GLOSSARY OF IMPORTANT TERMS 



419 



Fluctuation (fluk'tft-a'shwn) : vary- 

 ing or changing in strength of 

 current. 



Focus (fo'kws) : a point at which 

 rays as of light, heat, sound, etc., 

 meet, after being reflected or 

 refracted. 



Fossil (f6s'Il) : remains or impres- 

 sions of a living thing preserved 

 in rock of ancient date. 



Friction (frlk'shwn) : act of rubbing 

 one thing against another. 



Geologist (je-6T6-jfet) : a geological 



student or investigator. 

 Germ (jurm) : a small plant or 



animal that may produce dis- 

 ease. 

 Germinate (jur'mJ-nat) : to begin to 



grow, to sprout. 

 Geyser (gi'ser) : a spring which 



throws intermittent jets of hot 



water. 

 Glacier (gla'sher) : a slowly moving 



body or field of ice. 

 Gland : an organ of the body which 



makes and gives off a fluid. 

 Gravity (grav'I-ti) : the pull of the 



earth upon objects. 

 Gyrocompass (ji'rd-kum'pds) : a 



non-magnetic compass. 



Hazards (haz'drds) : dangers. 



Herbivorous (hgr-biv'6-r#s) : living 

 on plants. 



Huygens (hi'ge'nz) : a Dutch astron- 

 omer (1629-1695). 



Hyacinth (hi'd-smth) : a garden 

 plant. 



Hydra (hi'drd) : a small fresh-water 

 animal. 



Hygiene (hi'jl-en) : a study of the 

 proper care of the body. 



Hyposulphite of soda (hi'p6-sm"flt) : 

 a chemical used in photography. 



Igneous (Ig'ne"-#s) : rocks which have 

 been melted by intense heat, that 

 is, by volcanic action. 



Immune (I-mun') : free from or pro- 

 tected against any particular dis- 

 ease. 



Incident (m'sl-d&it) : falling upon 

 a surface. 



Infectious (In-feVshus) : catching ; 

 communicable ; a germ disease. 



Inhale (In-hal') : to breathe in. 



Inspiration (In'spf-ra'shftn) : the act 

 of breathing in. 



Insulate (In'su-lat) : to separate one 

 body from another by a material 

 that does not allow heat or elec- 

 tricity to pass through it. 



Insulator (In'su-la'ter) : a body 

 through which an electric current 

 passes only slightly or not at all. 



Jonquil (j6n'kwll) : a garden plant. 



Kaleidoscope (kd-ll'do-skop) : a de- 

 vice to show symmetrical designs 

 by use of two mirrors. 



Larva (lar'vd) : the immature worm- 

 like stage of insect development. 



Lava (la'vd) : fluid rock from a vol- 

 cano or such rock hardened. 



Legume (ISg'um) : a plant, such as 

 the pea or bean, bearing pods. 



Lever (le'ver) : a bar capable of 

 turning about one point. 



Ligament (Hg'd-mgnt) : a tough 

 band of tissue. 



Luminous (lu'ml-n#s) : giving out 

 light. 



Magnesium (mag-ne'zhl-tim) : a sil- 

 ver-white metal. 

 Magnet (mag'ne't) : a piece of iron 



or steel which attracts iron or 



steel. 

 Magnetism (mag'ne't-Iz'm) : having 



the property of being magnetic, of 



having attraction. 

 Mammal (mam'al) : all animals that 



nourish their young with milk. 

 Matter: anything that occupies 



space and has weight. 

 Membrane (mgm'bran) : a thin pli- 

 able animal or vegetable tissue. 

 Metamorphic rock (mgt'd-mor'flk) : 



rock changed by heat, pressure, or 



movement. 

 Micro^rgamsm(mI'kr6-6r'g#n-Iz'm): 



any organism of microscopic size. 

 Molecule (mSl'e-kul) : smallest part 



of a substance that can exist alone. 

 Mollusk (m5l'#sk) : an unsegrnented 



soft-bodied animal, sometimes 



bearing a shell. 



Mulch (mulch) : a loose covering. 

 Muscle (mtis"l) : a mass of tissue 



whose function is the production 



of motion. 



