The World of Words: Vocabulary for College Success ... - eLibrary

290 Chapter 9 Word Elements:Numbers and Measuresb. a standard of judgment (noun)The number of hits (or visits)is the metric used tomeasure the popularity of a website.Typically, a professional baseball player’s batting averageis the metric used to evaluate how well he hits.A Convenient SystemThe metric system is easier to use than the U.S. system of pounds and feet.Whereas the U.S. system is based on numbers such as 16(number of ounces ina pound)and 5,280(number of feet in a mile), the metric system is a decimalsystem based on multiples of 10. Common metric measures include centimeters,meters, liters, kilometers, grams, kilograms. (Kilo means 1,0.)There arealso metric tons. Most countries use the metric system, but the United Stateshas delayed conversion several times.24. symmetrical (adjective)sı ˘-m˘etrĭ-k əlFrom Greek:sym- (same) meter (measure)(Things that “measurethe same”are balanced, or symmetrical.)balanced in physical size or formBecause there are slight differences between the left and rightsides of the human body, it is not perfectly symmetrical. Related Wordsymmetry (noun)(sı˘m ə-trē)(plural:symmetries)The Japanesebreed the koi fish for the symmetry of patterns decorating theirbodies.ExercisesPart 2■ DefinitionsMatch the word and definition. Use each choice only once.1. ambiguous a. written records2. ambivalent b. having conflicting feelings3. magnitude c. hundred-year anniversary4. annals d. greatness of size or importance5. perennial e. honestyCopyright © Cengage Learning. All Right Reserved.