Blog — Page 13

A Bellwether of the Economy…

June 15, 2015 by Cool Word Club

How would you like to be a part owner of Apple Inc., Coca-Cola or Samsung?

Through the US stock market, anyone can own a piece of literally thousands of large businesses.

How does it work? Private individuals, as well as professional investors, can purchase stock (or shares) in companies that are publicly traded.

When one of these companies sells stock, it is able to raise money that can be used to further the growth of its business.

Over time, if the value of the stock increases, the stockholder will profit. If the value of the company’s stock declines, however, the person who owns shares will lose money.

With such large amounts of money being transferred through the stock market, it is indeed a bellwether (see definition and hear pronunciation below) of the US economy.

Cool word question of the day: Can you think of any bellwethers of the US economy?

Bellwether: An indicator of a future trend; a leader at the forefront of a trend.

Click here to hear a pronunciation of bellwether.

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

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: bellwether

Cool Word Challenge: Busk and Replete

June 12, 2015 by Cool Word Club

Cool Word Challenge: Just for fun, come up with one sentence that uses both of the cool vocabulary words that you learned this week.

Here are the words again:

Busk: To play music or entertain in a public place for donations.

Replete: Filled or abundantly supplied.

Submit your sentence below. The most creative ones that we receive will be published on our site!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: busk, cool word challenge, replete

A Palace That’s Replete with Gold…

June 11, 2015 by Cool Word Club

Many great empires throughout history have left behind fascinating architectural treasures that can still be appreciated today.

A remarkable example is the Dolmabahce Palace, built by the rulers of the Ottoman Empire and located in Istanbul, Turkey.

Construction on this massive palace lasted for more than 12 years, beginning in 1843 and ending in 1856. No wonder—it has 285 rooms and 68 toilets!

With its opulent design, the rooms of the palace are also replete (see definition and hear pronunciation below) with gold and crystal.

In fact, 14 tons of gold were used just to cover the ceilings!

Cool word question of the day: Would you want to live in a palace that is replete with gold and other precious materials?

Replete: Filled or abundantly supplied.

Click here to hear a pronunciation of replete.

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

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: replete

Vocab Practice: Turgid

June 10, 2015 by Cool Word Club

This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on June 4, 2015.

Let’s do a practice round!

Turgid means:

A) Cloudy and polluted
B) Generally shallow
C) Excessively salty
D) Swollen or distended

VIEW ANSWER HERE

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: turgid, vocabulary practice

Vocab Practice: Oblique

June 9, 2015 by Cool Word Club

This word appeared on the Cool Word Club website on June 1, 2015.

Let’s do a practice round!

Oblique means:

A) Relating to European culture
B) Including historic features
C) Having a slanted direction or position
D) Proceeding at a slow pace

VIEW ANSWER HERE

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: oblique, vocabulary practice

B.B. Got His Start Busking!

June 8, 2015 by Cool Word Club

B.B. King, one of the greatest blues musicians of all time, died last month at the age of 89.

He grew up in Mississippi, sang gospel in a church choir and reportedly began playing the guitar at age 12. Early on, he earned spare money by busking (see definition and hear pronunciation below) on the streets.

Within a short time, King began receiving professional recording contracts and started touring. Even late in life, he kept a demanding performance schedule, playing gigs up to 300 nights each year.

King won multiple Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also received an honorary Doctor of Music from Yale University.

B.B. King is truly an American legend!

Cool word question of the day: Do you know of any famous entertainers who began their careers by busking?

Busk: To play music or entertain in a public place for donations.

Click here to hear a pronunciation of busk.

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

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: busk

Cool Word Challenge: Oblique and Turgid

June 5, 2015 by Cool Word Club

Cool Word Challenge: Just for fun, come up with one sentence that uses both of the cool vocabulary words that you learned this week.

Here are the words again:

Oblique: Having a slanted direction or position; indirect or evasive.

Turgid: Swollen or distended; excessively ornate or complex in style or language.

Submit your sentence below. The most creative ones that we receive will be published on our site!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: cool word challenge, oblique, turgid

A Home to Turgid Waterways…

June 4, 2015 by Cool Word Club

The country of Bangladesh in South Asia is home to more than 150 million people and a collection of massive and powerful rivers.

Although they are an important natural resource and a critical support to the country’s agricultural industry, excessive rain often causes these rivers to overflow.

During monsoon season, these turgid (see definition and hear pronunciation below) rivers can flood the countryside and threaten the lives of many area residents.

Fortunately, many Bengalis have now learned how to protect themselves when disastrous floods occur in the region.

Cool word question of the day: What would you do to protect yourself if you lived near a turgid waterway?

Turgid: Swollen or distended; excessively ornate or complex in style or language.

Click here to hear a pronunciation of turgid.

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

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: turgid