gust • y adj., characterized by bursts of wind. It is far easier to sail when the breeze is steady than when it is gusty.

gal • le • on n., large sailing ship. Pirates sailed their galleons on the sea.

moor n., open, rolling wasteland; heath. After spending her life in the tropical paradise of Hawaii, Lana found the barren moors of England rather cold and bleak.

plait v., braid. Ann plaited her hair into a French braid.

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case • ment n., window frame with hinges along the side. Heather swung open the shutters of the window and stood at the casement staring at the crowd below.

cas • cade n., tumbling flow. The mountain stream led to a cascade where the water fell from a great height.

snig • ger v., snicker, slyly laugh. It is not polite to snigger behind someone’s back. sniggering, adj.

writhe v., twist or turn. No matter how much he writhed, he could not wiggle free.

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strive v., try very hard. Barry’s efforts are truly commendable; he has striven successfully to raise a C-minus average to a B-plus.

re • frain n., phrase repeated at intervals in a song or poem. Everyone knew the refrain of “Auld Lang Syne”; it was the many verses that gave us difficulty.