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About This Quiz
Did you know that the number of words you recognize from the age of 1 to the age of 3 grows by 1,900 percent? And from age 3 to age 5, it increases another 900%? Of course, you'd expect that in the formative years, right? That's the time when you're learning all about the world around you and eating knowledge for breakfast! (OK, not literally.) Teachers and parents help kiddos learn all of these words by using categories — you know, learning your colors, your letters and numbers, animals, shapes and so forth.
But, as we get older, the learning doesn't stop. Scientists believe that even adults learn at the rate of one new word every single day. By the time we reach 60, our vocabulary reaches approximately 48,000 words — a 95,900 percent increase from when we're just barely toddling around. The thing is, as adults, we don't really learn words by category, although we certainly should be able to categorize them once they're part of our vernacular.
So, let's throw it back to our childhood days. See how many of these categories you know by matching the words that belong to them. Which is an animal? A food? A musical instrument? A germ? (Kidding on the last one.) It is categorically impossible not to have fun with this one!
Cerulean
Earwig
It might sound like a body part, but an earwig is actually a terrifying little insect equipped with both wings and pincers. Luckily, earwigs are not considered dangerous or venomous, but we'd like to avoid them just the same.
Humerus
Serpentine
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Mien
Cherimoya
Arugula
Arugula, known for its peppery or slightly bitter flavor, is a member of the mustard green family. For us, arugula pairs best with a light coating of olive oil, lemon, seasoning and a cheese such as parmesan. Yum!
Bibble
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Banshee
Bugbane
Bandicoot
Have you ever heard of Crash Bandicoot? No worries if you haven't. He was the title character of a series of video games first released in 1996. "Bandicoot" might sound like a nonsense word, but it's an actual marsupial native to Australia and New Guinea.
Boondock
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Dapper
Castanets
Not only are castanets considered musical instruments, but they're also part of everyone's favorite instrument category: percussion! Castanets are a member of the clapper family and are often featured in Italian and Spanish tunes.
Lathe
Solarium
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Dearth
Allen wrench
Domicile
Lathe
Let's face it — you're probably not going to have a lathe in your garage (although that would be cool). A lathe is frequently used by those in woodworking or metalworking to help shape pieces of material accordingly.
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Rebus
Endive
Hominy
Lychee
The outside of the lychee, native to areas of China, resembles a strawberry; however, its taste is more reminiscent of citrus with floral notes. Lychee is a member of the soapberry (yes, soap!) family.
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Brawn
Sedan
Coupe
"Little deuce coupe/You don't know what I got" are the first lines from the Beach Boys song, "Little Deuce Coupe." In the automotive world, a coupe simply denotes a two-door vehicle that's rear window slopes downward, such as on a Mustang.
Vassal
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Pinging
Addling
Hooping
Sculling
If you're in a boat moving forward through the water with two oars, that is known in the sporting world as "sculling." To take it a step further, the boat — and even the oars themselves — may be referred to as sculls.
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Dulcet
Flotilla
Toboggan
In certain parts of the country, a "toboggan" is considered a hat (no, really!) But for this quiz, we're using the word "toboggan" as it is known in many other parts of the world, as a narrow sled used for gliding down snow-covered hills.
Ornithopter
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Bouillon
Celadon
The word "celadon" originated in China as early as the 10th century, when potters used celadon to glaze their wares. The glaze earned the name celadon, which we also associate today with a pale green shade.
Coquelicot
Gamboge
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Nimbus
It might sound like a derogatory comment at first, but the word "nimbus" actually refers to a type of cloud. Nimbus clouds are the ones that appear when precipitation such as rain or snow falls to the ground.
Aria
Didactic
Salient
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Peremptory
Antimony
Antimony is, in fact, not what happens when two people exchange vows (that's matrimony). Antimony is, however, an element with the atomic number 51 and the symbol Sb. This element was discovered as far back as 1600 B.C.
Polysaccharide
Halcyon
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Staid
Frond
The term "frond" sounds pretty fancy. Yet, it merely means the leaves from a plant such as a fern or a palm. Fronds, specifically, are leaves that appear to be divided down the center. (You're looking up a fern frond right now, aren't you?)
Haplorhine
Doggerel
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Balbis
Pentagon
Ever wondered how the Pentagon got its name? Look at it from an aerial view, and you'll notice it's a building with five sides, just like the geometric shape by the same name. Fun fact — the Pentagon was originally intended for a different parcel of land that required that shape but retained the shape once the location was moved.
Squircle
Gorgon
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Coiffure
Aglet
Rotisserie
Admit it: That rotisserie chicken at Walmart gets you every time. Did you know you can buy your own rotisserie to have at home? A rotisserie is sort of like an oven with a rotating interior piece that helps whatever's inside be evenly cooked.
Glabella
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Candela
Lode
Rubric
Dram
A "dram" is a unit of measurement you probably don't hear about frequently, mostly because it's so small. A dram is considered one-eighth of an ounce, which isn't much to drink ... or do anything with, really.
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Duodenum
The duodenum is part of the small intestine, tasked with chemical digestion that allows nutrients to be absorbed by the small intestine. You can't actually see this body part, but trust us, it's there.
Dais
Axilla
Hallux
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Cockade
Ruff
Anorak
OK, you got us. An "anorak" is just a fancier way of saying "jacket." The word is believed to derive from Greenland Eskimos, who called this warm, waterproof gear an "anoraq." You can call it a jacket, though ... we don't mind.
Tippet
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Consul
You've heard of a consulate, right? If you're an American traveling in Germany and run into a problem, you might choose to visit the American consul in Munich. Consuls are government-appointed representatives of a country inside another country.
Chiffonier
Dilettante
Alnager
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Baobab
Aster
"Aster" is a star-shaped flower, named in honor of the Greek goddess, Astraea. According to legend, Astraea was upset and cried tears that turned into star-shaped flowers once her tears hit the earth. That's how the aster got its name!
Rafflesia
Egret
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Harried
We've likely all felt harried at some point. You know the feeling — rushed, harassed, overworked, (underpaid?), stressed out! You might feel harried, for example, if you're given a new project just before 5 p.m. that's due tomorrow. Yikes.
Derelict
Pendulous
Aquiline
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Aspersion
Edifice
Frontispiece
Have you ever seen an illustration near the front of a book, opposite its title page? Did you know that actually has a name? The "frontispiece" appears on the left side of a spread, while the book's title appears on the right.
Subaltern
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Machination
Simper
Decoupage
The hobby known as "decoupage" comes from the French word “decouper,” which means "to cut." People who like to decoupage channel their inner kindergartner, with loads of colored paper and plenty of glue. Hey, we're not judging!
Inchoate
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Moribund
Tripe
Paprika
Paprika is a blend of sweet and spicy notes, which is perfect since it's derived from bell or sweet peppers. You'll recognize this spice as red in color, with health benefits in the form of vitamin A and capsaicin.
Balut
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Damask
Damask fabric is reversible, which makes it a versatile textile for things like table linens or window treatments. The word "damask" comes from the town of Damascus, where the fabric was first created.
Jacquard
Credence
Frieze
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Austere
Bergere
Dulcet
Armoire
An armoire is a piece of furniture similar to a wardrobe and used for storing clothes. Original armoires were tall cabinets, often with a hanging rod inside to help keep your clothes nice and neat.
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Auspices
Espadrilles
Espadrilles are casual shoes noted for their rope-based soles. You've probably seen them most recently in a wedge style. The term "espadrille" is derived from "esparto," the type of role used in its making.
Spangles
Anodynes
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Wassail
The hot mulled cider beverage known as wassail is frequently associated with the feel-good holiday season. The name of the drink itself came from the act of "wassailing," a "good luck" ritual for the next year's apple harvest.
Muster
Avarice
Gimlet
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Peninsula
Saturnine
Plateau
You sometimes think of a plateau as a time in your life when things are neither moving forward or backward, but there's also a geographic element here. Plateaus are elevated, level tracts of land that appear all over the globe.
Zenith
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Accede
Cosine
We don't claim to know much about math; in fact, we prefer words. But, a "math" category is a good one to include since we use it often in our daily lives. Maybe not the "cosine" equation, necessarily, but if you're ever on "Jeopardy!" perhaps you'll remember this.
Ellipsis
Isosceles
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Obdormition
Paralysis
Paralysis is the loss of muscle movement in some part of your body. It can be one of the early signs of a stroke or come as the result of an accident, such as a wreck or an injury while playing sports.
Enuresis
Sternutate
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Inertia
Galileo Galilei's theory of inertia was that an object in motion will remain in motion until acted upon by an outside force. Isaac Newton later refined the theory into what we know today as his first law of motion.
Ephemeris
Mastication
Faculae
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Lossy
Grok
Dox
Captcha
Captcha with pictures, math equations or simple checkboxes — we've seen it all. These online tools allow websites to determine whether you're a human or a computer ...and we certainly hope if you're reading this, you're ALL human!
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Recession
You probably hear the word "recession" tossed around on the news or in newspapers from time to time. A recession is nothing more than a decline in economic activity, which can cause consumers to stop spending and businesses from becoming more wary.
Deflation
Appreciation
Annuitization
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Gadfly
Bivouac
A "bivouac," pronounced Biv-Whack, is a makeshift campsite typically set up by soldiers that usually does not include any roof or covering. Think of it like a temporary military camp, derived from the German word "beiwacht."
Sleight
Canon
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