"Rainforest: The Most Precious Environment on Earth”

Amanda L. (United States of America)
18 words 9 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. howler
    monkey of tropical South American forests having a loud howling cry
    ...we are awoken by the raucous echoing call of a troop of howler monkeys.
  2. venture
    proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
    Dawn is breaking as we venture along a trail through the primary rainforest.
  3. rainforest
    a densely wooded tropical area with heavy precipitation
    Dawn is breaking as we venture along a trail through the primary rainforest.
  4. flit
    move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
    Mysterious butterflies flit around us.
  5. camouflage
    an outward semblance misrepresenting the nature of something
    I spot where they have settled, but their amazing camouflage makes them almost impossible to locate.
  6. transparent
    so thin as to allow light to pass through
    Others like Haetera piera, Cithaerias pireta and Ithomia agnosia are almost entirely transparent.
  7. startle
    surprise greatly
    Their wings have a feathery appearance and are marked with false 'owl eyes', enough to startle any predatory bird and give the butterfly a chance to escape.
  8. scuttle
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    The zebra-striped Colobura dirce sits motionless on tree trunks as it feeds at sap runs, but if disturbed, instead of taking flight it scuttles around to hide on the opposite side of the tree.
  9. posterior
    the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
    The striped hairstreak Arawacus separata sits facing sideways on a leaf, but as soon as you get within a metre, it rotates to show you its posterior!
  10. imbibe
    take in liquids
    The muddy ground in the glade is carpeted with butterflies, which settle at our feet to imbibe at the mineral-rich mud.
  11. vital
    performing an essential function in the living body
    Male butterflies obtain vital chemicals this way, and pass them to females during copulation.
  12. bask
    expose oneself to warmth and light, as for relaxation
    At the edge of the glade we watch a Starry Night Hamadryas velutina basking head-downwards on a tree trunk.
  13. resound
    ring or echo with noise
    It is hot now, and the forest resounds with the call of giant cicadas.
  14. expanse
    a wide and open space or area, as of land, sea, or sky
    It is difficult to drag ourselves away, as the view across the vast expanse of pristine rainforest is awe-inspiring, but it is time for lunch, so we descend to ground level and slowly wander back along the trails to our base.
  15. pristine
    completely free from dirt or contamination
    It is difficult to drag ourselves away, as the view across the vast expanse of pristine rainforest is awe-inspiring, but it is time for lunch, so we descend to ground level and slowly wander back along the trails to our base.
  16. oust
    remove and replace
    Many different species arrive and depart throughout the day until late afternoon when a swirling swarm of migrating Eunica Purplewings ousts every other species.
  17. massive
    imposing in size or bulk or solidity
    Clambering up a riverbank we suddenly find ourselves confronted by an enormous anaconda with a massive head and a body 8 metres in length!
  18. distend
    swell from or as if from internal pressure
    Luckily for us it has already eaten—its belly greatly distended by the capybara which became its breakfast!
Created on Fri Oct 02 13:17:08 EDT 2020 (updated Tue Oct 06 18:37:24 EDT 2020)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.