Episode vocabulary

Nova S38E13: English vocabulary

Season 38, Episode 13Documentary

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 S38E13 poster

100 entries

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  • tantalize

    Word

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

  • spectroscope

    Word

    an instrument used to study the colors in light from a source

  • pockmarked

    Word

    covered with small pits or holes

  • careen

    Word

    to move fast in an uncontrolled way, often while turning or swerving

  • basaltic

    Word

    relating to basalt or made of basalt

  • liquefy

    Word

    to make a solid substance become liquid

  • crevasse

    Word

    a deep, narrow crack in ice or rock

  • skyward

    Word

    toward the sky

  • cannoned

    Word

    to hit or move into something with sudden force

  • punctuate

    Word

    to add punctuation marks to a piece of writing

  • scrutinize

    Word

    to examine something very carefully

  • marvelously

    Word

    in a wonderful or excellent way

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  • inky

    Word

    dark blue or black, like ink

  • sublimation

    Word

    the process in which a solid changes directly into a gas without becoming a liquid

  • spectroscopic

    Word

    relating to spectroscopic analysis or using a spectroscope

  • glisten

    Word

    to shine with a soft, reflected light

  • underfoot

    Word

    on or across the ground, especially so that it may be stepped on

  • cataclysmic

    Word

    causing or involving sudden great damage or suffering

  • coalesce

    Word

    to come together and form one thing or group

  • vaporize

    Word

    to change a liquid or solid into a gas

  • kea

    Word

    a large New Zealand parrot with a reputation for curiosity and intelligence

  • ellipse

    Word

    an oval shape, like a stretched circle

  • oxidize

    Word

    to combine with oxygen, or to cause a substance to do this

  • frigid

    Word

    very cold

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  • inhospitable

    Word

    harsh, empty, or difficult to live in

  • scurry

    Word

    to move quickly with short, hurried steps

  • mooned

    Word

    to show your bare buttocks to someone as a joke or insult

  • outermost

    Word

    farthest from the center or inside

  • audacious

    Word

    showing a willingness to take bold risks

  • noxious

    Word

    harmful, poisonous, or unpleasant to breathe, eat, or touch

  • precondition

    Word

    something that must happen or be done before something else can begin

  • twittering

    Word

    the soft, repeated sound birds make

  • compacted

    Word

    to press something so that it becomes smaller and tighter

  • spew

    Word

    to send out or throw out quickly and forcefully

  • geyser

    Word

    a hot spring that sends hot water and steam up into the air at intervals

  • condense

    Word

    to make something smaller, shorter, or more compact

  • microorganism

    Word

    a very tiny living thing that can only be seen with a microscope

  • etch

    Word

    to cut or mark a design into a hard surface, often with acid or a sharp tool

  • overhang

    Word

    a part of a building or other structure that sticks out over something below

  • habitable

    Word

    good enough for people to live in

  • clouding

    Word

    the act or process of becoming less clear or transparent

  • telltale

    Word

    showing that something is present or true, often in a way that is not obvious

  • shrouded

    Word

    covered or hidden so that you cannot see it clearly

  • theorize

    Word

    to suggest an explanation for something based on limited evidence

  • poling

    Word

    the act of moving a boat by pushing a pole against the bottom of the water

  • embryonic

    Word

    relating to the early stages of development

  • hydrocarbon

    Word

    a compound made only of hydrogen and carbon, found in fuels like oil and natural gas

  • fissure

    Word

    a long, narrow crack or opening in rock, earth, or another surface

  • exploratory

    Word

    involving exploration, testing, or investigation

  • smudge

    Word

    a dirty mark or smear

  • plummet

    Word

    to fall or drop very quickly and suddenly

  • corrosive

    Word

    able to damage or destroy materials or skin by chemical action

  • negligible

    Word

    so small or unimportant that it does not matter much

  • abler

    Word

    more able or skilled than someone or something else

  • dryness

    Word

    the state of being dry

  • bombard

    Word

    to attack a place with bombs or shells

  • slighting

    Word

    showing disrespect or contempt

  • pining

    Word

    full of longing or sadness for someone or something

  • conclusive

    Word

    so strong or clear that it settles a question or ends doubt

  • swoop

    Word

    to move quickly down through the air

  • fahrenheit

    Word

    the Fahrenheit temperature scale, where water freezes at 32° and boils at 212°

  • shank

    Word

    the lower part of the leg, especially between the knee and the ankle

  • blanketing

    Word

    covering something completely, especially with a layer of snow, smoke, or other material

  • treacherous

    Word

    dangerous because it may cause harm or trouble

  • billiards

    Word

    a game played on a table with balls and a cue, usually with pockets

  • hundredth

    Word

    number 100 in a sequence

  • creak

    Word

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

  • spire

    Word

    a tall, narrow pointed part on top of a building, especially a church tower

  • starlight

    Word

    the light that comes from stars

  • armada

    Word

    a large group of ships, planes, or other vehicles moving together

  • evener

    Word

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

  • microbe

    Word

    a very small living thing, such as a bacterium or virus

  • foothold

    Word

    an advantage or starting position that helps you make progress

  • nebula

    Word

    a cloud of gas and dust in space

  • voyager

    Word

    a person who travels a long way, especially by sea or in space

  • yielding

    Word

    willing to give in, agree, or be flexible

  • jagged

    Word

    having a rough edge made of sharp points or uneven lines

  • swirl

    Word

    to move in a circular or spiraling motion

  • translucent

    Word

    letting light through but not clear details; partly transparent

  • ghostly

    Word

    looking pale, strange, or unreal, like a ghost

  • groan

    Word

    to make a deep sound because of pain, sadness, or tiredness

  • plume

    Word

    a long, soft feather, or a bunch of feathers used for decoration

  • unmanned

    Word

    operated by remote control or automatically, without a person on board

  • acidic

    Word

    having a sour taste or the chemical properties of an acid

  • arsenic

    Word

    a poisonous chemical element

  • projectile

    Word

    an object that is thrown or fired through the air

  • microscopic

    Word

    extremely small; too small to see without a microscope

  • furthest

    Word

    farthest away in space or time

  • flammable

    Word

    likely to catch fire easily

  • martian

    Word

    relating to the planet Mars or to imagined life there

  • dormant

    Word

    not active or growing for a period of time

  • radiate

    Word

    to send out light, heat, or energy

  • evaporate

    Word

    to change from a liquid into a gas

  • outset

    Word

    the beginning of something

  • inched

    Word

    to move very slowly and carefully in a particular direction

  • lifeless

    Word

    not alive; dead

  • springing

    Word

    moving with quick, light jumps

  • molten

    Word

    melted by heat and in a liquid state

  • flask

    Word

    a small container with a narrow neck, used for holding liquids

  • clump

    Word

    a small, tight group or mass of things

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