Word of the Week

Week of 9/20/2010
concept –

part of speech: noun

an idea of how something is, or how something should be done
[It’s difficult to grasp the concept of infinite space.]

Word of the Week

Week of 9/27/2010
participate –

part of speech: verb

to take part in an activity or event
[Everyone in class is expected to participate actively in these discussions.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 10/4/2010
imply –

part of speech: verb

to suggest that something is true, without saying it directly
[She had not meant to imply that he was lying.]

Word of the Week

Week of 10/11/2010
coordinate –

part of speech: verb

to work or cause to work together smoothly
[The agencies are working together to coordinate a policy on food safety.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 10/18/2010
require –

part of speech: verb

if you are required to do or have something, a law or rule says you must do it
or have it
[You are required by law to wear a seat belt.]

Word of the Week

Week of 10/25/2010
specify –

part of speech: verb

to state something in an exact and detailed way
[The president did not specify a date for his visit to Peru.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 11/1/2010
concentrate –

part of speech: verb

to think very carefully about something that you are doing
[Be quiet. Let me concentrate on my homework, please.]

Word of the Week

Week of 11/8/2010
structure –

part of speech: noun

the way in which the parts of something are connected with each other and
form a whole, or the thing that these parts make up
[A human cell is a complicated structure.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 11/15/2010
previous –

part of speech: adjective

having happened or existed before the event, time, or thing that you are talking
about now
[The previous owner did not take very good care of the place.]

Word of the Week

Week of 11/29/2010
maximize –

part of speech: verb

to use something in a way that gives you the greatest practical value or the best
results
[The career center will help you maximize your opportunities.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 12/6/2010
design –

part of speech: 1. noun 2. verb

1. the way that something has been planned and made, including its
appearance, how it works etc; 2. to plan or develop something for a specific
purpose
[1. Some changes have been made to the computer's basic design. 2. The
book is designed as a reference manual.]

Word of the Week

Week of 12/13/2010
assist –

part of speech: verb

to help someone to do something
[Last year, Claudia assisted Ms Wolfe with distributing materials.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 1/10/2011
valid –

part of speech: adjective

a reason or argument that is based on what is reasonable or sensible
[Many people have raised perfectly valid concerns about starting school earlier.]

Word of the Week

Week of 1/17/2011
method –

part of speech: noun

a planned way of doing something, especially one that a lot of people know
about and use
[I think we should try the experiment again using a different method.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 1/24/2011
construct –

part of speech: verb

to form something such as a sentence, argument, or system by joining words,
ideas, etc together
[Many years ago, Vygotsky constructed a new theory in education.]

Word of the Week

Week of 1/31/2011
deduce –

part of speech: verb

to use the knowledge and information you have in order to understand
something or form an opinion about it
[Sherlock Holmes had to use different clues to deduce who committed the
crime.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 2/7/2011
define –

part of speech: verb

to explain exactly the meaning of a particular word or idea
[Every week we define a new word that you can learn through the Word of the
Week program.]

Word of the Week

Week of 2/14/2011
react –

part of speech: verb

to behave in a particular way or show a particular emotion because of
something that has happened or been said
[You have to react quickly to circumstances.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 2/21/2011
despite –

part of speech: preposition

used to say that something happens or is true even though something else
might have prevented it
[Despite our efforts to save our money, we did not quite have enough to buy
that house.]

Word of the Week

Week of 2/28/2011
feature –
part of speech: 1. noun 2. verb
1. a part of something that you notice because it seems important, interesting, or
typical; 2. to include or show something as a special or important part of something,
or to be included as an important part
[1. Air bags are a standard feature in most new cars. 2. The exhibition features paintings by
Picasso.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 3/7/2011
obtain –

part of speech: verb

to get something that you want, especially through your own effort, skill, or
work
[Further information can be obtained from the head office.]

Word of the Week

Week of 3/14/2011
document –

part of speech: 1. noun 2. verb

1. a piece of paper that has official information on it; 2. to support an opinion,
argument etc with recorded facts
[1. The Magna Carta is a Pre-Colonial era historical document. 2. The health
risks from smoking are well documented.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 3/21/2011
role –

part of speech: noun

the way in which someone or something is involved in an activity or situation,
and how much influence they have on it
[Scientists can also play a role in improving energy efficiency in their
laboratories.]

Word of the Week

Week of 3/28/2011
proceed –

part of speech: verb

to continue to do something that has already been planned or started
[Before proceeding further, we must define our terms.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 4/4/2011
section –

part of speech: noun

one of the parts that something such as an object or place is divided into
[Have you tried looking in the reference section of the library?]

Word of the Week

Week of 4/11/2011
environment –

part of speech: noun

1. the people and things that are around you in your life, for example the buildings you
use, the people you live or work with, and the general situation you are in; 2. the
natural features of a place, for example its weather, the type of land it has, an
[1. The silence of the library provided the perfect environment for studying. 2. It was a very
adaptable creature that will eat different foods in different environments.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 4/25/2011
acquire –

part of speech: verb

to get or gain something
[The college acquired a reputation for very high standards.]

Word of the Week

Week of 5/2/2011
identify –

part of speech: verb

to recognize and correctly name someone or something
[He waas too far away to be able to identify faces.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 5/9/2011
complex –

part of speech: adjective

consisting of many different parts and often difficult to understand
[Sometimes the ideas we are learning through the Words of the Week are very
complex.]

Word of the Week

Week of 5/16/2011
primary –

part of speech: adjective

most important
[Our primary concern is to provide the refugees with food and healthcare.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 5/23/2011
alternative –

part of speech: adjective

an alternative idea, plan etc is different from the one you have and can be used
instead
[You can take Victory Boulevard as an alternative route.]

Word of the Week

Week of 5/30/2011
text –

part of speech: noun

any written material
[One disk can store the equivalent of 500 pages of text.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 6/6/2011
involve –

part of speech: verb

to include or affect someone or something
[These changes will involve everyone at school.]

Word of the Week

Week of 6/13/2011
core –

part of speech: noun

the most important or central part of something
[The core of the book focuses on the period between 1660 and 1857.]
 Word of the Week
Week of 6/20/2011
holiday –

part of speech: noun

a time of rest from work, school etc
[Enjoy your holiday this summer. We'll see you next year!]