T-L Photos/JOE LOVELL A screen shows Brett Kuprowicz of Bridgeport on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., where he competed with top spellers from across the nation and beyond in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. More about Scripps National Bee can be found on page A3.

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Bridgeport’s Brett Kuprowicz made a good showing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee’s preliminary round, but he missed the mark in the definition portion of the competition and was eliminated.

Brett, 14, will begin his freshman year at Bridgeport High next school year. He won the Belmont County Spelling Bee in February and realized a longtime ambition to compete at the national level.

Spelling under number 174, he took the stage in the preliminary rounds Tuesday afternoon. In Round Two, he correctly spelled “muktuk,” an Aleut word for whale skin used as food, but he missed the definition for “declamatory,” which is: “Characterized by rhetorical display.”

Brett was one of only 243 spellers from across the country and beyond who made it to Scripps. Competition was demanding, and Brett redoubled his practicing in preparation for the bee. On arriving in Washington, D.C., with his mother Jessica, father Noah, and sister Hannah during Memorial Day weekend, Brett saw some impressive sights and met the other spellers at the Memorial Day picnic at Nationals Park.

The bee is being held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. Quarter finals will be from 8 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. today, followed by semifinals from 8-10 p.m. Finals will be from 8-10 p.m. Thursday. Information about the bee and how to watch the competition is on the Scripps site spellingbee.com.