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Lesson 18
Natural Wonders
 Anthesis
 Dictionary definition – (n) the flowering
period of a plant, from the opening of the
bud
 The anthesis of many plants occurs during
the late spring.
 Anthology
 Antho + legein (to gather)
 Dictionary definition – (n) a published
collection of poems or other pieces of
writing or music; literally, a “bouquet” or
“collection of flowers”
 I bought an anthology of short stories that
featured stories by my favorite writers.
 Chrysanthemum
 Chrys (yellow, gold) + antho
 Literal definition – yellow or gold flower
 Dictionary definition – (n) a popular plant from
the daisy family, having brightly-colored,
ornamental flowers and existing in a variety of
colors
 The bouquet of chrysanthemums sitting on the
desk looked lovely.
 Carnage
 Carn + age (state)
 Literal definition – state of flesh
 Dictionary definition – (n) the killing of a large
number of people
 Seeing the carnage of war deeply affected William
Golding and changed his whole philosophy about
human nature.
 Carnivore
 Carn + vor (eat)
 Literal definition – meat eater
 Dictionary definition – (n) an animal that
feeds on flesh
 Lions are carnivores and often feast on other
animals like gazelles and zebras.
 Reincarnation
 Re (back, again) + in (in, into) + carn + ation
(act of)
 Literal definition – act of back into flesh
 Dictionary definition – (n) the rebirth of the
soul in a new body
 Some religions believe in reincarnation.
 Defoliate
 De (down, away, from) + foli + ate (make,
cause)
 Literal definition – make leaves down
 Dictionary definition – (v) to remove the
leaves from a plant or tree, often using
chemicals; to lose leaves
 In the fall and winter, certain trees defoliate.
 Foliage
 Foli + age (state)
 Literal definition – state of leaves
 Dictionary definition – (n) plant leaves
 In the fall, people drive to the mountains to
see the pretty foliage.
 Portfolio
 Port (carry) + foli
 Literal definition – leaf carrier
 Dictionary definition – (n) a large, thin, flat case for
loose sheets of paper such as drawings or maps; a set of
pieces of creative work collected by someone to display
his or her skills; a range of investments held by a
person or a company
 When applying for art school, Wolfgang had to submit
a portfolio of his work.
 Herb
 Dictionary definition – (n) any plant with
leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring,
food, medicine, or perfumes
 Certain herbs like basil can enhance the
flavor of your food.
 Herbicide
 Herb + cid (kill)
 Literal definition – plant killer
 Dictionary definition – (n) a substance that
is poisonous to plants and vegetation
 When weeds start to grow in the yard, I go to
the store and buy herbicides to kill them.
 Herbivore
 Herb + vor (eat)
 Literal definition – plant eater
 Dictionary definition – an animal that feeds
on plants
 Many insects are herbivores and will destroy
your crops if you don’t treat your plants.
 Zodiac
 Zo + kuklos (circle)
 Literal definition – animal circle
 Dictionary definition – (n) a belt or “circle”
of the heavens, including positions of the
sun, moon, and most familiar planets. The
twelve equal parts are named for
constellations. The zodiac is used in
astrology.
 Zoo
 Dictionary definition – (n) an establishment
that maintains a collection of wild animals,
usually in a park or gardens for study,
observation, or public display
 Our trip to the zoo was both entertaining
and informative.
 Zoology
 Zo + logy (study of)
 Literal definition – study of animals
 Dictionary definition – (n) the scientific study of
animals, including their behavior, structure,
physiology, classification, and distribution
 In college, I took a course in zoology and learned
the difference between a biped and quadruped.