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aardvark |
a large mammal with a long snout, long ears, a long tail, and with long fur mostly around its legs. Aardvarks are active at night, when they use their powerful claws to dig open ant or termite nests. They catch their food with their long, sticky tongue. Aardvarks live in southern and central Africa. Although they are sometimes called anteaters, aardvarks are not closely related to any other kind of mammal. |
abdomen |
Your abdomen is the part of your body between your chest and your hips. Your abdomen contains your stomach and the other parts of your body that help you digest your food. [1/2 definitions] |
adequate |
If something is adequate, it is enough. If there is adequate food in the refrigerator, there is enough food. Nobody has to buy more food. If crops get adequate rain, they get enough rain. They don't need more rain than they get. [1/2 definitions] |
Afghanistan |
Afghanistan is a country in Asia. It is in an area of the world called the Middle East. It is a country with many mountains, but other parts of the country are low and dry. Soccer is one of the favorite sports in Afghanistan, and rice with raisins and cooked carrots is a popular food. |
alfalfa |
a plant with purple flowers that is grown as food for cattle and horses. Alfalfa is a member of the legume family of plants. |
alga |
"Alga" is the singular form of the word "algae." Algae are living things that live mainly in water and make their food by using light from the sun. Algae are similar to plants, but they are not usually considered to be plants because they are different in some ways. For example, algae don't have roots and leaves like plants do. Most forms of algae are very helpful for animals and people. Seaweed is a kind of algae, which many people eat and can also be used in making other things. Fish and other water animals use algae for food. |
algae |
organisms that live mainly in the water and make their food through photosynthesis. Algae are different from plants in that they have no true leaves, roots, or stems. Seaweeds are one form of algae, but there are many others, including a large number that cannot be seen without a microscope. "Algae" is the plural form of the word "alga." |
alimentary canal |
the tube in the body through which food travels as it is digested. The alimentary canal goes from the mouth to the anus, and includes the esophagus, the stomach, and the small and large intestines. |
allergic |
When you are allergic to something, like a plant or a food, it does something bad to your body when you eat it or touch it or have some other contact with it. |
allergy |
When you have an allergy to something like a plant or food, something bad happens to your body when you touch it or eat it or have some other contact with it. An allergy can make you sneeze, itch, cough, or make it hard for you to breathe. |
almond |
the hard oval seed of this tree that is like a nut and eaten as food. [1/3 definitions] |
amoeba |
a tiny living thing made of only one cell. Amoebas move by changing their shape. They eat by wrapping their bodies around their food. Amoebas live in fresh and salt water, soil, and in animals. Most kinds of amoebas can only be seen through a microscope. |
anchovy |
a small fish that is related to the herring and is used for food. Anchovies are found mostly in warm ocean waters. |
animal |
one of a large group of living things that can move around by themselves to find food. Animals eat plants, funguses, or other animals. Birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians, mammals, insects, snails, and worms are some of the major kinds of animals. [1/2 definitions] |
antenna |
An antenna is a long, thin thing that sticks out from the head of insects and some kinds of sea animals. Each insect or sea animal has two of them. Butterflies, beetles, grasshoppers, crabs, and lobsters are some animals that have antennas. Animals with antennas use them to feel and to smell. Antennas help them find things like food and also each other! [1/2 definitions] |
appetizer |
a small amount of food served before the main course of a meal. |
applesauce |
Applesauce is a soft, sweet food made by cooking apples until they are very soft. |
bacteria |
microscopic organisms that often play a role in the decay of living things, the process of fermentation, and sometimes in causing disease. Bacteria are each made up of only one cell, but different kinds of bacteria can take different shapes. These organisms live in all parts of the earth including oceans, deserts, glaciers, hot springs, and in the bodies of most living things. While some kinds of bacteria are dangerous, most kinds are useful because they help in the digestion of food, in the making of soil, in the creation of medicines, and in many other natural processes. |
bacterium |
A bacterium is a single bit or type of "bacteria." Bacteria are very, very small living things made up of one cell each. Bacteria live in most living things and in all parts of the earth. Most bacteria are useful to people. They are important in making soil and helping people to digest food, for example. Some bacteria are harmful, though, and cause disease. |
bad |
When food is bad, it is not OK to eat it. You could get sick. [1/8 definitions] |
bait |
food used to attract and catch fish or animals. [1/4 definitions] |
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