TAE Definitions for Vocabulary

For sentences in Reading About Thomas Alva Edison

Unit 5

Chapter 11:

In the arc lamp, sparks of electricity jumped across pieces of carbon. / small bits of bright electrical light
Carbon is the substance at the end of a burned matchstick. / stuff
Arc light lasted only a few hours. / continued to stay on
The glow of an arc light was blinding. / bright light
An electric current would pass through a filament (a thin fiber or wire) and heat the filament. / thin wire
Some filaments split apart. / broke
Some filaments flickered on and off. / made a light that went on and off
Oxygen causes a filament to burn out quickly. / makes
Some magazines called Tom a “show-off.” / person who tries to impress others
Tom’s assistants became weary. / tired
Tom never became discouraged. / ready to give up
They developed a special mercury vacuum pump to get all of the air out of the glass. / machine that removes air from a closed space
Tom coated a cotton thread with carbon. / covered
Tom was always practical. Now he wanted to bring light to cities. / useful
He formed an electric company. / started
Many people invested money in the electric company / use money to make more money in the future
Tom developed a system to generate and send out electricity. / produce; make
The power station generated and controlled electricity throughout the district. / part of a city
Tom hired a crew of 2000 people. / workers
They dug ditches, installed pipes, and connected wires. / long narrow hole in the ground
They dug ditches, installed pipes, and connected wires / put in
There were plenty of breakdowns and delays / many
Soon cities across the globe had light from electricity / earth
Tom obtained money from his inventions. / got; received

Chapter 12:

Tom didn’t care much about fame. / being well-known and famous
He worried about competition from other inventors. / two or more people in a contest to see who has the best product
Tom had cared about Mary. / loved
Tom’s daughter, Marion, went to boarding school. / residential school; school where students stay day and night
Tom proposed marriage to Mina Miller. / suggested
Tom improved another inventor’s version of an electric battery. / different way of making(something)
Tom designed a screen to show X-rays.
[Doctors use X-rays to take pictures of the inside of a person’s body.] / high energy that can go through solid things
Once a pot of hot wax exploded in his face and burned him / blew up
One winter, a fire broke out in one of his factory buildings. / started
Everything was destroyed; only the laboratory was spared. / not destroyed
Tom and an assistant made a machine to see movies through a peephole. / small hole to look through
Later, one man made a machine to project large images on a screen. / shine; show with a bright light
One man made a machine to project large images on a screen. / pictures of things
Tom built the first movie studio. / place where people make movies

Chapter 13:

Tom, who was seventy years old, created a research department for the U.S. Navy. / started
He also worked on parts for submarines and devices to find enemy submarines. / boats that can move underwater
He also worked on parts for submarines and devices to find enemy submarines. / equipment and machines
People often praised and honored Tom. / said they admired and approved of
People often praised and honored Tom. / showed great respect for
A special “Golden Jubilee” emblem was created for the 50th anniversary of Edison’s lightbulb. / 50th anniversary celebration
A special “Golden Jubilee” emblem was created for the 50th anniversary of Edison’s lightbulb. / symbol with a special design
Tom’s health failed rapidly.
[His health failed so he was very weak and ill.] / got bad
People hailed him as the “man of the century.” / said good things and described
A handwritten note from Thomas Alva Edison to General John J. Carty is one of the many Edison documents that were saved. / written papers, letters, notes