Grade 3 Vocabulary

Chapter One Adaptations in Land Environments

1. Environment Noun

1. the air, water, and land in or on which people, animals, and plants live:

E.g. We’re trying to protect the environment from pollution.

2. the conditions that you live or work in and the way that they influence how you feel or

how effectively you can work:

E.g. a good business environment

2. Biome Noun

1. a region of the Earth's surface and the particular combination of weather conditions,

plants, and animals that are found in it

3. Adaptation Noun

1. something produced to adjust to different conditions or uses, or to meet different

situations:

E.g. The movie was an adaptation of a novel.

2. a characteristic of a plant or animal that makes it able to adjust to the conditions of a

particular environment

4. Mimicry Noun

1. the act of copying the sounds or behaviour of a particular person or animal, often in

order to make people laugh :

E.g. The mockingbird is known for its mimicry of other birds.

5. Tundra Noun

1. any of the very large, flat areas of land in northern parts of Asia, North America, and

Europe where, because it is cold, trees do not grow and the earth below the surface is

permanently frozen

6. Migrate Verb

1. to move from one country or region to another, often temporarily:

E.g. Farm workers migrate at harvest time.

7. Stems Noun & Verb

1. Noun, a central part of something from which other parts can develop or grow, or which

forms a support

2. Verb, to stop something unwanted from spreading or increasing:

E.g. The bank tried to stem the currency’s recent decline against the dollar.

8. Mesquite Noun

1. a small tree that grows in dry areas in the Americas and produces pods (= long, narrow,

flat parts containing seeds) that can be used to make flour, or for feeding animals:

E.g. Cottonwoods, mesquites, willows and tall grasses grew in abundance.

9. Saguaro Noun

1. a type of large cactus (= a desert plant with sharp points) that has upright branches and

grows mainly in the southwestern United States :

E.g. It is a desert landscape of canyons, copper mines, and saguaro cactuses.

10. Prairie Noun

1. a wide area of flat land without trees in Canada and the northern US

11. Burrow Noun & Verb

1. Noun, a hole in the ground dug by an animal such as a rabbit, especially to live in

2. Verb, to dig a hole in the ground, especially to live in:

E.g. Rats had burrowed into the bank of the river.