Vocabulary list 12 - Acronyms

A
n acronym is a word formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts (or major
parts) of a compound term. The roots acr or acro mean beginning, thus, the adoption of the first let-
ters of each word in a term work together to make a single new word: an acronym.
In a way, understanding acronyms is like breaking a code. Each of the letters, or initials in the acronym, rep-
resent an entire other word. For example, the letters in scuba stand for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Appa-
ratus. And, it makes sense: That’s really what scuba diving is all about, right?
LESSON
Vocabulary
List 12:
Acronyms
CHAPTER SUMMARY
What is an acronym? While this term may in itself be a new vocabulary
word for you, you are probably familiar with more acronyms than you
think. Have you ever written RSVP at the bottom of an invitation? Have
you wondered about the amount of RAM on your latest computer?
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185

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VOCABULARY LIST 12: ACRONYMS
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187
1
34
2
6
5
7
8
9

12
11
10
14
17
15
18
16
13
Choose the word from the Vocabulary List that best fits into the crossword puzzle. You will use 19 words from
the vocabulary list to solve this puzzle. You can check your answers at the end of the chapter following the
answers to the questions.
Vocabulary List 12: Acronyms
ASAP
CAT scan
CD-ROM
dinks
DOS
ESL
FAQ
ISP
laser
LAN
HTML
modem
moped
RAM
radar
REM
snafu

scuba
URL
yuppie
Across
2 a type of computer access
memory that can be accessed
randomly
3 the coding on many Web page
documents
6 local area network
8 a compact disc that contains
data a computer can read
9 self-contained underwater
breathing device
10 English as a second language
13 a company that provides
access to the Internet
14 a device that generates
electromagnetic radiation
16 as soon as possible
17 frequently asked questions
18 rapid eye movement
Down
1 the address of documents and
resources on the Web
4 a motor-powered bike that can
also be pedaled
5 a mix up
7 a device that converts signals
from digital to analog to

transmit over phone lines
8 a 3D image of a body structure
11 disk operating system
12 a young, professional adult
who works and lives in or near
a city
15 radio detecting and ranging

ASAP (a¯·s·a¯·p)
(adv.)
an abbreviation for As Soon As Possible
Please don’t waste any time; I need you to complete
this assignment .
CAT scan (kat·skan)
(noun)
Computerized Axial Tomography scan—a three-
dimensional image of a body structure made
from a series of cross-sectional images and put
together by a computer
John had to check into the hospital after his car
accident for a routine to make sure
he did not have a concussion.
CD-ROM (se¯ ·de¯·ram)
(noun)
Compact Disk-Read Only Memory—a compact disk
that contains data a computer can read
That SAT study guide comes with a you
can put in your computer to practice test
questions.
dink (a subset of yuppies) (diŋk)

(noun)
double income couple, no kids
I confess, we are sometimes a bit envious of the
thirty-something next door, though
we would never trade in our children for their
wealth.
DOS (das)
(noun)
the Disk Operating
System used on personal
computers (PCs)
When you are having a technical problem with your
personal computer, it is often a good idea to
return to , the opening screen, to see
what may be wrong.
ESL (e¯ ·es·el)
(noun)
English as a Second Language
It is critical that we have programs in our
schools so that the immigrant youth
population may improve their English and not
be at a disadvantage in the classroom.
FAQ (ef·a¯ ·kyu)
(noun)
an abbreviation for Frequently Asked Questions
Before you raise your hand, please note that in the
back of the Driver’s Ed manual you will find
the section and perhaps your
question will be included there.
ISP (¯·es·pe¯)

(noun)
Internet Service Provider—a company that provides
internet access to consumers
It may be difficult to select an when there
are so many—Compuserve, AOL, Earthlink—
from which to choose.
laser (la¯ ·zər)
(noun)
light amplification by stimulated emission of
radiation—a device that generates electro-
magnetic radiation
It is now possible to remove your tattoos with
surgery where no needles are
involved: only light and radiation.
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VOCABULARY LIST 12: ACRONYMS
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