Word of the Day - 01

Word of the Day

Word of the Day: careen

careen \ kə-ˈrēn \ verb and noun verb: move headlong at high speed verb: move sideways or in an unsteady way verb: walk as if unable to control one’s movements noun: the process of pitching dangerously to one side

The few dozen people who shuffled inside the tent cheered for Bobby Frankenstein, a 26-year-old newcomer from Buffalo, who rode a motorcycle around a wooden silo about 26 feet in diameter. Centripetal force kept him pinned to the wall. The crowd cheered appreciatively, many of them watching through the screens of their smartphones. Then into the bowl went Johnny Dare, a bald and muscular Englishman, also in his 60s. He rode a Harley-Davidson dirt bike and continually jerked the wheel of his bike to make it seem as if he was about to careen into the audience. By the time the two men were chasing each other inside the motordrome for the finale — what’s known as the cannonball pursuit — the audience seemed divided. While the adults were plainly enthralled, a little boy in a ball cap was plugging his ears. A girl with a long braid fell to the ground and hugged her mother’s ankles.

Daily Word Challenge Can you correctly use the word careen in a sentence? Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun. Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you. If you want a better idea of how careen can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.

careen  Other forms: careened; careening; careens Whether it’s an unsteady ship, a speeding bus, or a person who is woozy, use the verb careen to describe something that’s teetering from side to side. When the word careen first entered the English language in the sixteenth century, it was used to describe a beached ship that was turned on its side for repair. The word can still refer to making those kinds of nautical repairs, but now you’re more likely to hear the word used to describe something that is swaying from side to side. You may feel like a ship out of control if you careen madly through a crowd or if you careen down a steep hill on skis. Definitions of careen verb  move headlong at high speed synonyms:barrel, career type of:go, locomote, move, travel change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically verb  move sideways or in an unsteady way “The ship careened out of control” synonyms:shift, tilt, wobble type of:move move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion verb  walk as if unable to control one's movements synonyms:keel, lurch, reel, stagger, swag type of:walk use one's feet to advance; advance by steps noun  pitching dangerously to one side synonyms:rock, sway, tilt type of:lurch, pitch, pitching abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance)

VocabTrainer™ Think you know careen? Answer a question to start your personalized learning plan. careen means to: stagger simper contrive rave

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