Nova S43E2: English vocabulary

to make something smaller, shorter, or more compact

relating to geology or to the Earth's structure and history

to change into a fossil over a very long time

to hide something in your hand, especially secretly

good enough for people to live in

to attract and hold someone's attention or interest strongly

the process that green plants use to make food from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide

to value something very highly

present or found almost everywhere

a thin layer of fine wood or another material used to cover a cheaper surface

a feeling of great surprise or amazement

a dog with curly fur that is often cut in a special style

able to damage or destroy materials or skin by chemical action

more able or skilled than someone or something else

to pass dry ingredients through a sieve to remove lumps or coarse bits

not alive

to impress someone very strongly, especially with beauty, skill, or style

a hard, dark volcanic rock

to breathe air out of your lungs

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

to make someone suddenly feel shocked or alarmed

making it hard to breathe because the air is hot, thick, or smoky

to cover a road, path, or area with stone, bricks, concrete, or asphalt

a pile of hay

the act of keeping horses in stables

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

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

a hard metallic element used in alloys and batteries

a device that throws objects by using a sudden release of force

empty, lonely, and bleak, often because no people are around

making a long, sharp s sound

the process of removing bones from meat or fish

a metal part that electricity enters or leaves through

extremely small; too small to see without a microscope

the process of combing and separating wool or other fibers

a hard mineral often used in jewelry and clocks

to change from a liquid into a gas

to move very slowly and carefully in a particular direction

not alive; dead

a liquid used to dissolve another substance

a very small spot or mark

melted by heat and in a liquid state

to form a clear picture of something in your mind

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

locked with a key

a green mineral used as a pigment in paint

covered with oil or grease

to help explain something or make it easier to understand

a strong-smelling gas used in making fertilizers and cleaning products

in a way that is complete and causes major change

not harmful or dangerous

to make someone very interested or curious

a ball of packed snow, often thrown in play

to copy the way something looks, sounds, or behaves

smoothed by rubbing with sandpaper

to guess or form an opinion about something without enough evidence

a gas or mist, especially one that comes from a liquid

to talk in a casual, lively way

a small organic compound that is used to build proteins

the set of rules that tells cells how to make proteins from DNA

a computer-based model that imitates a real process or situation

to suddenly put someone or something into a difficult situation or state

the act of people or things joining together as one

a game in which a player or side must reach five points before the other side does

a person whose job is to study rocks, the earth, and how they change over time

to move into position in a line or formation, especially in the military

the use of several layers, especially in clothing

a piece of rock or metal from space that lands on Earth

to make something more difficult or harder to understand

to land or settle lightly on something

the act of directing energy, money, or attention into something

visually attractive in a charming, old-fashioned, or unusual way

a raised mark or ridge on skin or on a surface, often caused by pressure or a blow

to understand something fully

a colorless, odorless gas that burns easily and is found in natural gas

all human beings considered together