6 • Lesson 3 Word List

(adj) More than enough; plentiful.
If good weather continues, farmers can expect an abundant harvest.

abundance (n) A great amount.
The Great Lakes are considered a national treasure because of the abundance of fresh water they contain.

(adj) Having little or no rainfall; very dry.
Much of North Africa is arid land.

(adj) 1. Not the same; different or separate.
Apples come in over two thousand distinct varieties.

2. Unmistakable; definite.
Chili peppers add a distinct flavor to this dish.

(v) 1. To feed on growing grass.
A small herd of cows grazed in the meadow.

2. To touch lightly in passing.
The snowball grazed my cheek but didn?t hurt me.

(adj) Full of feverish activity, haste, or confusion.
After a hectic week of sightseeing, the tourists were glad to go home and relax.

(n) A large group or crowd, especially one on the move.
Hordes of swimmers head for the pool in summer.

(adj) Having a large amount of water or moisture in the air.
Residents of Hong Kong escape the hot, humid weather by going inside where it is cool and dry.

humidity (n) The amount of moisture in the air.
The humidity was so high that the slightest activity made us sweat.

(adj) Hard or impossible to believe.
It seems incredible that humans and stars are made of the same stuff.

(v) To live in or on.
Millions of bison once inhabited the great plains of America.

inhabitant (n) A person or animal that lives in a certain place.
Many of the inhabitants of California were born somewhere else.

(n) A piece of land, connected to a larger land mass, that juts out and is almost completely surrounded by water.
Bays along the Baja peninsula provide shelter for several kinds of whales.

(adj) Of or relating to the country and the people who live there.
The villagers believe that a shopping mall has no place in a rural area.

(n) 1. A place of safety or shelter.
The neighboring country was a sanctuary to those who were being persecuted.

2. Protection offered by such a place.
The shelter offers sanctuary for stray animals.

(n) Magnificence; brilliance of appearance.
The splendor of the palace at Versailles took our breath away.

splendid (adj) Very impressive; magnificent.
The exhibition of American sculpture includes several splendid Brazilian statues.

(n) Filth; misery.
People lived in squalor after their homes were destroyed by the hurricane.

squalid (adj) Dirty and unfit for living, especially as a result of neglect.
When their father climbed into the tree house, he was shocked at the squalid conditions and told them to clean it up before continuing to play.

(n) 1. An area of land; a region.
After hiking for several days, we knew the terrain quite well.

2. The surface features of a region.
The mountainous terrain of western Colorado attracts skiers from all parts of the country.