illuminate

(v.) - If you literally illuminate something, you make a light shine on it. If you figuratively illuminate somthing, you make it much clearer and easier to understand.

• Synonyms: brighten, light up, hilight, spotlight
• Antonyms: dim, darken, obscure, cloud
• Etyomolgy: 1500 Latin, from in- meaning "in, into" + lumen meaning "light"
• Example: The problem with many telescopes is that the light they generate themselves can illuminate objects that need to remain dark.

Click here to see Earth illuminated!

Here are more incredible composite images from NASA's Suomi NPP satellite:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NPP/news/earth-at-night.html

myriad

(n) -A myriad is a very large number of things.
*This word is often used as an adjective (ex: Most libraries have myriad books from which to choose.)

• Synonyms: abundance, bounty, wealth, pile, load
• Antonyms: lack, deficiency, shortage
• Etymology: 1550s Greek, from myrios meaning "innumerable, countless, infinite; boundless," or as an actual number, "ten thousand," which was the greatest number the Greeks could express with just one word.
• Example: We are finally beginning to accumulate a myriad of impressive words on our wall!

Click here to play Analogy Jeopardy, where you will get to test your skill at a myriad of analogies!

obscure

(adj.) - If something is obscure, it is cloudy or dark, difficult to understand, or not very well-known.
*This word can also be used as a verb.

• Word Family: obscurity
• Synonyms: hazy, cloudy, unclear, vague
• Antonyms: clear, vivid, obvious, understandable
• Origin: 1400 Latin, from ob "over" + -scurus "covered," which comes from the ancient European root skeu- meaning "to cover or hide"
• Example: No matter how much scientists have discovered, the true cause and effects of a black hole are still obscure.

The word camera comes from the Greek word kamara which means "vaulted chamber."
Early astronomers like Galileo used the concept of camera obscura to study space. What could that mean?

tantalizing

(adj) - Something that is tantalizing makes you really, really want to have or do something.
*This word can also be used as a verb.

• Syononyms: appetizing, appealing, tempting, inviting
• Antonyms: disgusting, unappetizing, uninviting
• Etymology: 1590s Greek, from Tantalos, the king of Phrygia, son of Zeus, who was punished in the afterlife by being forced to stand in a river up to his chin, under branches full of fruit that all pulled away from his reach whenever he tried to eat or drink.
• Morphology: tantalize - v, tantalization - n
• Example: Whenever I go to the mall, I am tortured by the tantalizing smell of Cinnabon.

What's so tantalizing about this image? Click here to find out!

 

hampered

(v.) - If you are hampered by something, you are prevented from doing it easily or at all.

• Synonyms: hindered, prevented, stopped
• Antonyms: assisted, helped, supported
• Etymology: Late 14c Old English, from hampren meaning "to surround, imprison, confine," also "to pack in a container," perhaps somehow connected to Middle English hamelian meaning "to maim."
• Example: The snowy roads hampered me from getting to work quickly.

The Hubble Space Telescope was sometimes hampered by problems, but during the time it was in orbit, it revealed some amazing images:

vulnerable

(adj.) - Someone who is vulnerable can be easily harmed or hurt. A place, thing, or idea that is vulnerable is easy to attack or criticize.

• Synonyms: accessible, exposed, out on a limb, sensitive, sitting duck, sucker, susceptible, tender, thin-skinned, unguarded, unprotected, unsafe, weak, wide open
• Antonyms: closed, guarded, safe, protected, secure
• Etymology: 1605 Latin, from vulnus meaning "wound," perhaps related to vellere meaning "pluck, tear"
• Morphology: noun = vulnerability

Earth and Venus were formed around the same time... but why is our neighboring planet so vulnerable?

equivalent

(adj.) - Two (or more) things that are equivalent have the same value, purpose, job etc as a thing of a different kind.
*This word can also be used as a noun.

• Word Family: equal
• Synonyms: "the same as," similar, alike, comparable, duplicate, equal, even
• Antonyms: different, mismatched, unequal, unlike
• Etymology: Early 15th Century Latin, from aequus meaning "equal" + valere meaning "be well, be worth"
• Example: Some people believe that having a lot of money is equivalent to being rich, but I disagree!

Can you identify equivalent fractions? Click here or on the image below to try it!

intrigued

(adj.) - If you are intrigued by something, it interests you a lot because it seems strange or mysterious.
*This word can also be used as a verb.

• Synonyms: attracted, captivated, excited, interested
• Antonyms: bored, uninterested
• Origin: 1610 Latin, from in- meaning "in" + tricæ meaning "toys, tricks"
• Example: I am very intrigued by the concept of space. Although it sounds extremely interesting, I am not sure if I would love to go there or not...

Most people are intrigued by black holes... and I am one of them. Let's find out more:

What is something you have heard or seen that intrigues you?
What do you want to know about it?

waning

(v.) - If something is waning, it is becoming gradually less strong or less important.  If the moon wanes, you start seeing less of it

• Synonyms: fading, becoming dim, getting smaller, disappearing, vanishing
• Antonyms: waxing, growing, increasing, rising
• Origin: Latin vanus (as in vanish), which comes from Ancient European wano- "lacking”
• Example: By the time 9:00 p.m. hits every night, I notice that my energy is waning!

Click here to check out a cool interactive site that will help you understand the moon's phases!

Click to view this unit's Virtual Field Trip!

dubious

(adj) - Something that is dubious  is probably not honest, true, right, or good.

• Synonyms: chancy, debatable, questionable, shady, suspicious, unreliable
• Antonyms: positive, reliable, sure, trustworthy
• Etymology: 1540s Latin, from duo meaning "two,” as in "of two minds, undecided between two things"
• Morphology: dub, double
• Example:

chronicle

(n) - A chronicle is a written record of a series of events, especially historical events, written in the order that they happened.
(v) - To chronicle events is to describe them in the order that they happened.

• Synonyms: history, story, journal, diary, record, report
• Etymology: 1300 Greek, from khronikos meaning "of time."
• Morphology: chronological - adj, chronology - n, chronic - adj
• Example: Your report cards, which you will take home today, are a chronicle of your hard work this year.

kudos

(n) – Kudos are praise or recognition of achievement.

• Synonyms: award, recognition, honor
• Antonyms: blame, criticism
• Etymology: 1799 Greek, from kydos meaning "glory, fame." It literally means "that which is heard of."
• Example: Today is the day we will give kudos to all of the 2nd quarter award winners!

encore

(n) – an additional or repeated part of a performance, especially a musical one
*Hey! This word can also be used as an interjection!

• Synonyms: repeat, reappearance, rerun
• Antonyms: one night only, single performance
• Etymology: 1712 French, from encore meaning "still, yet, again," BUT this word actually came from the 12th Century, and it is generally explained as being from the "Vulgar Latin" phrase hinc ad horam from "then to this hour."
• Example: Today you will put on an encore presentation of your inquiry projects.

concise

(adj.) - Something that is concise is short, sweet, and to the point, with no unnecessary words.

• Synonyms: brief, short, to the point, “in a nutshell”
• Antonyms: long, drawn-out, wordy, repetitive
• Etymology: 1590 Latin, from com- meaning “with” + caedere "to cut"
• Example: When you write a postcard, you have to be concise so that all of your writing will fit in the small space.

bewildered

(adj) - If someone is bewildered, he is completely and totally confused.
*This word can also be used as a verb.

• Synonyms: confused, befuddled, lost, stumped
• Antonyms: clear, understanding
• Etymology: 1680s Old English, from be- meaning "thoroughly" + wilder meaning "lead astray, lure into the wild"
• Morphology: bewilder - v
• Example: I am bewildered by most science because it's hard for me to imagine or understand how life works.

mesmerize

(v) - If you are mesmerized by someone or something, you cannot stop watching them or listening to them because they are so attractive or have such a powerful effect

• Synonyms: hypnotize, captivate, fascinate, spellbind, stupify, enchant
• Antonyms: bore, disenchant
• Etymology: 1802 French, from mesmérisme meaning "hypnotism." This word was named for Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815), an Austrian physician who developed a theory of animal magnetism and a mysterious body fluid which allows one person to hypnotize another.
• Morphology:  mesmerism - n, mesmerizing - adj
• Example:  Staring at falling snow can really mesmerize a person!

jest

(v) - To jest is to say things that you do not really mean in order to amuse people.
*This word can also be used as a noun.

• Synonyms: tease, joke, banter, kid
• Antonyms: be serious
• Etymology: 1520s Latin, from gesta meaning "deeds." The meaning of this word changed from "idle tale" (late 15c.) to "mocking speech" (1540s) to "joke" (1550s).
• Morphology: jester - n
• Example: If you are being facetious, you jest.

grimace

(v) - To grimace is to twist your face in an ugly way because you do not like something, because you are feeling pain, or because you are trying to be funny.
*This word can also be used as a noun.

• Synonyms: frown, scowl, smirk, sneer
• Antonyms: smile, grin
• Etymology: 1650s French, who "borrowed" this word from the Old English word grimm meaning "fierce, cruel.” This word probably came from PIE ghrem- which could have possibly been an onomatopoeic imitation of the sound of rumbling thunder
• Example: The smell of a wet dog might cause me to grimace.

feign

(v) - If you feign a particular feeling (illness, sleep, etc), you pretend to have it.

• Synonyms: pretend, fake, imagine, put on, play
• Antonyms: be true
• Etymology: 1300s Latin, from fingere meaning "to touch, handle; devise; fabricate, alter, change" (which is also where we get the word fiction)
• Morphology: feigned - v, adj
• Example: I am so thankful that no one in my class would feign an illness to get out of coming to school!

debacle

(n) - An event or situation that is a complete failure can be described as a debacle.

• Synonyms: catastrophe, failure, disaster, wreck
• Antonyms: success, miracle
• Etymology: 1848, from the French word débâcle meaning "breaking up of ice on a river," referring to the violent flood that follows when the river ice melts in spring. This word comes from the early French prefix des- meaning "off" + the word bacler meaning "to bar"
• Example: If I wasn't careful to make detailed lesson plans, I think our day would be a complete debacle!

omit

(v) - If you omit someone or something, you fail to include them/it, either deliberately or because you forget to do it.

• Synonyms: exclude, forget, leave out, ignore, skip, delete
• Antonyms: add, enter, include, insert
• Etymology: Early 15th Century Latin, from ob- meaning "toward, against, across, down," + mittere meaning "let go, send"
• Morphology:  omission - n
• Example: When you leave comments on the blog, I will not be able to publish them if you omit your name or the Word of the Day.