Radioactivity(noun)
the emission of ionizing radiation or particles caused by the spontaneous disintegration of atomic nuclei.
Each layer of ice in a core corresponds to a single year or sometimes even a single season and most everything that fell in the snow that year remains behind, including wind blown dust, ash, atmospheric gases, even radioactivity.
Raid(verb)
to attack in order to steal, destroy, or conquer.
Crows sometimes raid the nests and eat the eggs and the young of smaller birds.
with reference to troops bring or come together again so as to continue fighting.
In a last effort to regain control of Shiloh, the confederate troops rallied against the union soldiers in a three day raging battle.
Ramble(verb)
to move aimlessly from place to place; to explore idly.
NASA launches the first of two golf cart size rovers that will ramble across the rocky, red soil of Mars and drill for evidence that the Red Planet once had enough water to support life.
Ramshackle(noun)
appearing ready to collapse; carelessly or loosely constructed.
Both are lonely in their ramshackle surroundings and, over a series of gin rummy games, they become acquainted.
Range(noun)
the area of variation between limits on a particular scale: the car's outside my price range.
Flexibility is the ability to move joints freely through their full range of motion.
Rarity(noun)
the state or quality of being far beyond what is usual, normal, or customary.
If the inclusions are not visible to the naked eye, a higher clarity does not really improve the appearance of a diamond but rather the rarity and price.
Ratchet(verb)
to cause to move by steps or degrees - usually used with up or down.
Since Sept. 11, Beijing has ratcheted up its bluster against Xinxiang’s Uighur separatists.
Rate-slashing(adjective)
to reduce sharply
The Fed started its rate-slashing campaign in 2001, and by January 2002, the average interest rate on credit cards had fallen by more than 2 percentage points. But then they began a steady creep upward.
Ratio(noun)
the quantitative relation between two amounts showing the number of times one value contains or is contained within the other.
Mercury is the only body in the solar system known to have an orbital/rotational resonance with a ratio other than 1:1.
Raw(adjective)
uncooked; in its natural state, not processed.
The chlorophyll captures the light energy and uses this energy to build carbohydrates from simple raw materials (water, carbon dioxide and minerals).
Ravenous(adjective)
desiring or craving food.
Ladybugs, those polka-doted little beetles, have a ravenous appetite for aphids and other insects, which is why they can be used in place of insecticides in the citrus industry of California.
Reacquaint(verb)
to re-familiarize oneself with someone or something; to cause to know about or be aware of something or someone which was once familiar.
Page through the text and/or your notebook to reacquaint yourself with the important points.
Readily(adverb)
without hesitation, willingly; without difficulty, easily.
The developments in the music of Rhythm and Blues of the mid to late 1980's are readily apparent, especially the pervasive influence of hip-hop.
Reality(noun)
the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.
Cervantes's work, a keen critique of the literature of his time, presented the clash between reality and the ideals which Don Quixote sought to revive, and at the same time originated the theme of the clairvoyance of insanity.
Realize(verb)
become fully aware of as a fact; understand clearly.
Although they loved Vinland, they realized there would always be trouble living with the Indians.
Rear(verb)
to take care of and educate [a child].
The life cycle of insects is so short that many generations can be reared each year.
Recall(verb)
remember; cause one to remember or think of; officially order to return.
They cannot recall having made withdrawals from their bank account signed for in a strange handwriting.
Recede(verb)
move back or farther away; gradually diminish.
Fortunately, after three days of Sunshine and no rain, the floods from the American River receded back into its banks.
Receptor(noun)
a cell or group of cells that receive stimuli; sense organ.
Although the vibration receptor on the spider’s leg seems most sensitive to frequencies above 1,000 hertz, previous research had indicated that vibrations induced by trapped prey never exceeded that frequency.
Recipient(noun)
a person who receives something.
Modern city-states engage in instant electronic communication and capital transfer, and are the chief recipients of world population growth.
Reciprocity(noun)
the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit.
It is important that a relationship be friendly and express group reciprocity.
Recitation(noun)
musical declamation of the kind usual in the narrative and dialogue parts of opera and oratorio.
The program included songs and recitations of well-loved poems.
Reclaiming(verb)
retrieve or recover; bring (waste land or land formerly under water) under cultivation.
Until we can discover an inexpensive system for reclaiming sea water, we must all work together to make sure there is fresh clean water for the next generations.
Recombining(verb)
to put together again into one mass so that the constituent parts are more or less homogeneous.
By recombining the atoms of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in different combinations, the plant creates the different carbohydrates.
Reconstitute(verb)
to form or make up again or anew.
U.S. officials emphasized this was not evidence Iraq had a nuclear weapon -- but it was evidence the Iraqis concealed plans to reconstitute their nuclear program as soon as the world was no longer looking.
Recovered(verb)
return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength.
Therapists believe that the appropriate therapy involves the recovery of childhood abuse memories, through recovered memory therapy re-integration of alters into the dominant personality.
Rectangular(adjective)
a plane figure with four straight sides and four right angles, and with unequal adjacent sides.
Betsy Johnson lives in a humble three bedroom rectangular shaped house.
Recycled(adjective)
into reusable material; use again.
To save paper, one should consider buying books made only with recycled paper.
Redact(verb)
to put in writing; to select or adapt for publication.
Court documents related to the guardian's medical plan for J.D. are redacted and do not disclose when and where the young woman will be taken to give birth.
Redeem(verb)
to free from a lien by payment of an amount secured thereby; to remove the obligation of by payment.
By redeeming this debt early, we continue with our stated policy to further reduce the company's total debt position.
Reflexive(adjective)
acting or happening without apparent forethought, prompting, or planning.
Because the dogs’ salivation is reflexive, Pavlov decided to analyze how the dogs learned to associate the bell with being fed.
Reform(verb)
make changes in something in order to improve it; cause to abandon an immoral or criminal lifestyle.
In a short time, the reforms might well be a dynamic instability in the care and networking of patients with cardiovascular diseases.
Refract(verb)
to cause to move, especially at an angle; to bend.
Sound waves traveling upward may be refracted by the difference in temperature and redirected toward the ground.
Refrain from (verb)
stop oneself from doing something.
He refrained from hitting him back.
Regardless of (adverb)
despite the prevailing circumstances.
For example, some argue that regardless of any individual's desire to get married, the community as a whole should support official recognition of their right to do so.
Regenerate(verb)
re-grow new tissue; bring new and more vigorous life to an area or institution.
But Davis and Trier have found that mesoscale convective vortexes play a key role in helping storms regenerate over two or more days.
Regime(noun)
a government in power.
He said the European Union would extend its ban on visits by Myanmar officials, warning that further pressure would follow "unless the regime moves rapidly to restore civilian rule and democracy."
Regiment(noun)
a permanent unit of an army, typically divided into several smaller units and often into two battalions; a large number of people or things.
William Tecumseh Sherman, division commander, was quoted saying to reporters, "Take your regiment to Ohio. No enemy is nearer than Corinth."
Region(noun)
an area of a country or the world having definable characteristics but not always fixed boundaries; an administrative district of a city or country.
Arnold speculated that the Polar Regions might have areas that are permanently shadowed, hence permanently cold.
Regulatory(verb)
control or maintain the rate or speed of a machine or process; control or supervise by means of rules and regulations.
Some alters create new alters as needed. Others perform a system regulatory function; they determine which alter will be in charge at a given time.
Regurgitate(verb)
to throw or pour back or out from or as if from a cavity.
California condors are scavengers, eating dead animals and carcasses left by hunters.
Some condors will regurgitate their food if they feel threatened.
Rehabilitation(verb)
restore to health or normal life by training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction, or illness.
Cardiac rehabilitation professionals find themselves increasingly drawn into discussions about healthcare reform, particularly when it relates to cost containment.
Rehearse(verb)
to do or perform repeatedly so as to master.
The bride and the groom usually rehearse their wedding ceremony before the actual day of the wedding.
Relative(adjective)
considered in relation or in proportion to something else; existing or possessing a characteristic only in comparison to something else
The precise composition, and relative proportions of that dust and gas, holds clues to the materials and physical conditions present in the frigid outer regions of the solar system where comets are formed.
Remarkable(adjective)
extraordinary or striking.
Leopold was a successful composer and violinist and assistant concertmaster at the Salzburg court, whose archbishop, Sigismund von Schrattenbach, encouraged the activities of Leopold and his remarkable children.
Remedy(noun)
a medicine, application, or treatment that relieves or cures a disease.
So we wanted to see how it measured in its latest marketing claims as an anti-aging remedy for men in their 40s," says Conrad Earnest, PhD, of the Cooper Institute Centers for Integrative Health Research in Dallas.
Reminiscent of (adjective)
tending to remind one of something; absorbed in memories.
Going fishing by the lake last week was reminiscent of the times when I went fishing as a child.
Remnants(noun)
a small remaining quantity; a piece of cloth left when the greater part has been used or sold; a surviving trace.
Deep into the jungles of Guatemala are the remnants of a civilization which existed more than 1,000 years ago.
Remote(adjective)
far away in space or time; situated far from the main centers of population.
Death Valley, one of the remotest areas in California, boasts summertime temperatures which are among some of the hottest in the world.
Renaissance(noun)
the revival of art and literature under the influence of classical models in the 14th and 16thcenturies; a revival of or renewed interest in something.
Los trabajos is the best evidence not only of the survival of Greek novelistic themes but also of the survival of forms and ideas of the Spanish novel of the second Renaissance.
Render(verb)
to present a lifelike image of.
X-rays differentiate between bone and air, hence rendering the liver, the pancreas and certain other organs invisible.
Renowned(noun)
the state of being famous.
He quickly became renowned for his religious theme paintings which were popular with the art buying public.
Rent(verb)
to separate one part of a substance or object from another: tear; often used with apart.
The colossal impact must have nearly rent the young Earth apart.
Repercussion(noun)
a remote or indirect consequence of some action.
Another group doesn't want to risk repercussions while perhaps another group just doesn't care one way or the other.
Repetition(noun)
the action or an instance of repeating or being repeated; a thing that repeats another.
This would be a weight lifter performing multiple repetitions of a light weight.
Replete(adjective)
fully or abundantly provided or filled.
Gateway threw in a near library of primers for mastering the ins and outs of video editing. One, replete with colorful illustrations, shows you how to capture, create, and share movies.
Repulsion(noun)
the force with which bodies, particles, or like forces repel one another.
Einstein added a cosmological constant to his theory and that term represented a repulsion (pushing away) of every point in space by the surrounding points, acting against gravitational attraction.
Rescue(verb)
save from a dangerous or distressing situation.
The easiest way to rescue you is to not get into trouble in the first place.
Reservoir(noun)
a large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply; a place where fluid collects, especially in rock strata or in the body.
The water builds up behind the dam and spreads out to form an artificial lake or reservoir.
Residence(noun)
the fact of residing somewhere; the place where a person resides; a person's home.
His principal residence during the next several months was near Paris, France, just around the corner from the Luxembourg Gardens, where he spent much of his time; his written description of the gardens would later be revised for the closing of his novel
Sanctuary.
Resolve(verb)
settle or find a solution to; decide firmly on a course of action.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United States resolved to enter War.
Resonance(noun)
the quality of being resonant; physics: the reinforcement or prolongation of sound by reflection or synchronous vibration.
It is now known that Mercury rotates three times in two of its years. Mercury is the only body in the solar system known to have an orbital/rotational resonance with a ratio other than 1:1.
Respectively(adverb)
separately or individually and in the order already mentioned.
Authors Jones and Dewey are respectively touted as prominent west coast and east coast psychics.
Respiration(noun)
the action of breathing; a single breath.
Warm ups prepare your body for the exercise ahead by increasing heart rate and respiration, and thus supplying energy (heat, oxygen) to the cells.
Resume(verb)
begin again or continue after a pause or interruption.
At that point the Sun would stop, briefly reverse course, and stop again before resuming its path toward the horizon and decreasing in apparent size.
Retain(verb)
continue to have; keep possession of; absorb and continue to hold.
In-marriage also has the effect of retaining property within family lines, especially where women are allowed to inherit.
Retard(adjective)
less advanced in mental, physical, or social development than is usual for one's age.
Binet was commissioned by the government in France to make recommendations about how to educate retarded children.
Retinue(noun)
a group of advisers or assistants accompanying an important person.
In 1569 he went to Italy as part of Cardenal Acquaviva's retinue and after signing up as a soldier in 1570 fought in the battle of Lepanto aboard the galley Marquesa.
Retrieve(verb)
get or bring back.
The long cylinders of ancient ice that they retrieve provide a dazzlingly detailed record of what was happening in the world over the past several ice ages.
Revenue(adjective)
relating to the total income produced by a given source.
Resellers intent on building a steady revenue stream continue to fill backrooms with assembly tools, components and test gear to turn out house-branded computer equipment.
Revere (verb)
respect or admire deeply.
He continued to be revered after his death from a fall while painting in 1682.
Reverse(verb)
move backwards; make something the opposite of what it was.
It would seem socially unacceptable if the phrases above were reversed.
Revise(verb)
examine and improve or amend text; reconsider and alter an opinion or judgment.
A brief description of the invention, planning and drafting, middle draft peer review, final draft, and revised final draft stages will be explained by various students whom I have asked to speak today.
Revitalize(verb)
to give new life or vigor to.
Natural flooding of rivers revitalizes the habitats of many plants and animals and enriches soils for planting.
Rigid(adjective)
incapable of changing or being modified.
Intense heat changes the nature of clay so that it becomes stony and rigid.
Rigorous(adjective)
not deviating from correctness, accuracy, or completeness.
The standards of validity for experimental research are so rigorous that it may take a researcher several years to get his results published in a scholarly journal.
Rim(noun)
the upper or outer edge of something more or less circular.
The bicyclists raced around the southern rim of the Grand Canyon
Rip(verb)
to separate or pull apart by force.
To fully exterminate an ant colony, the must be located and treated—and in some cases, walls must be ripped open.
Ripple(noun)
a small wave or series of waves; a gentle rising and falling sound that spreads through a group of people.
Muscular contractions cause a ripple-like movement that carries the contents down the small intestine - somewhat like a conveyor belt.
Risk(noun)
a situation involving exposure to danger.
Another group doesn't want to risk repercussions while perhaps another group just doesn't care one way or the other.
Ritual(noun)
a religious or solemn ceremony involving a series of actions performed according to a set order.
There are seven sacraments or rituals in the Catholic Church.
Rivet(noun)
a headed pin or bolt used for uniting two or more pieces by passing the shank through a hole in each piece and then beating or pressing down the other end to make a second head.
Second only to iron and steel, aluminum is used in the construction of lawn chairs, baseball bats, air and space vehicles, and even the rivets that hold them together.
Root(noun)
a rhizome; a plant on to which another variety is grafted.
Born in Atlanta on January 15, 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King's roots were formed in the African-American Baptist church.
Rotate(verb)
move in a circle round an axis
It is now known that Mercury rotates three times in two of its years.
Rotation(noun)
the actionor process of rotating.
The Moon's axis of rotation is nearly perpendicular to the plane of its orbit around the Sun, so the Sun always appears at or near the horizon in the polar regions of the Moon.
Rough(adjective)
having an uneven or irregular surface, not smooth or level; approximate.
While these data are at best rough estimates, there is one certainty we spent only a tiny percentage of the $800 billion on prevention.
Route(noun)
a way or course taken in getting from a starting point to a destination.
Grapevine Canyon is one of the three eastern exit routes from Death Valley, and the location of Scotty's Castle.
Routine(noun)
a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed unvarying program.
This is important in sports such as track and field and football, as well as routine activities such as lifting groceries or moving furniture.
Rubbish(noun)
waste material; refuse or litter.
It lays its eggs in rubbish heaps, rotting trees trunks, sawdust, and other vegetative matter.
Rubble(noun)
broken fragments, especially of a building.
During the San Francisco earthquake at the beginning of the 20th century, many buildings were reduced to nothing more but a pile of rubble.
Rudimentary(adjective)
involving or limited to basic principles.
To show why the chimpanzees signaling system is not homologous to human language, Zachary says that chimpanzees require massive regimented teaching sequences contrived by humans to acquire quite rudimentary abilities.
Rule out(verb)
to keep from being admitted, included, or considered.
Eventually, experimental tests by Army Majors William Gorgas and Walter Reed ruled out dirt and poor sanitation conditions as causes of Yellow Fever, and a mosquito was the suspected carrier.
Run(verb)
to do in a formal manner or according to prescribed ritual: do.
Picking up on Safronov's general ideas, Hartmann and Davis ran calculations of the rate of growth of the 2nd-largest, 3rd largest, etc., bodies in the general vicinity of Earth, as the Earth itself was growing.
Runoff(noun)
the portion of precipitation on land that ultimately reaches streams often with dissolved or suspended material.
The ground is completely saturated, so everything is runoff. We could have flash floods just about any time.
Rural(adjective)
relating to or characteristic of the countryside rather than the town.
Marriage patterns in rural Turkey are noticeably influenced by endogamous preferences within both villages and kinship groups.
Rush(verb)
move or act with urgent haste; transport or produce with urgent haste.
In the mid-1870s, gold was discovered, and press reports brought a rush of prospectors.
Rustle(verb)
to act or move with energy or speed; to forage food.
The big ears of a bat detect the returning echoes, as well as the sounds of prey, such as
insects rustling in the leaves.
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