Bennett 3rd Grade Vocabulary

Here you will find the vocabulary words and definitions for this school year.  Simply select the lesson you need on the side.  Remember to use Spellingcity.com to help you practice both your vocabulary and spelling words.

Lesson 1: Ruby the Copycat

pleasant- something that is pleasant is enjoyable and makes you happy.

coincidence- a coincidence is when two things happen that seem to fit together but are not connected.

modeled-  if you modeled something, you showed it so that other people could see it.

loyal-  someone who is loyal stands by you in good times and bad.

recited-  if you recited something, you memorized it and then spoke it aloud.

murmur-  when people murmur, they speak so softly that they can hardly be heard.

trudged-  if you walked slowly as though your feet were stuck in mud, you trudged.

frustrated- when you try and try to do something and cannot, then you might feel frustrated.

imitated-  if you copied what someone did or said, you imitated him or her.

gushed- when you were excited about something and talked a lot about it, you gushed.

Lesson 2: The Day Eddie Met the Author

assembly-  an assembly is a group of people who have gathered for a reason.

plenty-  if you have plenty of something, you have more than enough.

dismiss-  to dismiss is to give permission to leave.

squirmed- if you squirmed in your seat, you kept wriggling around as if you were uncomfortable.

patchwork-  patchwork is cloth made by sewing together small pieces of different fabrics.

autographed- if you autographed something, you signed your name on it.

conquer- when you conquer something, such as a problem or a fear, you win against it and over come it.

resistance- when you feel resistance, you do not want something to happen.

ponder- when you ponder, you take time to think about an idea.

anticipation- when you feel anticipation, you feel excited because something is about to happen.

Lesson 3: Schools Around the World

chore- chores are small jobs that you need to do but may not enjoy.

certain- a certain thing is one particular thing.

resource- resources are materials, money, and other things that can be used.

culture- a culture is made up of a group’s customs and traditions.

tutor-  a tutor is someone who helps another person with schoolwork.

uniform- uniforms are clothes that all the people in a group wear so they are dressed alike.

proper- something that is proper is the way it is supposed to be, or correct.

boarding- when you are boarding someone, you are giving that person a place to live for a while.

literacy- literacy is the ability to read and write.

diverse- if a group of things is diverse, then the individual things in the group are different from each other.

Lesson 4: Ellen Ochoa, Astronaut

talented- a talented person has the special ability to do something very well.

apply- when you apply for a job, you are asking for work.

research- research involves getting information about a question or topic.

invention- an invention is something completely new that someone has made.

hinder- when you hinder someone, you make it difficult or impossible for them to do something.

disappointed- you are disappointed if you are unhappy about the way something turned out.

persevere- you persevere when you keep trying to do something without giving up.

confidence- if you are sure that everything will work out, you have confidence.

ambitious- an ambitious person is eager to reach a goal.

attain- when you reach a goal, you attain it.

Lesson 5: The School News

viewers- viewers are people who watch something.

survive- to survive is to remain alive, even after great difficulties.

camouflage- when something has camouflage, it blends into its surroundings.

concealed- something that is concealed is covered up so it can’t be seen.

independent- a person who is independent is someone who does things on his or her own.

donated- something that has been donated has been given away for free.

media- the many ways that people communicate, including newspapers, magazines, and television, are all part of the media.

feature- when reporters do a special report on a topic, the report is called a feature.

image- an image is a picture of something or someone.

popular- something that is popular is something that many people like.

Lesson 6: The Babe and I

skim- If a boat moves swiftly over the water, it skims the surface.

span- If the bridge spans meet, they come together.

contribution- If you help your family reach its goal, you make a contribution to your family.

initiative- When you take initiative, you make the first step in doing something.

midst- If you are in the midst of something,, you are in the middle of it.

shabby- Shabby things look old and worn out.

dazed- If you are dazed, you are confused and cannot think properly.

elevated- Something that is elevated is lifted up.

embarrass- If you embarrass someone, you make that person feel uncomfortable or ashamed.

collapses- When something collapses, it falls down because it is not well supported.

Lesson 7: Aero and Officer Mike

babble- If you babble, you say words that cannot be understood.

                    

suspicious- If you think someone cannot be trusted, you are suspicious of him or her.

accompany-   When you accompany someone, you go someplace with him or her.

competent- If you are competent, you’re good at what you are doing.

scent- A scent is what something smells like.

wanders- A person who wanders travels without planning where he or she is going.

whined- If someone or something whined, it gave a long, high cry.

obey- When you obey, you do what you are told to do.

demonstrate- When you demonstrate something, you show how it works or how it is done.

patrol- People patrol an area when they go through it with the purpose of guarding it.

Lesson 8: How Animals Talk

charging- If an animal is charging, it is rushing or moving quickly towards something or someone.

ferocious- A ferocious animal looks angry and wild.

dominant- If someone or something is the strongest, it is dominant.

conflict- If two animals are fighting, they are in a conflict.

communicate- When two people or animals communicate, they share information.

flick- When you flick something, you move it or snap it quickly.

alert- If you alert people to something, you get their attention and let them know to be careful.

signal- A signal is a sound or an action that sends a message.

chatter- When animals chatter, they repeat their sounds quickly.

groom- When an animal grooms itself, it makes itself neat and clean. 

Lesson 9: Stone Soup

dense- When something is made of things that are very close together, it is dense.

reaction- A response to something that happens is a reaction.

ingredients- Ingredients are all the foods and spices that you use to make a certain kind of food.

gracious- When you try to make a guest comfortable in your home, you are being gracious.

famine- When there is a famine, there is not enough food to feed everyone.

generous- People who are generous are happy to share with others.

curiosity- Something that is called a curiosity is something odd or unusual that interests people.

gaze- A gaze is a long look at something.

agreeable- Something that is agreeable is pleasing to the senses.

banquet- If you are going to a banquet, you are going to a special meal that will have a large amount of food.

Lesson 10: The Case of the Three Bears' Breakfast

investigate- When you investigate something, you try to find out the truth about it.

expert- An expert is someone who knows a lot about a certain job.

laboratory- A place where experiments are done is a laboratory.

various- When there are various objects, there are objects of different types.

suspect- When you suspect someone of doing something; you think that person has done it.

confess- When you confess, you tell the truth about something you did wrong.

perplexed- When you are perplexed about something, you are confused about it.

inquisitive- If you are inquisitive about something, you are curious about it.

inviting- If something looks inviting, you want to take part in it or have something to do with it.

amusing- If something is fun or funny, it is amusing.

Lesson 11: Loved Best

swooned – If you had a terrible shock or surprise that made you faint or fall, you might have swooned.

astonished – When you are amazed and surprised by something, you are astonished.

 envious – If you feel envious, you want something that someone else has.

rivalry – People who have rivalry are competing against one another for something.

encouraging – An encouraging word from a friend make you feel that you can do something well.

brief – If something is brief, it does not take much time.

chuckling – If you are chuckling, you are laughing quietly to yourself.

soothing – Something that is soothing makes you feel calm.

sobbed – Someone who sobbed cried very hard.

praised – If you praised someone, you told that person that he or she did something well.

Lesson 12: A Pen Pal for Max

deciphered – If you have figured out a message that is difficult to understand or that is written in code, then you have deciphered it.

mistaken – If you are wrong about something, you are mistaken.

catastrophe – A catastrophe is something really terrible that has happened.

fortunate – If you are fortunate, you are very lucky.

translate – If you translate something, you say or write it in another language.

repairs – When something needs repairs, it needs to be fixed.

heaving – Heaving is throwing something heavy with great effort.

bothersome – When something is bothersome, it bothers you and causes problems.

din – If there is a din, there is so much noise that it is hard to hear anything over it.

dodging – When you are dodging something, you avoid something that is coming toward you.

Lesson 13: A Tree is Growing

columns – A column is a tall, circle structure that holds up part of a building.

absorb – Something absorbs a liquid if it soaks up the liquid.

protects – When you protect something, you keep it safe.

rustling – When objects are rustling, they are moving and making soft sounds.

dissolve - When something dissolves, it mixes completely with a liquid.

particles- Tiny pieces of something are called particles.

tugged – If you tugged something, you pulled it hard.

paused – If you paused, you stopped what you were doing for just a moment.

scavenger- An animal is a scavenger if it collects leftover and unwanted

objects.

self-sufficient – If something is self-sufficient, it makes everything it needs.

Lesson 14: One Small Place in a Tree

sprout – When something sprouts, it begins to grow.

damp – If something is damp, it is a little bit wet.

transformation – If someone or something has gone through a transformation, it has been changed.

harmony – If two things are living in harmony, they are in agreement, living peacefully.

suppose – When you suppose something, you think it is true.

roost – Birds roost, or perch, when they sleep in trees at night.

spears – If something spears something, he or she sticks something sharp

through it.

strikes – If something strikes something else, it hits it.

glimpse- When you get a glimpse of something, you get only a quick peek at it.

maze – A maze is a winding set of paths that is like a puzzle.

Lesson 15: Ask the Experts

issue – An issue is an edition of a newspaper or magazine.

advice – If you give someone advice, you tell what you think the person should do.

consult – When you consult someone, you ask him or her for information.

recommend – When you recommend something, you tell someone that you think it is good.

sensible – Something who is sensible makes good decisions and judgments.

devise – To devise is to figure out a way to do something.

luscious – Something that is luscious appeals to your senses, such as your sense of taste.

shudder – If you shudder, you are trembling from fear or from being cold.

expertise – If someone has expertise, he or she knows a lot about a particular topic or skill.

correspondence – If you send correspondence, you are communicating in writing.

Lesson 16: Lon Po Po

charming – If you are charming, you have a way of pleasing people with what you say and how you act.

racket – If you make a lot of noise, you are making a racket.

ingenious – If you do something very clever or imaginative, you are ingenious.

outwit – If you trick someone by doing something clever, you outsmart, or outwit, them.

tender – Something, like food, that is tender is soft and easy to chew or cut.

delighted – When you are very happy about something, you are delighted.

brittle – Things that are brittle are so stiff and hard that they break easily.

embraced – If you hugged someone, you embraced that person.

cunning – Someone who is cunning uses smart and tricky ways to get what he or she wants.

disguised – If you are disguised, you are wearing something that keeps people from knowing who you are.

Lesson 17: Two Bear Cubs

awe – If something fills you with awe, you are amazed by it.

concentration – Concentration is focusing your attention on a single thing.

dilemma – A dilemma is a problem or a difficult situation

commendable – If something is commendable, it is worthy of attention and praise.

glancing – When you are glancing at something, you are taking a quick look at it.

scolding – If you are scolding someone, you are angrily pointing out that person’s mistakes.

console – When you comfort or cheer someone you console him or her.

heroic – Someone who is heroic is brave and acts like a hero.

drowsy – When you are drowsy, you feel so sleepy that you can’t stay awake.

burden – A burden is a heavy load that is difficult to carry.

Lesson 18: Me and Uncle Romie

dull – When something is not shiny, it is dull.

towers – Something that is very tall towers over shorter things.

masterpiece – A great piece of art can be called a masterpiece.

heritage – Memories and traditions of your family’s past are part of your

heritage.

ruined – If something is ruined, it is no longer any good.

crept – If you crept, you moved slowly and carefully so that you wouldn’t be

seen or heard.

glorious – If something is so wonderful that you can hardly believe it, it is

glorious.

memory – A memory is something you remember.

streak – To streak is to move very quickly from one place to another.

yanked – If you yanked something, you gave it a quick, hard pull.

Lesson 19: Half-Chicken

deliberately – If you move slowly and carefully, you move deliberately.

composed – If you made up a song, you composed it.

gratitude – If you thank someone for something, you are showing gratitude.

compassion – If you are kind to someone who needs help, you are showing compassion.

swift – Something that is swift moves very quickly.

vain – If you are vain, you think very highly of yourself.

overheard – If you overheard what people said, you heard it without them knowing you were listening.

suggested – If you suggested something, you gave someone an idea.

enormous – Something that is enormous is very big.

exclaimed – If you exclaimed something, you said it excitedly.

Lesson 20: Backstage with Chris and Casey

criticize – When you criticize something, you tell what you think is wrong with it.

dialogue – Conversation between people is called dialogue.

immerse – To immerse oneself is to become very involved in something.

mandatory – Something that is mandatory is required.

rehearse – To rehearse is to practice for a performance.

versions – If there are different versions of a story, the story is told in different ways.

camaraderie – People have camaraderie when they are comfortable with each other and spend a lot of time together.

flawless – If a performance is flawless, there are no mistakes in it.

tragic – A tragic event is something that is both sad and horrible.

limp – When something is limp, it is too weak to move or support itself.

Lesson 21: Antartic Ice

conserved – If something is rare and important, it should be conserved, or kept carefully.

strict – If you are stern and demand obedience, you are strict.

harsh – If something is hard to stand up to, like a blizzard, it is harsh.

bleak – If something is cold and gloomy, it is bleak.

absence – An absence means that something or someone is not present.

shelters – Something that shelters you protects you and keeps you safe.

permanently – If something stays one way forever, it stays that way permanently.

drifts – When something drifts, it moves along without direction.

scarce – Something is scarce if there is not much of it to be found.

dim – It is dim when there is not much light.

Lesson 22: Bat Loves The Night

blanketed – If an area is blanketed in fog or snow, it is covered.

surroundings – The area around you is your surroundings.

plummet – If you drop suddenly from a great height, you plummet.

inverted – Something that is turned upside-down or inside-out is inverted.

nocturnal – An animal that is nocturnal sleeps during the day and is active at night.

effort – When you work hard, you use effort.

dozes – Someone who dozes takes short naps.

swoops- When something swoops, it dives or dips downward.

detail – A detail is a small piece of information that is part of a larger whole.

fluttering – When something moves through the air lightly and quickly, it is fluttering.

Lesson 23: Chestnut Cove

eagerly – If you are waiting eagerly for something, you are excited or anxious for it to happen.

transferred – If you transferred something, you moved it from one place to another.

contented – If you are contented, you are happy with the way things are.

collaborate- If you are going to work with others on a project, you are planning to collaborate with them.

fondness – If you like something very much, you have a fondness for it.

emotion – An emotion is a feeling, such as happiness.

ridiculous- Something that is very silly is ridiculous.

disgraceful- If something is disgraceful, it is shocking and not acceptable.

decent – Someone who is decent is good and fair.

inherit – When you inherit something, you have been given something by someone who used to own it.

Lesson 24: Ramona Quimby

individually – If you speak to your friends one at a time, you speak to them individually.

affordable – If you have enough money to buy something, that thing is affordable.

presentation – If you describe or perform something in front of a group of people, you are putting on a presentation.

effective – When you get the result you want, then your actions have been effective.

clutter – If a place such as your desk or your room has clutter, it is messy and full of things you do not really need.

mentioned – If you mentioned something, you talked about it briefly.

beckoned – If you beckoned to someone, you used your hand to signal him or her to come to you.

flustered – If something flustered you, it made you forget what you were saying or doing.

remark- A remark is something that is said about something.

visible – When something is visible, you can see it.

Lesson 25: The Robodogs of Greenville

require – Something that is required is needed.

functional – Something that serves as a purpose is functional.

inhabitant – The people or animals that in a certain place are the inhabitants of

that place.

amazement – Amazement is a feeling of great wonder and surprise.

ample- A amount that is ample is enough or more than is needed.

responsibility – A responsibility is something you are expected to do.

futuristic – A futuristic story tells how things might be in the future.

realistic – A book that is realistic describes things as they really are.

confused – A confused person is mixed up.

shifting – If air is shifting, it is moving or changing.

Lesson 26: Charlotte's Web

bristly – If something is bristly, it is covered with short, stiff hairs.

dreadful – If something is dreadful, it is scary or terrible.

adamant – If someone is adamant about something, he or she is very determined and won’t change his or her mind about it.

inevitable – Is something is inevitable, it cannot be avoided or stopped.

summoning – If you are summoning someone, you are calling for the person to come.

nuisance – Something or someone that bothers you can be a nuisance.

sedentary – If you have a sedentary job or lifestyle, you are sitting down most of the time.

oblige – When you oblige someone, you help the person.

boasting – Someone who is boasting is telling other people wonder things about

himself or herself.

sway – When things sway, they swing slowly back and forth.

Lesson 27: Spiders and Their Webs

justice – If you treat others fairly, you are showing justice.

task – A task is a job that needs to be done.

elaborate – Something that is elaborate is decorated with many details.

inventive –A person who creates or solves something in a new way is inventive.

prey – An animal that is hunted for food is prey.

shallow – Something shallow is not very deep.

strands – Long, thin pieces of something are strands.

social – A social animal is one that lives in a group with other animals of the same kind.

spiral – A spiral shape curls around and a round in a circle.

reels – A person reels something in by winding up a line attached to it.

Lesson 28: The Science Fair

humor – When you have a sense of humor, it means you enjoy telling and hearing about things that are funny.

abroad - If you go abroad, you go overseas to a different country.

preparation – Preparation is everything you do to get ready for something.

gimmick – A gimmick is a trick or a way to grab people’s attention.

sprinkled – Something that has been sprinkled has had tiny pieces or drops of something scattered all over it.

expand- When things expand, they get bigger.

erupt- Something that erupts breaks out of something that holds it in.

thorough- If you do something in a thorough way, you do a careful and complete job.

deliberation- Deliberation is thought and discussion that comes before making a decision.

grainy – If something is grainy, it is not smooth but has many small, hard pieces.

Lesson 29: The Planets

distinct – When there are several similar but separate objects, the objects are said to be distinct.

slightly – When something happens slightly, you can barely tell it happened.

infinite – When there is so much of something that it cannot be measured, it is infinite.

expansive – Something that is expansive covers a very large area.

rotate – Something that rotates spins like a top.

steady – A light that is steady always looks the same and does not change or go out.

reflect – When something reflects light, the light bounces off the surface

instead of passing through it.

surface- The surface of something is the top part of it.

evidence – Evidence is proof that something has happened.

appear – How something appears is the way it looks or seems to be.