Environmental Science Glossary

noun a nonmetallic chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6, occurring in many inorganic and in all organic compounds

• Carbon is a chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6.
• Did you know that carbon is essential for all living organisms?
• I heard that carbon footprint is a big deal these days.
• His words left a carbon imprint on her heart, lasting forever.

noun the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period

• The government is implementing policies to address the impact of climate change.
• We should all do our part to protect the climate.
• The climate is totally messed up these days.
• The political climate in the country is very tense right now.

adjective causing harm or damage

• The deleterious effects of pollution on the environment are well-documented.
• Eating too much junk food can have deleterious effects on your health.
• Staying up all night playing video games can be really deleterious to your grades.
• Gossiping about others can have a deleterious impact on your relationships.

verb to plunder or destroy, often in a predatory manner

• The invasive species began to depredate the local ecosystem.
• The raccoons have been depredate our trash cans every night.
• Those vandals are always trying to depredate the park.
• The corrupt officials depredate the country's resources for their own gain.

verb to get rid of or deal with something

preposition to arrange or settle something in a particular way

• It is important to properly dispose of hazardous waste to protect the environment.
• Make sure to dispose of your trash in the designated bins.
• Just toss it in the trash and be done with it.
• She needed to dispose of the negative thoughts that were holding her back.

verb to become or cause to become incorporated into a liquid so as to form a solution

• The process of dissolving a solid into a liquid is known as dissolution.
• I love watching sugar dissolving in my coffee.
• I can't believe how fast that argument dissolved into chaos.
• Their friendship started dissolving after the betrayal.

noun a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment

• The ecosphere refers to the interactions between living organisms and their environment.
• The ecosphere is like the ultimate ecosystem where everything is connected.
• Dude, the ecosphere is like nature's own little web of life.
• In the ecosphere of the corporate world, networking is key to success.

verb to completely remove or get rid of something

• The company implemented a new strategy to eliminate inefficiencies in the production process.
• I need to eliminate all the junk in my closet before I can find anything.
• Let's eliminate that idea right off the bat.
• She tried to eliminate all negative thoughts from her mind before the big presentation.

noun waste matter discharged from the bowels; feces.

• The laboratory technician analyzed the excrement sample for any abnormalities.
• I can't believe the dog left excrement on the carpet again.
• I stepped in some excrement on the sidewalk, gross!
• His excrement of ideas was not well received by the team.

adjective no longer in existence; having died out

• Many species have become extinct due to habitat destruction and climate change.
• I heard that the dodo bird is extinct, can you believe that?
• That style of music is so extinct, no one listens to it anymore.
• With the rise of technology, traditional handwritten letters are becoming extinct.

noun the incoming or rising tide

• The flood tide is expected to reach its peak tomorrow evening.
• Make sure you don't go swimming during the flood tide, it can be dangerous.
• I heard the surfers love hitting the waves during the flood tide.
• Her emotions were like a flood tide, overwhelming and uncontrollable.

noun the tendency of a substance to escape or evaporate from a mixture

• The concept of fugacity is used in thermodynamics to account for non-ideal gas behavior.
• Fugacity is like a fancy term for how gases actually behave in real life.
• Fugacity is all about how gases act when they're not playing by the rules.
• In life, our emotions can have a fugacity that changes depending on the situation.

verb to convert into gas, especially by the application of heat

• The company plans to gasify coal to produce synthetic natural gas.
• They're going to turn coal into gas.
• They're gonna gasify that coal.
• She had the ability to gasify any problem, turning it into a manageable solution.

adjective causing or capable of causing harm; injurious

• Exposure to harmful chemicals can have serious health consequences.
• Eating too much junk food is harmful to your body.
• Gossiping about others can be really harmful in the long run.
• Holding onto grudges is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to be harmed.

noun a danger or risk

verb to expose to danger or risk

• It is important to assess and mitigate any potential hazard in the workplace.
• Watch out for that hazard over there, it could be dangerous.
• Dude, that hazard is totally sketchy, let's steer clear.
• Love can be a hazard if not handled carefully.

noun a point or level reached or attained, especially the highest point in a process or endeavor

• The high water mark of the river was clearly visible on the bridge's support pillars.
• You can tell how high the water got by looking at the marks on the trees.
• Dude, check out the crazy high water mark on that rock!
• Her success in the competition was the high water mark of her athletic career.

noun a substance or quality of being impure, containing contaminants or flaws

• The laboratory test revealed the presence of impurities in the water sample.
• There's some impurity in the tap water, so it's better to use a filter.
• I can't believe there's impurity in my favorite bottled water brand!
• The impurity of his intentions was evident in his actions.

noun a disease caused by the entrance into the body of bacteria or viruses

verb not applicable

adjective not applicable

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

article not applicable

• The doctor prescribed antibiotics to treat the bacterial infection.
• I heard she got an infection from that dirty cut.
• I don't want to get an infection, so I'm going to clean this wound properly.
• Negativity can spread like an infection if not addressed.

verb to protect or shield from something harmful or undesirable

• The walls of the house were insulated to improve energy efficiency.
• We need to insulate the attic before winter comes.
• I'm going to insulate the garage so it's not freezing in there.
• She tried to insulate herself from the harsh realities of the world.

adjective describing a relationship between two or more things that are connected or dependent on each other

• The two concepts are deeply interrelated and cannot be fully understood in isolation.
• These two things are connected in a way that you can't separate them.
• These ideas are totally intertwined and you can't untangle them.
• Their relationship is like a complex web, where each part is interrelated with the others.

noun the process of becoming liquid, especially by the application of heat

• The process of liquefaction occurs when the soil loses its strength and stiffness, turning into a liquid-like state during an earthquake.
• During an earthquake, the ground can turn into a liquid form in a process called liquefaction.
• When the earth starts acting like quicksand during a quake, that's liquefaction kicking in.
• Her emotions were in a state of liquefaction, melting away any sense of control she had.

noun an instance of overwhelming, spreading, or occupying in a rapid or uncontrollable manner

verb to spread over or occupy in a rapid or uncontrollable manner

• The city was overrun by a horde of invading soldiers.
• The party was so crowded, it felt like we were overrun with people.
• The mall was totally overrun with teenagers on Friday night.
• Her emotions were so intense, they seemed to overrun her rational thoughts.

verb to supply or treat with oxygen

• It is important to oxygenate the water in the fish tank to ensure the health of the fish.
• Don't forget to oxygenate the water before adding the fish to the tank.
• Make sure you give the water a good oxygenating before putting the fish in.
• The new ventilation system will oxygenate the entire building with fresh air.

verb to spread throughout; to pass through every part of

• The scent of flowers began to permeate the room, creating a pleasant atmosphere.
• The smell of fresh bread permeated the bakery, making everyone hungry.
• The music was so loud at the party, it permeated through the walls and into the neighboring houses.
• The feeling of excitement seemed to permeate through the crowd as they waited for the concert to begin.

noun the scientific study of physical features of the earth's surface

• The study of the Earth's physiography involves analyzing its landforms and terrain.
• I find physiography fascinating because it helps us understand the different landscapes around the world.
• I never thought I would enjoy learning about physiography, but it's actually pretty cool.
• The physiography of her face revealed the hardships she had endured in life.

noun a substance that has a molecular structure consisting chiefly or entirely of a large number of similar units bonded together, such as many synthetic organic materials used as plastics and resins

• The scientist synthesized a new polymer with unique properties.
• I heard they're using some fancy polymer in the new phone case.
• This polymer stuff is supposed to be super strong, like unbreakable or something.
• Their friendship was like a polymer bond, strong and resilient.

noun a place where crude oil or other substances are refined or purified

• The refinery is responsible for processing crude oil into various petroleum products.
• I heard the refinery is shutting down for maintenance next week.
• The refinery is where they turn black goo into gas magic.
• She considered the refinery of her thoughts before speaking.

noun a soft, thoroughly decomposed and porous rock that is produced by the in-place chemical weathering of igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic rocks

• Saprolite is a weathered rock material that forms the base of many soil profiles.
• I heard that saprolite is just really old rock that's been sitting around for ages.
• Dude, that saprolite stuff is like ancient rock that's been chilling forever.
• The artist's creativity seemed to be buried deep within the saprolite of their mind, waiting to be unearthed.

noun a person who is taken in, such as a guest or lodger

verb to allow someone to stay in one's home or lodging

• The art gallery allows visitors to take in the beautiful paintings at their own pace.
• Let's find a good spot to sit and take in the view of the sunset.
• I can't believe I got to take in that awesome concert last night!
• It takes time to fully take in the magnitude of such a tragic event.

verb to dig up or uncover something that was buried or hidden

• Archaeologists unearthed ancient artifacts at the excavation site.
• They unearthed some cool stuff while digging in the backyard.
• I can't believe they unearthed that juicy gossip about him!
• Through therapy, she was able to unearth buried emotions from her past.

verb Wilted is also a verb that means to become limp or drooping, as in 'The flowers wilted in the heat.'

adjective Wilted is an adjective that describes something that has become limp or drooping, usually due to lack of water or nutrients.

• The flowers in the vase had wilted due to lack of water.
• I forgot to water the plants and now they're all wilted.
• My mom's garden is looking sad with all the wilted plants.
• His spirits wilted after receiving the bad news.

noun the scientific study of volcanoes and volcanic phenomena

• Volcanology is the scientific study of volcanoes and volcanic phenomena.
• I'm really fascinated by volcanology and how volcanoes work.
• Volcanology is like studying nature's fireworks show.
• Exploring the depths of human emotion is like delving into the volcanology of the soul.

noun a type of energy that is produced from renewable sources such as wind, solar, or hydro power

• The government is investing heavily in research and development of green energy technologies.
• I heard that using green energy can help save money on electricity bills.
• Dude, we need to start using more green energy to help the environment.
• Switching to green energy is like giving the Earth a big hug.

noun A substance that forms a complex with a metal ion, making it more soluble and easily excreted from the body.

• The chelator molecule has a high affinity for binding to metal ions.
• The chelator helps to remove heavy metals from the body.
• Yo, that chelator is like a magnet for metal ions.
• She acted as a chelator, drawing out the hidden truths from the conversation.

noun a person who benefits from something without paying for it

• The free rider problem occurs when individuals benefit from a public good without contributing to its costs.
• Don't be a free rider and make sure to pitch in for the group project.
• Stop being a free rider and start pulling your weight.
• In life, being a free rider will only get you so far before people catch on to your actions.

adjective liable to change; easily altered or unstable

• The labile nature of the chemical compound makes it difficult to stabilize.
• Her emotions are quite labile, changing from happy to sad in an instant.
• I can't keep up with his labile moods, he's all over the place.
• The labile market conditions are causing investors to be cautious.

verb to arm with or convert into nuclear weapons

• The government decided to nuclearize their military capabilities in response to increasing threats.
• They're planning to nuclearize their arsenal to show they mean business.
• They're gonna nuke up their weapons to scare off their enemies.
• The intense argument seemed to nuclearize, escalating into a full-blown confrontation.

noun a living organism that emits light

adjective describing a living organism that emits light

• The bioluminescent organisms in the deep sea emit a soft blue light.
• Have you ever seen those cool bioluminescent fish that light up underwater?
• Dude, that jellyfish is totally lit up and bioluminescent!
• Her smile was so bright it was almost bioluminescent.

noun a fictional unit of currency used in online communities or games

• The tweath of the region is carefully monitored by government agencies.
• I heard the tweath is going to be sunny all week, perfect for a beach day!
• I can't believe how hot the tweath is today, it's scorching!
• The tweath of the situation was tense, with emotions running high.

verb to adjust or adapt to a new climate or environment

• The climbers spent several days acclimatizing to the high altitude before attempting to reach the summit.
• I need some time to acclimatize to this new job and all its responsibilities.
• I'm still acclimatizing to the hustle and bustle of city life after growing up in a small town.
• She is slowly acclimatizing to the idea of being a mother and all that it entails.

noun a region in which sound, especially from a distant or loud source, is noticeably diminished or absent due to obstacles or other sound-absorbing materials

• The tall building created an acoustic shadow, blocking the sound from reaching the park.
• I couldn't hear the music from the concert because of the acoustic shadow caused by the building.
• The sound got lost in the acoustic shadow of that massive structure.
• Her emotional turmoil cast an acoustic shadow over the entire family gathering.

adverb relating to or caused by actinic rays or light

• The actinically induced skin damage was evident on the patient's face.
• Her face looked so red and burned from the actinically exposure.
• I forgot to put on sunscreen and now I'm all actinically fried.
• The harsh criticism acted on him actinically, leaving emotional scars.

noun the transfer of heat or matter by the movement of a fluid

• The advection of warm air from the south will result in higher temperatures tomorrow.
• The advection of cool air is making it chilly outside.
• I can feel the advection of humidity in the air today.
• The advection of positive energy in the room lifted everyone's spirits.

adjective relating to or caused by advection, the horizontal movement of air or water

• The advective transport of pollutants in the atmosphere plays a significant role in air quality.
• The wind is advective today, so make sure to hold onto your hat!
• I heard there's some crazy advective weather coming our way.
• His advective personality always keeps things interesting in the office.

noun a mass of seaweed or marine algae that has been rolled into a ball by the action of waves

• The scientist discovered an aegagropile washed up on the shore during his research expedition.
• I found a weird aegagropile on the beach today, it looked like a giant ball of seaweed!
• Check out that funky aegagropile I stumbled upon at the beach!
• The tangled mess of wires under my desk is like an aegagropile, impossible to untangle.

noun a medical term referring to the process of removing or filtering air or particles from a space

• The study of aeroscepsis is crucial in understanding air quality control.
• Aeroscepsis is all about keeping the air clean and safe to breathe.
• I never realized how important aeroscepsis is until I learned about it in class.
• Practicing aeroscepsis in your life can help clear out the toxic elements and keep you healthy.