This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on Aug. 15, 2013.
Let’s do a practice round!
Unctuous means:
A) Spicy
B) Soft-spoken
C) Oily
D) Forgetful
Vocab Practice: Harbinger
August 20, 2013 by
This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on Aug. 12, 2013.
Let’s do a practice round!
Harbinger means:
A) Forerunner
B) A body of water
C) A clanging sound
D) A powerful motor
What a Fetid Flower!
August 19, 2013 by
Have you ever stopped to smell the fresh scent of flowers in a summer garden?
If so, you probably expect a naturally pleasant aroma. But don’t be fooled into thinking that all flowers are sweet smelling. A group of flowers known as carrion flowers may look beautiful but actually produce a foul smell.
These fetid (see definition and hear pronunciation below) flowers are also known as “corpse flowers” or “stinking flowers.”
So, the next time you smell the fresh scent of a flower garden be thankful that you aren’t smelling a carrion flower!
Cool word vocabulary question of the day: Can you think of anything else in nature that is fetid?
Fetid: Having an offensive smell, stinking.
Click to hear the pronunciation of fetid.
An Unctuous Side Order…
August 15, 2013 by
French fries are a mainstay of the fast-food industry.
If you order a hamburger in a fast-food restaurant, you will almost always be asked if you also want a side order of “fries.”
Even though the history of French fries is debated, Thomas Jefferson is said to have tasted them in Paris and later had them served at the White House.
These days, some experts estimate that the average American eats up to 29 pounds of these golden, fried spuds a year.
Because they’re fried in cooking oil, French fries are said to be an unctuous (see definition and pronunciation below) food choice, which should probably be consumed sparingly!
Cool word vocabulary question of the day: What are the pros and cons of eating unctuous foods?
UNCTUOUS: Oily, greasy; insincere earnestness, smug.
Click to hear the pronunciation of unctuous.
Vocab Practice: Primeval
August 14, 2013 by
This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on Aug. 8, 2013. Let’s do a practice round!
Primeval means:
A) Contrarian
B) Ready to use
C) Animal-like
D) Ancient
Vocab Practice: Propitious
August 13, 2013 by
This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on Aug. 5, 2013. Let’s do a practice round!
Propitious means:
A) Talkative
B) Favorable
C) Cramped
D) Instantaneous
A Harbinger of Rain
August 12, 2013 by
Before there were sophisticated radars to help meteorologists forecast the weather, farmers and sailors paid close attention to the sky to predict whether a storm might be approaching.
One of the best ways to tell whether rain will be falling is to observe the clouds.
Clouds are made of droplets of water or ice crystals. There are many types of clouds, and each helps predict a specific type of weather. For example, cumulonimbus clouds are large, thick clouds that often form in the summer on hot, humid days.
These clouds are harbingers (see definition and pronunciation below) of rain, lightning and thunder. So, if you see some cumulonimbus clouds overhead, you’d be wise to take cover!
Cool word vocabulary question of the day: Can you think of any harbingers of extreme weather?
HARBINGER: Something that signals what is to come, forerunner.
Click to hear the pronunciation of harbinger.
What a PRIMEVAL Place…
August 8, 2013 by
It’s difficult to imagine what life was like for the world’s ancient civilizations.
One fascinating ancient group is the Incas, who lived in the region we now know as South America.
Fortunately, many Inca ruins are still preserved. One of the most famous and beautiful is the 15th-century site known as Machu Picchu in Peru.
People come from all over the world to visit and learn about this “Lost City of the Incas,” which is still surrounded by agricultural terraces and natural springs.
Each day, nearly 2,500 people visit this primeval (see definition and hear pronunciation below) site to get a glimpse of a unique lifestyle and culture of long ago.
Cool word vocabulary question of the day: Why do you think it’s important to preserve primeval sites?
PRIMEVAL: Ancient, primitive, belonging to the first or earliest age.
Click to hear the pronunciation of primeval.
https://coolwordclub.com/wp-content/uploads/primeval.mp3
Vocab Practice: PENTAD
August 7, 2013 by
This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on Aug. 1, 2013.
Let’s do a practice round!
Pentad means:
A) A group of five
B) An expensive type of fabric
C) A musical instrument
D) A murmuring sound
Vocab Practice: ISLET
August 6, 2013 by
This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on July 29, 2013.
Let’s do a practice round!
Islet means:
A) Inclined to turn in circles
B) The center portion of an iris
C) A tiny island
D) A stingy person
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