| longhorn |
a breed of cattle with very long horns. Longhorns were once raised in the southwestern United States for their meat but are now rare. |
| mammoth |
a very large extinct mammal closely related to elephants. Mammoths were much bigger than elephants, and had shaggy black fur and long tusks that curved upward. Several kinds of mammoths lived in the Northern Hemisphere until the end of the last Ice Age. [1/2 definitions] |
| moccasin |
a soft leather shoe or slipper without a heel. Moccasins were first made and worn by American Indians. |
| mountain range |
a group of connected mountains that were formed during the same time period. |
| musket |
a heavy gun with a long barrel. Muskets were carried on the shoulder. They were used over three hundred years ago, before rifles were invented. |
| muzzle |
the open end of the barrel of a gun. A bullet is shot out of a gun through the muzzle. Old rifles were loaded through the muzzle. [1/6 definitions] |
| Negro leagues |
former U.S. baseball leagues in which all players were Black. The Negro leagues were at their peak from the 1920s to the early 1950s. In the late 1940s, Black players began to be asked to join the U.S. major leagues and eventually the Negro leagues disappeared. |
| Pekingese |
a small breed of dog with short legs and long, silky, light brown hair. Pekingese were first bred in China. |
| pillory |
a wooden structure that had holes for holding a person's head and hands. Pillories were used in early America to punish people who had broken the law by having them displayed in this way and be laughed at by the public. |
| pterodactyl |
a flying reptile that lived at the same time as dinosaurs. Pterodactyls had wings covered with skin. Some were huge and glided over the oceans and caught fish. They became extinct over sixty-five million years ago. |
| pyramid |
a huge stone structure that is shaped like a pyramid. Pyramids were built long ago as tombs in Egypt and as temples in Mexico. [1/3 definitions] |
| recall |
to have products returned to the factory where they were made. Companies recall a product if it is found to be dangerous or damaged in some way. [1/4 definitions] |
| receipt |
a piece of paper showing that money or things were received. [1/3 definitions] |
| saber-toothed tiger |
a large wild cat with very long teeth curving from its upper jaw. Saber-toothed tigers were carnivores that hunted the young of mammoths and other large animals. The last kinds of saber-toothed tigers became extinct over ten thousand years ago. Modern tigers are not related to saber-toothed tigers. |
| screen saver |
a small program that takes over a computer's screen if it has not been used for a set length of time. Screen savers were first used to prevent computer screens from being damaged, but now they are mainly used for decoration. |
| serf |
a person in earlier times who was like a slave. Serfs had to stay on the property where they worked and lived. If the land was sold, they were sold along with it. |
| stagecoach |
a large coach with four wheels pulled by a team of horses. Stagecoaches were used in the past to carry passengers, mail, and goods. |
| Stone Age |
the stage of human culture when stone tools and weapons were made and used. The Stone Age dates from about two million B.C. to about 3,500 B.C. |
| stud1 |
a nail with a rounded knob or head that sticks out. Studs were once used as protective devices attached to weapons or armor and are now used to decorate clothing and furniture. [1/5 definitions] |
| tepee |
a tent shaped like a cone and made with skins or bark. Tepees were used by some North American Indian peoples who lived on the plains. |
| terrier |
any of several breeds of dogs. Terriers are small, lively dogs that were originally bred to drive animals from their holes. |