MacMillan Dictionary for Children

From Chapter Dictionary of the English Language

junk¹ 1. Old pieces of metal, wood, rags, or other things that are thrown away; trash. 2. Old things that are no longer useful: My bedroom closet is full of junk. Noun. To Throw something away because it is no longer useful: My father had to junk our o

junk² A sailing ship usually found in China and southeastern Asia. junk (junkg) noun, plural junks.

junk food Food that has a large amount of sugar or fat and small amounts of other nutrients.

junk mail Mail, usually advertisements, that arrives without being asked for.

junkyard A place where junk is collected and stored, especially a place for cars that are old or wrecked. junk·yard (jungk'yärd') noun, plural junkyards.

Jupiter The largest planet in our solar system. It is the fifth closest planet to the sun. Ju·pi·ter (jü'pi ter) noun.

juror A member of a jury: The jurors left the court to decide on their verdict. ju·ror (jur'er) noun, plural jurors.

jury 1. A group of people chosen to hear the facts in a matter that has been brought before a court of law. The jury makes a decision on the matter based on the facts they hear and on the law. 2. A group of people who choose the winners and award the prizes in a contest. ju·ry (jur'E) noun, plural juries.

just Fair and right; honest: The principal is a stern but justperson. Adjective. 1. Not more or less than; exactly: You said just what I was going to say. 2. A little while ago: If you're looking for your parents, I just saw them in the garage. 3. By very little; barely: Because of all the traffic, they just made their plane on time. 4. No more than; only: I'm not really hurt; it's just a scratch. Adverb. just (just) adjective; adverb.

justice 1. Fair or right treatment or action: The lawyer demanded justice for the innocent person. 2. The quality or condition of being fair and right: Justice demands that all people be treated as equals in a court of law. 3. A judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. jus·tice (jus'tis) noun, plural justices.

justify 1. To show to be fair or reasonable: You justified our teacher's faith in you when you won the scholarship. 2. To prove to be without blame or guilt: The lawyer tried to justify the suspect's action. jus·ti·fy (jus'te fI') verb, justified, justifying. — justification noun.

jut To stick out: The lighthouse is on a piece of land that juts into the sea. jut (jut) verb, jutted, jutting.

jute A strong fiber that is used to make heavy cord or a coarse material called burlap. Jute comes from a plant that is grown mostly in tropical areas of Asia. jute (jüt) noun.

juvenile 1. Of or for children or young people: Our town library keeps its collection of juvenile books on the second floor. 2. childish: The teenagers were criticized for their juvenile behavior. Adjective. A young person: Our youth center offers many activities for juveniles. Noun. ju·ve·nile (jü've nel or jü've nIl') adjective; noun, plural juveniles.

SPELLING HINTS

The letter K has one sound in English, as in kayak and kite, but that sound is commonly made by:
c, especially when it appears before a, o, and u, as in can, cost, and cut, or with other consonants, as in clutch and crease;
ck as in luck;
and rarely by:
ch as in ache and anchor;
cqu as in lacquer;
cu as in biscuit;
kh as in khaki;
lk as in talk and walk;
qu as in liquid;
que as in unique.

k, K The eleventh letter of the alphabet. k, K (kA) noun, pluralk's, K's.

kaleidoscope A tube that contains mirrors and often small pieces of colored glass or other colored objects at one end. When the other end of the tube is held up to the eye and turned, the mirrors reflect a series of changing patterns. ka·lei·do·scope (ke lI'de skOp') noun, plural kaleidoscopes.

kangaroo An animal that has small front legs, very strong back legs for leaping, and a long, powerful tail for balance. The female carries her young in a pouch for about six months after birth. Kangaroos are marsupials and live in Australia and New Guinea. kan·ga·roo (kang'ge rü') noun, plural kangaroos or kangaroo.

karaoke A popular kind of entertainment in which a person sings along to music being played by a special device. Karaoke originated in Japan. ka·ra·o·ke (kar'E O'kE) noun.

karate A Japanese style of self-defense in which people fight each other using only kicks and punches. ka·ra·te (ke rä'tE) noun.

Kans. An abbreviation for Kansas.

Kansas A state in the west-central United States. Its capital is Topeka. Kan·sas (kan'zes) noun.

Word History
Kansas was named for a river in the northeastern part of the state. The word was an Indian name for a tribe that used to live near this river.

Copyright © 1997 by Simon & Schuster