1. abandon v. To leave; to give up
- To save their lives, the sailors had to abandon the sinking ship.
Parts of speech abandonment n
2. adversely adv. In a harmful way; negatively
- Excessive rainfall early in the spring can adversely affect the planting of crops.
Usage tips Adversely is often followed by affect.
Parts of speech adversity n, adverse adj
3. aggregate adj. Gathered into or amounting to a whole
- It is impossible to judge last year’s performance without knowing the aggregate sales numbers.
Usage tips Aggregate is often followed by a term like sum, total, or
numbers.
Parts of speech aggregate v, aggregate n
4. cultivation n. Preparing the land to grow crops; improvement for agricultural purposes
- With the development of land cultivation, hunters and gatherers were able to settle in one place.
Parts of speech cultivate v
5. fertilize v. To supply with nourishment for plants by adding helpful substances to the soil
- This farm fertilizes tomatoes more than any other crop.
Parts of speech fertilizer n, fertilization n
6. intensify v. To increase in power; to act with increased strength
- Jacob’s long absence intensified his certainty that he should marry Rose.
Parts of speech intensification n, intense adj
7. irrigation n. The supplying of water to dry land
- In dry areas of the country, you can see ditches all over the farmland for irrigation.
Parts of speech irrigate v
8. obtain v. To gain possession of; to get
- After a series of difficult interviews, he finally was able to obtain the job.
9. photosynthesis n. The process by which green plants make their own food by combining water, salts, and carbon dioxide in the presence of light.
- Oxygen is a by-product of the process of photosynthesis.
Parts of speech photosynthesize v
10. precipitation n. Water that falls to the Earth’s surface
- In the Pacific Northwest, the high level of precipitation ensures rich, green plant life.
- By placing sensors in earthquake-prone areas, scientists can anticipate some tremors in time to warn the public.
- The architect died in a catastrophic elevator accident.
- As usual, their holiday was ruined when their in-laws’ views on politics collided with their own.
- The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 caused 57 deaths and immeasurable change to the face of the mountain.
- The potato famine in Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century caused large numbers of Irish people to emigrate to America.
- The constant rain and poor drainage system caused a flood in town.
- The political party sent out a flood of letters criticizing their opponents.
- The speech about the importance of education made an impact on me.
- The hikers persevered despite the bad weather and the icy trail.
- He jumped off the diving board and plunged into the pool.
- The value of the company’s stock plunged after its chief executive was arrested.
- When they saw the strange man on their property, they unleashed their dogs.
- He is from such an unemotional family, he will never learn to unleash his feelings.