| abduct |
to carry off or lead away by force; kidnap. |
| abroad |
in or to a country that is not one's own. |
| acronym |
a word formed by putting together the first letters or parts of a series of words in a longer phrase. |
| adolescence |
the period in a person's life between childhood and adulthood. |
| carat |
a unit of weight for diamonds and other gems, equal to one-fifth of a gram. |
| clammy |
unpleasantly moist, cool, and sticky. |
| claustrophobia |
an abnormal fear of being in closed or confined places. |
| concordance |
an alphabetical index of all the main words in a book or in the entire work of an author, listing the contexts in which each word occurs and giving page references for each occurrence. |
| convention |
a formal meeting or gathering where people discuss shared interests. |
| decree |
an official order or decision by a ruler or government. |
| graceless |
inappropriate or socially awkward. |
| jubilee |
a particularly celebrated anniversary, such as the fiftieth, or the celebration itself. |
| mortality |
the quality or state of being destined to die. |
| plumb |
to examine closely. |
| propel |
to cause to move forward; thrust, push, or drive. |