Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

ARID

DEFINITION:
Being without moisture; extremely dry; parched.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
The unpredictability of illegal fireworks make them dangerous in the arid desert climate, said Riddle, who is also bureau commander of Metro’s Northeast Area Command.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal, 06/30/2025

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Words in the News Quiz
5 Middle School Words

Click on the correct answer in the quiz below.
Then see if you can find the word in your newspaper -- the print edition, the website or the digital edition and copy the sentence for context. NOTE: High School words are much harder to find!


1. Nocturnal

Of, relating to, or occurring in the night

A person with masterly skill or technique in the arts.

A form of a verb that in some languages, such as English, can function independently as an adjective.

Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous.


2. Lichen

Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous.

Similarity in some respects between things that are otherwise dissimilar.

A fungus, usually of the class Ascomycetes, that grows symbiotically with algae,

A closed plane figure bounded by three or more line segments.


3. Hologram

Inspiring awe, admiration, or wonder

The pattern produced on a photosensitive medium that has been exposed by holography and then photographically developed.

A state of uncertainty or perplexity.

The food-conducting tissue of vascular plants, consisting of sieve tubes, fibers, parenchyma, and sclereids.


4. Dialogue

The distance that light travels in a vacuum in one year.

Strikingly unconventional and far-fetched in style or appearance; odd

Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative

To abstain from or act together in abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with as an expression of protest or disfavor or as a means of coercion


5. Wretched

Sharing the same opinions or views; being in complete harmony or accord.

Any of various relatively small sailing or motor-driven vessels used for pleasure cruises or racing.

In a deplorable state of distress or misfortune; miserable.

Any of several rod-shaped bacteria, of the genus Salmonella, that cause food poisoning and other diseases.


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Common Core State Standard
LS.CCS.4/5/6 Grades 3-12: Students are asked to determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words through multiple choice vocabulary quizzes. Quizzes are designed to help students demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in words, acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words, and gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. Students are then asked to find the words within the newspaper and copy the sentence for context to its overall meaning or function in a sentence.