Kim Bradford, age 13, of Decatur, Ill., for her question:

JUST WHAT DOES DECIDUOUS MEAN?

Deciduous, pronounced dee sid u us, comes from a Latin word which means "to fall from." The word is used primarily to describe certain woody trees and shrubs that lose their leaves every autumn.

Most of the deciduous trees are those described as broad leaved, such as elms, maples and oaks. Live oaks and laurels, however, are two types of broad leaved trees that are not deciduous.

Zoologists use the term deciduous, too. They will tell you that a deer's antlers drop off every autumn because they are deciduous.

A baby's first set of teeth are called deciduous teeth.

There are some insects described as deciduous. Queen ants that drop their wings fall into this classification. .

Shrubs and trees that keep their foliage all through the year are known as evergreens.