited.
Convey
To transport from one place to another; to transmit or make known
A messenger conveyed the prince’s letter to the commander of the army.
Discretely
Separately; distinctly
In order to understand how the engine worked, each component needed to be studied discretely.
Permeate
To spread or flow throughout; to pass through or penetrate
The smell of cooking permeated the entire apartment building.
Recede
To move back or away from
After the age of 30, his hairline began to recede further back from his forehead.
Animism
The belief that natural objects, such as trees, have souls
Desert cultures that practice animism often believe that winds contain spirits.
Contemplate
To consider thoughtfully
If you contemplate each step for so long, we will never complete this project on time.
Deify
To worship as a god
When people deify the leader of their country, the leader is able to abuse power more easily.
Ecclesiastical
Relating to a church
He was looking specifically for a university where he could study ecclesiastical history.
Exalt
To praise or honor
He would often exalt the virtues of his new wife.
Pious
Having or exhibiting religious reverence
Sometimes she was so pious that the rest of us felt like heathens.
Aggravate
To make worse; to anger or intensify
Running will aggravate your sore knees.
Decrepit
Weakened or worn out because of age, illness, or excessive use
The once-beautiful building was now dirty, decrepit, and roofless.
Forensics
The use of science and technology to investigate facts in criminal cases
Advances in the study of forensics have made it much easier to identify criminals from very small traces of evidence.
Prognosis
An educated guess of how something will develop, especially a disease
The room fell silent when the doctor gave Senator Grebe a grim prognosis of months of treatment.