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: