English Vocabulary: Pacific Northwest, Society, and World Cultures

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering vocabulary terms, regional idioms, and definitions across all textbook lecture units on the Pacific Northwest, society, language variations, and international cultures.

Boomtown

A rapidly growing city or town undergoing sudden economic and population expansion, such as Seattle.

Orca

A toothed whale, also known as a killer whale, native to ocean regions including the Pacific Northwest.

Cougar

A kind of large wild cat, also known as a puma or mountain lion.

Native

Originating, growing, or living naturally in a specific country, region, or environment.

Volcano

A mountain or hill with an opening through which lava, rock fragments, hot vapor, and gas can erupt.

Corporation

A large business organization or company, such as Microsoft or SAP.

Employee

Somebody who works for a company or business and is employed.

Retail

The activity or business of selling goods directly to the public, including online retail.

Waterfront

A part of a town or city bordering a body of water, such as a harbor or shoreline.

Wilderness

A wild, uncultivated, and uninhabited natural area.

Great wheel

An amusement ride consisting of a large rotating vertical wheel with passenger cabins; also known as a Ferris wheel.

To be true to oneself

To remain authentic to one's own values and personality rather than pretending to be someone else.

Hydroplane

A fast motorboat designed to skim over the surface of the water.

Paddleboard

A type of board on which a person paddles while standing upright.

To buy time

To delay or say something in a conversation to gain extra time while thinking of what to say next.

Mouth (of a river)

The place where a river enters into a larger body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake.

Dam

A barrier constructed across a waterway to hold back water and form a lake or reservoir.

Timber

Wood that is prepared and used for building houses and furniture.

To remove

To take away something that is no longer wanted.

Longhouse

A large communal traditional dwelling typical of indigenous tribes such as the Coast Salish.

Totem pole

A tall wooden pole carved and painted with symbols and figures representing families or cultural legends.

Sacred

Regarded as holy, spiritually significant, or deserving great veneration and respect.

To over-exaggerate

To make something sound much better or worse than it really is.

To see the bigger picture

To understand the broader context or overall situation rather than focusing solely on narrow or personal concerns.

Eruption

An explosion or sudden release of steam, ash, and lava from a volcano, such as Mount St. Helens in 1980.

Debate

A formal discussion exploring the pros and cons of a particular topic or proposal.

Highway

A main public road in the United States; major roads that are typically not as fast as freeways.

Struggle (noun)

A difficult effort or hard fight experienced when attempting to do something challenging.

Imaginary

Not real; existing only in the mind.

Unique

Being the only one of its kind.

To toss out

To expel, eject, or cast someone out of a community or group.

To die for

An informal idiom meaning extremely delicious, desirable, or irresistible.

Court

A legal institution where legal cases and trials are held before people can be sentenced or sent to prison.

Segregation

The enforced separation of different racial groups in a country, such as during South Africa's apartheid era.

Civil rights

The rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.

Human rights

The basic rights and freedoms to which every person in the world is entitled.

Ancient

Belonging to a period long ago in history; very, very old.

Saltie

An informal Australian term for a crocodile that lives in saltwater.

Aboriginal

Relating to the indigenous people who inhabited Australia before the arrival of European settlers.

Aussie

An informal colloquial term for an Australian person or something of Australian origin.

The outback

The vast, wild, and remote inland country far away from Australia's towns and cities.

Mate

A colloquial term for a friend, widely used among boys and men in Australia and Britain.

Resident

A person who lives and maintains a home in a particular place or country.

Bushfire

A fire that burns rapidly across scrubland, grass, or forest areas, particularly common in Australia.