Spelling for week of Jan 28-Feb 4
osmosis – to learn gradually over time; scientific term for passage of fluid across a membrane
“I learned how to speak French by osmosis.”
superintendent – a person who oversees work or an organization
“Jan Christiansen is the superintendent of the Redwood City School District.”
entity – something that has real existence
“She had divided her wealth into several legal entities.”
dynamic – energy or effective motion; change
“I work for a dynamic company.”
hypnosis – awake sleep; a trance
“I discovered why I was angry when I was under hypnosis.”
rehabilitate (rehab) – to restore to good health
“He spent weeks at the hospital to rehabilitate his leg after the accident.”
hydraulic – operated or moved by water or liquid
“The hydraulic system runs the brakes in your car.”
cosmos – the universe
“How small is earth in the cosmos.”
arsenal – a place where weapons are stored
“Never argue with him; he has a large arsenal of insults.”
taxidermy – the art of preserving the skins of animals for display in a lifelike form
“She sent her dead pet to the taxidermy shop so she would always have Fluffy with her.”
vaudeville – theater performance of many individual acts; a variety show
“Vaudeville was popular in the early 1900s.”
Luxembourg – small country in Europe between France, Germany, and Belgium
“When I go to France this summer, I will also visit Luxembourg.”
congest – to overfill; clog
“Traffic was really congested after the accident.”
Yule – Christmas, or the Christmas season
“Mom always makes a Yule cake at Christmas.”
illuminate – to brighten with light
“We need to illuminate the dark room.”
alley – the small space between buildings
“Don’t walk in dark alleys.”
alloy – the mixture of 2 or more metals
“Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.”
ally – to join or unite; a friend who will fight with you
“The allys defeated the Nazis in World War II.”
foreword – the beginning part of a book
“The author told us his reasons for writing the book in the foreword.”
forward – to move to the front
“If we don’t move forward, we’ll be stuck here all night.”
froward – stubborn, disobedient, contrary (does the opposite)
“The froward dog made a poor pet.”
