Tuesday Tricksters, Marten -- More

Who hasn't written the wrong word, thinking one (won) that sounded like it was the right (rite) one? Learning English, with its (it's) homophones (words that sound alike or nearly so) can be (bee) really tough. This Tuesday Tricksters series is intended to (too, two) remind us all to read what we've written carefully! And if we're (weir) not (knot) sure (shore), ask someone else to read it too.

Marten (n.): a mammal of the genus Martes with a slender body, bushy tail, and soft fur

Martin (n.): a bird such as the house martin or the purple martin

Maser (n.): a device similar to the laser that emits microwave radio waves rather than light

Mazer (n.): a large drinking bowl or goblet made of metal or hard wood

Mask (n.): a covering for the face or part of the face, to conceal the identity; (v.): to cover up or conceal

Masque (n.): a form of dramatic entertainment popular among the English aristocracy during the 16th and 17th century

Massed (v.): the past tense of to mass (to form or collect into a mass; to form into a collective body; to bring together into masses; to assemble)

Mast (n.): a tall pole used for support of the sails on a boat

Mat (n.): a flat fabric used as a floor covering; (v.): to cover, protect, or decorate with mats or a mat; to pack or interweave into a thick mass

Matte (adj.): a dull or unshiny finish; (n.): a mixture of a metal with its sulfides, produced by smelting the sulfide ores of copper, lead, or nickel; in photography, a decorative border around a picture

Moor (n.): a member of a Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent living in Northwest Africa; a large open marsh land

More (adv.): to or in a greater extent or degree (more difficult); (adj.): greater in number or size (more books); (n.): a greater or additional quantity, number, degree, or amount (the more I like you); (pron.): a greater or additional number of persons or things (there were more in the hall)

Are any of these new to you? I had never heard of maser or mazer, and I was unsure about the definition of masque.

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For more on these words or to check any English word you're not sure of, go to www.YourDictionary.com, a terrific resource that shows words and their definitions in several dictionaries.

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