Nova S43E20: English vocabulary

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

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

more able or skilled than someone or something else

wet, muddy, and like a swamp

clear and bright, like crystal

present or felt everywhere in a place or among a group of people

to make a process or task happen faster

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

the ability to think of clever, original solutions

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

basic and not yet well developed

the act of keeping horses in stables

the practical details of something, especially the technical ones

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

to carry or drag something heavy with effort

the ability to do many different things well

a hard rock made of layers of mud and clay

the process in which a gas changes into a liquid

to move in a circular or spiraling motion

to make something less severe, harmful, or painful

having the qualities or style of the upper class; elegant and refined

in a way that involves chemistry or chemical reactions

extremely large

the process of combing and separating wool or other fibers

to push or drive something forward or in a particular direction

existing in large amounts; more than enough

absolutely necessary; needed for success or for something to work

a loud, harsh, high-pitched sound

a chemical compound containing chlorine

to dig up something that is buried or hidden

reacting quickly to a change or stimulus

the act of moving along without using power

to move quickly and repeatedly from side to side

a humorous phrase for surgery

to force an attack, person, or thing to move back or away

locked with a key

similar in character, type, or quality

a chemical element, symbol Mg, used in alloys and important for the body

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

deeply affected by something bad or upsetting

not harmful or dangerous

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

a person who takes part in the Olympic Games

to remove impurities from a substance

to treat someone in a cruel or insulting way

using statistics or based on statistical data

smoothed by rubbing with sandpaper

the act of sealing a hole or gap

a substance made of very large molecules, used especially in plastics

to organize something again in a new or better way

to give off a sound, smell, light, or gas

a magical spirit in stories, often said to live in a lamp or bottle and grant wishes

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

a device that changes the voltage of an alternating current

to talk in a casual, lively way

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

the life or world believed to exist after death

in a way that is useful or fits a plan or situation well

a soft, light metal used especially in batteries

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

in a very strong, forceful, or focused way

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

to move text automatically onto the next line when it reaches the end of a line

a place where important information is collected and decisions are made

slightly brown in color

moving quickly with light, springy steps

the glamour and excitement of a big city or show business

the use of several layers, especially in clothing

to make something more difficult or harder to understand

to end up in a situation by accident or because of circumstances

to land or settle lightly on something

happening one after another in order

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

to do something with full effort or confidence

thinking carefully about your own thoughts, feelings, or actions

to rest so you can feel energetic again