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nuclear family

(由父母和子女组成的)核心家庭，小家庭；A nuclear family is a family unit that consists of father, mother, and children.

Pediatrician

a doctor who deals with children and their illnesses

under-served

not getting enough care and help from the government: * The area is under-served for medical care.

remission

(疾病的)减轻，缓和;减刑 1. [uncountable and countable] a period when a serious illness improves for a time in remission The chemotherapy was successful, and she is now in remission. The cancer has gone into remission. 2. [uncountable and countable] British English a reduction of the time that someone has to spend in prison: He was given six months' remission for good behaviour. 3. [uncountable] formal when you allow someone to keep the money they owe you: remission of debts 4. the remission of sins formal forgiveness from God for the bad things that you have done

appetite for

1. [countable usually singular, uncountable] a desire for food: Her husband always had a huge appetite. Symptoms include tiredness and loss of appetite. 2. [countable] a desire or liking for a particular activity appetite for She has an amazing appetite for knowledge. People seem to have an insatiable appetite (=always wanting more of something) for news of any kind. a loss of sexual appetite ⇨ whet sb's appetite

hindrance

1. [countable] something or someone that makes it difficult for you to do something hindrance to The floods have been a major hindrance to relief efforts. A degree is more of a hindrance than a help in British industry. 2. [uncountable] formal the act of making it difficult for someone to do something: Visitors are allowed to wander without hindrance.

dough

1. [singular, uncountable] a mixture of flour and water ready to be baked into bread, pastry etc 2. [uncountable] informal money

hasten

1. [transitive] to make something happen faster or sooner: Their departure was hastened by an abnormally cold winter. 2. [intransitive] to do or say something quickly or without delay SYN hurry hasten to do something I hastened to assure her that there was no danger. 3. I hasten to add used when you realize that what you have said may not have been understood correctly: an exhausting course, which, I hasten to add, was also great fun 4. [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] literary to go somewhere quickly

anatomy

1. [uncountable] the scientific study of the structure of human or animal bodies: a professor of anatomy human/animal anatomy Knowledge of human anatomy is essential to figure drawing. 2. [countable usually singular] the structure of a body, or of a part of a body anatomy of the anatomy of the nervous system 3. [countable] your body - often used in a humorous way: You could see a part of his anatomy that I'd rather not mention. 4. the/an anatomy of something a. a study or examination of an organization, process etc in order to understand and explain how it works: Elkind's book is an anatomy of one man's discussion with his son about life. b. the structure of an organization, process etc or the way it works: For the first time, we have the chance to examine the anatomy of a secret government operation.

rascal

1. a child who behaves badly but whom you still like 2. old-fashioned a dishonest man SYN scoundrel

silo

1. a tall structure like a tower that is used for storing grain, winter food for farm animals etc 2. a large structure under the ground from which a large missile can be fired

apt

1. be apt to do something to have a natural tendency to do something SYN tend to: Some of the staff are apt to arrive late on Mondays. 2. exactly right for a particular situation or purpose SYN appropriate: 'Love at first sight' is a very apt description of how he felt when he saw her. apt for The punishment should be apt for the crime. 3. an apt pupil/student formal a student who is quick to learn and understand SYN able —aptness noun [uncountable]

fester

1. if an unpleasant feeling or problem festers, it gets worse because it has not been dealt with: The dispute can be traced back to resentments which have festered for centuries. 2. if a wound festers, it becomes infected: festering sores 3. if rubbish or dirty objects fester, they decay and smell bad

heavyweight

1. someone or something that is very important or has a lot of influence: one of the heavyweights of the movie industry 2. a boxer who weighs more than 86.18 kilograms, and who belongs to the heaviest weight class of boxers

Gothic

1. the Gothic style of building was common in Western Europe between the 12th and 16th centuries and included tall pointed arches and windows and tall pillars: a Gothic church 2. a Gothic story, film etc is about frightening things that happen in mysterious old buildings and lonely places, in a style that was popular in the early 19th century 3. Gothic writing, printing etc has thick decorated letters

stoke

1. to add more coal or wood to a fire: I stoked the furnace for the night. 2. to cause something to increase: Rising oil prices stoked inflation. stoke fear/anger/envy etc The scandal has stoked public outrage. • • • stoke up phrasal verb 1. stoke something ↔ up to add more coal or wood to a fire: We kept the fire stoked up high on cold nights. 2. stoke up something if something stokes up fear, anger etc, it makes a lot of people feel frightened etc: The leaflets stoked up fears of an invasion. 3. stoke up on/with something to eat a lot of food, for example because you will not eat again for a long time: We stoked up on hot soup before going out in the snow.

eliminate

1. to completely get rid of something that is unnecessary or unwanted ⇨ eradicate eliminate a need/possibility/risk/problem etc The credit card eliminates the need for cash or cheques. There is no solution that will totally eliminate the possibility of theft. eliminate something/somebody from something Fatty foods should be eliminated from the diet. REGISTER In everyday English, people usually say get rid of rather than eliminate: ▪ It is almost impossible to get rid of the problem. 2. [usually passive] to defeat a team or person in a competition, so that they no longer take part in it SYN knock out: Our team was eliminated in the first round. 3. to kill someone in order to prevent them from causing trouble: a ruthless dictator who eliminated all his rivals 4. eliminate somebody from your enquiries British English if the police eliminate someone from their enquiries, they decide that that person did not commit a particular crime

dismantle

1. to take a machine or piece of equipment apart so that it is in separate pieces: Chris dismantled the bike in five minutes. 2. to gradually get rid of a system or organization: an election promise to dismantle the existing tax legislation

hysterical

1. unable to control your behaviour or emotions because you are very upset, afraid, excited etc: Janet became hysterical and began screaming. Everyone in the studio burst into hysterical laughter. 2. informal extremely funny SYN hilarious: It was absolutely hysterical! I've never laughed so much. —hysterically /-kli/ adverb

conspicuous

1. very easy to notice OPP inconspicuous: The notice must be displayed in a conspicuous place. a bird with conspicuous white markings I felt very conspicuous in my red coat. 2. conspicuous success, courage etc is very great and impressive: He had represented Italy with conspicuous success. The award is given for notable or conspicuous achievement in science. 3. be conspicuous by your/its absence used to say that someone or something is not somewhere where they were expected to be: a group that were conspicuous by their absence from the awards ceremony

fast forward

1.[VERB 动词] (使录像带或录音带)快速进带，快进；When you fast forward the tape in a video or tape recorder or when you fast forward, you make the tape go forwards. [V n] [V n prep/adv] [V] [Also V prep/adv] Just fast forward the video... 让录像带快进就行了。 He fast-forwarded the tape past the explosion... 他让带子快进，跳过爆炸场景。 The urge to fast-forward is almost irresistible. 快速进带的冲动几乎压制不住。 2.[N-UNCOUNT 不可数名词] 快进键;快进按钮；If you put a video or cassette tape on fast forward, you make the tape go forwards. [oft on N] Before recording onto a new tape, wind it on fast forward, then rewind... 新带使用之前按快进键进带，然后倒带。 I really tried with this film, but kept pushing the fast-forward button — I found it unwatchable. 我的确尝试过看这部片子，但不停地按快进键——我觉得不好看。

order up

1.to tell someone to do something, provide something, or deliver something The Pentagon ordered up cruise missile attacks. We ordered up FBI reports on the men. 2.in a hotel, to choose food or drinks and ask for them to be delivered to your room I decided to order up breakfast.

Rwanda genocide of 1994

1994年卢旺达大屠杀 1994年的卢旺达大屠杀，即1994年4月至7月大约100天内，在卢旺达进行的大规模有预谋谋杀。该屠杀是由占卢旺达人口大多数的胡图族中的极端分子策划的，他们计划抹去占人口少数的图西族以及任何反对灭绝计划的人。据估计，在各类媒体的宣传刺激下，大约20万胡图族人参与了大屠杀。80多万平民——主要是图西人，但也有温和的胡图人——在战役中丧生。大屠杀期间及之后，多达200万卢旺达人逃离了该国。

the Romantics

19世纪的欧洲浪漫派 A．an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement that originated in Europe toward the end of the 18th century , and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate period from 1800 to 1850. B．characterized by its emphasis on emotion and individualism as well as glorification of all the past and nature, preferring the medieval rather than the classical. C．It was partly a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, the aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment, and the scientific rationalization of nature—all components of modernity. It was embodied most strongly in the visual arts, music, and literature, but had a major impact on historiography,education,the social sciences, and the natural sciences. D. It had a significant and complex effect on politics, with romantic thinkers influencing liberalism, radicalism, conservatism and nationalism.

crook

A crook is long staff that's bent at one end, like something you might see a shepherd carrying. A crook can also be a criminal — a person who's dishonest, or bent, just like the staff. The noun crook entered English in the 13th century as a way to describe the long tool with a hook at one end. It later took on the meaning of "petty criminal." You can use crook as an informal way to describe someone who is dishonest. A crook is typically involved in minor or nonviolent crimes; you wouldn't use the word to describe a murderer, for example. A con man or someone committing fraud could be called a crook.

demagogue

A demagogue is someone who becomes a leader largely because of skills as a speaker or who appeals to emotions and prejudices. Though the Greek root for demagogue literally means "a leader of the people," the word has for centuries had a negative connotation: it actually means a leader who has manipulated the emotions and prejudices of the rabble. The reason for the negative connotation is that in ancient Athens, "the people" were considered to be an uncivilized mob. Two of the most famous historical demagogues are said to be Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin.

scam

A scam is a sneaky or dishonest plan that's meant to con someone. A diet scam, for example, falsely claims that people will lose weight if they buy special pills or drinks. A scam is basically a hoax dressed up to look like a real business plan, worthwhile invention, or investment idea. Scams are almost always designed to make money for their creators. You can also use the word as a verb: "His evil plan was to scam people into buying fake tickets to the baseball game." Word experts know that scam came from US carnival slang, but beyond that its origins are a mystery.

envoy

An envoy is someone sent out as a messenger to represent another person or group, such as a country or business. The saying "Don't kill the messenger" could easily be "Don't kill the envoy," because an envoy is a messenger. The U.S. government has many envoys, as do other countries and many organizations and businesses. In government, an envoy has much less power than an ambassador. The word envoy is also used to describe a brief postscript in poetry or prose that explains or ties up the previous piece before "sending it to readers," so that's messenger-like too. 公使级别在大使之下；An envoy is a diplomat in an embassy who is immediately below the ambassador in rank.

orthopedic

An orthopedic surgeon is one who operates on bones and muscles to fix them. The word orthopedic comes from the Greek orthos meaning "straight, correct" and paideia meaning "rearing of children." The term was originally used for children and the kind of treatment they received for skeletal deformities like bow legs or knock-knees. An orthopedic shoe is one that is supposed to help correct the deformed bones and support the weakened muscles of a foot.

oversight

An oversight is a mistake you make when you're not paying full attention. Your failure to add the sugar to the cookies was an unfortunate oversight — you were so engrossed in texting that you forgot it. Oversights are not intentional mistakes. Usually they're just the result of inattention. If you make an oversight in your inspection of a nuclear power plant and it later goes into meltdown, you'll get fired. An inspector is supposed to pay attention. But if you forgot your cousin's birthday because you're busy taking care of Grandma, that's a forgivable oversight. Oversight is also the act of supervising something, like the construction of a dam, or a high school prom.

pesky

Anything pesky is annoying. Pesky things get on your nerves, like pesky mosquitoes that ruin an outdoor movie or pesky ants that march away with all of your picnic food. Pesky things are irritating, like small children who poke you on the leg for ten minutes while you try to discuss Nietzsche. A pesky fly dive-bombs by your head all afternoon. An itch you can't reach is pesky. The word pesky is an old word from New England, as in "like a pest," but in a funny accent. Different people find different things pesky, but pesky things are never terrible, just very annoying.

downstream effects

At the same time, because the future is hard to predict, downstream effects are often unanticipated, setting off unintended costs and consequences.

Beguiling

Beguiling is an adjective that means "highly attractive and tempting," like the beguiling model/actress many boys voted for in the Dream Prom Date poll. Beguiling is often used to describe a person, like a beautiful girl, but can also be used when referring to a place or an inanimate object, like an Italian sports car. But be careful — sometimes beguiling things are meant to trick you, like the beguiling salesperson who acts like a friend, only to make a sale. In fact, beguiling contains the word guile, meaning "deceit, fraud, ruse, trickery."

indignation

Call your anger at an unjust situation indignation. If recess gets canceled for everyone because two students get into a fight, the rest of the student body will respond with indignation. feelings of anger and surprise because you feel insulted or unfairly treated: To his indignation, Charles found that his name was not on the list. with/in indignation Lou's voice quivered with indignation. indignation at/about/over Her indignation at such rough treatment was understandable. He stormed into her office, full of righteous indignation.

mitigate

Choose the verb, mitigate, when something lessens the unpleasantness of a situation. You can mitigate your parents' anger by telling them you were late to dinner because you were helping your elderly neighbor. The somewhat formal verb, mitigate, comes from the Latin roots mītis "soft" and agere "to do/act," which add up to "to soften." It is often used with words that indicate an outcome or something harmful. When you buy car insurance, you are trying to mitigate the risks involved with driving. Sunscreen is used to mitigate the effects of the sun on your skin. to make a situation or the effects of something less unpleasant, harmful, or serious SYN alleviate: Measures need to be taken to mitigate the environmental effects of burning more coal.

Culpability

Culpability is a state of guilt or responsibility. A lot of lawsuits are about who has culpability for something that went wrong. Culpability is a fancy-sounding word, but it's a simple concept: guilt. You have culpability if you're responsible for something, usually something bad. If you left the door open and your house was robbed, you have some culpability (not as much as the robber, though). If a store owner doesn't salt the ice on the sidewalk and you slip, he has some culpability if you get injured. Figuring out culpability is about figuring out who's to blame.

Float

Float is what you do when you're lying on the water. Hopefully you know how to swim, so you can float suspended on the surface of the water, rather than sinking straight to the bottom. We typically think of the verb float as something you do on the surface of an ocean or pool, but it's possible to float in mid-air too. You just need to be attached to a parachute so you don't come crashing down to the ground. You can also "float on air" in a more figurative sense. For example, if the person you're in love with suddenly gives you flowers, you could float around for hours feeling like your feet aren't touching the ground.

Geostrategy

Geostrategy, a subfield of geopolitics, is a type of foreign policy guided principally by geographical factors as they inform, constrain, or affect political and military planning.

impulsive

If someone is impulsive, it means that they act on instinct, without thinking decisions through. If you worked for an entire year to save money for a car and then suddenly decided to spend it all on an outfit instead, that would be an impulsive purchase. Impulses are short, quick feelings, and if someone is in the habit of acting on them, they're impulsive. When stores stock chocolate at the checkout line, they are hoping you will impulsively decide to buy it. When you call the person you have a crush on after promising yourself all day to maintain an air of dignified reserve, that's impulsive behavior. We might also call impulsive behavior whimsical or capricious.

unbeknownst

If someone plans your birthday party unbeknownst to you — that is, you're completely unaware of it — it will probably be a surprise party. Used as an adjective or adverb, unbeknownst is descended from unbeknown (1848), which combines the prefix un- ("not") with be ("by, about") and know. Sometimes the FBI might be secretly working on a case, unbeknownst to the CIA, which is also secretly working on it. Imagine their frustration when everyone finds out they could have shared information and work, while saving time and manpower.

unswerving

If someone's trust or belief is unswerving, it is always strong and never becomes weaker: unswerving loyalty/devotion/support/faith * The new chief of China's powerful internet regulator has vowed to "unswervingly" strengthen Communist Party control over the world's largest online population.

revival

If something experiences a revival, that means it's once again popular or important. If a news story mentions a revival in the technology industry, that means the industry, having gone through a slump, is once again thriving. Revival literally means "come back to life." An ER doctor might perform a revival of someone whose heart has stopped. We usually use it to mean "returned to glory, importance, or strength." Fresh paint and new flowerbeds might mean your neighborhood is experiencing a revival. If you don't like spiky hair, you may cringe at the revival of the mohawk in fashion magazines. Revival has a religious sense too, referring to a meeting that reawakens religious excitement and passion.

bipartisan

If something is bipartisan, it has the support of two political parties that normally don't agree on much. You might read about a bipartisan plan to improve the school system where you live. The word bipartisan is easy to figure out when you break it apart: bi-, meaning "two," plus partisan, meaning "supporter of a party." So something that's bipartisan involves two parties finding enough common ground to support the same thing. A key aspect of something that's bipartisan is that the two parties involved typically hold opposing views about the best way to do things, so a bipartisan agreement is one that likely involved a lot of effort, compromise, and cooperation.

singular

If something is extraordinary, remarkable, or one of a kind, you can say it is singular. A singular opportunity to sing onstage with a rock star is a remarkable opportunity. Seeing the single inside singular can help you understand its meaning in the sense of one. In grammar, singular means one, as opposed to plural, which means more than one. But singular's not always--or singularly--about being unique. Walking through a foggy cemetery might give you a singular feeling--or a feeling that's odd and peculiar--that ghosts could possibly be real.

inevitable

If something is inevitable, it will definitely happen, like death or tax season. Inevitable comes from the Latin word inevitabilis, which means unavoidable. If you say something is inevitable, you give the sense that no matter what scheme you come with to get around it, it's going to happen sooner or later. You can use all the skin products you want, but wrinkles are inevitable.

tame

If something is tame, it cannot surprise or injure you. It's predictable. Tame can be used as an adjective or verb. A circus lion is tame (adjective) because it's been tamed (verb). A "lion-tamer" beat the wildness out of it. Sometimes tame isn't fun — and not just for the bears who ride bicycles under the Big Top. Tame isn't appealing when you're going on a rollercoaster or seeing a fireworks display. If a friend tells you a concert is tame, will you rush out for tickets? Tame, however, is not all bad. Some people take anger management courses to learn to "tame their tempers." Others work to "tame their tongues" after hurting another person with a careless comment.

uncanny

If something is uncanny, it is so mysterious, strange, or unfamiliar that it seems supernatural. If you hear strange music echoing through your attic, you might refer to it as positively uncanny. You can also use uncanny to refer to something that is so remarkable that it is beyond what is natural: as in "uncanny abilities." This adjective was formed in English from the prefix un- "not" and canny "fortunate, safe." The current meaning of English canny is "careful and clever, especially in handling money."

unique

If something is unique, it's the only one around. You might think getting a nose ring would make you unique, until you see five other people on the street with the same piercing. If someone calls you unique you know that you are very special. The reason is that the Latin prefix uni- means "one." (Technically speaking, it isn't possible to be "very unique" — you either are or you're not.) Think of the prefix in unicorn for a creature with one horn and unicycle for a cycle with one wheel.

shrewd

If you are shrewd in your spending, you can make a small salary go a long way. Use the adjective shrewd to describe a person or thing that is smart or clever in a practical sort of way. The word shrewd is from a Middle English adjective formed from the noun schrewe "an evil person, a villain." This Middle English noun is an earlier form of our modern English word shrew. So shrewd and shrew are related to each other. Shrewd doesn't usually have a disapproving or negative tone, but shrew certainly does.

susceptible

If you are susceptible to something such as infections or earaches, it means you are likely to become sick with these things. Have you ever received something you don't want? Well, with susceptible meaning "likely to be influenced or affected by" that is probably going to be the case. If you're susceptible to flattery, and someone wants something from you, all they have to do is give you a compliment or two and you'll do what they want. Material that's susceptible to cracking won't be in good condition for long.

metaphor

If you brag that "the world's your oyster," you're using a metaphor from Shakespeare, who knew a thing or two about figures of speech. Good writers know their way around a metaphor, where you make an analogy between two things to show how one resembles the other in some way. When a character from Shakespeare calls the world his oyster, that's his boastful way of saying that all the riches of the world are his for the taking, like plucking a pearl from an oyster shell. Shakespeare also wrote, "All the world's a stage." Oyster? Stage? Come on, Will, get your metaphors straight!

ophthalmologist

If you can't see the board from your desk, it might be time to visit an ophthalmologist, or eye doctor, to see if you need glasses. An ophthalmologist is a doctor whose specialty is diseases and conditions of the eyes, especially things that relate to vision. She's the doctor who examines your eyes and writes the prescription for your contact lenses. The Greek root word is ophthalmos, which means "eye." Ophthalmologist is a tricky word to spell, particularly because many people tend to skip both the "ph" and the first "l" when they pronounce it.

exemplify

If you exemplify something, you're the perfect example of it. Say you wear frilly shirts, knee-high boots, and black eye-make-up — you exemplify the fashion world's obsession with pirates. Exemplifying something can also mean make it clearer by offering an illustration or an example. If you want to exemplify your argument that, say, pirate gear is fashionable, you might want to show your friends some pictures of celebrities wearing eye patches.

obsession

If you have an obsession, you're totally fixated on something and unhealthily devoted to it. Some common obsessions include fantasy football leagues, celebrity gossip, and Elvis memorabilia. Obsession is kind of like a passion for something that crosses the line into crazy territory. Sometimes people get so preoccupied with their obsessions that it makes them anxious or emotionally unstable. If you have an obsession with the Yankees, for example, you might go to every single game, skip work to watch spring training, paper your room with Yankees posters, and write love notes to Derek Jeter.

conceit

If you're always boasting and can't stop talking about yourself, you have that character flaw known as conceit. Your friends — if you have any — may also complain about your arrogance, vanity, and egotism. A conceit can also be an artistic device — probably a little forced — like the plot of a movie built on the conceit of everything that happens being foretold in song. You might find an architectural conceit in a Baroque palace, where you think you're looking down a long hallway lined with columns, but when you get closer you see that it's really a mural painted in perspective so that the columns only seem to disappear in the distance.

prominent

If you're looking for an adjective that means "sticking out above the rest; famous," consider prominent. A prominent person might be the big cheese, the head honcho, the top dog — not just any Joe Schmo. A prominence is anything that juts out, like a bone or a mountain ridge. Prominent, then, means "sticking out" either in a literal sense ("a prominent nose") or a figurative one ("a prominent figure in the industry"). The metaphorical sense of "famous" is the most common one today, though references to the "prominent posterior" of Jennifer Lopez might fit both definitions.

insure

It said its main assets were insured and it had filed claims to recover the losses. To insure is to guarantee or protect the monetary value of something with, as you might imagine, insurance. We insure, or protect, our homes and cars and other valuables against loss or damage from accidents by taking out insurance policies. To insure is to pay an insurance company regularly so that if something goes wrong, they'll help cover the costs. Although it's certainly reassuring to have insurance, the word insure always has a financial aspect. CHOOSE YOUR WORDS assure / ensure / insure Although these three often show up at the same party, giving hugs, they're not the same, thank you very much. To assure is to tell someone everything's ok, to ensure is to make certain, and to insure is to protect financially. Have it straight now? Are you sure? To assure is to remove doubt, or confidently tell someone about something. It's generally followed by an object, so you assure someone. You can also tell someone to rest assured when you know everything's under control: "Rest assured that Brazil will have a great World Cup in 2014," Rebelo said. (Washington Post) I assure you I meant no harm. (V for Vendetta) He considered retirement before doctors assured him he could still fight. (Newsweek) Ensure, on the other hand, means to make certain a thing will (or won't) happen: Aides said the leaders conferred by telephone to ensure that their speeches, while different in tone, would not be incompatible. (Reuters) Roast Brussels sprout mixture on sheet pan for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking pan about halfway through to ensure even cooking. (New York Times) The "feed kids first" policy is designed to ensure that parents can eat in peace. (New York Times) Finally, use insure when you need insurance. To insure is to arrange for financial compensation against the loss of something or against someone getting hurt or dying. You might insure your health, your Cadillac, your beachside condo, or your stocks and bonds: Very well then, listen: You know our house was insured for a good deal of money — fifteen thousand dollars. (Gabrielle Emile) Euro-area finance chiefs meeting tonight also will discuss using the European Financial Stability Facility to insure bonds of troubled governments. (Business Week) Remarkably, younger and healthier individuals in other industrialized countries have long accepted the mandate to be insured in return for community-rated premiums and guaranteed issue. (New York Times) Sometimes people say ensure or insure when they really mean assure, to remove doubt. Bryan Garner points out in Garner's Modern American Usage that the usage has become "ubiquitous." Harrumph! We assure you that there is a difference, and by reading this you've ensured that you know your homonyms, but alas we can't insure you. It's just not that kind of party.

It was just a matter of ~

It was just a matter of time before celebrities themselves became a focus of the crackdown.

ubiquitous

It's everywhere! It's everywhere! When something seems like it's present in all places at the same time, reach for the adjective ubiquitous. "Cities like Singapore aim to cloak themselves in ubiquitous, free Wi-Fi in the next few years," The Wall Street Journal reported recently — meaning that those savvy Singaporeans will find a wireless connection everywhere they go. The word, comes from the Latin ubique, meaning — you guessed it — "everywhere." The usual pronunciation is "yoo-BIK-wih-tihs," but Joseph Heller must have had the older variant "ooh-BIK-wih-tihs" in mind when he wrote in Catch-22 that a character "padded through the shadows fruitlessly like an ubiquitous spook."

Manifold

Manifold is a smarty-pants way to say "varied," "many," or "multiple." There are many good reasons to expand your vocabulary, so you could say the benefits of learning new words are manifold. Manifold sounds like "many fold," which is what it is — something with many features, like a wallet with lots of folds so stuffed with junk that makes you sit funny when it's in your back pocket. As an adjective, manifold loves to appear in books, like Mrs. Gryce in Edith Wharton's "The House of Mirth," whose "domestic duties were manifold." As a noun, a manifold is a pipe branching into many openings, often found in car engines.

mediocre

Mediocre is an adjective that means "merely adequate" or "of only ordinary quality." A "C" is a mediocre grade for students who are fair to middling. The roots of the adjective mediocre are from the Latin medial, "middle," and ocris, "mountain." If you think about it, the middle of a mountain is neither up nor down and neither here nor there — just somewhere in between. The definition of mediocre is "of ordinary quality," "merely adequate," and "average." Another word that shares the same root is mediocracy, which means "government run by mediocre people" — an all-too-common condition.

access

Most libraries provide computers you can use to access the Internet. If chemicals are being stolen from a lab, you might ask who has access to the lab. Access is approaching or making use of something, or the ability to do so. Sometimes the word is applied to a person. If you work in the same room as your boss, you might have easy access to her. A really good boss will work hard to make herself accessible to her employees. Access is from Middle English, from Middle French acces "arrival," from Latin accessus "an approach," from accedere "to approach."

novelty

Novelty is a newness or refreshing quality. Many college freshmen enjoy the novelty of living on their own — until it comes time to do that first load of laundry. You'll often hear people talk about the novelty of a new experience — imagine the excitement and anticipation of cracking open a novel you've never read before to help remember the word. But novelty is also a term for a small toy or trinket, usually mass-produced. Novelty shops sell all kinds of funny knickknacks, from personalized flashlight key chains to stuffed singing hamsters. Despite the novelty of digital media, Merleau-Ponty would contend that Western thought has long assumed that the mind, not the body, is the site of thinking and learning.

Scrutiny

Scrutiny is when you look at something really closely, like when you are checking a test for mistakes. Scrutiny can also be an intense look, like when your mother looks at you — trying to tell if you might be lying. Scrutiny comes from the Latin scrutari, which means "to search," but which originally meant, "to sort trash." The most common usage of scrutiny is in the phrase "under scrutiny." When your work is under scrutiny, it's like your teacher is looking for any trash that can be edited out. If your outfit is under scrutiny, your mom is checking to see if your skirt is long enough for school; she's making sure you don't look trashy.

spontaneous

Something spontaneous happens when you're least expecting it. Spontaneous things are natural or instinctive, and they happen without warning. If you plan to go to a movie and then you go, that's not a spontaneous thing. Ditching the movie at the last minute to go to the park? That's spontaneous. Spontaneous things happen all of a sudden, on the spur of the moment, without being planned. Spontaneous can also refer to things that happen without outside influence. Your parents will be happy if you do your chores spontaneously instead of waiting till they nag you.

redress

The verb redress is used when you are supposed to fix a problem and make amends. You want your parents to redress the fact that you don't have a pet. Your parents offer to get a hamster, but instead, you say you want a monkey. Redress can be used as both a noun and a verb. In the noun form, it is the compensation for setting something right. As a verb it means to correct, right a wrong, or make restitution for something. The union organizers wanted the company to redress the fact that workers weren't getting lunch breaks.

spring

There's nothing like sitting on a sharp tack to make you spring out of your chair. The verb spring means to leap or bounce up suddenly. When you spring, you jump abruptly. In fact, your body acts like another definition of spring, "a coil of metal that bounces back when pushed." The Old English springan, "to leap, burst forth, or fly up," is the root of spring, and most uses of the word are clearly connected to that origin. Even when an idea springs to mind, or you spring bad news on someone, the thoughts seem to leap forward.

endorse

To endorse is to give support to someone or something. "I endorse this!" means "I think this is a good thing, and so should you." People endorse in many ways. When someone endorses a politician, it means "You should vote for this person, and I'm putting my reputation on the line to say so." When someone endorses a product in a commercial, it means "Go buy this! You'll like it." To endorse is to give support. You can also endorse a check, which means writing your name or someone else's on the back so that you or the other person can cash or deposit it.

inculcate

To inculcate is to teach through frequent instruction. If you repeatedly tell your brother how important it is to be responsible, then you're trying to inculcate in him a sense of responsibility. The word inculcate traces back to the Latin word inculcare, meaning "to force upon or to stamp in." If anyone has even tried to inculcate you with something, it may seem as if something is being stamped into your brain — over and over and over. A key thing to remember about this word is repetition: something, such as a value or a belief, is instilled in the brain by the persistent restating of its importance. to fix ideas, principles etc in someone's mind inculcate something in/into somebody I try to inculcate a sense of responsibility in my children. Not all schools manage to successfully inculcate a love of learning. —inculcation /ˌɪŋkʌlˈkeɪʃən/ noun [uncountable]

coherence

When something has coherence, all of its parts fit together well. An argument with coherence is logical and complete — with plenty of supporting facts. Coherence comes from a Latin word meaning "to stick together. When you say policies, arguments and strategies are coherent, you're praising them for making sense. Scientists are always looking for coherence in data to support their hypotheses. And coaches are always looking for coherence in their teams, so they don't fall apart.

underlie

While it's true that when something underlies something else, it is beneath it, this does not necessarily mean subservience — it can also indicate a strong foundation or bedrock that underlies, or supports, an idea or decision. The Old English word underlicgan meant to serve or submit to another, and that meaning does carry through to the modern word underlie — to a point. Although still referring to something under something else, around 1850 the meaning of the verb shifted to include something that makes a foundation for something else. For example, one factor that underlies a patient's unusual symptoms might be his recent trip to a foreign country, where he could have picked up a local infection.

bully

You might still have terrifying dreams about the bully who harassed you on the playground in second grade. A bully is someone who intimidates people, usually those who are weaker or smaller. The classic example of a bully is a mean kid in a schoolyard who hassles or beats up younger students. While a child or a teenager can be a bully, so is anyone who uses power or strength to scare or harm other people. The word bully has gone through a mysterious evolution, from the 1530s when it meant "sweetheart," through the 17th century's meanings of "fine fellow," then "blusterer," and finally "harasser of the weak."

delay gratification

[心理] 延迟满足

juror

a member of a jury

stalactite

a sharp pointed object hanging down from the roof of a cave, which is formed gradually by water that contains minerals as it drops slowly from the roof ⇨ stalagmite

center stage

a situation in which someone or something is attracting a lot of interest or attention. The economy is again at center stage. take center stage (=attract interest, attention, or activity): The debate over our environmental policy is likely to take center stage again.

commendable

deserving praise: Your enthusiasm is highly commendable. Baldwin answered with commendable honesty. —commendably adverb

insufferable

extremely annoying or unpleasant SYN unbearable: an insufferable bully The heat was insufferable. —insufferably adverb

overjoyed

extremely pleased or happy overjoyed to hear/find/see etc something He was overjoyed to see his mother again. overjoyed at She wasn't exactly overjoyed at the prospect of looking after two small boys. overjoyed (that) Her parents were overjoyed that she'd been found alive.

umpteenth

if something happens for the umpteenth time, it happens again after having happened many times before - used when you are annoyed that it has happened so often: * 'This is crazy,' she told herself for the umpteenth time.

midst

noun. 1. in the midst of something a. if you are in the midst of an event or situation, it is happening around you: The government is in the midst of a major crisis. b. in the middle of a place or a group of things or people: We were sitting in the midst of an elegant and well-dressed audience. 2. in our/their midst formal in a particular group: I fear we have an enemy in our midst. preposition old use surrounded by people or things

Goldilocks

noun. 1. the main character in the children's story Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Goldilocks is a young girl with golden-coloured hair who visits the house of the Three Bears while they are out. She tries sitting in each of their chairs, tastes each of their bowls of porridge, and lies in each of their beds until she finds the one she likes best. When the Bears come back, they realize that someone has been in their home. They each ask 'Who's been sitting in my chair?', 'Who's been eating my porridge?', and 'Who's been sleeping in my bed?' until they finally find Goldilocks asleep in the baby bear's bed. Goldilocks then wakes up and runs away. 2. a humorous name for someone, especially a little girl, with blond hair adj. exactly right - used especially to describe a place that has physical conditions that are exactly right for the existence of life: In our solar system, only Earth lies in the Goldilocks zone.

ghost writer

someone who is paid to write a book or story for another person, who then says it is their own work

proponent

someone who supports something or persuades people to do something SYN advocate ⇨ opponent proponent of Steinem has always been a strong proponent of women's rights. leading/main/major proponent Dr George is one of the leading proponents of this view.

fall short of

to be less than the amount or standard that is needed or that you want This year's profit will fall short of 13%. He would sack any of his staff who fell short of his high standards.

have/take precedence over

to be more important (than something else) When it comes to making health care decisions, the patient's preference should take precedence. —often + over The safety of the children has/takes precedence over everything else. If you're out of a job or struggling to pay the bills, doing whatever it takes to keep the kids healthy, happy and safe can understandably take precedence over all else. Have fun at college, but don't let the fun take precedence over the work. take priority over outweigh The medical benefits far outweigh the risks involved. come before supersede prevail over

reef

verb. to tie up part of a sail in order to make it smaller noun. a line of sharp rocks, often made of coral, or a raised area of sand near the surface of the sea: a proposal to protect several miles of thousand-year-old coral reef

immensely

very much SYN extremely: Champagne wines became immensely popular in the 18th century. immensely powerful/strong/important etc Nationalism is an immensely powerful force. We enjoyed the play immensely.

disregard

不理会;不顾;漠视；If you disregard something, you ignore it or do not take account of it. [V n] He disregarded the advice of his executives... 他对主管层的建议置若罔闻。 Critics say he allowed the police and security forces to disregard human rights. 批评人士说他听任警察和安全部队漠视人权。 Disregard is also a noun. Whoever planted the bomb showed a total disregard for the safety of the public. 无论是谁放置的炸弹都是对公众安全的极端漠视。

get with the times

与时俱进 to understand and change to fit what is now happening and accepted in the culture slang To understand or be knowledgeable of modern times, especially as relates to the contemporary trends, ideas, or fashions. (Usually said as a jocular or sarcastic imperative.) Get with the times, John, nobody wears their hat like that anymore! Lots of couples live together before they're married, Grandpa. Get with the times!

brushstroke

书法的一笔；Brushstrokes are the marks made on a surface by a painter's brush. He paints with harsh, slashing brushstrokes. 他的画笔锋粗犷、凌厉。

in such terms

以这样的措辞

Entrepreneurship

企业家的身份或活动；Entrepreneurship is the state of being an entrepreneur, or the activities associated with being an entrepreneur.

lumberjack

伐木工；原木采运工；A lumberjack is a person whose job is to cut down trees.

tumble down

倒塌， 跌倒

false modesty

假谦虚 false-modesty. Noun. (uncountable) Behavior that is intended to seem humble but comes across as fake and unflattering. Although having a large ego is considered undesirable, at times it is proper to take credit where it is due rather than display false modesty.

Matchmaking

做媒;牵线搭桥；Matchmaking is the activity of encouraging people you know to form relationships or get married.

primary care

初级诊疗

palindrome

回文[指顺读和倒读都一样的词或短语，如refer] ；A palindrome is a word or a phrase that is the same whether you read it backwards or forwards, for example the word 'refer'.

the National Institutes of Health

国立医疗研究所

on one's watch

在任之际 during the period of time when someone is in the position of authority or responsibility

Chicxulub

墨西哥陨石坑名

lost consciousness

失去知觉

intellectual attempt

学术上的修饰 For eight years Barack Obama told Americans that inequality was a bigger problem than slow economic growth, that stagnant wages were the fault of the rich, and that government through regulation and politically directed credit could create prosperity. The result was slow growth, and secular stagnation was the intellectual attempt to explain that policy failure.

go on a field trip

学生）参加实地考察旅行; 实习

boarding school

寄宿学校

charter school

寄宿学校

sensual stimulation

感官刺激

I think therefore I am

我思故我在 When Descartes announced 'I think therefore I am', he was positing a fundamental gulf between the thinking self and the physical body.

at hand

手头的，需要马上处理的

tom-tom

手鼓；A tom-tom is a tall narrow drum that is usually played with the hands.

foram

有孔虫门（属有壳浮游生物planktonic）

Mangkhut

泰语 山竹 Typhoon Mangkhut Leaves Trail of Destruction, Dozens Dead

Ophthalmology

眼科学；Ophthalmology is branch of medicine concerned with people's eyes and the problems that affect them.

stalagmite

石笋；A stalagmite is a long piece of rock which sticks up from the floor of a cave. Stalagmites are formed by the slow dropping of water containing the mineral lime.

fall short of

缺少 "in short of" or "lack"

gargoyle

老式建筑的石雕怪兽状滴水嘴，滴水兽；A gargoyle is a decorative stone carving on old buildings. It is usually shaped like the head of a strange and ugly creature, and water drains through it from the roof of the building.

band together

联合；携手 if people band together, they unite in order to achieve something Local people have banded together to fight the company's plans.

background check

背景调查

be up to

胜任，从事于

peppercorn

胡椒粒；胡椒籽；Peppercorns are the small berries which are dried and crushed to make pepper. They are sometimes used whole in cooking.

peep show

脱衣舞表演

mumps

腮腺炎 an infectious illness which makes your neck swell and become painful

ammunition

1. bullets, shells (shell) etc that are fired from guns 2. information that you can use to criticize someone or win an argument against them give somebody ammunition/provide somebody with ammunition His mistakes provided political opponents with even more ammunition.

progenitor

While any ancestor can be a progenitor, or previous member of a family line, the word is usually applied to someone who was an originator of or major contributor to the characteristics of that line. The word progenitor can be traced to the Latin prōgignere, which means "to beget," and so is linked to the beginning of a genealogical line. The clue comes in the "gen" part, meaning "birth, procreation," and signifying the genetic contribution of an ancestor to a family line. Prō- means "forward," and the -tor suffix indicates someone doing an action — so a progenitor is someone who gives rise to a family line.

genetics

the study of how the qualities of living things are passed on in their genes —geneticist /-təsəst, -tɪsəst/ noun [countable] Genetics is the study of the traits people and other animals inherit from their family through DNA. Compare the size of your nose to your father's and you are dealing with genetics — but only if he's your biological father. Genetics involves studying genes — DNA — to look at how organisms evolve and are related. Scientists use genetics to prove whether genes for things like depression or intelligence exist. One of the most commonly discussed examples of genetics is what determines if a man will lose his hair: oddly, men inherit the baldness gene from their mothers, not their fathers.

undercarriage

the wheels of an aircraft, train etc and the structure that holds them

interchangeable

things that are interchangeable can be used instead of each other: These two words are almost interchangeable. a camera with interchangeable lenses —interchangeably adverb —interchangeability /ˌɪntətʃeɪndʒəˈbɪləti, ˌɪntətʃeɪndʒəˈbɪlɪti $ -tər-/ noun [uncountable]

marketability

市场价值; 可销售性,适销性,市场性

vast resources

广大的资源

reverse course

改弦更张，倒戈

secretary general

秘书长

subject matter

题材，内容

in the flesh

if you see someone in the flesh, you see someone who you previously had only seen in pictures, films etc: He looked much shorter in the flesh than on television. Screens drain the vitality from many educational experiences that could be better done in the flesh. This drift toward screen learning is only inevitable if people do nothing to stop it. So let's stop it.

zit

informal a pimple

bail-out

informal financial help given to a person or a company that is in difficulty

gestalt

（心理学上的）格式塔，完形（指整体具有个体所没有的特性） a whole thing that is different from all its parts, and has qualities that are not present in any of its parts by themselves: gestalt psychology The gestalt of a farm transcends what pixels and speakers can convey.

a matter of time

"China is surpassing America," agreed her dining companion, Zhuang Jiazheng. "Robots are coming. Tech is advancing. It's all a matter of time."

world-beater

(在某方面) 举世无匹之人[物],首屈一指的人

psychiatry

/saɪˈkaɪətri $ sə-/ 精神病学；Psychiatry is the branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of mental illness.

spay

/speɪ/to remove part of the sex organs of a female animal so that it is not able to have babies ⇨ neuter 切除(雌畜)的卵巢；When a female animal is spayed, it has its ovaries removed so that it cannot become pregnant. [be V-ed] [usu passive] All bitches should be spayed unless being used for breeding. 除非是用作种犬，所有的母犬都应摘除卵巢。 * Have your pet spayed or neutered? 对宠物实施阉割或切除巢手术？

guillotine

/ˈɡɪlətiːn/ 1. [N-COUNT 可数名词] 断头台尤见于旧时法国；A guillotine is a device used to execute people, especially in France in the past. A sharp blade was raised up on a frame and dropped onto the person's neck. [also by N] One after the other Danton, Robespierre and the rest went to the guillotine. 丹东、罗伯斯比尔以及其他人被逐一送上了断头台。 2. [VERB 动词] 把...送上断头台；If someone is guillotined, they are killed with a guillotine. [be V-ed] [usu passive] After Marie Antoinette was guillotined, her lips moved in an attempt to speak. 玛丽·安托瓦内特被送上断头台处决后，她的嘴唇动了动，想开口说话。 3. [N-COUNT 可数名词] 切纸机；A guillotine is a device used for cutting paper.

Immunotherapy

/ˌɪmjʊnəʊˈθɛrəpɪ/ n. 免疫疗法; 对刺激身体抗体生产的疾病的治疗

fixture

1. British English a sports match that has been arranged for a particular time and place: a list of this season's fixtures 2. [usually plural] a piece of equipment that is fixed inside a house or building and is sold as part of the house: light fixtures fixtures and fittings British English (=all the equipment that is normally included as part of a house or building when it is sold) 3. be a (permanent) fixture to be always present and not likely to move or go away: Gerrard soon became a permanent fixture in the Liverpool team.

Germanic

1. [ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词] 德国人的；德国式的；If you describe someone or something as Germanic, you think that their appearance or behaviour is typical of German people or things. He asked in his Germanic English if I was enjoying France. 他操着一口带有德国腔的英语问我在法国玩得是否愉快。 2. [ADJ 形容词] 日耳曼文化的；日耳曼语的；Germanic is used to describe the ancient culture and language of the peoples of northern Europe. //...the Germanic tribes of pre-Christian Europe. 基督教创立之前定居在欧洲的日耳曼部落

earphone

1. [N-COUNT 可数名词] 耳机；Earphones are a small piece of equipment which you wear over or inside your ears so that you can listen to a radio or cassette recorder without anyone else hearing. [usu pl] 2. [N-COUNT 可数名词] (电话)听筒；An earphone is the part of a telephone receiver or other device that you hold up to your ear or put into your ear. [Mainly AM]

trajectory

1. [N-COUNT 可数名词] 轨道;轨迹；The trajectory of a moving object is the path that it follows as it moves. [with supp] //...the trajectory of an artillery shell. 一枚炮弹的弹道 2. [N-COUNT 可数名词] (事业等的)发展轨迹，起落；The trajectory of something such as a person's career is the course that it follows over time. [with supp] //...a relentlessly upward career trajectory. 扶摇直上的事业轨迹

nuisance

1. [countable usually singular] a person, thing, or situation that annoys you or causes problems a real/awful/terrible etc nuisance The dogs next door are a real nuisance. What a nuisance! British English: What a nuisance! I've forgotten my ticket. I hate to be a nuisance .../Sorry to be a nuisance ... I hate to be a nuisance, but could you move your car to the other side of the street? Stop making a nuisance of yourself (=annoying other people with your behaviour)! It's a nuisance having to get up that early on a Sunday morning. 2. [uncountable and countable] law the use of a place or property in a way that causes public annoyance: The nightclub has been declared a public nuisance.

landfall

1. [countable] a landslide 2. [uncountable and countable] literary the land that you see or arrive at after a long journey by sea or air, or the act of arriving there

repel

1. [transitive] if something repels you, it is so unpleasant that you do not want to be near it, or it makes you feel ill ⇨ repulsive: The smell repelled him. 2. [transitive] to make someone who is attacking you go away, by fighting them: The army was ready to repel an attack. 3. [transitive] to keep something or someone away from you: a lotion that repels mosquitoes 4. [intransitive and transitive] technical if two things repel each other, they push each other away with an electrical force OPP attract: Two positive charges repel each other.

unravel

1. [transitive] to understand or explain something that is mysterious or complicated: Detectives are still trying to unravel the mystery surrounding his death. 2. [intransitive and transitive] if you unravel threads, string etc, or if they unravel, they stop being twisted together 3. [intransitive] if a system, plan, organization etc unravels, it starts to fail SYN fall apart: The company started to unravel when two of the directors were arrested.

maelstrom

1. a confusing situation full of events or strong emotions that is difficult to understand or deal with SYN whirlpool maelstrom of a maelstrom of conflicting emotions 2. dust or water that moves very quickly in circles: A spinning maelstrom of rain swept around the mountain. 3. a violent storm

stimulant

1. a drug or substance that makes you feel more active and full of energy: artificial stimulants 2. something that encourages more of a particular activity SYN stimulus: economic stimulants stimulant to Increases in new construction would be a stimulant to the economy. —stimulant adjective: a drug with stimulant properties

foothold

1. a position from which you can start to make progress and achieve your aims gain/establish a foothold Extreme right-wing parties gained a foothold in the latest European elections. 2. a small hole or crack where you can safely put your foot when climbing a steep rock

cumbersome

1. a process or system that is cumbersome is slow and difficult: Doctors are complaining that the system is cumbersome and bureaucratic. cumbersome procedures 2. heavy and difficult to move: a large cumbersome machine 3. words or phrases that are cumbersome are long or complicated

abject

1. abject poverty/misery/failure etc the state of being extremely poor, unhappy, unsuccessful etc 2. an abject action or expression shows that you feel very ashamed: an abject apology —abjectly adverb

byword

1. be a byword for something to be so well known for a particular quality that your name is used to represent that quality: His name has become a byword for honesty in the community. 2. [singular] a word, phrase, or saying that is very well known: Caution should be a byword for investors.

tribalism

1. behaviour and attitudes that are based on strong loyalty to your tribe 2. the state of being organized into tribes

bereft

1. bereft of hope/meaning/life etc completely without any hope etc: The team now seems bereft of inspiration. 2. feeling very sad and lonely: His death in 1990 left her completely bereft.

hefty

1. big and heavy: a tall hefty man a hefty tome (=large thick book) hefty camera equipment 2. a hefty amount of something, especially money, is very large: a hefty fine 3. British English a hefty blow, kick etc is done using a lot of force: He aimed a hefty kick at the door. a hefty shove

gasp

1. countable noun A gasp is a short quick breath of air that you take in through your mouth, especially when you are surprised, shocked, or in pain. An audible gasp went round the court as the jury announced the verdict. She gave a small gasp of pain. [+ of] Synonyms: pant, puff, gulp, intake of breath More Synonyms of gasp 2. verb When you gasp, you take a short quick breath through your mouth, especially when you are surprised, shocked, or in pain. She gasped for air and drew in a lungful of water. [VERB + for] I heard myself gasp and cry out. [VERB] [Also VERB with quote] Synonyms: pant, blow, puff, choke

blind spot

1. countable noun If you say that someone has a blind spot about something, you mean that they seem to be unable to understand it or to see how important it is. The prime minister has a blind spot on ethical issues. When I was single I never worried about money-it was a bit of a blind spot. 2. countable noun A blind spot is an area in your range of vision that you cannot see properly but which you really should be able to see. For example, when you are driving a car, the area just behind your shoulders is often a blind spot.

rock-solid

1. rock-solid things can be depended on and trusted not to change: a rock-solid guarantee 2. very hard and not likely to break

Renaissance

1. the Renaissance the period of time in Europe between 14th and 17th centuries, when art, literature, philosophy, and scientific ideas became very important and a lot of new art etc was produced 2. Renaissance art/furniture/architecture etc art, furniture etc belonging to the Renaissance period

foremost

1. the best or most important SYN leading, top: one of the country's foremost authorities on chemical warfare Rostropovich was long considered the world's foremost cellist. 2. in a leading position among a group of people or things foremost among/amongst Sharpton was foremost among the protesters. Economic concerns are foremost on many voters' minds. ⇨ first and foremost Foremost is an adjective that means holding the highest position or rank. When naming advisors, presidents usually search for the foremost experts on various subjects. If you are the foremost in your profession, you're the expert people will seek out for an opinion. If your foremost concern in a project is money, all other factors are secondary. You can also use this word as an adverb meaning "before anything else." The film, Gone With the Wind, is set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, but first and foremost, it is a love story.

addiction

1. the need to take a harmful drug regularly, without being able to stop drug/heroin/alcohol etc addiction addiction to addiction to alcohol 2. a strong desire to do or have something regularly

nobility

1. the nobility the group of people in some countries who belong to the highest social class and have titles such as 'Duke' or 'Countess' SYN the aristocracy 2. [uncountable] the quality of being noble: the nobility of his intentions

overshoot

1. to accidentally go a little further than you intended: The plane overshot the runway and plunged into a ditch. 2. to spend more money than you had intended: The school has overshot its cash limit. —overshoot /ˈəʊvəʃuːt $ ˈoʊvər-/ noun [countable]

rough and tumble

1. uncountable noun You can use rough and tumble to refer to a situation in which the people involved try hard to get what they want, and do not worry about upsetting or harming others, and you think this is acceptable and normal. ...the rough-and-tumble of political combat. 2. uncountable noun Rough and tumble is physical playing that involves noisy and slightly violent behaviour. He enjoys rough and tumble play.

console

1. 安慰;慰藉;安抚；2. (机器的)操纵台，控制台，仪表板；

play make-believe

: to think of an imaginary world and pretend to live in it as people, animals, fairies, etc. children playing make-believe

sovran

<<名词>><<形容词>> ((诗))=sovereign

berth

A berth is a bed, usually stacked like bunk beds, on a train or a ship. If you're on an overnight train, you may want to spring for a berth instead of sitting up all night. You may have heard the phrase "to give someone a wide berth — that means to give them plenty of space. But if you want to use berth as a verb, you better be talking about parking a boat: to berth means to moor or dock a ship. The parking spot itself also happens to be called a berth. So if there's a big storm brewing, you best be sure to berth your boat securely in its berth.

boarder

A boarder is someone who rents a room in someone's house. It can also be a student who lives and studies away from home at a boarding school. There are two main meanings of boarder, but they both involve staying somewhere away from home. A boarding school is a private school where students live as well as study. Those students are called boarders. Also, if someone rents a room of their house to guests, the guests are boarders. Holden Caulfield, the main character of "Catcher in the Rye," was a boarder; that is, until he got thrown out of Pencey Prep.

encumbrance

A burden or serious concern is an encumbrance. Your being five feet tall could be an encumbrance when it comes to your dream of playing professional basketball. Something that blocks you from doing what you want to do is an encumbrance, like the rocky soil in your garden that makes it impossible for you to grow tomatoes. A burden or hindrance can also be an encumbrance, the way wearing thick knitted mittens makes it harder for you to dial your cell phone — your mittens are an encumbrance. The word comes from the Latin word incombrare, which means "barricade or obstacle."

cluster

A cluster is a small group of people or things. When you and your friends huddle awkwardly around the snack table at a party, whispering and trying to muster enough nerve to hit the dance floor, you've formed a cluster. Cluster comes to us from the Old English word clyster, meaning bunch. Nowadays, you can use cluster as either a noun or a verb. When we were kids, we would stand in a cluster (noun) on the street corner, eagerly awaiting the appearance of the Good Humor truck every afternoon. Then we would cluster (verb) eagerly around the driver, demanding ice cream. Virtually anything can form a cluster — flowers, cells, stars, human beings, and even events.

Conspiracy

A conspiracy is a secret agreement between two or more people to commit an unlawful or harmful act. Conspiracy theorists are people who believe that the government is secretly controlled by power brokers in flagrant violation of the constitution. Conspiracy can also refer to the act of planning an unlawful or harmful act: Terrorists might be accused of organizing a conspiracy to overthrow the government. Conspiracy is ultimately from Latin cōnspīrāre "to agree or plot together, literally to breathe together." The corresponding English verb is conspire.

contrivance

A contrivance is a gadget or device that can be used for some particular purpose. The spinning blade of a blender is a contrivance that turns fruits and yogurt into a tasty smoothie. Yum. A contrivance is a useful device or tool. It might be assembled or invented, and it's often mechanical, although you can really refer to anything that's made for a specific purpose as a contrivance. The word sometimes also implies a falseness or obviousness, like the contrivance of a spy's very fake-looking beard that's supposed to disguise him, or the contrivance of a novel's complicated, unbelievable plot.

crew

A crew is an organized group of workers. A crew might keep a ship sailing smoothly or pave a road smoothly. Either way, crew implies cooperation among workers. If you're hired as a member of a ship's crew, it will be your job (along with the other crew members), to keep the boat running smoothly, and the passengers happy and well-fed. Crews are usually a group of people who work together on a ship, airplane, or movie — but the word is also a slang term for a group of friends who hang out together — like a crowd or posse.

flank

A flank is the side of something, whether of beef or a military formation. Although flank is specifically used to talk about a cut of meat, or the right or left side of a military formation, we also use it in those same senses for other objects. If you've put on weight, it's probably not just your tummy sticking out a bit more, but the lovehandles on your flanks. If you see someone walking down the street with bodyguards on either side, she's flanked by guards.

formula

A formula is generally a fixed pattern that is used to achieve consistent results. It might be made up of words, numbers, or ideas that work together to define a procedure to be followed for the desired outcome. Formulas, the patterns we follow in life, are used everywhere. In math or science, a formula might express a numeric or chemical equation; in cooking, a recipe is a formula. Baby formula is made up of the nutrients necessary for maintaining healthy growth, and the right formula for a fuel mixture is critical for a racing car's best performance. Everyone has their favorite formula for success. J. Paul Getty once gave his as "rise early, work hard, strike oil."

corridor

A long hallway, especially one that has rooms opening up into it, is called a corridor. Late at night, hotel corridors all look alike. Be sure you try to open the right door with your key card. A corridor is also a tract of land that connects two places or runs along the side of a road. In your town, the business corridor might be a fairly small strip of land with just a couple of restaurants and a few stores. The Northeast Corridor is the built-up area that links eastern cities in a chain that stretches from Boston to Washington, D.C.

patriarchy

A patriarchy is a social system or organization run by men. If Dad always gets the last word in your house, then you're living under a patriarchy! A patriarchy is a social or political system with one or several men in charge. It may refer to society at large or to one segment, such as the Catholic Church, with the Archbishop and Pope in positions of power. The word can also describe family systems, especially when relationships and property are determined by males. In modern times patriarchy is often considered to be oppressive to women; if you're a feminist, then you're definitely not a fan of patriarchy.

streak

A streak is a mark or characteristic. What makes you keep trying to wipe the streak of permanent marker off the white couch — your clean streak or your stubborn streak? Like a mark or stain, a streak in a person is a characteristic or strain that runs through them — like a mean streak. The noun streak can also refer to an unbroken chain of events — you'll want a lucky streak to keep going and a losing streak to come to a quick end. As a verb, to streak means to dash, sometimes without clothes. If you talk a blue streak, you've got a lot to say, very quickly.

indentured laborer

An indentured servant or indentured laborer is an employee (indenturee) within a system of unfree labor who is bound by a signed or forced contract (indenture) to work for a particular employer for a fixed time. The contract often lets the employer sell the labor of an indenturee to a third party. Indenturees usually enter into an indenture for a specific payment or other benefit, or to meet a legal obligation, such as debt bondage. On completion of the contract, indentured servants were given their freedom, and occasionally plots of land. In many countries, systems of indentured labor have now been outlawed, and are banned by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a form of slavery.

lowbrow

Anything or anyone lowbrow is unsophisticated and uncultivated. Videos that become wildly popular on the internet tend to be lowbrow. Something that is lowbrow doesn't provide much intellectual stimulation, and it may be in poor taste. Comedies that rely heavily on insults, physical gags, and jokes about bodily functions can usually be described as lowbrow. Forms of entertainment such as operas and Shakespearean plays are typically regarded as highbrow — the opposite of lowbrow. Surprisingly, they can have their fair share of lowbrow humor as well.

entrance

As a noun, entrance means an act of entering or something that provides a way to enter something. You can make a grand entrance when you arrive at a party, as long as you can actually find the entrance. Entrance has two pronunciations. If you put the accent on the first syllable, the word is a noun meaning the act of entering or the way into something ("an entrance to the building"). If the accent is on the second syllable, then entrance is a verb meaning "to enchant, charm, or enamor" — "You will be entranced by the movie; the scenery looks so real you will swear it is growing in the theater."

CDC

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

benevolent

Choose the adjective benevolent for someone who does good deeds or shows goodwill. If your teacher collects homework with a benevolent smile, she's hoping that you've done a good job. Benevolent comes from the Latin bene "well" and volent from the verb "to wish" so you can imagine that this word brings goodness with it. A benevolent society is a charity group organized to serve a community through programs, sponsorships and donations. The expression, benevolent dictatorship, may seem like an oxymoron, but it is a political term for an authoritative government that works for the good of the people under its rule.

wary

Describe yourself as wary if you don't quite trust someone or something and want to proceed with caution. Be wary of risky things like wild mushrooms and Internet deals! You can trace wary through Old English back to Old High German giwar "aware, attentive." If you keep a wary eye on something, you are attentive for signs that it is becoming dangerous. Likewise, if you give someone a wary glance, your face conveys the suspicion and caution you feel. When you are wary of driving alone at night or making promises, you fear something bad might happen if you do these things.

frivolous

Frivolous things are silly or unnecessary. If something is frivolous, then you don't need it. Frivolous things are goofy, useless, or just plain dumb. The word is often used to describe lawsuits. A frivolous lawsuit has no value and will be a waste of the court's time, like someone suing McDonald's for making the coffee too hot (which actually happened). If someone is frivolous, that person shouldn't be taken seriously because he's always fooling around and never gets anything done. Frivolous is pretty much the opposite of essential.

furtive

If you're looking for a formal adjective to describe something sly or secret, sneak in furtive. Let's hope the teacher doesn't see your furtive attempts to pass notes in class! The adjective, furtive, is related to fūrtum, the Latin word for theft or robbery. This is apparent as the expressions "to give someone a furtive glance" and "to steal a glance at someone" mean the same thing. If a person's manner is furtive, he or she is acting suspiciously. Secret, stealthy and sly are all similar in meaning, but they lack this image of a thief's actions.

impoverished

Impoverished describes being really, really poor, either from having no money or being in bad health. A person who lives on the street is impoverished, and a country may become impoverished after a devastating war. Impoverished comes from the Old French word povre, which means "poor," and you can almost see the word poverty inside impoverished. Living an impoverished life means that your finances and health are not in good shape, and in fact you could die because you can't support yourself. A corrupt and greedy government makes its citizens impoverished, and too much pollution will create impoverished soil that isn't healthy enough to grow delicious vegetables.

I.R.S.

Internal Revenue Service 美国税务局

pyromania

It is never a good idea to leave a person who suffers from pyromania alone with a box of matches, since pyromania is a strong urge to start fires. Manias, compulsions or obsessions, are rarely good things, and this one is especially undesirable: an uncontrollable impulse to set fires. The pyr- part, from Greek for "fire," appears in pyramid, pyrotechnic, and empyreal; the English word fire is also distantly related. The mania part means "madness" in Greek, and "fire madness" is a good way to think of pyromania.

plane

LEVEL a level or standard of thought, conversation etc: * The two newspapers are on completely different intellectual planes.

waif

No matter how cold-hearted you are, it's tough not to feel sympathy for a waif — a neglected or orphaned child. From Oliver Twist to Harry Potter, literature is filled with stories of young waifs who persevere through hardship. In contrast to street urchins or ragamuffins, waifs are generally seen as wholly innocent victims of their situation. This fact may explain why waifs make such compelling literary protagonists. Who's going to root against a kind-hearted orphan? And who would admit it if they did?

hindsight

People who are able to look back on the past and understand what happened have hindsight. If you go skating on a frozen lake and it cracks, in hindsight you'd know you should've paid attention to the giant "danger" sign. Hindsight is like looking behind you to see what just happened (behind sight, get it?). Another way of describing retrospection, hindsight is a useful skill that can be cultivated. Hindsight often refers to a lesson learned from something going wrong. Billy Wilder, the American movie director, once commented wistfully, "Hindsight is always twenty-twenty." It's much easier to see clearly after something happened than before.

clumsy

Someone clumsy is a klutz. They're awkward, ungraceful, and walk like they have two left feet. Something hard to handle — like a huge box — is also clumsy. A badly told story is told in a clumsy way, and a couch that's hard to move clumsy to carry. But mostly being clumsy is embarrassing. Dropping things, tripping a lot, and stumbling are all examples of clumsiness. Clumsy people usually aren't too good at sports or dancing. And you certainly don't want a clumsy surgeon. Most people are a little clumsy when they're teenagers — growing so fast makes it hard to be sure of yourself physically.

impassive

Someone who doesn't seem to react — who is always "taking a pass" in the conversation of life can be described as impassive. Impassive is tricky, as it sounds it should be the opposite of passive. It's not, though. The fact is you can be passive and impassive at the same time. When a passive person gets passed over for a promotion at work, their face might remain impassive upon hearing the news.

Supremacy

Supremacy is the state of having the ultimate authority. A ruling king has supremacy over his kingdom. When one group dominates another, it has supremacy. One country's army might have military supremacy over another, or your favorite baseball team might gain supremacy in the third game of the World Series, meaning it has power over the other team in the series. Supremacy comes from the Latin word supremus, which means highest.

earthy

The adjective earthy runs the gamut from "crunchy" to "crude." You could use earthy to describe bohemian fashion or a vulgar comedian. Just don't use it to describe our planet. Adding one letter y to earth changes earth's status from a noun to an adjective. And what a versatile adjective it is! You could use it in a more literal way, like the "earthy smell" coming from the vegetable garden. Or, you could use it in a more figurative way — like to describe someone who wears Birkenstock sandals and grows her own bean sprouts. Earthy can also be used to describe someone who tends to be gross or vulgar, but this use of the word is somewhat euphemistic.

under the surface

Under the surface, though, officials have reasons to worry. China's economic momentum weakened again in August. Investment growth in the first eight months slowed to the lowest pace since at least 1999 and infrastructure investment rose just 4.2 percent, the weakest expansion since the data series started in 2014.

exquisite

Use exquisite to mean finely or delicately made or done. When you say someone has exquisite taste, you mean that they are able to make fine distinctions. Exquisite describes something that is lovely, beautiful, or excellent. Exquisite pain or agony is very sharp and intense. Exquisite is from Middle English exquisit, from Latin exquisitus, from exquirere "to search out."

extravagance

Use the noun extravagance when you're talking about something that's over the top, especially when it comes to spending money. Ordering a $500 hamburger for dinner would be an extravagance. Money is usually the subject when people talk about extravagance, although the word can also mean having too much of something, whether it's anger or flowery wallpaper. In Latin, the root word extravagari means "wander outside or beyond," and originally extravagance was used to describe something that was unusual — "wandering outside" the norm. It wasn't until the 1700s that the word became associated specifically with spending too much money.

toddler

Use the noun toddler to describe a small child who is just learning how to walk. A toddler is older than a baby but not quite old enough for elementary school. It's the time in a child's life when she reaches all kinds of milestones: walking, talking, playing with other kids, and more. The word toddler was first used in 1793, and it developed out of the Scottish word toddle, or "to run or walk with short, unsteady steps."

discard

When you discard something, you get rid of it. If your closet is overflowing with clothes you haven't worn since 1992, why not discard some of them? When the verb discard first entered the English language in the sixteenth century, it referred to card playing and meant "to throw a card away." Discard is still used to describe getting rid of unlucky cards, but today, you'll also hear it used in a broader sense — we discard, or throw away, things that are undesirable or no longer useful. You might discard a worn out shoe, for example.

hunch

When you pose for pictures with short friends, you hunch over so you don't tower above them — you scrunch up your shoulders, bend your knees, and try to look smaller. You can also have a hunch, which has nothing to do with scrunching. When you have a hunch about something, you think it might be true. Your dog bolts over the fence, and you have a hunch he's heading for the neighbor who feeds him pâté. Hunch is an odd word of unknown origin, which seems to have originally meant "to push or shove" — to nudge.

risk off

[金融]风险规避 Risk aversion

blowtorch

a piece of equipment that produces a small very hot flame, used especially for removing paint SYN blowlamp British English

larva

a young insect with a soft tube-shaped body, which will later become an insect with wings SYN grub ⇨ pupa —larval adjective (plural larvae /-viː/) [countable]

unvaccinated

adj. 未接种疫苗的

epidemiological

adj. 流行病学的

neurobiological

adj. 神经生物学的

faux

artificial, but made to look real SYN false: faux pearls

memorial

n. memorial to The hospital was built as a memorial to King Edward VII. adj. memorial service/ceremony A memorial service will be held at 7 pm on Saturday.

Ethiopia

n. 埃塞俄比亚

malediction

old-fashioned formal a wish that something bad will happen to someone SYN curse

dated

old-fashioned ⇨ out-of-date: * That dress looks a bit dated now.

policy mix

货币政策与财政政策的组合 the combination of country's monetary policy and fiscal policy

tomcat

雄猫

flora and fauna

plants and animals

POW

prisoner of war n. 战俘

long in the tooth

rather old. If you describe someone as long in the tooth, you are saying unkindly or humorously that they are old or getting old. [informal, disapproval] Aren't I a bit long in the tooth to start being an undergraduate?

kiss and tell

recount one's sexual exploits, especially to the media concerning a famous person. The act of learning intimate secrets about one's sexual partner and, especially after a one night stand or breaking up, telling most everyone else what those secrets are. Usually explicit or kinky in nature, such as dick length or fetishes.

Photosynthetic

relating to or involved in the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize nutrients from carbon dioxide and water.

rage

road-rage/air-rage etc when someone becomes extremely angry and violent while they are driving, on a plane etc: He was attacked in a road-rage incident.

cause for concern

值得关注的原因

cause for celebration

值得庆祝的事 并不用 things for celebration

anti-vaxxer

(also anti-vaxer) A person who is opposed to vaccination, typically a parent who does not wish to vaccinate their child. 'experts say several diseases that are avoidable are making a comeback due to anti-vaxxers who refuse to vaccinate their kids'

ramp up

(especially in reference to the production of goods) increase or cause to increase in amount. "they ramped up production to meet booming demand"

slide

(past tense and past participle slid /slɪd/) 1. to move smoothly over a surface while continuing to touch it, or to make something move in this way slide along/across/down etc Francesca slid across the ice. slide something across/along etc He opened the oven door and slid the pan of cookies in. He slid open the door of the glass cabinet. 2. if prices, amounts, rates etc slide, they become lower SYN drop OPP rise: Stocks slid a further 3% on the major markets today.

distil

1. purify (a liquid) by heating it so that it vaporizes, then cooling and condensing the vapour and collecting the resulting liquid. "they managed to distil a small quantity of water" synonyms: purify, refine, filter, treat, process; More 2. extract the essential meaning or most important aspects of. "my travel notes were distilled into a book"

post-mortem

1. (also postˌmortem examinˈation) an examination of a dead body to discover why the person died SYN autopsy post-mortem on A post-mortem on the body revealed that the victim had been strangled. do/carry out/conduct a post-mortem 2. especially British English an examination of a plan or event that failed, done to discover why it failed post-mortem on a post-mortem on the company's poor results

pacifier

1. American English a rubber object that you give a baby to suck so that it does not cry SYN dummy British English 2. something that makes people calm

decidedly

1. [+ adjective/adverb] definitely or in a way that is easily noticed: Cole's style is decidedly more formal than the previous manager's. 2. British English written in a way that shows that you are very sure about a decision: 'I'm not going to do it,' said Margaret decidedly.

vitality

1. great energy and eagerness to do things: Despite her eighty years, Elsie was full of vitality. 2. the strength and ability of an organization, country etc to continue: The process of restructuring has injected some much-needed vitality into the company. vitality of The senator promised to restore the economic vitality of the region.

secondary

1. secondary education/schooling/teaching etc the education, teaching etc of children between the ages of 11 and 16 or 18 ⇨ tertiary 2. not as important as something else ⇨ primary: the novel's secondary characters secondary to Writing was always secondary to spending time with my family. be of secondary importance/be a secondary consideration Cost is the important thing - any benefits for the user are a secondary consideration. —secondarily adverb

abide

1. somebody can't abide somebody/something used to say that someone dislikes someone or something very much: I can't abide that man - he's so self-satisfied. 2. (past tense abode /əˈbəʊd $ əˈboʊd/) [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] old use to live somewhere • • • abide by something phrasal verb to accept and obey a decision, rule, agreement etc, even though you may not agree with it: You have to abide by the referee's decision.

hub

1[N-COUNT 可数名词] 活动的中心，核心；You can describe a place as a hub of an activity when it is a very important centre for that activity. [usu with supp] The island's social hub is the Cafe Sport... 该岛的社交中心是"体育咖啡馆"。 As a hub of finance and communications, Paris is now almost equal to London. 作为一个金融和交通中心，巴黎现在几乎可媲美伦敦。 2[N-COUNT 可数名词] 轮毂；The hub of a wheel is the part at the centre. [oft N of n] 3[N-COUNT 可数名词] 航空枢纽;中心机场；A hub or a hub airport is a large airport from which you can travel to many other airports. //...a campaign to secure Heathrow's place as Europe's main international hub. 旨在稳固希思罗机场作为欧洲主要航空枢纽地位的宣传活动 4网络集线器；A hub is a device for connecting computers in a network. [COMPUTING 计算机]

desert

A desert is a wasteland. If you fry your brain cells with drugs, then your mind will turn into a desert. Desert comes from the Latin desertus, for abandoned or lying in waste. This can refer to a vast sandy area without vegetation, or any empty, lifeless expanse. As a verb, it means to leave someone or something. A soldier who runs away from the army is called a deserter. Occasionally you'll hear someone say, "He got his just deserts," which doesn't have anything to do with abandonment; it means he got what he deserved.

dodgy

A dodgy situation is risky and suspicious. A dodgy person is skilled in lying and deceiving. Neither should be trusted. When a person or situation is called dodgy, it's a clue that they should be dodged if at all possible. A job might be dodgy because it's illegal or dangerous. A shortcut might be dodgy if it could damage your car. Running a marathon without preparation is very dodgy. Similarly, a dodgy person is untrustworthy because they're evasive, cunning, sly, or just a flat-out liar.

fortress

A fortress is a large building or complex of buildings used as a military stronghold. In a military sense a fortress is often called a "fort". From its original sense of stronghold, the word fortress has stretched to include strongholds in a more figurative sense. Martin Luther used fortress to describe unfailing spiritual support when he wrote, "A mighty fortress is our God." When someone has a hard time trusting others, you might say they have retreated to a "fortress of their own making."

frontier

A frontier represents uncharted territory. It could be a remote piece of land or a new field of study, but if someone calls it "the frontier," you are challenged to explore it. The noun frontier has several meanings. It can refer to the wilderness at the edge of a settled area (picture covered wagons pushing westward) or it can mean a field of study that has not yet been explored (picture genetically engineering pet dinosaurs). Deriving from "the front line of an army," a frontier can be thought of as an offensive line in a battle — always pushing forward, trying to conquer new territory.

missionary

A missionary is a person whose mission is to go somewhere to help others. In many cases, the goal of a missionary is to teach about a religion so that the people convert to that faith. Missionary can be a noun — the person who goes on a mission — or an adjective — the type of work done on such a trip. If your great-grandmother was a missionary for the Methodist church in Japan in the 1920's, her purpose there was to convince people to abandon their religion for Methodism. Presumably she did this missionary work because she thought it would save their souls.

ethnicity

A person's ethnicity is their ethnic traits, classification, or association. If your ethnicity is Italian, you might speak Italian in the home and eat Italian food. Or you might simply refer to yourself as Italian and identify with your ethnicity in no other way. Usually, ethnicity is a collective noun, but in the singular, an ethnicity is a particular ethnic group. The adjective ethnic relates to large groups of people who have certain racial, cultural, religious, or other traits in common. In Middle English, ethnic meant heathen or pagan. The word is from Late Latin ethnicus, from Greek ethnikos "foreign," from ethnos "nation."

Philanthropist

A philanthropist is a person who gives money or gifts to charities, or helps needy people in other ways. Famous examples include Andrew Carnegie and Bill & Melinda Gates. In English, the -ist suffix describes a person who does a particular action. A philanthropist practices philanthropy. Philanthropists are wealthy people with a generous nature and a concern for human welfare. Philanthropy is from Late Latin philanthrōpia, from Greek, from philanthrōpos "humane, kind," from the prefix phil- plus anthrōpos "man, mankind."

playwright

A playwright is someone who writes plays. Playwrights are also known as dramatists. Just as a poet writes poems, a playwright writes plays. If the spelling of playwright looks odd, that's because wright is a word for a craftsperson or someone who builds things (like a shipwright builds ships). Given the juggling of characters, scenes, and plots in a play, you can see how writing a play is like building something. The most famous playwright ever in English is William Shakespeare.

reversal

A reversal is a change of decision or direction, often to the opposite. You liked history, but thought you'd major in business because there were more jobs. Then you took an economics class and hated it. So in a reversal, you majored in history after all. In legal terms, a reversal is when a high court decides the decision of a lower court is incorrect and should be overturned. In a reversal, the Supreme Court overturned the guilty verdict of the lower court, and the prisoner was set free. A setback or a change in circumstances for the worse is also a reversal. If you make poor investments, you may suffer a reversal in fortune and go from shopping for designer clothes to shopping at thrift stores.

Troll

A troll is a member of an Internet community who posts offensive, divisive and controversial comments. Often, a troll will make obvious and inflammatory statements that are meant to bait new users (newbies) into reacting. This is sometimes called trolling. Despite multiple attempts at limiting trolling on the Internet, it is still widespread in social networks, comment sections and anywhere else where users can post in relative anonymity.

tutorial

A tutorial is a teaching session given to one student or a small group of students. If you are stuck in a class, you could use a tutorial. Teachers lead classes, but tutors are educators who also help students, usually one-on-one. Tutors don't give grades: they just try to help or coach students. A session given by a tutor is called a tutorial. A tutorial could be a one-on-one session in a tutoring center or elsewhere. A tutorial could also be a small group led by a tutor, in which the tutor helps the whole group with math, history, or another topic.

visor

A visor is part of the front of a helmet that can usually be raised or lowered. Visors shade your eyes from the sun. The brim of a hat keeps the sun out of your eyes, but the visor of a helmet does an even better job. The visor actually covers your eyes, much like sunglasses. Many motorcycle helmets have a visor, and so do some police helmets and football helmets. As with sunglasses, the visor restricts your vision in some ways, so it's the kind of thing you would only want to use if the sun is blinding.

whim

A whim is an odd or fanciful idea, something kooky you suddenly decide to do, like dress up like a chicken or drive to Vegas. A whim can be a sudden impulse or a change of mind, like if you go shopping for school clothes but instead buy a pink cowboy hat. Whim is a shortened version of the equally silly sounding whim wham which means "fanciful object," like a tiny snow globe that plays "Hava Nagila." If you go for a drive on a whim, you could wind up anywhere, perhaps even back to the store to return that snow globe.

Adultery

Adultery is a word for cheating — cheating on your spouse with another person. Adultery isn't a crime, but some people consider it a sin. If two people are dating, and one fools around with someone else, it's not adultery. Only married people can commit adultery. If you commit adultery — and your spouse finds out — then you've got a lot of explaining to do. Although it's still highly frowned upon, cultural attitudes toward adultery have changed a lot: the classic book The Scarlet Letter shows how harshly women were once treated for committing adultery.

Alert

Alert! Alert! Alert! Did I get your attention? When you are alert, you are awake and ready. When you issue an alert you give warning, alerting people to, or notifying them of, a concern. Alert is one of the rare words that can be used in the same form as a noun, verb, and adjective. In all parts of speech, alert implies preparedness. The word is derived from the French a l'erte which translates to "on the watch." When you hear the word, imagine an alarm going off. The alarm is the alert. When you hear it, you have been alerted and you are now alert.

acquisition

An acquisition is something you acquire—a book, a skill or if you are a mogul, a company. It describes things you have purchased, things you have learned, or things you have got. Acquisition has a formal sense to it. We don't talk about our new jeans as our latest acquisition, unless we are the kind of person who refers to their latest copy of Vogue as their Bible. It is very commonly used to refer to paintings purchased by museums—in fact, large museums have acquisition departments.

advantage

An advantage is like a head start in a race; it's that thing that gives you a better chance. The noun advantage also refers to a reward or benefit of some action or event. Being sick with the flu had the advantage of kick-starting your diet because you didn't feel like eating much. If you leverage the benefits, you are taking advantage of the situation. If you go on a business trip to Hawaii, you could take advantage of the opportunity and spend an extra day or two on vacation.

embargo

An embargo is an order stopping the movement of trade ships into or out of a country. If you can't get those yummy Swedish fish, perhaps there has been an embargo on trade with Sweden! The fact that ships cannot move during an embargo makes sense from the Latin root of the word, a verb meaning impede with barriers. If one government places a trade embargo on another, it can be an act of war between the two countries. But if an arms embargo is in place, many countries refuse to sell arms to a particular country because it is especially violent. As a verb, the use of embargo is a little broader. If you write an impassioned plea for peace, but the government embargoes it, no one will read your writing.

endorsement

An endorsement is a form of public support or approval. Endorsements are given to politicians and products. If you give something an endorsement, you're basically saying "I approve of this person or product." Celebrities give politicians an endorsement if they think you should vote for them. When celebrities do commercials for products, those are also endorsements. If someone puts their fame or name behind something, they're endorsing it and giving their approval. That goes for checks, too: when you sign one you've just written, you've endorsed it.

sensuous

Anything that is pleasing to the senses can be called sensuous. The feel of a soft cashmere sweater on your skin, the taste of dark chocolate, even the smell of your favorite person — all of these can be sensuous experiences. Sensuous describes anything that feels, tastes, smells, looks, or sounds good. Eating delicious food or relaxing in a warm bath are sensuous activities. But something intellectually satisfying, like doing a crossword puzzle or solving a math problem, is not exactly sensuous, even if you really like doing it. Use sensuous to describe stuff that makes your five senses happy. CHOOSE YOUR WORDS sensual / sensuous The words sensual and sensuous are often used interchangeably, but careful writers would do well to think before using one or the other. The terms share the root sens-, which means to arouse the senses. Sensual has referred to gratifying carnal, especially sexual, senses since before 1425. Sensuous is believed to have been created by John Milton in 1641 to mean relating to the senses instead of the intellect without the sexual connotation. Let's look at some examples that use our pair strictly: Designer Zac Posen sent out sensual cancan girls straight out of a vintage Paris revue. Every once in awhile Pauline will recreate one of the sensuous feasts she and Luciano used to serve to guests seated around a shared table. Today, though, many writers will use the words interchangeably: Heat and dust Delhi's sensual overload tests tourists, athletes The way she gazes into his face, we are privileged to get a glimpse of a subtle and sensuous erotica. It's a shame to lose these shades of meaning. When you use sensuous, do you mean to include sexual undertones? Are those undertones absent when you use sensual? Your readers will only know if you choose your words wisely.

Appease

Appease means to make or preserve peace with a nation, group, or person by giving in to their demands, or to relieve a problem, as in "the cold drink appeased his thirst." The word often implies abandoning your moral principles to satisfy the demands of someone who is greedy for power: Think of British Prime Minister Chamberlain's attempt to appease the Nazis at Munich. The cold drink appeased his thirst. Appease is from Middle English apaisen, from apaisier, formed from the prefix a- "to" plus pais "peace," from Latin pax.

Canon

Canon is all about authoritative standards—for literature, sainthood, or behavior. Don't confuse it with cannon with two n's, the big gun that shoots bowling-size balls at the enemy. College students used to read what was called the "literary canon," until they noticed that they were written by dead white men. Pretzels dipped in Coke may be tasty, but they're not ready to be entered into the canon of two great tastes that go well together: oreos + milk, donut + coffee, apple pie + ice cream.

Debris

Debris is trash scattered around after a disaster, like shattered glass on the road after a car accident. Debris comes from French for "waste, rubbish." Although debris usually refers to the trash leftover after some kind of explosion or crash, it can also be what's on your floor after hosting a kid's make-your-own pizza party, or what you shouldn't leave at the park after a picnic. Sometimes Mother Nature leaves debris, such as a pile of rocks, or that car on your lawn after the flood recedes. Don't pronounce the "s": debris rhymes with "be free."

Deliberately

Deliberately means on purpose. For example, you may have noticed how the schoolyard bully deliberately chose to pick on the smallest kids at recess. The adverb deliberately originates from the Latin word deliberatus, meaning "resolved upon, determined." Used to describe an action made intentionally, it can also mean doing something in a careful, thoughtful manner. You probably cringed when the pitcher deliberately hurled the ball into the star batter's leg so he would walk rather than hitting another home run. Or perhaps you witnessed a college professor stroking his beard deliberately in response to a classmate's challenging question.

demagoguery

Demagoguery is an appeal to people that plays on their emotions and prejudices rather than on their rational side. Demagoguery is a manipulative approach — often associated with dictators and sleazy politicians — that appeals to the worst nature of people. Demagoguery isn't based on reason, issues, and doing the right thing; it's based on stirring up fear and hatred to control people. For example, a politician who stirs up a fear of immigrants to distract from other issues is using demagoguery. Demagoguery is one of the most negative aspects of politics, but it's also one that's all too common.

Dialectical

Dialectical describes how someone goes about finding the truth. If you're an investigative journalist, you probably use dialectical reasoning. You might think dialectical refers to how people speak in a certain region or in a specific group, such as a regional accent. That version of dialect comes from the Greek word dialektos, meaning "discourse, way of speaking." But dialectical instead comes from the French word dialecte, meaning "denoting the art of investigating the truth of opinions." It has to do with a method of reasoning used to determine the truth.

dim

Dim has several meanings related to a lack of light, hope, or knowledge. A room that is not well lit is dim, a slow thinker is dim, and when life looks hopeless, your prospects are dim. To dim a light is to dull it, like by putting a shade over it. A vague idea without a lot of specifics is also dim, since it's hard to see or understand the idea. Someone who's not very bright is dim or a dimwit. When things are hopeless, they're dim too. For example, if a football team is losing by fifty points, their chances of winning are dim.

Dire

Dire refers to situations or events that cause great fear and worry. A dire calamity causes much suffering. If a family is in dire need, they need immediate help. Dire predictions or warnings tell us that a disaster may happen in the future. If you are trapped between the burning building behind you and the high cliffs in front of you, you might describe yourself as being in dire straits.

Disclose

Disclose means to reveal or expose information that has previously been kept a secret — like a politician might be forced to disclose his finances or former scandals while running for office. When a politician, corporate executive, or celebrity announces that he or she has something to disclose, the public listens. They know that the information they're about to hear was kept secret for a reason. Something incriminating or juicy is about to be revealed, like a secret affair or plummeting company profits.

effectively

Effectively is an adverb with two meanings; use it if you want to describe something that's done in an effective manner or as a replacement for words like "actually" or "basically." If wearing special gloves helps you catch a football more effectively, then it helps you get the job done better and more efficiently. People usually want to do their jobs more effectively. But this word can also mean actually or basically. If your grandparents are raising you, they are effectively your parents, and you are effectively their children. Whether they're raising you effectively in the first sense is another matter.

Epidemiology

Epidemiology is the study of diseases: specifically, how they are caused, how they are spread, and how they are controlled or cured. To be sure, it's a nasty job, but someone has to do it! The ancestry of the word epidemiology comes from the Greek word epidēmia, meaning "prevalence of disease." Although the actual term didn't come about to describe the study of epidemics until 1802, the Greek physician Hippocrates is called "the father of epidemiology" for being the first to study the relationship between diseases and the environments that influences them. The study of epidemiology covers a wide variety of diseases, including infectious, chronic, and neurological diseases, and even includes the study of injuries.

cushion

Fabric filled with foam, feathers, or other padding material make a cushion, which can be used to make something like a chair or sofa more comfortable. The noun cushion can also refer to anything that is used to soften an impact or absorb shocks. In modern cars, for example, sometimes in a crash or accident, air bags will deploy and act as cushions for the passengers to prevent them from injuring themselves on hard surfaces like the dashboard or steering wheel. A cushion isn't necessarily a physical one, however, as you may want to keep an emergency fund as a cushion in case of unexpected expenses. As a verb, cushion means to protect from the impact of negative information so if you have bad news, you'll want to cushion the blow as much as possible.

Frustration

Frustration is a feeling of annoyance that occurs when something doesn't go as you expect. There are few things more likely to cause frustration for an impatient driver than rush hour traffic. When you can't get what you want, or you're stuck in some way, you'll experience frustration. A spelling bee competitor who almost wins will feel frustration. The thing that causes you to feel this way can also be called a frustration — like your moody sister, the frustration of your home life. Frustration comes from the Latin frustrationem, "a deception or a disappointment."

hail

Hail is when chunks of ice fall from the sky. Also, to hail someone is to greet them or say good things about them. Or it can be a way to tell people of your homeland, as in: "I hail from the Moon." If twenty third-graders all sent spit-balls up in the air at once, the spit-balls would then hail down on the class. If a presidential candidate has an idea for fixing the nation's woes, many people will hail that idea as the next great panacea. If you see your former prom date walking down the street, you may want to hail him to say hello or, perhaps, you will want to hail a cab and get out of there as fast as you can.

distinctive

Her big eyes and plump lips are distinctive features that make her a great model. These are just some of the special features that distinguish her. You might recognize the Latin prefix dis in the adjective distinctive. Dis often means "apart" or "away." Think of this when trying to remember the word distinctive. Someone with distinctive features has features that set them "apart" from others. Yes, its stepped-back architecture and distinctive spire are among the Empire State Building's distinctive features, but its most distinctive feature has to be its height: for decades there wasn't another building in New York that came close!

Ideation

Ideation is the act of coming up with an idea, like when a cartoon light bulb appears above someone's head. If you imagine a flying car and think of how to make it, that's ideation. It's a creative process. Ideation might sound new, but the word has been around since the 1800's. It looks like a blend of idea and creation, and it is — a brainstorming session is a type of ideation. In medical speak, ideation is "the forming of mental images." In this sense the word is often paired with suicidal — suicidal ideation refers to someone thinking about killing herself. Sadly, that's the most common use of ideation.

grueling

If a job is grueling, that means it is really difficult. If a race is grueling, that means it is really difficult. If a trip to the dentist is grueling, that means you need to toughen up. Once upon a time in a land far far away (like eighteenth century England) there was an expression, to "get one's gruel," which meant "receive one's punishment." This saying morphed into the word grueling, which can be applied to any punishing activity. Presumably, to "get one's gruel" involved horrible punishments, but now the more pampered among us might even find a long tennis match grueling.

parochial

If an issue or a matter is parochial, it is trivial or only concerns a local area. Likewise, a person with a parochial mentality is narrow-minded, or not open to new ideas. Parochial comes to English from Greek through Latin with the meaning "of a parish." As a parochial school is a school that is affiliated with a particular church, the connection is easy to see. In general though, parochial refers to a narrow or limited point of view — that is, an outlook that extends no further than the limits of the parish. You may feel that there is no room in your life for the parochial attitudes of the older generation. Let's hope you remain open-minded as you age!

correlate

If you notice that crumbs appear on your little brother's shirt whenever the cookies disappear from the cookie jar, you can say that you've correlated two facts, meaning that you've established or revealed that they're linked in a way that explains both of them. Detectives correlate pieces of evidence in order to solve crimes. For example, they might correlate a suspect's bandaged hand with a shattered third-floor window. Correlate can also be used as a noun. Some companies promote products by suggesting that their products increase "happiness correlates," or factors that have been shown to have a relationship with happiness, like health and friendship.

contingency

If you plan to walk home if the weather is nice, but bring subway fare just in case, then taking the subway is your contingency plan. A contingency is an event you can't be sure will happen or not. The noun contingency describes something that might or might not happen. We use it to describe an event or situation that is a possible outcome but one that's impossible to predict with certainty. A company might have a contingency plan for what to do if something goes wrong with their primary strategy, also known as "plan B." They might even have plans C, D, and E, to prepare for multiple contingencies.

shun

If you purposely stay away from someone, you shun that person. A sensitive baker may ask why you are shunning her cookies. Although the verb shun means to deliberately avoid anything, it has a specific meaning in certain groups and communities. In this case, it means to ostracize or expel from that group or community. The Amish, for example, may shun members of their order who repeatedly ignore the beliefs and rules of Amish society. The word may also be used in more casual group settings. After many attempts at being polite, you and your friends began to shun the obnoxious woman who never let you get a word in edgewise.

relay

If you relay something, you pass it to another person. When you relay the information that your pet monkey is known to attack people to your neighbors, you should bring a basket of muffins. Relay comes from the French relayer, which means "to change hounds on a hunt." It still has that sense of something passed in motion. You might run a relay race — each team member carries a baton part-way, then passes it on. We relay news, as when you take a message from Sally and relay it to Harry. A fresh work crew is a relay, and so is an electrical switch that can turn a second circuit on.

ingenuity

Ingenuity is the ability to think creatively about a situation or to solve problems in a clever way. If you want to build a boat out of toothpicks and yarn, you'll need a lot of ingenuity. The Latin word for "mind, intellect" is a root of ingenuity, and it takes a bright and fast-thinking intellect to use ingenuity in a situation. Athletes show ingenuity all the time, finding exciting ways to outwit their opponents and to achieve victory. Master criminals rely on their ingenuity in order to evade the law when they are chased. Ingenuity is all about imagination, and an imaginative mind knows that every obstacle can be overcome with a little ingenuity.

Kleptomania

Kleptomania is an addiction to stealing. People with kleptomania can't help but steal stuff, whether they need it or not. The word kleptomania comes from the Greek word kleptes for "thief" and mania for "madness." Pyromania makes people want to light everything on fire, and kleptomania makes people want to steal all the time. People who have kleptomania — kleptomaniacs — are crazy about stealing. Rich people can have kleptomania, which shows their stealing isn't for economic reasons. When you have kleptomania, the rush of stealing is similar to the rush of other addictions.

Lethal

Lethal refers to anything dangerous enough to cause death. The cobra's venom is so lethal that if you get bitten and can't find the antidote, it's lights out forever. Poisonous spiders, guns, knives, and radiation — all of these things can be lethal because they have the ability to kill. Even some substances that on their own aren't dangerous can become lethal in large quantities. Eating a peanut butter sandwich won't hurt most people, but it can be lethal to those with a nut allergy. Words like deadly and fatal mean the same as lethal.

Liberalism

Liberalism in politics favors social progress, through the agency of government, while liberalism in economics favors a free and open market, without government interference. Liberalism in contemporary politics is said to fall on the left-hand side of the political spectrum, which is why its adherents are sometimes called, collectively, "the Left." (Adherents of "conservatism" are called "the Right," and they are generally strongly opposed to liberalism.) "Political liberalism," which may favor more government regulation, is not interchangeable with "economic liberalism," which favors less government regulation, a strategy political conservatism often agrees with.

Magnanimous

Magnanimous behavior is noble, generous, or unselfish, and to exhibit magnanimity is to be this way. He showed great magnanimity in not pressing charges when I drove his car into the pond. "Accidents happen my friend," he said, and patted me on the back. In Latin, magnus means "great": a magnate is a great man; a magnum is a great big bottle of champagne. Magnanimity is the generous greatness of spirit. When you are being the bigger person, you are behaving with magnanimity. "The supermodel grabbed the magnum of champagne, lifted it to her mouth and drained the bottle. With great magnanimity, her host smiled and offered her another."

Melancholy

Melancholy is beyond sad: as a noun or an adjective, it's a word for the gloomiest of spirits. Being melancholy means that you're overcome in sorrow, wrapped up in sorrowful thoughts. The word started off as a noun for deep sadness, from a rather disgusting source. Back in medieval times, people thought that secretions of the body called "humors" determined their feelings, so a depressed person was thought to have too much of the humor known as melancholy — literally "black bile" secreted from the spleen. Fortunately, we no longer think we're ruled by our spleens, and that black bile has been replaced by another color of sorrow: the "blues."

Methodical

Methodical means following a method. If you follow the same sixteen steps in the same order when you make a fire, you could be said to take a methodical approach to this activity. The idea of moving slowly and orderly through a process can at times be dismissed as bureaucratic or obsessive, but when you use the word methodical to describe it, chances are you think that it's good to follow a method. The only thing missing from a methodical approach is inspiration--dancers shouldn't be too methodical; engineers should. 1. a methodical way of doing something is careful and uses an ordered system: He always checked every detail in a methodical way. a methodical approach to answering questions 2. a methodical person always does things carefully, using an ordered system: She's a very methodical person. He had a neat, methodical mind. —methodically /-kli/ adverb: He went through the papers methodically, one by one.

Misconduct

Misconduct is any kind of bad, unethical, or illegal activity. When there's misconduct, someone is doing something wrong. Since conduct is behavior, misconduct is behavior that's not quite right: some kind of shady or criminal conduct. If an accountant cooked the books — lied about finances — that's misconduct. A police officer taking a bribe is guilty of misconduct. Often, misconduct specifically refers to someone who does improper things on behalf of someone else, like the misconduct of a dishonest lawyer.

drain

Most commonly found at the bottom of sinks and bathtubs across the globe, a drain is the hole through which water is carried away. If it rains on the day you decided to go to the beach, you could say your plans went right "down the drain." When used as a verb, to drain means "to gradually empty," whether it's a man-made lake that's got to go or some financial obligations putting a strain on your wallet. And that obnoxious guy who's sucking the life out of the party? He's a real drain too.

cathedral

On a trip to Europe, many visitors appreciate the stunning architecture of large churches known as cathedrals. The word cathedral comes from a Latin word meaning "seat." The seat referred to is the seat of the bishop, who is the leader of a group of churches related to the cathedral. The bishop's seat is both a metaphor for the cathedral as the bishop's "seat of power" and his actual chair, the "cathedra," inside the cathedral. Originally a cathedral was called a "cathedral church," with cathedral as an adjective, but it is now a noun.

Reformation

Reformation means making changes to something with the intention of setting it back on the right path. Your life will be easier after the reformation of the transportation system, when the buses run more frequently. The act or process of changing a religious, political, or societal institution for the better is called a reformation. When capitalized, the Reformation refers specifically to the Protestant Reformation in Europe, which was a religious change instigated in 1517 by Protestants who wished to reform the Catholic Church. The root of reformation is the Latin word reformare, which means to form again or to change.

post-truth

Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief. 'in this era of post-truth politics, it's easy to cherry-pick data and come to whatever conclusion you desire' 'some commentators have observed that we are living in a post-truth age' 后真相，这也是《牛津词典》2016年的年度词汇，这个词反映了当年政治领域"高度紧张"的状态。 词典将其定义为形容词，描述的是客观事实对公众意见的影响没有感性诉求产生的影响大这样一个状况。 （It is defined as an adjective relating to circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than emotional appeals. ） 它指的不是真相浮出水面，而是说在这段时间里，真相变得无关紧要，因为没人关心。 这个词最先出现于1992年的《国家》（The Nation）杂志中，多用来形容"情感比客观事实更能影响舆论"的情况。2004年出版的书The Post-truth Era以及 2005年喜剧演员Stephen Colbert的脱口秀进一步科普了这个词。 《牛津词典》的Casper Grathwohl表示，post-truth或将成为"定义我们这个时代的词汇之一"。 随着大众阅读新闻习惯的改变，社交网站已经成为人们的新闻主要来源，而人们亦开始质疑传统新闻的报道，导致"后真相"一词开始具有代表性。 Post-truth经常跟Post-truth politics（后真相政治）一起出现，指的是民众忽略事实，以立场决定是非从而支持政见及政客。 在后真相政治中，辩论主要被情感所左右，与政策细节相脱离。后真相赋予真相"次要"的重要性，在这一点上，它和传统政治有很大的不同，后者虽然始终争论何为真相乃至伪造真相，至少还承认真相的重要性。

Repugnance

Repugnance means strong distaste for something. If you love animals, you probably feel repugnance for people who mistreat their horses. The word repugnance comes from Latin root words, re, meaning back, and pugnare, to fight. When we use repugnance, we don't just mean the feeling of fighting back or resisting, but also a feeling of horror or sickness that causes you to resist in the first place. If something grosses you out, you feel repugnance for it. Repugnance can also express a feeling of moral horror: you probably feel repugnance at photographs of torture.

resurgence

Resurgence means coming back. Biker jackets are always cool--but in certain decades they experience a resurgence, and suddenly you see them everywhere. There is nothing steady about resurgence--a surge is a sudden gush--think dancing fountain or an oil well that's just been tapped. Often, after a national tragedy, there is a resurgence in interest in family values and getting back to basics. In prosperous times, there's often a resurgence in sales of contemporary art.

xenophobic

Someone who is xenophobic is abnormally hostile toward foreigners. If you don't want any foreign people in your town, then you're xenophobic. Xenophobic comes from the Greek and literally means "fear of strangers," although when we talk about someone who is xenophobic, we're talking about someone who has converted fear into hatred or contempt. Sometimes people who discriminate against foreigners or feel very strongly that no one should be allowed to immigrate to their country are also called xenophobic.

stall

Stall means to stop or delay. If your car stalls, it comes to a stop. When you want a horse to stop, you put him in a stall, or small enclosure inside a barn. The word stall implies stopping something that will start again — a horse will leave the stall eventually and start moving, a stalled car can be restarted. Remember that when you're thinking about stall in the sense of postpone or delay. You can stall your professor from giving an exam by talking about last night's big game. Your little sister can stall going to bed by asking for one more story. If you want to delay an approaching army, you might steal their boots — they'll still come but the "stall tactic" will buy you time.

fealty

Stemming from the Latin word "fidelitas," the noun fealty is related to "fidelity," and is another way of saying "loyalty" or "faithfulness." Most school kids pledge their fealty, or allegiance, to the United States of America every morning in homeroom. But if you think fealty sounds like a word King Arthur would use, you're right: It's really an outdated term that primarily describes a vassal's sworn allegiance to a feudal lord.

Tactile

Tactile has to do with the sense of touch. There's a huge tactile difference between smooth glass and rough sandpaper. Anything to do with touch can be described as tactile. Even notice how a dog would rather sleep on a soft blanket than a rubbery leather couch? That's because dogs have tactile preferences: the softer the better. Different textures of food are tactile — they feel different in your mouth, aside from how they taste. You deal with the world of tactile things every day — you use your tactile sense whenever you touch anything.

spawn

Technically, the mass of small eggs laid by animals like fish, frogs, mollusks is called spawn. But the word has been borrowed to mean offspring, or the act of making them in general. When someone is in league with the devil, a preacher might refer to them as "Satan's spawn." Your dad probably find something satanic in the kids next door when he refers to them as the neighbor's spawn. Bill Gates' programming project in college spawned Microsoft, a multi-billion dollar industry giant.

Tepid

Tepid means lukewarm or half-hearted. If the applause for your mime-on-a-unicycle performance was more tepid than enthusiastic, it might be time to find a new hobby. Around 1400, the word tepid evolved from the Latin tepidus, an adjective meaning "lukewarm," which before that came about from the Latin tepere, a verb meaning "to be warm." Tepid people or things are lukewarm or lacking in enthusiasm or emotion. Bathwater that's been sitting in the tub for two hours is probably tepid. So was the hug you gave your least favorite ex when you ran into him at the movie theater.

patrician

That refined gentleman over there with the excellent manners, the elegant suit, and the beautiful home on Park Avenue? He's a patrician, a member of the upper classes. In ancient Rome, the word patrician referred to members of the aristocracy, but its meaning has evolved to include those who belong to the upper classes. The adjective form of patrician describes things that are associated with the upper class, like a patrician assumption that all children should go to boarding school. Someone who enjoys refined dinners might be described as having patrician taste.

Sugar high

The high one gets after consuming large amounts of sugar. Also called a "sugar rush." Sugar highs cause twitchiness, spasms, and hyper excitability. Sugar highs do not last very long, and leave a person feeling drained afterwards. I spent the week after Halloween in a continual sugar high.

coordinate

The word coordinate is all about getting things in order. Are your ducks in a row? Well, then you know what it means to coordinate something. And if you know exactly where to drop the bomb, then you know what the coordinates are. Coordinate is one of those words that can mean very different things but is rarely misunderstood in context. It's a great way to describe the work of organizing, planning, and strategizing. When synchronizing the needs of two distinct groups, for instance, it is necessary to coordinate priorities and schedules. And as you speed down the highway, listening to the serene voice on your GPS announce the coordinates of your destination, chances are you don't think she's organizing resources.

abduct

To abduct someone is to commit the crime of kidnapping person and holding them for ransom. Being abducted is one of the worst things that can happen to you. Fortunately, it's very rare. To abduct is to kidnap — to take someone against their will and imprison them. After an abduction, the abductors (kidnappers) may send a ransom note, asking for money.

check in on

To actively monitor the security or safety of a person or thing. Before I meet you at the mall, I need to check in on my grandmother to make sure she's feeling OK.

align

To align means to bring something into a straight line, or an easy agreement. If you always park on an angle and people are leaving mean notes on your windshield, learn to align the car with the parking space. Align comes from the French a, meaning "to" and ligne meaning "line," and it means to bring something into line with something else. This can be literal. If you are hanging a painting, you'll want to align it with the window frame. The line can also be metaphorical. If you run for office, your political opinions will need to be aligned with those of your supporters.

articulate

To articulate is to say something. And, if you say it well, someone might praise you by saying you are articulate. Confused yet? It's all in the pronunciation. Reach for articulate when you need an adjective meaning "well-spoken" (pronounced ar-TIC-yuh-lit) or a verb (ar-TIC-yuh-late) meaning "to speak or express yourself clearly." The key to understanding articulate's many uses is to think of the related noun article: an articulate person clearly pronounces each article of his or her speech (that is, each word and syllable), and an articulated joint is divided up into distinct articles, or parts.

unconventional

To be unconventional is to act, dress, speak, or otherwise exist out of the bounds of cultural norms. If you eat cheeseburgers for breakfast, that's somewhat unconventional. Anything that's nonconformist or out of the ordinary can be described as unconventional. Every culture has its own conventions — or norms — and what may be unconventional in one region might be typical in another. The perception of what's unconventional is determined by context.

evaporate

To evaporate is to fade away or to literally turn into vapor. If you leave a glass of water out and the water slowly disappears, it's not being consumed by elves; it's evaporating. People often use the word evaporate metaphorically because it produces a strong image of something disappearing like vapor. When the economy goes through a rough patch, funding for projects like education and the arts tends to evaporate or disappear. Your feelings for a mate might evaporate after you spend too much time with him or her.

go into overdrive

To start working very hard or quickly. When the publishing deadline was moved up a week, we had to go into overdrive to get all of the articles done on time.

Waive

To waive is to give up one's right to do something. If you waive your right to help name your family's new puppy, you can't complain if he ends up being called "Mr. Tinkerbell Sweetheart Lovey-Face." Waive comes from a Middle English word meaning to abandon; the word waif, which refers to a neglected or orphaned child, shares the same root. However, while abandoning a child on a street corner is not okay, waiving one's right to do something is in most cases perfectly acceptable. A document stating one's decision to give up one's rights is appropriately called a waiver. CHOOSE YOUR WORDS wave / waive To wave is to move to and fro, like when you wave your hand. Hello there! To waive, with a sneaky "i," is to give up your right to do something. Waves come in many forms. You can wave your hand, a hanky, or even a baseball hat to say hello or acknowledge someone, as in this example: Fans around the green gave him a standing ovation, and Guan waved his baseball cap in acknowledgment. A wave is also that big moving hill of water you can surf on: Surfing students exercise on their boards before hitting the waves. Other things are called waves, too — if a lot of people come in somewhere, for example, call it a wave of people. It's often used as a metaphor for things that act like ocean waves: Maybe the great wave of social change has simply crested. To waive, on the other hand, is to surrender, as in give up your rights to something. If you go scuba diving at a resort, you might have to waive your right to sue if something goes wrong. Here are some examples: It also announced a mandatory arbitration clause, forcing users to waive their rights to participate in a class action lawsuit except under very limited circumstances. Meanwhile, following budget cuts, the LOC board members have waived their salaries. Waive is always a transitive verb, so you have to waive something. The other kind of wave doesn't need an object — although you can wave your hat, you don't have to. You can just wave. If you waive your salary, even for a good cause, you can wave goodbye to your money!

unbridled

Unbridled means unrestrained. When you find out that you just won the lottery, feel free to jump up and down with unbridled joy. Go ahead, most people would probably let loose in the same way. A bridle is the contraption used to control a horse, including the reins held by the rider and the bit that goes into the horse's mouth. Add the un prefix and it means there is no control. Unbridled is often used to describe people's emotions or actions and it can be either a good or a bad thing. If you have unbridled spending, you're in danger of going in debt. If you tackle homework with unbridled enthusiasm, you're likely going to get good grades.

ingrained

Use the adjective ingrained to describe the strong beliefs of someone who has thought that way for a very long time, such as the ingrained patriotism of a 20-year military veteran. Ingrained comes from the word grain, which in late Middle English referred to a certain kind of dye. This type of dye was indelible — unable to be removed — much like ingrained beliefs that are so firmly fixed that they'll never change. 1. ingrained attitudes or behaviour are firmly established and therefore difficult to change ingrained in The idea of doing our duty is deeply ingrained in most people. 2. ingrained dirt is under the surface of something and very difficult to remove

regressive

Use the adjective regressive to describe something that moves backward instead of forward, like a society that grants women fewer and fewer rights each year. To understand the word regressive, it's helpful to know that its antonym, or opposite, is progressive. When something is progressive, it tends to get better and more advanced. Something that's regressive, on the other hand, gets less developed or returns to an older state. Since the late 1800s, regressive has also labeled a kind of tax policy that rewards those who make more money and punishes those who make less.

Unscrupulous

Use the adjective unscrupulous to describe someone who behaves in a dishonest or unethical way. Unscrupulous behavior is the unfortunate resort of many ambitious people — it's the immoral stuff they do to make success more attainable. When you sell someone bad loans, when you hack into your competition's accounts, when you read your roommate's mail for signs of an opportunity with his girlfriend, you're being unscrupulous. TIPS & TRICKS Want to Understand "Unscrupulous"? We've Got Your Back In a piece in The Atlantic on vocabulary learning, journalist and SAT tutor James S. Murphy brought up the so-called "SAT word" unscrupulous as an example of a word you might memorize for SAT proficiency, but still have no idea how to use appropriately. Merriam-Webster, Murphy points out, can only take you so far. To really understand the nuances of this subtle word, you'll have to tap into a resources like the ones that appear in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. Consider the example of "unscrupulous." The Microsoft Word thesaurus provides as synonyms for "unscrupulous" "dishonest," "corrupt," "dodgy," "immoral," and "ruthless." These words occupy a similar semantic space, but they are not equivalent to each other. One of the keys to speaking and writing eloquently is the power to select the most appropriate chisel for the context. You need to know, for instance, that it is appropriate to call the behavior of many mortgage lenders unscrupulous, but not to call a small child's lie to his mother unscrupulous, since we do not expect young children to live according to principles. You would not find this distinction out, however, if you simply memorized the definition at Merriam-Webster.com: "not honest or fair; doing things that are wrong, dishonest, or illegal." So how can you be sure you're fully understanding words you're trying to learn? You need someone to sit down and explain the word to you, pronounce it for you, show you a bunch of examples of how it's used, give you a list of its synonyms and antonyms, indicate how frequently you'll see it and what other words you might find in its family. But who is that person? Your mom? Your best friend? No, it's the definition pages and word learning game on Vocabulary.com! On nearly every page in our Dictionary, you'll find: A friendly description of the word, as if your favorite English teacher is explaining it to you. A break down of its definitions organized in colors according to parts of speech. A list of synonyms and antonyms. Hundreds of usage examples drawn from real-world books, magazines, and newspapers. A word family diagram showing you related words (on the unscrupulous page, you'll see scruples, scrupulous, and scrupulously) A learn button that lets you include this word in the Vocabulary.com game.

Vulgar

Vulgar is a great word that combines a bunch of different meanings into one, chief among them: crude, crass, common, uncouth, sometimes raunchy. It depends on who's saying it and why. From the Latin vulgus, meaning "the common people," vulgar is an adjective that can describe anything from the sexually explicit to the merely ugly and crass. Many people believe that there's an important difference between things that are sexually frank and things that are vulgar. "Erotica" can be very beautiful and even highbrow, while "pornography" is crude and vulgar. My friend Arnie loves the lights and glamour of Times Square, while Cintra finds all the bright-colored, corporate logos to be vulgar.

typhoon

What a hurricane is to the United States, a typhoon is to South Pacific and Asian nations. It's a giant, rotating storm that brings awesome wind, rain, and destruction. One thing that makes typhoons like hurricanes—aside from intense weather—is that we give them names. Why? That's a discussion for another day. If you're having a hard time recalling the meaning of typhoon, try this silliness: "The typhoon knocked out all the power. I cannot use the telephoon." You can also remind yourself that typhoon rhymes with another form of harsh weather, the monsoon.

reap

When you reap something, you enjoy the rewards of your efforts. When your great audition gets you cast in your dream role, you reap the benefits of all that rehearsing you did. Reap can also describe the act of harvesting crops. The farmer will then sell the crop, reaping a profit. Here, reap means the same as gain. You may have heard the expression "what you reap is what you sow," which comes from the New Testament and can apply to farming and everything else — if, for example, you are patient with other people, they in turn will be patient with you.

hotbed

a hotbed of something a place where a lot of a particular type of activity, especially bad or violent activity, happens: the university was a hotbed of radical protest One of China's motives is to strengthen security on its western flank by helping Central Asian countries prosper—thereby, it hopes, preventing them from becoming hotbeds of Islamist terrorism. Everyone would benefit from that, too.

abomination

[countable] someone or something that is extremely offensive or unacceptable: Slavery was an abomination.

militant

a militant organization or person is willing to use strong or violent action in order to achieve political or social change: militant political activists a militant animal rights group After the assassination of Martin Luther King, black leaders became more militant. —militant noun [countable]: right-wing militants —militancy noun [uncountable]: an increase in trade union militancy —militantly adverb: a militantly anti-communist group

earache

a pain inside your ear: I've got terrible earache and a sore throat.

taxpayer

a person that pays tax: * The proposal could cost the taxpayer (=all ordinary people who pay tax) another £18m a year.

contraption

a piece of equipment or machinery that looks funny, strange, and unlikely to work well: a bizarre contraption A contraption is a device that has a specific purpose and is often overly complicated. If your dad yells, "Get that contraption out of here!" He doesn't appreciate the Rube Goldberg machine you made out of his golf clubs. The word is English, all right, but how it got here is a mystery. It may be from a combination of contrive and adaptation. Contraptions — also called gadgets or gizmos — are devices people make for various purposes. Often, this word is used when someone isn't quite sure what something is, as in "What's that contraption?" Oh that's just a dog-walking machine made of a roller skate, bacon, and four paper clips.

bind up

be bound up with = be closely linked with 与某事有密切关系 bind someone or something up (in something) and bind someone or something up (with something) to tie someone or something up in something. They bound the books up in leather straps. But there are worries. The BRI is bound up with the growing cult around Mr Xi. State media call it "the path of Xi Jinping".

fervent

believing or feeling something very strongly and sincerely SYN strong: a fervent appeal for peace fervent admirer/believer etc a fervent supporter of human rights —fervently adverb

immense

extremely large SYN enormous: People who travel by rail still read an immense amount. Regular visits from a social worker can be of immense value to old people living alone. Immense means very large in size, amount, or degree. You might describe the ocean as immense, or your homework load, or the slice of cake your brother took, leaving you a tiny sliver. This word has an immense number of near synonyms: huge, great, enormous, vast, gigantic, colossal, mammoth, copious, tremendous are a few of the more common ones. If you're having immense difficulty deciding which word to use, just plain "very big" might do.

beholden

feel/be beholden to somebody to feel that you have a duty to someone because they have done something for you

for starters

first of all; to start with. "'Anything else?' 'That'll do for starters.'"

rim

noun. 1. the outside edge of something circular rim of the rim of a glass plates with a gold band around the rim 2. gold-rimmed/red-rimmed etc with a gold, red etc rim: gold-rimmed spectacles red-rimmed eyes —rimless adjective: rimless glasses verb (past tense and past participle rimmed, present participle rimming) [transitive] literary to be around the edge of something: His eyes were rimmed with fatigue.

grapple

to fight or struggle with someone, holding them tightly SYN wrestle grapple with Two men grappled with a guard at the door. • • • grapple with something phrasal verb to try hard to deal with or understand something difficult: The Government has to grapple with the problem of unemployment. Molly's upstairs grappling with her maths homework.

incentivize

to give someone a reason to do something, especially by offering them a reward: * How should a company incentivize its employees?

tax evasion

偷税

emerging markets

新兴市场

at the earliest

最早

ball

Always round, often bouncy, a ball is a vital part of many games and sports, from soccer to four square to ping pong. The most common ball is the kind you hit, kick, bat, or duck and avoid on a playground, court, or field. In fact, most sports involve a ball in one way or another. Another fun kind of ball is a grand party that usually includes dancing, food, live music, and guests dressed up in glamorous clothing. These two meanings have different origins — the "fancy dance" kind of ball comes from a Greek root, ballizein, "to dance or jump about."

abuse

If you abuse someone, it means you are hurting that person, mentally, emotionally, or physically. If someone else is harming you, you are yourself suffering from abuse. The word abuse is made up of two parts — "use," which means to employ, and ab-, a Latin prefix meaning "away" — and as a whole comes from the Latin abūsus, meaning "misuse," or "use wrongly." It began as a verb and became a noun in the mid-15th century. Abuse also refers to anything that is employed improperly or to excess, such as the abuse of alcohol or drugs.

despondent

If you are despondent, you are discouraged, very sad, and without hope. If you are depressed, you might describe your mood as despondent. extremely unhappy and without hope: Gill had been out of work for a year and was getting very despondent. despondent about He was becoming increasingly despondent about the way things were going. —despondency noun [uncountable] —despondently adverb

color

You may think the word color just means blue, pink, and the like, but the word can also refer to something of interest, especially of culture or behavior. If you want to see some local color in an Irish town, you should head to the pub where all the locals hang out. As a verb, color can mean to give bias to something. A bad experience on the first day of school will color how you feel about school for the rest of the year. Another meaning of the verb color is to misrepresent or deceive. If someone colors their telling of a story in which they brought a cat down from a tree, they may make it seem like they rescued two little kids, three kittens and a parrot from a burning building.

enquire

You might enquire, or ask about, the difference between the words enquire and "inquire." Good question. The answer is, not much. They are the same word with different spellings. Typically the British prefer the "e" version, but both are correct. When you enquire about something, you are asking a question. This can come in many forms. Sometimes when you enquire, you are doing an investigation of a crime or an unsolved mystery. The National Enquirer is a tabloid that investigates celebrity gossip. But enquiring doesn't always have to be so dramatic. You could just be enquiring about the time.

pachinko

[pə'tʃɪŋkəʊ] n. 弹球盘，柏青哥（一种日本赌博游戏） a Japanese form of pinball , in which you can win prizes a game that is popular in Japan, in which you can win money or prizes by making balls fall into particular places in a special machine Along with prostitution, property and drugs, pachinko is their biggest source of revenue.

emanate

[transitive] formal to produce a smell, light etc, or to show a particular quality: He emanates tranquility. —emanation /ˌeməˈneɪʃən/ noun [uncountable and countable] • • • emanate from something phrasal verb formal to come from or out of something: Wonderful smells were emanating from the kitchen.

fauna

[ˈfɔːnə] n. 动物群落 all the animals living in an area or in a particular period of history

crater

[ˈkreɪtər] n. 撞击坑，火山口 a crater is a roundish dent left in the surface of something by the impact of something else Look at the moon: it's covered in craters from thousands of impacts over millions of years.

clinician

a doctor who treats and examines people, rather than one who does research

unease

a feeling of worry or slight fear about something sense/feeling of unease As she neared the door, Amy felt a growing sense of unease. public unease about defence policy

iridium

a hard and very heavy metal that is combined with platinum to make jewellery and is used in scientific instruments. It is a chemical element: symbol Ir

lucrative

a job or activity that is lucrative lets you earn a lot of money SYN profitable lucrative business/market/contract etc He inherited a lucrative business from his father.

agglomeration

a large collection of things that do not seem to belong together agglomeration of buildings in an agglomeration of styles

ode

a poem or song written in order to praise a person or thing ode to Keats' 'Ode to a Nightingale'

toxin

a poisonous substance, especially one that is produced by bacteria and causes a particular disease ⇨ toxic

pre-emptive

a pre-emptive action is done to prevent something from happening, especially something that will harm you pre-emptive strike/attack a series of pre-emptive strikes on guerrilla bases

loophole

a small mistake in a law that makes it possible to avoid doing something that the law is supposed to make you do legal/tax loophole loophole in a loophole in the law

pimple

a small raised red spot on your skin, especially on your face —pimply adjective: a pimply 18-year-old ⇨ goose pimples

soft-spoken

adj. 说话温和的

elitist

an elitist system, government etc is one in which a small group of people have more power and advantages than other people: an elitist education system —elitism noun [uncountable] —elitist noun [countable]

debacle

an event or situation that is a complete failure: the debacle of the 1994 elections

upswing

an improvement or increase in the level of something upswing in/of an upswing in economic growth

in full swing

at a stage when the level of activity is at its highest: When we got there, the party was in full swing. The economic recovery is now in full swing.

at first blush

at the first glimpse or impression. "his next decision was at first blush disconcerting"

at most

at the maximum that girl is four at the most at most = at the most

anomalous

different from what you expected to find: a highly anomalous situation anomalous results —anomalously adverb

retaliatory

done against someone because they have harmed you: a retaliatory attack

unwarranted

done without good reason, and therefore annoying: * unwarranted interference

dynamism

energy and determination to succeed: her entrepreneurial dynamism

ponder

formal to spend time thinking carefully and seriously about a problem, a difficult question, or something that has happened SYN consider: He continued to ponder the problem as he walked home. ponder on/over/about The university board is still pondering over the matter. ponder how/what/whether Jay stood still for a moment, pondering whether to go or not.

amoral

having no moral standards at all OPP moral ⇨ immoral: a completely amoral person —amorality /ˌeɪmɒˈræləti, ˌeɪmɒˈrælɪti, ˌæ- $ ˌeɪmə-/ noun [uncountable]

accrue

intransitive verb 1 : to come into existence as a legally enforceable claim 2a : to come about as a natural growth, increase, or advantage the wisdom that accrues with age b : to come as a direct result of some state or action rewards due to the feminine will accrue to me —Germaine Greer 3 : to accumulate or be added periodically interest accrues on a daily basis transitive verb : to accumulate or have due after a period of time accrue vacation time

sinister

making you feel that something evil, dangerous, or illegal is happening or will happen there is something/nothing sinister about somebody/something There was something sinister about Mr Scott's death. There is a sinister side to these events. He was a handsome man, in a sinister sort of way. a sinister atmosphere

anguish

mental or physical suffering caused by extreme pain or worry: the anguish of not knowing what had happened to her —anguished adjective: an anguished cry for help

pre-eminent

much more important, more powerful, or better than any others of its kind: his pre-eminent position in society —pre-eminently adverb —pre-eminence noun [uncountable]

house of cards

n. 不可靠的计划；摇摇欲坠的组织 a plan that is so badly arranged that it is likely to fail Alongside the urge to blow down the house of cards comes a tender impulse towards reconstruction.

out of respect

out of respect to the family

pay off

pay off phrasal verb (see also pay) 1. pay something ↔ off to give someone all the money you owe them: I'll pay off all my debts first. He finally paid his overdraft off. 2. if something you do pays off, it is successful or has a good result: Teamwork paid off. 3. pay somebody ↔ off British English to pay someone their wages and tell them they no longer have a job: Two hundred workers have been paid off. 4. pay somebody ↔ off to pay someone not to say anything about something illegal or dishonest

ostensible

seeming to be the reason for or the purpose of something, but usually hiding the real reason or purpose ostensible reason/purpose/aim The ostensible reason for his resignation was ill health.

somebody has to pinch themselves

somebody has to pinch themselves used when a situation is so surprising that the person involved needs to make sure that they are not imagining it: Sometimes she had to pinch herself to make sure it was not all a dream.

paternity

the fact of being the father of a particular child, or the question of who the child's father is: The paternity of the child is in dispute.

hold/put your hands up

to admit that something bad is true or that you have made a mistake: I know I'm bossy and I hold my hands up to that.

stand a chance

to have a chance of success: She stands a good chance of passing her exam if she works hard.

repossess

to take back cars, furniture, or property from people who had arranged to pay for them over a long time, but cannot now continue to pay for them ⇨ bailiff, repo man: Eventually the bailiffs came to repossess the flat. —repossession /-ˈzeʃən/ noun [uncountable and countable] This was repossessed by a Chinese state-owned firm after the Sri Lankan government struggled to repay the debts it had amassed to build it.

brag

to talk too proudly about what you have done, what you own etc - used to show disapproval SYN boast: 'I came out top in the test,' he bragged. brag about Ben's always bragging about his success with women. brag that Julia used to brag that her family had a villa in Spain.

inextricable

two or more things that are inextricable are closely related and affect each other: the inextricable connection between language and culture

under radar

under (the/someone's) radar 未被觉察的 to not be noticed by someone How did this band slip under the radar?

without let or hindrance

without obstruction or impediment. "rats scurried about the house without let or hindrance"

not a little

不少；非常；相当多 a large amount, or to a large degree Graham was not a little frightened by what he had seen.

humanitarian intervention

人道主义的干涉

Oxford Circus

伦敦圆环

workout

体育锻炼;体育训练；A workout is a period of physical exercise or training. Give your upper body a workout by using handweights. 用哑铃来锻炼上身。 //...a 35-minute aerobic workout. 35分钟的有氧锻炼

compliance costs

合规性成本 Deregulation signaled to business that arbitrary enforcement and compliance costs wouldn't be imposed on ideological whim.

Laundromat

同Launderette；A Laundromat is the same as a Launderette .

rave at/on

咆哮，胡言乱语

given the circumstances

基于这种情况

cardiology

心脏病学；Cardiology is the study of the heart and its diseases.

general secretary

总书记

scoundrel

恶棍;流氓;无赖；If you refer to a man as a scoundrel, you mean that he behaves very badly towards other people, especially by cheating them or deceiving them. [disapproval] [OLD-FASHIONED 过时] He is a lying scoundrel! 他是个无耻的骗子！

Plankton

浮游生物；Plankton is a mass of tiny animals and plants that live in the surface layer of the sea.

an ideal target

理想的靶子 Fan Bingbing made for an ideal target

ego depletion

自我约束力的丧失 自我损耗（Ego depletion）指的是自我进行意志活动的能力或意愿暂时下降的现象，包括控制环境、控制自我、做出抉择和发起行为等能力或意愿的下降。 自我损耗理论最初是基于自我控制的研究提出的，包括： 1）心理能量对自我的执行功能是不可或缺的； 2）心理能量是有限的，短期内只能进行有限次数的自我控制； 3）所有的执行功能需要的是同一种资源，一个领域的资源损耗会减少另一领域的可用资源； 4）自我控制成功与否取决于心理能量的多少； 5）自我控制的过程就是消耗心理能量的过程，消耗后需要一段时间才能恢复，类似于肌肉疲劳后需要休息才能恢复。 我们经常会听到各种"研究表明"，更多时候，我们直接记在脑中的是实验的结果。 这样不加思索、简单粗暴的印象其实是与实验本身的目的相悖的。 每一个心理学实验，都有其严格的条件和设定，得出的结论也具有一定的局限。随着时代的发展、条件的完善，原本的实验和实验者也在不断进行自我推翻和重建。 而且，实验所得可能只是反映大概率行为的可能，我们也不能奉其为严苛的准则。 让我们和科学家们一道"与时俱进"，同时对人性葆有敬意吧。

the sea-green incorruptible

英国历史学家Thomas Carlyle对法国革命时期罗伯斯庇尔的别称

take on a life of its own

落地生根

be rooted in

表因果

in a pinch

身处困境；处境艰难；If you are in a pinch, you are in a difficult situation. [oft PHR with cl] I'd trust her in a pinch... 身处困境时，我信任她。 Everyone knew he was in a pinch. 每个人都知道他境况艰难。

what good can it do?

这有什么用

though far from perfect

远未完美 In the 1980s, such efforts, though far from perfect, helped the American semiconductor industry survive and thrive.

personalized learning

适性化学习 学习目标，教学方法和教学内容（及其顺序）都会根据学习者的需求而有所不同。此外，学习活动对于学习者而言是有意义的，与他们的兴趣相关，通常是自我主导的。

moral high grounds

道德制高点

take a fresh look

重新审视

parakeet

长尾小鹦鹉；A parakeet is a type of small parrot which is brightly coloured and has a long tail.

secular stagnation

长期经济停滞

impact theory

陨石撞击说 asteroid hypothesis

Nonresidential fixed investment

非住宅固定资产投资，商业固定投资

Granule

颗粒状物；微粒；Granules are small round pieces of something. [usu pl] She was spooning coffee granules into cups. 她在用勺往杯子里舀咖啡颗粒。

skid

(车辆)侧滑，打滑;(刹车时)滑行；If a vehicle skids, it slides sideways or forwards while moving, for example when you are trying to stop it suddenly on a wet road. [V] [V prep] The car pulled up too fast and skidded on the dusty shoulder of the road... 由于刹车太急，车子侧滑到了满是尘土的路肩上。 The plane skidded off the runway while taking off in a snow storm. 飞机在暴风雪中起飞的时候滑出了跑道。 Skid is also a noun. I slammed the brakes on and went into a skid. 我猛地一踩刹车，结果车子打滑了。

mount

1. ORGANIZE [transitive] to plan, organize, and begin an event or a course of action: The National Gallery mounted an exhibition of Danish painting. mount a campaign/challenge/search etc Friends of the Earth are mounting a campaign to monitor the illegal logging of trees. mount an assault/attack Guerrillas have mounted an attack on the capital. 2. INCREASE [intransitive usually in progressive] to increase gradually in amount or degree: Tension here is mounting, as we await the final result. Casualties on both sides of the battle have continued to mount. 3. HORSE/BICYCLE [intransitive and transitive] formal to get on a horse or bicycle OPP dismount: He mounted his horse and rode on. 4. GO UP [transitive] formal to go up a step or stairs: He mounted the stairs and looked around him slowly. A car suddenly mounted the pavement to avoid a vehicle coming in the opposite direction. 5. PICTURE [transitive] to fix a picture to a larger piece of stiff paper so that it looks more attractive mount something on/onto something Entries to the photography competition should be mounted on white paper. 6. SEX [transitive] technical if a male animal mounts a female animal, he gets up onto her back to have sex ⇨ mounted • • • mount up phrasal verb to gradually increase in amount: At £6 a ticket, the cost quickly mounts up.

carry over

1. [INTRANSITIVE/TRANSITIVE] if something carries over or is carried over from one situation into another, it has the same effect in the new situation as it had in the old one Stresses at work can often be carried over into your home life. A growth dip in the last quarter of 2017 on tax-reform uncertainties carried over to the start of the first quarter, but growth has since accelerated. 2.[TRANSITIVE] to take something that you earn or are given in one year or period of time into the next one You are not allowed to carry over vacation time from one year into the next.

satanic

1. relating to practices that treat the Devil like a god satanic ritual/cult/rite The children were abused as part of a satanic ritual. 2. literary extremely cruel or evil: satanic laughter —satanically /-kli/ adverb

artificial

From fake flowers to faux food flavors, our world is full of things that are artificial -- that is, produced by humans rather than by nature. While artificial can simply mean "made by humans," it's often used in a negative sense, conveying the idea that an artificial product is inferior to the real thing. If you remark that your friend's new hair color looks artificial, for example, you're not paying her a compliment. Artificial can also describe a behavior or expression that seems insincere — much like the smile on your girlfriend's face if you bring her artificial flowers instead of real ones.

proprietor

Someone who owns a business or a property is a proprietor. A bookstore proprietor might wish she became a librarian instead so the books would come back. The first part of proprietor sounds a lot like "property," and a proprietor is someone with ownership of property. Sometimes a proprietor oversees the business, such as a restaurant proprietor who is also a chef or hostess, and other times a proprietor owns many businesses and has different people running them. A proprietor of a local bakery might make and sell his own donuts, while the proprietor of a chain of donut shops might work from an office managing the people who manage the stores.

discomfit

[dɪs'kʌmfɪt] v. 使困惑；使窘迫；使尴尬 to make someone feel slightly uncomfortable, annoyed, or embarrassed He was discomfited by her silence.

on the skids

informal in a situation that is bad and getting worse: He's been on the skids since losing his job.

shutter

noun 1. [usually plural] one of a pair of wooden or metal covers on the outside of a window that can be closed to keep light out or prevent thieves from coming in 2. a part of a camera that opens for a very short time to let light onto the film verb American English to close a business, office etc for a short time or permanently: The company shuttered its Hong Kong business a year ago.

autopsy

noun (plural autopsies) an examination of a dead body to discover the cause of death SYN post mortem British English: an autopsy report

dent

noun. 1. a hollow area in the surface of something, usually made by something hitting it dent in There was a large dent in the passenger door. 2. a reduction in the amount of something dent in The trip made a big dent in our savings. Eight years of effort have hardly put a dent in drug trafficking. verb. 1. [intransitive and transitive] if you dent something, or if it dents, you hit or press it so that its surface is bent inwards: No one was injured, but the car was scratched and dented. 2. [transitive] to damage or harm something: The scandal has dented his reputation. * News of her alleged tax evasion (and high pay) caused widespread public outrage and badly dented her image and marketability.

shack

noun. a small building that has not been built very well: a tin shack verb. shack up phrasal verb informal to start living with someone who you have sex with but are not married to - used to show disapproval shack up with She had shacked up with some guy from Florida. be shacked up Is she shacked up with anyone?

self-inflicted

self-inflicted pain, problems, illnesses etc are those you have caused yourself: self-inflicted gunshot wounds Stress is often self-inflicted.

settle for

settle for sth. 无奈接受；勉强同意 you choose or accept something, especially when it is not what you really want but there is nothing else available Someone is just not prepared to settle for anything mediocre.

snuff out

snuff something/somebody ↔ out phrasal verb (see also snuff) 1. to stop a candle burning by pressing the burning part with your fingers or by covering it 2. to stop or end something in a sudden way: a rebellion that will snuff out democracy 3. informal to kill someone: a young woman snuffed out by an unknown killer

retaliate

to do something bad to someone because they have done something bad to you ⇨ hit back retaliate by doing something The British government retaliated by breaking off diplomatic relations. retaliate against The army began to retaliate against the civilian population. Trump also threatened that if China retaliated this time then the US would "immediately pursue phase three", which would mean imposing further tariffs on another US$267 billion worth of products - covering almost all Chinese exports to the US.

transgress

to do something that is against the rules of social behaviour or against a moral principle: Orton's plays transgress accepted social norms. —transgressor noun [countable] —transgression /-ˈɡreʃən/ noun [uncountable and countable]

root and branch

used to express the thorough or radical nature of a process or operation. "root-and-branch reform of personal taxation" synonyms: completely, entirely, wholly, totally, utterly, thoroughly; radically "the whole ghastly superstructure should be brought down and got rid of, root and branch" complete, total, entire, utter, thorough; radical "the party wanted a root-and-branch reform of the electoral system"

let alone

used to indicate that something is far less likely, possible, or suitable than something else already mentioned. "he was incapable of leading a bowling team, let alone a country" China's film-makers, already struggling, will have trouble competing at home, let alone abroad, if they're forced to use dull, ideologically pure actors and storylines. If China really wants to challenge Hollywood on a global stage, it's going to have to let its biggest stars shine.

husband

verb formal to be very careful in the way you use your money, supplies etc and not waste any

flag

verb. 1. [transitive] to make a mark against some information to show that it is important: I've flagged the parts I want to comment on. 2. [intransitive] to become tired or weak: By the end of the meeting we had begun to flag. • • • flag somebody/something ↔ down phrasal verb to make the driver of a vehicle stop by waving at them: I flagged down a taxi.

advocate

verb. to publicly support a particular way of doing something: Extremists were openly advocating violence. advocate for American English: Those who advocate for doctor-assisted suicide say the terminally ill should not have to suffer. noun. 1. someone who publicly supports someone or something SYN proponent advocate of She's a passionate advocate of natural childbirth. advocate for an advocate for the disabled 2. a lawyer who speaks in a court of law, especially in Scotland ⇨ DEVIL'S ADVOCATE

a handful of

一小部分；一小撮

on the ground

在现场

social responsibility

社会责任感

tax breaks

税收减免

filed the case

立案

rubella

风疹；Rubella is a disease. The symptoms are a cough, a sore throat, and red spots on your skin.

rave reviews

高度评价

Measles

麻疹 an infectious illness in which you have a fever and small red spots on your face and body. People often have measles when they are children. ⇨ German measles

make common cause with sb.

（为达到共同目标而）联合 to join with other people or groups in order to oppose an enemy U.S. officials expect other Western governments to make common cause with them over the arrests.

cash cow

摇钱树

put down a deposit

支付定金

highest-ever grossing

"Lost in Thailand," an earthy 2012 comedy in which Fan played herself, became China's highest-ever grossing film.

unwind

(past tense and past participle unwound /-ˈwaʊnd/) 1. [intransitive] to relax and stop feeling anxious: a beautiful country hotel that is the perfect place to unwind 2. [intransitive and transitive] to undo something that has been wrapped around something else, or to become undone after being wrapped around something: She started to unwind her scarf.

gizmo

(plural gizmos) a small piece of equipment - used when you cannot remember or do not know its correct name SYN gadget

campaigner

(为争取社会、政治变革而四处奔走的)活动家，运动参加者；A campaigner is a person who campaigns for social or political change. [oft supp N] //...anti-hunting campaigners. 反狩猎的活动家们 //...campaigners for multi-party democracy. 主张实行多党制的活动家们

Methodist

(基督教遵循约翰·卫斯理教义的)循道宗信徒,循道公会教徒；Methodists are Christians who follow the teachings of John Wesley and who have their own branch of the Christian church and their own form of worship. someone who belongs to a Christian religious group that follows the ideas of John Wesley —Methodist adjective: a Methodist chapel —Methodism noun [uncountable]

decor

(房子或室内的)装饰布局，装潢风格；The decor of a house or room is its style of furnishing and decoration.

tenable

(论点、观点或立场)有道理的，站得住脚的；If you say that an argument, point of view, or situation is tenable, you believe that it is reasonable and could be successfully defended against criticism. If your teacher says your position on the benefits of abolishing homework is not tenable, she means it is not based in fact. To be tenable is to be evidence-based and well-founded. Tenable comes from the Latin root tenir which means "to hold," as in "hold together." If your plan is tenable, it will probably hold together when you execute it, or hold up to scrutiny. It's good to note that the opposite of tenable is untenable and not intenable, though throughout history both have been used.

admiral

/ˈædmərəl/ 海军上将;海军将军;舰队司令；An admiral is a very senior officer who commands a navy.

on top of

1. in control of a situation and aware of changes: The stock market has been unpredictable, and you really have to stay on top of things. ​ 2. On top of is also used to mean in addition to, esp. something unpleasant: We missed the bus, and on top of that it started raining.

gross

1. TOTAL [only before noun] a. a gross sum of money is the total amount before any tax or costs have been taken away ⇨ net: a gross profit of $5 million gross income/salary/pay etc a family with gross earnings of just £75 per week b. a gross weight is the total weight of something, including its wrapping 2. VERY BAD [only before noun] clearly wrong and unacceptable gross negligence/misconduct etc soldiers accused of gross violations of human rights The company described reports of environmental disaster as gross exaggeration. gross indecency (=the crime of doing something that is sexually offensive) 3. NASTY spoken very unpleasant to look at or think about SYN disgusting: Ooh, gross! I hate spinach! 4. FAT informal extremely fat and unattractive —grossly adverb [+ adjective/adverb]: Lambert was grossly overweight. Medical records were found to be grossly inadequate. —grossness noun [uncountable]

lest

1. in order to make sure that something will not happen: She turned away from the window lest anyone see them. 2. used to show that someone is afraid or worried that a particular thing might happen worried/concerned/anxious etc lest ... He paused, afraid lest he say too much. She worried lest he should tell someone what had happened.

demographic

1. [ADJ 形容词] 人口学的;人口统计学的；Demographic means relating to or concerning demography. [ADJ n] 2. [N-PLURAL 复数名词] (某个地方或社会的)人口特征，人口统计数据；The demographics of a place or society are the statistics relating to the people who live there. [oft N of n] //...the changing demographics of the United States. 美国不断变化的人口特征 3. [N-SING 单数名词] (尤指特定年龄段的)人群；In business, a demographic is a group of people in a society, especially people in a particular age group. [BUSINESS 商] Most of our listeners are in the 25-39 demographic. 我们的大多数听众都属于 25至39 岁这个年龄段。 Advertising agencies like to schedule their commercials in television shows that appeal to the 18-49 demographic, because this segment of the population has a lot of spending power. Demographic is a word companies use when they're trying to sell their products to a particular group of consumers. A movie studio that wants to promote its new film, "Revenge of the Senior Kitties," might aim for the 65-to-85-year-old cat-lover . A demographic can consist of people who are in the same age group, such as 18-to-29-year-olds, or ethnic group, such as African-Americans.

landslide

1. [N-COUNT 可数名词] 选举中大获全胜，一面倒的胜利；A landslide is a victory in an election in which a person or political party gets far more votes or seats than their opponents. He won last month's presidential election by a landslide... 他以压倒性多数赢得上月的总统选举。 The NLD won a landslide victory in the elections five months ago. 全国民主联盟在5个月前的选举中获得压倒性胜利。 2. [N-COUNT 可数名词] 塌方；山崩；滑坡；A landslide is a large amount of earth and rocks falling down a cliff or the side of a mountain. The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

ballyhoo

1. [N-UNCOUNT 不可数名词] 大吹大擂；大肆宣传；夸大其词；You can use ballyhoo to refer to great excitement or anger about something, especially when you disapprove of it because you think it is unnecessary or exaggerated. [also a N] [disapproval] They announced, amid much ballyhoo, that they had made a breakthrough. 在一通大吹大擂中，他们宣布自己取得了突破。 2. [VERB 动词] 夸大；吹嘘；大肆宣扬；If you say that something is ballyhooed, you mean that there is a lot of excitement about it and people are claiming that it is very good. You use this word especially when you think the thing is not as exciting or good as people say. [be V-ed] [V-ed] [usu passive] [disapproval] The power of red wine to counteract high cholesterol has been ballyhooed in the press. 红酒降低胆固醇的功效被媒体夸大了。 //...the much-ballyhooed new Star Wars movie. 受到热炒的新一集《星球大战》电影 But there are worries. The BRI is bound up with the growing cult around Mr Xi. State media call it "the path of Xi Jinping". It has become shorthand for China's overseas aid, state-led investment abroad and for Mr Xi's much-ballyhooed "great-power diplomacy with Chinese characteristics".

neuter

1. [VERB 动词] 阉割;给(动物)绝育；When an animal is neutered, its reproductive organs are removed so that it cannot create babies. [have n V-ed] [usu passive] We ask the public to have their dogs neutered and keep them under close supervision. 我们要求公众为自家的狗做绝育手术，并严格看管。 2. [VERB 动词] 使无效;使无权；To neuter an organization, group, or person means to make them powerless and ineffective. [V n] [be V-ed] [Mainly BRIT] [JOURNALISM 新闻] //...the Government's 'hidden agenda' to neuter local authorities... 削夺地方政府权力的政府"秘密议程" Their air force had been neutered before the work began. 任务开始之前他们的空军就已经丧失了威力。 3. [ADJ 形容词] (某些语言中名词、代词、形容词等)中性的；In some languages, a neuter noun, pronoun, or adjective has a different form from a masculine or feminine one, or behaves in a different way.

fate

1. [countable usually singular] the things that happen to someone or something, especially unpleasant things that end their existence or end a particular period: I wouldn't wish such a fate on my worst enemy. fate of No one knows what the fate of the hostages will be. 2. [uncountable] a power that is believed to control what happens in people's lives: Fate plays cruel tricks sometimes. a twist/quirk of fate (=something unexpected that happens) By a strange twist of fate Smith's first match is against the team that gave him the sack last season. 3. a fate worse than death something terrible that might happen to you - often used humorously: He had rescued an innocent girl from a fate worse than death. ⇨ tempt fate

exemption

1. [countable] an amount of money that you do not have to pay tax on: You qualify for a tax exemption on the loan. 2. [uncountable and countable] permission not to do or pay something that you would normally have to do or pay exemption from exemption from customs duties The commission granted temporary exemptions.

thoroughfare

1. [countable] the main road through a place such as a city or village: The motel was off the main thoroughfare. 2. no thoroughfare British English a written sign used to tell people that they cannot go on a particular road or path

synchronize

1. [intransitive and transitive] to happen at exactly the same time, or to arrange for two or more actions to happen at exactly the same time synchronize something with something Businesses must synchronize their production choices with consumer choices. 2. synchronize your watches to make two or more watches show exactly the same time —synchronization /ˌsɪŋkrənaɪˈzeɪʃən $ -nə-/ noun [uncountable]

contend

1. [intransitive] to compete against someone in order to gain something contend for Three armed groups are contending for power. Inevitably, fights break out between the members of contending groups. 2. [transitive] to argue or state that something is true SYN insist contend (that) Some astronomers contend that the universe may be younger than previously thought. • • • contend with something phrasal verb to have to deal with something difficult or unpleasant SYN cope with: The rescue team also had bad weather conditions to contend with.

resonate

1. if something such as an event or a message resonates, it seems important or good to people, or continues to do this resonate with an idea that resonates with many voters 2. to make a deep loud clear sound that continues for a long time ⇨ resound: The music resonated through the streets. 3. to make a sound that is produced as a reaction to another sound • • • resonate with something phrasal verb 1. formal to be full of a particular meaning or quality: literature that resonates with biblical imagery 2. to be full of a particular sound: a hall resonating with laughter

skim

1. [transitive] to remove something from the surface of a liquid, especially floating fat, solids, or oil skim something off/from something After simmering the meat, skim the fat from the surface. 2. [intransitive and transitive] to read something quickly to find the main facts or ideas in it SYN scan: Julie skimmed the sports page. skim through/over Just skim through the second section to save time. 3. [transitive] to move along quickly over a surface, never touching it or not touching it often: seagulls skimming the waves skim over/along/across The ball skimmed across the grass and stopped against the wall. 4. skim stones/pebbles etc British English to throw smooth flat stones into a lake, river etc in a way that makes them jump across the surface SYN skip American English • • • skim somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb 1. to take the best people or the best part of something for yourself: Professional sport skims off all the best players. 2. to take money illegally or dishonestly: For years his business partner had been skimming off the profits.

solace

1. [uncountable] a feeling of emotional comfort at a time of great sadness or disappointment seek/find solace in something After the death of her son, Val found solace in the church. 2. be a solace to somebody to bring a feeling of comfort and calmness to someone, when they are sad or disappointed: Mary was a great solace to me after Arthur died. —solace verb [transitive] literary If something eases your disappointment or grief, consider it a solace. If you're sad, you might find solace in music or in talking to your friends. It is no surprise that consolation and solace are similar in meaning as they share a root in the Latin verb sōlārī "to comfort." In fact, solace and consolation are synonyms meaning relief from grief or disappointment. When you go to sleepaway camp, your parents will miss you, but they'll find solace in knowing that you are having fun.

irritation

1. [uncountable] the feeling of being annoyed about something, especially something that happens repeatedly or for a long time: The heavy traffic is a constant source of irritation. irritation at/with The doctor's irritation at being interrupted showed. 2. [countable] something that makes you annoyed: The children are just an irritation for him when he's trying to work. 3. [countable, uncountable] a painful sore feeling on a part of your body: The astringent can cause irritation to sensitive skin. a throat irritation

vanity

1. [uncountable] too much pride in yourself, so that you are always thinking about yourself and your appearance: Sabrina had none of the vanity so often associated with beautiful women. 2. [countable] (also vanity table) a dressing table 3. the vanity of something literary the lack of importance of something compared to other things that are much more important

tumult

1. a confused, noisy, and excited situation, often caused by a large crowd SYN turmoil: I could simply not be heard in the tumult. in tumult The whole country is in tumult. 2. a state of mental confusion caused by strong emotions such as anger, sadness etc SYN turmoil If a principal steps into a classroom and is greeted by a tumult of voices, with the teacher shouting for his kids' attention, she will not be pleased. A tumult is a state of noisy confusion. Very often a crowd of people will cause a tumult. But your mind can also be in tumult, when you're confused and overwhelmed by strong emotions. If you want an adjective to describe these types of bewildering situations, use tumultuous. Tumult is from the Latin tumultus "an uproar," which is related to the Latin verb tumēre "to be excited."

cramped

1. a cramped room, building etc does not have enough space for the people in it ⇨ crowded: The kitchen was small and cramped. a cramped apartment The troops slept in cramped conditions with up to 20 in a single room. 2. (also cramped up) unable to move properly and feeling uncomfortable because there is not enough space: cramped muscles 3. writing that is cramped is very small and difficult to read

shorthand

1. a fast method of writing using special signs or shorter forms to represent letters, words, and phrases in shorthand The reporter took notes in shorthand. a secretary who takes shorthand (=writes in shorthand) ⇨ longhand 2. a shorter but less clear way of saying something shorthand for He's been 'relocated', which is shorthand for 'given a worse job a long way away'.

pilgrimage

1. a journey to a holy place for religious reasons make a pilgrimage/go on (a) pilgrimage the chance to go on pilgrimage to Mecca 2. a journey to a place connected with someone or something famous: Presley's home has become a place of pilgrimage.

frothy

1. a liquid that is frothy has lots of small bubbles on top: a mug of frothy coffee 2. a frothy book, film etc is enjoyable but not serious or important —frothily adverb

vassal

1. a man in the Middle Ages who was given land to live on by a lord in return for promising to work or fight for him 封建社会的封臣； 2. formal a country that is controlled by another country: a vassal state 附属国；

emblem

1. a picture, shape, or object that is used to represent a country, organization etc ⇨ logo emblem of The national emblem of Canada is a maple leaf. 2. something that represents an idea, principle, or situation SYN symbol emblem of Expensive cars are seen as an emblem of success.

bottleneck

1. a place in a road where the traffic cannot pass easily, so that there are a lot of delays 2. a delay in one stage of a process that makes the whole process take longer: Understaffing has caused a real bottleneck.

shrine

1. a place that is connected with a holy event or holy person, and that people visit to pray shrine of/to his pilgrimage to the shrine of St John 2. a place that people visit and respect because it is connected with a famous person or event: Elvis' home has become a shrine for his fans. shrine to The museum is a shrine to the great Spanish artist.

indelible

1. impossible to remove or forget SYN permanent: Her words left an indelible impression on me for years to come. 2. indelible ink/pencil/marker etc ink etc that makes a permanent mark which cannot be removed —indelibly adverb: a moment indelibly imprinted on my mind

bitterly

1. in a way that produces or shows feelings of great sadness or anger: He complained bitterly about his exam grades. I was bitterly disappointed. The march was bitterly opposed by local residents. 2. bitterly cold very cold

masterpiece

1. a work of art, a piece of writing or music etc that is of very high quality or that is the best that a particular artist, writer etc has produced SYN masterwork: Mary Shelley was just 18 when she wrote the horror masterpiece 'Frankenstein'. 2. a very good example of something masterpiece of The shark is a masterpiece of evolution. Many people have to agree that a painting or a novel is wonderful, and they usually need to feel that way for years, in order for it to be considered a true masterpiece. An artist or writer is generally capable of creating only one masterpiece in her lifetime, if she makes a masterpiece at all. When an art historian or English teacher uses it, the word masterpiece implies a truly sublime, amazing creation. You can also describe something that's simply great as a masterpiece, like the seven-layer chocolate cake your mom baked for your birthday. Masterpiece comes from the Dutch meesterstuk, "work by which a craftsman attains the rank of master."

devastating

1. badly damaging or destroying something devastating effect/impact Acid rain has a devastating effect on the forest. devastating results/consequences The oil spill had devastating consequences for wildlife. It will be a devastating blow for the town if the factory closes. 2. making someone feel extremely sad or shocked: He was in Nice when he heard the devastating news. Long-term unemployment can be devastating. 3. very impressive or effective: In a devastating display of military muscle, soldiers seized the town. 4. literary extremely attractive: a devastating smile —devastatingly adverb: a devastatingly attractive man • • •

downfall

1. complete loss of your money, moral standards, social position etc, or the sudden failure of an organization: the scandal that led to the president's downfall 2. something that causes a complete failure or loss of someone's money, moral standards, social position etc be sb's downfall an addiction to gambling that proved to be her downfall * A long-standing Chinese film industry practice of issuing two contracts for star performers, one of which remains secret for tax purposes, served as her downfall. News of her alleged tax evasion (and high pay) caused widespread public outrage and badly dented her image and marketability.

gallantry

1. courage, especially in a battle: a medal for gallantry 2. polite attention given by men to women Gallantry is an old-fashioned word for brave behavior in a man, especially on the battlefield. Another meaning for gallantry is an extreme form of courtesy and respect towards women, often referred to as chivalry, and the two words are used interchangeably. The most famous examples of gallantry and chivalry can be found in the stories of the mythical King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, who were always fighting other knights for the favor of a fair princess's hand.

conservatism

1. dislike of change and new ideas: people's innate conservatism in matters of language 2. (also Conservatism) the political belief that society should change as little as possible 3. Conservatism the political beliefs of the British Conservative Party

barbarous

1. extremely cruel in a way that is shocking SYN barbaric: The trade in exotic birds is barbarous. 2. wild and not civilized: a savage barbarous people —barbarously adverb

steely

1. extremely determined and very strong: a look of steely determination 2. if someone has steely eyes or is steely-eyed, they look very determined 3. having a grey colour like steel: a steely sky

lukewarm

1. food, liquid etc that is lukewarm is slightly warm and often not as hot or cold as it should be SYN tepid: She sipped some lukewarm coffee from her mug. 2. not showing much interest or excitement: His idea got only a lukewarm response from the committee.

ruminate

1. formal to think carefully and deeply about something ruminate on/over He sat alone, ruminating on the injustice of the world. 2. technical if animals such as cows ruminate, they bring food back into their mouths from their stomachs and chew it again —rumination /ˌruːməˈneɪʃən, ˌruːmɪˈneɪʃən/ noun [uncountable and countable]

vibrant

1. full of activity or energy in a way that is exciting and attractive SYN lively: Hong Kong is a vibrant, fascinating city. She was sixteen, young and vibrant. 2. a vibrant colour is bright and strong: a painting full of vibrant reds and blues —vibrancy noun [uncountable] —vibrantly adverb

go about

1. go about something to start to do something: I want to learn German but I don't know the best way to go about it. go about doing something The leaflet tells you how to go about making a will. 2. go about something to do something in the way that you usually do: The villagers were going about their business as usual. She went about her preparations in a quiet businesslike way. 3. British English if a ship goes about, it turns to go in the opposite direction

underway

1. happening now: The project is already well underway. Your peace will be shattered when the tourist season gets underway (=starts). 2. something such as a boat or train that is underway is moving ⇨ be under way at way

aspirational

1. having a strong desire to have or achieve something: aspirational young women 2. something that is aspirational is wanted by people because they connect it with wealth or success: The advertisements had an aspirational look, using silk and pearls.

languish

1. if someone languishes somewhere, they are forced to remain in a place where they are unhappy languish in Shaw languished in jail for fifteen years. 2. if something languishes, it fails to improve and develop or become successful ⇨ founder OPP flourish: The housing market continues to languish. The shares are languishing at just 46p after yesterday's fall. West Ham United are currently languishing at the bottom of the league.

richness

1. if something has richness, it contains a lot of interesting things richness of the richness and diversity of the Amazonian rain forests a literary work of remarkable richness and vitality 2. the richness of a colour, taste, smell, or sound is the quality that makes it rich richness of the richness of the autumn colours If the move to digital learning continues, children will spend much, if not most, of their waking hours in front of screens. They will use apps before they go to school, spend their days in front of computers, do their homework online, and then entertain themselves with digital media. Children are losing opportunities to experience the world in all its richness.

maniac

1. informal someone who behaves in a stupid or dangerous way SYN lunatic: He drove like a maniac to the hospital. Suddenly this maniac ran out into the middle of the road. 2. religious/sex maniac informal someone who you think is too involved or interested in religion or sex SYN freak: The woman's a sex maniac if you ask me. 3. someone who is mentally ill homicidal maniac (=someone who kills people)

rhetoric

1. language that is used to persuade or influence people, especially language that sounds impressive but is not actually sincere or useful: The speech was dismissed by some people as merely political rhetoric. rhetoric of the rhetoric of socialism 2. the art of speaking or writing to persuade or influence people

demanding

1. needing a lot of ability, effort, or skill: a demanding job physically/emotionally/intellectually etc demanding Climbing is physically demanding. 2. expecting a lot of attention or expecting to have things exactly the way you want them, especially in a way that is not fair: Her mother could be very demanding at times.

nominal

1. nominal sum/charge/fee etc a very small sum of money, especially when compared with what something would usually cost or what it is worth: A nominal charge is made for use of the tennis courts. 2. officially described as being something, when this is not really true: the nominal head of the rebellion Their conversion to Christianity was only nominal. 3. nominal value/rate/income etc technical a nominal value etc does not show what something is really worth or really costs, because it does not take into account changes in the price of other goods and services OPP real: If prices rise and the nominal wage remains constant, the real wage falls. 4. technical relating to nouns or used as a noun: the nominal use of the present participle

sloppy

1. not done carefully or thoroughly SYN careless: sloppy work His written reports are incredibly sloppy. 2. sloppy clothes are loose-fitting, untidy, or dirty: Ann was dressed in a sloppy brown sweater. 3. expressing feelings of love too strongly and in a silly way SYN slushy: The film is a sloppy romance. 4. not solid enough: sloppy jelly —sloppily adverb —sloppiness noun [uncountable]

adverse

1. not good or favourable: They fear it could have an adverse effect on global financial markets. Miller's campaign has received a good deal of adverse publicity. 2. adverse conditions conditions that make it difficult for something to happen or exist: The expedition was abandoned because of adverse weather conditions. —adversely adverb: developments which had adversely affected their business

negligent

1. not taking enough care over something that you are responsible for, with the result that serious mistakes are made SYN irresponsible OPP responsible negligent in (doing) something The report stated that Dr Brady had been negligent in not giving the patient a full examination. Mr Brown was found guilty of negligent driving. 2. literary a negligent manner or way of dressing is careless, but in a pleasantly relaxed way: He gave a negligent shrug. —negligently adverb

head off

1. phrasal verb If you head off a person, animal, or vehicle, you move to a place in front of them in order to capture them or make them change the direction they are moving in. He changed direction swiftly, turned into the hallway and headed her off. [VERB noun PARTICLE] [Also VERB PARTICLE noun] 2. phrasal verb If you head something off, especially something unpleasant, you take action before it is expected to happen in order to prevent it from happening. He would ask Congress to intervene and head off a strike. [VERB PARTICLE noun] You have to be good at spotting trouble on the way and heading it off. [VERB noun PARTICLE]

tuition

1. teaching, especially in small groups: I had to have extra tuition in maths. 2. American English, tuition fees British English the money you pay for being taught: When I started college, tuition was $350 a quarter.

waver

1. to become weaker or less certain: Her voice wavered uncertainly. The students' attention did not waver. waver in Harris never wavered in his loyalty. waver from We were determined not to waver from our goals. 2. to not make a decision because you have doubts: Shareholders who were wavering met the directors. waver between something and something The party wavered between free trade and protectionism. 3. to move gently in several different directions: The candle flame wavered, throwing shadows on the wall.

entail

1. to involve something as a necessary part or result: A new computer system entails a lot of re-training. Some foreign travel is entailed in the job. entail doing something The journey will entail changing trains twice. 2. old use if you entail property, you arrange for it to be given to a specific person, usually your oldest son, when you die

overplay

1. to make something seem more important than it is OPP underplay: His role in the group's success has been overplayed. 2. overplay your hand to behave too confidently because you think you are in a stronger position than you actually are: The unions overplayed their hand in the end and failed to get the pay rise they wanted.

vindicate

1. to prove that someone who was blamed for something is in fact not guilty: The charges are false, and we are sure we will be vindicated in court. 2. to prove that someone or something is right or true SYN justify: The decision to advertise has been vindicated by the fact that sales have grown. —vindication /ˌvɪndəˈkeɪʃən, ˌvɪndɪˈkeɪʃən/ noun [singular, uncountable]

repatriate

1. to send someone back to their own country ⇨ deport: After the war, prisoners were repatriated. 2. to send profits or money you have earned back to your own country

untold

1. used to emphasize how bad something is: The rumours will do untold damage to his reputation. The floods have caused untold misery to hundreds of homeowners. 2. used to emphasize that an amount or quantity is very large untold riches/wealth a game that offers untold wealth to the most talented players

fidelity

1. when you are loyal to your husband, girlfriend etc, by not having sex with anyone else SYN loyalty OPP infidelity: the importance of marital fidelity (=in marriage) 2. when you are loyal to a person, an organization, or something that you believe in SYN loyalty fidelity to his fidelity to the company over 25 years 3. formal how much a film, a piece of written work etc remains unchanged from an earlier piece of work, or the facts that are known SYN faithfulness fidelity to the movie's fidelity to the original book ⇨ high fidelity

crow

1.[N-COUNT 可数名词] 乌鸦；A crow is a large black bird which makes a loud, harsh noise. 2.[VERB 动词] (公鸡)打鸣，啼叫；When a cock crows, it makes a loud sound, often early in the morning. [V] The cock crows and the dawn chorus begins. 雄鸡报晓，鸟儿欢叫。 3.[VERB 动词] 对...洋洋自得;为...自鸣得意；If you say that someone is crowing about something they have achieved or are pleased about, you disapprove of them because they keep telling people proudly about it. [V about/over n] [V that] [disapproval] [Informal] Edwards is already crowing about his assured victory... 爱德华兹已经在为自己确定无疑的胜利自鸣得意了。 We've seen them all crowing that the movement is dead. 我们看到他们所有人都为那场运动的覆灭而洋洋自得。 4.[VERB 动词] 欢叫;高兴地说；If someone crows, they make happy sounds or say something happily. [V with n] [V with quote] She was crowing with delight... 她欢呼雀跃。 'I'm not sure I've ever driven a better lap,' crowed a delighted Irvine. "我想这也许是我开得最棒的一圈，"欧文高兴地欢呼道。 5.[PHRASE 短语] 成直线地;笔直地；If you say that a place is a particular distance away as the crow flies, you mean that it is that distance away measured in a straight line. [oft amount PHR] I live at Mesa, Washington, about 10 miles as the crow flies from Hanford. 我住在华盛顿的梅萨，到汉福德的直线距离约为10英里。

Mogul

1.[N-COUNT 可数名词] 莫卧儿人(16至18世纪印度的穆斯林统治者)；A Mogul was a Muslim ruler in India in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. 2.[N-COUNT 可数名词] (尤指新闻、影视业的)有权势的富商，大人物，大亨；A mogul is an important, rich, and powerful businessman, especially one in the news, film, or television industry. [usu supp N] //...an international media mogul. 国际传媒大亨 //...Hollywood movie moguls. 好莱坞电影业巨头

make for

1.[PHRASAL VERB 短语动词] 向...走去;朝...前进；If you make for a place, you move towards it. [V P n] He rose from his seat and made for the door. 他从椅子上起身向门口走去。 2.[PHRASAL VERB 短语动词] 导致;有利于；If something makes for another thing, it causes or helps to cause that thing to happen or exist. [V P n] [Informal] A happy parent makes for a happy child. 有快乐的父母，才会有快乐的孩子。

stand up to

1.make a spirited defense against. "giving workers the confidence to stand up to their employers" synonyms: defy, confront, challenge, resist, take on, put up a fight against, argue with, take a stand against "she stood up to her parents" 2.be resistant to the harmful effects of (prolonged wear or use).

remorse

a strong feeling of being sorry that you have done something very bad ⇨ regret: Throughout the trial, he had shown no remorse. remorse for She felt a pang of remorse for what she had done. be full of remorse/be filled with remorse Filled with remorse, Dillon decided to resign. —remorseful adjective —remorsefully adverb

churn

A churn is a container that you fill with cream and then agitate until the cream becomes butter. You may have only bought butter at the store, but your ancestors probably used a traditional plunger-type churn to make their own. The verb churn means to mix cream until it turns into butter, separating out the buttermilk. You can make your own butter by churning it in a jar if you don't have a churn, shaking heavy cream until it becomes solid. To churn can also simply mean to agitate, like a boat might churn in a turbulent ocean, or your stomach might churn with anxiety about your big test the next day.

contentious

A contentious issue is one that people are likely to argue about, and a contentious person is someone who likes to argue or fight. Some issues — like abortion, the death penalty, and gun control — are very controversial. They're also contentious, because people tend to argue about them, and the arguments will probably go on forever. Contentious issues get people angry and in a fighting mood. On the other hand, some people always seem to be in a fighting mood, no matter what the issue is. People like that are contentious too.

corps

A corps is an army unit consisting of at least two divisions. This word can also refer to other groups of people, like a press corps, which is a gang of journalists trying to get the scoop. Although the word corps comes from the Latin corpus, for "body," don't pronounce the p or you're talking about the kind of body that goes in a coffin. The main meaning of a corps (which is singular despite the s) is a unit of the army. The word applies to other groups, too. A law firm has a corps of lawyers, a doctor has a corps of nurses, and a tiny car could have a corps of clowns.

fawn

A fawn is a young deer, but it's also a verb meaning to try and win favor by flattering. You might fawn over Bambi if you want to hang out with the cute and fuzzy gang. As a verb, fawn either refers to an attempt to get on someone's good side, or, oddly enough, to give birth to a deer. If you're a human, fawning is an age-old art that might get you what you want but can be very unattractive. If you ever come into possession of a great fortune, watch out for sudden friends who want to fawn over you and shower you with presents. They probably have dollar signs in their eyes.

autism spectrum

any of a group of developmental disorders (such as autism and Asperger's syndrome) marked by impairments in the ability to communicate and interact socially and by the presence of repetitive behaviors or restricted interests. — called also pervasive developmental disorder.

hegemon

A hegemon is a leading or major power. The United States has long been a hegemon in world politics. If you enjoy an edge over people who would otherwise be your peers, you might be a hegemon: that is, someone who enjoys hegemony, a predominating influence over others. Hegemons are powerful entities. In America, big business is a hegemon. In computers, Apple is a hegemon. For a long time in the NBA, Michael Jordan was a hegemon. Only the powerful can claim to be hegemons. This word suggests dominance and often a little more power than others would prefer.

monopoly

A monopoly is the exclusive ownership or control of something. If your sister claims a monopoly over the television during the Tom Cruise movie marathon, you would be wise not to touch that remote. In economics, a monopoly specifically means the domination of a market by one owner or seller. Think of the board game Monopoly. You're trying to own all the properties so that you have a monopoly over the board and the other players have to pay you basically anywhere they land. You might recognize the prefix mono, meaning "one." Add it to the Greek word polein which means "sell," and there you have it — one seller.

myth

A myth is a story that's told again and again and serves to explain why something is the way it is. A creation myth, for example, is a story that tells how the world came into being. You may have studied Greek or Roman myths in which gods and goddesses wage war and play tricks on each other. These myths are not necessarily true stories from the past — the main idea is that they explain certain ideas about the world and how people act. The story might be accepted as true and serve to explain some fact about the world, or it might be known to be made-up but nevertheless illustrates something about people or history.

pledge

A pledge is basically very serious formal promise. You can pledge allegiance to your country, you can pledge to keep a secret, and you can pledge a sum of money to a cause. Pledge can be used as both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it can be a solemn promise you've made. Or even the person who makes that promise, like the freshman pledges who take an oath to join a fraternity in college. As a verb, it describes the act of promising. "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people," vowed Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States.

plight

A plight is a situation that's hard to get out of. Learning about the plight of very poor people trying rebuild their homes after a devastating earthquake might inspire you to send money to a charity. Plight means predicament. It comes from the word for pleat, which means fold. A plight is a tough bind. You'll usually hear the word plight for groups of people or animals struggling to survive, or struggling for better lives. We talk about the plight of refugees, or the plight of sea birds after an oil spill. An old-fashioned use of plight is for pledge. If you get engaged, you give a plight of your love.

project

A project is a piece of work that is planned or intended. Plan a little extra time for your gingerbread house project — gluing the walls and roof can take a while. If you call a person your project, pronounced PRAH-jekt, it means you are trying to improve them by telling them how to behave, etc. As a verb, pronounced pro-JEKT, it means to jut out literally — The fireplace projects into the dining room — or figuratively — Try to project your ideas forcefully. If you assume another person is feeling the same things you are, you are projecting you feelings onto them.

pupil

A pupil is an old-fashioned word for a young person attending school, or it can be that black dot in the center of your eye's iris. As a pupil, your pupils may dilate when your teacher dims the lights. If you are a pupil, you are a learner enrolled in an educational institution. As a pupil, you have mastered the act of looking interested while thinking about the beach. Your pupil is also the aperture or opening in the center of your eye that looks like a big black dot. Dilating pupils are a very subtle sign that you are interested, lying, or pretending — or just trying to see in poor lighting.

appreciation

A rise in value, especially of land or possessions * An ~ of 50% in property values. * Antonym: depreciation

sensation

A sensation is a type of feeling, picked up by one of the five senses. Peppercorns will give you the sensation of a million tiny pinpricks on your tongue. A sensation is something from your senses. If you lose sensation in your feet, they are numb and it's time for you to get up and move around to restore blood flow. You can call something a sensation if it is wonderful and astonishing. Your parents will tell you that you were a sensation in the school play. Everyone will want to go see the special-effects movie that critics are calling a worldwide sensation.

Spell

A spell is a series of words that has magical powers. If you're under a spell, then what you do is out of your control — your thoughts and actions are dictated by the spell. Spell can refer to the magic words you say, or it can describe being under the influence of those words. You probably don't encounter many magic spells in real life, but the word is often used figuratively to describe those times when you feel like a magical power controls your action. Of course, this word can also mean the verb "to spell" which refers to reciting the letters in a word, like the competitive spellers in a spelling bee.

stockpile

A stockpile is a large amount of something that you save for later. If you're worried about running out of your favorite flavor of bubble gum, you might decide to keep a stockpile of it. If you hear the word stockpile on the news, it's probably referring to weapons which are accumulated and saved by a country that might need to use them some day in the future. You can use stockpile to describe the actual cache of weapons and also as a verb, to describe the act of storing them. The word was originally a mining term that literally described a pile of ore. During World War II, stockpile became a more general term.

Subsidy

A subsidy is a grant of financial assistance. Many school districts, for example, offer a subsidy to low-income families for book fees and lunch costs. The family pays a set amount and the district makes up the difference. The noun subsidy comes from French and Latin roots that mean "help and aid." Subsidies are most often offered by the government, but individuals can offer subsidies as well. "The parents offered to give a subsidy for students to go on the ski trip. The deal was that if the kids earned half the money, the parents would pay for the other half."

syndicate

A syndicate is a group of corporations working for a common interest. A syndicate might collectively raise money for a real estate project. A syndicate sometimes has a criminal side — it can also describe a similar alliance of gangsters. Syndicate entered English in the 17th century from the French word syndicat, meaning "representative of a corporation." The Lloyd's of London insurance group is an early example of a syndicate. Syndicate can also describe an agency that sells the rights to copyrighted material, such as feature articles, to newspapers or magazines. The word has a verb form as well. If you work for a syndicate, you might syndicate the classic "Peanuts" cartoon strip in hundreds of newspapers around the world.

syringe

A syringe is used, usually by a doctor or nurse, to inject or withdraw a fluid from your body. A syringe is a medical tool used for several purposes, but they all involve liquids going in or out of your body. A flu shot is given with a syringe: that's a liquid going in. A blood sample is taken with a syringe: that's liquid coming out. Part of a syringe is a needle, so patients usually don't like them. Syringes should only be used by medical professionals.

threshold

A threshold is what you step across when you enter a room. A threshold takes you from one place into another, and when you're about to start something new, you're also on a threshold. A threshold is a point of departure or transition. Graduation can mark a threshold — when you graduate from circus school, you're standing at the threshold of your new career as a trapeze artist. Another kind of threshold is a limit or boundary. If you have a high threshold for pain, you can tolerate a lot of it, and your dentist can drill away without worrying about your squirming and howling.

trifle

A trifle is something that's totally unimportant. If your friend is freaking out over which shoes to buy and you call her dilemma a trifle, you're saying she shouldn't get so worked up over nothing. Trifle comes from the Middle English trufle, meaning "fraud, joke, trick." You'll usually hear it used to mean "insignificant, trivial." If you write a little ditty to sing at a birthday party, you could say it's just a trifle. As a verb, trifle means "toy with, waste." If you play with someone's feelings without seriously meaning anything, you are trifling with his affection. Trifle is also a sweet, sticky cake. Don't trifle the day away dreaming about trifle. Make some!

nap time

According to the family of the boy, surnamed Zhang, he was found talking to a classmate during nap time on Sunday afternoon and both were ordered to go to the playground to do the frog jumps as a punishment, Thepaper's report said.

Affective

Affective is a word that crops up a lot in psychology—it means having to do with emotions or moods. Affective disorders are characterized by mood swings. It can be tricky to remember the difference between effective and affective (but easier than distinguishing between effect and affect). Effective makes a judgment about how something works—an effective strategy is one that works well. Affective is about how someone acts, or feels.

Ambience

Ambience is another word for atmosphere in the sense of the mood a place or setting has. If an expensive restaurant has soft lighting and peaceful music, it has a pleasant, soothing ambience. Ambience is one of those words that we've out and out stolen from French. In French, the word meaning the same thing is, you guessed it, ambience. This is a word you're going to want to know if you have any interest in restaurant reviews — they always want to talk about the ambience. As a funny quirk, the word has a positive feel to it; it can be used to mean nice atmosphere without even using the word, nice, as in, "Hey, this place really has ambience." the qualities and character of a particular place and the way these make you feel SYN atmosphere pleasant/relaxing/friendly etc ambience The restaurant's new owners have created a welcoming ambience.

mensch

American English spoken someone that you like and admire, especially because they have done something good for you

snout

An animal's long, protruding nose is often called a snout. The tricky part, though, is that not all long animal noses are called snouts. An elephant has a very long nose, but we don't call it a snout, we call it a trunk. A horse's nose is rarely referred to as a snout, because it's really their whole face that's long. Birds have beaks. Most dogs have a snout, except for pugs and boxers and other dogs with smashed-in faces. Bears have snouts, as do rats. Do yourself a favor, though, and never tell a person that they have a snout, no matter how large their nose is. Believe it or not, snout may actually be a cousin of the word snot: that should help you remember it!

bohemian

An artist well-known for wearing filthy coveralls, or a musician who shares a cheap apartment with both his mistress and lover, might be described as bohemian — that is, willfully unconventional and nonconformist in both appearance and lifestyle. In the nineteenth century, Romani (Gypsies) living in France were referred to as Bohémiens because it was thought that they come from the middle-European region, Bohemia. The name became attached to artists who moved to low-rent neighborhoods and who seemed to share the outsider status or spirit of the Romani. Although bohemian still carries traces of its edgy past, it can now be used to describe a fashion statement — such as pairing clogs with a floaty peasant blouse.

assault

An assault is an attack. Getting punched, yelled at, or bombed are all types of assault. To assault is to attack or bombard someone in some way. Fighter planes can make an aerial assault, while ground troops make a ground assault. Verbal assault consists of insults, swearing, or threats. A strong criticism, like a negative review in the newspaper, is a written assault. Physical assault can range from getting pushed to getting shot. You could even say "That music is so loud it's assaulting my ear drums!"

echo

An echo is a repetition or imitation of sound. When sound waves hit a hard surface they might reflect, making the sound bounce and repeat. If you agree with someone, you might echo his or her statement. Poet Don Marquis said, "Writing a book of poetry is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo." The word echo came from the Greek word for "sound." In Greek mythology, Echo was a nymph who could only repeat the last words of others. You were frightened when you thought someone was following you, until you realized you were only hearing the echo of your own footsteps.

expedition

An expedition is an organized journey that is undertaken for a particular purpose, like a group of scientists launching an expedition to South America to seek out a new medicinal herb. An expedition is no walk in the park. It's a serious journey, often with a very specific purpose undertaken by several people and lots of equipment. Sometimes, it can even be dangerous, like when the arctic adventurer was attacked by polar bears during an expedition to the Arctic. Needless to say, he hung up his explorer's hat after that expedition.

expert

An expert is someone who knows a ton about the subject at hand. The adjective form of expert describes someone or something that has that special knowledge. If you get expert instruction, that means an expert is your teacher. The word expert is related to experience, and to be an expert at something you need experience. While your academic honors might suggest that you're an expert in certain areas, like rocket science, other fields — like wake boarding and tattoo art, for example — require more hands-on experience before you're an expert. The word expert is also an adjective: once you become really good at it, people will say you're an expert snake handler.

exploit

An exploit is a heroic act or notable deed. The King Arthur legends are full of stories of the exploits of the Knights of the Round Table, including Sir Lancelot and King Arthur himself. This noun is from Middle English expleit, exploit "outcome," from Latin explicitus "unfolded, set forth." The verb exploit means to use someone or something, usually selfishly or for profit--workers who are tired of being exploited by factory owners form unions that allow them to stand together as a powerful force. Unscrupulous politicians and businesses have long exploited our instincts and emotions to convince us to believe or buy things that, on more careful reflection, we needn't have done. Real-time media, available via mobile technologies, exacerbate this potential, meaning that we spend more of our time immersed in a stream of images and sensations, with less time for reflection or dispassionate analysis.

implication

An implication is something that is suggested, or happens, indirectly. When you left the gate open and the dog escaped, you were guilty by implication. Implication has many different senses: Usually used in the plural, implications are effects or consequences that may happen in the future. You might ask, "What are the implications of our decision?" Implication is also the state of being implicated, or connected to something bad: "Are you surprised by their implication that you were involved in the crime?"

indulgence

An indulgence is doing something that you enjoy even if it has negative consequences. Buying yourself something that you don't need, be it a cookie, video game, or diamond necklace, is an indulgence. If you allow yourself to eat more chocolate cake or watch more TV than is really good for you, those are your little indulgences. If you spend your life savings on a trip to Tahiti, that's a huge indulgence. If someone says to you, "Grant me this indulgence," prepare for a long-winded story that tries to convince you of something. Long, long ago the Catholic Church sold something called "indulgences": pardons for sins.

inference

An inference is an idea or conclusion that's drawn from evidence and reasoning. An inference is an educated guess. We learn about some things by experiencing them first-hand, but we gain other knowledge by inference — the process of inferring things based on what is already known. When you make an inference, you're reading between the lines or just looking carefully at the facts and coming to conclusions. You can also make faulty inferences. If you hear a person's weight is 250 pounds, you might make the inference that they're overweight. But what if they're seven feet tall?

shroud

Are the rules of calculus shrouded in mystery to you? The verb shroud means to hide or cover something or someone. The fog might shroud the valley, or that long-sleeved, ankle-length dress might shroud the tan you worked so hard on in Mexico over Christmas break. It used to be that corpses were dressed for burial not in person's best outfit but in a shroud — a garment, often white, made to cover the body. When ghosts, zombies or mummies are depicted in rags, they are wearing the remains of their burial shrouds. If you should hide from them by covering yourself with an abandoned tarp, you will be shrouding yourself from sight.

assert

Asserting is all about standing up for what you believe. You might assert an opinion, your innocence, or even your authority over someone else. The verb assert can be used for both opinions and for oneself. When asked, you can politely assert your desire to go to the amusement park for your birthday. If no one listens to you, you can assert yourself and forcefully state that you really want to go the amusement park for your birthday. If that fails, you should just take yourself to the amusement park for your birthday. And get better friends.

counter measures

Beijing says it will take 'counter measures' after the US President slapped tariffs on a further US$200 billion worth of goods

rigour

British English, rigor American English /ˈrɪɡə $ -ər/ noun 1. the rigours of something the problems and difficulties of a situation: all the rigors of a Canadian winter the stresses and rigours of modern life 2. [uncountable] great care and thoroughness in making sure that something is correct: Their research seems to me to be lacking in rigour.

Cache

Cache sounds like what it is, a stash, and sometimes people — usually the criminal type — have a cache of stolen cash. Often the phrase "weapons cache" is used of a bunch of hidden guns or weapons that have been hidden or stored away, which is logical, given that the French verb cacher means "to hide." Sometimes things aren't really hidden but are stored away out of sight for use later. Computers even cache data and directories to retrieve when needed. So a cache is anything from a stash of cash to a store of information on reserve.

Credence

Credence means truthfulness, or believability. A video of a funnel cloud entering Central Park would give credence to rumors of a tornado in Manhattan. Generally, credence is given to an idea or topic by something else. You'll see it often coming after words like lend, give, and impart. When something is given credence, it is made more believable. But it can also be used like this: Mary talked a lot about the poltergeist in her house. To most, her story had little credence, but I like a good ghost story, and so, decided to believe.

internalize

if you internalize a particular belief, attitude, behaviour etc, it becomes part of your character —internalization /ɪnˌtɜːnəlaɪˈzeɪʃən $ ɪnˌtɜːrnələ-/ noun [uncountable]

a set of guidelines

issued a new set of guidelines

Discredit

Discredit means to cause mistrust or cast the accuracy of something into doubt. If you say that schooling is important to you, but you never study, your actions discredit you and your words. You discredit what someone says when you choose not to believe it. You can discredit the rumors going around about your boyfriend if you are sure of his love. On a more personal level, you discredit people when you cast their authority or reputation into doubt. If you're running a tough race for class president, your opponent may try to discredit you by talking about your failures or even making up lies about you. But this would be to the discredit of your opponent — his or her own reputation would suffer for this bad behavior.

dispassionate

Dispassionate describes someone who is not getting carried away by—or maybe not even having—feelings. It's something you'd want to see in a surgeon, who keeps cool under pressure, but not in a romantic partner. Dispassionate is the opposite of passionate, and while passions are said to run "hot," dispassionate people are often described as "cold." A city marshal whose job is it to evict people behind on their rents must conduct their job with dispassionate fairness, but still, no one wants to be their friend.

Distract

Distract is what you do when you draw someone's attention — Hey! Look! Over there! Oh. Never mind. What was I saying? That's right: distract is to draw attention away from what someone is doing. Distract comes from the Latin word for "draw apart." It can be annoying when someone or something distracts you. A loud car alarm or a talkative friend might distract you when you're watching your favorite TV show. But being distracted is not always bad. Playing a round of miniature golf might distract you from feeling sad about the death of your parakeet.

timidity

Do you suffer from timidity? If so, you probably feel uneasy in new places and situations. You might fear having to make decisions. But as you get more comfortable, your timidity will go away. The noun timidity is related to the Latin word timidus, from timere, meaning "to fear." In fact, fear is often a cause of timidity — fear of the unknown, fear of not knowing what to do. For example, you might experience timidity in visiting a country for the first time because you aren't sure of the local customs or you don't speak the language well. Because you are afraid of embarrassing yourself, you hold back.

Doldrums

Doldrums aren't drums that you can play like the tom-toms. Rather people use this noun to describe a period of time that is boring, depressing, or characterized by inactivity. The noun doldrums is derived from the word dull. If you've been vegging out in front of the TV for hours, bored out of your mind, you might say you're "in the doldrums." This word is often used in phrases describing a slump in the economy or as in "the summer doldrums" to describe the hot, lazy days of summer.

prestigious

Eagle Scout is a prestigious position within the Boy Scouts. It requires a lot of hard work over a number of years, and if you become one, lots of people will respect you. The adjective prestigious has a really wonderful Latin root, praestigiae, which means "conjuring tricks." Think of the magic word, "Presto!" Even though today's prestigious doesn't necessarily mean that the person described can do magic, imagining prestigious people as magicians can help you remember the admiration and status that the word implies.

FEMA

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

principal

For an adjective that points to the main or most important thing, your best choice is principal. Is your principal goal for the summer to have fun or to earn some extra money? The word, principal, comes from the Latin principalis "first in importance" and is related to the title of prince. You can see the relation when you think about its meanings — the head of a school, the starring actor in a film, and the client of an agent. Don't confuse principal with its homophone principle, a moral rule or law of nature. If you talk about a country's principal exports, you mean the main ones. CHOOSE YOUR WORDS principal / principle If offered a choice, would you rather have principles or principals? A principle is a fundamental or general truth. It might also be the original (fundamental) source of something. America's principles establish religious liberty as a fundamental right. Microsoft principle group manager selling Issaquah 4BD In principle refers to something in its fundamentals without all the details worked out: After just one hearing, Arroyo's bill penalizing drunk driving and five other similar bills were approved "in principle" by the committee on transportation. Principal, on the other hand, is the person with the highest authority in a group, such as a school principal or the principal investor in a company. It is also the original sum of money or assets invested or lent: An Israeli high school principal has been summoned for a hearing by the country's Education Ministry. Jan van Eck serves as a director and principal at the firm. The FHA refinance plan for homeowners may allow for principal reductions and underwater refinancing opportunities for those who qualify. If you remember that the principal is your pal, you'll be able to choose your words well.

gruel

Gruel is a truly unpleasant food — weak and runny, consisting of oatmeal or cornmeal boiled in milk or water. It's the kind of "slop" prisoners and other inmates of institutions were historically forced to eat. Gruel was made most famous by Dickens's Oliver Twist, the little orphan boy in the workhouse, who was so hungry he even asked for seconds of it: "Please sir, I want some more." Gruel's reputation, not great to begin with, never recovered. From this delightful substance comes the adjective grueling, describing an experience that's exhausting and punishing. "To get one's gruel" was 1700s slang meaning "to receive one's punishment." Even back then gruel had a bad rap.

Humanity

Humanity is the human race or the quality that makes us human. When you talk about humanity, you're talking about human beings, humankind, or people as a whole. If you want to see a whole bunch of humanity, go to Times Square in New York City. When people do bad things, it tests your faith in humanity. When people ask for money to help find a cure for cancer or feed starving children, they're appealing to your sense of humanity. Also, when there's a disaster, people say, "Oh, the humanity!"

automatic

If someone asks, "How are you?" and you reply, "Fine," without really thinking about it, that's an automatic reply. Something that's automatic is done without thinking, almost as if you're a well-programmed machine. The word automatic can be used to describe a machine that works on its own, performing its tasks with little or no human intervention, such as an automatic transmission on a car. Or, automatic can describe a person whose actions are like a machine's. If you flash a smile every time someone walks through the door, it's an automatic smile, a natural reaction you didn't think about or plan in advance.

in one's own right

If someone is a successful or respected person in their own right, they are successful or respected because of their own efforts and talents rather than those of the people they are closely connected with. Although now a celebrity in her own right, actress Lynn Redgrave knows the difficulties of living in the shadow of her famous older sister. because of your own ability, effort, or situation and not because of anyone or anything else: Her husband has money, but she's wealthy in her own right. This hospital is an advanced critical care center in its own right.

verve

If something has an energetic style or vitality, you can say it has verve. Dancers are noted for their verve on the stage. Morticians? Not so much. Similar words to verve include vim, vigor, and élan. Verve comes from the Latin root word verba, meaning words, and in English originally meant a special talent in writing. Although the "special talent" sense is now archaic, verve is still an excellent choice to describe a writing style.

sophisticated

If something is sophisticated, it's complicated and intricate. The inner workings of a computer are sophisticated. Sophisticated can also refer to having good taste. Either way, sophisticated things are impressive. Sophisticated systems and objects are complex and tough to understand. High school math is a lot more sophisticated than grammar school math. Driving a car is more sophisticated than riding a bike. People are sophisticated if they have plenty of worldly experience and what is generally regarded as "good taste." Sometimes, that just means they have a lot of money and like things that are fancy. Going to a symphony is considered more sophisticated than going to a rock concert.

arrears

If you are in arrears, you are behind in the payment of a debt. Think: rears=behind. Arrears also refers to the unpaid, overdue debt itself. Your rent arrears are the money you own on rent. Arrears is a term often used in a legal context--like, when you've had to hire a lawyer because you're being sued by your landlord, or being evicted because you're in arrears on your rent. Before it comes to eviction, though, you should try negotiating with your landlord first. They would probably be more interested in collecting arrears, even late, than in evicting you and starting with a new tenant from scratch. 1. be in arrears if someone is in arrears, or if their payments are in arrears, they are late in paying something that they should pay regularly, such as rent: Many people are in arrears with their rent. be four weeks/three months etc in arrears The rent money is two months in arrears. fall/get into arrears (=become late with payments) 2. money that you owe someone because you have not made regular payments at the correct time: We've got 3 months' arrears to pay. rent/mortgage/tax arrears He was ordered to pay rent arrears of £550. 3. paid in arrears British English if your salary is paid in arrears, it is paid at the end of the period you have worked: a salary paid monthly in arrears

populism

If you feel that ordinary working people should have the strongest political voice, you can say you believe in populism. In politics, the term populism can have different meanings depending on who is using it and what their political goals are. At its root, populism is a belief in the power of regular people, and in their right to have control over their government rather than a small group of political insiders or a wealthy elite. The word populism comes from the Latin word for "people," populus.

spree

If you go on a spree, you go a little wild, indulging in some activity in an unrestrained way. You might go on a cupcake spree every year on your birthday, eating as many cupcakes as you can. Following your impulses and giving in to them — rather than resisting or limiting them — is one way to go on a spree. It can be a dancing spree, in which you dance all night long, or a shopping spree, in which you max out your credit card at the mall. The original slang meaning, and one that's still used today, is "a drinking bout," and it may be rooted in the French word esprit, "lively wit."

rehabilitate

If you have been in a bad accident or have an addiction problem, you may go away for a stretch of time to rehabilitate yourself or, in other words, bring yourself back to health. Though we hear a lot about rehabilitation or "rehab" in the press in connection with drugs or alcohol, the word rehabilitate has a lot of other meanings. You can rehabilitate a building's structure by reinforcing it with steel beams, or rehabilitate your bad reputation by staying after school to help clean up the grounds.

misgiving

If you have misgivings about something, it means you're worried that it's not a good idea. Trying to fall asleep the night before a test, you might have misgivings about having studied so little. Misgivings are feelings of doubt you experience about something before you do it. As you get closer to the time you actually get on the airplane, you might begin to have misgivings about traveling far away to go to college, or you might have misgivings about joining the army to pay for your education. a feeling of doubt or fear about what might happen or about whether something is right SYN doubt misgiving about Despite her misgivings about leaving the baby, she decided to accompany her husband. grave/serious/deep misgivings Some politicians have expressed grave misgivings about the scheme. Opponents of nuclear energy have deep misgivings about its safety. She eyed the distant shoreline with misgiving.

hew

If you're a lumberjack, the word hew is nothing new. You hew things every day with one swift swing of the axe, chopping and shaping wood. It's said that Paul Bunyan hewed the Grand Canyon by dragging his giant mythical axe behind him. But usually things are hewn with a little more purpose — with each chop and cut designed to shape, sculpt, or craft a final product. Take the axe out of the picture though, and this word takes on a different meaning. If you're trying to adhere to rules, stick to a budget, or conform to a certain tradition, you can use hew, too.

pediatrics

If you're taking a little kid to the doctor, look for a sign that says pediatrics. Physicians who treat children and babies specialize in pediatrics. Different branches of medicine focus on different groups of people or specific illnesses. While pediatrics is all about young people from birth to their teens, geriatrics, for example, focuses on elderly people. A medical student who specializes in pediatrics will eventually be a pediatrician, or children's doctor. The root of pediatrics is the Greek word for "child," pais.

Indulge

Indulge is a verb that means "to give in to something," like when you indulge your craving for chocolate by eating a big piece of it. The original meaning of indulge is "to treat with unearned favor." That's why it doesn't mean the same as reward. Instead, when you indulge, you enjoy or take part in something just because you want to — like indulging in a celebrity gossip magazine: you know you should be doing something more constructive, but you don't care. When you indulge someone else, you go along with whatever they want to do.

insalubrious

Insalubrious is a formal way to say something is bad for your health. Whether it's the smog in the city, the atmosphere at your workplace, or a load of coal tar — they all sound insalubrious. The word insalubrious came into English in the seventeenth century from the Latin word insalubris, a combination of in-, meaning "not," and salubris, meaning "healthful." That makes for a decidedly unhealthy combination, and the word even has a slightly disreputable sound to it, like you've been out doing something you shouldn't be doing. But at the same time it's slightly formal, in part because it's somewhat unusual in modern usage. Use it as a fancy way to describe something unhealthy that's also a little bit common — like Las Vegas or fried chicken.

Intimacy

Intimacy is closeness with another person, like the intimacy that develops between friends as you tell one another your life's story and all your secrets and dreams for the future. The noun intimacy comes from the Latin word intimare, which means "impress," or "make familiar," which comes from the Latin intimus, meaning "inmost." Intimacy is a close, family-like connection. There is another kind of intimacy — physical intimacy, which comes from having a sexual relationship, which, one hopes, fosters the other kind of intimacy as well.

Intriguing

Intriguing things or people arouse curiosity and have an indescribable draw. If you find the night sky intriguing and enjoy pondering the limitlessness of the universe, you should consider becoming an astronomer. When this adjective was first recorded in the 1600's, anything intriguing had something to do with "tricking, deceiving, or cheating." It wasn't until much later that intriguing lost its sinister sense and became simply a word to describe something with alluring mystery. Synonyms for intriguing run the gamut from captivating and delightful to riveting and titillating.

espionage

It's no secret: espionage is the act of organized spying, usually with the goal of uncovering sensitive military or political information. If the government has relocated you to a foreign country, made you change your name, given you a fake mustache to wear, and instructed you to hide in a closet at the presidential palace and report back weekly on what you overhear, then you are engaging in espionage. This noun is similar to snooping, but generally applies to much more serious situations, like when countries or businesses spy on each other to try to obtain top secret information.

collateral

It's what you promise to give someone if you don't repay a loan, like the car you put up as collateral when you take a loan out from the bank. As an adjective, collateral can refer to something indirect or off to the side, like collateral damage. Collateral is the watch you put on the table in a poker game, or the shoes you trade in at the bowling alley. If you pay back your debts, you get your goods back. As an adjective, collateral describes something indirect, like collateral damage (non-soldiers inadvertently killed in war) or collateral relatives such as your second-cousin-once-removed that your mother keeps bugging you to call.

Juggernaut

Juggernaut means a massive force. If the army marching into your country is a juggernaut, you're doomed. If you're trying to market a new Cola product, you're up against corporate giant Coca-Cola, a beverage juggernaut if ever there was one. With its roots in Hindi, juggernaut originally referred to a crude statue from which the Hindu god, Brahma, turned into the living god, Krishna. There continues to be a festival in honor of this miracle, in which a statue of Krishna is carted through town. It is said that in times past, devotees would throw themselves under the cart's wheels.

Mania

Mania is an extreme interest, desire, or craze. If you dye your dog's fur to match the colors of your favorite football team, you might be suffering from sportsmania. Mania has for centuries been associated with "madness" or "mental derangement." It's still used in the mental health fields to mean the excitable, overactive phase of bipolar disorder or, as a suffix, to describe a compulsion, such as kleptomania (to steal) or pyromania (to set fires). More generally, it might be used as a suffix to describe enthusiasm, as in Beatlemania (The Beatles) or Pottermania (Harry Potter).

Myopia

Myopia is nearsightedness, which means you see things more clearly that are closer to your eye. You probably suffer from myopia if you walk into the living room and notice the chair in front of you but not the chair ten feet away. If you have myopia, things farther away look out of focus. Also, this can mean narrow-mindedness and intolerance. Due to the first kind of myopia, someone might always hold the menu two centimeters from their eyeballs at restaurants. Due to the second kind, someone might avoid people with different opinions from their own.

occasion

Occasion means something special--that happens seldom or is notable when it does. On occasion, we sit down together as a family, but not every day, and never for dinner. When Great Aunt Mabel visits, however, we rise to the occasion and stage a large family meal. Occasion can also mean a designated time or reason something happens, or it can be an event in itself. I'm giving you your grandmother's ring on the occasion of your graduation from high school. I haven't had occasion to look at it since she died. It's valuable, so only wear it on special occasions.

Phenomenology of Perception

Phenomenology of Perception(1945) 知觉现象学 在20世纪法国哲学家Maurice Merleau-Ponty的经典著作Phenomenology of Perception(1945)中，作者认为，"意识本就不是'我认为'，而是'我能'"。也就是说，人类思维源于生活经验，是我们身体所能做的事情塑造了哲学家们的思想以及科学家们的发现。 "整个科学世界都建立在生活世界之上"。 人类的思想不会超越整个大自然。人类是一种思考性的动物，而那些思考总会受到我们本身动物性的影响。感知现象学就是旨在帮助读者更好地理解生活世界与意识之间的联系。 因此，屏幕中的画面再生动，也不及真正经历过的鲜活。是时候放下眼前的电子设备，去感知和获取真实的世界了。

Physics

Physics is a kind of science, specifically the science of matter and energy and how they interact. Physics is the study of physical matter, energy, and how they work together. Kinetic energy and potential energy are part of physics. Although it may sound really advanced — and it is — physics is involved in everything we do. Champion pool players have a good understanding of how physics influences the movement of the balls. People who design roller coasters better know their physics. And if you've ever rigged up a pulley or a lever, then you've done basic physics.

Physiology

Physiology is the branch of biology that deals with the functions and processes of living organisms, both animals and plants. It's biology in motion. Physiology includes everything from how a single cell functions, to what makes your nerve receptors work, how your pancreas releases insulin, and what happens to your muscles when you exercise. Technology has made for great leaps in the science of physiology. The electron microscope, for instance, allows you to see down to even the molecules of the cell, and radioactive isotopes provide the means to track the movement of substances within an organism.

precipitate

Precipitate usually means "bringing something on" or "making it happen" — and not always in a good way. An unpopular verdict might "precipitate violence" or one false step at the Grand Canyon could precipitate you down into the gorge. Precipitate, as a verb, can also mean specifically, "to fall from clouds," such as rain, snow, or other forms of precipitation. When used as an adjective, precipitate means "hasty" or "acting suddenly." If you decide to throw your class project in a trash masher just because someone in your class had a similar idea, then your actions might be described as precipitate. Or if you do that sort of thing regularly, you may be a precipitate person.

Preeminence

Preeminence is the quality of being superior. It's a type of high status or distinction for anything considered to be the best at something, like the preeminence of gold or the preeminence of a famous musician. Preeminence (or pre-eminence if you love hyphens) comes from the Latin word praeeminere for to "rise above or excel." People with preeminence include the President, billionaires, and great athletes such as Michael Jordan. By definition, preeiminence suggests superiority, so it can't be a quality lots of people have. A world-famous surgeon is a doctor with preeminence. Anyone considered wealthy, powerful, important, or famous has preeminence.

Preoccupation

Preoccupation is a state where you're absorbed in something. You may have a preoccupation with video games or Hello Kitty, for example, if you can't keep your mind off those things. We all have our preoccupations: ideas and things that we just can't stop thinking about. Just as an occupation means someone is living somewhere, a preoccupation is an idea that's moved in to our minds. One person's preoccupation might be making more money, while another person's preoccupation could be learning to ride a motorcycle. We can also say that someone who is engrossed or absorbed in something is in a state of preoccupation; they're preoccupied.

psychology

Psychology refers to the study of human behavior and the human mind, or the mental attitude of a group. Your parents will find it hard to understand the psychology of the teenager. Psychology is more than just an academic subject. The word refers to the complex mental workings and states a person, group or activity. Marketers use the psychology of consumer behavior to sell you things you don't need. Some self-help books teach you how use psychology - mental strategies and tricks - on someone in order to win arguments or get ahead.

sovereign

Put simply, your sovereign is your king or queen. George III was the sovereign of Great Britain and her colonies — including the American ones. At least, he was until a little thing called the Revolutionary War upset everything. Sovereign as an adjective can be used to indicate the ultimate power of a state, whether a monarchy or not, as in "Peru exercised its sovereign rights to all minerals within its borders." A sovereign is also a British gold coin with a face value of one pound sterling (with the monarch's face on it). But don't sell it for a pound, because it's worth its weight in gold — quite literally — which is a lot more than a pound is worth.

register

REALIZE [intransitive usually in negatives, transitive] if something registers, or if you register it, you realize or notice it, and then remember it: She had told me her name before, but I guess it didn't register. I'd been standing there for several minutes before he registered my presence.

Reprehensible

Reprehensible means deserving of blame or strong criticism. It is a strong word--your mother might forgive you for doing something bad, but something reprehensible? That's worse. Near synonyms are blameworthy and culpable. Antonyms are blameless and praiseworthy. The adjective reprehensible is from Middle English, from Latin reprehensus, from reprehendere plus the suffix -ibilis "deserving of, capable of." If someone is reprehended, they are blamed or strongly criticized.

contain

STOP SOMETHING to stop something from spreading or escaping: Doctors are struggling to contain the epidemic. measures aimed at containing political opposition ⇨ self-contained * It continued last summer with a government directive ordering websites "to contain the glorification of scandals and the private lives of celebrities, the sensationalization of their conspicuous consumption and low taste."

Secular

Secular things are not religious. Anything not affiliated with a church or faith can be called secular. Non-religious people can be called atheists or agnostics, but to describe things, activities, or attitudes that have nothing to do with religion, you can use the word secular. Public schools are secular, but Catholic schools are not. Grocery stores are secular; a synagogue is not. If there's no religion involved, then you're in "the secular world" — as people sometimes call everything that exists outside of religion.

Sensibility

Sensibility is your ability to feel or be aware of something. Your artistic sensibility might allow you to understand even the most complex work of art. Sensibility often refers to your ability to respond to emotions or to appreciate artistic works — things that you sense rather than analyze logically. Your poetic sensibility might allow you to choose exactly the right word to create a particular tone when you're writing. Sensibility can also refer to your sensitivity to good or bad impressions — it's sort of like your feelings. Used in this way, the word is often plural. Your brother's thoughtless remarks may offend your sensibilities.

sentimentality

Sentimentality is a quality of being overly, dramatically emotional — sad or loving or nostalgic. Your sentimentality on her eightieth birthday might make your down-to-earth grandmother roll her eyes. When your emotions go overboard, becoming a little theatrical or false, that's sentimentality. A person's sentimentality might come in handy if a job as a greeting card writer opens up, or a role in a community theater's production of "Les Misérables." Sentimentality comes from the adjective sentimental, which is rooted in the Medieval Latin sentimentum, "feeling, affection or opinion."

shine

Set up some candles and a photograph of someone important in your life in the corner of a room where you spend time reflecting silently, and you've created a shrine. Shrine comes from the Latin scrinium meaning "case or box for keeping papers." Think of a shrine as a niche or case in which the spirit of someone special is kept. It could be a statue or some other form of commemoration to either a person or a relic. A shrine can be as small as a tiny mantel in your house or it can be as massive as a building commemorating, or shrining, a sacred person.

philanthropic

Something given to help others is philanthropic. Money, household items, giving your time and energy to a cause — all can be philanthropic contributions. Philanthropic, pronounced "fill-an-THRAW-pick," comes from the Greek word philanthropos "loving mankind, useful to man." Philanthropic organizations work to help people, running their operations by relying on resources donated by people who are able to give. Many charities, museums, universities, cultural centers, and scientific institutions rely on philanthropic support to pay their bills.

heartrending

Something heartrending is heartbreaking: it causes grief and sadness. The heart is the organ associated with emotions, and to rend something is to tear it, so heartrending things tear up your heart: not literally, but because they make you sad. The death of a friend or loved one is heartrending. Getting a terrible disease like cancer is heartrending. A tragic story can be heartrending if it makes you feel for the people involved. Anything that makes you cry is probably heartrending.

impractical

Something impractical is difficult or impossible to achieve. It might sound like a great idea, but it's not going to happen. It's just not practical. Impractical ideas make no sense or just can't be done. Heels so high you have a fish swimming in them are cool, but very impractical. Trying to drive from New York to California in four hours, which could never happen, is impractical. Something impractical is not likely to work. Practical ideas are feasible, but impractical ideas are based on wishful thinking. When someone tells you an idea is impractical, she's saying, "Get real."

inexplicable

Something inexplicable can't be explained. It doesn't make sense. You don't want to come to the beach on the most beautiful day of the year? That's inexplicable! Inexplicable is made up of the prefix in, which means "not," and explicable, which comes from the Latin explicabilis, meaning "unfolded, unraveled." Do you see the double negative? If something is not unfolded, it's folded up and tangled — like something that doesn't make sense. Your school's decision to call a snow day is inexplicable, if there's barely a layer of snow on the ground.

inflexible

Something inflexible does not bend easily. A stiff back can make you inflexible, or unable to fold over and touch your toes. A really busy schedule can make you inflexible or unable to bend or accommodate your plans for others. Combine the Latin root words in- meaning "not" and flectere, "to bend" and you have the very meaning of inflexible: not able to bend. Ballet is not for the inflexible or those people who simply are not bendy by nature. Compromise also is not for the inflexible, or those who are really rigid or set in their ways.

metaphorical

Something is metaphorical when you use it to stand for, or symbolize, another thing. For example, a dark sky in a poem might be a metaphorical representation of sadness. You'll find yourself using the adjective metaphorical all the time if you take a poetry class; poems are usually full of metaphors. People use metaphorical language in everyday speech too, like when you say something like, "My brain is foggy today." Metaphorical comes from the Greek word meaning "a transfer," metaphora, which is itself made up of meta, "over," and pherein, "to carry."

priceless

Something priceless is incredibly valuable. It's so valuable that no one would ever want to sell it or be able to buy it. Since a price is what it costs to buy something, priceless things cannot be bought; they're too valuable. People sometimes talk about "priceless treasures," which may actually have a price, though only a millionaire could afford buying them. More often, priceless things are things without a monetary value — like friendship, love, honor, etc. Parents call their children priceless, because they value them so much and obviously would never sell them.

problematic

Something problematic poses a problem or causes difficulties. Your ambitions to become the next great leader of Spain are great, but your inability to speak Spanish might prove problematic. Around 1600, the word problematical was shortened and problematic was born. Perhaps they wanted to make it less problematic for spellers. It's an adjective that means tough, hard to solve, or even questionable. A flat tire in the middle of the desert would certainly be problematic, as would a star witness with a history of telling lies.

rickety

Something rickety — like an old shack — is shaky and likely to fall down because it's fragile. Some buildings are sturdy, solid, and strong. Others are rickety: rickety things might blow over from a slight breeze. Rickety things are poorly designed or have just become rickety because of aging. Rickety things tend to shake, which is a sign they might fall apart any second. If you put a heavy load in a rickety cart, you might lost your load!

arbitrary

Something that's arbitrary seems like it's chosen at random instead of following a consistent rule. Team members would dislike their coach using a totally arbitrary method to pick starting players. Even though arbitrary comes from a word meaning "judge" (arbiter), that doesn't mean judges are always fair. Calling a decision-maker arbitrary is usually a negative thing, suggesting the person is making rules based on whim rather than justice. A coach who selects starting players arbitrarily isn't strictly applying a rule; he could just be picking names out of a hat.

devastating

Something that's shocking and distressing is devastating. Watching the local ice cream shop burn to the ground would be devastating to many neighborhood kids. Incredibly destructive events like earthquakes are devastating, although anything that's tragic, even on a personal level, can also be devastating. It's also used informally to mean incredibly affecting or impressive, like a photographer's devastating images of urban poverty. This meaning came into use in the late 1800s — before that, devastating came right from the Latin word devastare, "to lay waste completely."

stagnation

Stagnation is the state of being still, or not moving, like a sitting puddle of water where stagnation attracts mosquitoes. The root of stagnation is the Latin word for "standing water," stagnatum. The stagnation of water can be a serious problem in parts of the world where mosquitoes spread diseases like malaria, or where there is a shortage of drinkable water. There are also other kinds of stagnation, or inactivity — like a struggling country's economic stagnation or a writer's mental stagnation that results in writer's block.

take credit for

Take credit for something means to allow people to believe that you have done something, whether it is true or false. It is an idiomatic expression in English, but is fairly common. Examples: She took credit for the painting but her father had actually painted the picture. BRI countries risk piling up dangerous amounts of debt, which some fear is designed to give China a strategic hold over them. Pakistan, one of the most important BRI countries, has just held an election in which candidates vied to take credit for Chinese investment; yet the debts are so large that, before long, Pakistan is likely to need an IMF bail-out.

Belt and Road Initiative

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) or the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road is a development strategy adopted by the Chinese government. The 'belt' refers to the overland interconnecting infrastructure corridors; the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) component. The 'road' refers to the sea route corridors; the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) component.[2] The initiative focuses on connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries, primarily the People's Republic of China (PRC). Until 2016 the initiative was known in English as the One Belt and One Road Initiative (OBOR) but the Chinese came to consider the emphasis on the word "one" as misleading.[3] The Chinese government calls the initiative "a bid to enhance regional connectivity and embrace a brighter future".[4] Independent observers, however, see it as a push for Chinese dominance in global affairs with a China-centered trading network.[5][6]

conjugal

The adjective conjugal describes all husband-and-wife matters, so if someone who is married says, "Single people don't understand how I feel," you can be sure it's a conjugal situation. The word conjugal comes from the Latin word, conjux, meaning "husband, wife." You've no doubt heard of the term "conjugal visits," to describe private visits between a prisoner and a spouse. But it can describe anything that happens between married people, such as conjugal obligations, which are the things you do to keep a marriage going, or just general conjugal, or married, life.

pummel

The best pummelers in the world are probably boxers, as to pummel means to repeatedly beat someone down, especially with fists. The main sense of pummel is physical, but you can use it figuratively when something is taking a beating. During a stock market crash, the economy is being pummeled. A heavy rain can pummel the earth. If you get three bad math grades in a row, it feels like numbers themselves are pummeling you. When many bad things happen at once, it feels like you're being pummeled by life.

inner landscape

The inner landscape is the personal representation of reality. It is the image that defines the space where we live. The inner landscape is a map that contains historical references based on our emotions, sensations, ideas, and habits that we use to give meaning to the facts of everyday life.

lionize

The lion is the king of beasts. To lionize someone is to see them as important as a lion. Republicans continue to lionize Ronald Reagan as their ultimate hero. The lion is a symbol of pride, strength, courage, and nobility, so when you lionize someone, you attribute to them all those marvelous traits. Many people are uncomfortable with being lionized, since being made to seem important comes with responsibilities that are sometimes a burden. After the shooting, the bystander resisted people's efforts to lionize him. He was only doing what any person would do, he protested. "Don't make me into a hero. I don't want to be lionized."

concession

The noun concession comes in handy in negotiations — between countries, political parties, or even parents and their kids. Want a raise in your allowance? You may have to agree to do more chores as a concession before your parents will agree. Although a concession in an argument is the act of yielding or granting something, don't get confused and think that a concession stand is called that because the workers are granting you popcorn at the baseball stadium. Concessions at a ballpark or at another venue are called that because the stadium has granted the right to sell food to a certain provider. Chew on that the next time you're munching on peanuts at a game.

ecology

The noun ecology describes the environment as it connects to living things, or the branch of biology that studies that environment. The German zoologist Ernst Haeckel coined the word ecology almost 150 years ago, and it should come as no surprise — his being a serious scientist and all — that he combined a couple of Greek words to do it. Oikos means "habitation" and -ology means "the study of." So ecology started off as the study of where things live. More and more, though, the word is used interchangeably with environment.

legitimacy

The noun legitimacy means authenticity. If you found an old copy of the Gettysburg Address in your grandmother's attic, you'd have to question its legitimacy when you realized it was written on the back of a car advertisement. Legitimacy comes from the Latin verb legitimare, which means lawful. Legitimacy, then, refers to something that is legal because it meets the specific requirements of the law. The legitimacy of various countries' presidential elections is often discussed, with monitors keeping track of the voting procedures to make sure they follow all the necessary rules.

resolution

The noun resolution has a few related meanings having to do with being firmly determined about something. If you lack determination, you'll never fulfill your New Year's resolutions. Resolution is the noun form of the verb resolve, which comes from Latin resolvere, "to loosen, undo, settle." We can still see this meaning in resolution, in the sense of "an explanation" or "a solution"; when a problem, conflict or mystery reaches its resolution, it has been "undone," so to speak. Another common meaning is "determination, resolve": "Jose approached the task with resolution." A related sense is "a decision to do something": "My resolution is to go to the gym three times a week."

tranquility

The noun tranquility means "a state of peace and quiet," like the tranquility you feel at the shore of a quiet lake or inside a beautiful cathedral. Tranquility can also describe a person's disposition. How do you reach tranquility? Make peace with yourself, your life, and the people who drive you crazy. Tranquility can also come from spending time alone, like reading in front of the fireplace on a snowy afternoon. Meditation and yoga can help bring tranquility, by clearing your mind of constant worries.

et al.

The scholarly et al. means "and others." Say you've got an article written by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. You can take a scholarly shortcut and refer to them as "Crosby et al.." The phrase is an abbreviation for the Latin et alii. You don't need a period after et, since that's the whole word, but you do need a period with al.. Something else you need to know is that you don't use a comma between the proper name and the abbreviation, just as you wouldn't use a comma if you were writing "Crosby and others." And one last thing: you don't usually italicize et al., even though it's Latin.

deploy

The word deploy is mainly used in military contexts and to refer to the strategic arrangement of fighting forces. The Latin plicāre means "fold." By adding dis- to it, to get displicāre, we get the idea of an "unfolding," or distributing. This is the basis of the word deploy, and it gives us a good mental image of the sending out, or "unfolding," of troops in a military plan. To deploy means more than just dispersing troops, however — there is usually a specific formation in mind, consistent with military strategies. And you can deploy nonmilitary assets, too, like accounting teams before an IRS audit.

iconoclastic

The word iconoclastic is an adjective referring to a breaking of established rules or destruction of accepted beliefs. It might refer to an artist with an unorthodox style, or an iconoclastic attack, either physical or verbal, on a religious doctrine or image. Consider the Greek word eikōn, or "image," coupled with -klastēs, "one who breaks," and you get a good image of someone who is iconoclastic. An iconoclastic approach to religion involves tearing down the icons representing the church. While this was once done physically, through riots and mayhem, today's iconoclasts usually prefer using words. Not all iconoclasts are destructive, however. An iconoclastic approach to art and music has given rise to the development of new genres and styles through breaking the rules.

outlook

The word outlook describes a belief about the future. Your outlook on the awful present situation might make your outlook for the future turn grim. The noun outlook can also mean the practice of looking out. A guard's outlook on the bank vault must stay watchful and attentive in case there's an attempted robbery. Your outlook on your first job out of college was one of promise and excitement. The word can also mean a characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will handle situations. A pessimistic outlook on life will make you see only the negative.

sneak

The word sneak has many shades of meaning, but all involve doing something in a secretive or stealthy way. If you sneak home after midnight, that means you're quietly creeping into the house so no one will hear you. In addition to moving furtively, sneak can also mean doing something secretly or slipping something in. You might sneak a cookie when no one is looking, or you might sneak your brother into a concert. You could even sneak a glance at that cute guy in your math class — you do it when you think no one will notice. Sneak has a noun form that describes a furtive person — someone who does a lot of sneaking. (past tense and past participle sneaked or snuck /snʌk/ American English)

shifty

To be shifty is to be sneaky and devious. Shifty behavior is untrustworthy. Sometimes people shift around when they're nervous. That can help you remember the meaning of shifty, which describes someone who may not be literally shifting around, but they're acting in a way that makes you think they're up to no good. Lying is shifty behavior. A fake ID is shifty. Asking a lot of questions about where money is kept is shifty too. Shifty actions and words are deceitful or suspicious. When someone acts shifty, others distrust them.

befuddle

To befuddle is to confuse. A sticky exam question can befuddle you, or an awkward question about your whereabouts the night before (how can you remember? You were befuddled, after all.) In sixteenth century Britain a popular thing to do (about the only thing to do) after the hogs had been fed and the chickens put away for the night was fuddle — in other words get pretty drunk. Befuddled was simply the confused state too many pots of mead put your poor brain in, and that's still its basic meaning today. Nowadays, befuddle has a more general meaning of confusion and uncertainty not necessarily caused by too much booze.

captivate

To captivate means to attract others, fascinating or enchanting them. Some people are able to captivate with wit and charm, others with physical beauty, still others with intelligence. Notice the similarity between the verbs captivate and capture. Both come ultimately from the Latin captus "taken captive." Still, while both words mean some sort of hold on someone, capture sounds harsh, as though a trap has been set, while captivate is a softer, more attractive word that suggests there might be a willingness to be caught. Robert S. McNamara, a former U.S. secretary of defense, said, "Coercion, after all, merely captures man. Freedom captivates him."

conceive

To conceive is to become pregnant or to come up with an idea. Both imply planting a seed for something, either a baby or a thought. "When his wife became pregnant, he could imagine the blue nursery right away, but she would conceive of something different: a pink one." Latin roots for conceive (by way of French) point to "take into" either "the womb" or "the mind." An idea is sometimes called "a seed" or "the seed of an idea," and conceive means to produce something from inside the mind. Another expression is "pregnant with ideas" or "pregnant with possibilities," and someone who can "conceive of a thousand ways" to solve a problem or design something is full of new ideas.

dignify

To dignify is to grant nobility or respect to something. Dignifying raises the status of things. Dignity is a quality of honor and respect, so to dignify is to give greater respect and honor to something or someone. The presence of the President would dignify a military ceremony. Medals are given to dignify soldiers. Treating people with respect and taking them seriously dignifies them. Often, this word is used in a negative sense, as in "I wouldn't dignify him with an answer!" That means the speaker doesn't feel the person asking the question deserves respect.

dull

To dull something means to take away its edge, its energy, or its excitement. "Watching that movie will dull your senses, until you fall asleep." Let's think of something interesting about dull. Hmm. It can be a verb or an adjective! So when you're reading a dull or boring word description, for instance, it can dull or deaden your appetite for reading more word descriptions. That's pretty fascinating, no? You can even use it for physical things, like a knife, which you can dull, that is, make it less sharp. You can even dull something visual, making it lacking in light, or use it describe pain — you know, the kind that is not sharp, just an ache. Exciting? No — dull.

glorify

To glorify is to praise or honor something or someone to an extreme degree. If you like someone, you might compliment or praise them, but glorifying takes that a step further. When something is glorified, it is praised to the highest degree possible. It seems right that great people like Martin Luther King and Gandhi are glorified. It can seem odd when athletes are glorified just for playing a game. Often this word is used in a negative sense. For example, a movie with lots of explosions could be said "to glorify violence."

grasp

To grasp it get a hold of something, literally or figuratively. Grasp the grammar textbook with both hands and then read it to grasp the rules of the English language. It makes sense that the word grasp means understanding a concept since you are "getting a hold of an idea" just as you would grasp something tangible to hold. Grasp is good for when you're talking about comprehending the scale of something, or the full picture of a multi-faceted problem or idea. You might know that there is going to be a heat wave, but you may not grasp the idea of its relationship to global warming.

inaugurate

To inaugurate means to start something, to give it a kick off. The opening day pep rally inaugurates the high school football season. Inaugurate comes from the Latin word augur, which means taking signs from birds, or telling the future. The Romans would always look for good omens to mark the beginning of something--a war, or a new emperor's reign--so inaugurate became linked to new beginnings. While inaugurate has long been used in formal contexts, such as the swearing-in ceremony that inaugurates a President's term in office, inaugurate is now also used casually. You might inaugurate your marathon training with a long run.

posit

To posit something is to assume or suggest that it is true. You can posit an idea or opinion. When you posit, you submit an idea or give an opinion. Scientists posit many ideas — called hypotheses — that they then try to prove or disprove through experimentation and research. In science, you hear about positing a lot, and the same is true in math and logic. When you say "If X, then Y" you're positing a proposition. Positing can also mean to put something somewhere firmly — this means to deposit, fix, or situate.

rebound

To rebound is to come back from a slump. You might rebound from an illness, or your country might rebound from an economic recession. Like many words that start with the prefix re, rebound involves something happening again. In this case, to rebound is to bounce back to a previous state or condition. If you gain 20 pounds and then lose it, you rebound. If the stock market crashes and then returns to a healthy level, it rebounds.

replenish

To replenish something is to refill it. If you have a pet pooch, you're probably obligated to replenish his food bowl to avoid being barked at incessantly. Use replenish when talking about something valuable or desirable, such as money or food. For example, you might discuss replenishing your bank account, but you wouldn't speak of replenishing a trash can. You can also use replenish in a joking way to show that something is of value to you; by noting that the jar of jellybeans on your desk needs to be replenished, you indicate that you require jellybeans to survive your day at the office. We get that.

revitalize

To revitalize is to restore something to life or give it new life. Revitalizing adds newsness and strength. Since vital things are alive, strong, and flourishing, when something gets revitalized, it is returned to health or life. A good night's sleep will revitalize you — so will eating a healthy meal. If a rundown building is purchased and then spiffed up, it's being revitalized. A new paint job could revitalize a room. A sick person is revitalized by medicine. In all cases, when something is revitalized, it has been restored to a better state.

select

To select something means to choose it from among others. If you select the most expensive phone, it doesn't necessarily mean you will be happy with what you get. You can use select as an adjective as well as a verb. It means "specially chosen" or "of superior quality." For instance, you might be one of the select few who know how to really appreciate a game of Tetris, or you might want to choose a wine from a select list of Spanish reds. All of this assumes that if you select one thing, you feel that it's better than all the other choices.

shuffle

To shuffle is to drag your feet slowly along the ground as you walk. A kid might shuffle reluctantly off to his room only after being told five times that it's bedtime. Shuffle also means to wiggle around, like if you shuffle uncomfortably in your seat while watching a five-hour movie. If you get lost in the shuffle, you're lost in the crowd. Another way to use shuffle is to mean "mix up in a random way," as you do with a deck of cards before dealing a hand. Shuffle probably comes from the Low German word schuffeln, which means both "to walk clumsily" and "to deal dishonestly."

snub

To snub is to ignore or refuse to acknowledge someone. If you want to snub your former best friend, you can refuse to even look at her when you pass in the hallway. When you snub someone, you deliver an insult by pretending to not even notice someone that you know. There's an element of disdain and rejection to a snub, as if you're too good to even acknowledge the person. As a noun, a snub is that act of cold rejection. Your former friend probably noticed the snub, and she'll probably snub you from now on. Snub also means "very short," like the nose on a bulldog.

spur

To spur something on is to get it going, to encourage it, to hasten it or stimulate. Cowboys wear spiky metal tools called spurs on their boots to kick their horse, and spur them to greater speed. Economists talk of lowering interest rates to spur spending. A new source of funding for research will hopefully spur new proposals for research from scientists. An earthquake in China might spur cities in California to a higher standard of earthquake preparedness. You might spur your team on to victory by cheering from the sidelines.

long

To strongly crave or desire something is to long for it. No matter how healthful your diet is, you'll still occasionally long for chocolate, cookies, and cake. The adjective long describes something that stretches over a large distance. If you're trying to avoid a prolonged visit with your crazy Aunt Martha, you might decide to take the long way to her house. The adjective long also describes something that lasts for an extended amount of time. When your Aunt Martha comes to your house, a half-hour can seem like a long, long time.

surpass

To surpass means to outdo someone or something, to go beyond what was expected. If you do better than you think you will, you will surpass your own expectations. Some words seem to exist just to give an extra oomph to your speech, and surpass is one of these. While you could just say passed or even outdid" saying surpass seems to indicate that a person (or some other thing that performs, like a company) has really gone beyond anything you anticipated. People tend to use this word a lot before the words expectations and predictions among others, because of course surpassing is all about "surpassing something."

tout

To tout means to praise, boast, or brag about. If you like to tout your skill as a skier, you tell people you can go down expert-level hills. Sometimes parents will get into bragging wars about their children, each touting the accomplishments of his or her child. Sometimes the word means more of "to claim." The company touted the lotion as a solution to wrinkles. Broccoli has been touted as the cancer-fighting vegetable. In England, a tout is a person who gives advice about gambling. If you're looking to play some money on the ponies, go see the tout who hangs out at Jackie's bar for a tip.

vaccinate

To vaccinate is to immunize someone against a disease. Babies are usually vaccinated against many diseases soon after birth. A vaccine is a type of medicine that makes you resistant (immune) to a disease like polio. To give someone such a medicine is to vaccinate them. You can use this word in a few ways. A doctor is usually the person who vaccinates a child (or older person) by administering a vaccine. You can also say the parents have vaccinated their children by making the decision to do so. Animals can be vaccinated too, like dogs are vaccinated against rabies.

vanquish

To vanquish is to be the complete and total winner, to overpower and overcome, whether in a contest, a race, or a war. It generally suggests a total trouncing, to the point of humiliation — or worse — for the loser. Sometimes words for the same thing are effective in different ways because they offer different levels of meaning. For example, in a game, you can simply win, or you can vanquish your opponent. The former is enough, but the latter makes that defeat sound so much worse, like a total rout. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once stated, "Against war it may be said that it makes the victor stupid and the vanquished revengeful."

vie

To vie for something means to compete for it. Two teams may vie for the gold medal, but one will have to go home with silver. Vie may be spelled the same as the French word, vie, but they are pronounced differently, vī and vē respectively, and are not related in meaning or history. English vie comes from the Latin verb meaning "to invite" as in to invite a challenge. Be careful of the spelling which includes an ie to y shift. "He intends to vie for the top prize," but "He is vying for the top prize."

wheedle

To wheedle is to sweet talk, or flatter someone in the hopes of getting something in return. You might try to wheedle a meter maid into not giving you a parking ticket. Good luck with that. If you want your parents to do something for you that they don't want to do, you may have to wheedle them with breakfast in bed and a shower of compliments in order to get what you want. To wheedle someone is to "charm" that person, though it's a little more on the "suck up to" side than it is charming. The teacher's pet might try to wheedle her way into a better grade.

Transmission

Transmission is the act of transferring something from one spot to another, like a radio or TV broadcast, or a disease going from one person to another. The noun transmission comes from the Latin word transmissio, which means "sending over or across, passage." The transmission of a message is the delivery of the message. Transmission can also be a communication sent out by radio or television, while the transmission of a disease is the passing of that virus or bacteria between people. A vehicle's transmission is the part of the engine that uses the energy created by the burning fuel to make the axle turn.

Tremendous

Tremendous means extraordinarily large in size, extent, amount, power, or degree. It can also mean really marvelous and fantastic — or really awful and terrible. We often use tremendous if something is super wonderful. If someone comes into your office and tells you you just won a big contract and are getting a huge bonus, you might exclaim, "Tremendous!" Tremendous comes from the Latin for "trembling," and is connected with fear. Something tremendous can be big in a terrifying way, like the tremendous noise of an approaching hurricane, or a tremendous tidal wave about to crash on the shore.

tremendous

Tremendous means extraordinarily large in size, extent, amount, power, or degree. It can also mean really marvelous and fantastic — or really awful and terrible. We often use tremendous if something is super wonderful. If someone comes into your office and tells you you just won a big contract and are getting a huge bonus, you might exclaim, "Tremendous!" Tremendous comes from the Latin for "trembling," and is connected with fear. Something tremendous can be big in a terrifying way, like the tremendous noise of an approaching hurricane, or a tremendous tidal wave about to crash on the shore.

ascendancy

When you assume ascendancy over someone else, you become more powerful than they are. Ascendancy is the state of being in a higher position. If you look at ascendancy, you see the word, ascend, which means to go up. Ascendancy is not so much about going up, but about being up. Another word for it is dominance, especially in the context of foreign or domestic relations. In school, if you question a teacher's ascendancy, you might be told to go to the principal's office. In this case, you're challenging the teacher's authority.

Empathy

Use empathy if you're looking for a noun meaning "the ability to identify with another's feelings." When Bill Clinton famously told people "I feel your pain" during his 1992 election campaign, some praised and others ridiculed him for displaying empathy, the sharing or understanding of feelings. Empathy is different from sympathy, which is pity or sorrow for others' misfortunes. They share a common root in -pathy, from the Greek pathos, "feeling." Where they differ is in their prefixes: sym- means "with," while em- means "in." If you can empathize with someone, it's because you have been in their place: you've "walked a mile in their shoes," as the saying goes. CHOOSE YOUR WORDS empathy / sympathy Empathy is heartbreaking — you experience other people's pain and joy. Sympathy is easier because you just have to feel sorry for someone. Send a sympathy card if someone's cat died; feel empathy if your cat died, too. Empathy was first used to describe how a viewer's appreciation of art depends on her ability to project her personality onto the art. These days it applies to anything you can basically "project your personality" on. When you feel what someone else feels, that's empathy. It's a good skill for doctors, actors, and characters from Star Trek: Nearly all medical schools teach the importance of listening to patients and showing empathy. (New York Times) "I've always thought of acting as more of an exercise in empathy." (Edward Norton) In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Commander Deanna Troi was an empath: she could psychically sense other people's emotions. She experienced their emotions as they did. Sympathy is an older word, from the Greek sympatheia, for "having a fellow feeling." It's a snuggly, comforting word. It's nice to get sympathy if you're feeling under the weather. To feel sympathy for someone is to feel bad for them: This has already proved effective at drawing attention and sympathy. (Slate) Police show no sympathy for "polite bandit." (Chicago Tribune) So many dramas resort to cadging sympathy for their troubled characters by killing off loved ones. (Time) If you're feeling empathy, you're in (em) the feeling. If it's sympathy, you're feeling sorry for someone.

elaborate

Use the adjective elaborate when you want to describe how something is very detailed or especially complicated, like a devilish prank planned out weeks in advance. The adjective elaborate is used to describe when something is planned with a lot of attention to detail or when something is intricate or detailed itself. The word comes from the Latin elaborare, which means "to produce by labor" but it has come to mean a lot of labor, especially work that is very complicated and precise. To imagine this word, think of a painting with lots of flourishes or a story with many sub-plots and characters that all fit together in extensive ways.

exorbitant

Use the adjective exorbitant when you want to describe something that is really just too much! You'll often hear people griping about exorbitant bank fees or exorbitant interest rates. The adjective exorbitant was originally a legal term to describe a case that was outside the bounds of the law. It comes from the Latin roots — the prefix ex, meaning "out of," and orbita, meaning "wheel track." You can see how the word now has come to be described as something that has gone way off the beaten track, especially in terms of price and value.

garish

Use the adjective garish to describe something that is overly vivid, bright, showy, and in bad taste — like the DJ's garish outfit that is a flashback to the disco era. Garish comes to English from the Old Norse word gaurr, meaning "rough fellow." It is often used to describe colors, clothing, decorations, and other things that can be elegant and tasteful. Because the word connotes bad taste, however, it is rarely used in a complimentary way. If you say to your friend, "I like your garish hair and makeup," she is not likely to take it well, unless, of course, you are going to a 70s flashback party.

pursue

Use the verb pursue when you're chasing after someone — the way that paparazzi pursue a celebrity. Pursue originally meant "to follow with hostile intent," from a Latin root word, prosequi, "follow, accompany, follow after, or follow up." Today, when you pursue someone, it's not necessarily with bad intentions. A police officer, for example, might pursue a criminal, and your dog might pursue your cat around the house just for fun. If you pursue a career in journalism, you are working to achieve it. Likewise, you pursue a strategy or a hobby if you do it consistently.

mechanism

Use the word mechanism to describe a process that has been set up to accomplish a particular goal. If you've set up a method for dealing with your sister when she annoys you, then you have a mechanism in place for establishing peace with your sister. The word mechanism came into the English language in the seventeenth century by way of the Latin word mechanismus, which traces back to the Greek word mekhane, meaning "device" or "means." Mechanism still carries with it the meaning of "device" and can be used to describe a machine, but nowadays you are more likely to hear it used to describe a process for getting something done, such as "a mechanism for generating revenue" or "a crisis-resolution mechanism."

reel

Verb. 1. to be confused or shocked by a situation: Norman's brain was reeling, but he did his best to appear calm. reel from The party is still reeling from its recent election defeat. 2. (also reel back) to step backwards suddenly and almost fall over, especially after being hit or getting a shock: Diane reeled back in amazement. The force of the punch sent him reeling against the wall. 3. [always + adverb/preposition] to walk in an unsteady way and almost fall over, as if you are drunk: Andy reeled away from the bar and knocked over his stool. 4. to seem to go around and around: The room reeled before my eyes and I fainted. • • • reel somebody/something ↔ in phrasal verb 1. to wind the reel on a fishing rod so that a fish caught on the line comes towards you: It took almost an hour to reel the fish in. 2. to get or attract a large number of people or things SYN pull in: The programme reels in more than 13 million viewers a show. reel something ↔ off phrasal verb 1. to repeat a lot of information quickly and easily: Jack reeled off a list of names. 2. informal to do something again and again: The Yankees reeled off 14 straight wins. Noun. 1. a. a round object onto which film, wire, a special string for fishing etc can be wound: a cotton reel a fishing rod and reel b. the amount that one of these objects will hold: a reel of film 2. one of the parts of a cinema film that is contained on a reel: the final reel 3. a quick folk dance, especially one from Scotland or Ireland, or the music for this

condition

Verb. 1. [transitive] to make a person or an animal think or behave in a certain way by influencing or training them over a period of time ⇨ conditioning: People are conditioned by society. condition somebody to do something Many women are conditioned from birth to be accepting rather than questioning. 2. [transitive] formal to control or decide the way in which something can happen or exist SYN determine: What I buy is conditioned by the amount I earn. 3. [intransitive and transitive] to keep hair or skin healthy by putting a special liquid on it ⇨ conditioner: a shampoo that washes and conditions all in one

misogynist

a man who hates women —misogynist, misogynistic adjective: deeply misogynist attitudes —misogyny noun [uncountable]

autism

a mental disorder (=problem) that makes people unable to communicate properly, or to form relationships —autistic /ɔːˈtɪstɪk $ ɒː-/ adjective: an autistic child

drift

WITHOUT PLAN to move, change, or do something without any plan or purpose drift around/along etc Jenni spent the year drifting around Europe. drift into I just drifted into teaching, really. drift away The others drifted away. Melanie stayed. drift from something to something The conversation drifted from one topic to another. let your gaze/eyes/thoughts/mind etc drift Idly she let her eyes drift over his desk. If you get my drift, you get the basic meaning of what I'm saying. Or, if you move around without a seeming fixed destination, you are said to drift — whether you're a snowflake or a homeless person. Interestingly, the verb to drift can be used either approvingly or disapprovingly. We rather admire the freedom of certain objects that drift, such as snow drifts or drift wood, but applied to people we're a bit more critical: we tend to harbor suspicions of the carefree Gypsy or nomad, hence the moral criticism (and danger) inherent in the term drifters.

atrophy

Wearing a cast on a broken leg can cause atrophy, or withering, in the leg, because it is immobilized and gets no exercise. Appearing in English in the 17th century, the word atrophy originally described a lack of nourishment. Atrophy occurs in parts of the body that can't move or be "fed" because of disease or injury. It also is used to describe things that go dull through lack of use, like skills in sports or artistic creativity. The (unrelated) word "trophy" refers to something that sits on a shelf and is admired, while atrophy is a condition of being "shelved," or made inactive and lifeless.

unanimous

When a group or a decision is unanimous, it means that everyone is in total agreement. Just imagine if you let third graders vote on what to serve at lunch: Pizza and candy would be the unanimous choice! The adjective unanimous comes from the similar Latin word unanimus, which means "of one mind." So when people think unanimously, they all have the same idea in their heads. A vote is unanimous when all voters are in agreement. Said Marcus Cicero, "Great is the power, great is the authority of a senate that is unanimous in its opinions."

bombardment

When a lot of bombs fall on a city or area, it is a bombardment. But a bombardment can also mean a pummeling with lots of other things: questions, spit balls, or e-mails. During the early stages of a war, the capital city of the country under attack may suffer a severe bombardment meant to bring on a quick surrender. If there are many casualties or the citizens of the country are treated brutally by the occupying force, military officials may find themselves under a bombardment of questions and accusations about how the war was handled.

excoriate

When it comes to "telling someone off," excoriate is reserved for the most severe cases. So, before you excoriate your little sister for borrowing your favorite jacket without permission, consider whether she truly deserves such harsh treatment. If you excoriate someone, you let that person know that you really, really disagree with them. This verb goes beyond mere criticism; it implies anger, a harsh and insulting tone, and even a scathing attack. Synonyms of excoriate include denounce, decry, and condemn. In a medical sense, excoriate means "to tear skin off by chafing." A bad rug burn can excoriate your skin. If someone excoriates you verbally, it might make you feel like you've been physically excoriated.

emissary

When presidents can't attend state funerals, they send an emissary to pay their respects. An emissary performs a specific job on someone else's behalf. Emissary is a word you hear often around governments, but anyone can be one or have one. Say, if you're feeling too lazy to get off the couch you could appoint your little sister to be your emissary in fetching ice cream from the kitchen.

refrain

When someone burps in a quiet classroom it can be hard to refrain from laughing. Use the verb refrain if you have a sudden impulse to do something, and you have stopped yourself from doing it. It's usually hard to refrain from doing something, because this word is used to describe habits, like smoking, or uncontrollable urges, like laughing. The Latin word refrēnāre is formed from the prefix re- "back" plus frēnāre "to hold a horse back with a bridle." There is a noun refrain, but that's a different and unrelated word.

evolve

When something evolves, it changes, or develops over time, like your taste in music and clothes, which evolve as you get older. Evolve comes from the Latin word ēvolvere, "to unroll," the perfect image to keep in mind when thinking of this verb. When something is unrolling or unraveling, it is doing so gradually, not all at once. Evolve describes a development that is taking its time to reach its final destination. Think change with a speed limit. Your taste in music evolved from the nursery rhymes you loved as a little kid to whatever you like today. Even places can evolve, like the old-fashioned coffee shops that evolved into Internet cafes as people began to bring their laptops with them.

undue

When something isn't appropriate or justified, you can describe it as undue. For example, an undue delay in a hospital waiting room can be dangerous for someone with a bad injury. Something that's undue isn't warranted or, often, fair. The phrase "undue delay" is a common one, and it means that someone has to wait way too long for something, whether it's a building permit or a dentist appointment. The adjective has come to mean "excessive," from its original definition in the fourteenth century as literally "not owing" or "not payable." formal more than is reasonable, suitable, or necessary: De Gaulle felt that America had undue influence in Europe. undue pressure/stress/strain etc Exercise gently and avoid putting yourself under undue strain. The kick should be taken without undue delay.

Meteorology

When the weather man tells you it's going to rain today, he is giving a meteorology report, or weather forecast. Meteorology is the study of our atmosphere. Meteorology comes from the Greek meteōrologia meaning "of the atmosphere." While meteorology involves various branches including aviation and agricultural studies, most commonly we see it in our everyday lives through weather forecasting, a process that involves collecting data about an atmosphere to determine what the weather will be. If you're fascinated by storms and hurricanes, consider a career in meteorology.

fade

When things fade, they gradually become less clear or more faint. When you wake up after having a strange dream, its details quickly begin to fade unless you write them down right away. Dreams usually fade once you wake up, and sunlight begins to fade toward the end of the day. Sounds can fade too, as when the music you can hear from a passing car begins to fade as it moves down the road. Disappointments in life can make your hopes and dreams fade, and the smell of cut flowers will eventually fade as well. The Old French root word, fader, means "weaken, wilt, or wither."

endeavor

When you endeavor to do something, you try hard to make it happen. A determined student might endeavor to get straight As on her report card. "The ordinary objects of human endeavor — property, outward success, luxury — have always seemed to me contemptible," wrote Albert Einstein. Presumably, NASA had loftier objects in mind when they named one of their space shuttles Endeavour, using the British spelling. The word comes from the Old French phrase mettre en deveir, or "put in duty." As a verb, it's a more impressive word than try and suggests you're doing your darnedest to make something happen.

explicitly

When you explain something explicitly, you do it in great detail, leaving no room for misunderstanding. You could intimidate your little brother by explicitly describing what you'll do if he reads your diary. Something that's said or done explicitly is clear and direct, like an explicitly told story about terrible poverty in India — it leaves out no disturbing details, even if it upsets the listener. Explicitly can also refer to sexual situations or details, like a movie whose sex scenes are shown explicitly, or graphically. The Latin root is explicare, "unfold, unravel, explain."

collaboration

When you join a group of friends to build a huge sandcastle on the beach, your impressive structure is the result of collaboration, or working together toward a common goal. Working with another person — or a group of people — to make something together is collaboration. You can also describe the result of your work, like the elaborately decorated cake you made with your best friend, as a collaboration. During World War II, the word collaboration began being used to mean "working traitorously with an enemy," and became a very serious crime.

revision

When you make a revision, you go about editing or rethinking whatever it is you're working on. So that paper on Donald Duck's influence in national politics? It could probably use a revision or two. The word revision is made up of re, as in "repeat" or "redo," and vision. So you can think of a revision as a redo of your original vision. It's related to the word revise, which is the act of making changes to something original. Just about anything can get revised, from a script that needs rewrites to a wardrobe with some questionable pieces.

bestow

When you present an honor or gift to someone, you bestow it, which is the same as giving it, but often classier and more respectful. Bestow comes from the Middle English stowen, "to place." Placing something really valuable or honoring in the hands of another, or conferring a position of responsibility on them, is to bestow it. For example, "She gave her teacher a ceramic apple she had made, knowing that her whole class would bestow the big honor of Teacher of the Year later that day," or, "The king praised her for working with the poor, and he would later bestow the medal of honor on her in a ceremony."

buffet

When you see the word buffet, it's hard not to think "all-you-can-eat." Although the noun can refer to food set out for self-service, buffet also means "a blow, especially with the hand," and as a verb "to strike sharply." The two meanings of buffet come from very different sources. Buffet the self-serve meal is drawn from the piece of furniture on which such a meal might be served, a bufet "sideboard" in eighteenth-century French, and is pronounced buh-FAY. The meaning of hitting, however, comes from the Old French word bufe "a blow" or "a puff of wind" and is spoken BUH-fit. If the wind buffets the windows of your house, it can make them rattle in their frames, and if you are buffeted by bad news, you might shake in your shoes too.

buffet

When you see the word buffet, it's hard not to think "all-you-can-eat." Although the noun can refer to food set out for self-service, buffet also means "a blow, especially with the hand," and as a verb "to strike sharply." The two meanings of buffet come from very different sources. Buffet the self-serve meal is drawn from the piece of furniture on which such a meal might be served, a bufet "sideboard" in eighteenth-century French, and is pronounced buh-FAY. The meaning of hitting, however, comes from the Old French word bufe "a blow" or "a puff of wind" and is spoken BUH-fit. If the wind buffets the windows of your house, it can make them rattle in their frames, and if you are buffeted by bad news, you might shake in your shoes too.

simulate

When you simulate something you imitate it. Hollywood makeup artists can use pencils and gray wigs to simulate old age in a young actor. It can also mean to model--a computer can simulate disaster scenarios in cities. If you really admire someone's calm-under-pressure attitude, you may try to simulate their demeanor. When opening a present, it's polite to simulate surprise and excitement about the gift item, even if you already have it or it is ugly as dirt. Don't try to simulate your parents' signatures on excuse cards, though--signatures are unique to individuals--impossible to simulate perfectly.

clout

When you speak of someone having clout, it usually means that they communicate a sense of power or influence, particularly in the political sense. "You'll wanna talk to that big guy over there if you want me to let you in. He's got clout." Clout can also mean to hit someone really hard — either the hit you give ("that's a big clout he just landed") or the act of hitting ("she clouted him with a baseball bat"). Of course, the sense of having power and the actual hitting are related, since clout is something to be wielded — either physically or figuratively. Note: it's not just tough guys who have clout. China is said to have "growing economic clout," and Oprah is known to have significant clout in the media industry.

depletion

When you think about depletion, think about a resource being decreased. Depletion is usually not a good thing; we worry about the depletion of the ozone and the depletion of the soil. Have you ever run out of gas or money? Then you know what it's like to be in a state of depletion. Your bank account is in a state of depletion if you've been taking a lot of money out of it. The world's oil reserves are moving closer to depletion as oil runs out. In any type of depletion, something is running low or running out.

uphold

When you uphold something, you stick up for or support it. Police officers are paid to uphold the law, and crazy Elvis fans uphold their belief that he's still alive out there somewhere. If you reverse the two parts of this word, you get hold up. And that's exactly what upholding is: holding up or supporting an idea or practice. You might uphold your dog's innocence, even though it's pretty obvious he dug up the neighbor's flower bed. When America fought for independence, we upheld the idea of fair representation. When you uphold something, you're taking a stand for it.

nanotechnology

a science which involves developing and making extremely small but very powerful machines

collaborate

When you work together on shared goal, you collaborate. If you don't just split a project up evenly but work together on creating solutions, you collaborate. Inside the word you see co-labor, or "working together." Cooperation is simply splitting up the work and getting it done. Collaboration is when you brainstorm, create, and share possible solutions. During World War II, however, Nazi collaborators were sharing ideas with the wrong side. In today's pop music scene, collaboration means featuring a guest star on a record, and it's often a surefire way to boost sales.

expertise

When you're an expert at something, you show expertise — or an exceptional knowledge of the subject. "He had expertise in accounting, having excelled in math, but he had even more expertise in dancing, his hobby since a small child." Expertise has obvious roots in the word expert. Just about any interest or field has a place for experts. Just as one individual has expertise in world religions, another may have expertise in computer gaming. Working hard or immersing yourself in a specialty leads to expertise, and it comes through both study and hands-on experience.

phony

Whether you're talking about your attitude, a gigantic diamond, or that obnoxious guy's claims that he knows everything about quantum physics, you can use phony to say that something's not real. Use the adjective phony to describe anything that's fake. If you're making phony money in the basement, you'll be in trouble if you get caught using it. Phony has a noun version with a similar meaning. If you say someone or something is a phony, then you're saying it isn't what it pretends to be. Someone who's a phony isn't sincere, like your classmate who pretended to be your best friend just to try to steal your boyfriend.

quantum

While quantum refers to a general quantity or size, it is most often used in physics as a measure of the smallest amount of something — usually energy — that something can possess. The plural form is quanta. In the 17th Century, the word quantum, from the Latin word for "how much," referred to a portion. Quantum is usually a noun referring to a specific amount of something. However, it can also be used as an adjective, as in the phrase "quantum leap," where it refers to a sudden, important change. Outside of physics, the word might be used with "not" to refer to something insignificant, as in "There's not a quantum of truth in what you say."

willpower

Willpower is the ability to control or restrain yourself. If you bake brownies and can keep yourself from tasting them until after dinner, you can thank your willpower. A less descriptive — but simpler — way to say willpower is simply will. Whichever word you prefer, you can use it to describe someone's deliberate or purposeful control. In the case of willpower, the person is likely to be resisting a temptation or impulse. It takes willpower not to argue with someone whose opinions make you angry, and willpower to eat just one potato chip.

Willpower

Willpower is the ability to control or restrain yourself. If you bake brownies and can keep yourself from tasting them until after dinner, you can thank your willpower. A less descriptive — but simpler — way to say willpower is simply will. Whichever word you prefer, you can use it to describe someone's deliberate or purposeful control. In the case of willpower, the person is likely to be resisting a temptation or impulse. It takes willpower not to argue with someone whose opinions make you angry, and willpower to eat just one potato chip.

buttress

You can buttress an argument with solid facts or your financial portfolio with safe investments. You may find that giving compliments to everyone you meet buttresses your popularity. To buttress is to sustain or reinforce. A buttress is a structure that adds stability to a wall or building, and this innovation played a significant role in the evolution of architecture. Think of a medieval cathedral. It's an incredibly tall, open building filled with light from vast windows. Without buttresses supporting the walls and carrying the weight of the ceiling away from the building and down to the ground, this cathedral would be impossible. Picture this when you use buttress figuratively as a verb meaning to strengthen and support.

ideological

You can use the word ideological to describe shared ideas or beliefs, and the word breaks down to ideo- (not "idea," but close) and -logical. An ideological stand for equal rights made Rosa Parks stay in her seat at the front of the bus. Ideological is an adjective that describes political, cultural, or religious beliefs. An ideology is a body of ideas, and those who agree with the main idea of something take an ideological stand to support it. Unlimited freedom is a strong ideological belief in countries like the United States, and communism was once the ideological foundation in parts of Europe. Some follow ideological ideals that are logical, while others take stands that seem, well, idiotic or illogical, like racism.

nostalgic

You feel nostalgic when you miss your childhood, people you know but haven't seen in a while or the things that bring you comfort, like the nostalgic memories you feel when you listen to the songs you loved when you were little. The adjective nostalgic is often used to describe someone who is homesick and wants to be back at home with family. It always involves a wistful memory of times that now seem better or simpler. A nostalgic feeling can involve home and family, but it can also involve a longing for long-gone moments. Even beloved things, such as old TV shows or athletes from a different era may provoke the feeling of nostalgia.

Contagious

You should probably postpone dinner if your date's cold is contagious — that means it's easily spread and likely to get you sick. Contagious actually evolved from contagio, the Latin phrase for "contact." Those smart ancient Romans — they figured out that the sick and contagious can pass on their plague to those they touch or get close to. So the word contagious usually sends people running. But let's not forget that a smile or good deed can be just as infectious as a cough!

among other things

You use expressions like among other things or among others to indicate that there are several more facts, things, or people like the one or ones mentioned, but that you do not intend to mention them all. He moved to Ohio in 2005 where, among other things, he worked as a journalist. His travels took him to Peru, among other places.

turmoil

a state of confusion, excitement, or anxiety political/emotional/economic/religious etc turmoil the prospect of another week of political turmoil in (a) turmoil Ashley gazed at him, her thoughts in turmoil.

sentiment

Your opinion that most comedies are terrible and that you'd rather watch any other kind of movie could be described as your sentiment, or your attitude, about films. Sentiment means a view or opinion, but it can also mean an emotion. Maybe you prefer tragic movies because you enjoy the sentiment of sadness. This meaning of sentiment is taken to an extreme in yet another version of the word, meaning something like "overdone, exaggerated feelings, especially of sadness or nostalgia." An overly soppy tragedy is a good example of this kind of sentiment; it's the kind of film that might make you cringe instead of cry.

improbable

Your parents might tell you it's improbable that they'll buy you a car when you turn 16. Since improbable means something is unlikely but not impossible, your optimism allows you to keep hoping. The adjective improbable also means statistically unlikely to happen. You might be afraid to fly, but the odds of a plane crash are so low that such an event is improbable. Improbable also means something that is so outrageous that you'd never admit you believed in it. You know the existence of the Loch Ness Monster is improbable, but that doesn't stop you from looking for it when you travel to Scotland.

upbringing

Your upbringing is how you were raised as a child. You might have had a rough upbringing or a gentler one, but at least you made it this far. Looking at the base "bring" in upbringing, we find a Germanic origin meaning "to carry." You might consider the "carry" idea as a way to remember the word, considering a parent "carries" a child to adulthood, providing what then becomes the child's upbringing.

Medicaid

['medɪkeɪd] 【美国为穷人设立的】医疗补助制度

Nietzschean

['ni:tʃiən] adj. 尼采哲学的 Nietzsche

subspecialty

['sʌb'speʃəltɪ] n. 子专业

vaulted

['vɔːltɪd] adj. 拱状的；穹形的 in the shape of or consisting of several arches joined together vaulted ceiling/roof etc

amoral

[.eɪ'mɒrəl] adj. 不属于道德范畴的；没有道德原则的；无道德感的 having no moral standards at all Guy was greedy, amoral, obsessed with power and self-gratification.

neuronal

[.njʊə'rɒnəl] adj. 神经元的

plateau

[N-COUNT 可数名词] 高原；A plateau is a large area of high and fairly flat land. A broad valley opened up leading to a high, flat plateau of cultivated land. 一条宽阔的山谷展现在眼前，通往一处平整的开垦地高原。 2[N-COUNT 可数名词] 活动或进程中的稳定阶段，停滞时期；If you say that an activity or process has reached a plateau, you mean that it has reached a stage where there is no further change or development. The US heroin market now appears to have reached a plateau... 美国的海洛因市场现在似乎已到了停滞期。 I think the economy is stuck on a kind of plateau of slow growth. 我认为经济将停留在缓慢发展的阶段。 3[VERB 动词] 活动、进程、成本等达到稳定阶段，进入停滞时期；If something such as an activity, process, or cost plateaus or plateaus out, it reaches a stage where there is no further change or development. [V out] [V at n] Evelyn's career is accelerating, and mine is plateauing out a bit... 伊夫琳的职业生涯蒸蒸日上，而我的则停滞不前。 The shares plateaued at 153p. 股票稳定在153便士。

feud

[fjuːd] n. 长期不和 a feud is a long-standing fight, feuds do not have to be violent—what characterizes them is long-standing hostility In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare describes the lovers' long-feuding families. Kids in school who refuse to sit at the same lunch table over a period of years could describe their relationship as a feud.

Cannes

[kæn] n.戛纳 a fashionable expensive town next to the Mediterranean Sea in southern France which is famous as a holiday centre and because of the Cannes Film Festival, a yearly event when new international films are shown for the first time and are judged It was later revealed that she had not raised anywhere close to this amount at the charity party she held in Cannes for the purpose.

progressively

[prəˈɡresɪvli] adv. 渐近地，日益增多地 teadily and continuously The pain got progressively worse.

assertion

[ə'sɜːʃ(ə)n] n. 明确肯定；断言 something that you say or write that you strongly believe She makes very general assertions about marriage in the poem. An assertion is a declaration that's made emphatically, especially as part of an argument or as if it's to be understood as a statement of fact. To assert is to state with force. So if someone makes an assertion, they're not just trying out an idea — they really mean it. An assertion can also be an act that seems to make a statement without words. When your dog urinates in multiple places up and down your block, he's making an assertion of his dominance (also called "marking") over his "territory."

Übermensch

[ˈuːbərˌmɛnʃ] n. 超人学说 uber: super, over the idea that superior man of the future who could rise above conventional Christian morality to creat and impose his own values

paleontologist

[ˌpeɪliɑːnˈtɑːlədʒɪst] n. 古生物学家 a person who studies fossils

maiden flight/voyage

[飞机的]首次飞行/[船的]首次航行

uproar

a lot of noise or angry protest about something be in (an) uproar The house was in an uproar, with babies crying and people shouting.

backlash

a strong negative reaction by a number of people against recent events, especially against political or social developments backlash against The 1970s saw the first backlash against the women's movement. backlash from The management fear a backlash from fans over the team's poor performances. When many people react against something in the same way, you can call it a backlash. A backlash against government policies can result in mass protests. When people get angry enough about something — or just tired of hearing about it — the result can be a backlash. An influx of refugees to a city can cause a backlash against immigration, and the popularity of a particular style of music might eventually cause a backlash against it. A true backlash involves many people acting together. The original, 1815 meaning of backlash was "recoil between parts of a machine." It wasn't until the 1950's that the figurative meaning came into use.

hentai

a subgenre of the Japanese genres of manga and anime, characterized by overtly sexualized characters and sexually explicit images and plots.

semiconductor

a substance, such as silicon, that allows some electric currents to pass through it, and is used in electronic equipment —semiconducting adjective [only before noun]

sugar rush

a sudden and brief burst of energy supposedly experienced after the consumption of food or drink with a high sugar content. "the sugar rush helps me write"

regressive tax

a tax that has less effect on the rich than on the poor 递减税

neuron

a type of cell that makes up the nervous system and sends messages to other parts of the body or the brain SYN nerve cell

nuance

a very slight, hardly noticeable difference in manner, colour, meaning etc ⇨ subtlety: He was aware of every nuance in her voice. nuance of the painting's delicate nuances of color, tone, and texture subtle nuances of meaning —nuanced adjective: a skilful and nuanced performance

marshmallow

a very soft light white or pink sweet, made of sugar and egg white 棉花糖实验（Stanford Marshmallow Experiment）是斯坦福大学沃尔特·米歇尔（Walter Mischel）博士1966年到1970年代早期在幼儿园进行的有关自制力的一系列心理学经典实验。 在这些实验中，小孩子可以选择不用等待而直接获得一份奖励（有时是棉花糖，也可以是曲奇饼、巧克力等等）；或者选择等待一段时间直到实验者返回房间（通常为15分钟），得到相同的两份奖励。 在后来的研究中，研究者发现能为偏爱的奖励坚持忍耐更长时间的小孩通常具有更好的人生表现，如更好的SAT成绩、教育成就、身体质量指数，以及其他指标。 然而现在有疑问提出，自制力，而非战略策划能力（strategic reasoning），是否是影响行为的因素之一。 因为，教授做了一系列后续研究，发现想要在一件事上获得成功，仅仅靠意志力强大还不够，更重要的是有策略的进行自我管理和刻意练习。 教授结合认知领域的知识，提出了一个叫做"hot-and-cool"的思维体系，其中hot代表那些让我们头脑发热的诱惑，而cool则代表冷静思考，甚至改变自己的视角来化解这些诱惑。 面对不良诱惑（比如懒惰、贪吃、拖延），学会用理性的方式把hot变成cool，能帮助自己更有效的提高意志力。 用好方法能让自控事半功倍，比干巴巴的忍耐重要。

budgetary

adjective relating to the way money is spent in a budget

impulsively

adv. 冲动地；忍不住；一时心血来潮

game-changing

affecting the result of a game very much: Every day, referees make game-changing decisions. ​ having a big effect on the conditions in an area such as business: New technology can create a game-changing shift in a market.

landing gear

an aircraft's wheels and other parts that support them SYN undercarriage

German measles

an infectious disease that causes red spots on your body, and can damage an unborn child SYN rubella

artefact

an object such as a tool, weapon etc that was made in the past and is historically important: * ancient Egyptian artefacts

ersatz

artificial, and not as good as the real thing: ersatz coffee The ersatz version of something is an inferior substitute or imitation. Instant coffee would be considered ersatz to a freshly brewed cup made from hand-ground Costa Rican beans. Used as a noun or adjective, ersatz stems from the German verb ersetzen, which means "to replace." Compared with regular Coke, Diet Coke may be considered an ersatz beverage because of its artificial sweeteners. Similarly, rich, creamy, full-fat ice cream is much better than the ersatz, fat-free version, or frozen yogurt. You would be in deep trouble if your fiancé found out that her engagement ring was an ersatz diamond.

be under way

be under way a. to have started to happen or be done: Plans are well under way for a new shopping centre. The tournament got under way on Friday. b. to have started to move or travel somewhere: Our train was already under way.

attuned

be/become attuned to something to be or become familiar with the way someone thinks or behaves so that you can react to them in a suitable way: British companies still aren't really attuned to the needs of the Japanese market.

bear out

bear out something/someone to support the truth of something, or to support someone's statement or claim: The facts don't bear out your fears. The evidence so far simply does not bear him out.

defiance

behaviour that shows you refuse to do what someone tells you to do, especially because you do not respect them ⇨ defy act/gesture of defiance Running away was an act of defiance against his parents. in defiance (of something) Many people were drinking in the streets, in flagrant defiance of the ban. Her fists clenched in defiance.

aristocratic

belonging to or typical of the aristocracy SYN noble: * an aristocratic family

splashy

big, bright, or very easy to notice SYN flashy: * a splashy orange shirt

ludicrous

completely unreasonable, stupid, or wrong SYN ridiculous: It is ludicrous to suggest that I was driving under the influence of alcohol. The court granted him the ludicrous sum of £100 in damages. That's a ludicrous idea. —ludicrously adverb: a ludicrously inadequate army —ludicrousness noun [uncountable]

toxic

containing poison, or caused by poisonous substances ⇨ toxin: fumes from a toxic waste dump toxic chemicals/substances/fumes/gases Toxic chemicals were spilled into the river. a highly toxic pesticide —toxicity /tɒkˈsɪsəti, tɒkˈsɪsɪti $ tɑːk-/ noun [uncountable and countable]: The metal has a relatively low toxicity to humans.

ornate

covered with a lot of decoration: an ornate gold mirror —ornately adverb: an ornately carved chair

Ultimately

finally, after everything else has been done or considered * Ultimately, the decision rests with the child's parents. * a long but ultimately successful campaign

make sense of

find meaning or coherence in. "she must try to make sense of what was going on" As long as children have had some exposure to the world and other people, they should be able to make some sense of what they see on screens.

proximity

formal nearness in distance or time proximity to We chose the house for its proximity to the school. proximity of the proximity of the Bahamas to the States Here the rich and the poor live in close proximity (=very near to each other).

martinet

formal someone who is very strict and makes people obey rules exactly SYN disciplinarian: The woman in charge was a martinet who treated us like children.

lineage

formal the way in which members of a family are descended from other members ⇨ line, ancestry: a family of ancient lineage

rebuke

formal to speak to someone severely about something they have done wrong SYN reprimand rebuke somebody for doing something Members of the jury were sharply rebuked for speaking to the press. —rebuke noun [uncountable and countable]: a rebuke from the President

keep ~ in check

keep someone or something in check. and hold someone or something in check. to keep someone or something under control; to restrain someone or something. Hang on to this rope to keep the dog in check. I was so angry I could hardly hold myself in check.

level

level criticism/charges/accusations etc at/against somebody to aim criticism etc at a particular person, country etc, especially publicly: * the criticism levelled at the United States * Serious allegations were levelled against the minister.

double down (on sth)

mainly us to continue to do something in an even more determined way than before: Expect to see Fox double down on its marketing efforts to give the movie a big boost. Instead of learning from his mistakes, he's doubling down. More examples We're doubling down; we're going to keep on going because we've committed too much to stop. Why double down on these disastrous policies? Development agencies should double down on efforts to encourage saving and investments in small businesses.

uncharacteristic

not typical of someone or something and therefore surprising uncharacteristic of It's uncharacteristic of her to be late. —uncharacteristically /-kli/ adverb: He was uncharacteristically quiet.

bugger

n. 1. British English not polite an offensive word for someone who is very annoying or unpleasant 2. not polite someone that you pretend to be annoyed with, although you actually like or love them: The poor little bugger got an awful shock. 3. British English not polite a job or activity that is very difficult: The exam was a bit of a bugger. 4. bugger all British English not polite nothing: There's bugger all wrong with this machine. verb. 1. spoken not polite said when you are annoyed or angry: Bugger it! I don't see why I should pay for everything. 2. I'm buggered/bugger me! spoken not polite said when you are surprised about something: Well I'm buggered! I never thought you'd do that. 3. bugger the ... spoken not polite used to say that you do not care about the person or thing you are talking about: Bugger the expense - I'm going to buy it! 4. taboo or law to have anal sex with someone • • • bugger about/around phrasal verb spoken not polite 1. to behave in a stupid way or waste time SYN mess about/around: Let's stop buggering about and go. 2. bugger somebody about to cause unnecessary problems for someone SYN mess somebody about/around: Don't let Peter bugger you about. bugger off phrasal verb spoken not polite to go away or leave a place: Tim buggered off to Australia years ago. 'Bugger off!' she screamed. bugger something ↔ up phrasal verb spoken not polite to ruin something or do something very badly SYN cock up, mess up: It really buggered up our plans when the train was cancelled.

small fry

n. 不被重视、微不足道的东西；无足轻重的人 people or things that are not important when compared to other people or things

social services

n. 社会福利部门

neurobiology

n. 神经生物学

self-reflexivity

n. 自反性

unsurprising

not making you feel surprised: It's unsurprising that the project failed. an enjoyable but unsurprising album —unsurprisingly adverb

ill-conceived

not planned well and not having an aim that is likely to be achieved: * The policy was ill-conceived and wrong headed.

rein

noun. 1. [countable usually plural] a long narrow band of leather that is fastened around a horse's head in order to control it ⇨ bridle 2. give (full/free) rein to something to allow an emotion or feeling to be expressed freely: He gave free rein to his imagination. 3. give somebody (a) free rein to give someone complete freedom to do a job in whatever way they choose 4. keep a tight rein on somebody/something to control something strictly: The finance director keeps a tight rein on spending. 5. take/hand over the reins to take or give someone control over an organization or country: Owens will officially take over the reins in a few weeks. verb. rein something ↔ in (also rein something ↔ back British English) phrasal verb 1. to start to control a situation more strictly: The government is reining in public expenditure. 2. to make a horse go more slowly by pulling on the reins

cult

noun. 1. [countable] an extreme religious group that is not part of an established religion 2. [countable] a fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people's lives cult of Diet, exercise ... It's all part of this cult of self-improvement. 3. [singular] a group of people who are very interested in a particular thing: O'Brien has a cult of devoted readers. 4. [uncountable and countable] formal a system of religious beliefs and practices ⇨ personality cult adj. cult film/band/figure etc a film, music group etc that has become very popular but only among a particular group of people: the 1980s cult movie 'The Gods Must Be Crazy' The actor James Dean acquired the status of a cult hero. People argue about whether the major religions of the world are just well-established cults — that, age and size aside, they are no different from any group that follows a spiritual leader. A cult is group of people defined by a "religious" devotion to something — often a self-appointed leader. Most people view cults as strange and frightening, mostly because cults have, over the years, done some strange and frightening things, including murders and mass suicides. Sometimes, too, you'll see cult used as an adjective to describe something or someone with a small, devoted fan-base. John Water's movies are cult favorites, adored by a select group of film lovers but not by the public at large. But there are worries. The BRI is bound up with the growing cult around Mr Xi. State media call it "the path of Xi Jinping". It has become shorthand for China's overseas aid, state-led investment abroad and for Mr Xi's much-ballyhooed "great-power diplomacy with Chinese characteristics". China urges other countries to praise the BRI, so that their words can be relayed back home as propaganda. Few Chinese dare offer open criticism; that makes mistakes more likely.

recess

noun. 1. [uncountable and countable] a time during the day or year when no work is done, especially in parliament, law courts etc: Parliament's summer recess 2. [uncountable] American English a short period of time between lessons at a school when children can go outdoors and play SYN break British English: Her favorite things at school are music and recess. 3. [countable] a space in the wall of a room, especially for shelves, cupboards etc SYN alcove 4. the recesses of something the inner hidden parts of something: the deep recesses of the cave fears hidden away in the darker recesses of her mind verb. especially American English if a government, law court etc recesses, it officially stops work for a period of time Recess is a break from doing something, like work or school. Almost everyone looks forward to taking a recess — even if you don't have access to monkey bars. Recess comes from the Latin word recessus, meaning "a going back, retreat." You may have heard children talking about recess as their favorite part of school. This meaning of the word refers to the break in a school day for children to play, usually outside in a playground. As a verb, recess means to take a break at the end of a session — usually in a court proceeding: "The judge announced the court would recess until the following day."

crush

noun. 1. [singular] a crowd of people pressed so close together that it is difficult for them to move: There's always such a crush on the train in the mornings. 2. [countable] a strong feeling of romantic love for someone, especially one that a young person has for someone older who they do not know well ⇨ infatuation: She had a huge crush on her geography teacher. It's just a schoolgirl crush. 3. [countable] American English informal someone who you have a feeling of romantic love for, but who you do not know well: a first date with your crush

vent

noun. 1. a hole or pipe through which gases, liquid etc can enter or escape from an enclosed space or container: a blocked air vent a volcanic vent 2. give vent to something formal to do something violent or harmful to express feelings of anger, hatred etc: Children give vent to their anger in various ways. He knew that if he gave full vent to his feelings, it would upset Joanna. 3. a thin straight opening at the bottom of the back or side of a jacket or coat 4. technical the small hole through which small animals, birds, fish, etc pass waste matter out of their bodies verb. to express feelings of anger, hatred etc, especially by doing something violent or harmful vent something on somebody If he's had a bad day, Paul vents his anger on the family. vent something by doing something I could hear mum venting her frustration by banging the pots noisily. The meeting gave us a chance to vent our spleen (=anger).

policing

noun. 1. the activities carried out by police officers in order to preserve law and order the policing of public places 2. the actions of a person or group in authority in order to ensure fairness and legality in an area of public life the policing of new housing developments a more rigorous policing of new developments independent policing of clinical procedures

wane

noun. on the wane becoming smaller, weaker, or less important: By the 5th century, the power of the Roman Empire was on the wane. verb. 1. if something such as power, influence, or a feeling wanes, it becomes gradually less strong or less important: My enthusiasm for the project was waning. The group's influence had begun to wane by this time. 2. when the moon wanes, you gradually see less of it OPP wax ⇨ wax and wane at wax2(4)

run amok

run amok a. to suddenly behave in a very violent and uncontrolled way: Drunken troops ran amok in the town. b. to get out of control and cause a lot of problems: an age in which global capitalism has run amok You think Mittens the kitten is gentle and sweet, and then one day she runs amok, ripping up Grandma's favorite armchair until its cottony guts are hanging out. Time to take Mittens to get its claws clipped. Most of our words are rooted in Greek, Latin, or German, so it's refreshing to see a word that arose in a whole different language: amok's origins are in the Malay language of Indonesia. In the 1500s, a Portuguese writer and explorer named Duarte Barbosa described a murderous tribe on the island of Java as the "Amuco," and the word passed on into English. Amuco came from Amuk, a Malay word meaning "attacking furiously."

also-ran

someone who fails to win a competition, election etc:

kook

someone who is silly or crazy —kooky adjective

trailblazer

someone who is the first to discover or develop new methods of doing something: a trailblazer in the field of medical research —trailblazing adjective

incentive

something that encourages you to work harder, start a new activity etc ⇨ motivation: As an added incentive, there's a bottle of champagne for the best team. create/provide/give somebody an incentive Awards provide an incentive for young people to improve their skills. incentive to do something Farmers lack any incentive to manage their land organically. economic/financial/tax etc incentives a recycling drive backed with financial incentives

precondition

something that must happen or exist before something else can happen precondition of/for A ceasefire is a precondition for talks.

sprawling

spreading over a wide area in an untidy or unattractive way: * a vast, sprawling city

stand to

stand ready for an attack, especially one before dawn or after dark. China says anyone can join in. Countries such as Azerbaijan and Georgia, which stand to benefit immensely from better connections to the world, are wildly enthusiastic.

tear down

tear something ↔ down phrasal verb (see also tear) to destroy a building deliberately: A lot of the old tower blocks have been torn down to make way for new housing.

pixel

technical the smallest unit of an image on a computer screen

tempt fate

tempt fate (also tempt providence British English) a. to do something that involves unnecessary risk and may cause serious problems: Fire officials said developers are tempting fate by building deep into the scenic canyons. b. to say too confidently that something will have a good result, that there will be no problems etc, when it is likely there will be problems

numeracy

the ability to do calculations and understand simple mathematics ⇨ literacy: The report suggests that students need to improve their numeracy skills.

paediatrics

the area of medicine that deals with children and their illnesses —paediatric adjective: a paediatric hospital

genocide

the deliberate murder of a whole group or race of people ⇨ ethnic cleansing: The military leaders were accused of genocide. —genocidal /ˌdʒenəˈsaɪdl◂/ adjective: a genocidal regime

dominance

the fact of being more powerful, more important, or more noticeable than other people or things ⇨ dominate dominance of the continuing dominance of the army in Uganda political/economic/cultural etc dominance the economic and political dominance of Western countries dominance over television's dominance over other media When you have power over others you are said to have dominance. For years, the British Empire had dominance over much of the world, ruling vast stretches of Africa, India and Asia. In packs of animals, the males will often fight to determine dominance, i.e., who is top dog. Or top lion. This happens in classrooms too, with the teacher needing to establish dominance over unruly students. If your football team has dominance over its league, it means they usually beat—or dominate—most of the other teams in the league.

stardom

the state of being a famous performer ⇨ fame: his rapid rise to stardom shoot/rise/zoom to stardom (=become famous very quickly) Ellen shot to stardom as a model last year.

literacy

the state of being able to read and write OPP illiteracy ⇨ numeracy: a new adult literacy campaign ⇨ computer literacy

composure

the state of feeling or seeming calm recover/regain your composure (=become calm after feeling angry or upset) Carter looked stunned, but he soon regained his composure. keep/maintain your composure (=stay calm) The widow broke down in tears, but her daughters maintained their composure. He has lost his composure under the pressure of the situation.

set the tone

to establish a particular mood or character for something: The governor's speech set the tone for the whole conference. The good financial news set an optimistic tone for the year. to establish a quality, feeling, or attitude by a manner of speaking or writing Her lighthearted question set the tone for the rest of the interview.

exacerbate

to make a bad situation worse: The recession has exacerbated this problem. I don't want to exacerbate the situation. —exacerbation /ɪɡˌzæsəˈbeɪʃən $ -sər-/ noun [uncountable]

perpetuate

to make a situation, attitude etc, especially a bad one, continue to exist for a long time: an education system that perpetuates the divisions in our society —perpetuation /pəˌpetʃuˈeɪʃən $ pər-/ noun [uncountable]

necessitate

to make it necessary for you to do something: Lack of money necessitated a change of plan. necessitate doing something This would necessitate interviewing all the staff. The verb necessitate shows that something is necessary or needs to happen, as when a sweet tooth can necessitate a trip to the store for a triple-scoop ice cream — which will necessitate a trip to the gym. Synonyms for necessitate are "require" and "force." Although what's required may be serious, necessitate also just labels things that follow naturally from one step to another. A dead car battery might necessitate a long walk home, or your completion of skills tests might necessitate moving up to the next level. Necessitate commonly replaces "need" when doctors talk about treatment, so while your scraped knee might need a big bandage, it may "necessitate treatment with antibiotics" if you go to a clinic.

make way for

to provide a space or an opportunity for something else: Some beautiful old buildings were torn down to make way for the new parking garage.

allege

to say that something is true or that someone has done something wrong, although it has not been proved it is alleged (that) It was alleged that the policeman had accepted bribes. allege that The prosecution alleged that the man had been responsible for an act of terrorism. be alleged to be/do something The water is alleged to be polluted with mercury.

branch out

to start to do something different from what you usually do, especially in your job: This designer has recently branched out into children's wear. After a couple of years working for other people, she branched out on her own (= started her own business).

subtract

to take a number or an amount from a larger number or amount ⇨ add, deduct, minus subtract something from something If you subtract 30 from 45, you get 15.

allocate

to use something for a particular purpose, give something to a particular person etc, especially after an official decision has been made allocate something to somebody/something the importance of allocating resources to local communities You should allocate the same amount of time to each question. allocate something for something One million dollars was allocated for disaster relief. allocate somebody/something sth Several patients were waiting to be allocated a bed.

all too

used to emphasize that something is the case to an extreme or unwelcome extent. "failures are all too common"

tighten the screws

拧紧螺丝；加强控制 to exert excessive and coercive pressure, force, or threats of violence on one Closing the border would tighten the screws on the terrorists.

directive

指示;命令；A directive is an official instruction that is given by someone in authority. Thanks to a new EU directive, insecticide labelling will be more specific. 根据欧盟的一项新指令，杀虫剂的标签标注将更加明确。

ranked dead last

排名垫底

Muse

verb. 1. [transitive] to say something in a way that shows you are thinking about it carefully: 'Somewhere,' he mused, 'I've heard your name before.' 2. [intransitive] to think about something for a long time SYN ponder muse on/over/about/upon He mused on how different his life would have been, had he not met Louisa. —musing noun [uncountable and countable]: her gloomy musings —musingly adverb noun. 1. someone's muse is the force or person that makes them want to write, paint, or make music, and helps them to have good ideas SYN inspiration: Rossetti's wife and creative muse 2. (also Muse) one of the nine ancient Greek goddesses who each represented a particular art or science: the Muse of History As a verb, to muse is to consider something thoughtfully. As a noun, it means a person — especially a woman — who is a source of artistic inspiration. In mythology, the Muses were nine goddesses who symbolized the arts and sciences. Today, a muse is a person who serves as an artist's inspiration. Often filmmakers talk about a certain actor being a muse — meaning the actor inspired a movie. Writers, painters, musicians, and other artists have muses. Muse can also refer to thinking deeply. If you muse about something, you're giving it serious thought. You can't muse in five seconds. People muse on certain ideas for years.

string

verb. 1. to put things together onto a thread, chain etc: beads strung on a silver chain 2. [always + adverb/preposition] to hang things in a line, usually high in the air, especially for decoration string something along/across etc something Christmas lights were strung from one end of Main Street to the other. 3. be strung (out) along/across etc something written to be spread out in a line: the houses and shops were strung out along the bay 4. to put a string or a set of strings onto a musical instrument ⇨ highly-strung at highly • • • string along phrasal verb informal 1. string somebody along to deceive someone for a long time by making them believe that you will help them, that you love them etc: He's just stringing you along. 2. British English to go somewhere with someone for a short time, especially because you do not have anything else to do string along with If you're going into town, I'll string along with you. string something ↔ out phrasal verb informal to make something continue longer than it should: Rebel leaders attempted to string out negotiations to avoid reaching a settlement. string something ↔ together phrasal verb 1. string words/a sentence together to manage to say or write something that other people can understand: He was so drunk he could hardly string two words together. 2. to combine things in order to make something that is complete, good, useful etc: They string together image after image until the documentary is completed. string somebody ↔ up phrasal verb informal to kill someone by hanging them ⇨ strung-up

slash

verb. 1. [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] to cut or try to cut something violently with a knife, sword etc: Someone had slashed the tires. slash at/through The leopard's claws slashed through the soft flesh. 2. [transitive] to greatly reduce an amount, price etc - used especially in newspapers and advertising SYN cut: The workforce has been slashed by 50%. 3. slash your wrists to cut the veins in your wrists with the intention of killing yourself. noun. 1. a quick movement that you make with a knife, sword etc in order to cut someone or something 2. (also slash mark) a line (/) used in writing to separate words, numbers, or letters 3. a long narrow cut in something ⇨ gash: Cut several slashes across the top of the loaf before baking. 4. have/take a slash British English spoken not polite to urinate

span

verb. 1. to include all of a period of time: a career which spanned nearly 60 years 2. to include all of a particular space or area: The Mongol Empire spanned much of Central Asia. 3. if a bridge spans an area of water, especially a river, it goes from one side to the other * Second, the Party prefers not to share the stage with anyone. That's becoming a greater challenge every day. The internet has enabled a deep and lucrative celebrity culture that spans social media, filmed and live entertainment, and gossip sites.

nag

verb. 1. to keep asking someone to do something, or to keep complaining to someone about their behaviour, in an annoying way ⇨ pester: I wish you'd stop nagging! nag somebody to do something Nadia's been nagging me to fix the lamp. nag somebody about something She keeps nagging me about my weight. nag at He's always nagging at Paula for wearing too much makeup. 2. to make someone feel continuously worried or uncomfortable nag at a problem that had been nagging at him for days One question still nagged me. noun. 1. a person who keeps complaining or asking someone to do something, in an annoying way: Don't be such a nag! 2. old-fashioned a horse, especially one that is old or in bad condition

pad

verb. American English to dishonestly make bills more expensive than they should be: * padding the bills of Medicare patients

intimate

verb. to make people understand what you mean without saying it directly intimate that He intimated, politely but firmly, that we were not welcome. intimate something to somebody She had already intimated to me her wish to leave.

traffic

verb. to take someone to another country and force them to work, for example as a prostitute: He had made a fortune by trafficking young women. • • • traffic in something phrasal verb to buy and sell illegal goods: Lewis was found guilty of trafficking in drugs. If you drive during rush hour, you're likely to hit some heavy traffic, and if you get stuck in a big traffic jam, you'll definitely be late. It's not just cars that create traffic — a large number of anything trying to occupy the same space adds up to traffic. Internet providers may see a lot of traffic when there's big news and everyone is trying to sign on to find out what happened. Pedestrians also create traffic, like those walking past your new burrito palace and pet costume shop. While your business may be perfectly respectable, you would want to watch out for people who traffic stolen goods and illegal drugs. In that sense, traffic acts as a verb indicating you're trading something, often illegally.

megalomania

when someone wants to have a lot of power for themselves and enjoys having control over other people's lives, sometimes as part of a mental illness

immediacy

when something is important or urgent because it relates to a situation or event that is happening now immediacy of the immediacy of everyday experience Television brings a new immediacy to world events.

in (or out of) tune

with correct (or incorrect) pitch or intonation. (of an engine or other machine) properly (or poorly) adjusted. in (or not in) agreement or harmony. "he was out of tune with conventional belief"

ecstasy pill

摇头丸

Dayton accord

《代顿协议》 《代顿协定》指1995年11月21日由波斯尼亚、克罗地亚和塞尔维亚的总统达成的和平协定。该协定结束了波斯尼亚的战争，概述了波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那的和平总框架。它仍视波斯尼亚为由两部分（波斯尼亚-克罗地亚联邦和波斯尼亚塞族共和国）组成的单一国家，萨拉热窝仍是其不可分割的首都。

trillion

万亿;兆 A trillion is 1,000,000,000,000, also know as 10 to the 12th power, or one million million. It's such a large number it's hard to get your head around it, so sometimes trillion just means "wow, a lot." A trillion is bigger than a million, more than a billion, it's 1,000,000,000,000 (and even or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 in some countries). (Yes, those are 18 zeroes in that last one.) Either way, this is such a large number that it's hard to imagine. Maybe that's why people often use this word in a looser sense, as in "I have a trillion reasons why I like this band!" That meaning is similar to gazillion, bazillion, and zillion, which aren't real numbers.

unflinching

不退缩的；坚定的；You can use unflinching in expressions such as unflinching honesty and unflinching support to indicate that a good quality which someone has is strong and steady, and never weakens. not changing or becoming weaker, even in a very difficult or dangerous situation Have a clear, unflinching vision of your goal, followed by absolute clarity, realism and objectivity about what it really will take to grow, to lead and to win.

Demography

人口学;人口统计学；Demography is the study of the changes in numbers of births, deaths, marriages, and cases of disease in a community over a period of time. Do you know the population growth rate of your city? The education levels of everyone on your block? Then you're a fan of demography, the branch of sociology that studies human behavior by analyzing statistical information. The word demography comes from two ancient Greek words, demos, meaning "the people," and graphy, meaning "writing about or recoding something" — so literally demography means "writing about the people." Like many branches of the sciences, demography began in the 19th century, when the general craze for cataloging information about the world really took off (think Darwin.) A common related word is demographics, referring to the raw statistical data that's used for analysis.

train her up

充分训练（或培训）

General practitioner

全科医生

the center of attention

关注中心

caring state

关爱国家（提供社会福利和保障的国家方式）

Classification of care

分级诊疗;

get started

刚刚开始 Its investigation into film contracting practices (and tax evasion) is only getting started

double down

加倍重视

prose

区别于诗歌韵文Verse 散文；白话文；散文体；Prose is ordinary written language, in contrast to poetry.

around the corner

即将到来

turn away from

厌恶

historiography

史料编纂 (法) ,编史 (工作) ,历史编纂学

every front

各个方面/角落 Despite Trump touting a personal "friendship" with Xi, U.S.-China relations have deteriorated on virtually every front under his presidency, from trade to cyber-security to geopolitical flashpoints like Taiwan and the South China Sea. The fear in Beijing is that Trump's main goal is to keep Beijing permanently in second place in a world dominated by the U.S.

revelatory

启示性的;揭露性的；A revelatory account or statement tells you a lot that you did not know. //...Barbara Stoney's revelatory account of the author's life. 芭芭拉·斯托尼对这位作家生活的揭秘

sleepover

在外过夜;不在家过夜；A sleepover is an occasion when someone, especially a child, sleeps for one night in a place such as a friend's home.

extended family

大家庭（几代同堂的家庭）

from day to day

天天，日复一日 (also from one day to the next) if a situation changes from day to day or from one day to the next, it changes often They took turns retelling the stories to each other, and from day to day Alvin never forgot whose turn it was.

on the horizon

将要发生

flotilla

小型船队;(通常指)小舰队；A flotilla is a group of small ships, usually military ships.

butcher

屠夫;屠户;肉贩子; 刽子手;杀人狂；

So much for

已经太多啦，受够了 So much for "secular stagnation.

to one's credit

归功于某人

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

心理学上的辩证行为疗法, 由Martha Linchan创立。合理化认同是辨证行为疗法区别于其他疗法的"试金石"。DBT的原理是"接受"和"改变"的平衡，而"接受"的主要组成部分就是合理化认同。 合理化认同，广义上讲，是一种检查过程，检查事物是否达到一定标准。 就心理治疗而言，合理化认同是尊重谈话对象的一种交谈方式，包含了承认对方的观点是正常的、合理的。 DBT创始人Linehan博士认为，合理化认同的基本要素是治疗师与病患交谈时，治疗师能懂得病患的任何反应，并能理解病患在生活中的任何情况；合理化认同要求治疗师去寻找、确认并准确反映病患对事物的反应所表现出的本能的妥当性或正确性。 治疗师不应当掩盖或打压病患在交谈过程中反映出的任何合理情感、思想、行为，应当适时扩大病患的这些合理性，然后加以强化。 一般而言，合理化认同策略对所有心理障碍者都有益。对那些情绪特别敏感和易于情绪失调者，应用合理化认同策略是应用改变策略的前提，因为在合理化认同基础上，病患才能得以平静，才能相信治疗师，相信自己的感受，才能建立其自信心，最终与治疗师合作。

plunge sb. into sth.

把某人卷入旋涡 The girl's refusal/rejection plunge the boy into the depth of sorrow.

Stanford Prison Experiment

斯坦福监狱实验（Stanford Prison Experiment）是1971年由美国心理学家菲利普·津巴多（Philip Zimbardo）领导的研究小组，在斯坦福大学心理学系大楼地下室的模拟监狱内，进行的一项心理学研究。 实验旨在关注人类对囚禁的反应以及囚禁对监狱中的权威和被监管者行为的影响。 充当看守和囚犯的都是斯坦福大学的在校大学生志愿者。 本来这个实验计划是十四天，但到了第七天就宣告终止。终止的原因是该实验对扮演囚犯的实验者造成了伤害。

Unintended

无意的；不是存心的；Unintended results were not planned to happen, although they happened. //...the unintended consequences of human action. 人的行为无意中造成的后果 //...unintended pregnancies. 意外怀孕

have reasons to worry

有理由担忧 Under the surface, though, officials have reasons to worry. China's economic momentum weakened again in August. Investment growth in the first eight months slowed to the lowest pace since at least 1999 and infrastructure investment rose just 4.2 percent, the weakest expansion since the data series started in 2014.

guilt-ridden

有负罪感的；深感歉疚的；If a person is guilt-ridden, they feel very guilty about something. In the first week of January, thousands of guilt-ridden people signed up for fitness courses or embarked on diets. 在元月的第一个星期，成千上万的人在负疚感的驱使下报名参加健身班或者开始节食。

killing the chicken to scare the monkey

杀鸡儆猴

rave about/over sth.

极力夸奖某事物 Friends were raving over my homemade dishes

syphilis

梅毒；Syphilis is a serious disease which is passed on through sexual intercourse.

dressing table

梳妆台；A dressing table is a small table in a bedroom. It has drawers underneath and a mirror on top. = vanity table

Colonialism

殖民主义;殖民政策；Colonialism is the practice by which a powerful country directly controls less powerful countries and uses their resources to increase its own power and wealth.

it is not a stretch that

毫不费力

Meteorological

气象学的；Meteorological means relating to meteorology. [ADJ n] //...adverse meteorological conditions. 不利的气象条件

Cyanide

氰化物；Cyanide is a highly poisonous substance.

But there is nothing automatic about its excellence.

没有人能随随便便成功

rapeseed

油菜籽

Bosnian genocide

波斯尼亚大屠杀 波斯尼亚大屠杀指1995年波黑塞族武装力量在斯雷布雷尼察实施的种族灭绝，或是1992至1995年波斯尼亚战争期间，斯普斯卡共和国军队主导的更广泛的种族清洗运动。 斯雷布雷尼察在1995年发生的事件包括在拉特科·姆拉迪奇（Ratko Mladić）将军指挥下的斯普斯卡共和国军队，在波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那的斯雷布雷尼察城内及周边，杀害了8 000多名波斯尼亚成年男性和未成年男孩（波斯尼亚穆斯林），并大规模驱逐了另外25 000至30 000名波斯尼亚平民。 这场由波斯尼亚塞族控制的种族清洗运动，其目标是波斯尼亚穆斯林和波斯尼亚克族人。

sensationalization

炒作 To present in a manner intended to arouse curiosity or broad interest, especially through the inclusion of exaggerated or lurid details: news accounts that sensationalized the crime.

stamp

特征;痕迹;烙印；If something bears the stamp of a particular quality or person, it clearly has that quality or was done by that person. [usu the N of n] //...lawns and flowerbeds that bore the stamp of years of confident care... 显然多年来一直受到精心照料的草地和花床 Most of us want to make our home a familiar place and put the stamp of our personality on its walls. 我们大多数人都想把自己的家装饰成一个温馨的地方，并在墙上展示自己的个性。

survive and thrive

生存和发展

physiology

生理学

ghost-write

由人代笔写书或文章；If a book or other piece of writing is ghost-written, it is written by a writer for another person, for example a politician or sportsman, who then publishes it as his or her own work. [be V-ed] [usu passive] Articles were ghost-written by company employees. 这些文章由公司的职员捉刀。

whooping cough

百日咳 an infectious disease that especially affects children, and makes them cough and have difficulty breathing

surveillance footage

监控录像

tomb raiders

盗墓者 someone who goes into a place and steals things: an armed raider Masked raiders carried out a bank robbery today.

anagram

相同字母的异序词 变位词指变换某个词或短语的字母顺序构成的新词或短语；An anagram is a word or phrase formed by changing the order of the letters in another word or phrase. For example, 'triangle' is an anagram of 'integral'.

port capacity

码头吞吐量

fiscal stimulus

经济刺激计划包括政府或政府机构试图在财政上刺激经济的举措。在经济衰退期间，利用经济刺激计划改变货币或财政政策来推动增长。政府可以通过降低利率、扩大财政开支和量化宽松等策略来实现这一目标。 和经济学中的许多概念一样，经济刺激计划还存在一些争议。20世纪初的英国经济学家约翰·梅纳德·凯恩斯（John Maynard Keynes）总是与有时被称为反周期政策的经济刺激计划联系在一起。他的《就业、利息和货币通论》（The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money，简称《通论》）认为，在失业率居高不下时，政府应该扩大赤字开支（deficit spend），以进一步刺激需求，提高增长率，以及降低失业率。在刺激增长的过程中，赤字支出在某些情况下可以通过更快增长带来的更高税收来为自己买单。 学者对凯恩斯主义有一些反驳，这些反驳包括对"李嘉图等值定理（Ricardian equivalence）"和挤出效应的理论争辩。前者以大卫·李嘉图（David Ricardo）早在19世纪初的作品命名，认为消费者抗衡当前的经济刺激计划，使得政府支出决策内部化。换句话说，李嘉图认为，如果消费者相信他们在未来会支付更高的税来弥补政府赤字，那么他们今天会减少支出。尽管李嘉图等值定理的经验证据尚不清楚，但它仍然是政策决策中的一个重要考虑因素。 挤出效应表明，政府扩大赤字支出将从两个方面减少私人投资。首先，劳动力需求的增加会使工资上涨，这损害了企业利润；其次，赤字必须在短期内通过债务融资，这将导致利率小幅上升，使得企业获得投资所需的融资成本更高。

neuroscience

脑科学 Since the 1990s, rapid advances in neuroscience have elevated the brain over the mind as the main way by which we understand ourselves, demonstrating the importance of emotion and physiology to all decision making.

top-down approach

自上而下，先总体后具体的方案 strategy that starts from a high level and goes down to a low level, or to details

outcast

被排斥者；被抛弃者；An outcast is someone who is not accepted by a group of people or by society.

credit someone with something

记功劳于某人 believe or admit somebody has a quality or has done something good He is credited with success on the issue.