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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 High 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. Reparation

Attended by favorable circumstances; propitious.

Something done or paid to compensate or make amends.

The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language.

Government by a few, especially by a small faction of persons or families.


2. Enervate

Government by a few, especially by a small faction of persons or families.

To remove erroneous, vulgar, obscene, or otherwise objectionable material from (a book, for example) before publication.

The iron-containing respiratory pigment in red blood cells of vertebrates.

To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of.


3. Kowtow

To show servile deference.

The clear, yellowish fluid portion of blood, lymph, or intramuscular fluid in which cells are suspended.

Noninterference in the affairs of others.

The use of obstructionist tactics, especially prolonged speechmaking, for the purpose of delaying legislative action.


4. Lucid

The use of obstructionist tactics, especially prolonged speechmaking, for the purpose of delaying legislative action.

To divide (a geographic area) into voting districts so as to give unfair advantage to one party in elections.

Clear to the understanding.

Of, relating to, or produced by motion.


5. Respiration

Cheerfully confident; optimistic.

The act or process of inhaling and exhaling; breathing.

To increase the positive charge or valence of (an element) by removing electrons.

A person unduly fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign, especially of strangers or foreign peoples.


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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.