Spelling Bee Words
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80 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 aardwolf | striped hyena of southeast Africa that feeds chiefly on insects |
| aberration | a state or condition markedly different from the norm |
| abridgment | a shortened version of a written work |
| abscission | the act of cutting something off |
| acerbate | make sour or bitter |
| aficionado | a serious devotee of something |
| algorithm | a precise rule (or set of rules) specifying how to solve some problem |
| alignment | the act of adjusting or aligning the parts of a device in relation to each other |
| allocution | (rhetoric) a formal or authoritative address that advises or exhorts |
| ancillary | relating to something that is added but is not essential |
| apocalypse | a cosmic cataclysm in which God destroys the ruling powers of evil |
| applique | a decorative design made of one material sewn over another |
| archetype | an original model on which something is patterned |
| avenge | take revenge for a perceived wrong |
| babushka | a woman's headscarf folded into a triangle and tied under the chine |
| baccalaureate | a farewell sermon to a graduating class at their commencement ceremonies |
| balalaika | a stringed instrument that has triangular body and three strings |
| baroque | elaborate an extensive ornamentation in decorative art and architecture that flourished in Europe in the 17th century |
| barracuda | any voracious marine fish of the genus Sphyraena having an elongated cylindrical body and large mouth with projecting lower jaw and long strong teeth |
| bayou | a swampy arm or slow-moving outlet of a lake (term used mainly in Mississippi and Louisiana) |
| beleaguer | surround so as to force to give up |
| belligerence | a disposition to fight |
| beret | a cap with no brim or bill |
| bivouac | temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers |
| blithe | carefree and happy and lighthearted |
| boatswain | a petty officer on a merchant ship who controls the work of other seamen |
| Bourgeois | a member of the middle class |
| bountique | butik |
| boutonniere | a flower that is worn in a buttonhole |
| boysenberry | large raspberry-flavored fruit |
| buoy | float on the surface of water |
| cabaret | a series of acts at a night club |
| calisthenics | light exercise designed to promote general fitness |
| callous | emotionally hardened, unfeeling |
| camouflage | the act of concealing the identity of something by modifying its appearance |
| cannoneer | artilleryman |
| cantankerous | having a difficult and contrary disposition |
| cardiopulmonary | pertaining to the heart and the lungs |
| carnivorous | (used of plants as well as animals) feeding on animals |
| catastrophe | an event resulting in great loss and misfortune |
| celerity | swiftness, rapidity of motion or action |
| censer | a container for burning incense (especially one that is swung on a chain in a religious ritual) |
| changeable | capable of or tending to change in form or quality or nature |
| chaparral | dense vegetation consisting of stunted trees or bushes |
| commemorate | call to remembrance |
| committal | The act, fact, or result of committing, or the state of being |
| connoisseur | an expert able to appreciate a field |
| convalescence | gradual healing (through rest) after sickness or injury |
| cornucopia | the property of being extremely abundant, the property of being extremely abundant |
| corruptible | capable of being corrupted |
| crevasse | a deep fissure |
| croissant | very rich flaky crescent-shaped roll |
| curmudgeon | a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas |
| cynic | someone who is critical of the motives of others |
| dachshund | small long-bodied short-legged German breed of dog having a short sleek coat and long drooping ears |
| decaffeinate | to extract caffeine from. |
| deliverance | recovery or preservation from loss or danger |
| denouement | the final resolution of the main complication of a literary or dramatic work |
| diaphragm | a mechanical device in a camera that controls size of aperture of the lens |
| dichotomy | being twofold |
| dietitian | a specialist in the study of nutrition |
| diphthong | a vowel sound that starts near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves toward the position for another |
| docile | willing to be taught or led or supervised or directed |
| echo | the persistence of a sound after its source has stopped |
| eclair | oblong cream puff |
| eczema | generic term for inflammatory conditions of the skin |
| effervescent | (of a liquid) giving off bubbles |
| eloquence | powerful and effective language |
| encumbrance | any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome |
| exquisite | of extreme beauty |
| extemporaneous | with little or no preparation or forethought |
| facsimile | duplicator that transmits the copy by wire or radio |
| fallacious | based on an incorrect or misleading notion or information |
| fascinate | cause to be interested or curious |
| fauna | all the animal life in a particular region |
| flocculent | having a fluffy character or appearance |
| foliage | leaves of a plant, leafage |
| forage | animal food for browsing or grazing |
| forsythia | a shrub of the olive family. |
| fuchsia | a bright, purplish-red color. |
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