Exploring vocabulary - Muschla Gary R. 2012

The American flag
Compound words, II

A compound word is a word that is made of two or more words. Compound words may be closed (for example, homework), open (peanut butter), or hyphenated (full-time).

1. homework (n): work for school that is done at home

Carla does her homework right after dinner.

2. nearby (adj): a short distance away; close by; (adv): not far away

My grandparents live in a nearby town.

My grandparents live nearby.

3. peanut butter (n): a spreadable food made from roasted, ground peanuts

Peanut butter is one of Joe’s favorite snacks.

4. full-time (adj): requiring all of a person’s time; working what is considered to be a whole day

Watching my little sister is a full-time job.

5. newspaper (n): a daily or weekly publication that contains news, advertisements, comics, etc.

My father reads the newspaper every morning.

6. waterproof (adj): unaffected by water

I wear waterproof shoes on rainy days.

7. mailbox (n): a box to which mail is delivered or from which it is picked up

Alex checks the mailbox each day when he comes home from school.

8. somewhere (adv): in or to a place

I left my glasses somewhere in the house.

9. driveway (n): a road connecting a building to a street

Dad parks his car in the driveway.

10. fireplace (n): a place for holding a fire

In the past, a fireplace was the only source of heat for a house.

Vocabulary tip

Language changes over time. Some open and hyphenated compound words may one day become closed compounds.

25.1 The American flag

The flag of the United States has some nicknames. One is “Old Glory.” Another is “the Red, White, and Blue.” What is a third?

To answer the question, find the word that matches each definition below. Choose your answers from the words after the definitions. Write the letter of each answer in the space above its definition number at the bottom of the page. You will need to divide the letters into words.

1. a box to which mail is delivered or from which it is picked up _____

2. a short distance away _____

3. a daily or weekly publication containing news, advertisements, comics, etc. _____

4. a spreadable food made from roasted, ground peanuts _____

5. a road connecting a building to a street _____

6. requiring all of a person’s time _____

7. in or to a place _____

8. work for school that is done at home _____

9. a place for holding a fire _____

10. unaffected by water _____

Answers

S. waterproof

T. driveway

N. homework

P. full-time

I. nearby

D. mailbox

R. somewhere

E. fireplace

A. newspaper

H. peanut butter