| ape |
a mammal in the group of primates, which includes chimpanzees, gibbons, gorillas, and orangutans. Apes do not have tails. They have very flexible hands and feet. Apes range in size from three to six feet tall, and they can weigh up to 450 pounds. Apes live in the forests in Africa and Asia. [1/2 definitions] |
| armadillo |
a mammal whose body is protected by hard, bony plates. Armadillos live in Central and South America, and the southern United States. Some kinds of armadillos are only six inches long; other kinds grow up to four feet in length. They eat mostly insects and are related to sloths and anteaters. |
| beaver1 |
a large rodent, up to four feet long, with thick brown fur and a wide flat tail. Beavers use their long front teeth to cut down trees for food and to build dams and lodges (beaver houses). They use the dams to keep water around their lodges. Beavers live in North America, Europe, and Asia. |
| blue whale |
a mammal that lives in the ocean. Blue whales are the largest kind of animal that has ever lived. They can grow up to 100 feet long and weigh up to 150 tons. Their large mouths have baleen instead of teeth. Blue whales use baleen to filter lots of very small food such as shrimp from ocean water. |
| bow1 |
to give up to or submit. [1/3 definitions] |
| bracket |
to group together. [1/5 definitions] |
| brush up on |
to bring up to date or review. |
| camp1 |
an outdoor area where tents or rough shelters are set up to live in or sleep in for a time. [1/5 definitions] |
| catch up |
to reach or come up to from behind and next to (usually followed by "to" or "with"). [1/2 definitions] |
| clown |
an actor who wears odd clothes and makeup to make people laugh. Clowns act out jokes and do tricks in circuses, at parties, and at other events. [1/3 definitions] |
| confront |
to meet, face, or stand up to boldly. |
| doorstep |
a step or series of steps leading up to an outside door. |
| elevate |
to raise or lift up to a higher physical position. |
| enlist |
to sign up to serve in the military or in some cause. [1/2 definitions] |
| excursion |
a group tour taken for pleasure, often at a lower fare. [1/2 definitions] |
| face to face |
very close to; right up to; in person. |
| gibbon |
a kind of primate that lives in Asian rain forests. Gibbons are small apes that can weigh up to twenty-five pounds. They have long arms and can swing quickly through trees. All kinds of gibbons are endangered. |
| giraffe |
a mammal with a very long neck, long legs, and hooves. Giraffes have short horns covered with fur. They live in Africa and eat the tops of trees. Male giraffes can be up to eighteen feet tall. They are the tallest animal that lives on land. |
| hatchback |
a kind of car in which a back panel is lifted up to open the rear storage area. |
| hero |
a person who is brave, good, and often looked up to by others. [1/2 definitions] |
| heroine |
a woman who is looked up to for her good character or fine actions. [1/2 definitions] |