Nova S46E23: English vocabulary

to exist or happen before something else

a simple living thing that grows as a flat, crusty, or leafy patch on rocks, trees, or walls

to hide something in your hand, especially secretly

to attract and hold someone's attention or interest strongly

an effect or consequence, especially one that happens later and is not wanted

the area between a person's legs where the legs join the body

the quality of being useful and easy to use in real life

to introduce something again after it has been absent or unused

a large wild animal like a reindeer that lives in northern North America

a lucky result that seems unlikely or accidental

similar in some important ways

to fall or drop very quickly and suddenly

more able or skilled than someone or something else

an animal that eats meat

a small mammal with a hard shell of bony plates that rolls into a ball when threatened

able to change easily to fit new conditions or situations

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

a small pale insect that lives in large colonies and eats wood

to pass urine from the body

a place where birds rest or sleep

to destroy or kill something completely

to make a process or task happen faster

not noticing or not paying attention to what is happening around you

full of longing or sadness for someone or something

a ghost or spirit, especially in stories or jokes

a wide area of grassland in a tropical or subtropical region with few trees

depending on someone or something for help or support

to make someone suddenly feel shocked or alarmed

calm and peaceful, with no noise or trouble

a friendly dog breed with a short, thick coat

a dog bred to find and bring back game

a person who catches wild animals with traps, especially for fur

in a thin layer or with little thickness

the hunting of whales for meat, oil, or other products

a pile of hay

causing harm or damage

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

to eat something in a noisy or casual way

a large wild cat from the Americas

no longer valid because it has expired or was not renewed

kissing and touching someone in a sexual way

a small mistake or failure in concentration, memory, or judgment

so useful or valuable that you could not manage without it

the hard foot of an animal such as a horse, deer, or cow

a soft, wet, pulpy mass

moving gently against something with a soft, light sound

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

existing in large amounts; more than enough

the dead body of an animal

a piece of clothing with trousers and a bib front, worn over a shirt for work or casual wear

a group within a species, usually with small but stable differences

to search for food or supplies in the wild

an animal that eats dead animals or leftover food

difficult to find, catch, understand, or remember

usually; in the normal way

the act of moving along without using power

locked with a key

covered with leaves or having many leaves

to light something up or make it brighter

something that is extremely desirable but very hard to get

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

to help explain something or make it easier to understand

to make someone very interested or curious

the act of following someone closely in order to watch them or spy on them

moving or walking with quick, light steps

a gray-brown North American animal with a black face mask and a ringed tail

smoothed by rubbing with sandpaper

a drug used to stop pain or make someone unconscious during a medical procedure

something that is very hard to find or achieve

a large wild cat from the Americas, also called a mountain lion or puma

a small antelope that runs very fast and lives in Africa and Asia

to change the shape of something so it looks twisted or unclear

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

to fall forward and land face first

a scientist who studies sea life

to divide land, money, power, or other things among people, often in a rough or unfair way