Nova S31E13: English vocabulary

so clear or distinctive that it is impossible to mistake

able to be imagined or thought of

more able or skilled than someone or something else

an animal that does not have a backbone

a large piece of something, especially food or meat

shaped like an ellipse

a pile of work or tasks that have not been finished yet

so strong or clear that it settles a question or ends doubt

the state of being full or complete

a small hill

the ability to think of clever, original solutions

funny or unusual in a slightly odd way

giving out or handing out something, often quickly or generously

to make someone feel extreme fear

to make something seem to appear from nowhere, often by using imagination or magic

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

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

an advantage or starting position that helps you make progress

not likely to happen or be true

to crowd or gather closely together

relating to parasites or to living off another organism

to move in a circular or spiraling motion

thin and weak because it has too much water

to form an opinion or guess based on evidence

the practice of selling unpaid bills to get money before they are paid

extremely small; too small to see without a microscope

a person who is the first to find or notice something

to rise or grow very quickly in amount, size, or cost

to move or shake unsteadily from side to side

seeming reasonable or likely to be true

a soft-bodied animal, often with a shell, such as a snail, clam, or octopus

a soldier in the cavalry or another military unit

the act of removing weeds from a garden or other area

relating to the planet Mars or to imagined life there

difficult to find, catch, understand, or remember

a liquid used to dissolve another substance

an animal that has a backbone or spinal column

locked with a key

something that is extremely desirable but very hard to get

a symbol or idea of life, growth, and the connection between all living things

relating to planets

to a very great degree; extremely

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

a small lizard that can change color to match its surroundings

not necessary; able to be avoided

to make an exact copy of something or repeat an experiment or result

(of a place or situation) empty, cold, and without much hope or comfort

very unusual, unconventional, or extreme

in a way that is part of the basic nature of something

the act of sealing a hole or gap

something that is very hard to find or achieve

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 small organic compound that is used to build proteins

strange and a little unsettling, especially in a way that seems almost supernatural

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

the process of grinding grain into flour or other small particles

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

to practice using a rifle without ammunition

very much; extremely

a substance that gives color to paint, ink, or other materials

the use of several layers, especially in clothing

to make something more difficult or harder to understand

relating to the Earth or to things that live on it

common or widespread in a place or at a time

deeply involved in a difficult or troublesome situation

a bright streak of light in the sky caused by a small rock burning up in the atmosphere

a very small living thing made of one cell; some types can cause disease

to start a casual romantic or sexual relationship with someone

a feeling or guess based on intuition, not facts

to shock or surprise someone very much

a mammal in the group that includes monkeys, apes, and humans

used at the end of a sentence to check that someone is following or agrees

a small open pastry with a sweet or savory filling