Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

ROOSTER TAIL

DEFINITION:
A high-arching spray (as of water, dust, or snow) thrown up behind a fast-moving motorboat, motor vehicle, or skier.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
A second red flag was waved during the fifth race of the day when Rollin Transport got into a rooster tail on the turn of the first lap, resulting in the boat going onto its side before flipping.
The Key West Citizen, 11/10/2025

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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. Salmonella

A state of uncertainty or perplexity.

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

Inspiring awe, admiration, or wonder

A preparation of a weakened or killed pathogen.


2. Strategy

Using or marked by the use of few words; terse or concise.

The science and art of using all the forces of a nation to execute approved plans as effectively as possible during peace or war.

Either of two times of the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator.

The main character in a drama or other literary work.


3. Sect

Having or demonstrating enthusiasm

A cult or religious movement, a group sharing particular (often unorthodox) political and/or religious beliefs.

A movement or procedure involving skill and dexterity.

One that speaks for, represents, or advocates


4. Kilometer

One that speaks for, represents, or advocates

A Y-shaped protein on the surface of B cells that is secreted into the blood or lymph in response to an antigenic stimulus

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

A metric unit of length equal to 1,000 meters (0.62 mile).


5. Hologram

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

The act of resting or the state of being at rest.

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

The locus of points for which the sum of the distances from each point to two fixed points is equal


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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.