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adj. Wise in a clever or practical way.
[An astute shopper compares prices carefully before making a purchase.] |
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adj. Genuine; true.
[An authority on old maps declared that sixteenth-century chart of the Florida Keys is authentic.]
authenticity n. The condition of being genuine.
[Lawyers questioned the authenticity of the signature on the agreement.]
authenticate v. To prove that someting is genuine.
[Only am art expert can authenticate the painting as one by Rubens.] |
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n. 1. A choice of food.
[Smoked salmon is a delicacy.]
2. Great consideration for the feelings of others.
[Discussing her mistake will embarrass her unless you handle the matter with delicacy.] |
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adj. Expressing a low opinion; intented to hurt the reputation of a person or thing. [His habit of making derogatory comments about his co-workers made him unpopular.] |
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v. 1. To eat up hungrily. [The wolf was about to devour Little Red Riding Hood when the woodcutter arrived.] 2. To take in eagerly with the eyes or ears. [The children devoured comic books when they were younger.] |
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n. Something that is made up in the mind but that has no connection to reality. [The monster in the closet is a figment of the child's imagination.] |
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adj. Imaginary; not real. [Unicorns are mythical creatures.] |
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n. A bird's feathers. [Parots have brightly colored plumage.] |
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adj.1. Living by killing and eating other animals.
[Crocodiles are predatory reptiles.]
2. Living by robbing or stealing from others.
[Predatory bands of pirates once sailed the Mediterranean seeking victims.]
predator n. 1. A creature that lives by killing.
[A sea eagle is a predator that dives for fish.]
2. A person who lives by robbing.
[These gang members are predators who belong in jail.] |
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adj. 1. Coming earlier in time.
[I was unable to see you this morning because I had a prior appointment.]
2. Coming before in order or importance.
[The court ruled that the Native Americans had a prior claim to the land.] |
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v. To search through or pick over, looking for something usable.
[People with metal detectors scavenge the beach looking for coins.]
scavenger n. 1. Someone who scavenges.
[After the fire, scavengers looked through the debris, hoping to find something of value.
2. An animal that feeds on dead or decaying matter.
[Vultures, hyenas, and other scavengers are an important part of nature's clean-up crew.] |
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v. 1. To kill in order to obtain meat.
[The hogs are fattened up before they are slaughtered.]
2. To kill poeple or animals in large numbers or in a cruel way.
[For centuries, whales were slaughtered for their oil and other valuavle products.]
n. 1. The killing of an animal for food.
[The slaughter of beef cattle should be carried out as swiftly and painlessly as possible.]
2. The act killing on a large scale or in a cruel way.
[Those who drink and drive contributes to the slaughter on the nation's highways.] |
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n. The condition of being alone or at some distance from people.
[We enjoyed the solitude of a walk on the deserted beach.] |
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adj. Moving in a clumsy or awkward way.
[Walruses, graceful in the water, are ungainly on land.] |
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adj. Open to attack; easily injured physically or emotionally.
[Starving people are more vulnerable to disease than those who are well-fed.] |
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