Episode vocabulary

Nova S27E5: English vocabulary

Season 27, Episode 5Documentary

Preview up to 100 useful vocabulary entries from this title. This is a general public list; Slovnyx personalizes it in the app.

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Nova S27E5 poster

100 entries

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  • tantalize

    Word

    to tempt or tease someone by showing them something they want but cannot have

  • straightedge

    Word

    a ruler or other tool with a straight edge, used for drawing straight lines

  • sandpit

    Word

    a shallow area or box filled with sand for children to play in

  • tenon

    Word

    a projecting piece of wood that fits into a matching hole in another piece

  • daunt

    Word

    to make someone feel nervous or less confident

  • imperceptible

    Word

    too small or slight to notice

  • caulk

    Word

    to fill the gaps around a joint, window, bath, or other surface with a waterproof material

  • megalith

    Word

    a very large stone used in a prehistoric monument

  • ritually

    Word

    in a way that follows a religious or ceremonial rite

  • framer

    Word

    a worker who builds the wooden frame of a house

  • demoralize

    Word

    to make someone feel less confident, hopeful, or eager

  • teeter

    Word

    to move or stand unsteadily, as if you might fall

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  • hieroglyph

    Word

    a symbol used in ancient Egyptian writing to represent a word or sound

  • inundation

    Word

    a large amount of water covering an area

  • verdant

    Word

    green and full of healthy plants

  • homespun

    Word

    simple, plain, and not fancy; homemade or rustic

  • puller

    Word

    a person or thing that pulls something

  • intuitively

    Word

    in a way that uses instinct or feeling rather than careful thought

  • outrigger

    Word

    a support on the side of a boat that helps keep it steady

  • beckon

    Word

    to signal to someone with a hand, head, or arm to come closer or follow

  • chock

    Word

    a block or wedge placed under a wheel to keep a vehicle from moving

  • nestle

    Word

    to settle or lie comfortably in a place or against something

  • incensed

    Word

    very angry

  • sheathe

    Word

    to put something, especially a sword, into its sheath

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  • lubricate

    Word

    to put oil or grease on a machine or part so it moves smoothly

  • capsize

    Word

    to turn over in the water, especially a boat or ship

  • painstaking

    Word

    done with a lot of care and attention to detail

  • statics

    Word

    the study of forces on structures that are not moving

  • seagoing

    Word

    designed for use on the sea

  • overshoot

    Word

    to go past a target, limit, or stopping point

  • earthen

    Word

    made of earth or clay

  • silvering

    Word

    the process of turning silver in color

  • rhythmically

    Word

    in a steady, regular rhythm

  • obelisk

    Word

    a tall stone pillar that narrows toward the top and ends in a pointed shape

  • puny

    Word

    small, weak, and not very strong

  • glorify

    Word

    to praise or present something as very good or important

  • monolith

    Word

    a large block of stone, especially one standing alone as a monument

  • contraption

    Word

    a strange or complicated machine or device

  • grooving

    Word

    to move or dance in a relaxed way to music

  • sarcophagus

    Word

    a large stone coffin, often decorated and used in ancient times

  • frustrate

    Word

    to make someone feel annoyed, upset, or disappointed

  • hulled

    Word

    having the outer husk or shell removed

  • plummet

    Word

    to fall or drop very quickly and suddenly

  • abler

    Word

    more able or skilled than someone or something else

  • jerky

    Word

    dried meat, usually beef, eaten as a snack

  • lurch

    Word

    to move suddenly and unsteadily, often because you are off balance

  • papyrus

    Word

    a material like thick paper that was used in ancient times for writing

  • adorn

    Word

    to decorate something so it looks more attractive

  • mortuary

    Word

    a place where dead bodies are kept and prepared for burial or cremation

  • creak

    Word

    to make a harsh, high-pitched sound as it moves or is pressed

  • negligent

    Word

    not careful enough, especially in a way that causes harm or breaks a duty

  • topple

    Word

    to fall or make something fall over, especially suddenly

  • overland

    Word

    by land, not by sea or air

  • evener

    Word

    something that makes a surface, line, or shape even or level

  • curvature

    Word

    the amount or degree to which something is curved

  • sledding

    Word

    the activity of riding on a sled or sled-like vehicle over snow

  • quarried

    Word

    to cut stone out of the ground in a quarry

  • smeared

    Word

    covered with a messy layer of something that has been spread around

  • sprawl

    Word

    lie, sit, or fall with your arms and legs spread out in an awkward way

  • scribe

    Word

    a person who copies documents by hand, especially in the past

  • hoe

    Word

    a long-handled gardening tool with a flat metal blade, used for cutting weeds and loosening soil

  • arid

    Word

    very dry because there is little rain

  • colossal

    Word

    extremely large

  • feasible

    Word

    possible to do successfully

  • archaic

    Word

    very old and no longer used in modern life, language, or style

  • rigging

    Word

    the ropes, wires, and chains that support a ship's masts and sails

  • propel

    Word

    to push or drive something forward or in a particular direction

  • compel

    Word

    to force someone to do something, or make them feel they must do it

  • jerking

    Word

    making quick, sharp movements

  • dismantle

    Word

    to take something apart so it can be moved, repaired, or examined

  • pinnacle

    Word

    the pointed top of a mountain or building

  • inched

    Word

    to move very slowly and carefully in a particular direction

  • keyed

    Word

    locked with a key

  • digger

    Word

    a person or animal that digs

  • unify

    Word

    to bring different people, groups, or things together so they work as one

  • extraordinarily

    Word

    to a very great degree; extremely

  • when it's at home

    Phrase

    used to ask what something really means or is, especially in British English

  • intrigue

    Word

    to make someone very interested or curious

  • divinity

    Word

    the quality of being divine or godlike

  • straining

    Word

    the act of pulling something tight

  • skeletal

    Word

    relating to bones or a skeleton

  • pivot

    Word

    the central point or part that something turns around

  • come right

    Phrase

    to end well or be resolved successfully

  • sanded

    Word

    smoothed by rubbing with sandpaper

  • northward

    Word

    moving or pointing toward the north

  • ingenious

    Word

    very clever and original; showing inventiveness

  • taunt

    Word

    to insult or provoke someone with mocking remarks

  • elaborated

    Word

    to explain something in more detail

  • beaming

    Word

    smiling broadly and showing happiness or excitement

  • sizing

    Word

    a process that makes cloth stiffer and stronger by coating it with a special substance

  • Other Side

    Phrase

    the life or world believed to exist after death

  • camper

    Word

    a person who goes camping

  • stepson

    Word

    the son of your husband or wife from a previous relationship

  • go there

    Phrase

    used to say something that is bold, rude, or about a taboo topic

  • at rest

    Phrase

    dead, in a respectful way

  • brag

    Word

    to talk too proudly about your achievements, possessions, or abilities

  • rope out

    Phrase

    To become narrow and long like a rope, especially as a tornado weakens

  • behold

    Word

    to look at something with attention or wonder

  • seam

    Word

    the line where two pieces of cloth or other material are sewn together

  • calculating

    Word

    carefully planning what to do in a way that is often selfish or dishonest

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