Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

ASL
abacus
a device with beads used to do arithmetic
ASL
absorb
take in, suck up, make as part of itself

The sponge can absorb the spilled water.

ASL
accompanies
to go with

A parent accompanies each child when they go to the doctor's office.

ASL
according
as stated by

According to the teacher, Jill passed the test.

ASL
account
to carefully consider, to include in the calculations
ASL
accumulation
accumulate
to collect

The basketball team's trophies were accumulated over 35 years.

ASL
acknowledge
recognize or accept as truth

The coach didn't acknowledge defeat until the final second of the game.

active
Moving and doing activities, having a lot of energy, busy

The cheerleaders were very active at the basketball game.

ASL
adapt
adapted
adjust to new conditions

Millions of years ago seals adapted to living in the ocean by developing flippers.

ASL
algorithm
algorithms
a rule or procedure for solving a mathematical problem.
ASL
antibodies
a blood protein made in response to and then protecting from a virus or bacterial infection

People who had chicken pox as a child have antibodies so they won't get it again.

ASL
antidepressant
medicine to treat depression

The doctor prescribed antidepressants for Tim after his suicide attempt.

apogee
The point in the orbit which is farthest from the sun, or where the moon is the farthest from the Earth.
apparent size
The size the moon appears to be

The moon's size doesn't change. When the moon is closer to the Earth it looks larger.

ASL
appropriate
proper or suitable

A tie was the appropriate thing to wear to the formal dinner party.

ASL
aquarium
A glass tank for fish

Bob has an aquarium with 4 gold fish.

ASL
architecture
design and construction of a building or the equipment (hardware, computer, calculator etc.) used by a computer model
ASL
atmosphere
the air that surrounds the Earth

The clouds float in the atmosphere.

ASL
authentic
genuine, not a fake

The firefighters actions were examples of authentic heroism.

B

babylonians
people from the ancient country of Babylon

Babylon was a city thousands of years ago. Today this area is Iraq.

ASL
balsa
a very lightweight wood used to make models

Tom's plane wasn't heavy because it was made of balsa.

basal
At or forming a base, lowest amount

Before he started to run, his heart rate was at the slow, basal rate.

base
based
base is the foundation, something built on the foundation

My theory is based on my research. The judge based his decision on the evidence.

break even
to neither lose or gain money in an investment.
ASL
brood
a group of animals or birds hatched at the same time

The male seahorse protected his brood in a pouch until they could swim on their own.

ASL
buried
hidden underground

When Tina died she was buried in the cemetery.

C

calorie
A unit of heat or food energy

The diet pop contains only one calorie.

ASL
carapace
The hard covering on a turtle or crustacean

When a lobster grows it gets too large for its carapace.

ASL
characteristics
the features you notice, how you recognize someone or something

My characteristics include 2 eyes, brown hair and ear rings.

ASL
charge
electrical energy stored in an object

Rubbing the balloon in your hair will give it a positive charge.

ASL
chimpanzees
chimps
a small African human-like ape

ASL
cholesterol
a chemical that can cause heart attacks

After Betty's heart attack she tried to reduce the cholesterol in her diet.

ASL
cipher
ciphers
a message that is written using an algorithm that makes it secret
ASL
clarity
clear

The water lost its clarity when Tim added some milk.

CO2
Carbon dioxide, the gas we breathe out

As the fire burned the hot CO2 rose into the air.

ASL
collide
to crash together

The football players collided when they both tried to catch the ball.

ASL
commercial
having businesses or factories

The stores downtown are the major commercial district of the area.

ASL
components
a part of a larger whole

The components of the desk included drawers, legs and a glass top.

ASL
composed
made of, arranged

The soil is composed of sand and clay.

ASL
composite
special numbers in math

can be divided by numbers besides one and itself; example: 10 is composite. 10 can be divided by 2 and 5 as well as 1 and 10.

ASL
compromised
to put in danger

Tony's angry remark compromised his chances of winning the debate.

ASL
concentrations
how much of a substance is dissolved in water

Tammy carefully added salt to the solutions until she had the right concentrations.

ASL
concise
brief but complete and comprehensive
consistent system
A system of equations that has at least one solution
ASL
constant rate
rate is how something changes i.e. speed or growth

Barbra grew at a constant rate of 2 inches every year for 5 years.

constellations
A group of stars that appear together in the sky
ASL
consume
to eat or drink, to destroy or use up

The football team will consume 5 gallons of Gatorade during the game.

contaminate
to add a substance like pollution that makes something unclean, unhealthy, or impure

Pouring motor oil in the field will contaminate the soil.

ASL
contribute
contribution
give time, money, effort etc. toward a common purpose

All of the employees were asked to contribute to the disaster relief fund.

ASL
converting
to change in form or function

Tammy is good at converting fractions to decimals.

ASL
critical
rising to a crisis or dangerous point

Nancy's condition was critical so the doctor knew she had to work quickly to save Nancy's life.

crown
the highest or central part

The bird built its nest in the crown of the tree.

ASL
cryptanalysis
the study of how to break ciphers
ASL
cryptography
the study of how to write ciphers
ASL
cryptology
the study of writing messages in secret (crytanalysis and cryptography)
ASL
cytoplasm
the living part of the cell but not the nucleus, cell wall or cell membrane

Tammy watched the cell's cytoplasm flow as it moved.

D

decimal
decimals
A fraction where the denominator is a power of ten and is therefore expressed using a decimal point. For example: 0.37 is the decimal equivalent of 37/100.
ASL
decrypt
decryption
the process of changing a cipher into a message
ASL
deed
deeded
a legal document, often used to show ownership of property

When Betty bought her new home, the deed was recorded in the Court House.

ASL
default
Fail to fulfill an obligation, number used if you don't pick one

Ms. Jones was elected by default because no one ran against her.

ASL
demonstrate
show, present and explain by experiment or use

Al will you please demonstrate how to tie your shoe?

denominator
In a rational number, the number below the fraction bar that indicates how many parts the whole is divided into.
ASL
dense
crowded together, closely packed

The wood is strong, dense and heavy.

ASL
density
a measure of how closely packed a substance is, the mass divided by the volume

The density of the rock is much larger than the pillow.

dependent system
A system of equations that has an infinite number of solutions.
ASL
determine
to find the answer, decide

Tomorrow"s election will determine who will be our next president.

ASL
devise
to invent, to plan
digest
to break down food in the stomach and bowels

Acids and enzymes digest proteins so the amino acids can be absorbed by the blood.

Tim vomited because his digestive system was upset.

ASL
digital
data represented by the numbers 0 through 9

Computers store information in digital form.

digital Signiture
a way of checking which computer did something
dilute
to reduce the strength or concentration of a liquid by adding water

The punch was so dilute that it tasted like water.

ASL
discard
To remove or put aside

When I open a new deck of cards, I always discard the jokers.

disorder
An ailment of disease

His stomach disorder caused him to throw up all weekend.

ASL
diversity
variety

The thousands of different kinds of plants in the rainforest represent the earth's greatest example of diversity.

ASL
divisible
divisibility
can be divided, without a remainder

example: 6 can be divided by 2 and 3.

ASL
dynamic
dynamics
having continuous change

The tides are an example of the moon's dynamic effect on the ocean level.

E

eccentricity
How out of round the ellipse is. Distance between foci / length of the major axis
ASL
eclipse
When 3 bodies in space line up so one of them can't be seen.
ASL
economic
the cost of buying, selling and doing business

The economic cost of the hurricane was $43,000,000.

effecting
making something happen or change

The bad smell was effecting our appetite.

ASL
efficient
productive with a minimum of waste or effort.
ellipse
an oval. A closed curve where the sum of the distance to any point on the curve, from two fixed points is a constant

Try this activity to draw an ellipse.

ASL
empowering
to give authority to, getting the feeling you have the power to do something.
ASL
encrypt
encryption
the process of changing a message into a cipher
enhance
enhancing
to imporve

Jill thought make up would enhance her chance of getting a date.

ASL
epidemic
epidemics
the widespread appearance of a disease

Cholera is often epidemic in poor countries after floods.

ASL
equivalent
equal amounts

One dollar is equivalent to 100 pennies, but they don't look the same.

ASL
Excel
a spreadsheet program

Jim balanced his check book using an Excel spreadsheet.

ASL
excreted
to expel or get rid of, especially waste material

The snail excreted a mucus liquid as it moved over the sidewalk.

ASL
exoskeleton
a hard covering on the outside of an animal's body.
expenditure
Spending or using up

Tammy ate pasta before the marathon to prepare for the large expenditure of energy.

ASL
extinct
extinction
all have died out

65 million years ago an asteroid hit the earth and the dinosaurs became extinct.

ASL
extreme
to a high or the highest degree

The flooding after the hurricane was extreme.

ASL
extremities
end parts, hands, feet

Protect your extremities from the cold wind so you don't get frostbite.

F

ASL
factor
Circumstance or element contributing to an event

Being 6 feet 10 inches was one factor that helped him make the basketball team.

ASL
fertilizers
chemicals and nutrients added to help plants grow

The farmer spread nitrogen fertilizer to his corn crop.

ASL
filament
the connecting wire or thread in a light bulb

The filament in the light bulb glowed white hot.

fluent
fluently
flowing smoothly with little effort
foci
(of an ellipse) The 2 fixed points that are used to define an ellipse.
ASL
foresters
people who study and manage forests

The foresters planted new trees after the fire.

fraction
fractions
A rational number of the form a/b where a is called the numerator and b is called the denominator
ASL
function
a math procedure that returns a value

In Excel, the SUM( ) function will add a column of numbers.

G

ASL
galaxy
galaxies
a group of billions of stars

The Milky Way is the galaxy that we live in.

ASL
generalize
to find a rule by examining several examples

When Vick was little the family next door had long haired cats. Vick incorrectly generalized that all cats had long hair.

gestation
The time the babies grow inside the mother

The gestation period for daphnia is 2 days.

glossary
a list of special words or technical terms

Jill used the glossary at the end of the book to find the definition for meteoroid.

ASL
gradually
progressing slowly

His hair gradually changed from black to gray.

ASL
grazing
Cattle eating grass

The cows were quietly grazing in the field.

ASL
gross
total without any reductions

Tim's gross income is $700 per week but he only takes home $587 after taxes.

H

herbivore
an animal that eats plants not animals

The grass eating cow is an herbivore.

ASL
hickory
an American tree with hard wood and nuts like pecans

The ax handle is made of hickory.

ASL
hydrology
the science of the movement of water on earth

In order to predict the weather, scientists study hydrology. Hydrology is the study of how water moves down rivers to the ocean, evaporates and becomes clouds, the clouds move up the mountain and fall as rain.

I

ASL
ideal
a perfect model existing only in the mind

The coach's ideal athlete never got tired or made a mistake.

ASL
immunity
immune
unable to contract a disease, protected from sickness by vaccination

A flu shot gives you a 90% chance of immunity from the flu.

ASL
impact
strong effect or impression

The impact of not doing his homework hit Tom when he saw his report card.

ASL
impervious
water can't flow through it

The sidewalk is impervious to water.

ASL
implemented
to put into effect

The School Board implemented a new dress code this year.

ASL
implications
suggested indirectly

Betty said, "Andrew left home at 9:30." The implication is that Andrew was late for school.

inconsistent system
A system of equations that has no solution.
independent system
A system of equations that has exactly one solution.
ASL
infected
people that have the disease and can spread it to others
ASL
Infiltrate
infiltration
gradually entering an area

Over 5 years the dandelions infiltrated the lawn.

infinite
endless, never ending
ASL
initial
at the beginning, the first

Dustin got his initial raise 3 weeks after starting his job.

insecticides
chemicals used to kill insects
integer
Any positive or negative number that does not include a fraction or decimal, including zero.
ASL
interactions
to act on or affect each other

The playful interactions progressed into a fist fight.

ASL
interaitive
having a two way flow of information between it and the user

Tim preferred interactive video games to watching TV.

ASL
interpretation
an explanation of the meaning

The two boys had different interpretations of the ballgame.

ASL
interrupt
uninterrupted
to break the process, to interfere

Don't interrupt the principal while she is giving a speech.

ASL
intervals
The time between two events

Whenever the electricity went off, the boys had to wait an unbearable interval before they could play their computer games.

ASL
intuition
immediate insight or understanding without conscious reasoning.
inverse
2 numbers that multiplied together equals 1.

5 X 1/5 = 1. 1/5 is the inverse of 5

ASL
investigate
To examine, to make a systematic inquire,

The police came to investigate the crime.

J

JavaScript
a programming language that runs on web pages

I wrote a JavaScript program to calculate the tree's weight.

K

ASL
key
a number used to encrypt or decrypt a message

L

ASL
launching pad
the platform that something takes off from

The rocket sat on the launch pad waiting to blast off.

ASL
lock
a curl or small amount of hair

Betty's parents saved a lock of hair from her first hair cut.

ASL
lunar
pertaining to the Earth's moon. Example: lunar orbit is the moon's orbit.

M

ASL
maintain
to cause to continue, to keep up

Bob's job was to maintain the fences on the farm.

major axis
A line segment bisecting the ellipse and passing through the foci.
ASL
mammals
warm blooded animals that produce milk to feed their young

Elephants are the largest mammals in Asia.

mass
the quantity of matter, like weight but independent of gravity

A cow has more mass than a dog.

ASL
maximum
highest or larges possible amount

$56,000 is the maximum you can earn in this store.

ASL
mechanism
parts that work together, process

The doctor explained the mechanism that allowed the drug to kill the cancer.

ASL
message
messages
text to be sent to a person
minor axis
A line segment bisecting the ellipse, perpendicular to and bisecting the major axis.
ASL
model
computer models
a mathematical representation of a process that is simulated by a computer

Betty used a computer model to explore what happens when 2 galaxies collide.

ASL
modify
modified
to make small or partial changes

The team was losing by 10 points at half time so they had to modify their game plan.

ASL
moisture
water or other liquid causing slight dampness

As she ran, moisture started to appear on her forehead.

municipal
the affairs of a state or local government.
ASL
mutate
mutated
mutation
a change in the genetic code of an organism

Radiation can cause mutations of the chromosomes.

N

ASL
nerve cells
cells that send information from the brain to the body parts

The snake venom paralyzed her nerve cells.

ASL
net
the part remaining after all the necessary deductions

After all of the taxes were subtracted her net income was $456.63.

neutral
not supporting either of 2 opposing sides, not positive or negative

The referee in the football game was neutral.

numerator
The number above the fraction bar that indicates the number of parts of the whole there are in a rational number.

O

ASL
oak
a hardwood tree that produces acorns

The oak tree in the park is 300 years old.

ASL
obtain
to acquire or get

Each child must obtain parental permission to go on the fieldtrip.

ASL
occur
occurrence
to take place or happen

Fish for lunch is a once a week occurrence.

ASL
operation
act or process, adding, subtracting, multiplying in a calculation

Which operation do you perform when you find the average?

opportunity
favorable chance, opening offered by circumstances

When the rain stopped we had our first opportunity to play baseball.

ASL
option
options
choice, things to choose between

Tim's options were to study or fail the test.

P

packet
A small package

The counselor gave Tim a packet of forms before the test.

parallel lines
lines on the same plane that never meet.
ASL
parameter
a quantity constant in the case being studied but varying in different cases

The parameter that predicted success in basketball the best was height.

ASL
partial eclipse
When 3 bodies almost line up.

Example: the Earth's shadow only covers part of the moon or the moon only covers part of the Sun.

ASL
particles
the smallest amount, a tiny portion of matter

The board is made of particles of saw dust glued together.

partner
A person who shares a job or activity, a player on the same team

Tom is Jill's dance partner.

perigee
The point in the orbit which is closest to the sun, or where the moon is the closest to the Earth.
ASL
periodically
appearing or happening at intervals

The commercials appeared periodically through the movie.

ASL
pervious
water can flow or seep through it

The sand on the beach is pervious to water.

ASL
pesticides
chemicals used to kill pests like insects
ASL
phase
a stage in the process of change or development

The baby entered the crawling phase this month.

pinyon juniper
a forest of pinyon, juniper, or both, with a grass understory.
ASL
policies
policy
a plan or course of action adopted by a government or organization

The School Board's policy is, "No cell phones or beepers in class!"

ASL
politicians
People who hold or seek political office

The politicians in the Senate wrote the law.

ASL
polymer
a large molecule made by linking many small molecules

Polyester is a polymer made from many esters stuck together in a long chain.

ASL
potential
capable of coming into being, may happen

Every child born in the US has the potential of becoming President.

ASL
predator
an animal that lives by killing and eating other animals.
ASL
prey
an animal that is killed and eaten by a predator
ASL
primatologist
a scientist who studies primates; humans, monkeys and apes.
ASL
prime
primes
a special number in math; can only be divided by 1 and itself; example - 11 is a prime number. It can only be divided by 1 and 11. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 cannot divide 11.
ASL
principle
fundamental truth or law in nature or science

George Washington believed in the principle of democracy.

ASL
procedure
a series of actions performed in a certain order or manner

Everyday the students in Ms. Jones' class knew that she would follow the same procedure.

ASL
productive
productivity
making things or getting work done

After 2 hours of productive work Tom got tired and fell asleep.

ASL
profit
money gained from some investment.
ASL
prolonged
to extend in time or space

The pond will fill with water if you have a prolonged rainfall.

ASL
prone
likely to happen

The wind-prone yard was swept clean of all trash.

propose
a suggested plan

Tina proposed a compromise to settle the argument.

ASL
proteins
organic compounds composed of amino acids

Special proteins in the heart contract to pump the blood.

ASL
public
available to everyone
ASL
punctuation
any of the marks used in writing to separate sentences and clarify the meaning

The English teacher asked, "What type of punctuation do you use at the end of a question?"

ASL
purity
pure, clean
Pythagorean theorem
a theorem in Geometry

The square of the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

Q

ASL
quantity
an amount, how much is measured

They needed a large quantity of water to fill the pool.

R

ASL
randomly
without method or conscious choice

The rain drops fell randomly on the table.

ASL
range
region between limits, i.e. numbers between 5 and 12

The age of students in high school range between 12 and 19.

ASL
reality
what is real or true

Time travel is not reality.

ASL
recipe
statement of ingredients and procedures for preparing a meal

Be sure to follow the recipe when you bake the bread.

ASL
recovered
people that had the disease and got better
ASL
reference
The place you consult for information
regularities
Things that happen regularly and predictably.
ASL
relatively
compared to something else

Bill is 5 feet 10 inches, but compared to the basketball players he is relatively short.

ASL
replicate
to make an exact copy

I was to slow to replicate his moves on the basketball court.

ASL
represent
to stand for or be an example of

The class president will represent all the students at the school board meeting.

ASL
requirement
A thing that is needed or demanded

Algebra I is a graduation requirement.

ASL
residential
an area having houses or apartments not factories or farms

Most of the new schools are in the residential district.

ASL
retention
to keep possession of, not loosing.

Tibia had better retention of the facts if she studied every night rather than only the morning of the test.

revolves
to go around in an orbit.
ASL
runoff
Runoff is what occurs when rain is not absorbed by the ground on which it falls and so then flows downhill.

S

ASL
saturated
full of water so it can't hold more

After 2 days of rain the ground was saturated.

scale
thin plates protecting the skin of a fish, overlapping plates on Juniper leaves

The cedar leaves are rough and scaly.

ASL
scalp
the skin on the head

Dandruff is a result of a dry scalp.

ASL
scenario
scenarios
the outline of a play's plot or future events
proposed sequence of future events

Tom invented a wild scenario to explain why he didn't have his homework.

ASL
seldom
not often

It seldom rains in the desert.

ASL
sensitive
easily effected, requiring careful treatment or secrecy

Ms. Jones didn't allow the class to see the sensitive information in Tim's file.

ASL
sequester
to isolate, set aside, or save

When the jury was sequestered they had to stay in a hotel and couldn't go home at night.

ASL
series
a set of similar things in a row

Pat made a series of careless mistakes on the final exam.

serving
The amount of food offered or given

Tom was hungry so he asked for 2 servings of chicken.

ASL
sewage
waste material carried in sewers

The smell of the sewage from the treatment plant took our breath away.

ASL
shaft
a long shape like a handle or arrow.
ASL
sieve
throw out everything you do not want, leaving only what you want to keep; with numbers, this means throwing out all of the composite numbers to leave only the prime numbers;

When the noodles have finished cooking, drain the water with the sieve.

ASL
simulates
simulation
simulate
simulations
pretend or imitate

The model only simulates the explosion. That way nothing really gets broken.

The models simulated explosion was safer then blowing up a real car.

ASL
sludge
a thick liquid, sewage

The sludge from the sewer pored from the broken pipe.

ASL
sophisticated
highly developed and complex

The space shuttle is a very complicated and sophisticated rocket.

ASL
sparse
thinly dispersed or scattered

The hair was sparse on his bald head.

stable
not changing
state
to express or say in words
A geopolitical section of the United States, example the 50 states in America
ASL
strategy
strategies
a plan or policy

Karen had a strategy that always let her win at tick tack toe.

ASL
structure
the way a building or object is constructed or put together

The three legged stool has a stable structure.

subtle
not obvious, faint, delicate

Brian's suggestion was so subtle that Bethany thought it was her idea.

ASL
sulfur
a yellow element that burns with the smell of matches

After the fireworks I could smell the sulfur in the air.

ASL
survive
To continue to live

Alice was the only person that survived the plane crash.

ASL
susceptible
people that haven't had the disease so they can get it
swept
Past tense of sweep, to brush or move across

As the moon moves in its orbit a line connecting the moon to the Earth passes through or sweeps over an area.

ASL
symptom
symptoms
physical or mental sign of disease

The symptoms of a cold are coughing, sneezing, and fever.

system of equations
Two or more equations with common variables.
ASL
systematically
regular, dependable, according to a system

The tournament systematically eliminated the weaker teams.

T

temple
the side of the head between the ear and the forehead

The hair on his temple is turning gray.

ASL
terminal
the end point, destination, fatal

The terminal bud makes a chemical that slows the growth of all the other buds.

ASL
termites
an ant-like social insect that lives in and eats wood

The floor broke because the termites had eaten tunnels in it.

ASL
tolerate
tolerance
allow to happen without interfering

It was easy for Betty to tolerate her brother's loud music.

total eclipse
The Sun, Earth and Moon line up so the Moon or Sun appears to completely disappear.
ASL
tough
hard to break, tear or chew

The steak was so tough that I couldn't eat it.

toxins
poisons, a chemical that can cause a rash, sickness or death.
ASL
transition period
time during which a thing changes from one state to another

After the election the government entered a two month transition period.

traverses
travels across
ASL
trunk
the main stem of a tree, the body excluding the head, arms and legs

The bullet proof vest protected his trunk.

U

ASL
ultimate
best achievable

The football team's ultimate goal was winning the state championship.

ASL
uncertainty
How much the answer or data varies from the average answer

Example if the average is 15 cm and the largest was 17 cm. In this experiment the value was 15 + 2 cm. This means my data varied between 15 -2 or 13 and 15 + 2 or 17. The uncertainty is expressed as 15 + (plus or minus) 2.

ASL
uniform
unvarying

George cut the hedge to a uniform length.

ASL
units
quantity as a standard measurement, meters, grams etc

The units of speed are miles per hour.

V

ASL
vaccination
a shot given to immunize against a disease

Doctors give retired people vaccinations against the flu so they won't get sick.

ASL
vast
very large

The vast ocean stretched as far as Karen could see.

ASL
vibration
moving back and forth rapidly

During a football game, the drum's vibrations were felt by the deaf players at Gallaudet University.

ASL
visualize
to imagine a picture

She visualized her dive as she stood on the platform.

W

ASL
wander
to move aimlessly or unpredictably
ASL
waterways
rivers or lakes where boats can sail

Tom rode his jet ski on every waterway in Kansas.