My, What a Globular Fruit!

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Editor’s note: This month, the Cool Word Club will be defining words related to Halloween.

As the days grow closer to Halloween, pumpkins seem to be everywhere!

Though they are generally globular (see definition and hear pronunciation below) in shape, pumpkins come in many sizes.

In fact, pumpkin farmers often compete to see who can grow the heftiest of these autumnal staples.

The heaviest pumpkins on record weigh about 2,000 pounds. But most pumpkins that people buy weigh about 10 to 20 pounds.

Don’t be confused, though, when shopping for pumpkins. You may think of them as vegetables, but pumpkins are technically fruits because they contain seeds.

And what about their color? Believe it or not, some pumpkins aren’t orange. Instead, some are white, red or green!

Cool word vocabulary question of the day: Can you think of any other autumnal foods that are globular?

Globular: Shaped like a globe or ball, rounded.

Click to hear the pronunciation of globular:

https://coolwordclub.com/wp-content/uploads/globular.mp3

A Misanthrope Who Cackles

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Editor’s note: This month, the Cool Word Club will be defining words related to Halloween.

When it comes to witches, the Wicked Witch of the West is perhaps the best known of all time.

If you’ve ever seen the classic 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz,” you know that this evil witch is portrayed as a frightening character who threatens to drown Dorothy’s dog, Toto.

With her menacing cackle and ill will toward others, the Wicked Witch of the West is presented as a misanthrope (see definition and hear pronunciation below).

No wonder she terrifies all those around her!

Cool word vocabulary question of the day: Why do you think it’s difficult to exist as a misanthrope in today’s society?

Misanthrope: Someone who hates all people.

Click to hear the pronunciation of misanthrope:

https://coolwordclub.com/wp-content/uploads/misanthrope.mp3

 

Vocab Practice: Apparition

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This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on Oct. 3, 2013.

Let’s do a practice round!

Apparition means:

A) Place of surrender
B) Missing person
C) Chalky white color
D) Ghost-like figure

VIEW ANSWER HERE

Vocab Practice: Detritus

detritus-cool-words-vocabulary-for-students-practice

This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on Sept. 30, 2013.

Let’s do a practice round!

Detritus means:

A) Coins
B) Light
C) Debris
D) Clocks

VIEW ANSWER HERE

A Mimetic Treat to Enjoy

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Editor’s note: This month, the Cool Word Club will be defining words related to Halloween.

Believe it or not, candy corn was invented more than a century ago.

It was back in the 1880s when George Renninger, who worked in a Philadelphia candy company, is said to have first introduced this Halloween favorite.

With its triangular shape and brightly colored design of yellow, orange and white, candy corn is intended to look like a kernel of corn.

The mimetic (see definition and hear pronunciation below) treat is now one of the most popular candies for Halloween and other holidays.

In fact, more than 35 million pounds of candy corn are produced each year, according to the National Confectioners Association.

Now, that’s a lot of sweetness!

Cool word vocabulary question of the day: Can you think of any other mimetic Halloween items?

Mimetic: Exhibiting mimicry, imitative.

Click to hear the pronunciation of mimetic:

https://coolwordclub.com/wp-content/uploads/mimetic.mp3

 

Beware of Apparitions!

apparition-cool-words

Editor’s note: This month, the Cool Word Club will be defining words related to Halloween.

If you’re counting the days until Halloween, you’re not alone. This day of “trick-or-treating” is one of the most popular holidays in the US.

The decorations are part of what makes Halloween so much fun. If you look around, chances are you’ll see plenty of pumpkins and ghosts displayed in windows and elsewhere.

So, if you’re planning to make your house look spooky for the holiday, you might consider placing an apparition (see definition and hear pronunciation below) next to your jack-o’-lantern!

Cool word vocabulary question of the day: Do you think Halloween should be symbolized by apparitions?

Apparition: A ghost or ghostlike figure, an unexpected sight.

Click to hear the pronunciation of apparition:

https://coolwordclub.com/wp-content/uploads/apparition.mp3

 

Vocab Practice: Abrogate

abrogate-cool-words-vocabulary-for-students-practice

This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on Sept. 26, 2013.

Let’s do a practice round!

Abrogate means:

A) To abolish
B) To afford
C) To acquire
D) To allocate

VIEW ANSWER HERE

Vocab Practice: Verdant

Verdant-cool-words-vocabulary-for-students-practice

This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on Sept. 23, 2013.

Let’s do a practice round!

Verdant means:

A) Hollow
B) Green
C) Prickly
D) Vertical

VIEW ANSWER HERE

That’s a Lot of Detritus!

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Do you ever stop and think about how much trash you produce each day?

When you add up the food packages, bottles, cans, envelopes, papers and other material, it’s probably quite a bit.

In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that each American produces an average of 4.4 pounds of trash per day.

Over the course of a year, that’s about 250 million tons of garbage.

With those statistics, you may want to think twice about creating so much detritus (see definition and hear pronunciation below)!

Cool word vocabulary question of the day: Can you think of any ways to cut back on the amount of detritus you produce?

Detritus: Debris, waste, loose fragments produced by erosion or decomposed organic material.

Click to hear the pronunciation of detritus:

https://coolwordclub.com/wp-content/uploads/detritus.mp3

Abe’s Abrogation

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When it comes to learning US history, one of the most important events occurred in 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring freedom for slaves.

Upon signing the proclamation, he was reported to have said: “I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right, than I do in signing this paper.”

But it was not until 1865 that Congress finally passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution to abrogate (see definition and hear pronunciation below) slavery in the US.

To read more about the 13th Amendment, go to: http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/13thamendment.html

Cool word vocabulary question of the day: Are there any modern-day practices that you believe should be abrogated?

Abrogate: To abolish, do away with or repeal, especially as an official act.

Click to hear the pronunciation of abrogate:

 https://coolwordclub.com/wp-content/uploads/abrogate.mp3