Glossary
Our glossary defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. Glossary words are appear in bold in our resources.
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a as in ape
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ä as in car
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e as in me
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i as in ice
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o as in go
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ô as in for
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u as in use
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ü as in fur
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oo as in tool
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ng as in sting
B
bryophyte
(brī ə fīt): Any of a division (Bryophyta) of nonflowering plants comprising the mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.
burrow
(bər ō): A hole in the ground made by an animal for shelter or protection.
(bər ō): Underground tunnels built by prairie dogs for shelter and protection.
bushmeat
(bu̇sh mēt): Meat obtained by hunting wild animals.
C
caldera
(kal der ə): A volcanic crater that has a diameter many times that of the vent and is formed by collapse of the central part of a volcano or by explosions of extraordinary violence.
calipers
(ka lә pәrs): A measuring tool with two legs that can be moved to measure how big or thick something is.
canker
(kang kür): An open sore.
canopy
(ka nə pē): A protective covering: such as, the uppermost spreading branchy layer of a forest.
canopy cover
(ka nə pē kə vər): The layer of tree leaves, branches, and stems that provide tree coverage of the ground when viewed from above.
carbohydrate
(kär bō hī drāt): Any of various compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (as sugars, starches, or celluloses) most of which are formed by plants and are a major animal food.
carbon
(kar bun): A chemical element present in all life forms.
carbon dioxide
(kär bǝn dī äk sīd): A heavy colorless gas that is formed especially by the burning and breaking down of organic substances (as in animal respiration), is absorbed from the air by plants in photosynthesis, and has many industrial uses.
carbon dioxide equivalent
(kär bun di ox id e kwiv uh lent): A quantity that describes, for a given greenhouse gas, the amount of
carbon dioxide that would have the same global warming potential when measured over a specific time period.
carcass
(kär kəs): A dead body.
carnivorous
(kär ni vǝ rǝs): Feeding on animal tissues.
carrion
(ker ē ǝn): Dead and decaying flesh.
case study
(kās stǝ dē): A particular event or story that is studied or analyzed as a learning tool.
caste
(kast): A specialized form (such as the worker of an ant or bee) of a social insect that carries out a particular function in the colony.
catchment
(kach mənt): (1) A small watershed; (2) Something that catches water.
category
(ka tǝ gȯr ē): One of the divisions or groupings used in a system of classification.
cavity
(ka vǝ tē): An unfilled space within a mass, especially a hollowed-out space.