| A | B |
|---|
| arid | adj: Lacking water; lifeless; unproductive due to lack of moisture Sent: Gardening in an _arid_ environment requires special knowledge of plants that require little rain. |
| caustic | adj: Capable of burning, dissolving, or corroding through chemical action; extremely critical in tone; bitter; sharp; incisive Sent: _Caustic_ solutions should be handled by experienced chemists not novice students. |
| conflagration | noun: A destructive fire Sent: Smokey the Bear appeared in public service campaigns in an effort to prevent _conflagrations_ in our forests. |
| deluge | noun: A great flood; a drenching rain; something that overwhelms as if by flood Sent: Noah was surprised by the _deluge_ of responses he received to his online dating profile. |
| diffuse | verb: To disseminate; to pour out and spread; to soften Sent: Avalon stood between her two angry sisters to _diffuse_ the argument but only made matters worse. |
| endemic | adj: Prevalent in or peculiar to a particular locality, region, or people Sent: Malaria is a disease that is _endemic_ to tropical areas. |
| erosion | noun: The process of eroding or wearing away Sent: Siena rallied her classmates for a demonstration against the _erosion_ being caused by runoff from the new processing plant on the hill. |
| fertile | adj: Bearing or producing abundant vegetation; highly or continuously productive; capable or reproducing Sent: Because its rich soil led to improved agriculture, ancient Mesopotamia is dubbed the _Fertile_ Crescent. |
| harvest | noun: The season for gathering ripened crops; the crop that is gathered; the result or consequence of any action Sent: Luke wanted to join his friends at the military academy in the fall, but his uncle needed him to stay one more season at the farm to help with the _harvest_. |
| inherent | adj: Instrinsic; existing as an essential characteristic; inborn Sent: Denizen was gifted with _inherent_ athletic ability, able to excel at sports with little practice. |
| membrane | noun: A thin pliable layer of material, especially one that lines or connects animal or vegetable tissue Sent: A _membrane_ is a critical part of cellular structure because it separates and protects a cell from external forces. |
| pervasive | adj: Extending a presence or influence throughout Sent: Even though the roses were planted in the backyard, their _pervasive_ scent filled the entire house. |
| quagmire | noun: A soft wet area of low-lying earth; a difficult or treacherous situation Sent: Torrential rain and poor drainage turned the soccer field into a _quagmire_. |
| radiate | verb: To send out rays or waves; to project in a glowing manner Sent: The sunflower received its name because of the way its yellow petals _radiate_ from its center like sunlight. |
| rarefied | adj: Extremely high or elevated; esoteric; belonging to or reserved for an exclusive group Sent: My bologna sandwich was rejected by Devani as too prosaic for her _rarefied_ tastes. |
| reflexive | adj: Without conscious control; responsive Sent: Because of his martial arts training, Kosan demonstrated a _reflexive_ response when I grabbed him from behind. As a result, I was on the ground with my face in the dirt. |
| saturate | verb: To soak or impregnate thoroughly; to fill to capacity Sent: The sky opened up, it started to pour, and John's clothes were _saturated_ before he made it home. |
| stagnant | adj: Not moving or changing; stale or dirty from standing Sent: Tim opened the windows of the beach house which had been closed all winter to let the _stagnant_ air out and the fresh air in. |
| surge | noun: A wavelike swelling or forward motion; a sudden or abrupt rush Sent: The powerful _surge_ of Hawaii's big waves knocked the unsuspecting Ashley into the sand. |
| viscous | adj: Having a relatively high resistance to flow; adhesive or sticky Sent: If the varnish is too _viscous_ to work with, you can thin it with turpentine. |
