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ob • sess v., haunt or preoccupy the mind of. Jack obsesses over his golf game and plays every day. obsessed, adj.

pore v., read studiously or attentively. Jane pores over each month’s issue of National Geographic.

be • wil • der v., confuse or puzzle. The many rules of cribbage bewilder me. bewildered, adj.

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bar • rage n., outpouring of many things at once. A barrage of protests followed Principal Slinter’s announcement that the field trip was cancelled.

ex • ca • vate v., dig out and remove. The archeologists excavated the ruins of a temple in a jungle in Cambodia. excavated, adj.

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skew v., distort. Justin was afraid he might skew the survey results if he told people why he was asking the questions.

cre • scent n., curved figure that tapers to two points like a crescent moon. Nick took one bit of each cookie, leaving a pile of crumbly crescents.

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car • ni • vor • ous adj., subsisting on animal tissue. Dogs and cats are mostly carnivorous animals, but they eat some non-meat food as well.

her • bi • vore n., plant-eating animal. Most song birds are herbivores and eat mainly seeds, berries, and nuts.

de • cep • tion n., something that deceives, or tricks. The magician was a master of deception.