Nadia must say the word 'brusque' aloud in her presentation and is unsure how it sounds. Which reference answers that need?

Owen's draft says 'The tired runner walked quickly to the bus.' He wants one verb that names that exact way of moving. Which reference is built for that need?

A physics chapter uses the word 'matter' in a way the everyday sense does not cover. Which reference explains how that field uses the term?

A dictionary lists two headwords: compound¹ (to combine; a mixture) and compound² (a fenced area with buildings). What do the small raised numbers show?

Marcus needs to know where the word 'apparatus' breaks into syllables. Which reference shows that?

Priya wants to know which older language the word 'credible' came from. Which part of a reference answers her?

A lab manual tells students to add a 'reagent' and never defines it in the steps. Which reference best explains how chemistry uses that word?

Which need is a thesaurus actually built to meet?

Jordan cannot tell whether a sentence calls for 'cite' or 'site.' Which reference settles it?

A history article uses 'ratify' in a way a student half understands. Which reference gives the precise meaning plus the word's part of speech?

Entry: check 1. to examine something for accuracy 2. to slow or stop something 3. a written order to a bank 4. a pattern of squares. Which sense fits 'The new dam checked the flow of the river'?

Entry: current 1. a flow of water or air in one direction 2. a flow of electric charge 3. the general course of events. Which sense fits 'The swimmers stayed near shore because the current was strong'?

Entry: keen (adj.) 1. eager or enthusiastic 2. having a sharp edge 3. quick to understand 4. (of a sense) highly developed. Which sense fits 'The dog's keen nose found the trail in minutes'?

Entry: reserve 1. a supply kept back for later 2. land set aside for wildlife 3. the habit of holding back one's feelings 4. a player not in the starting lineup. Which sense fits 'Her reserve made her seem unfriendly'?

Entry: resolve 1. to settle or end a disagreement 2. to decide firmly 3. to separate into parts 4. firm determination. Which sense fits 'The two neighbors finally resolved their argument about the fence'?

Entry: plot 1. the events of a story 2. a small piece of ground 3. a secret plan 4. to mark points on a graph. Which sense fits 'They planted tomatoes in a narrow plot behind the garage'?

Entry: temper 1. a person's usual state of mind 2. an outburst of anger 3. the hardness given to metal by heating and cooling 4. to soften the effect of something. Which sense fits 'The smith tested the temper of the blade'?

Entry: sound 1. something that is heard 2. free from damage; in good condition 3. a narrow stretch of water 4. to measure the depth of water. Which sense fits 'Inspectors reported that the old bridge was still sound'?

Entry: draft 1. an early version of a piece of writing 2. a current of air in a room 3. the selection of people for military service 4. to pull a heavy load. Which sense fits 'A cold draft came in under the door all night'?

Entry: scale 1. a series of marks used in measuring 2. one of the thin plates covering a fish 3. the relative size of a thing 4. to climb up or over. Which sense fits 'She scaled the fence in one quick motion'?

Entry: mint 1. a place where coins are made 2. a plant used for flavoring 3. in perfect, unused condition 4. a small candy. Which sense fits 'The comic book from 1978 was still in mint condition'?

An entry begins: pa·tri·arch (PAY-tree-ark) n. What do the raised dots inside the headword tell the reader?

An entry begins: pa·tri·arch (PAY-tree-ark) n. In the respelling, what do the capital letters show?

An entry reads: prudent (adj.) careful about future consequences. What does the label 'adj.' tell a reader analyzing a sentence?

An entry reads: credible (adj.) able to be believed. Example: 'The jury found the witness credible.' How does the example sentence help a reader?

An entry reads: kid 1. a young goat 2. informal a child 3. informal to tease. Kai is writing a formal report for a science fair. What do the 'informal' labels tell him?

Entry: rest 1. a period of relief from work 2. what is left over 3. Music a printed symbol marking a silence of stated length. What does the 'Music' label before sense 3 tell a reader?

Entry: rest 1. a period of relief from work 2. what is left over 3. Music a printed symbol marking a silence of stated length. True or False: in 'She ate half the pizza and saved the rest for lunch,' sense 1 fits.

Entry: novel 1. (n) a long fictional story 2. (adj) new and unusual. True or False: in 'The team tried a novel approach to the problem,' sense 1 is the sense that fits.

From context, Ines guesses 'meticulous' means careful. Which step verifies her guess rather than repeating it?

Dev guesses that 'abate' means 'to get weaker.' The same article uses 'abate' twice more. What is the most useful verification step?

In a science article, 'The plate slipped along the fault' will not fit the dictionary's first sense of 'fault,' a mistake or flaw. What should the student do next?

A sentence reads: 'Unlike her candid brother, Mara hid what she thought.' A student guesses 'candid' means secretive. Which step shows the guess is wrong?

A thesaurus lists 'stubborn' among words close in meaning to 'determined.' Before using 'stubborn' in a compliment, what should the writer do?

Two senses of 'address' seem possible to Rosa: a formal speech and to speak to someone. The sentence is 'The mayor will address the council on Tuesday.' What settles it?

Sam guessed 'novice' means 'expert,' but the entry reads: a person new to an activity. What should he do with his preliminary meaning?

A science textbook prints 'erosion' in bold. Kim guesses from context that it means 'the wearing away of land.' Where in the book can she check that guess fastest?

A student decides 'ingenious' means 'honest' because it looks like 'ingenuous.' What is the reliable next step?

In a stanza, a student infers that 'brittle' describes a fragile mood. Which check best tests that inference?

Ana needs the precise definition of 'correlation,' a more vivid verb for 'showed,' and how statisticians use 'significant.' Which set of references matches those three needs in order?