(v) To break down into separate parts in order to study.
Experts who analyze auto accidents say that one of the major causes is a distracted driver.
analysis (n) An examination of the whole in order to examine its various parts.
Chemical analysis of the rock showed that it contained uranium.
(adj) Worried or uneasy about what might happen.
Talk about another war made us apprehensive.
apprehension (n) Worry about what might happen; dread.
The community was filled with apprehension as the hurricane approached.
(v) 1. To be in the same place or occur at the same time.
Graduation day coincides with Akeesha?s birthday.
2. To be exactly the same; to agree.
My skills coincide with the job description.
coincidence (n) Occurrences that seem to be related but are connected only by chance.
It?s just a coincidence that the roommates have the same last name.
(v) 1. To make by combining.
Concrete is composed of cement, sand, and water.
2. To create or write, as a poem or a song.
The singer and songwriter composes music that draws from many cultures.
3. To quiet or calm.
Compose yourself before you get up to speak.
(n) Any thin, circular object.
The checkers pieces were plastic disks.
(v) To hide or cover on all sides.
Darkness enveloped the town when the electric power station shut down.
(v) 1. To be real.
Did the lost world of Atlantis really exist?
2. To be found; to occur.
Many scientists believe that life must exist elsewhere in the universe.
3. To stay alive.
Living things cannot exist without water.
(adj) Very unusual; remarkable.
When the hockey team won the Olympic gold medal, it was an extraordinary achievement.
(v) To join together by or as if by melting.
Heat from the fire had fused the metal parts into a solid piece.
fusion (n) A fusing or joining together.
An alloy is made by the fusion of two or more different metals.
(adj) Nothing more than; only.
It is a mere half mile into town.
(v) To go around something in a circle; to turn around in a circle.
The rim of a wheel revolves around its hub.
(n) 1. Any of the hard, thin plates that cover fish and certain reptiles.
Remove the scales from the fish before you cook it.
2. A series of musical notes that go higher and higher or lower and lower.
The chorus members sang a few scales to warm up their voices.
3. An instrument for measuring weight.
The doctor told the patient to get on the scale so she could check his weight.
4. The way size on a map or model compares with the size of the thing it stands for.
This map has a scale of one inch to a mile.
5. A series of steps, degrees, or stages.
The Richter scale measures the amount of energy released by an earthquake.
(v) To climb or climb over.
The raccoons had to scale a high wall to enter the garden.
(adj) Of or having to do with the sun.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly in front of the sun.
(n) 1. A very small amount.
The traces of lead found in the water will not jeopardize the health of those who drink it.
2. A mark or sign left behind by someone or something.
The book claims that many ships entering the Bermuda Triangle have disappeared without a trace.
(v) 1. To follow the trail or tracks of; to locate.
We traced our lost dog as far as Fifth Street before we caught up to him.
2. To copy by following the lines of a drawing through thin paper.
I carefully traced the map for my report.
(n) Rate of movement; speed.
The velocity of a pitcher?s fastball can exceed 90 miles per hour.