Nova S43E18: English vocabulary

the act of spreading things or people over a wide area

to cover something with a thin layer of gold

to make something hard, firm, or solid

to make a substance or place dirty or unsafe by adding harmful material

farthest inside; most deeply hidden

a person who makes, repairs, or sells jewelry

a gemstone with a milky look that can show flashes of color

looking like glass, especially because it is smooth, shiny, or clear

to put something firmly inside or into something else

a hard, silvery metal used in steel and other alloys

rough and likely to damage or wear something by rubbing

the quality of being strong and able to handle difficult conditions

clear and bright, like crystal

to collect or gather a large amount of something over time

a unit used for measuring the weight of gemstones and pearls, equal to 200 milligrams

to show or express a quality, idea, or feeling very clearly

a temporary frame of poles and boards used by workers to reach high parts of a building

a strong, often sudden attack or wave of something unpleasant

a hard substance found in rocks, sand, and quartz

to let saliva run from your mouth

to say that something is true, especially without proving it

the point at which nothing more can be added or absorbed

the scientific study of light and how it behaves

to make someone suddenly feel shocked or alarmed

to shine with a soft, wavering light

someone who knows a lot about a subject, especially art, food, or wine

a person or thing that is very similar to someone or something else

to move around in a busy, energetic way

to express something in a particular way

the time when someone or something is at its most successful or popular

relating to the movement and structure of the Earth's crust

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

written or marked lightly with a pencil

the ability to do many different things well

to put something inside or together with something else

the quality of being able to last a long time without wearing out or breaking

the quality of being hard or difficult to scratch, cut, or break

a soft black or gray mineral used in pencils and in making things like lubricants

one of the small flat surfaces on a cut gemstone

a clear division or split between two things

a person who carves wood, stone, or another material

in a way that involves chemistry or chemical reactions

the quality of being morally right and fair

extremely small; too small to see without a microscope

great intelligence, skill, or talent

the process of combing and separating wool or other fibers

without any color

existing in large amounts; more than enough

slightly green in color

a loud, harsh, high-pitched sound

a clear blue precious stone

to calculate a number or amount

to move goods secretly across a border or into a country illegally

a difference between two things that should match

the act of moving along without using power

locked with a key

a solid shape with flat sides, often used to split light into colors

to help explain something or make it easier to understand

Used to tell someone rudely to go away or stop bothering you

to fart

to make someone very interested or curious

to walk in a proud, showy way

extremely shocking, violent, or upsetting

smoothed by rubbing with sandpaper

making a deep, loud sound

a chemical element needed by the body in very small amounts

to shine with small flashes of light

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

the life or world believed to exist after death

without any mistakes or imperfections

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

to lift or raise something, especially with ropes, a crane, or other equipment

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

to attack someone in a drive-by shooting

moving quickly with light, springy steps

the act of putting things into a pile or piles