context clues

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It was so hot and dry in the desert. The arid air made made us constantly thirsty. We could only dream of being home in our air conditioning!

What do you think the word arid means?

Arid means hot and dry. The context came in the sentence BEFORE the word.

"It was so hot and dry in the desert."

Context clues can help you figure out word meanings. Sometimes if you don't find any context clues, just keep reading. Often you can come up with the "gist" of what the text is about.