Actuate

(verb)

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To cause to put into mechanical motion.

A thermostat is actuated by changes of temperature.

Brackish

(adjective)

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Made up of a mixture of fresh water and seawater.

Crabs thrive in the brackish waters of the estuary.

                                   Cognitive

(adjective)

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Relating to mental processes such as awareness, remembering, and reasoning.

A person's cognitive skills can be evaluated using psyhological tests.

Dissertation

(noun)

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A lengthy, usually written discussion of a topic, often for a college or university degree.

On completion of her dissertation on phosphoarginine functions in invertebrates, Perry received her M.S. degree.

Dolorous

(adjective)

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Causing or marked by pain, misery, or sorrow.

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo used graphic imagery to express grief in her dolorous self-portraits.

Endemic

(adjective)

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Widespread or peculiar to a certain place or among a certain people.

Bach was a fecund composer, and among his many works are some 300 scared cantatas.

Genealogy

(noun)

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The history of a family and how its members are related to one another; also the study of such family histories.

Martha can trace her family's genealogy all the way back to pilgrams on the Mayflower in 1620.

Inebriated

(adjective)

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Deprived of sense and judgment, especially as the result of imbibing alcohol.

Horror resulting from inebriated persons at the wheel.

Insidious

(adjective)

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Seemingly harmless while actually being dangerous; treahcerous or deceptive.

Watching too much television has an insidious effect on the minds of young children.