xenial

(adj) – Someone who is xenial is hospitable to guests, or especially strangers; friendly to newcomers.

• Synonyms: friendly, hospitable, welcoming, inviting
• Antonyms: unfriendly, inhospitable, unwelcoming, uninviting
• Etymology: Ancient Greek, from xenos ξένος (pronounced ksenos), meaning “guest, stranger, foreigner”
• Example: At Burlington Elementary, many students go out of their way to be xenial to newcomers.

gusto

(n.) - If you do something with gusto, you do it with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.

• Synonyms: energy, enthusiasm, excitement, delight, pleasure
• Antonyms: nonchalance, reluctance, hesitation
• Etymology: 1629 Latin, from gustus meaning "to taste," which actually comes from the ancient European root geus- meaning "enjoy or be pleased"
• Example: I talk to others about my class with great gusto!

One reason I adore you is that you do all things - including math - with gusto!

Click here to try today's fraction game:

http://www.quia.com/cb/95582.html

cryptic

(adj) - Something that is cryptic has a meaning that is mysterious or not easily understood.

• Synonyms: dark, evasive, hidden, inconspicuous, mystifying, secretive, vague
• Antonyms: clear, obvious, plain, conspicuous
• Etymology: 1630s Greek, from kryptos meaning "hidden"
• Morphology: crypt, encrypt
• Example: The Mysterious Benedict Society had to give and receive cryptic messages to Mr. Benedict in order to avoid revealing that they are secret agents inside the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened.

How well do you know Morse Code?

Click on the image below to reveal the cryptic messages... then use it to write your own!

For your post today, write a cryptic message in Morse Code!

Don't forget to ..- ... .   - --- -.. .- -.-- ...  .-- --- .-. -.. !

rendezvous

(n.) - A rendezvous is an arrangement to meet someone at a particular time and place, often secretly; a place where two or more people have arranged to meet.
*This can also be used as a verb.

• Synonyms: (n.) - appointment, meeting, date (v.) - assemble, meet, gather
• Etymology: 1591 French, from rendre meaning "present" + vous meaning "you."
• Example: After recess this afternoon, we will rendezvous in the room for a science activity.

Click here to help the kingdom rendezvous at the castle in Computation Castle!

squelch

(v) - To squelch something is to stop it from continuing to develop or spread. Also, squelch can be used to describe the sucking sound made by walking or moving in something soft and wet.

• Synonyms: squish, hold down, hold back, hamper, smother
• Antonyms: allow, release, encourage
• Etymology: 1620s English, meaning "to fall, drop, or stomp on something (soft) with crushing force," possibly an onomatopoeia because of the sound made. The use of this word to mean "squash" was first recorded in 1864.
• Example: Art teachers have to be very careful when showing examples so that they don't squelch their students' own creativity.

invincible

(adj) - Someone or something that is invincible is too strong to be destroyed or defeated.

• Synonyms: indestructible, bulletproof, unbeatable, untouchable, powerful
• Antonyms: vunlerable, breakable, endangered
• Etymology: Early 15th Century Latin, from in- meaning "not" + vincibilis meaning "conquerable," which comes from vincere meaning "to overcome" (which is also where we get the word victory)
• Morphology: invincibility - n
• Example: Many superheroes in movies, television, and books are supposed to be invincible.

strive

(v) - If you strive to do something, you make a great effort to achieve it.

• Synonyms: try, aim, contend, reach, work
• Antonyms: forget, skip, sit back
• Etymology: 1200 Old French, from estriver meaning "to quarrel, dispute," which comes from estrif meaning "quarrel" (which is also where we get the word strife)
• Morphology: striven - past tense verb
• Example: If you truly have ambition, you will work hard and strive for success.

rash

*NOT the noun!
(adj) - If you are rash, you do things too quickly, without thinking carefully about whether they are sensible or not.

• Synonyms: careless, impulsive, daring, reckless
• Antonyms: careful, cautious, thoughtful
• Etymology: 1300 Scottish, perhaps from the Old English word -ræsc meaning "nimble, quick, vigorous" 
• Morphology: rascal - n
• Example: As a lifelong learner, it is so important that you take your time and don't make rash decisions that could affect your future!

reminisce

(v.) - To reminisce is to talk or think about pleasant events in your past.

• Synonyms: recall, recollect, remember
• Antonyms: forget, regret
• Etymology: 1589 Latin, from re- meaning "again" + minisci meaning "to remember," which comes from Ancient European base men- meaning "think"
• Morphology: reminiscent - adj
• Example: At the end of each quarter, it's always fun to reminisce about the fun things we have done so far this year.

ambition

(n) - Ambition is a strong desire for success or achievement.

• Synonyms: drive, enthusiasm, initiative, spirit
• Antonyms: laziness, indifference, nonchalance, apathy
• Etymology: Mid 14th Century Latin, from ambire meaning "to go around" (which is where we get the word ambient)
• Morphology: ambitious - adj
• Example: Thinking back, I am pretty sure my ambition was always to become a teacher.

Is ambition always good?

 

elaborate

(v) -  If you elaborate, you give more details or new information about something.
(adj) - Something that is elaborate has a lot of small parts or details put together in a complicated way.

• Synonyms: verb- clarify, comment, add details, explain, enhance; adjective- complex, complicated, detailed, sophisticated
• Antonyms: verb- simplify, make simple; adjective- general, plain, generic
• Etymology: 1590 Latin, from ex- meaning"out" + laborare meaning "to labor"
• Morphology: labor - n, elaboration - n, collaborate - v
• Example: When writing your constructed response task answers, be sure to elaborate on your main ideas.

It's hard to imagine anything more elaborate than our own solar system, but it's clear that we are just a tiny part of the picture!

evasive

(adj) - If someone is being evasive, they are not willing to answer questions directly. If someone is taking evasive action, they are moving or doing something quickly to avoid someone being hurt.

• Synonyms: deceptive, sneaky, tricky, slippery, vague, misleading
• Antonyms: honest, truthful, straightforward
• Etymology: 1725, from French évasif, which comes from Latin evadere meaning "to escape"

scrutinize

(v.) - If you scrutinize someone or something, you examine it (or them) very carefully.

• Synonyms: analyze, study, consider, think about, assess
• Antonyms: ignore
• Etymology: 1415 Latin, from scrutari meaning "to examine, search" (as through trash), which comes from scruta meaning "trash, rags."
• Morphology: scrutiny - n
• Example: It is essential that you scrutinize the weekly assessment stories and questions very carefully if you want to get the answers right.

unison

(n.) - If people speak or do something in unison, they say the same words at the same time or do the same thing at the same time.
*This word is used with the word in: in unison

• Synonyms: agreement, alliance, unity, at the same time
• Antonyms: discord, disagreement
• Etymoloy: 1574 Latin, from uni- meaning "one" + sonus meaning "sound"
• Example: When I say, “Class!” you reply, “Yes!” in unison.

Click here to go to NASA's JPL kids' site!

console

(v) – If you do things to make someone feel better when they are feeling sad or disappointed, your words or actions console them.

• Synonyms: relieve, comfort, calm, encourage, support
• Antonyms: annoy, antagonize, depress, disturb, upset
• Etymology: 1690s Latin, from com- meaning “with” + solari meaning "to comfort" (as in solace!)
• Morphology: consolation - n, consoled – v, consoling - adj
• Example: Even though our winter break is long over, we can console ourselves with the idea that part one of spring break is just a couple of weeks away.

*There is also a noun form of this word, but its meaning is quite unrelated. A console is either a flat board that contains the controls for a machine (like a television or computer), or a piece of furninture (like a TV stand).

marvel

(n) - A marvel is something or someone that is extremely useful or skillful.
(v) - To marvel is to feel or express great surprise or admiration at something, especially someone's behavior.

• Synonyms (n): wonder, curiosity, miracle, phenomenon, sensation
• Antonym: expectation, normalcy
• Etymology: 1300 Old French, from merveille meaning "a wonder, surprise, miracle," which came from Latin mirus meaning "wonderful"
• Morphology: marvelous - adj
• Example: The first spacecraft, Sputnik, was a marvel of science.

Click here to learn more about the marvel of the Space Age!

qualms

(n) - Qualms are feelings of slight worry or doubt because you are not sure that what you are doing is right.

• Synonyms: anxiety, hesitation, indecision, insecurity, misgiving, mistrust, nervousness, reluctance, suspicion, twinge, uncertainty, unease
• Antonyms: approval, comfort, contentedness
• Etymology: The true date of origin is unknown, but it was Old English, from cwelan meaning "to die." This word took on its current sense of "feeling of faintness" in the 1520s.
• Morphology: quandary - n
• Example: I would definitely have qualms about going into outer space!