Spelling bee level 6

conquistador

conquistador. noun: one of the Spanish conquerors of Mexico and Peru in the 16th century The book described the life and adventures of a famous conquistador.

convalescence

convalescence. noun: the gradual recovery of health and strength after illness We knew he would recover but he would definitely need a long convalescence.

cryptocurrency

cryptocurrency. noun: a digital currency using data encryption The only cryptocurrency I know about is bitcoin.

cunjevoi

cunjevoi. noun: a type of sea animal that attaches itself to rocks I always use cunjevoi as bait for fishing – I catch something every time!

decoupage

decoupage. noun: the art or process of decorating something with an arrangement of cut-out paper, cardboard, and similar items We had to collect lots of colourful paper to cut up for our decoupage.

defibrillator

defibrillator. noun: a medical apparatus which uses an electric shock to restore normal heart rhythm The paramedics used a defibrillator to get the man's heart pumping properly.

ecclesiastical

ecclesiastical. adjective: having to do with the church A bishop needs to have an extensive knowledge of ecclesiastical matters.

echelon

echelon. noun: a level of command The upper echelon of the administration selected the site for the new stadium.

effervescent

effervescent. adjective: bubbling or fizzy The bubbles from the effervescent drink tickled my nose.

entrepreneur

entrepreneur. noun: a person who organises a business enterprise, especially a risky one The entrepreneur started a business making automatic lawnmowers and soon became a millionaire.

epidemiology

epidemiology. noun: the branch of medicine that deals with the spread of diseases The doctor specialised in epidemiology because she was interested in studying infectious diseases.

gastroenterologist

gastroenterologist. noun: a doctor that deals specifically with the structure and disorders of the digestive organs The gastroenterologist gave him a list a foods that would make him feel a lot better.

gelateria

gelateria. noun: a shop which serves mainly gelato I made sure that our walk took us right by the gelateria so we could stop in and have a treat.

guillotine

guillotine. noun: a machine with a heavy blade that falls between two posts, used in the past for cutting off the head of someone who has been sentenced to death During the French Revolution many aristocrats were publicly executed by guillotine.

hypochondriac

hypochondriac. noun: someone who is so anxious about their health that they often think they have an illness when they don't He is a hypochondriac and imagines he has every disease he hears about on TV.

hypotenuse

hypotenuse. noun: the side opposite the right angle in a triangle Only a right-angled triangle has a hypotenuse.

hypothalamus

hypothalamus. noun: a part of the brain that controls things like our body temperature, hunger and sleep patterns The hypothalamus is a very small part of the brain but it plays an important role.

ikebana

ikebana. noun: the art of Japanese flower arrangement Mum loves working with flowers, so she's doing an evening course in ikebana.

lackadaisical

lackadaisical. adjective: careless and indifferent Her lackadaisical attitude to her studies contributed to her low marks.

lepidopterist

lepidopterist. noun: a person who collects butterflies and moths The lepidopterist had many more butterflies than moths in his collection.

loquacious

loquacious. adjective: liking to talk a lot He was a loquacious guest and his stories kept us entertained for hours.

lugubrious

lugubrious. adjective: mournful or dismal He gave her a lugubrious look and said mournfully that nothing ever turned out well.

mademoiselle

mademoiselle. noun: the French title of respect for a girl or unmarried woman During our trip to France, the waiters all called me 'mademoiselle'.

melaleuca

melaleuca. noun: an Australian tree often found on river banks or in swamps The melaleuca is often called a paperbark.

musculoskeletal

musculoskeletal. adjective: having to do with the muscles and bones in the body The different way humans and animals move is all related to their musculoskeletal systems.

omniscient

omniscient. adjective: knowing everything Most religions believe that their god is omniscient.

opprobrium

opprobrium. noun: the disgrace resulting from conduct considered shameful His whole family had to endure the opprobrium resulting from his appalling behaviour.

osteoporosis

osteoporosis. noun: a condition in which the bones become brittle because of a lack of calcium My grandmother takes calcium supplements to help strengthen her bones, which stops her osteoporosis from getting worse.

paracetamol

paracetamol. noun: a pain-relieving medicine Many people take paracetamol when they have a headache.

paraphernalia

paraphernalia. plural noun: goods, equipment or other articles, especially unnecessary ones There is a lot of useless paraphernalia in the garage that could be thrown out.

penicillin

penicillin. noun: a strong germ-fighting substance used in medicine In 1940, Australian scientist Howard Florey discovered how penicillin could be used as a medicine.

pertinacious

pertinacious. adjective: persistent, or refusing to give up something you have made up your mind to do Some pertinacious bargain hunters will haggle for a long time to save a few dollars.

petroglyph

petroglyph. noun: a drawing or carving on rock, especially one made by prehistoric people We saw a petroglyph that was thousands of years old on the wall of the cave.

phantasmagorical

phantasmagorical. adjective: imaginary or illusionary My dream was full of phantasmagorical shapes and colours -- it was very pleasant but quite strange.

potpourri

potpourri. noun: a mixture of dried petals and spices, kept in a jar for fragrance My mother keeps potpourri in her wardrobe so her clothes always smell nice.

puerile

puerile. adjective: childishly foolish The principal said that they were too old for such puerile behaviour.

quorum

quorum. noun: the number of people that have to be at a meeting before decisions can be made The committee can't vote until there is a quorum of ten members present.

rheumatism

rheumatism. noun: a disease affecting the joints or muscles During winter she suffers from rheumatism in her fingers.

saboteur

saboteur. noun: someone who does something deliberately to hinder or obstruct We thought a saboteur was responsible for the broken computer until we discovered there had been a power surge.

sarcophagus

sarcophagus. noun: a stone coffin, especially a decorated one, often displayed as a monument I saw the sarcophagus of Ramses IV when I visited the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.

sauerkraut

sauerkraut. noun: a vegetable dish made with cabbage The recipe for sauerkraut calls for lots of chopped cabbage.

sclerophyll

sclerophyll. noun: a type of plant with tough leaves which help to reduce water loss The sclerophyll is a type of plant which is often found in areas of low rainfall.

segue

segue. noun: any smooth transition from one topic of discussion to another The newsreader always manages to find a clever segue to link one story to the next.

sequoia

sequoia. noun: a type of very large tree found in south-western North America The tallest tree in the world is a sequoia.

subpoena

subpoena. noun: a legal document ordering a person to appear in court, usually as a witness She was served with a subpoena and had to give evidence in court.

subterranean

subterranean. adjective: underground I love my ants' nest -- it's amazing to see the subterranean passages they make.

thylacine

thylacine. noun: a wolf-like marsupial of Tasmania, tan-coloured, with black stripes across the back, now thought to be extinct The thylacine is also known as the Tasmanian tiger.

tourniquet

tourniquet. noun: a tight bandage or band, twisted or wrapped around your arm or leg Nowadays a tight tourniquet is generally not recommended in first aid.

tuberculosis

tuberculosis. noun: a disease of the lungs in which small lumps or swellings are produced The doctor diagnosed her with tuberculosis and admitted her to hospital.

velociraptor

velociraptor. noun: a kind of dinosaur capable of running at great speed Some scientists believe that the velociraptor could run at up to 60 kilometres an hour.

vermilion

vermilion. noun: a brilliant scarlet red colour The brilliant vermilion of the pomegranate flowers was a stunning sight.

viscera

viscera. plural noun: the soft organs of the body The body's viscera include the stomach and intestines.

balalaika

balalaika. noun: a Russian musical instrument like a triangular guitar A man sat in the corner of the Russian restaurant playing a balalaika.

cacophony

cacophony. noun: a loud, unmusical sound There was a cacophony of car horns as the truck continued to block the road.

embouchure

embouchure. noun: the position of a player's mouth on the mouthpiece of a wind instrument To learn to play the flute, you will need to learn the correct embouchure.

euphonium

euphonium. noun: a type of tuba mainly used in brass bands The euphonium player in the marching band was struggling to play and march at the same time.

frontispiece

frontispiece. noun: an illustrated page before the title page of a book There was a detailed map on the frontispiece of the book, showing the area where the events took place.

fugue

fugue. noun: a piece of music in which a short melody is played or sung and then repeated by other instruments or voices The organist was playing a fugue by the German composer Bach.

hieroglyphics

hieroglyphics. plural noun: writing in which words or sounds are represented by pictures The ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphics as their writing system.

hiragana

hiragana. noun: the main Japanese syllabic writing system I could speak a little Japanese but I couldn't write any hiragana.

Namatjira

Namatjira. noun: an Australian artist who was born in 1902 and died in 1957, noted for his watercolour landscapes of central Australia Our class went to see an exhibition of the paintings of Albert Namatjira.

pirouette

pirouette. noun: a quick turn in a dance, often on tiptoe He managed to execute a wobbly pirouette, but decided that ballet was not for him.

pseudonym

pseudonym. noun: an invented name used instead of your real name, often used by authors The novelist's real name is Mary Smith but she uses the pseudonym Kathy Celeste Bouvoir.

reveille

reveille. noun: the signal sounded on a bugle or drum to wake up soldiers in the morning It was the bugler's job to play reveille to wake the soldiers every morning.

soliloquy

soliloquy. noun: talking to yourself when you are alone, as in a play The teacher read out the famous soliloquy from Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'.

abalone

abalone. noun: a type of shellfish that can be eaten Dad makes a delicious seafood dish with abalone and lots of chilli.

cannellini

cannellini. noun: an Italian variety of the white haricot bean, used in salads and soups I always add cannellini beans to my minestrone because I love them so much.

cholesterol

cholesterol. noun: a substance found in the body and some foods I didn't know that there was a good type of cholesterol as well as a bad one!

courgette

courgette. noun: a zucchini I didn't realise that 'courgette' is just another name for the zucchini!

degustation

degustation. noun: a sampling of a variety of different food dishes, as in a restaurant The restaurant had a degustation menu, so we could try a little bit of everything.

enchilada

enchilada. noun: a Mexican dish of a rolled tortilla filled with meat and seasonings, usually including chilli Whenever I order an enchilada I ask for extra chilli!

fluoridation

fluoridation. noun: the addition of fluoride to toothpaste, to the water supply and so on, to help prevent tooth decay Fluoridation of the water supply has led to a reduction in tooth decay.

mozzarella

mozzarella. noun: a soft, white cheese which melts easily Mozzarella is one of the ingredients essential for making pizza.

patisserie

patisserie. noun: a shop selling pastries and fancy cakes We went to the patisserie to buy Mum a special birthday cake.

ratatouille

ratatouille. noun: a type of vegetable stew Ratatouille is sometimes served cold but I much prefer it hot!

Appalachian

Appalachian. noun: The Appalachian Mountains extend from Quebec province in Canada to northern Alabama in the US The Appalachian Mountains are mostly located in the United States but extend into south-eastern Canada.

archipelago

archipelago. noun: a group of islands in a sea Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 13,000 islands.

cumulonimbus

cumulonimbus. noun: a heavy, tall mass of cloud characteristic of thunderstorm conditions When we saw the sky fill with cumulonimbus, we knew we had to head for home.

ecotourism

ecotourism. noun: tourism that takes visitors to places of ecological significance Ecotourism has become quite a popular industry, now that more people are concerned about their effect on the environment.

Euphrates

Euphrates. noun: a river flowing from eastern Turkey through Syria and Iraq The ancient city of Babylon was built on the river Euphrates.

fossiliferous

fossiliferous. adjective: containing fossils The archaeologist danced with excitement when he found a large piece of fossiliferous rock.

Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro. noun: a volcanic mountain in northern Tanzania; the highest peak of Africa The last major eruption of Kilimanjaro has been dated to between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago.

lithosphere

lithosphere. noun: the crust or solid part of the earth We learned about the earth's lithosphere today when a geologist came to talk to our class.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua. noun: a republic in Central America, between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, bordered by Honduras and Costa Rica Nicaragua is known as a land of lakes and volcanoes.

Yangtze

Yangtze. noun: a river flowing from Tibet generally east through central China to the East China Sea The Three Gorges Dam on the banks of the Yangtze is the largest hydro-electric power station in the world.

algebraic

algebraic. adjective: of or occurring in the branch of mathematics which uses letters to stand for numbers We were set a number of algebraic problems to solve for our homework.

algorithm

algorithm. noun: a procedure for solving a particular mathematical problem in a finite number of steps The programmer worked out the algorithm for solving the problem.

coefficient

coefficient. noun: in maths, a number or quantity multiplying another quantity In the mathematical expression 3x + 5 = 14, the coefficient of x is 3.

diagnostician

diagnostician. noun: an expert in working out of what problem someone or something has The diagnostician could pinpoint exactly where the problem lay.

infinitesimal

infinitesimal. adjective: immeasurably small The rise in temperature was so infinitesimal that it did not register on the thermometer.

metamorphosis

metamorphosis. noun: a change from one form to another For our assignment we had to write about the metamorphosis of a tadpole into a frog.

nomenclature

nomenclature. noun: a set or system of names or terms, especially those used in a particular science or art You have to know the nomenclature of botany to fully identify the plants that are being described.

oscillation

oscillation. noun: a repetitive to and fro motion of an object The computer readout recorded the degree of oscillation of the indicator as it moved backwards and forwards.

phosphorescent

phosphorescent. adjective: giving out light without getting hot We bought some phosphorescent stars to stick on my bedroom ceiling.

photosynthesis

photosynthesis. noun: the making of carbohydrates by plants from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of light and chlorophyll The process of photosynthesis in plants is necessary for life.

Pythagoras

Pythagoras. noun: a Greek philosopher, mathematician, and religious reformer, who was born in about 582 BC and died in about 500 BC Pythagoras made many important mathematical discoveries that are still used today.

arabesque

arabesque. noun: a position in ballet in which one leg is stretched behind and the body lowered forward A ballet dancer has to do a lot of practice to master the perfect arabesque.

connoisseur

connoisseur. noun: someone who has a special interest in or knowledge of a particular subject I like to visit the art gallery but I'm not a connoisseur of art by any means!

jodhpurs

jodhpurs. plural noun: riding trousers which are close-fitting below the knee She wished her jodhpurs weren't in the wash because they were much more comfortable to ride in than jeans.

manoeuvre

manoeuvre. noun: a clever move The team won with a brilliant manoeuvre that ended in a magnificent goal.