| aisle |
An aisle is a long, open space where you can walk between many rows of seats. An aisle is also the area between long shelves in places like stores and libraries. You walk down the aisles and find the things you want to buy or look at. |
| albatross |
An albatross is a very large sea bird found mostly in the Southern Hemisphere. It has long narrow wings and a long narrow beak that curves down at the end. |
| alight1 |
to step down or get off. [1/2 definitions] |
| Alps |
a high mountain range that goes from southern France through Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and Austria and into the countries along the Adriatic Sea down to Albania. |
| Amazon River |
The Amazon River is one of the great rivers of the world. It is the longest river in South America, and some say it may be longer than the Nile River in Africa. The Amazon River flows down from the mountains in Peru, then across Brazil, and into the Atlantic Ocean. |
| anchor |
When you anchor something, you make it stay down or in one place. [1/4 definitions] |
| arrest |
to slow down; block; stop. [1/4 definitions] |
| aspirin |
a drug used to take away pain and bring down fever. [1/2 definitions] |
| avalanche |
the sudden rush of a large amount of snow, ice, or rocks down a mountain. [1/2 definitions] |
| backbone |
Your backbone is the row of bones that runs down the center of your back. All the bones are connected to each other. Another word for backbone is spine. [1/2 definitions] |
| badger |
a furry mammal with short legs and a long body. The American badger has a white stripe on its forehead that runs down its back, and it has long dark marks on its face also. Badgers eat worms, rodents, rabbits, and plants. Different kinds of badgers live in Europe, Asia, and North America. They are related to skunks, otters, and other kinds of weasels. [1/2 definitions] |
| balcony |
A balcony is a place to sit in a theater. It is above the main floor where most of the seats are, and people at the front of the balcony can look down at the people who are sitting below. [1/2 definitions] |
| bangs |
If someone has bangs, their hair comes down over their forehead, and they cut it so that the hair goes straight across. |
| basalt |
Basalt is a heavy, dark-colored rock made by volcanoes. It is the main type of rock found along the bottom of the ocean. You can see basalt forming when lava flows down a volcano and cools. |
| batter1 |
to wear down by constant pressure or use. [1/2 definitions] |
| beat |
When your heart beats, it moves in way that pumps blood out into the body. When it beats, it makes a dull noise. Your heart usually beats in a regular rhythm but sometimes it speeds up and sometimes it slows down. [1/7 definitions] |
| beaver1 |
a large rodent, up to four feet long, with thick brown fur and a wide flat tail. Beavers use their long front teeth to cut down trees for food and to build dams and lodges (beaver houses). They use the dams to keep water around their lodges. Beavers live in North America, Europe, and Asia. |
| belly |
Your belly is a part of your body. It is the area below your chest and above your legs. This area contains your stomach and other parts of the body used in breaking down food. Other mammals, such as dogs, have bellies too. You have to reach under a dog to touch its belly. |
| bend |
If you are standing and you bend forward, you move your upper body so that you are looking down toward your feet. If you bend back, you move your upper body so that you can see the ceiling, the sky, or something behind you. [1/5 definitions] |
| biodegradable |
able to be broken down by the action of living organisms such as bacteria. |
| biodegrade |
When something biodegrades, it breaks down because of the action of things like bacteria and fungi. Things like vegetables, meats, and fruits will biodegrade quite quickly. That's why you can't keep them forever, even in the refrigerator. They will eventually break down into tiny substances that are good nutrients for the soil, though. |