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Glossaries
[K-4] [5-8] [9-12]

K-4 Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Glossary WordDefinition
accident

something that happens suddenly and often causes people to get hurt

accuracy

made without mistakes

acid
a chemical compound that dissolves in water, tastes sour, and makes blue litmus paper turn red.  Strong acids can burn your skin. 
acid rain

rain that has acid in it because of air pollution 

action

a thing done

adapt

to change in order to fit new conditions

adaptation

a change that a living thing goes through so it fits better with its environment

aerodynamic
  1. designed with rounded edges so as to reduce wind drag and increase fuel efficiency
  2. made to move through the air very easily and quickly
aerodynamics

the science of the motion of gases (especially air) and their effects on objects

aeroelastic

a new design of a wing that is able to bend and stretch

aeronautics

the art or science of flight

aerospace

the science and technology of jet flight or space travel

Africa

the second largest continent, south of Europe between the Atlantic and Indian oceans

aileron

movable flaps on the wings of an airplane that are used to control the plane's rolling and banking movements

air pollution

things that hurt or make air dirty

air pressure
  1. how much air presses or pushes on anything
  2. the push of air
air traffic controller

someone who is allowed to give instructions to aircraft

aircraft
  1. any machine used for flying
  2. a vehicle that flies through the air
airline

a company that owns airplanes

airlock

a room in which air pressure may be changed

airport terminal

a place where aircraft load and unload passengers in an airport

alert

a warning of danger

allergy

a condition in which coughing, sneezing, or a rash develops when a person comes in contact with certain things

altitude

the height of something above the ground

aluminum

a light, silver colored metal

analog

using moving parts to show changing information

anchor

anything that keeps something steady or in place

anemic

not having enough iron in the blood

angle

the shape made by two straight lines that meet at one point

Antarctica

a continent around the South Pole

antenna

a wire that receives radio and television signals

antibiotics

a drug that kills bacteria and is used to cure infections and disease

approved

to agree and say that something is okay

area

the amount or size of a surface

artificial

made by a human being, not by nature; not natural

assembly line

a process in which the job of making a product is divided into many smaller jobs. Each worker assembles the same part on every item made. The workers stay in the same place while the items pass by on a moving belt or track.

asteroid
  1. a rocky space object that can be a few feet wide to several hundred miles wide. Most asteroids in our solar system orbit in a belt between Mars and Jupiter.
  2. one of the many small planets that move in orbits around the Sun. The asteroids orbit in an area between Mars and Jupiter.
asteroids

rocks that fly through space

astronaut
  1. a person who rides in a space vehicle
  2. a person trained to make spaceflights
  3. a person trained to travel and work in space
astronomer

someone who studies the stars, planets, and space

 

 

astronomy

the study of stars, planets, and space

atmosphere
  1. all the air around the Earth
  2. the gases around any planet
  3. the layer of gases that surrounds the Earth
atom

one of the tiny particles of which all things are made

atrophy

decrease in size or wasting away of a body part or tissue

automatic

moving or working by itself

autopilot

a system that flies a plane using a program instead of people

avalanche

a large mass of snow, ice, or earth that suddenly moves down the side of a mountain

aviation

the science, skill, or work of flying airplanes



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