ielts 8.5 set1

hue

(a degree of lightness, darkness, strength, etc. of) a colour. In the Caribbean waters there are fish of every hue . The same hue will look different in different lights.

clutter

(a lot of objects in) a state of being untidy. Sorry about the clutter in the kitchen. His bedroom was cluttered with books and papers.

mesh

(a piece of) material like a net with spaces in it, made from wire, plastic, or thread. a sieve with a fine/large mesh a wire mesh fence

scandal

(an action or event that causes) a public feeling of shock and strong moral disapproval. Their affair caused/created a scandal in the office. Any further hint of scandal and he'll be forced to resign.

reprisal

(an example of) activity against another person, especially as a punishment by military forces or a political group. The attack was in reprisal for the kidnapping of their leaders. Every tenth person in the village was shot in reprisal for the deaths of..

governess

(especially in the past) a woman who lives with a family and teaches their children at home. tutor, teacher Ralph's early education was handled at home by a governess.

picturesque

(especially of a place) attractive in appearance, especially in an old-fashioned way. Garda is one of the lake's most picturesque resorts. the picturesque narrow streets of the old city

defray

(especially of an organization) to pay the cost of something. The company will defray all your expenses, including car hire. Grants are offered to help defray the cost of attending the conference.

outsize

(especially of clothing) much larger than usual. They specialize in outsize clothes. an outsize suitcase

whirr

(especially of machines) to make a low, soft, continuous sound. I could hear the washing machine whirr in the kitchen. the loud whirr of the generator muffled the sound.

corrugated

(especially of sheets of iron or cardboard) having parallel rows of folds that look like a series of waves when seen from the edge. The roof is made from sheets of corrugated iron. a corrugated iron roof

buyout

(in business) a situation in which a person or group buys all the shares belonging to a company and so gets control of it. hints at a possible buyout or merger in the future. a management buyout

joust

(in the past) to fight with a lance (= a long pointed weapon) while riding on a horse, especially as a sport. ompete, fight, contend, vie, struggle, contest, strive, challenge There's nothing better than a joust with one of your rivals.

intemperate

(of a person or their behaviour or speech) not controlled and too extreme or violent. The governor said he would not be provoked into intemperate action. intemperate language; an ____ outburst

jovial

(of a person) friendly and in a good mood, or (of a situation) enjoyable because of being friendly and pleasant. He seemed a very jovial chap. a jovial personality

recalcitrant

(of a person) unwilling to obey orders or to do what should be done, or (of an animal) refusing to be controlled. For the recalcitrant , reformers might propose a variety of modest steps. a recalcitrant child of an unhappy mother

knotty

(of a problem or difficulty) complicated and difficult to solve. That's rather a knottyquestion. a knotty problem

hoarse

(of a voice or a person) having a rough voice, often because of a sore throat or a cold. She sounded a bit hoarse. You'll make yourself hoarse if you keep shouting like that!

futile

(of actions) having no effect or achieving nothing. It's quite futile trying to reason with him - he just won't listen. All my attempts to cheer her up proved futile.

meagre

(of amounts or numbers) very small or not enough. The prisoners existed on a meagre diet. a meagre food supply

lewd

(of behaviour, speech, dress, etc.) sexual in an obvious and rude way. Ignore him - he's being lewd. He spends all his day eyeing up women and making lewd comments.

ingrained

(of beliefs) so firmly held that they are not likely to change. Such ingrained prejudices cannot be corrected easily. Morals tend to be deeply ingrained.

beady

(of eyes) small and bright, especially like a bird's eyes. She felt the old woman's beady eyes on her. His beady little eyes were fixed on the money I held out.

clad

(of people) dressed, or (of things) covered. A strange figure appeared in the doorway, clad in white. crowds of people clad in New Zealand rugby shirts

posh

(of places and things) expensive and of high quality. He takes her to some really posh restaurants. a posh home/hotel/restaurant

bifurcate

(of roads, rivers, branches, etc.) to divide into two parts. A sample of water was taken from the point where the river bifurcate . At the lower bridge the river bifurcates into two similar size branches.

choppy

(of sea, lakes, or rivers) with a lot of small, rough waves caused by the wind. A gale was blowing and the sea was choppy. choppy seas/conditions

rampant

(of something bad) getting worse quickly and in an uncontrolled way. widespread, rank, epidemic, prevalent, rife, exuberant, uncontrolled Abuse of power among senior officials is said to be rampant.

gratuitous

(of something such as bad behaviour) not necessary, or with no cause. There's too much gratuitous violence in the film. there was too much gratuitous sex and violence in the film.

gestation

(the period of) the development of a child or young animal while it is still inside its mother's body. Human infants have a gestation period of nine months. The baby was born prematurely at 28 weeks gestation.

duchess

(the title of) a woman who is married to a duke or who has the rank of duke. The prince and the duchess arrived at Balmoral last night. the duchess of Kent

brethren

(used as a form of address to members of an organization or religious group) brothers. The young monk flinched, realizing the words of his ancient brethren were true. His father was said to be buried beside his brethren in the castle belonging to his Order.

pliable

A ____ substance bends easily without breaking or cracking. The baskets are made with young, pliable spruce roots Some kinds of plastic become pliable if they're heated.

tenuous

A ____connection, idea, or situation is weak and possibly does not exist. Links between the provinces were seen to be tenuous. a tenuous agreement/connection

tar

A black substance, sticky when hot, used especially for making roads. The tar and stone mixture layer was found to be less than the.. a newly tarred road

turquoise

A bluish-green semi-precious stone that is often used in jewellery. The sun lit their faces and a turquoise sea rippled behind them. lush meadows and turquoise waters left me literally breathless.

inflatable

A boat or something similar that must be filled with air in order to float on the water. four inflatable boats are being purchased at a cost of £2,400. Pirates in two 25 ft rigid inflatable boats approached the liner

blockbuster

A book or film that is very successful. the latest Hollywood blockbuster The company has clinched a blockbuster deal.

ulcer

A break in the skin or on the surface of an organ inside the body, which does not heal naturally. a mouth/stomach ulcer

brass

A bright yellow metal made from copper and zinc. The door handles were made of brass. doors with brass hinges

sheen

A bright, smooth surface. shine, gleam, gloss, polish, brightness, lustre, burnish The conditioner gives the hair a beautiful soft sheen.

avenue

A broad roadway lined with trees. They live at 27 Shaftesbury avenue. Fremont Avenue

observatory

A building from which scientists can watch the planets, the stars, the weather, etc. An aquatic plant observatory was created, and a greenhouse was ... Britain's foremost radio astronomy observatory at ..

abbey

A building where monks or nuns live or used to live. Some abbeys are now used as churches. Before it was a cathedral, back in medieval times, it was an abbey, Gerrie explains. Westminster abbey

bull-run

A bull market or a bull run refers to a stock market characterized by a sustained rise in share prices. What Is the Meaning of bull-run __ in the Stock Market? The opposite of a bull market is a bear market

coronation

A ceremony at which a person is made king or queen. I was asked to give a speech at the coronation, which was to be held in a week's time. The last ceremony in which it took place was at the coronation of George IV in 1821.

insight

A clear, deep, and sometimes sudden understanding of a complicated problem or situation. It was an interesting book, full of fascinating insight into human relationships. a revealing insight into the mind of a violent murderer

anthology

A collection of artistic works that have a similar form or subject, often those considered to be the best. an anthology of poetry an anthology of modern quotations/American verse

courtier

A companion of a queen, king, or other ruler in their official home, especially in the past. a courtier who worked in the royal household Many of the courtier were strongly wedded to traditional ways of doing things.

tinnitus

A condition of the ear in which the person suffering from it hears noises such as ringing. Sometimes tinnitus is a symptom of a disease, like an ear infection.. the associated symptoms of vertigo, tinnitus and deafness.

affiliation

A connection with a political party or religion, or with a larger organization. The group has affiliation with several organizations abroad. Membership is open to anyone, regardless of religious affiliation.

nunnery

A convent. In one of these dreams, I was living in a nunnery in Tibet on a large white lake. What do you want me to do, dress in black and live in a nunnery?

canopy

A cover fixed over a seat or bed, etc. for shelter or decoration. The dais is covered with a silk brocade canopy. The land is thickly covered by a dense canopy of jungle.

cove

A curved part of a coast that partly surrounds an area of water. At its side is a sheltered cove, just made for relaxing and swimming. the sandy cove at the north end of the beach

groan

A deep, long sound showing great pain or unhappiness. We could hear the groan of the wounded soldiers. The floorboards groaned under the weight of the dancers.

faculty

A department or group of departments in a university. the Law faculty the Faculty of Medicine

spigot

A device used to control the flow of liquid from something such as a barrel. a self-boring barrel spigot. a bar than what is poured out of a bottle or a beer spigot .

discrepancy

A difference between two things that should be the same. The committee is reportedly unhappy about the discrepancy in numbers. a discrepancy between estimated and actual spending

adversity

A difficult or unlucky situation or event. She was always cheerful in adversity. We struggled on in the face of ____. The road to happiness is paved with adversity.

blight

A disease that damages and kills plants. the worst year of the potato blight the worst year of the potato blight

trait

A distinguishing feature, as of a person's character. Arrogance is a very unattractive personality/character trait. His sense of humour is one of his better traits.

slander

A false spoken statement about someone that damages their reputation, or the making of such a statement. The doctor is suing his partner for slander. She regarded his comment as a slander on her good reputation.

camaraderie

A feeling of friendliness towards people that you work or share an experience with. there's a tremendous sense of camaraderie when you meet another climber He missed the camaraderie of army life.

sorrow

A feeling of great sadness. Joe's colleagues expressed sorrow at his tragic death. He sensed a feeling of profound sorrow in her voice.

remorse

A feeling of sadness and being sorry for something you have done. Very often he is feeling guilt or shame or remorse for something he has done. She has never shown any remorse for her crime.

aversion

A feeling of strong dislike or of not wishing to do something. I felt an instant aversion to his parents. She has a deep aversion to getting up in the morning.

antipathy

A feeling of strong dislike, opposition, or anger. He is a private man with a deep antipathy to/towards the press. She found it hard to hide her antipathy towards her senior colleagues.

dismay

A feeling of unhappiness and disappointment. She discovered, to her dismay, that her ... The supporters watched in/with dismay as their team lost 6-0.

foreboding

A feeling that something very bad is going to happen soon. He had a strange foreboding (that) something would go wrong. Her foreboding about the future were to prove justified.

strumpet

A female prostitute. She eyed the two strumpets who were watching her. It's strumpet like you who are setting back the women's rights movement.

meadow

A field with grass and often wild flowers in it. There are four acres of wildflower meadow surrounded by woodland. There was a path through the meadow to the village.

stint

A fixed or limited period of time spent doing a particular job or activity. He has just finished a stint of compulsory military service. He came to California after a brief stint as a waiter in New York.

stipend

A fixed regular income. Olympic probables receive a stipend of £6000 of lottery money a year. an annual stipend

tray

A flat object, usually with raised edges, used for carrying food and drinks. She was carrying a tray of drinks. She carried the breakfast tray upstairs.

terrace

A flat raised area. The roof terrace serves as an outdoor studio each unit opens to a private terrace

raft

A flat structure, typically made of planks, logs, or barrels, that floats on water. Not far away is a makeshift raft of four innertubes tide together. We lashed together anything that would float to make a raft.

pastry

A food made from a mixture of flour, fat, and water, rolled flat and wrapped round or put over or under other foods and baked. shortcrust/puff/filo/choux/flaky pastry Ann makes delicious pastry - you should try her apple pie.

impetus

A force that helps something to happen or develop more quickly. The document will give fresh impetus to the debate. The peace process has been steadily gaining impetus.

propulsion

A force that pushes something forward. wind propulsion jet propulsion

treatise

A formal piece of writing that considers and examines a particular subject. Locke's treatise on Civil Government a six-volume treatise on trademark law

grille

A frame of metal bars used to cover something such as a window or a machine. A grille separated the prisoners from their visitors. a security grille

hurdle

A frame or fence for jumping over in a race. The weather will be the biggest hurdle. He fell at the last hurdle.

lichen

A grey, green, or yellow plant-like organism that grows on rocks, walls, and trees. A profusion of mosses, liverworts, lichen and ferns cover the woodland floor A profusion of mosses, liverworts, lichens and ferns cover the ....

assortment

A group of different types of something. an assortment of vegetables an assortment of chocolates

cohort

A group of people who share a characteristic, usually age. Drake and his cohort were not pleased at my promotion. This study followed up a cohort of 386 patients aged 65+

retinue

A group of people who travel with an important person to help them. attendants, entourage, escort, servants, following, train, suite The president travels with a large retinue of aides and bodyguards.

crew

A group of people who work together, especially all those who work on and operate a ship, aircraft, etc.. The aircraft has/carries a crew of seven. The jet crashed soon after takeoff, killing all the passengers and crew.

kindred

A group of related persons, as a clan or tribe. The offender made proper restitution to the victim's kindred. kindred desires

inference

A guess that you make or an opinion that you form based on the information that you have. There were two inference to be drawn from her letter. It's impossible to make inferences from such a small sample.

draught

A gulp, swallow, or inhalation. He took a draught of beer. Block draughts around doors and windows.

chore

A job or piece of work that is often boring or unpleasant but needs to be done regularly. Cleaning out the shed is a real chore. You can go and play after you've done your chores.

niche

A job or position that is very suitable for someone, especially one that they like. carved/made a niche for himself as a professional tennis player. Perhaps I will find my niche in a desk job.

cruise

A journey on a large ship for pleasure. they are taking a Caribbean cruise. He and his wife were planning to go on a world cruise.

riches

A large amount of money or valuable possessions. wealth, money, property, gold, assets, plenty, fortune She donated a sizeable portion of her riches to children's charities.

ransom

A large amount of money that is demanded in exchange for someone who has been taken prisoner, or sometimes for an animal. They demanded a huge ransom for the return of the little girl whom they had kidnapped. The gang held the racehorse to/for ransom.

bale

A large amount of something such as hay, paper, wool, or cloth that has been tied tightly together. the cost of out-of-state hay has risen by about $4 per bale. Dakota nodded and tossed up another bale, thinking.

melee

A large noisy uncontrolled crowd, in which people are moving in different directions and sometimes fighting with each other. We lost sight of each other in the melee. Scores of people were injured in the melee.

volley

A large number of bullets (seeming to be) fired at the same time. It's still not known how many died in the volley of gunfire. a volley of abuse

shoal

A large number of fish swimming as a group. We could see shoal of tiny fish darting about. Piranhas often feed in shoals.

airliner

A large passenger aircraft. It was several years before I flew again and then on a commercial airliner. The airliner crashed just after take-off.

placard

A large piece of card, paper, etc. with a message written or printed on it, often carried in public places by people who are complaining about something. The marchers sang and waved placard. placard-waving demonstrators

pyre

A large pile of wood on which a dead body is burned in some parts of the world. Two people caught him and hurled him into the burning pyre. to involve widows burning themselves alive on their husbands' funeral pyres.

marquee

A large tent used for eating and drinking in at events held mainly outside that involve a lot of people. We're planning to hold the wedding reception in a marquee in the garden. tents and marquees

oak

A large tree that is common in northern countries, or the hard wood of this tree. The timbers of those old sailing ships were mainly oak . a solid oak table

rampart

A large wall built round a town, castle, etc. to protect it. a walk along the rampart of the old city surrounded by the old rampart of the castle walls.

swan

A large, usually white bird with a long neck that lives on rivers and lakes. We lured the swan from the water with bread morsels... We watched the swan glide by.

spate

A larger number of events than usual, especially unpleasant ones, happening at about the same time. Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the Kingsland Road area. a spate of bombings/thefts/violence

grime

A layer of dirt on skin or on a building. dirt, filth, soot, smut The walls were covered in grime.

storey

A level of a building. Their new house has four storey including the attic. a six-storey building

benchmark

A level of quality that can be used as a standard when comparing other things. The truck industry is a benchmark for the economy. plans to set a new benchmark for pensions

beacon

A light or fire on the top of a hill that acts as a warning or signal. The full moon beams like a beacon in the clear sky. She was a beacon of hope in troubled times.

pitfall

A likely mistake or problem in a situation. Her advice helped me avoid some of the common pitfall. She was well aware of the potential pitfalls of running a business.

crease

A line on cloth or paper where it has been folded or crushed. She frowned at the crease in her silk dress. He ironed a crease down the front of each trouser leg.

pedigree

A list of the parents and other relations of an animal. The breeder showed us the dog's pedigree. Their dog is a pedigree.

glare

A long angry look. She gave me a fierce glare. They glared at each other across the table.

cantilever

A long bar that is fixed at only one end to a vertical support and is used to hold a structure such as an arch, bridge, or shelf in position. a cantilever bridge a cantilever bridge/roof/beam

voyage

A long journey, especially by ship. journey, travels, trip, passage, expedition, crossing, sail, cruise, excursion He was a young sailor on his first sea voyage.

peninsula

A long piece of land that sticks out from a larger area of land into the sea or into a lake. the Korean/Arabian/Florida peninsula the Korean/Arabian/Florida Peninsula

oar

A long pole with a wide, flat part at one end, used for rowing a boat. paddle She dipped her oar into the water and pulled.

swathe

A long strip or large area especially of land. Huge swathe of rainforest are being cleared for farming and mining. In fact, the swathe of material - about six yards long and two feet wide

hike

A long walk, especially in the countryside. We went for a hike through the woods on Sunday. a hike around the cluster of hills

rein

A long, thin piece of material, especially leather, that helps you to control and direct a horse. He wrapped his horse's rein round his left wrist. You pull on both reins to stop or slow a horse, but only the left rein to turn..

fanfare

A loud, short piece of music played on brass instruments, often to announce something important. a fanfare of trumpets A fanfare of trumpets announced the arrival of the king and everyone stood.

lush

A lush area has a lot of green, healthy plants, grass, and trees. lush green valleys lush gardens

automaton

A machine that operates on its own without the need for human control, or a person who acts like a machine, without thinking or feeling. I do the same route to work every day, like some sort of automaton. she went about her preparations like an automaton

friar

A man belonging to one of several Roman Catholic religious groups, whose members often promise to stay poor. Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican friar, and a theological giant. He was a man who was in training to wear the brown robe of a Franciscan friar.

duke

A man of very high rank in a country, or the ruler of a small independent country. In 1236, he became an independent duke of Novogorod The servants of a duke or marquis had seven rows of curls on their

ponce

A man who controls prostitutes and takes a large part of the money that they earn for himself. pimp, procurer, pander, bawd (archaic) You know you love prancing around like a ponce with new clothes.

abbot

A man who is in charge of a monastery. At the time of the abbot's death, monks, students and residents prayed.. The monk in charge of an abbey was the abbot, elected for life...

buffet

A meal where people serve themselves different types of usually cold food. smorgasbord, counter, cold table The price includes a buffet, all drinks, and live entertainment.

recollection

A memory of something. She was only three, and has only a vague recollection of these events. I have many pleasant recollection of the time we spent together.

means

A method or way of doing something. We had no means of warning them. She tried to explain by means of sign language.

promontory

A narrow area of high land that sticks out into the sea. Imagine a hooked promontory jutting from the cliffs, but submerged 10m. a promontory jutting out into the bay

strait

A narrow area of sea that connects two larger areas of sea. the strait of Gibraltar Thousands of vessels pass through the straits annually.

corridor

A narrow hallway, passageway, or gallery, often with rooms or apartments opening onto it. Her office is at the end of the corridor. I went along the corridor to her office.

nozzle

A narrow piece fixed to the end of a tube so that the liquid or air that comes out can be directed in a particular way. Attach the nozzle to the garden hose before turning on the water. ....set to a fine spray or a garden hose with a mist nozzle...

strap

A narrow piece of leather or other strong material used for fastening something or giving support. He unbuckled the strap and lifted the lid. The bag was hanging on the chair by its strap.

inlet

A narrow strip of water that goes from a sea or lake into the land or between islands. a blocked water inlet a sheltered inlet

aptitude

A natural ability or skill. We will take your personal aptitude and abilities into account. My son has no/little aptitude for sport.

bedlam

A noisy situation with no order. There was complete bedlam as everyone rushed for the shops. It was bedlam at the football ground after the match was suspended.

wad

A number of especially flat and/or small objects pressed tightly together. bundle, roll She used a wad (= a mass) of tissues to wipe away the blood.

bundle

A number of things that have been fastened or are held together. The women carried heavy bundle on their backs. a bundle of clothes / newspapers / books

billboard

A panel for the display of advertisements in public places, such as alongside highways or on the sides of buildings. Left to road, bridge over billboard a billboard advertising a horror film.

echelon

A particular level or group of people within an organization such as an army or company. the lower echelon of society the upper echelons of power

juncture

A particular point in time. We're at a critical juncture. At this juncture, it is impossible to say whether she will make a...

trail

A path through the countryside, often made or used for a particular purpose. He was following a broad trail through the trees. My husband usually trails behind me when I'm shopping.

respite

A pause or rest from something difficult or unpleasant. The pain in his leg continued without respite. There has been no respite in the terrible weather.

betrothed

A person someone has promised to marry or has been promised to as a marriage partner. (old-fashioned)= engaged, promised, pledged, plighted, affianced He sent a dozen roses to his betrothed.

acquaintance

A person that you have met but do not know well. He exchanged a few words with the man, an old acquaintance of his. a business acquaintance

claimant

A person who asks for something that they believe belongs to them or that they have a right to. the rival claimant to the French throne claimants of sickness benefits

entrant

A person who becomes a member of a group or organization. the newest entrant to the political scene new entrants to the school/company

compatriot

A person who comes from the same country. Stich defeated his compatriot Boris Becker in the quarterfinals He beat his compatriots in the final.

outpatient

A person who goes to a hospital for treatment, but who does not stay any nights there. Many children receive chemotherapy on an outpatient basis It showed about 100 patients waiting at the outpatient clinic

laureate

A person who has been given a very high honour because of their ability in a subject of study. a Nobel laureate in chemistry a Nobel laureate

peer

A person who has equal standing with another or others, as in rank, class, or age. a child who is popular with her peer As an actor she has few peers.

warden

A person who is in charge of (the people in) a particular building. The former warden of Parchman prison in Mississippi spoke out... She's the warden of a home for mentally handicapped people.

commoner

A person who is not born into a position of high social rank. usual, standard, daily, regular, ordinary, familiar, plain, conventional It is now accepted that a member of the royal family can marry a commoner.

recluse

A person who lives alone and avoids going outside or talking to other people. hermit, solitary, ascetic, anchoress, monk He is a millionaire recluse who refuses to give interviews.

patriot

A person who loves their country and, if necessary, will fight for it. Both her paternal and maternal relatives were American patriot a passionate patriot steeped in Scottish history

tenant

A person who pays rent for the use of land or a building. obligations on the landlord for the benefit of the tenant There are six commercial tenants in the building.

saviour

A person who saves someone from danger or harm. He's not going to be the saviour and the fix. He was hailed as the saviour of the company's fortunes.

proponent

A person who speaks publicly in support of a particular idea or plan of action. a leading proponent of the values of progressive education He is one of the leading proponents of capital punishment.

carpenter

A person whose job is making and repairing wooden objects and structures. joiner, cabinet-maker, woodworker I once gave a contract to a local carpenter for some repairs on my house.

porter

A person whose job is to carry things, especially travellers' bags at railway stations, airports, etc.. A porter slammed the baggage compartment doors. There aren't any porters, so we'll have to find a trolley for the luggage.

mindset

A person's way of thinking and their opinions. The company will have to change its whole mindset if it is to survive. to have a different/the same mindset

signatory

A person, organization, or country that has signed an agreement. ll the signatory countries will have to abide by the rules. Most western European nations are signatory to/of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

libertine

A person, usually a man, who lives in a way that is not moral, having sexual relationships with many people. The prince had become foolhardy and libertine. In the libertine Utopia of 'sexual freedom,' women and children will suffer the most.

preacher

A person, usually a priest, who gives a religious speech. Neither preacher nor church members should be ashamed of God's sovereign purpose. a self-educated Methodist lay preacher

lump

A piece of a solid substance, usually with no particular shape. You don't want lump in the sauce. Stir the sauce to get rid of any lumps.

whip

A piece of leather or rope that is fastened to a stick, used for hitting animals or people. She lashed the horses mercilessly with her long whip. Most of the riders carried whips.

overture

A piece of music that is an introduction to a longer piece, especially a work for the theatre. the William Tell overture the overture to "The Magic Flute"

wick

A piece of string in the centre of a candle, or a similar part of a light, that supplies fuel to a flame. In his hands he held a red candle with a wick that burned with a dancing flame.

veil

A piece of thin material worn by women to cover the face or head. After the ceremony, the bride lifted up her veil to kiss her husband. The women wore black veil which covered all but their eyes.

polemic

A piece of writing or a speech in which a person strongly attacks or defends a particular opinion, person, idea, or set of beliefs. She has published a fierce anti-war polemic.

hog

A pig, especially one that is allowed to grow large so that it can be eaten. a hog farm in Alabama a hog farm in Alabama

drone

A pilotless aircraft operated by remote control. With a nuclear ballistic missile against a drone, a near miss was... Overhead, a drone whirred menacingly, and a helicopter gunship...

hotbed

A place or situation where a lot of a particular activity, especially an unwanted or unpleasant activity, is happening or might happen. The police department was a hotbed of corruption. a hotbed of invention/genius/crime

flashpoint

A place or stage at which violence might be expected to begin. the city is seen to be the flashpoint of the area. The situation has reached flashpoint.

junction

A place where things, especially roads or railways, come together. You should slow down as you approach the junction. Leave the motorway at Junction 3.

sorrel

A plant with sour leaves that are used in cooking and salads.; A brownish orange to light brown. a sorrel carpet His dark brown jaw-length hair fell in messy waves in front of his sorrel eyes.

afterglow

A pleasant feeling produced after an experience, event, feeling, etc.. The team were basking in the afterglow of winning the cup. the afterglow of a tremendous victory

stranglehold

A position of complete control that prevents something from developing. Government forces have tightened their stranglehold on the region. The troops are tightening their stranglehold on the city.

pretext

A pretended reason for doing something that is used to hide the real reason. I called her on the pretext of needing more information. He visited her on the pretext of borrowing a book.

cardinal

A priest of very high rank in the Roman Catholic Church. Now I live by certain cardinal rules... cardinal elect and advise the Pope.

staple

A principal raw material or commodity grown or produced in a region; Produced or stocked in large quantities to meet steady demand staple goods are disappearing from the shops. the staple foods of the poor

conclave

A private meeting at which the discussions are kept secret. secret or private meeting, council, conference, congress It is unfortunate that the annual conclave of the International Monetary Fund was cancelled

tribulation

A problem or difficulty. We have no reason to believe that he bears tribulation. This period in our history was a time of great tribulation.

conundrum

A problem that is difficult to deal with. Arranging childcare over the school holidays can be quite a conundrum It was a conundrum with no solution.

assurance

A promise. She gave me her assurance (that) she would sign the contract immediately. She seems to lack assurance.

inflammation

A red, painful, and often swollen area in or on a part of your body. Aspirin reduces pain and inflammation. an inflammation of the eye/toe/ear

affront

A remark or action intended to insult or offend someone. He regarded the comments as an affront to his dignity. One example that particularly affronted him was at the...

precept

A rule for action or behaviour, especially obtained from moral thought. moral precept This policy goes against common precept of decency.

tyrant

A ruler who has unlimited power over other people, and uses it unfairly and cruelly. The country was ruled by a brutal tyrant. Overnight my boss seems to have turned into a tyrant.

scallop

A sea creature that lives inside two joined flat, round shells and can be eaten. If you are unsure about how to cut open a scallop or sea urchin... After you have shelled and trimmed scallops , give them a good wash

stool

A seat without any support for the back or arms. a three-legged stool a bar/piano stool

tip-off

A secret warning or piece of secret information. advise, warn, caution, forewarn, give a clue to, give a hint to Following a tip-off from a friend, we sold all our shares in the company.

calamity

A serious accident or bad event causing damage or suffering. This course of action could only end in calamity. A series of calamities ruined them -

standpoint

A set of beliefs and ideas from which opinions and decisions are formed. From a political standpoint it was a particularly bad idea. From a saver's standpoint, high interest rates are a good thing.

stake

A share or a financial involvement in something such as a business. He has a huge stake in making the peace process work. He holds (= owns) a 40 percent stake in/of the company.

vinegar

A sharp-tasting liquid, made especially from sour wine, malt, or cider, that is used to add flavour to or to preserve food. Similarly, vinegar can range from wine and cider to wonderfully fruity ones Would you like oil and vinegar on your salad?

excursion

A short journey usually made for pleasure, often by a group of people. a one-day excursion to the Grand Canyon my Saturday morning excursion into town

excerpt

A short part taken from a speech, book, film, etc.. An excerpt from her new thriller will appear in this weekend's magazine. an excerpt from Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker'

hiatus

A short pause in which nothing happens or is said, or a space where something is missing. to resume production of the vehicle again after a two-month hiatus. Efforts to reach a settlement resume today after a two-week hiatus.

bout

A short period of illness or involvement in an activity. He suffered from periodic bout of insanity. She had a bout with the flu recently.

sojourn

A short period when a person stays in a particular place. My sojourn in the youth hostel was thankfully short. my first sojourn in Lhasa

proverb

A short sentence, etc., usually known by many people, stating something commonly experienced or giving advice. the old proverb `where there's a will, there's a way` The appetite, says the proverb, grows with eating.

maxim

A short statement of a general truth, principle, or rule for behaviour. the maxim that actions speak louder than words I believe in the maxim 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.

memorandum

A short written report prepared specially for a person or group of people that contains information about a particular matter. The solicitor drew up a memorandum of Ford's financial position. He sent a memorandum to the members of the board.

sortie

A short, quick attack by a military force, such as a small group of soldiers or an aircraft, made against an enemy position. raid, operation, mission, flight A series of sortie was carried out at night by specially equipped aircraft.

bugger

A silly or annoying person. Well you shouldn't have drunk so much, should you, you daft bugger! The poor little bugger broken his leg.

stalemate

A situation in which neither group involved in an argument can win or get an advantage and no action can be taken. He said the war had reached a stalemate. The fourth round of talks ended in a stalemate.

compunction

A slight guilty feeling about something you have done or might do. I wouldn't have any compunction about telling him to leave. He had no compunction about stealing from his parents.

whiff

A slight smell, carried on a current of air. He leaned towards me and I caught/got a whiff of garlic. Opening the door, she caught a whiff of cigarette smoke.

scuffle

A small fight that lasts for a short time and is not very violent. Two police officers were injured in scuffle with fans at ... Violent scuffles broke out.

pantheon

A small group of people who are the most famous, important, and admired in their particular area of activity. Malcolm X definitely has a place in the pantheon of black civil rights heroes? Malcolm X definitely has a place in the pantheon of black civil rights heroes?

cadre

A small group of trained people who form the basic unit of a military, political, or business organization. An elite cadre of trained soldiers was standing by. An elite cadre of trained soldiers was standing by.

dent

A small hollow mark in the surface of something, caused by pressure or by being hit. There was a dent in the bonnet of the car. a dent in the door of a car

dimple

A small hollow place, especially one that appears on a person's face when they smile. Freddie was an angelic-looking child with blond, curly hair, blue eyes, and dimple. The pane of glass had a small dimple in it.

cottage

A small house, usually in the countryside. They live in an idyllic country cottage, with roses around the door. We used to have a cottage in Scotland.

canoe

A small light narrow boat, pointed at both ends and moved using a paddle (= a short pole with a flat blade. Instruction is given in the use of kayaks, two-seater canoe and motor boats. he had once canoed down the Nile

wrinkle

A small line in the skin caused by old age. His face was covered with wrinkle. fine wrinkles around the eyes

vent

A small opening that allows air, smoke, or gas to enter or leave a closed space. There was a small air vent in the ceiling. you should have some kind of outside vent

titbit

A small piece of interesting information, or a small dish of pleasant-tasting food. She offered him titbit; a chicken drumstick, some cheese. Our guide gave us some interesting titbits about the history of the castle.

brooch

A small piece of jewellery with a pin at the back that is fastened to a woman's clothes. badge, pin, clip, fastening, clasp They made off with a silver charm bracelet, two passports, a gold brooch and a silver chain.

bud

A small protuberance on a stem or branch, sometimes enclosed in protective scales and containing an undeveloped shoot, leaf, or flower. The first bud appeared on the trees. yellow rose buds

nugget

A small roughly shaped piece, especially of gold. Miners sifting gravel from the Yukon River in search of gold nugget someone who tripped over a gold nugget

booth

A small space like a box that a person can go into. ubicle, cell, bay, chamber, niche, alcove, pigeonhole, cubbyhole, carrel a polling booth; a reduced-price ticket ____ specializing in West End musicals

peg

A small stick or hook that sticks out from a surface and from which objects, especially clothes, can hang. He builds furniture using wooden peg instead of nails. He took off his coat/hat and hung it on the peg.

cascade

A small waterfall, often one of a group. She stood still for a moment under the cascade of water. It also contains a series of waterfalls and cascades

ripple

A small wave on the surface of water. The stone she threw caused ripple to spread across the lake. There were ripples in the sand.

knick-knack

A small, decorative object, especially in a house. Her flat is spilling over with knick-knack-___. ..shelves were covered with ornaments and useless knick-knacks.

cranny

A small, narrow opening in something solid. There were small plants growing in every nook and cranny of the wall. The lizards fled into crannies in the rocks.

pulp

A soft, wet mass. paste, mash, pap, mush, semisolid, pomace, semiliquid, triturate Mash the bananas to a pulp and then mix in the yogurt.

rattle

A sound similar to a series of quickly repeated knocks. clatter, bang, jangle, clang, clink From across the town came the rattle of machine-gun fire.

vacancy

A space or place that is available to be used.; a job that is available for someone to do The dentist can't see you today but she has a vacancy tomorrow morning. There are always plenty of vacancy for bar staff.

criterion

A standard, rule, or test on which a judgment or decision can be based. Exam results shouldn't be the only criterion for your choice of school. What criteria do you have for selecting patients for treatment?

turmoil

A state of confusion, uncertainty, or disorder. confusion, trouble, violence, row, noise, stir, disorder, chaos, disturbance, upheaval The country is in a state of political turmoil.

quandary

A state of not being able to decide what to do about a situation in which you are involved. and I'm in a real quandary about/over which one to accept. I was in a quandary about whether to tell him or not.

deficiency

A state of not having, or not having enough, of something that is needed. deficiency in the education system have been much in the news. Pregnant women often suffer from iron deficiency.

allegation

A statement saying that someone has done something wrong or illegal that has not been proved to be true. There were allegation that the film encouraged violence. allegations of fraud and corruption

stigma

A strong feeling of disapproval that most people in a society have about something, especially when this is unfair. Unfortunately, there's still a stigma attached to mental illness. There is no longer any stigma to being divorced.

contempt

A strong feeling of disliking and having no respect for someone or something. She's beneath contempt (= I have no respect for her)! At school she had complete contempt for all her teachers.

compassion

A strong feeling of sympathy and sadness for the suffering or bad luck of others and a wish to help them. Both women shared a compassion for victims of war. I was hoping she might show a little compassion.

spearmint

A strong flavouring with a fresh taste, or the plant from which this flavouring comes. spearmint chewing-gum/toothpaste spearmint chewing gum

hankering

A strong wish. Have you always had a hankering to be an actress? Don't you ever have a hankering for a different lifestyle?

revulsion

A strong, often sudden, feeling that something is extremely unpleasant. She looked at him with revulsion . The public has expressed revulsion at such acts of violence.

tang

A strong, sharp taste or smell. the tang of the sea air the salty tang of the sea

cuisine

A style of cooking. French cuisine Thai/Italian cuisine

accessory

A subordinate or supplementary item. car/kitchen/computer accessory Sunglasses are much more than a fashion accessory.

commodity

A substance or product that can be traded, bought, or sold. The government increased prices on several basic commodity. The country's most valuable commodities include tin and diamonds.

anaesthetic

A substance that makes you unable to feel pain. The procedure is usually carried out under anaesthetic. The procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic

tantrum

A sudden period of uncontrolled anger like a young child's. Johnny had/threw a tantrum in the shop because I wouldn't buy him any sweets. If she doesn't get her own way she has temper tantrum.

whim

A sudden wish or idea, especially one that cannot be reasonably explained. On a whim , she decided to go away for the weekend. A devoted secretary catered to his every whim.

icing

A sweet food used to cover or fill cakes, made from sugar and water or sugar and butter. For the icing, melt chocolate then stir until smooth and.. chocolate butter icing

fragrance

A sweet or pleasant smell. a shrubby plant with a strong fragrance flowers that are noted for their fragrance

custard

A sweet sauce made from eggs, milk, and sugar and poured over sweet dishes. Rhubarb combines well with custard based desserts apple pie and custard

ballot

A system or occasion of secret voting. vote, election, voting, poll, polling, referendum Representatives were elected by ballot.

poplar

A tall tree with branches that form a thin pointed shape. Apple, willow, birch, poplar, citrus, alder and maple are varieties we have used. a tall row of poplar

spire

A tall, pointed structure on top of a building, especially on top of a church tower. He saw the spire ahead through the trees. church towers and spires

unguent

A thick substance, usually with a pleasant smell, used to treat skin problems or make the skin soft. I believe I have an unguent that is most efficacious in this sort of matter. She smelled powerfully of bath salts and unguent.

tendril

A thin, stem-like part of a climbing plant that holds on to walls or other plants for support. My tangled hair fell in sticky tendril across my face. Watch the tendrils on the stems to judge ripeness.

sentiment

A thought, opinion, or idea based on a feeling about a situation, or a way of thinking about something. feeling, thought, idea, view, opinion, attitude I don't think she shares my sentiment.

tightrope

A tightly stretched wire or rope fixed high above the ground, which skilled people walk across, especially in order to entertain others. One of the acrobats who walked the tightrope at the circus did it blindfolded. One of the acrobats who walked the tightrope at the circus....

sieve

A tool consisting of a wood, plastic, or metal frame with a wire or plastic net fixed to it. You use it either to separate solids from a liquid, or you rub larger solids through it to make them smaller. Pass the sauce through a sieve to remove any lumps. Press the raspberries through a fine sieve to form a puree.

spade

A tool used for digging especially soil or sand, with a long handle and a flat blade. The kids took their buckets and spade to the beach. a bucket and spade

beech

A tree with a smooth, grey trunk and small nuts, or the wood from this tree. a chair made of beech a row of beeches

birch

A tree with a smooth, often white bark (= outer covering) and thin branches. The desk-and-bookcase of about 1820 is made of mahogany, birch Native fruitwoods and birch were more likely to be found

snorkel

A tube that you hold in your mouth to help you breathe if you are swimming with your face underwater. the snorkel may be taken away to allow him to practice the... the best places to dive or snorkel can be inundated with boats.

linseed

A type of flax plant grown for its seeds, from which oil is made. The house is surrounded by fields, a sea of blue linseed and yellow rape. Spring linseed lags some way behind now that the subsidy it attracts has been reduced.

barrister

A type of lawyer in the UK , Australia This is not dissimilar to charges of professional misconduct as a barrister or solicitor. You are the first barrister without a solicitor that has ever appeared in front of me.

copula

A type of verb, of which the most common is 'be', that joins the subject of the verb with a complement. In the sentence 'You smell nice', 'smell' is a copula.

ounce

A unit of weight equal to approximately 28 grams. For this recipe you need six ounce of flour. There are 16 ounce in one pound.

dale

A valley. farmhouses all across the dale For hundreds of years they have worked the dales

railing

A vertical post, usually metal or wooden, that is used together with other such posts to form a fence. the iron railing of the convent grounds Tourists pressed their faces against the palace railings.

plethora

A very large amount of something, especially a larger amount than you need, want, or can deal with. The plethora of regulations is both contradictory and confusing. There's a plethora of books about the royal family.

myriad

A very large number of something. A whole myriad of options exists for us. And now myriads of bars and hotels are opening up along the coast.

boulder

A very large rock. I felt myself smash against a boulder. The reverie was broken as if someone hurled a boulder into..

mansion

A very large, expensive house. The street is lined with enormous mansion where the rich and famous live. an eighteenth-century mansion in Hampshire

scalpel

A very sharp knife that is used for cutting through skin and flesh during an operation. A suggested method to safely remove a scalpel blade from its handle is.. the surgeon uses a scalpel to scrape off the mole

germ

A very small organism that causes disease. Rats and flies spread germ. It's a germ that causes sore throats.

morsel

A very small piece of food. The prisoners ate every last morsel. a morsel of cheese

compulsion

A very strong feeling of wanting to do something repeatedly that is difficult to control. urge, need, obsession, necessity, preoccupation, drive I seem to have a constant compulsion to eat.

caveat

A warning to consider something before acting further, or a statement that limits a more general statement. She will be offered radiation treatment - with the caveat that the method has only... He agreed to the interview, with the caveat that he could approve the final article.

escapism

A way of avoiding an unpleasant or boring life, especially by thinking, reading, etc. about more exciting but impossible activities. fantasy, dreaming, illusion, delusion, vision, fancy, mirage, hallucination, daydreaming For many people going on holiday is a form of escapism.

satire

A way of criticizing people or ideas in a humorous way, or a piece of writing or play that uses this style. His latest book is a biting satire on the monarchy. Her play was a biting/cruel satire on life in the 80s.

demeanour

A way of looking and behaving. There was nothing in his demeanour that suggested he was anxious. His demeanour in court is usually quiet and timid.

hyperbole

A way of speaking or writing that makes someone or something sound bigger, better, more, etc. than they are. He's using exaggeration and hyperbole to be entertaining. The debate was carried on with increasing rhetorical hyperbole.

single file

A way of walking with one person behind another. The schoolchildren were told to walk in single file __. Now, line up in single file and walk to your classrooms.

temerity

A willingness to do or say something that shocks or upsets other people. She had the temerity to call me a liar. patients who have the temerity to challenge their doctor

dowager

A woman of high social rank whose husband is dead but who has a title and property because of her marriage to him. The dowager duchess swiftly turned the knob, and drew ... a dowager queen

cue

A word or action in a play or film that is used as a signal by a performer to begin saying or doing something. Then, taking their obvious cue, they began to brawl. He took this as his cue to leave.

satnav

Abbreviation for satellite navigation. Many cars are now fitted with satnav . Many cars are now fitted with satnav.

versatile

Able to change easily from one activity to another or able to be used for many different purposes. He stood out as one of the game's most versatile athletes. This versatile summer jacket is a great buy.

decisive

Able to make decisions quickly and confidently, or showing this quality. The UK has played a decisive role in these negotiations. You need to be more decisive.

efficacious

Able to produce the intended result. It may not mean that the ultimate result is not efficacious. When contemporary arts are produced for an international market, they can still be efficacious.

auxiliary

Acting as a subsidiary; supplementary The auxiliary power units are of course run by hydrozine. An auxiliary military force.

tit-for-tat

Actions done intentionally to punish other people because they have done something unpleasant to you. a dangerous game of tit-for-tat __ __ I think it was tit for tat because I forgot her birthday last year.

in advance

Ahead of time; beforehand. The subject of the talk is announced a week in advance _. If you're going to come, please let me know in advance.

electorate

All the people who are allowed to vote. The present voting system distorts the wishes of the electorate . a policy designed to appeal to all sections of the electorate

flora

All the plants of a particular place or from a particular time in history. an extraordinary variety of flora and fauna the flora of the Balearic Islands

albeit

Although. He tried, albeit without success. The evening was very pleasant, albeit a little quiet.

breach

An act of breaking a law, promise, agreement, or relationship. Reproduction of the CD constitutes a breach of copyright. If you don't deliver on time, you could be sued for breach of contract.

breakaway

An act of separating from a group, especially because of disagreement. The breakaway group formed a new political party. Three senior politicians have formed a powerful breakaway group.

penance

An act that shows that you feel sorry about something that you have done, sometimes for religious reasons. As a penance, she said she would buy them all a box of chocolates. They are doing penance for their sins.

open-ended

An activity or situation does not have a planned ending, so it may develop in several ways. But it would resist pressure to swap an open-ended-__ mandate for... We are not willing to enter into open-ended discussions.

pastime

An activity that is done for enjoyment. Skateboarding is the favourite pastime of many teenagers. Suing people, especially doctors, is becoming a national pastime.

sideline

An activity that you do as well as your main job. income supplement, subsidiary, second job, secondary occupation Jim works in a bank, but teaches French in the evenings as a sideline.

rapprochement

An agreement reached by opposing groups or people. But the recent rapprochement between the EU and Libya signalled that an end to the embargo was imminent. There are signs of (a) rapprochement between the warring factions.

bursary

An amount of money given to a person by an organization, such as a university, to pay for them to study. ....in Ottawa and received a bursary to study English. The winner received a bursary to enable the study..

levy

An amount of money, such as a tax, that you have to pay to a government or organization. They imposed a five percent levy on alcohol. an annual motorway levy on all drivers

shortfall

An amount that is less than the level that was expected or needed. The drought caused serious shortfall in the food supply. The government has refused to make up a shortfall in funding.

excess

An amount that is more than acceptable, expected, or reasonable. Cover both sides of the meat with flour, shaking off any excess. An excess of enthusiasm is not always a good thing.

quarrel

An angry disagreement between two or more people or groups. We had the usual family quarrel about who should take the dog out. He's had another quarrel with Jamie.

wharf

An area like a wide wall built near the edge of the sea or a river where ships can be tied and goods can be taken off them. There were three teenagers fishing from the wharf . Canary Wharf

extrovert

An energetic happy person who enjoys being with other people. He was a showman, an extrovert who revelled in controversy. Most sales people are extroverts.

downer

An event or experience that makes you unhappy. You lost your job? That's a real downer! You lost your job? That's a real downer!

malfeasance

An example of dishonest and illegal behaviour, especially by a person in authority. Several cases of malpractice and malfeasance in the financial... in rural areas brought on by official malfeasance and land disputes

standout

An excellent or the best example of something. While all the desserts are pretty good, the clear standout is the lemon pie. Everyone else is fine, but Ellen Burstyn as Beth's mother is a standout.

expletive

An exclamation or swearword. He muttered an expletive under his breath. She dropped the book on her foot and let out a row/string of expletives.

penthouse

An expensive apartment or set of rooms at the top of a hotel or tall building. The singer is staying in a penthouse suite (= set of rooms) in the Hilton. The singer is staying in a penthouse suite (= set of rooms) in the Hilton.

showpiece

An extremely good example of something, which deserves to be admired. ...will be the new showpiece of the health service when it opens next year. The factory is a showpiece of Western investment in the East.

premise

An idea or theory on which a statement or action is based. The conclusions in the report were based on a false premise . We started from the premise that the situation can get no worse.

mirage

An image, produced by very hot air, of something that seems to be far away but does not really exist. His hot start this year could be another mirage . Through my half-closed eyelids I began to see mirages.

equator

An imaginary line drawn around the middle of the Earth an equal distance from the North Pole and the South Pole. a circle on a disk parallel to equator __ of the Earth. , eventually burning a groove all the way around the equator of the planet.

fallout

An incidental result or side effect. Other social trends also have psychiatric fallout radioactive fallout

build-up

An increase, especially one that is gradual. increase, development, growth, expansion, accumulation, enlargement The build-up-_ of troops in the region makes war seem more likely.

bruise

An injury or mark where the skin has not been broken but is darker in colour, often as a result of being hit by something. She bruise her leg quite badly when she fell. His arms and back were covered in bruises.

artefact

An object that is made by a person, such as a tool or a decoration, especially one that is of historical interest. He realised that the 'ancient artefact' were fakes. The museum's collection includes artefacts dating back to prehistoric times.

spasm

An occasion when a muscle suddenly becomes tighter in a way that cannot be controlled. Athletes know that cold weather can induce muscle spasm. My leg suddenly went into spasm.

resolution

An official decision that is made after a group or organization have voted. The UN had passed two major resolution. to approve/adopt a resolution

prelate

An official of high rank in the Christian religion, such as a bishop or an abbot. Thus in 1217 Honorius III ordered bishops and prelate to help out the boy-king Henry III. It is the first such invitation to a Catholic prelate.

injunction

An official order given by a law court, usually to stop someone from doing something. Her lawyers are to seek an injunction preventing the deportation. The court refused to grant an injunction.

edict

An official order, especially one that is given in a forceful and unfair way. You can issue an edict to cut taxes.... Most shops are ignoring the government's edict against Sunday trading.

qualm

An uncomfortable feeling when you doubt if you are doing the right thing. I had a sudden qualm that all might not be well. She had no qualms about lying to the police.

prejudice

An unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially when formed without enough thought or knowledge. We've been working hard to overcome prejudice against women in politics. Laws against racial prejudice must be strictly enforced.

predicament

An unpleasant situation that is difficult to get out of. fix (informal), state, situation, spot (informal), corner, hole (slang), emergency I understood her predicament, but there was nothing I could do.

indignant

Angry because of something that is wrong or not fair.; resentful, angry He became very indignant when it was suggested he had made a mistake. She wrote an indignant letter to the paper complaining about the council's action.

mollusc

Any of numerous chiefly marine invertebrates of the phylum Mollusca, typically having a soft unsegmented body. can be an important habitat for freshwater mollusc can be an important habitat for freshwater molluscs

gospel

Any of the four books of the Bible that contain details of the life of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not for sale, even among the poorest of us who have no money. St Mark's gospel/the ____ according to St Mark

constellation

Any of the groups of stars in the sky that seem from Earth to form a pattern and have been given names. Part of the constellation Puppis, the star is a tad too faint to see with... In each case, the same constellation of notions emerges.

vole

Any of various rodents of the genus Microtus and related genera. In kangaroo rats and some vole species An organism - say, a vole - that faces predation has....

soda

Any type of sweet fizzy drink (= with bubbles) that is not alcoholic. My laughing and petty revenge seemed to have made that soda sweeter. The scientific explanation for this phenomenon is that soda contains carbon dioxide gas.

pestilence

Any very serious infectious disease that spreads quickly and kills large numbers of people. areas where the pestilence had broken out Either the folk had died in the fire, died of the pestilence, or fled at first breath of either.

debauchery

Bad sexual behaviour, drinking too much alcohol, taking drugs, etc.. The police were called to quell scenes of violence and debauchery. a life of debauchery

arbitrary

Based on chance rather than being planned or based on reason. The selection of the 100 participants was completely arbitrary. This is a country where arbitrary arrests are commonplace.

empirical

Based on real experience or scientific experiments rather than on theory. This theory needs to be backed up with solid empirical data/evidence. There is no empirical evidence to support his theory.

gracious

Behaving in a pleasant, polite, calm way. courteous, polite, civil, accommodating, kind, kindly, pleasing, friendly, obliging He was gracious enough to thank me.

mischievous

Behaving in a way, or describing behaviour, that is slightly bad but is not intended to cause serious harm or damage. The thought sent a mischievous little smile to her lips. There were always mischievous boys around.

errant

Behaving wrongly in some way, especially by leaving home. His errant son ran up debts of over £3000. an errant husband

defiance

Behaviour in which you refuse to obey someone or something. Beef was reportedly exported from Britain in defiance of the ban. In defiance of the ceasefire, rebel troops are again firing on...

masquerade

Behaviour that is intended to prevent the truth about something unpleasant or not wanted from becoming known. They kept up the masquerade of being happily married for over 30 years. He masqueraded as a doctor and fooled everyone.

apathy

Behaviour that shows no interest or energy and shows that someone is unwilling to take action, especially over something important. lack of interest, indifference, inertia, coolness, passivity, coldness, stoicism widespread apathy among students; the problem of public ____ towards politics

tantamount

Being almost the same or having the same effect as something, usually something bad. The new tax is tantamount to stealing from the poor. Her refusal to answer was tantamount to an admission of guilt.

drily

Being funny in a way that is not obvious. 'It looks like you've already made up your mind,' she said drily. "We noticed," she said drily.

sole

Being one only; single. My sole objective is to make the information more widely available. She is the sole survivor of the crash.

quintessential

Being the most typical example or most important part of something. Everybody thinks of him as the quintessential New Yorker. Sheep's milk cheese is the quintessential Corsican cheese.

superstition

Belief that is not based on human reason or scientific knowledge, but is connected with old ideas about magic, etc.. I don't believe in the old superstition that the number 13 is unlucky. According to superstition, if you walk under a ladder it brings you bad luck.

devout

Believing strongly in a religion and obeying all its rules or principles. religious, godly, pious, pure, holy, orthodox, saintly, reverent, prayerful a devout Buddhist/Christian/churchgoer; ____ Muslims

nuptial

Belonging or relating to a marriage or to the state of being married. marital, wedding, wedded, bridal, matrimonial, conjugal the nuptial bed; ____ vows/promises

ecclesiastical

Belonging to or connected with the Christian religion. The marriage was valid under canonical and ecclesiastical laws. This did not fit in well with ecclesiastical views on divine providence.

betwixt

Between two positions, choices, or ideas; not really one thing or the other. the following conversation betwixt some of my neighbours ... squeezing the bridge of my nose betwixt two fingers

dreary

Boring and making you feel unhappy. She had spent another dreary day in the office. dark and dreary weather

respiration

Breathing. The diaphragm is the principal muscle of respiration . Her respiration was slow and difficult.

diligent

Careful and using a lot of effort. Their lawyer was extremely diligent in preparing their case. Leo is very diligent in/about his work.

mindful

Careful not to forget about something; careful about or conscious of something Sally was mindful that her comments might upset him. Travellers ought to be mindful of their surroundings.

rigorous

Careful to look at or consider every part of something to make certain it is correct or safe. rigorous safety checks rigorous testing/checking/methods

frugal

Careful when using money or food, or (of a meal) cheap or small in amount. thrifty; a frugal meal of bread and soup a frugal lifestyle

remiss

Careless and not doing a duty well enough. It was remiss of me not to ask you. You have been remiss in your duties.; It was ____ of me to forget to give you the message.

formidable

Causing you to have fear or respect for something or someone because they are large, powerful, or difficult. Meeting the energy demands of a big city is a formidable task. The company has built up a formidable reputation for quality.

benevolent

Characterized by or suggestive of doing good. He was a benevolent old man and wouldn't hurt a fly. a benevolent smile

artful

Clever and skilful, especially in getting what you want. He has shown himself to be an artful politician. an artful evasion of responsibility

guile

Clever but sometimes dishonest behaviour that you use to deceive someone. The president will need to use all her political guile to stay in power. He is a simple man, totally lacking in guile.

alms

Clothing, food, or money that is given to poor people. (old-fashioned)= donation, relief, gift, charity, bounty In the past, people thought it was their religious duty to give alms to the poor.

imminent

Coming or likely to happen very soon. Many species of animal are in imminent danger of extinction. A strike is imminent.

liaison

Communication between people or groups who work with each other. Project engineers are in close liaison with the client. The police have appointed a liaison officer to work with the local community.

whereas

Compared with the fact that; but. You eat a massive plate of food for lunch, whereas I have just a sandwich. He must be about 60, whereas his wife looks about 30.

raving

Complete or extreme, or completely or extremely. They looked at me as if I was a raving lunatic. Her last book was a raving best-seller/success.; She's no ____ beauty.

innocuous

Completely harmless (= causing no harm). Both mushrooms look innocuous, but are in fact deadly. an innocuous remark/suggestion

outright

Completely or immediately. absolute, complete, total, direct, perfect, pure, sheer, utter, thorough The driver and all three passengers were killed outright.

machinations

Complicated and secret plans to get power or control. the public are still being kept in the dark about the inner machinations of the Cabinet. You don't have to worry about agendas or politics or subtle machinations.

maritime

Connected with human activity at sea. Amalfi and Venice were important maritime powers. a maritime company/disaster

conjugal

Connected with marriage or the relationship between two married people, especially their sexual relationship. A woman's refusal to allow her husband his conjugal rights was once grounds for divorce. Some prisoners who want to start a family are to be permitted conjugal visits.

monastic

Connected with monks or monasteries. monkish, secluded, cloistered, reclusive, withdrawn, austere, celibate Chastity is the third monastic virtue, the opposite of voluptuousness.

olfactory

Connected with the ability to smell. the olfactory nerve the olfactory nerve

substantial

Considerable in importance, value, degree. She inherited a substantial fortune from her grandmother. Unless the group can raise a substantial sum, they will be in trouble.

perseverance

Continued effort and determination. Through hard work and perseverance_, he worked his way up from being a teacher in a village... Excellent marks are a result of hard work and perseverance.

prolonged

Continuing for a long time. prolonged use of the drug is known to have harmful side-effects. the effects of prolonged exposure to the sun's rays

dominion

Control over a country or people. At that time the island was under foreign dominion. God has dominion over (= controls) all his creatures.

fortitude

Courage over a long period. I thought she showed remarkable fortitude during that period. She bore her long illness with great fortitude.

spiny

Covered with spines (= long, sharp points like needles. low spiny bushes of sage spiny leaves

cattle

Cows and bulls that are kept for their milk or meat. a ban on all imports of live cattle and beef from the European Community a cattle ranch

dingy

Dark and often also dirty. He took me to his rather dingy office. Her hair was a dingy brown colour.

putrid

Decayed and having an unpleasant smell. rotten, contaminated, stinking, tainted, off, bad, rank, foul What's that putrid smell?; the ____ body of a dead fox

caustic

Describes a chemical that burns or destroys things, especially anything made of living cells. burning, corrosive, corroding, astringent, vitriolic, acrid, mordant a caustic substance; Never use ____ household chemicals to clean your leather items.

congenital

Describes a disease or condition that exists at or from birth. a congenital abnormality/disease He's a congenital liar.

rakish

Describes a man, especially a rich man, who lives in an immoral way, especially having sex with a lot of women. He has a rakish air about him. He has a rakish air about him.

extramarital

Describes a married person's sexual relationship with someone who is not their husband or wife. an extramarital affair

all-round

Describes a person who has many different types of skills and abilities. She's a fantastic all-round sportswoman. a great all-round performance

malleable

Describes a substance that is easily changed into a new shape. She was young enough to be malleable. Lead and tin are malleable metals.

voluptuous

Describes a woman who has a soft, curved, sexually attractive body. a voluptuous blonde a voluptuous body/mouth/figure

impending

Describes an event, usually something unpleasant or unwanted, that is going to happen soon. He was unaware of the impending disaster. He had told us that morning of his impending marriage.

consecutive

Describes events, numbers, etc. that follow one after another without an interruption. He's been late now on three consecutive days. her fifth consecutive defeat

arable

Describes farming land that is used for, or is suitable for, growing crops. arable farmland arable farming/farmers/farms/land

palatable

Describes food or drink that has a pleasant taste. a very palatable wine The meal was barely palatable.

elastic

Describes material that is able to stretch and be returned to its original shape or size. Work the dough until it is slightly elastic. A lot of sportswear is made of very elastic material.

blue-collar

Describes people who do work needing strength or physical skill rather than office work. The plant employed more than a thousand blue-collar-_ workers. The plant employed more than a thousand blue-collar workers.

absent-minded

Describes someone who often forgets things or does not pay attention to what is happening near them because they are thinking about other things. In his later life he became even more absent-minded. I'm getting more absent-minded as I get older.

blatant

Describes something bad that is very obvious or intentional. It was a blatant attempt to influence the judges. The whole episode was a blatant attempt to gain publicity.

dilapidated

Describes something old and in poor condition. ruined, fallen in, broken-down, battered, neglected, crumbling, rundown, decayed The hotel we stayed in was really dilapidated.

divisive

Describes something that causes great and sometimes unfriendly disagreement within a group of people. The Vietnam war was an extremely divisive issue in the US. a divisive issue

pre-emptive

Describes something that is done before other people can act, especially to prevent them from doing something else. The prime minister authorized a pre-emptive-__ air strike against the rebels. a pre-emptive strategy

extant

Describes something very old that is still existing. The oldest extant copy is dated 1492. We have some extant parish records from the 16th century.

dulcet

Describes sounds that are soft and pleasant to listen to. Ah well, you'll just have to imagine what my dulcet tones sound like. her beautiful, dulcet voice

abreast

Describes two or more people who are next to each other and moving in the same direction. He drew abreast of me and immediately started talking. We were running/cycling two abreast.

briny

Describes water that contains a lot of salt. allows roots to be fed by normally damaging briny water. the briny tang of the scallops

clement

Describes weather that is pleasant or not severe. There is on him no sin, for indeed God is clement. It's very clement for the time of year.

incendiary

Designed to cause fires. making incendiary remarks an incendiary bomb/device

aberrant

Different from what is typical or usual, especially in an unacceptable way. ..a sickness that causes somebody to engage in aberrant behaviour. aberrant behaviour/sexuality

taxing

Difficult or needing a lot of thought or effort. The long course takes about two hours of physically taxing skiing. I like a bit of light reading when I'm on holiday - nothing too taxing.

elusive

Difficult to describe, find, achieve, or remember. The answers to these questions remain as elusive as ever. An agreement to end the fighting remains elusive.

unrest

Disagreements or fighting between different groups of people. The unrest has left some 350 houses and public facilities... The capital city is facing growing political unrest.

glum

Disappointed or unhappy, and quiet. He's very glum about the company's prospects. You look glum. What's up?

pejorative

Disapproving or suggesting that something is not good or is of no importance. derogatory, negative, slighting, unpleasant, belittling Make sure students realize that 'fat' is a pejorative word.

obedient

Doing, or willing to do, what you have been told to do by someone in authority. The children stood in a little group disciplined, and obedient . Students are expected to be quiet and obedient in the classroom.

emphatic

Done or said in a strong way and without any doubt. He refused my offer with an emphatic shake of the head. The minister has issued an emphatic rejection of the accusation.

impromptu

Done or said without earlier planning or preparation. an impromptu party/performance an impromptu dinner party

overt

Done or shown publicly or in an obvious way and not secret. He shows no overt signs of his unhappiness. They have given overt support to the new scheme.

susceptible

Easily influenced or harmed by something. These plants are particularly susceptible to frost. Police officers here are very susceptible to corruption.

effectual

Effective and successful. effective, successful, efficient, powerful, efficacious They wish to promote a real and effectual understanding between the two countries.

stark

Empty, simple, or obvious, especially without decoration or anything that is not necessary. It was a stark room with a bed and chair as the only furniture. She disliked the stark brick walls and the steel window frames.

prevalent

Existing very commonly or happening often. Trees are dying in areas where acid rain is most prevalent. This negative attitude is surprisingly prevalent among young boys.

opulent

Expensive and luxurious. We sat in the opulent surroundings of the Ritz Hotel. an opulent lifestyle

expertise

Expert advice or opinion. We admired the expertise with which he prepared the meal. technical/professional/medical expertise

outspoken

Expressing strong opinions very directly without worrying if other people are offended. Mr Masack is an outspoken critic of the present government. an outspoken critic of the government

fatigue

Extreme tiredness. She was suffering from fatigue. Too many requests for aid can cause compassion fatigue.

obdurate

Extremely determined to act in a particular way and not to change despite what anyone else says. The administration have been obdurate defenders of the ... The president remains obdurate on the question of tax cuts.

avid

Extremely eager or interested. enthusiastic, keen, devoted, intense, eager, passionate, ardent He took an avid interest in the project.

scrupulous

Extremely honest . A scrupulous politician would not lie about her business interests. I have been scrupulous about telling them the truth.

overjoyed

Extremely pleased and happy. [overjoyed] We're overjoyed at your news.

gruesome

Extremely unpleasant and shocking, and usually dealing with death or injury. Police faced the gruesome task of looking for the body parts. The newspaper article included a gruesome description of the murder.

foul

Extremely unpleasant. Why are you in such a foul mood this morning? I've had a foul day at work.; What's that ____ smell?

harrowing

Extremely upsetting because connected with suffering. the harrowing prospect of giving evidence in a rape case can be too much to bear. a harrowing experience

distraught

Extremely worried, nervous, or upset. The missing child's distraught parents Her distraught parents were last night being comforted.

sorely

Extremely; very much. I was sorely tempted to pretend I was ill. I was sorely tempted to say exactly what I thought of his offer.

accustomed

Familiar with something; usual. I'm not accustomed to being treated like this. his accustomed seat

notorious

Famous for something bad. infamous, disreputable, opprobrious, scandalous The company is notorious for paying its bills late.

illustrious

Famous, well respected, and admired. Wagner was just one of many illustrious visitors to the town. an illustrious career/history/past

star-struck

Feeling great or too much respect for famous or important people, especially famous actors or performers. Hundreds of star-struck-__ wannabes will line up outside the Hawk's... It's the story of a star-struck young girl who goes to ....

complacent

Feeling so satisfied with your own abilities or situation that you feel you do not need to try any harder. We can't afford to become complacent about any of our products. These results are good, but we cannot afford to be complacent.

beholden

Feeling you have a duty to someone because they have done something for you. He was made beholden to the Mafia. She wanted to be independent and beholden to no one.

awhile

For a short time. for a while, briefly, for a moment, for a short time I read awhile, then slept.

overnight

For or during the night. You can stay overnight if you want to. They stayed overnight at the hotel.

stately

Formal, slow, and having a style and appearance that causes admiration. He always walked with a stately bearing. The procession moved through the mountain village at a stately pace.

impunity

Freedom from punishment or from the unpleasant results of something that has been done. immunity, freedom, licence, permission, liberty, security Criminal gangs are terrorizing the city with apparent impunity.

upbeat

Full of hope, happiness, and good feelings. (informal)= cheerful, positive, optimistic, promising, encouraging, looking up, hopeful Live music and a parade set an upbeat mood for the official opening.

wholesome

Good for you, and likely to improve your life either physically, morally, or emotionally. He looks like a nice, wholesome, young man. good, wholesome family entertainment; ____ food

ensuing

Happening after something and because of it. An argument broke out and in the ensuing fight, a gun went off. The guards returned fire, and the ensuing gunfight lasted all day.

nocturnal

Happening in or active during the night. These creatures have a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle. Most bats are nocturnal.

earthly

Happening in or related to this world and this physical life, not in heaven or relating to a spiritual life. There's no earthly reason why we should pay their expenses. earthly powers; his ____ existence

in-vitro

Happening outside the body in artificial conditions, often in a test tube. in-vitro experiments Scientists are studying these cells in-vitro.

jolly

Happy and smiling. Her teacher was a jolly lady. She's a very jolly, upbeat sort of a person.

toil

Hard work, especially work that makes you feel physically tired. Well, after a day's toil in the office I like to relax a little. Farm labourers have to toil in the fields all day.

injurious

Harmful.; causing harm or damage Stress in itself is not necessarily injurious. Too much alcohol is injurious to your health.

placid

Having a calm appearance or characteristics. the placid pace of village life a slow-moving and placid river

glitzy

Having a fashionable appearance intended to attract attention. He celebrated his birthday at a glitzy party in Beverly Hills. a glitzy television show

seasoned

Having a lot of experience of doing something and therefore knowing how to do it well. The author is a seasoned academic. a seasoned campaigner for human rights

affluent

Having a lot of money or owning a lot of things. Cigarette smoking used to be commoner among affluent people. an affluent area of Edinburgh

beleaguered

Having a lot of problems or difficulties. The beleaguered actor refused to talk to reporters today. a beleaguered football manager

heady

Having a powerful effect, making you feel slightly drunk or excited. In the heady days of their youth, they thought anything was possible. the heady scent of jasmine

clued-up

Having a special and detailed knowledge of something. Ben's more clued-up __ on/about movies than I am. Ben's more clued up on/about movies than I am.

infatuated

Having a very strong but not usually lasting feeling of love or attraction for someone or something. She was infatuated with her boss. He became infatuated with a woman at work.

virtuous

Having good moral qualities and behaviour. She always tried to lead a virtuous life. He described them as a virtuous and hard-working people.

chequered

Having had both successful and unsuccessful periods in your past. Her chequered musical career is indeed the stuff of storybooks. He's had a chequered business career.

inanimate

Having none of the characteristics of life that an animal or plant has. lifeless, inert, dead, cold, extinct, defunct, inactive He looks at me as if I'm an inanimate object.

chesty

Having or relating to a lot of mucus (= thick liquid) in the lungs a chesty cough a chesty cough

dense

Having parts that are close together so that it is difficult to go or see through. The body was found hidden in dense undergrowth. a dense forest

akin

Having some of the same qualities. The political situation here is more akin to dictatorship than.. They speak a language akin to French.

supreme

Having the highest rank, level, or importance. Beethoven reigns supreme among classical composers. the Supreme Court

omnipotent

Having unlimited power and able to do anything. Doug lived in the shadow of his seemingly omnipotent father. How can a loving, omnipotent God permit disease, war and suffering?

lopsided

Heavier, larger, or higher on one side than on the other. a friendly lopsided grin a charming, lopsided grin

altitude

Height above sea level. We are currently flying at an altitude of 15,000 metres. a jet cruising at an altitude of 35,000 feet

solace

Help and comfort when you are feeling sad or worried. Music was a great solace to me. James sought solace in religion.

expedient

Helpful or useful in a particular situation, but sometimes not morally acceptable. It might be expedient to keep this information to yourself It might be expedient not to pay him until the work is finished.

tenacious

Holding tightly onto something, or keeping an opinion in a determined way. The baby took my finger in its tenacious little fist. There has been tenacious local opposition to the new airport.

spellbinding

Holding your attention completely. He gave a spellbinding performance. He describes these ladies in spellbinding detail.

candid

Honest and telling the truth, especially about something difficult or painful. She was very candid with him about the standard of his work. He gave a remarkably candid interview.

unfurl

If a flag, sail, or banner unfurls, it becomes open from a rolled position, and if you unfurl a flag, etc., you make it do this. The demonstrators unfurl a large banner. two weeks later when the leaves unfurl

abdicate

If a king or queen abdicates, he or she makes a formal statement that he or she no longer wants to be king or queen. The last French king abdicate in 1848. King Edward VIII abdicate (the British throne) in 1936.

revolt

If a large number of people revolt, they refuse to be controlled or ruled, and take action against authority, often violent action. The people revolt against foreign rule and established their own.. Several players revolted against their new coach.

repugnant

If behaviour or beliefs, etc. are repugnant, they are very unpleasant, causing a feeling of disgust. The idea of cheating in an exam is morally repugnant to me. I find your attitude towards these women quite repugnant.

dazzle

If light dazzles you, it makes you unable to see for a short time. He dazzle her with his knowledge of the world. I was dazzled by the sunlight.

spare

If something is spare, it is available to use because it is extra. Do you have a spare pen? Bring a towel and some spare clothes.

spew

If something spews liquid or gas, or liquid or gas spews from something, it flows out in large amounts. cars spew black exhaust fumes Paper came spewing from the computer printer.

impound

If the police or someone in authority impounds something that belongs to you, they take it away because you have broken the law. confiscate; The vehicle was impound by customs. The police impound cars and other personal property belonging to the drug dealers.

allay

If you ____ a strong emotion felt by someone, such as fear or worry, you cause them to feel it less or to feel calm again. The government is trying to allay public concern about the ... He did what he could to allay his wife's fears.

condescend

If you ____ to do something, you agree to do something that you do not consider to be good enough for your social position. We waited 20 minutes before she finally condescend to appear. I wonder if Michael will condescend to visit us?

abide

If you can't abide someone or something, you dislike them very much. I can't abide her. He couldn't abide laziness.

indisposed

Ill, especially in a way that makes you unable to do something. Fearless Leader is apparently still indisposed and couldn't make it to the studio Sheila Jones is indisposed, so the part of the Countess will be sung tonight by Della Drake.

illicit

Illegal or disapproved of by society. an illicit relationship with a married man illicit drugs such as cocaine and cannabis

forthwith

Immediately. The property is to be disposed of forthwith. We expect these practices to cease forthwith.

hell-bent

Impetuously or recklessly determined to do or achieve something. a team hell-bent-__ on making amends for last year's... He seems hell-bent on confrontation.

substantive

Important, serious, or related to real facts. The documents are the first substantive information obtained by the investigators. substantive research on the subject needs to be carried out.

indissoluble

Impossible to take apart or bring to an end, or existing for a very long time. permanent, lasting, fixed, binding, solid, enduring, eternal, abiding, inseparable an indissoluble bond of friendship; The links between the two nations are ____.

unfathomable

Impossible to understand. The consequences of human cloning remain unfathomable. For some unfathomable reason they built the toilet next to the kitchen.

chalice

In Christian ceremonies, a large, decorative gold or silver cup from which wine is drunk. Golden chalice and great swords and weapons hung everywhere. I poured some wine into my little chalice

commensurate

In a correct and suitable amount compared to something else. Employees are paid salaries commensurate with those of teachers. a pay increase commensurate with job performance

precarious

In a dangerous state because not safe or firmly fixed. Our financial situation had become precarious . For the refugees life was always precarious.

to hand

In one's possession; within easy reach. The sheriff slept with his gun ready to hand __ under his pillow. The sheriff slept with his gun ready to hand under his pillow.

dowry

In some societies, an amount of money or property that a woman's parents give to the man she marries. portion, marriage settlement Her father cannot afford to pay dowry.

aloft

In the air or in a higher position. Four of the nine balloons were still aloft the next day. We held our glasses aloft.

inland

In the middle of a country, away from the sea. The Black Sea is a large inland sea. the inland waterways of southern England

yonder

In the place or direction shown; over there. to head off into the wide blue yonder and never return. Some day when we meet up yonder, we'll stroll hand in hand again.

briefing

Information that is given to someone just before they do something, or a meeting where this happens. They received (a) thorough briefing before they left the country. We had to attend a briefing once a month.

destined

Intended (for a particular purpose). We both felt that we were destined to meet. That boy is destined for greatness.

coy

Intentionally keeping something secret. She's very coy about her age. Tim is being very coy about his new job.

complicit

Involved in or knowing about a crime or some activity that is wrong. She was accused of being complicit in her husband's death. The government itself may have been complicit in the violence.

sedentary

Involving little exercise or physical activity. I should start playing sport because my lifestyle is too sedentary. sedentary lifestyles

pragmatic

Involving or emphasizing practical results rather than theories and ideas. a pragmatic world leader a pragmatic approach to problem-solving

bilateral

Involving two groups or countries. a bilateral agreement to help prevent drug smuggling. bilateral negotiations/talks

lavish

Large in quantity and expensive or impressive. a lavish party to celebrate his fiftieth birthday The lavish production makes this musical truly memorable.

protracted

Lasting for a long time or made to last longer. protracted negotiations a protracted visit/war/divorce

mirth

Laughter, humour, or happiness. That caused considerable mirth amongst the pupils. Her impersonations of our teachers were a source of considerable mirth.

suede

Leather that is slightly rough to touch and is not shiny. suede shoes suede shoes

marooned

Left in a place from which you cannot escape. The police are advising motorists marooned by the blizzards to ... marooned on a desert island

impetuous

Likely to do something suddenly, without considering the results of your actions. He's so impetuous - why can't he think things over before he rushes... He tended to act in a heated and impetuous way.

in the offing

Likely to happen soon; We have several projects in the offing. It's hard to tell what's in the offing __ _ if you don't keep track of things. There is a big investigation in the offing

prone

Likely to suffer from an illness or show a particular negative characteristic. He was prone to depression even as a teenager. The coastal region is prone to earthquakes.

attentive

Listening carefully. intent, listening, concentrating, careful, alert, awake an attentive audience

longevity

Living for a long time. To what do you attribute your longevity? a diet that promotes health and longevity

raucous

Loud and unpleasant. cheers from a raucous crowd that greeted him when he exited the restroom I heard the raucous call of the crows.

devotion

Loyalty and love or care for someone or something. love, passion, affection, intensity, attachment, zeal, fondness He inspired respect and devotion from his pupils.

deceptive

Making you believe something that is not true. Double-talk and deceptive marketing materials figure large in this enterprise. The hotel looked nice but appearances can be deceptive.

regrettable

Making you feel sad and sorry about something. It is regrettable that so many people have lost their jobs because of this. a most/deeply regrettable mistake

daunting

Making you feel slightly frightened or worried about your ability to achieve something. We are left with the daunting task of cleaning up this mess. The country was faced with the daunting prospect of overcoming..

eclectic

Methods, beliefs, ideas, etc. that are eclectic combine whatever seem the best or most useful things from many different areas or systems, rather than following a single system. The song displays an eclectic mix of influences. an eclectic taste in literature

depraved

Morally bad or evil. Someone who can kill a child like that must be totally depraved. a depraved character/mind

righteous

Morally correct. He was regarded as a righteous and holy man. an outburst of righteous anger

paramount

More important than anything else. Passenger safety is of paramount importance. The interests of the child are paramount.

sluggish

Moving or operating more slowly than usual and with less energy or power. Sasha woke up feeling tired and sluggish. A heavy lunch makes me sluggish in the afternoon.

oncoming

Moving towards you or coming nearer. He skidded into the path of an oncoming car. There seemed to be no way of averting the oncoming crisis.

requisite

Necessary or needed for a particular purpose. The requisite number of countries have now ratified the convention. He lacked the requisite skills for the job.

strenuous

Needing or using a lot of physical or mental effort or energy. The job involves strenuous work and long hours. His doctor advised him not to take any strenuous exercise.

unerring

Never failing to hit a target.; always right or accurate She has an unerring instinct for spotting the latest trends. Thereafter, he seemed to have an unerring knack for picking the wrong script.

incessant

Never stopping, especially in an annoying or unpleasant way. incessant rain made conditions almost intolerable. the incessant flow of traffic across the bridge

contiguous

Next to or touching another, usually similar, thing. The two states are contiguous with/to each other, but the laws... The vineyards are virtually contiguous with those of Ausone.

shameless

Not ashamed, especially about something generally considered unacceptable. They seem to have a shameless disregard for truth. She is quite shameless about her ambition.

vague

Not clearly expressed, known, described, or decided. I do have a vague memory of meeting her many years ago. He was always vague when I asked about deadlines.

drab

Not colourful or interesting. I feel so drab in this grey uniform. Their lives seem so drab.

wary

Not completely trusting or certain about something or someone. My mother always told me to be wary of strangers. He was wary of putting too much trust in her.

aloof

Not friendly or willing to take part in things. He seemed aloof and detached. She seemed rather aloof when in fact she was just shy.

pent-up

Not given expression; repressed. He still had a lot of pent-up-____ anger to release. pent up excitement/frustration/fear

dim

Not giving or having much light. The lamp gave out a dim light. The room was very dim.

cramped

Not having enough space or time. I have a very cramped schedule. It was cramped in the little cabin.

subliminal

Not recognized or understood by the conscious mind, but still having an influence on it. Television programmes are full of subliminal advertising. to give the subliminal message that he was a man of the people.

flippant

Not serious about a serious subject, in an attempt to be funny or to appear clever. It's easy to be flippant, but we have a serious problem to deal with here. I think she just thought I was being flippant. His ____ remarks only made the...

inept

Not skilled or effective. I was a hopelessly inept student. He was always rather inept at sport.

inhospitable

Not welcoming or generous to people who visit you. bleak, empty, bare, hostile, lonely, forbidding I'll have to cook them a meal or they'll think I'm inhospitable.

brazen

Obvious, without any attempt to be hidden. There were instances of brazen cheating in the exams. a brazen lie

filial

Of a son or daughter. In an act of filial generosity, he ordered April to be renamed for his mother. filial duty/respect/affection

stellar

Of a star or stars. a stellar explosion stellar light

celestial

Of or from the sky or outside this world. gods and other celestial beings The moon is a celestial body.

paternal

Of or like a father. His style with the crews is almost paternal, strong yet fair. My paternal grandparents (= my father's parents) were Irish.

amphibious

Of or relating to a type of animal that lives both on land and in water. fossils of amphibious creatures from millions of years ago. amphibious animals

cranial

Of the skull. They are attached to the cranial or spinal meninges... The lesion appeared to extrude into the cranial cavity

crummy

Of very bad quality. This is a lot better than some of the crummy places I've stayed in. a crummy old carpet

incumbent

Officially having the named position. The previous incumbent led the party for eleven years. the campaign to re-elect the incumbent

noose

One end of a rope tied to form a circle that can be tightened round something such as a person's neck to hang (= kill) them. The King was blindfolded and his head placed in the noose. They put him on the back of a horse and looped a noose around his neck.

constituency

One of the official areas of a country that elects someone to represent it in a parliament . the politician who wishes to remain in the good graces of his constituency a rural/urban constituency

stratum

One of the parts or layers into which something is separated. A particular stratum of society may be politically dominant. It was an enormous task that affected every stratum of society.

constituent

One of the parts that a substance or combination is made of. The main constituent of wine are acid, tannin, alcohol, and sugar. What are the basic constituents of the mixture?

tenet

One of the principles on which a belief or theory is based. It is a tenet of contemporary psychology that an individual's mental... Non-violence is the central tenet of their faith.

compartment

One of the separate areas inside a vehicle, especially a train. a first-class compartment the freezer compartment of a fridge

facet

One part of a subject, situation, etc. that has many parts. She has so many facet to her personality. two important facets of his management style

patchy

Only existing or happening in some parts. Low clouds and patchy rain are forecast for tomorrow. Demand for the product has been patchy.

manned

Operated or controlled by people. In addition, they will also have to operate a manned spacecraft such aircraft will eventually replace manned aircraft.

slick

Operating or performing skilfully and effectively, without problems and without seeming to need effort. The team demonstrated their usual slick passing style. They ran a very slick promotion campaign, you must admit.

sore

Painful and uncomfortable because of injury, infection, or too much use. All the dust has made my eyes sore . I always feel stiff and sore after gardening.

serene

Peaceful and calm; worried by nothing. She has a lovely serene face. She looked as calm and serene as always.

bliss

Perfect happiness. Two weeks just lying on a hot beach. What bliss! Lying on a sunny beach is my idea of sheer bliss.

consummate

Perfect, or complete in every way. She is a consummate politician. He's a consummate athlete/gentleman/liar.

impeccable

Perfect, with no problems or bad parts. His English is impeccable. The standards of service are impeccable.

consent

Permission or agreement. A patient has a right to withhold consent to the treatment. Both the husband's and wife's consent to the sale is required.

admission

Permission to join a club or become a student at a college or university. Her silence was taken as an admission of guilt/defeat. No admission to the park between 11 pm and 6 am.

clandestine

Planned or done in secret, especially describing something that is not officially allowed. The group held weekly clandestine meetings in a church. clandestine telephone conversations

benign

Pleasant and kind. Critics of the scheme take a less benign view. a benign old lady

courteous

Polite and showing respect. Hotel staff must be courteous at all times. Although she often disagreed with me, she was always courteous.

clergy

Priests, especially in the Christian Church. The Bolsheviks closed churches and imprisoned the clergy. The Pope may consult certain sections of the clergy

play out

Proceed to the end. The debate will play out _ in the media over the next week or two. They disagreed violently, and no one knew how the situation would play out.

prolific

Producing a great number or amount of something. Rabbits and other rodents are prolific (= have a lot of babies). He was probably the most prolific songwriter of his generation.

conclusive

Proving that something is true, or ending any doubt. The results of this experiment seem pretty conclusive. They had conclusive evidence/proof of her guilt.

acclaim

Public approval and praise. Garcia's first novel was greeted with widespread critical acclaim. Despite the critical acclaim, the novel did not sell well.

nimble

Quick and exact either in movement or thoughts. To keep your mind nimble, you must use it. nimble fingers/feet

docile

Quiet and easy to influence, persuade, or control. They were docile , obedient children. Ann was a shy docile child.

meek

Quiet, gentle, and not willing to argue or express your opinions in a forceful way. Mama is usually very meek and mild, but every once in a while, her true strength surfaces. She seemed so very meek and mild.

newfangled

Recently made for the first time, but not always an improvement on what existed before. Which newfangled words made it into the dictionary? She is a fan of various newfangled educational theories.

recreation

Refreshment of one's mind or body after work through activity that amuses or stimulates. I play golf for recreation only. Shopping is my main recreation.

forensic

Related to scientific methods of solving crimes, involving examining the objects or substances that are involved in the crime. His defence team had come up with new forensic evidence. Forensic experts searched the house.

societal

Relating to or involving society. societal problems societal change/values

nautical

Relating to ships, sailing, or sailors. You're looking very nautical in your navy blue sweater. nautical equipment

aesthetic

Relating to the enjoyment or study of beauty. The new building has little aesthetic value/appeal. aesthetic qualities/theories/ideals

in essence

Relating to the most important characteristics or ideas of something. in essence _, both sides agree on the issue. This, in essence, is the problem of modern sociobiology.

carnal

Relating to the physical feelings and wants of the body. She also happens to have carnal knowledge of Spencer's penis. carnal desires

formative

Relating to the time when someone or something is starting to develop in character. She spent her formative years in Africa. I spent my formative years in the Middle East.

retrograde

Returning to older and worse conditions, methods, ideas, etc.. He said it would be a retrograde step to remove single parent benefit. The government's whole transport strategy is a huge retrograde step.

jagged

Rough and with sharp points. a jagged line/edge jagged black cliffs

downcast

Sad and without hope. [downcast] I thought you were looking a little downcast this morning.

dismal

Sad and without hope. dismal living conditions but this would be considered a dismal rating for a program

succinct

Said in a clear and short way; expressing what needs to be said without unnecessary words. Keep your letter succinct and to the point. a succinct set of instructions

reputed

Said to be the true situation although this is not known to be certain and may not be likely. Conditions in the prison are reputed to be very harsh. She is reputed to be 25 years younger than her husband.

covert

Secretly, or in a hidden way. secret, private, hidden He stole a covert glance at Lily.

bail

Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial. She was freed on bail pending an appeal. He was released/remanded on bail (of $100,000).

ubiquitous

Seeming to be everywhere. She is the most ubiquitous media personality around. Leather is very much in fashion this season, as is the ubiquitous denim.

solemn

Serious and without any humour. funerals and other solemn occasions His face looked strangely solemn.

adultery

Sex between a married man or woman and someone he or she is not married to. Many people in public life have committed adultery. She is going to divorce him on the grounds of adultery.

thrifty

Showing a careful use of money, especially by avoiding waste. My mother taught me to be thrifty. They have plenty of money now, but they still tend to be thrifty.

altruistic

Showing a wish to help or bring advantages to others, even if it results in disadvantage for yourself. I doubt whether her motives for donating the money are altruistic The motivation wasn't entirely altruistic.

biased

Showing an unreasonable like or dislike for a person based on personal opinions. The course was heavily biased towards the sciences. The newspapers gave a very biased report of the meeting.

reverent

Showing great respect and admiration. A reverent silence fell over the crowd. She spoke in a reverent voice.

iridescent

Showing many bright colours that change with movement. Her latest fashion collection features shimmering iridescent materials. the iridescent wings of a dragonfly

ardent

Showing strong feelings. enthusiastic, keen, eager, avid, zealous, keen as mustard an ardent supporter of Manchester United

penitent

Showing that you are sorry for something you have done because you feel it was wrong. It was hard to be angry with him when he looked so penitent. "I'm sorry," she said with a penitent smile.

dismissive

Showing that you do not think something is worth considering. He was highly dismissive of the report. He's so dismissive of anybody else's suggestions.

bemused

Slightly confused. My father looked slightly bemused . I must admit that I was rather bemused at his sudden anger.

gradually

Slowly over a period of time or a distance. She gradually built up a reputation as a successful lawyer. Gradually add the flour.

bric-a-brac

Small decorative objects of various types and of no great value. knick-knacks, ornaments, trinkets, baubles, odds and ends It's one of those shops that sells antiques and bric-a-brac.

hail

Small hard balls of ice that fall from the sky like rain. a short-lived storm with heavy hail the storm invaded the city and delivered hail and heavy rain.

sparse

Small in numbers or amount, often spread over a large area. Information coming out of the disaster area is sparse. Higher up the mountain, houses became sparse.

palpable

So obvious that it can easily be seen or known, or (of a feeling) so strong that it seems as if it can be touched or physically felt. Her joy was palpable. The tension in the room was palpable.

inconsolable

So sad or disappointed that it is impossible for anyone to make you feel better. heartbroken, devastated, despairing, desolate, wretched They were inconsolable after the death of their young son.

seemly

Socially suitable and polite. The big question for us was when it would be seemly to be out again. It wasn't seemly for a young boy to be courting this woman

manure

Solid waste from animals, especially horses, that is spread on the land in order to make plants grow well. yield could be increased on a plot of land by spreading animal manure the ground should be well dug and manured

bellwether

Someone or something that shows how a situation will develop or change. The report is viewed as a bellwether for economic trends. a good bellwether of the economy

wholesaler

Someone who buys and sells goods in large amounts to shops and businesses. a furniture wholesaler a furniture wholesaler

expatriate

Someone who does not live in their own country. A large community of expatriate has settled there. Prague has a large population of American expatriates.

fraudster

Someone who gets money by deceiving people. New measures are needed to prevent fraudster opening bank accounts to prevent fraudsters opening bank accounts

backer

Someone who gives financial support to something. supporter, second, ally, angel (informal), patron, promoter, subscriber We need financial backer for the project.

culprit

Someone who has done something wrong. Police hope the public will help them to find the culprit. Police have so far failed to find the culprits.

accountable

Someone who is ____ is completely responsible for what they do and must be able to give a satisfactory reason for it. Politicians should be accountable to the public who elected them. She is accountable only to the managing director.

envoy

Someone who is sent as a representative from one government or organization to another. the UN's special envoy on human rights He was formerly French envoy at The Hague.

hypocrite

Someone who says they have particular moral beliefs but behaves in way that shows these are not sincere. I'm always a bit amused when people say the church is full of hypocrite. For his sins he is now regarded as a hypocrite, nay, a traitor.

hands-on

Someone with a hands-on way of doing things becomes closely involved in managing and organizing things and in making decisions. People will be able to get involved in the hands-on-_ display. She's very much a hands-on manager.

trifle

Something of little importance or value.; A small amount; a jot. It cost me but a trifle. The £2.50 or so I try and save is a mere trifle

mnemonic

Something such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something. The DREAMS mnemonic can help make the diagnosis when it is being... use the teaching mnemonic PICO.

fillip

Something that causes a sudden improvement. The athletics win provided a much-needed fillip to/for national pride. The news gave the stock market a big fillip.

prerogative

Something that certain people are able or allowed to do or have, but is not possible or allowed for everyone. It's the manager's prerogative to decide who will be employed. Skiing used to be the prerogative of the rich, but now a far wider range of people do it.

incentive

Something that encourages a person to do something. Bonus payments provide an incentive to work harder. The seaside venue of the conference is an added incentive.

one-off

Something that happens or is made or done only once. Hopefully it is not a one-off -__ because it happens to be World Environment Day. Will you be doing more talks in the future or was that just a one-off?

menace

Something that is likely to cause harm. The escaped prisoners are considered a menace to society. the growing menace of global pollution

boon

Something that is very helpful and improves the quality of life. Guide dogs are a great boon to the partially sighted. This battery booster is a boon for photographers.

impediment

Something that makes progress, movement, or achieving something difficult or impossible. war has been an additional impediment to progress. The size of the service sector is an impediment to economic growth.

consolation

Something that makes someone who is sad or disappointed feel better. It was some consolation to know that no one else had passed the test. I didn't know what to say - I just offered a few words of consolation.

abomination

Something that you dislike and disapprove of. What is happening is an abomination. Cruelty to animals is an abomination.

aspiration

Something that you hope to achieve. It's a story about the lives and aspiration of poor Irish immigrants. He has no political aspirations.

eventuality

Something unpleasant or unexpected that might happen or exist in the future. I'm looking for a travel insurance policy that will cover me for any eventuality. The troops are prepared for any eventuality, including air attack.

mote

Something, especially a piece of dust, that is so small it is almost impossible to see. Dust mote swirled in the sunlight. But a Leonid meteor is tiny, a supersonic mote of dust.

dispensation

Special permission, especially from the Church, to do something that is not usually allowed. exemption, licence, exception, permission, privilege, relaxation, immunity The couple have requested (a) special dispensation from the Church to allow them to marry.

bespoke

Specially made for a particular person. a bespoke suit bespoke software

steadfast

Staying the same for a long time and not changing quickly or unexpectedly. steadfast loyalty; loyal, faithful, stalwart, staunch, constant, steady They remained steadfast in their refusal to release the terrorists.

eerie

Strange in a frightening and mysterious way. He had the eerie feeling that he had met this stranger before. There was an eerie resemblance between them.

novel

Strikingly new, unusual, or different. it is likely that these suppressor mutations define novel genes. It is not surprising that Fisher's novel ideas took time to become accepted.

piety

Strong belief in a religion that is shown in the way someone lives. holiness, duty, faith, religion, grace, devotion, reverence, sanctity I'm not doing it out of any sense of religious piety or anything.

linen

Strong cloth made from the fibres of the flax plant. a cream linen suit a linen jacket; the crumpled charm of ____

pious

Strongly believing in religion, and living in a way that shows this belief. He was brought up by pious female relatives. She is a pious follower of the faith, never missing her prayers.

ludicrous

Stupid or unreasonable and deserving to be laughed at. It is ludicrous to suggest that she was a government agent. He looked ludicrous in that suit!

chic

Stylish and fashionable. She was even more chic than usual with a new, shorter hair style I like your haircut - it's very chic.

abrupt

Sudden and unexpected, often in an unpleasant way. Our friendship came to an abrupt end. The road ended in an abrupt slope down to the sea .

stricken

Suffering severely from the effects of something unpleasant. He was stricken with severe arthritis. He has been stricken with grief since the death of his wife.

ominous

Suggesting that something unpleasant is likely to happen. The engine had been making an ominous sound all the way from London. There was an ominous silence.

apt

Suitable or right for a particular situation. It seemed apt that the winning goal was scored by the captain. an apt comment/description

startling

Surprising and sometimes worrying. He made some startling admissions about his past. Nobody made any response to his startling suggestion.

proactive

Taking action by causing change and not only reacting to change when it happens. to be more proactive about environmental management. a proactive approach/role

interim

Temporary and intended to be used or accepted until something permanent exists. An interim government was set up for the period before.. an interim report

makeshift

Temporary and of low quality, but used because of a sudden need. Thousands of refugees are living in makeshift camps. the makeshift shelters of the homeless

taciturn

Tending not to speak much. ...but he was a taciturn man and just then he had nothing to say. He's a reserved, taciturn person.

traction

The ability of a wheel or tyre to hold the ground without sliding. Rubber soles offer good traction on court. people should use snow tyres on their vehicles to give them better traction.

hindsight

The ability to understand an event or situation only after it has happened. In hindsight_, it would have been better to wait. With (the benefit/wisdom of) hindsight, I should have taken the job.

hospitality

The act of being friendly and welcoming to guests and visitors. The local people showed me great hospitality. Just a note to thank you for your hospitality.

ascent

The act of climbing or moving upwards. climbing, scaling, mounting, climb, clambering, ascending, ascension She made her first successful ascent of Everest last year.

disjunction

The act of disjoining or the condition of being disjointed. the disjunction between economic valuation and ethical valuation. the disjunctions between film and theatre

compliance

The act of obeying an order, rule, or request. All building work must be carried out in compliance with safety regulations. strategies to force compliance with air quality standards

aviation

The activity of flying aircraft, or of designing, producing, and keeping them in good condition. the aviation industry the British Civil Aviation Authority

conspiracy

The activity of secretly planning with other people to do something bad or illegal. She has been charged with conspiracy to murder. The three men are accused of conspiracy.

guise

The appearance of someone or something, especially when intended to deceive. The company has been accused of trying to sell their products under the guise of market research. Revolutions come in many guise.

duchy

The area of land owned or ruled by a duke or duchess. being a descendant of the first duke of Milan, he claimed the duchy A beautiful, headstrong, and feisty young woman, she was the heiress to the duchy of Hilos.

credence

The belief that something is true. I'm not prepared to give credence to anonymous complaints. His bruises added/lent credence to his statement that he had been beaten.

zenith

The best or most successful point or time. In the 1860s, Tolstoy was at the zenith of his achievement. His career reached its zenith in the 1960s.

bile

The bitter, yellow liquid produced by the liver that helps to digest fat. Scratch the surface and all you'll find resentment, bitterness and bile!

carcass

The body of a dead animal. A cluster of vultures crouched on the carcass of a dead buffalo. Move your great carcass (= your body) out of that chair!

scrutiny

The careful and detailed examination of something in order to get information about it. The company's accounts are mainly hidden from public scrutiny. The diet industry comes under scrutiny in tonight's programme.

surveillance

The careful watching of a person or place, especially by the police or army, because of a crime that has happened or is expected. More banks are now installing surveillance cameras. The police kept both men under surveillance for several months.

hub

The central or main part of something where there is most activity. Bombay is the financial hub of India. The City of London is the hub of Britain's financial world.

vine

The climbing plant that produces grapes as its fruit. a field of vine vine leaves

trajectory

The curved path that an object follows after it has been thrown or shot into the air. The bomb followed a high trajectory towards its target. the trajectory of a bullet/missile

sanitation

The development and application of sanitary measures for the sake of cleanliness. Many illnesses [...] are the result of inadequate sanitation. the hazards of contaminated water and poor sanitation

contention

The disagreement that results from opposing arguments. My main contention is that we should be educating... The matter has been settled - it's no longer in contention.

circumference

The distance measured around the edge of a circle or a round object or area. The lamps threw deep shadows beyond the circumference of the pit. The island is 50 miles in circumference.

repercussion

The effect that an action, event, or decision has on something, especially a bad effect. President Kennedy's assassination had far-reaching repercussion. serious long-term economic repercussions

influx

The fact of a large number of people or things arriving at the same time. Turkey is expecting an influx of several thousand refugees... the huge influx of tourists

partiality

The fact of unfairly preferring or approving of something. The judge was accused of partiality The judges have been heavily criticized for their partiality in the whole affair.

gratitude

The feeling or quality of being grateful. Take this as a token of my gratitude for all your help. She sent them a present to show/express her gratitude.

disdain

The feeling that someone or something is not important and does not deserve any respect. She looked at him with disdain . He regards the political process with disdain.

forefinger

The finger next to the thumb. He holds up his hand, the little finger and the forefinger extended. I can squish the land between my forefinger and my thumb.

trailblazer

The first person to do something or go somewhere, who shows that it is also possible for other people. Orville and Wilbur Wright were aviation trailblazer. Pope John Paul II was a trailblazer in many areas.

cavalry

The group of soldiers in an army who fight in tanks, or (especially in the past) on horses. They were the best-mounted cavalry in all the world. the Queen's Household Cavalry

crust

The hard outer portion or surface area of bread. Sparrows pecked at a crust of bread. the Earth's crust

scripture

The holy writings of a religion. According to Holy scripture (= the Bible), God created the world in six days. the Hindu/Buddhist/Muslim scripture

spectre

The idea of something unpleasant that might happen in the future. His spectre is said to walk the castle battlements. The awful spectre of civil war looms over the country.

backbone

The line of bones down the centre of the back that provides support for the body. spinal column, back, spine, vertebrae, vertebral column She stood with her backbone rigid.

bowel

The long tube that carries solid waste from the stomach out of the body. bowel cancer/cancer of the ____ He has trouble with his bowel.

forfeiture

The loss of rights, property, or money, especially as a result of breaking a legal agreement. Reed was sentenced to forfeiture of all benefits. He was deep in debt and faced with forfeiture of his property.

brunt

The main force of something unpleasant. Small companies are feeling the full brunt of the recession. It was the capital that bore the brunt of the recent flooding.

vibe

The mood or character of a place, situation, or piece of music. The music has a soothing vibe. I didn't get many good vibes from the club.

morrow

The next day, or tomorrow. In the morrow I think I might get a job with a defence contractor They arranged to meet on the morrow.

nought

The number 0 or zero. zero, nothing, nil; Properties are graded from nought to ten... He said it was only worth £10, but really you could add a couple of nought to that

patent

The official legal right to make or sell an invention for a particular number of years. He had a number of patent for his inventions. In 1878, Edison received a patent for his phonograph.

gill

The organ through which fish and other water creatures breathe. Fish with torn gill die as inevitably as you would if your lungs were... Fish start to suffocate out of water and their gills may collapse and bleed.

perimeter

The outer edge of an area of land or the border around it. A river runs along one side of the field's perimeter. Protesters cut a hole in the perimeter fence.

thigh

The part of a person's leg above the knee. I get dressed and, ignoring the pain in my calves and thigh, I cycle into town. A magnetic resonance scan of his thigh showed a lesion within the sciatic nerve.

arse

The part of your body that you sit on. bottom, buttocks, butt She's got a huge arse.

festivity

The parties, meals, and other social activities with which people celebrate a special occasion. merrymaking, fun, pleasure, amusement, mirth, gaiety, merriment Come in and join the festivity!

on the brink of something

The point where a new or different situation is about to begin. We are teetering on the brink of something __ ___ __ bankruptcy. I was on the brink of selling my car to make ends meet

prospect

The possibility that something good might happen in the future. There's not much prospect that this war will be over soon. There seems little prospect of an end to the dispute.

reconnaissance

The process of getting information about enemy forces or positions by sending out small groups of soldiers or by using aircraft, etc.. Aerial reconnaissance of the enemy position showed they were ready to attack. The airport will be used for reconnaissance rather than combat.

acquisition

The process of getting something. the President's recent acquisition of a helicopter the acquisition of property

conveyancing

The process of moving the legal ownership of property or land from one person to another. a law clerk engaged in real estate conveyancing. we did our own conveyancing instead of using a lawyer.

allure

The quality of being attractive, interesting, or exciting. It's a game that has really lost its allure. the allure of working in television

merit

The quality of being good and deserving praise. I can see very little merit in this approach. The argument isn't without merit.

veracity

The quality of being true, honest, or accurate. We have total confidence in the veracity of our research. Doubts were cast on the veracity of her alibi.

generosity

The quality or condition of being generous. Her friends take advantage of (= benefit unfairly from) her generosity. He was known for his generosity to his colleagues.

lure

The quality or power that something or someone has that makes them attractive. The campaign is designed to lure tourists back to the province. You hope your kids will not be lured into smoking.

par

The same as or equal to someone or something. His initial performances have been well below par (=not as good as usual). Most of the scripts we read are simply not up to par.

aeronautics

The science of designing, building, and operating aircraft. At MIT, he graduated with highest honors in aeronautics new challenges to the US aeronautics industry.

palate

The sense of taste He developed a palate for foreign cinema. a selection of dishes to tempt every palate

ethos

The set of beliefs, ideas, etc. about the social behaviour and relationships of a person or group. The ethos of the traditional family firm is under threat. Working 12-hour days seems to be part of the company ethos.

penury

The state of being extremely poor. Motor industry handouts will drive us to penury. He was brought up in penury, without education.

abject

The state of being extremely unhappy, poor, unsuccessful, etc.. This policy has turned out to be an abject failure. abject poverty

prominence

The state of being important or well known. He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy. His family rose to prominence in the 1990s.

matrimony

The state of being married. Their marriage will face tests and have them both wondering if matrimony was the best answer for them. I was utterly sick of matrimony and almost of human company.

proximity

The state of being near in space or time. All of my family live in close proximity. the town's proximity to the mountains

subsistence

The state of having what you need in order to stay alive, but no more. Up to £350,000 has been spent on travel and subsistence. The family were living at subsistence level.

chastity

The state of not having sexual relationships or never having had sex. I took a vow of chastity and celibacy when I became a priest. As a monk, he took vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience.

equity

The value of a company, divided into many equal parts owned by the shareholders, or one of the equal parts into which the value of a company is divided. to purchase additional equity interests in the company at a big... He sold his equity in the company last year.

face value

The value or price that is shown on, for example, stamps, coins, or paper money. The face value _ is the value of a coin, stamp or paper money The face value is the value of a coin, stamp or paper money

slender

Thin and delicate, often in a way that is attractive. He put his hands around her slender waist. She has a tall slender figure.

dubious

Thought not to be completely true or not able to be trusted. These claims are dubious and not scientifically proven. He had a dubious reputation in the business.

duress

Threats used to force a person to do something. Some witnesses claim they signed their statements under duress. He claimed that he signed the confession under duress.

devolve

To (cause power or responsibility to) be given to other people. To be a good manager, you must know how to devolve responsibility downwards. Those duties will necessarily devolve on/upon me.

suffocate

To (cause someone to) die because they do not have enough oxygen. Many of the victims either burnt to death or suffocate. The men tried to suffocate him with a plastic bag.

jolt

To (cause something or someone to) move suddenly and violently. This announcement will be a jolt to investors. The truck jolted along the rough track through the field.

clog

To (cause something to) become blocked or filled so that movement or activity is difficult. The waterways are clog with ice in winter. The drain's clogged again.

meld

To (cause something to) combine with something else. He took folk music and meld it with pop. Several problems had melded together.

wobble

To (cause something to) shake or move from side to side in a way that shows poor balance. Emerging market stocks first started to wobble as far back as last spring. I wouldn't sit on that chair - it wobbles.

thaw

To (cause to) change from a solid, frozen state to a liquid or soft one, because of an increase in temperature. The sun came out and thaw the ice. It has finally started to thaw.

dissipate

To (cause to) gradually disappear or waste. a material designed to dissipate heat The heat gradually dissipates into the atmosphere.

topple

To (cause to) lose balance and fall down. He topple over the side of the bridge into the water. The statue of the dictator was toppled (over) by the crowds.

scatter

To (cause to) move far apart in different directions. The protesters scatter at the sound of gunshots. I scattered some grain on the floor of the hen house.

waft

To (cause to) move gently through the air. The sound of a flute waft down the stairs. The aroma of freshly made pancakes wafted through the air.

jut

To (cause to) stick out, especially above or past the edge or surface of something. The pier jut (out) into the sea. Her hip bones jutted out.

swivel

To (cause to) turn round a central point in order to face in another direction. The ostrich swivel its head in our direction. She swivelled round and glared angrily at him.

undue

To a level that is more than is necessary, acceptable, or reasonable. These minor improvements have caused undue expense and delay. Such a high increase will impose an undue burden on the local tax payer.

condone

To accept or allow behaviour that is wrong. The school does not condone bullying of any kind. If the government is seen to condone violence, the bloodshed will never stop.

relent

To act in a less severe way towards someone and allow something that you had refused to allow before. Her parents eventually relent and let her go to the party. The security guard relent and let them through.

corroborate

To add proof to an account, statement, idea, etc. with new information. Recent research seems to corroborate his theory. Details of the killings were corroborated by official documents.

adorn

To add something decorative to a person or thing. Several original paintings adorn the walls. The bride's hair was adorned with white flowers.

bear down

To advance in a threatening manner. The car gathered speed and bear down __ on him, so he jumped into the ditch. Another storm is bearing down on northern California.

concur

To agree or have the same opinion. We strongly concur with the recommendations of this report. The new report concur with previous findings.

loom

To appear as a large, often frightening or unclear shape or object. Dark storm clouds loom on the horizon. Suddenly the mountains loomed up out of the mist.

teeter

To appear to be about to fall while moving or standing. Stephanie went downstairs, teeter on her high heels He watched the cup teeter on the edge before it fell.

rebut

To argue that a statement or claim is not true. He spent most of his speech rebut criticisms. She has rebutted charges that she has been involved in any financial..

bequeath

To arrange for money or property to be given to somebody after your death. Picasso bequeath most of his paintings and sculptures to Spain and France. Her father bequeath her the family fortune in his will.

beseech

To ask for something in a way that shows you need it very much. beg, ask, petition, call upon, plead with, solicit, implore Stay a little longer, I beseech you!

implore

To ask someone to do or not do something in a very sincere, emotional, and determined way. She implore her parents not to send her away to school. 'Don't leave me!' she implored.

appeal

To ask the public for something such as money, information, or help. Seddon made an emotional appeal for his daughter to contact him. There have been several appeals for an end to the fighting.

bewitch

To attract or interest someone a lot so that you have the power to influence them. The old man was convinced that she had bewitch him. He was bewitched by her beauty.

offset

To balance one influence against an opposing influence, so that there is no great difference as a result. Donations to charities can be offset against tax. The extra cost of travelling to work is offset by the lower price...

herald

To be a sign that something important, and often good, is starting to happen, or to make something publicly known, especially by celebrating or praising it. This drug has been herald as a major breakthrough in.... The president's speech heralds a new era in foreign policy.

excel

To be extremely good at something. We aim to give every student the opportunity to excel. Robbie had always excelled at sport.

preside

To be in charge of a formal meeting or ceremony. The priest is often invited to preside at the reception. Who would be the best person to preside at/over the public enquiry?

fret

To be nervous or worried. She spent the day fret about/over what she'd said to Nicky. Don't fret - I'm sure he's OK.

befit

To be suitable or right for someone or something. She dressed as befit the daughter of a millionaire. She was buried in the cathedral, as befit someone of her position.

beget

To be the father of.; to cause something to happen or be created Poverty begets debt. He wanted to beget an heir

preoccupy

To be the main thought in someone's mind, causing other things to be forgotten. Economic concerns are preoccupy the voters in this election. a question that continues to preoccupy the more serious papers

privy

To be told information that is not told to many people. He had not been privy to their talks.; Again, I'm not ____ to why they fine them... I was never privy to conversations between top management.

repent

To be very sorry for something bad you have done in the past and wish that you had not done it. The only way that can happen is if all of the girls admit and repent their sins. He repent (of his sins) just hours before he died.

shrivel

To become dry, smaller, and covered with lines as if by crushing or folding, or to make something do this. The leaves had shrivel up in the summer heat. The fierce heat had shrivelled the meat.

dwindle

To become gradually less or smaller over a period of time until almost nothing remains. Resources are dwindle. Her hopes for success dwindled away to nothing.

taper

To become gradually narrower at one end, or to make something do this. The trunk doesn't taper very much Turn left where the road tapers (off) into a track.

swell

To become larger and rounder than usual; to (cause to) increase in size or amount. Moisture causes the timber to swell. My ankles tend to swell when I travel by air.

constrict

To become tighter and narrower, or to make something become tighter and narrower. His throat constrict making it difficult for him to speak. He hated wearing a tie - he felt it constricted his breathing.

deteriorate

To become worse. The economic situation could quickly deteriorate into social unrest. The weather deteriorated rapidly so the game was abandoned.

broach

To begin a discussion of something difficult. Eventually I broach the subject of her early life. He decided it was time to broach the subject of a pay rise.

obstruct

To block a road, passage, entrance, etc. so that nothing can go along it, or to prevent something from happening correctly by putting difficulties in its way. After the earthquake many roads were obstruct by collapsed buildings. The trees in their garden obstruct our view of the sea.

pant

To breathe very loudly with your mouth open, for example when you have been running or exercising. Louisa banged the door shut and leaned against it, pant. 'I can't go any further,' he panted.

collate

To bring together different pieces of written information so that the similarities and differences can be seen. Roberts collate the data on which the study was based. to collate data/information

char

To burn and become black or to burn something so that it becomes black. Grill the peppers until the skin starts to char. Cook the peppers under a hot grill until the skin chars.

gauge

To calculate an amount, especially by using a measuring device. Use a thermometer to gauge the temperature. the fuel/pressure gauge

evaporate

To cause a liquid to change to a gas, especially by heating. Plants keep cool during the summer by evaporate water from their leaves. The high concentration of sugars forms a syrup when the sap evaporates.

instigate

To cause an event or situation to happen by making a set of actions or a formal process begin. The leaders of the two factions instigate peace talks. The government will instigate new measures to combat terrorism.

haunt

To cause repeated suffering or anxiety. 30 years after the fire he is still haunt by images of death and destruction. They say the prison is haunted by the ghosts of the men who died there.

penalize

To cause someone a disadvantage. Women should not be penalize financially for looking after their children. The present tax system penalizes poor people.

alienate

To cause someone or a group of people to stop supporting and agreeing with you. Would they dare risk alienate public opinion? Their campaign has alienated the public.

arouse

To cause someone to have a particular feeling. These rumours have arouse intense interest among investors. It's a subject that has aroused a lot of interest.

divert

To cause something or someone to change direction. Our flight had to be divert to Stansted because of the storm. Police are trying to divert traffic away from the trouble spot.

snap

To cause something that is thin to break suddenly and quickly with a cracking sound. Some vandal's gone and snap off my car aerial again. Ken snapped off the smaller branches.

skew

To cause something to be not straight or exact; to twist or distort. This figure is skew because much of the work still hasn't been done. A researcher's mistake has skewed the results of the study.

wreak

To cause something to happen in a violent and often uncontrolled way. The recent storms have wreak havoc on crops. These policies would wreak havoc on the economy.

distort

To change something from its natural, or intended meaning or condition. The programme presented a distort picture of her life. The paper was accused of distorting the truth.

undercut

To charge less than a competitor. They claim to undercut their competitors by at least five percent. Supermarkets can undercut small shops by as much as 50%.

groom

To clean an animal, often by brushing its fur. The prospective groom along with his parents can meet the suitable girl. Polly spends hours in the stables groom her pony.

clamber

To climb up, across, or into somewhere with difficulty, using the hands and the feet. climb, scale, scramble, claw, shin, scrabble She clamber into bed.

accumulate

To collect a large number of things over a long period of time. Over the years, I had accumulate hundreds of books. We've accumulated so much rubbish over the years.

amass

To collect a lot of something such as money or information over a period of time. She has amass a huge fortune from her novels. They had amassed a fortune worth about £51 billion in today's money.

hoard

To collect large amounts of something and keep it in a safe, often secret, place. save, store, collect, gather, treasure, accumulate, garner, amass, stockpile, buy up During the siege people began hoard food and supplies.

garner

To collect something, usually after much work or with difficulty. His lawyer has garner considerable evidence in his defence. Coppola garnered several Oscar awards for 'The Godfather'.

huddle

To come close together in a group, or to hold your arms and legs close to your body, especially because of cold or fear. It was so cold that we huddle together for warmth. We huddled round the fire for warmth.

congregate

To come together in a large group of people or animals. People were already beginning to congregate outside the cinema. Tourists congregated outside the palace.

contend

To compete in order to win something. There are three world-class tennis players contend for this title. He's contend against someone with twice his experience.

grumble

To complain about someone or something in an annoyed way. She spent the evening grumble to me about her job. She grumbles at her employees over the slightest thing.

confound

To confuse and very much surprise someone, so that they are unable to explain or deal with a situation. The singer confound her critics with a remarkable follow-up album. She confounded her critics by winning the race.

equate

To consider one thing to be the same as or equal to another thing. These people seem to equate honesty with weakness. I equate suits with power and authority.

deem

To consider or judge something in a particular way. We will provide help whenever you deem it appropriate. The area has now been deemed safe.

boil down to

To constitute the equivalent of in summary. It boil down to _ __ a very minor matter. It boils down to the question of who is going to win.

curb

To control or limit something that is not wanted. The government should act to curb tax evasion. You'd better curb that temper of yours.

sculpt

To create solid objects that represent a thing, person, idea, etc. out of a material such as wood, clay, metal, or stone. Johnny sculpt an old man's head out of wood. They sculpt the material while it is in the right stage of stickiness.

decry

To criticize something as bad, without value or unnecessary. She decry the appalling state of the British film industry. He is impatient with those who decry the scheme.

condemn

To criticize something or someone strongly, usually for moral reasons. He was widely condemn for his behaviour after the match. The film was condemned for its sexism.

weep

To cry tears. She began to weep tears of joy. She weep buckets (= cried a lot) when Paul left.

prune

To cut off branches from a tree, bush, or plant, especially so that it will grow better in future. She spent the afternoon prune roses. We'll need to prune back the branches this year.

dissect

To cut open something, especially a dead body or a plant, and study its structure. We dissect a frog in biology. In biology classes at school we used to dissect rats.

mow

To cut plants, such as grass or wheat, which have long, thin stems and grow close together. You can't mow the grass/lawn if it's wet. We needed to mow the lawn.

engrave

To cut words, pictures, or patterns into the surface of metal, stone, etc.. carve, cut, etch, inscribe, chisel, incise, chase The jeweller skilfully engrave the initials on the ring.

cope

To deal successfully with a difficult situation. It must be difficult to cope with three small children and a job. Young people especially find it difficult to cope with death.

uphold

To defend or keep a principle or law, or to say that a decision that has already been made, especially a legal one, is correct. Judge Davis uphold the county court's decision. The Home Secretary's decision was upheld by the House of Lords.

burgeon

To develop or grow quickly. Love burgeon between them. Japan's burgeoning satellite-TV industry

ascertain

To discover something; to make certain of something. This much could easily be ascertain from the newspapers. Have you ascertained whether she's coming or not?

bustle

To do things in a hurried and busy way. the bustle of the big city My mother bustled around the kitchen.

graze

To eat grass growing in a field. Farmers can now graze their cattle on the mountain. The sheep were grazing peacefully.

spur

To encourage an activity or development or make it happen faster. His friend's plight had spur him into taking part. the effect of spurring the economy to faster growth.

abolish

To end an activity or custom officially. I think bullfighting should be abolish. Britain abolished slavery in 1807.

savour

To enjoy food or an experience slowly, in order to enjoy it as much as possible. We won't pretend we savour the prospect of a month in prison. Bill savoured the view as he cruised along the coastline.

abound

To exist in large numbers. Rumours abound about the breakup of her marriage. Theories abound about how the Earth began.

incur

To experience something, usually something unpleasant, as a result of actions you have taken. She may have to meet any costs incur as a result of the delay. They are not personally liable for debts incurred by a partner.

elucidate

To explain something or make something clear. He refused to elucidate the reasons for his decision. I don't understand. You'll have to elucidate.

lament

To express sadness and feeling sorry about something. Ken began to lament the death of his only son. Some older people lament the loss of close local communities.

span

To extend across in space or time. an average life span of 70 years Kids these days have a very limited attention span.

omit

To fail to include or do something. She was omit from the list of contributors to the report. Important details had been omitted from the article.

renege

To fail to keep a promise or an agreement, etc.. The life insurer was forced last week to renege on its pledge. If you renege on the deal now, I'll fight you in the courts.

resent

To feel angry because you have been forced to accept someone or something that you do not like. She might resent the time you spend with your friends because ... It's obvious that he resents being dropped from the team.

rue

To feel sorry about an event and wish it had not happened. He was probably rue his decision. I wonder if [..] I will look back and rue an opportunity missed?

grapple

To fight, especially in order to win something. The children grapple for the ball. The row led to them grappling on the floor.

reconcile

To find a way in which two situations or beliefs that are opposed to each other can agree and exist together. It's difficult to reconcile such different points of view. It is sometimes difficult to reconcile science and religion.

pinpoint

To find out or say the exact position in space or time of something. It is not possible to pinpoint precisely the time of death. We've been unable to pinpoint the source of the problem.

cram

To force a lot of things into a small space. Once again, writers like to cram a lot of material into a single sentence. He was cramming his mouth with food.

conscript

To force someone by law to serve in one of the armed forces. A peasant conscript army was established... He was conscript into the army at the age of 18.

detain

To force someone officially to stay in a place. Several of the injured were detain overnight in hospital. A 29-year-old man was detained for questioning.

oblige

To force someone to do something, or to make it necessary for someone to do something. Employers are legally oblige to pay the minimum wage. They felt obliged to offer him hospitality.

inflict

To force someone to experience something very unpleasant. Such a policy would inflict severe hardship and suffering. These new bullets are capable of inflict massive injuries.

oust

To force someone to leave a position of power, job, place, or competition. The committee wanted to oust him from the union. The president was ousted in a coup last year.

evict

To force someone to leave somewhere. expel, remove, turn out, put out, throw out, oust, kick out (informal) Tenants who fall behind in their rent risk being evict.

displace

To force something or someone out of its usual or original position. These factories have displace tourism. In Europe alone, 30 million people were displaced.

mould

To form into a particular shape; give shape to. The artificial limb is made inserting the mould into the molten material. the moulds for the foundry

arraign

To formally accuse someone in a law court of a particular crime and ask them to say if they are guilty or not. A 52-year-old Sheffield man has been arraign on charges of murder. He was arraigned on charges of aiding and abetting terrorists.

commission

To formally choose someone to do a special piece of work, or to formally ask for a special piece of work from someone. She's commission an artist to paint her portrait. a special parliamentary commission

commend

To formally praise someone or something. It says on the back cover of the book "highly commend". The judge commended her for/on her bravery.

recoup

To get back money that you have spent or lost. The gambler recoup his losses in the next game. Investors were hoping to recoup some of their losses.

relish

To get great pleasure or satisfaction from something. I don't relish telling her that her son has been arrested. Being a role model for younger players is something he relishes.

eradicate

To get rid of something completely or destroy something bad. Inflation will never be completely eradicate from the economy. The government claims to be doing all it can to eradicate corruption.

offload

To get rid of something that you do not want by giving it to someone else. Prices have been cut by developers anxious to offload unsold apartments. Retailers sometimes try to offload excess stock in the January sales.

procure

To get something, especially after an effort. She's managed somehow to procure his phone number. He'd procure us seats in the front row.

christen

To give a baby a name at a Christian ceremony and make him or her a member of the Christian Church. She was christen Maria. She's being christen in June.

endow

To give a large amount of money to pay for creating a college, hospital, etc. or to provide an income for it. finance, fund, pay for, award, grant, invest in, confer The state of Michigan has endow three institutes to do research for industry.

glance

To give a quick short look. Could you glance over/through this letter and see if it's alright? Robin glanced around the room.

ravish

To give great pleasure to someone.; rape, sexually assault One night a wolf comes and kills many chickens and ravish a lamb.

entrust

To give someone a thing or a duty for which they are responsible. He didn't look like the sort of man you should entrust your luggage to. Two senior officials have been entrust with organizing the auction.

exhilarate

To give someone strong feelings of happiness and excitement. For the first time, I felt exhilarate by the idea of attending the Cup. The risk exhilarated him.

bestow

To give something as an honour or present. The George Cross is a decoration that is bestow on British civilians for acts of great bravery. The Chancellorship of the University was bestowed upon her in 2010.

dub

To give something or someone a particular name, especially describing what you think of them. She was dub by the newspapers "the Angel of Death". The castle was dubbed the 'pink palace'.

underpin

To give support, strength, or a basic structure to something. the assumptions and beliefs that underpin our whole lives He presented the figures to underpin his argument.

relinquish

To give up something such as a responsibility or claim. The company was not about to relinquish its hold on the market. He has relinquish his claim to the throne.

appease

To give your opponents what they want. By failing to condemn the march, she was appease left-wing elements in the party. The offer has not appeased separatists.

abseil

To go down a very steep slope by holding on to a rope that is fastened to the top of the slope. She abseil down the rock face. The caving expedition commenced with an abseil into the cave

forage

To go from place to place searching, especially for food. They spend their days forage for food around the city. The pigs foraged in the woods for acorns.

gatecrash

To go to a party or other event when you have not been invited. He decided to gatecrash the wedding. You can gatecrash other actors' parties over here

stall

To halt the motion or progress of; bring to a standstill. But since then progress has once again stall with no resolution in sight. Asked what he would do if the attempt to resurrect his career stalled

abhor

To hate a way of behaving or thinking, often because you think it is not moral. I abhor all forms of racism. She abhors violence.

despise

To hate someone or something and have no respect for them. I despise him for the way he treated his children. He despised himself for being such a coward.

detest

To hate someone or something very much. I detest having to get up when it's dark outside. I detest any kind of cruelty.

fond of

To have a great liking for someone or something; to like doing something. She was very fond of _ horses. "I'm very fond of you, you know," he said.

comprise

To have as parts or members, or to be those parts or members. Italian students comprise 60 percent of the class. The course is comprised of ten core modules.

deflower

To have sex with a woman who has never had sex before. marauding invaders who will deflower our womenfolk She was deflower by a man who worked in the factory.

fornicate

To have sex with someone who you are not married to. the humans fight, flirt and fornicate . If our patients had no alternative but to fornicate, perhaps it ...

liberate

To help someone or something to be free. He is willing to reverse the laws of cause and effect in order to liberate us from ourselves. They said they sent troops in to liberate the people/the country from a dictator.

foster

To help something to develop over a period of time. Would you consider foster (a child)? This approach will foster an understanding of environmental issues.

dissemble

To hide your real intentions and feelings or the facts. We've learned that it's really best not to dissemble our relationships in public He accused the government of dissemble.

clobber

To hit someone or something hard and repeatedly. She clobber him with a vase. If you do that again, I'll clobber you (one).

venerate

To honour or very much respect a person or thing. They worship and venerate their own, but turn on players of the other side. Robert Burns is Scotland's most venerated poet.

envisage

To imagine or expect something in the future, especially something good. It is difficult to envisage living without the telephone. When do you envisage finishing the project?

conceive

To imagine something. He couldn't conceive of a time when he would have no job. The facilities had been conceived with families in mind.

accrue

To increase in number or amount over a period of time. accumulate, amass, increase, grow, collect Interest will accrue on the account at a rate of seven percent.

heighten

To increase or make something increase, especially an emotion or effect. The strong police presence only heighten the tension among the crowd. The move has heightened tension in the state.

flout

To intentionally not obey a rule, law, or custom. Many motorcyclists flout the law by not wearing helmets. Skateboarders know they will be prosecuted if they flout the law.

induct

To introduce someone formally or with a special ceremony to an organization or group, or to beliefs or ideas. I was induct into the real estate business as a child. Li Xiannian was inducted into the Politburo in 1956.

devise

To invent a plan, system, object, etc., usually cleverly or using imagination. We devise a scheme to help him. They've devised a scheme to allow students to study part-time.

enlist

To join the armed forces. Your only option is to enlist the services of a good lawyer. Charlie left shortly after he was enlisted in the Army.

sew

To join two pieces of cloth together by putting thread through them with a needle. He sew the badge neatly onto his uniform. My grandmother taught me to sew.

procrastinate

To keep delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring. We often procrastinate when faced with something we do not want to do I know I've got to deal with the problem at some point - I'm just procrastinate.

fetter

To keep someone within limits or stop them making progress. He felt fetter by a nine-to-five office existence. We are fettered by petty bureaucracy.

versed

To know a lot about a particular subject or be experienced in a particular skill. I'm not sufficiently versed in computers to understand what you're saying. a king versed in Latin and Greek

devoid

To lack or be without something that is necessary or usual. Their apartment is devoid of all comforts. Rob's face was devoid of any warmth.

spearhead

To lead something such as an attack or a course of action. British troops spearhead the invasion. Joe Walker will be spearheading our new marketing initiative.

recline

To lean or lie back with the upper part of your body in a nearly horizontal position. He recline his head against/on my shoulder. She was reclining elegantly on the sofa.

stain

To leave a mark on something that is difficult to remove. His fingers were stain with blue ink. Sweat had stained his shirt.

bask

To lie or sit enjoying the warmth especially of the sun. We could see seals on the rocks, bask in the sun. A group of grey seals were basking on a rock.

hoist

To lift something heavy, sometimes using ropes or a machine. The bridge was hoist into place by crane. Tim hoisted the boy onto his shoulders.

confine

To limit an activity, person, or problem in some way. Let's confine our discussion to the matter in question, please! The risk of infection is confined to relatively small groups.

hearken

To listen attentively; give heed. At last, the Hebrews have hearken unto that voice in the wilderness... The Torah tells us listen, hear, and hearken on whichever level you are able.

snoop

To look around a place secretly, in order to discover things or find out information about someone or something. Somebody went snoop through my desk while I was gone. She's been snooping round asking questions.

revise

To look at or consider again an idea, piece of writing, etc. in order to correct or improve it. His publishers made him revise his manuscript three times. These figures have now been revised.

gaze

To look at something or someone for a long time, especially in surprise or admiration, or because you are thinking about something else. He lay on the bed gaze up at the ceiling. We gazed in wonder at the scene before us.

resemble

To look like or be like someone or something. You resemble your mother very closely. The two species resemble each other.

falter

To lose strength or purpose and stop, or almost stop. The dinner party conversation falter for a moment. Peace talks have faltered.

waver

To lose strength, determination, or purpose, especially temporarily. Emerging markets are waver. He has never wavered in his support for the leader.

aggravate

To make a bad situation worse. His headache was aggravate by all the noise. Stress and lack of sleep can aggravate the situation.

opt

To make a choice, especially of one thing or possibility instead of others. Most people opt to have the operation. Mike opted for early retirement.

lease

To make a legal agreement by which money is paid in order to use land, a building, a vehicle, or a piece of equipment for an agreed period of time. He went to Toronto, where he lease an apartment. It was agreed they would lease the flat to him/lease him the flat.

clamour

To make a loud complaint or demand. There is a growing clamour for a ban on genetically modified foods. The children were all clamour for attention.

endorse

To make a public statement of your approval or support for something or someone. All endorse the treaty as critically important for achieving peace. I fully endorse (= agree with) everything the Chairperson has said.

clank

To make a short loud sound like that of metal objects hitting each other, or to cause something to make this sound. My bike chain was clank in an alarming way as I pedalled along. The machines whirred and clanked.

muffle

To make a sound quieter and less clear. The house's windows are double-glazed to muffle the noise of aircraft. The trees muffle the sound of the traffic.

lodge

To make an official complaint about something. She lodge a complaint with the city council.; An appeal has been ____ against the court's decision. The US lodge a formal protest against the arrest of the foreign reporters.

screech

To make an unpleasant, loud, high noise. We tried to calm her, but she just screech more loudly. "Don't you dare touch me!" she screeched.

plead

To make an urgent, emotional statement or request for something. He was on his knees, plead for mercy/forgiveness. She appeared on television to plead with the kidnappers.

moor

To make fast (a vessel, for example) by means of cables, anchors, or lines twenty or so fishing boats were moor to the pier He sees a market for Americans to moor their boats in Mexico...

disown

To make it known that you no longer have any connection with someone that you were closely connected with. I think my parents would disown me if I ever got a tattoo. a girl whose parents disowned her when she married a foreigner.

impede

To make it more difficult for something to happen or more difficult for someone to do something. Although he's shy, it certainly hasn't impede his career in any way. The darkness was impeding his progress.

fluster

To make or become nervous or upset. upset, bother, disturb, distress Some singers might be embarrassed or flustered by the miscues.

enforce

To make people obey a law, or to make a particular situation happen or be accepted. The main role of the police is to uphold and enforce the law. Troops were sent into the area to enforce the treaty.

prime

To make ready; prepare ..his final blaze bringer missile, which was prime and ready to launch. guard dogs primed for attack.

delude

To make someone believe something that is not true. deceive, kid (informal), fool, trick, take in (informal), cheat, con (informal), mislead He's delude himself if he thinks he's going to be promoted this year.

antagonize

To make someone dislike you or feel opposed to you. They were always careful not to antagonize rural voters. It's a very delicate situation and I've no wish to antagonize him.

invigorate

To make someone feel fresher, healthier, and more energetic. A strong cup of coffee might help invigorateyou. We were invigorated by our walk.

hearten

To make someone feel happier and more positive about a situation. The news hearten everybody. He was heartened by the public's support.

agitate

To make someone feel worried or angry. students agitate for more freedom I didn't want to agitate her by telling her.

extradite

To make someone return for trial to another country where they have been accused of doing something illegal. He will be extradite to Britain from France. He was extradited to Britain on charges of terrorism.

incapacitate

To make someone unable to work or do things normally, or unable to do what they intended to do. Using powerful lasers, the device can incapacitate enemy radar systems. The accident left me incapacitated for seven months.

cleanse

To make something completely clean. cleanse the cut/wound thoroughly before you bandage it. cleanse the cut/wound thoroughly before you bandage it.

expedite

To make something happen more quickly. We will do all we can to expedite the procedure Something needs to be done to expedite the process.

entail

To make something necessary, or to involve something. Such a large investment inevitably entail some risk. These cuts will entail some job losses.

saturate

To make something or someone completely wet. The grass had been saturate by overnight rain. Heavy rains saturated fields and pastures.

redeem

To make something or someone seem less bad. Smith's only redeem feature is that he knows his job. A difficult year for the company was redeemed by one very successful deal.

exaggerate

To make something seem larger, more important. Don't exaggerate! It wasn't that bad! The paper's political influence has been greatly exaggerated.

downplay

To make something seem less important or less bad than it really is. The government has been trying to downplay the crisis. The senator is downplaying the significance of the issue.

soak

To make something very wet, or (of liquid) to be absorbed in large amounts. Blood had soak through both bandages. Leave the beans to soak overnight.

tally

To match or agree with something else. Our figures don't tally - you've made it £20 more than me. The company keeps a tally of legal cases won and lost.

quantify

To measure or judge the size or amount of something. It's difficult to quantify how many people will be affected by the change. The benefits are difficult to quantify.

lunge

To move forward suddenly and with force, especially in order to attack someone. pounce, charge, bound, dive, leap, plunge, dash, thrust, poke He suddenly lunge at her with a broken bottle.

step up to the plate

To move into a position where one is ready to do a task; step up to the plate. It is time companies step up to the plate ___ __ ____ __ and made sure .... t's time for Tom to step up to the plate and take on his share of work.

scramble

To move or climb quickly but with difficulty, often using your hands to help you. He scramble awkwardly to his feet. She managed to scramble over the wall.

whizz

To move or do something very fast. A police car whizz by, on its way to the accident. Cars went whizzing by in the fast lane.

flick

To move or hit something with a short sudden movement. The lizard flick out its tongue at a fly. He flicked open the file in front of him.

lag

To move or make progress so slowly that you are behind other people or things. Their software tends to lag behind other producers. Sales are lagging at the moment.

straggle

To move or spread untidily and in small numbers or amounts. They came straggle up the cliff road. I tie my hair up because I don't like it straggling down my back.

scuttle

To move quickly, with small, short steps, especially in order to escape. A crab scuttle away under a rock as we passed. He scuttled off to get a drink.

heave

To move something heavy using a lot of effort. He cleared a space, heave boxes out of the way. He heave the bag onto his shoulder

bob

To move up and down quickly and gently, especially on the surface of water. In the harbour, the boats bob gently up and down on the water. The little boat bobbed up and down on the waves.

beckon

To move your hand or head in a way that tells someone to come nearer. "Hey you!" she called, beckon me over with her finger. He beckoned the waiter to ask for another bottle of wine.

enumerate

To name things separately, one by one. She enumerate all the reasons why she wanted to leave him. He enumerated the benefits of the insurance scheme.

abstain

To not do something, especially something enjoyable that you think might be bad. They agreed to abstain from any actions that might endanger the... He took a vow to abstain from alcohol/smoking/sex.

annul

To officially announce that something such as a law, agreement, or marriage no longer exists. invalidate, reverse, abolish, void, repeal, recall, revoke, nullify His second marriage was annul because he never divorced his first wife.

impose

To officially force a rule, tax, punishment, etc. to be obeyed or received. The council has impose a ban on alcohol in the city parks. I wouldn't want to impose my views on anyone.

ordain

To officially make someone a priest or other religious leader, in a religious ceremony. Her brother was ordain as a priest in 1982. He was ordain (as) a priest in Ely cathedral in 1987.

consecrate

To officially make something holy and able to be used for religious ceremonies. The church was consecrate in 1234. The new cathedral was completed and consecrate_ in 2002.

allot

To parcel out; distribute or apportion. Three hours have been allot to/for this task. How many students finished the test in the allotted time?

heed

To pay attention to something, especially advice or a warning. Few at the conference in London last week heed his warning. The danger signs were there, but we didn't heed the warning.

reimburse

To pay back money to someone who has spent it for you or lost it because of you. The airline reimburse me for the amount they had overcharged me. We will reimburse any further costs you incur.

disburse

To pay out money, usually from an amount that has been collected for a particular purpose. The aid will not be disburse until next year. The role of the committee is to disburse grants to needy students.

fathom

To penetrate to the meaning or nature of; comprehend. But I still couldn't quite fathom the idea of living with Dad. I couldn't fathom what he was talking about.

coerce

To persuade someone forcefully to do something that they are unwilling to do. He claims he was coerce into admitting his guilt. The court heard that the six defendants had been coerce into making a confession.

coax

To persuade someone gently to do something or go somewhere, by being kind and patient, or by appearing to be. A mother was coax her reluctant child into the water. Perhaps you could coax your father into taking you to the station.

dissuade

To persuade someone not to do something. Campbell tried in vain to dissuade Paton from quitting. I tried to dissuade her from leaving.

entice

To persuade someone to do something by offering them something pleasant. How can a promise of £9,000 a year entice older men back to work? I enticed him with more money.

induce

To persuade someone to do something; to cause something, especially a mental or physical change They induce her to take the job by promising editorial freedom. They hoped their work would induce social change.

rehearse

To practise a play, a piece of music, etc. in order to prepare it for public performance. On her way to her interview she silently rehearse what she would say. The musicians rehearse (the symphony) for the concert.

cultivate

To prepare land and grow crops on it, or to grow a particular crop. The villagers cultivate mostly maize and beans. Most of the world's fertile land is already being cultivated.

pulverize

To press or crush something until it becomes powder or a soft mass. A nearby residential area had been pulverize by the bombing. pulverized coal/bones

purport

To pretend to be or to do something, especially in a way that is not easy to believe. Some food supplements are purport to enhance memory. This book purports to contain all the information you require.

foil

To prevent from being successful; thwart. A brave police chief foil an armed robbery. My heart raced as I thought that my plan had been foiled once again.

hamper

To prevent someone doing something easily. inder, handicap, hold up, prevent, restrict, frustrate, curb, slow down, restrain The search was hamper by heavy snowfall.

avert

To prevent something bad from happening. Violence may have been avert with a greater police presence. to avert disaster/economic collapse

conceal

To prevent something from being seen or known about. Is there something you're conceal from me? The listening device was ____ in a pen. He was barely able to conceal his disgust.

preclude

To prevent something or make it impossible, or prevent someone from doing something. His contract preclude him from discussing his work with anyone... This policy preclude the routine use of chemicals.

glitter

To produce a lot of small bright flashes of reflected light. I saw both relief and grief glitter in his light blue eyes. Her diamond necklace glittered brilliantly under the spotlights.

sprout

To produce leaves, hair, or other new developing parts, or (of leaves, hair, and other developing parts) to begin to grow. Your hair is sticking up - it looks like you're sprout horns! It takes about three days for the seeds to sprout.

glint

To produce small bright flashes of light reflected from a surface. He caught a glint of silver amongst the darkness. A large diamond glinted on her finger.

procreate

To produce young. The termination of menstruation means the ending of a woman's biological obligation to procreate. While priests were denied the right to marry and procreate, their situation...

inhibit

To prohibit; forbid. Economic growth has been inhibit by the lack of investment. Drinking coffee inhibits the absorption of iron from your diet.

cater

To provide, and sometimes serve, food. Which firm will be cater at the wedding reception? I'm catering for twelve on Sunday, all the family are coming.

advocate

To publicly support or suggest an idea, development, or way of doing something. He advocate the return of capital punishment. She advocates taking a more long-term view.

uproot

To pull a plant including its roots out of the ground. Hundreds of mature trees were uproot in the storm. Don was unwilling to uproot from his home in California.

tweak

To pull and twist something with a small sudden movement. He tweak my ear roughly. Standing in front of the mirror she tweaked a strand of hair into place.

dunk

To put a biscuit, piece of bread, etc. into a liquid such as tea or soup for a short time before eating it. She dunk a biscuit in her tea. My method is to dunk each fruit in a glass of champagne and eat it..

redress

To put right a wrong or give payment for a wrong that has been done. I will not hesitate to seek for an immediate legal redress through my... Employees with complaints may seek redress through the courts.

elevate

To raise something or lift something up. The platform was elevate by means of hydraulic legs. The President elevated him to the chairmanship of the council.

attain

To reach or succeed in getting something. Not all athletes attain this standard of physical fitness. He has attain the highest grade in his music exams.

pore over

To read or study carefully and attentively I need to take a few hours to pore over __ these contracts.. She pored over the reports, looking for errors.

fritter

To reduce or squander little by little fritter his inheritance away. I fritter my time away at coffee mornings.

withhold

To refuse to give something or to keep back something. He suggested they withhold payment. Several nations decided to withhold their support for the treaty.

defy

To refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.. resist, oppose, confront, face, brave, beard, disregard, stand up to, spurn The commander defy a direct order to surrender.

laze

To relax and enjoy yourself, doing very little. We spent the day laze around in the garden. We finally found some time to swim and laze in the sun.

commemorate

To remember officially and give respect to a great person or event, especially by a public ceremony or by making a statue or special building. A huge bronze statue commemorate the poet stands in the main square. a gallery of paintings commemorating great moments in baseball

scour

To remove dirt from something by rubbing it hard with something rough; to search a place or document thoroughly for something You'll have to scour out those old cooking pots before you use them. He decided to scour the sink.

depose

To remove someone important from a powerful position. For example, Pope Silverius was depose by force and died in a penal colony. King Charles I was deposed from the English throne in 1646.

overhaul

To repair or improve something so that every part of it works as it should. The government plans to overhaul the health service. He has promised to overhaul the welfare system.

relay

To repeat something you have heard, or to broadcast a signal, message, or programme on television or radio. Images of the war were relay around the world. Rose immediately relayed news of the accident to her boss.

depict

To represent or show something in a picture or story. Her paintings depict the lives of ordinary people in the last century. He was depicted as a hero who died for his beliefs.

denote

To represent something. The colour red is used to denote passion or danger. Bad stitching denotes a poor quality carpet.

soar

To rise very quickly to a high level. All night long fireworks soar into the sky. Unemployment has soared.

besmirch

To say bad things about someone to influence other people's opinion of them. His accusations were false, but they served to besmirch her reputation. How dare you besmirch my mother's reputation?

abjure

To say formally or publicly that you no longer agree with a belief or way of behaving. He abjure the Protestant faith in 1594. He abjure his religion/his life of dissipation.

certify

To say in a formal or official way, usually in writing, that something is true or correct. confirm, show, declare, guarantee, witness, assure The driver was certify (as) dead on arrival at the hospital.

refute

To say or prove that a person, statement, opinion, etc. is wrong or false. It was the kind of rumour that is impossible to refute. The police said he was drunk, a claim refute by his attorney.

ransack

To search a place or container in a violent and careless way. He returned to find that burglars had ransack his office. I ransack the cupboard for my ski boots.

delve

To search, especially as if by digging, in order to find a thing or information. She delve into her pocket to find some change. This biography delves deep into the artist's private life.

infiltrate

To secretly become part of a group in order to get information or to influence the way that group thinks or behaves. Government agents had been infiltrate paramilitary groups. A journalist managed to infiltrate the powerful drug cartel.

banish

To send someone away, especially from their country, and not allow them to come back. xclude, bar, ban, dismiss, expel, throw out, oust, drive away, eject He was banish to an uninhabited island for a year.

consign

To send something to someone.; to put someone or something somewhere, especially because you do not want to deal with them The goods have been consign to you by air. He consign his work suits to the back of the wardrobe.

dispatch

To send something, especially goods or a message, somewhere for a particular purpose. Two loads of cloth were dispatch to the factory on 12 December. The goods are dispatched from a warehouse.

cleave

To separate or divide, or cause something to separate or divide, often violently. split, open, divide, crack, slice, rend, sever, part, hew With one blow of the knight's axe, he cleave the rock in twain.

pose

To set forth in words; propound; to put forward; present. The mountain terrain pose particular problems for civil engineers. Nuclear weapons pose a threat to everyone.

shudder

To shake suddenly with very small movements because of a very unpleasant thought or feeling. The sight of so much blood made him shudder. She shuddered slightly at the memory.

reciprocate

To share the same feelings as someone else, or to behave in the same way as someone else. Sadly, my feelings for him were not reciprocate. She has feelings for him that he can't reciprocate.

glisten

To shine by reflecting light from a wet or smooth surface. The grass glisten in the early-morning dew. His forehead was glistening with sweat.

bellow

To shout in a loud voice, or (of a cow or large animal) to make a loud, deep sound. We could hear the sergeant bellow commands to his troops. The bull bellowed in pain.

flaunt

To show or make obvious something you are proud of in order to get admiration. Models flaunt themselves in tight designer jeans. Flavio was flaunting his tan in a pair of white trunks.

presage

To show or suggest that something, often something unpleasant, will happen. Nonsense, this is a brilliant album and a presage of success. An artificially strong peso may presage serious problems for the country.

exhibit

To show outwardly; display. His work will be exhibit in Moscow later this year. Where are you going to exhibit next?

usher

To show someone where they should go, or to make someone go where you want them to go. She usher us into her office and offered us a coffee. Inspector Malley ushered us into his office.

substantiate

To show something to be true, or to support a claim with facts. Reports that children had been hurt have not been substantiate. We have evidence to substantiate the allegations against him.

perch

To sit on or near the edge of something. Rob came over to perch on the corner of her desk. Sophie was perched on the arm of the couch.

curl up

To sit or lie in a position with your arms and legs close to your body. She curl up __ on the sofa to watch TV. She curled up on the sofa to watch TV.

murmur

To speak or say something very quietly. He was murmur to himself. "I love you," she murmur.

splurge

To spend a lot of money on buying goods, especially expensive goods. I feel like splurge (out) on a new dress. I feel like splurging (out) on a new dress.

impair

To spoil something or make it weaker so that it is less effective. The condition does not seem to impair his ability to work. Consumption of alcohol impairs your ability to drive.

taint

To spoil something, especially food or blood, by adding a harmful substance, or to spoil people's opinion of someone. The air was taint by the smell of burning. a lot of damaging publicity that could taint the jury

smear

To spread a liquid or a thick substance over a surface. The children had smear peanut butter all over the sofa. His face was smeared with mud.

disseminate

To spread or give out something, especially news, information, ideas, etc., to a lot of people. Websites are not only used to disseminate information and propaganda. One of the organization's aims is to disseminate information about...

billow

To spread over a large area, or (especially of things made of cloth) to become filled with air and appear to be larger. Smoke billow (out) from the burning building. The sheets billowed on the clothes line.

sprawl

To spread the arms and legs out carelessly and untidily while sitting or lying down. She sprawl on the bed, not even moving to cover herself up. We sprawled in front of the fire and watched TV.

reel

To stagger, lurch, or sway, as from drunkenness. I'm still reel from the shock of hearing it. He lost his balance and reeled back.

inaugurate

To start or introduce something new and important. American presidents are always inaugurate on 20 January. He hopes to inaugurate a new, more democratic era in the country's politics.

overstate

To state in exaggerated terms. The impact of the new legislation has been greatly overstate. He may have overstated his ability in the interview.

profess

To state something, sometimes in a way that is not sincere. Many wildlife smugglers profess to have an interest in conservation. She profess not to be interested in money.

hover

To stay in one place in the air, usually by moving the wings quickly. I heard the noise of a helicopter hover overhead. An army helicopter hovered overhead.

plunder

To steal goods violently from a place, especially during a war. The city was plunder and burned during the war. They plundered and burned the town.

stumble

To step awkwardly while walking or running and fall or begin to fall. She stumble across the hall and felt for the light switch. On his morning run, Derek stumbled over a fallen tree.

intercept

To stop and catch something or someone before they are able to reach a particular place. Gunmen intercept him on the way to the airport. Barry intercepted Naylor's pass and scored the third goal.

placate

To stop someone from feeling angry. Efforts to placate local government officials have thus far failed. He smiled, and made a gesture intended to placate me.

irrigate

To supply land with water so that crops and plants will grow. Rebecca uses a sprinkler system to irrigate her crops. The land is irrigated by a maze of interconnected canals.

bolster

To support or improve something or make it stronger. More money is needed to bolster the industry. His score will bolster his confidence for the next match.

prop

To support something physically, often by leaning it against something else or putting something under it. This window keeps on closing - I'll have to prop it open with something. She was sitting at the desk with her chin propped on her hands.

dismantle

To take a machine apart or to come apart into separate pieces. He asked for immediate help to dismantle the warheads. All the furniture is easy to dismantle and transport.

dabble

To take a slight and not very serious interest in a subject, or try a particular activity for a short period. When he was younger he dabble in astrology. Liz had dabbled with acting at university.

deduct

To take away an amount or part from a total. The player had points deduct (from his score) for arguing with the referee. Nothing will be deducted from your pay without your consent.

nurture

To take care of, feed, and protect someone or something. She wants to stay at home and nurture her children. plants nurtured in a greenhouse

clutch

To take or try to take hold of something tightly, usually in fear, worry, or pain. Silent and pale, she clutch (onto) her mother's hand. An officer stumbled and clutched at the handrail.

annex

To take possession of an area of land or a country, usually by force or without permission. The UK annex this small island west of Scotland in 1955. In 1521, the state fell to Cortés, and Mexico was annexed by Spain.

deprive

To take something, especially something necessary or pleasant, away from someone. The courts cannot deprive me of the right to see my child. You can't function properly when you're deprived of sleep.

perjure

To tell a lie in a law court, after promising formally to tell the truth. Witnesses lied and perjure themselves. The judge warned the witness not to perjure herself.

assure

To tell someone confidently that something is true, especially so that they do not worry. There's not much more I can say to assure you. She assured me of her support.

reprove

To tell someone that you disapprove of their bad or silly behaviour. Whoever is unpunctual deserves that other people should reprove him for being unpunctual. The teacher gently reprove the boys for not paying attention.

fling

To throw something or someone suddenly and with a lot of force. She fling a book across the room at me. He crumpled up the letter and flung it into the fire.

lob

To throw something so that it goes high in the air in a curve. Police started lob (= throwing) tear gas canisters into the crowd. Militants lobbed grenades at the soldiers.

barter

To trade goods or services without the exchange of money. They got what they needed by bartering their livestock. We used to barter with the guards to get cigarettes.

meddle

To try to change or have an influence on things that are not your responsibility, especially by criticizing in a damaging or annoying way. My sister's always meddle in other people's affairs. People shouldn't meddle with things they don't understand.

subvert

To try to destroy or damage something, especially an established political system. The rebel army is attempting to subvert the government. an alleged plot to subvert the state

canvass

To try to get political support or votes, especially by visiting all the houses in an area. Party supporters were called on to help canvass for their candidate. We will be canvass the views of teachers all over the country.

intertwine

To twist or be twisted together, or to be connected so as to be difficult to separate. The trees' branches intertwine to form a dark roof over the path. The vines are intertwined to make a wreath.

construe

To understand the meaning, especially of other people's actions and statements, in a particular way. Any change in plan would be construe as indecision. Please do not construe this as any criticism of yourself.

expend

To use or spend time, effort, or money. Governments expend a lot of resources on war. You expend so much effort for so little return.

substitute

To use something or someone instead of another thing or person. You can substitute_ chicken for beef if you don't like red meat. Instead of using silicon, they have substituted a more flexible material.

exert

To use something such as authority, power, influence, etc. in order to make something happen. If you were to exert your influence they might change their decision. He exerted all his considerable charm to get her to agree.

intercede

To use your influence to persuade someone in authority to forgive another person, or save this person from punishment. Leaders have intercede with the authorities on behalf of the ... Local groups asked the politician to intercede with the government on their behalf.

trek

To walk a long distance, usually over land such as hills, mountains, or forests. We spent the day trek through forests and over mountains. I have no desire to trek up that hill another time.

traipse

To walk from one place to another, often feeling tired or bored. We spent the whole day traipse round museums. It was awful having the builders traipsing through our home every day.

strut

To walk in a proud way trying to look important. swagger, parade, stalk, peacock, pranc Phyllis strut around like she owns the place.

saunter

To walk in a slow and relaxed way, often in no particular direction. He saunter by, looking very pleased with himself. We watched our fellow students saunter into the building.

swagger

To walk or act in a way that shows that you are very confident and think that you are important. A group of young men swagger about outside the bar. They swaggered into the room.

shamble

To walk slowly and awkwardly, without lifting your feet correctly. shuffle, stumble, lurch, limp, lumber, drag your feet He was a strange, shamble figure.; Sick patients ____ along the hospital corridors.

wade

To walk through water with difficulty because of the pressure of the water against your legs. She wade across the stream to get the ball. The river was full but we managed to wade across.

covet

To want to have something very much, especially something that belongs to someone else. The Booker Prize is the most covet British literary award. She always coveted power but never quite achieved it.

dally

To waste time or do something slowly. It's a very small-scale event, so please don't dither, dally or delay. If you dally for too long, you're not allowed to pass the level at all

flap

To wave something, especially wings when or as if flying. A small bird flap its wings furiously and flew off. Flags flapped in the breeze above their tents.

yearn

To wish very strongly, especially for something that you cannot have or something that is very difficult to have. Despite his great commercial success he still yearn for critical approval. They were yearning to have a baby.

scrawl

To write something quickly, without trying to make your writing tidy or easy to read. Someone had scrawl graffiti across the wall. I quickly scrawled my address on a piece of paper.

overbearing

Too confident and too determined to tell other people what to do, in a way that is unpleasant. an overbearing manner Milligan had a pompous, overbearing father.

disproportionate

Too large or too small in comparison to something else, or not deserving its importance or influence. There are a disproportionate number of girls in the class. I've been given a disproportionate share of the work.

innumerable

Too many to be counted. The project has been delayed by innumerable problems. There are innumerable examples of his generous nature.

smug

Too pleased or satisfied about something you have achieved or something you know. I wish she wasn't so damned smug about it. He's been unbearably smug since he gave up smoking.

conceited

Too proud of yourself and your actions and abilities. The genuine superstars, he says, tend to be the least conceited. Without wishing to sound conceited, I am the best salesperson in the company.

southerly

Towards or in the south. We walked in a southerly direction.

barren

Unable to produce plants or fruit. a remote and barren island We drove through a barren, rocky landscape.

despondent

Unhappy and with no hope or enthusiasm. [despondent] She started to feel despondent about ever finding a job.

disgruntled

Unhappy, annoyed, and disappointed about something. A disgruntled former employee is being blamed for the explosion. The players were disgruntled with the umpire.

dejected

Unhappy, disappointed, or without hope. downhearted, down, low, blue, sad, depressed, miserable, gloomy, dismal, melancholy, glum She looked a bit dejected when she was told that she hadn't got the job.

wretched

Unhappy, unpleasant, or of low quality. I looked everywhere and eventually found the wretched letter. The wretched man never answered her questions.

ridicule

Unkind words or actions that make someone or something look stupid. laugh at, mock, make fun of, make a fool of, humiliate, taunt Oliver felt he was being ridicule by the students.

ill-fated

Unlucky and unsuccessful, often resulting in death. The ill-fated-__ aircraft later crashed into the hillside. a passenger aboard the ill-fated flight

hapless

Unlucky and usually unhappy. the hapless victim struggled helplessly Many children are hapless victims of this war.

vile

Unpleasant, immoral, and unacceptable. vile weather; a ____ smell This vile policy of ethnic cleansing must be stopped.

imperious

Unpleasantly proud and expecting to be obeyed. She held up an imperious hand. She sent them away with an imperious wave of the hand.

vain

Unsuccessful; of no value. It was vain to pretend to himself that he was not disappointed. He was vain about his looks, spending hours in the gym.

offbeat

Unusual and strange and therefore surprising or noticeable. his dark, offbeat sense of humour an offbeat sense of humour

peculiar

Unusual and strange, sometimes in an unpleasant way. It's peculiar that they didn't tell us they were going away. What a peculiar smell!

incongruous

Unusual or different from what is around or from what is generally happening. It seems incongruous to have a woman as the editor of a men's magazine. The new computer looked incongruous in the dark book-filled library.

restive

Unwilling to be controlled or be patient. The audience was becoming restive as they waited for the ... The audience grew restive.

reluctant

Unwilling; disinclined; exhibiting or marked by unwillingness. Many parents feel reluctant to talk openly with their children. She felt a reluctant admiration for her opponent.

distressing

Upsetting or worrying. It was deeply distressing for him to see his wife in such pain. The television reports about the famine were particularly distressing.

avail

Use, purpose, advantage, or profit. His words of encouragement were to no avail. My attempts to improve the situation were of little/no avail.

sheer

Used to emphasize how very great, important, or powerful a quality or feeling is; nothing except. Maya succeeded through sheer hard work. He sat down and wept out of sheer joy.

doggone

Used to express anger. That doggone washing machine's broken again. Doggone (it), where's that letter?

nay

Used to introduce a second and more extreme phrase in a sentence when the first phrase was not strong enough. I was angered, nay, infuriated, by your review of the movie. It is my pleasure, nay (my) privilege, to introduce tonight's guest speaker.

daresay

Used to say that you agree or think that something is true. He gets paid a lot of money, but I daresay (that) he earns it. "She's got a lot of admirers." "I daresay - she's very beautiful."

worthwhile

Useful, important, or good enough to be a suitable reward for the money or time spent or the effort made. It might be worthwhile to recall a few important facts. I wanted to do my bit for a worthwhile charity.

recourse

Using something or someone as a way of getting help, especially in a difficult or dangerous situation. The system allows doctors to have recourse to specialist opinion. The public believes its only recourse is to take to the streets.

customary

Usual. It is customary to offer the repairman a cup of coffee. Michael worked with his customary thoroughness and care.

woeful

Very bad or (of something very bad or unpleasant) very great or extreme. They displayed woeful ignorance of the safety rules. The library is closing due to a woeful lack of funding.

exquisite

Very beautiful and delicate. Look at this exquisite painting an exquisite hand-painted vase from China

intractable

Very difficult or impossible to control, manage, or solve. We are facing an intractable problem. the intractable problem of prison over-crowding

exemplary

Very good and suitable to be copied by other people. Her patience is exemplary. His tact was exemplary, especially considering the circumstances.

idolatry

Very great admiration or respect for someone, often too great.; the worship of idols idolatry was punishable by death. Newton was revered to the point of idolatry.

expansive

Very happy to talk to people in a friendly way. He was in an expansive mood on the night of the party. an expansive mood/wave/gesture/smile

intriguing

Very interesting because of being unusual or mysterious. She has a really intriguing personality. an intriguing subject for future research

nondescript

Very ordinary, or having no interesting or exciting features or qualities. The meteorological bureau is in a nondescript building a mousy woman as nondescript and lacking in chic as it was possible..

chivalry

Very polite, honest, and kind behaviour, especially by men towards women. courtesy, politeness, gallantry, courtliness, gentlemanliness During the Middle Ages, chivalry was a code of brave and courteous conduct for knights.

dire

Very serious or extreme. These people are in dire need of help. News reports portray the situation as dire.

acute

Very serious or severe. The problem of poverty is particularly acute in rural areas. an acute shortage of medical supplies

diminutive

Very small. He's a diminutive figure, less than five feet tall. a diminutive woman with bright blue eyes

regal

Very special and suitable for a king or queen. a regal manner He made a regal entrance.

astounding

Very surprising or shocking. The results are quite astounding. an astounding fact/decision/revelation

strife

Violent or angry disagreement. There was a danger of rioting or civil strife. 20 years of civil strife have left the country's economy in ruins.

inquisitive

Wanting to discover as much as you can about things, sometimes in a way that annoys people. curious, questioning, inquiring, peering, probing She could see inquisitive faces looking out from the windows next door.

frailty

Weakness and lack of health or strength. Though ill for most of her life, physical frailty never stopped her from... Figures of authority are all too prone to human frailty.

creak

When a door, floorboard, etc. creaks, it makes a long low sound when it moves or is moved. The door creak on its hinges. I heard the floorboards creak as he crept closer.

erupt

When a volcano erupts, it explodes and flames and rocks come out of it. Those volcanoes erupt not lava but liquid sulphur. The volcano erupted in 1980.

cull

When people cull animals, they kill them, especially the weaker members of a particular group of them, in order to reduce or limit their number. slaughter, kill, destroy, butcher, slay The plan to cull large numbers of baby seals has angered environmental groups.

excommunicate

When the Christian Church, especially the Roman Catholic Church, excommunicates someone, it refuses to give them communion and does not allow them to be involved in the Church. The pope excommunicate John and put England under a Church law that stated ... Any that fought against him would be automatically excommunicate.

broad

Wide in extent from side to side. With a broad sweep of his arm, he indicated the town below us. We walked down a broad avenue lined with trees.

havoc

Widespread destruction; devastation. The strike played havoc with the train schedules. Winter storms continued to cause havoc for drivers.

airy

With a lot of light and space. The new offices are light and airy. The bedrooms were all light and airy.

chipped

With a small piece or pieces broken off. All the plates were old and chipped. a chipped tooth

aegis

With the protection or support of someone or something, especially an organization. a study conducted under the aegis of the university The project was set up under the aegis of the university.

single-handed

Without any help from anyone else. I brought up my seven children single-handed-____. a single-handed boat race across the Atlantic

destitute

Without money, food, a home, or possessions. Old age homes are necessary, but essentially for the destitute and the poor. The floods left thousands of people destitute.

softwood

Wood from fast-growing evergreen trees (= ones that never lose their leaves) like pine, or a tree of this type. window frames made from softwood A 200,000-acre forest site will be replanted with softwood to supply the paper and pulp mill.

apprehension

Worry about the future, or a fear that something unpleasant is going to happen. There is some apprehension in the office about who the new director will be. It's normal to feel a little apprehension before starting a new job.

vexation

Worry or anger. He kicked the broken machine in vexation. he swore in vexation.

erroneous

Wrong or false. reports based on erroneous information an erroneous belief/impression

telltale

___ signs of something are obvious signs that it exists or it has happened the telltale redness around his eyes the telltale sign that he was having an affair.

desiccated

____ food has had all the water taken out of it in order to preserve it; dried 100 g of desiccated coconut desiccated coconut

unanimous

a ____ decision, vote, agreement etc is one that everyone agrees with and supports agreed, united, in agreement, agreeing, at one, harmonious, like-minded, concordant The jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty after a short deliberation.

virulent

a ____ illness is very dangerous, and affects people very quickly A particularly virulent strain of flu has recently claimed a number of lives in the US. an especially virulent form of malaria

plenary

a ____ meeting is intended for all the people in a particular group a plenary session of the UN Security Council a plenary session of the Central Committee

falcon

a bird that kills other birds and animals for food and can be trained to hunt Hawks, harriers, falcon , eagles, and vultures are diurnal migrants.

shutter

a cover that can be closed over the outside of a window blind, screen, shade, curtain, canopy, louvre She opened the shutter and gazed out over roofs.

sheath

a cover used for carrying a knife or a sword The nerves are protected by thin sheath of fatty tissue. The cable has a copper wire surrounded by a plastic sheath.

conviction

a decision by a court of law that someone is guilty of a crime The conviction of three youths was later overturned by the Court of Appeals. She has a conviction for dangerous driving.

demure

a demure woman is quiet and shy and always behaves well She gave him a demure smile. a demure little dress

rift

a disagreement between two people or groups breach, difference, division, split, separation Diplomatic efforts to heal the rift have so far been unsuccessful.

stand-off

a disagreement or fight in which neither opponent can do anything to win or achieve their aim This could lead to another diplomatic stand-off-__. This could lead to another diplomatic stand-off.

caricature

a drawing of someone that strongly emphasizes their main features, especially in order to make them seem funny parody, cartoon, distortion, satire She sketches caricature of political leaders.

disquiet

a feeling of being very worried or nervous In fact there was not; but public disquiet_ was understandable. The leader's decline in popularity is causing disquiet among supporters.

pitch

a flat area of ground for playing particular sports on. The American word is field Supporters invaded (= ran onto) the pitch. Hundreds of fans invaded the pitch at the end of the game.

convocation

a formal meeting of the senior members of a church or university He attended a convocation of the American Youth Congress a university convocation

regime

a government that controls a country, especially in a strict or unfair way The murder sparked off events leading to the overthrow of the regime. The old corrupt, totalitarian regime was overthrown.

vocation

a job that you do because you feel it is your purpose in life and for which you have special skills She believes she has found her true vocation in life. To work in medicine, you should have a vocation for it.

junket

a journey or meeting that people say is for business but is really for pleasure to be invited to be part of the first online movie junket. going from assignment to assignment via press junket.

sturgeon

a large fish that lives in northern seas, rivers, and lakes, and whose eggs are eaten as caviar A subspecies of the Atlantic sturgeon A subspecies of the Atlantic sturgeon

archipelago

a large group of small islands the Hawaiian archipelago

chandelier

a large light that hangs from a ceiling and has branches for holding electric lights or candles The room is dark and the only light comes from a chandelier a crystal chandelier

procession

a line of people or vehicles moving in a slow and formal way as part of an event The festival will open with a procession led by the mayor. She watched the sad little procession leave the station.

seam

a line of stitches that joins two pieces of cloth The bags we sell have very strong seam, so they will last for years. The seam at the back of your skirt has split.

lofty

a lofty building or structure is very tall The town hall's lofty tower dates from the fourteenth century. a lofty ceiling/mountain/wall

coil

a long thin piece of something that forms rings or curls A coil of thick blue smoke rose up from his pipe. a coil of rope

keel

a long thin piece of wood or metal along the bottom of a boat that helps it to balance in the water Support the keel with timber blocking to take most of the weight of the hull. The keel is external lead fastened with stainless steel bolts.

fuss

a lot of unnecessary worry or excitement about something commotion, to-do, worry, upset, bother, stir, confusion It's all a fuss about nothing.

shrub

a low thick bush, especially one that has been planted in a garden She planted some roses and other flowering shrub. the winter foliage of evergreen trees and shrubs .

sander

a machine used for making the surface of wood or metal smooth For bigger sanding jobs, you'll want to use a power sander. They include a router, jet washer, new sander , three power drills

insignia

a mark or sign that shows someone's rank or status, or what organization they belong to a tunic bearing the insignia of the captain of the Irish Guards the royal insignia

axle

a metal bar that connects a pair of wheels on a car or other vehicle The engine, gearbox and black axle needed to be replaced. The engine, gearbox and black axle needed to be replaced.

cleat

a metal object that you tie a rope round in order to fasten something in place, especially on a ship She tied it off securely to a cleat on the starboard corner of the transom. It was simply fastened to a cleat on the gunwale, with no provision for reeling it back in.

scruple

a moral principle that prevents you from doing something that you think is bad Robin Hood had no scruple about robbing the rich to give to the poor. She had no scruple about eavesdropping on conversations.

lute

a musical instrument like a guitar that people played in the past The theorbo, lute, and guitar are particularly prominent. The lute has a broken string, there's a flute missing, and ...

gout

a painful disease that makes the joints in your toes swell It may clog the kidney and prevent the excretion of waste such as uric acid, causing gout. In rare cases, higher dosages may cause hepatitis, gout, or hyperglycemia.

bankrupt

a person or business that is bankrupt has officially admitted that they have no money and cannot pay what they owe Many of the companies that they had invested in went bankrupt. He declared himself bankrupt in 1994.

visor

a piece of clear plastic that is fixed to the front of a helmet (=hard hat) and protects your face In hot weather, a visor is cooler than a cap, because it doesn't trap the heat. The visor of his cap was pulled low

siren

a piece of equipment that makes a loud sound, used for warning people When the air raid siren went off people ran to their shelters. police sirens

brothel

a place where men pay to have sex with prostitutes This parcel he took to a local brothel and presented to a prostitute he knew. Four girls were not told where they were going before they were taken to the brothel.

pageant

a play, concert, or other performance based on a historical or religious story It's a grand pageant set in elaborate 17th century costumes of wigs, breeches, tights and ruffs. Our youngest son is taking part in the school pageant.

vicar

a priest in the Church of England We were married by our local vicar. Good evening, vicar!

abatement

a reduction in something harmful or unpleasant What level of abatement is required to meet the five per cent target? Demand for the product shows no sign of abatement.

pomegranate

a round fruit that has a hard skin and many thick seeds inside On this island are palaces, palm trees, pomegranate orchards, and huge water buffalo. We have twelve olive trees, four fig trees, one pomegranate and a couple of...

creed

a set of religious beliefs Constitutional or not, the ideals are part of the American ethos and creed. People of all races, colours, and creed have to live together.

bulletin

a short news broadcast The company publishes a fortnightly bulletin for its staff. an hourly news bulletin

catchphrase

a short phrase that many people know because a famous person often says it A catchphrase is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. This list is distinct from the list of political catchphrases.

hiccup

a short repeated sound that you make in your throat without intending to, usually because you have been eating or drinking too quickly stops the inflow of air resulting in the sound of a hiccup. A recent sales hiccup is nothing to panic about.

hassle

a situation that causes problems for you or that annoys you very much I can't face the hassle of moving house again. If it's too much hassle, we can do it another time.

nook

a small corner or sheltered space We found a seat in a little nook and had some lunch. a cosy/sheltered/quiet nook

lancet

a small knife with two sharp edges used by doctors piercing the skin with a sterile lancet pricking the skin with a lancet .

fraction

a small part or amount of something Unions recruit only a small fraction of the workers. His investment is now worth only a fraction of its original value.

podium

a small raised area where someone stands to give a speech or conduct an orchestra platform, stand, stage Tears ran down her face as she stood on the winner's podium.

navel

a small round place in the middle of someone's stomach where they were separated from their mother at birth. Her size two trousers hang about her hips, exposing a navel ring. Exhale as you contract your abdominal muscles, pulling your navel toward your spine.

beck

a small stream as rising water levels in the town's beck sparked fears of flooding. It would be excellent if we could find more money to clean this beck

gown

a special long dress worn by a woman, often for dancing or other special occasions a white wedding gown ladies in silk gown

sermon

a speech made by a priest or religious leader, especially as part of a religious ceremony Reverend Timms preached a powerful sermon on forgiveness. Today's sermon was on the importance of compassion.

celibacy

a state of not having sex for a period of time, or never having sex priests who take a vow of celibacy for life Their priests take a vow of celibacy (=promise to not have sex).

woe

a strong feeling of sadness; Great problems or troubles. misery, suffering, trouble, pain, disaster, depression, distress, grief, agony Unusually poor harvests have added to the country's woe.

pier

a structure built out from the land over water and used for getting on and off boats he jumped from the boat to the pier. The lifeboats were moored at the pier.

backstroke

a style of swimming on your back Can you do backstroke? Can you do backstroke?

plaster

a substance that is spread onto walls and ceilings to form a hard smooth surface The plaster on the walls was cracked and flaking. To prepare for finished floors it was necessary to plaster the walls of the hall.

proliferation

a sudden increase in number or amount the proliferation of nuclear weapons the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

frisson

a sudden strong feeling of excitement, fear, or pleasure Do you ever have a frisson when you look back at your early work? As the music stopped, a frisson of excitement ran through the crowd.

meritocracy

a system or society in which people have influence or status according to their abilities and achievements rather than because of the social class to which they belong Well at least we don't live in a meritocracy that says that ... We are doing it in the interests of meritocracy

maize

a tall plant that produces yellow seeds that are called sweetcorn when cooked and eaten. The American word is corn. The main crops that are harvested for this are maize, rice, Tortillas are infinitely versatile and usually made from corn or maize

rig

a tall structure fitted with equipment for getting oil or gas out of the ground or from under the bottom of the sea a drilling rig an oil rig

ointment

a thick smooth substance that you put on sore or injured skin a range of ointments for the treatment of eczema Do not apply cream or ointment to broken skin and always follow the instructions on the packet.

funnel

a tube that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, used for pouring liquid or powder into a container When you've ground the coffee, use a funnel to pour it into the jar. Use a funnel to re-fuel.

hallmark

a typical feature The killings bore all the hallmark of drug-related murders. a technique that has become the hallmark of their films

pamphlet

a very thin book with a paper cover, usually given free to people An informative pamphlet with two pages of production notes accompanies the DVD.

concubine

a woman in the past who had a sexual relationship with an important man but was not married to him The courtesan or concubine was often the richest and .... the custom of husbands taking a concubine or an additional wife

spot-on

absolutely correct; very accurate: your prediction was spot-on. Schools were told their exam information had to be spot-on-__. "How old do I reckon she is? I'd say 38." "Spot on."

estranged

an ____ husband or wife is no longer living with their partner Lola's mom alleges that her estranged husband threatened to kill her his estranged wife

ingenious

an ____ plan, piece of equipment etc uses new and clever ideas Johnny is so ingenious- he can make the most remarkable sculptures... an ingenious device for opening bottles

abiding

an abiding feeling, interest, or belief is one that you have had for a long time and that is not likely to change My abiding memory is of him in the garden. one of my abiding memories of him

heresy

an action or belief that opposes the official principles of a religion and is considered wrong Some of you have noticed that I've just committed heresy and contradicted doctrine. She committed the heresy of playing a Madonna song on a classical music station.

connotation

an additional idea or emotion that a word suggests to you, that is not part of its usual meaning It's just one of those words that's got so many negative connotation. the negative connotations of the word 'feminist'

wager

an agreement to win or lose an amount of money depending on the result of a competition or other event bet, chance, risk, stake, lay, venture, put on, pledge, gamble, hazard He tried to eat 50 hard-boiled eggs, for a wager.

flyer

an announcement or advertisement that is printed on a sheet of paper and given to people Someone was handing out flyer advertising the local sales. regular business flyers

enclave

an area of a country or city where a particular group of people live Campione d'Italia is an Italian enclave in Switzerland. a Spanish/Muslim/Chinese enclave

mire

an area of soft wet ground Things have improved, but we're not out of the mire yet. Many of those killed were buried in the mire.

knave

an old word for a 'dishonest man' (archaic)= rogue, cheat, villain, rascal, scoundrel, scally Instead, according to the same Daily Record, he is a knave and a liar.

damsel

an old word for a young woman who is not married (archaic poetic)= maiden, girl, virgin, maid, miss The young damsel has been captured by baddie pirate Barbossa because she possesses a rare coin.

methinks

an old word meaning 'I think'. This is sometimes still used in a humorous way. There's more to this than meets the eye, methinks. He seems to have risen to the occasion fairly well, methinks.

maidenhead

an old word meaning 'a woman's virginity' He took my maidenhead from me...

bedchamber

an old word meaning 'bedroom' He took them up to their bedchamber . When dressed he left his bedchamber and went to the dining room to eat his breakfast.

physic

an old word meaning 'medicine' medicine Hark ye, lords; ye see I have given her physic.

harlot

an old word meaning 'prostitute' (=woman who has sex for money) (literary)= prostitute, tart (informal), *****, slag, pro (slang), tramp (slang), strumpet Everyone would think that she was a harlot who slept around.

thither

an old word meaning 'to that place' or 'in that direction' I was as ripe for university as some that have been sent thither. Refugees ran hither and thither in search of safety.

alas

an old word used for saying you are sad about something and you wish it had not happened "Will you be able to come tomorrow?" "alas, no." I love football but, alas, I have no talent as a player.

heist

an organized attempt by thieves to steal something a $2 million jewellery heist a diamond heist

intransigence

an unreasonable refusal to change your ideas or behaviour intransigence and organizational bureaucracy can run deep... Due to conservative intransigence we will be witness to an extraordinary transformation.

on one's toes

aware and energetic I have to stay on one's toes my _ to keep from getting fired. You have to be on your toes if you want to be in this business.

win hands down

be outright winner She win hands down the debate __ _. She won the debate hands down.

afoot

being planned, or starting to happen There are plans afoot to launch a new radio station. Plans are afoot to build a new leisure complex.

definitive

better than all others; Not able to be changed or improved. There are no definitive answers/solutions to this problem. This little book is the definitive travel guide to Moscow.

wholly

completely I wasn't wholly convinced by her explanation. Many people are wholly dependent on the state pension.

up-to-the-minute

containing all the most recent news and information latest, in, newest, now (informal), with it (informal), smart an up-to-the-minute report

gilded

covered with a very thin layer of gold The gilded dome of the cathedral rises above the city. a gilded frame

laudable

deserving to be praised or admired The recycling programme is laudable, but does it save much money? a laudable aim/effort/performance

discord

disagreement between people He foments discord among the allies A note of discord has crept into relations between the two countries.

hesitant

doing something slowly or pausing before you do it, because you are nervous, embarrassed, or worried Many witnesses are still hesitant to come forward. She gave me a hesitant smile.

stupefied

extremely surprised or shocked What I saw in this list both stupefied and infuriated me. I was stupefied to discover what was happening.

insufferable

extremely unpleasant or annoying Travers is written as a thoroughly insufferable character. The metro is insufferable in this heat.

equitable

fair and reasonable because everyone is treated in the same way the equitable distribution of social wealth an equitable distribution of funds

attuned

familiar with something and able to deal with it in a sensitive way I have become attuned to the industrial aspect of the city. The company needs people who are attuned to today's youth culture.

fabled

famous because of being extremely good, beautiful, or interesting Many legends have spoke on its great and fabled powers the fabled film director Cecil B. De Mille

swanky

fashionable and expensive We stayed in a swanky hotel. a swanky restaurant/hotel/car

enervated

feeling tired and weak Warm winds make many people feel enervated and depressed. Warm winds make many people feel enervated and depressed.

vivid

having or producing very clear and detailed images in the mind The novel paints a vivid picture of life in the jungle. I have a vivid memory of the first time we met.

whet

if you ____ a blade, you make it sharper using a whetstone I've read an excerpt of the book on the Web and it's whet my appetite. That one kiss had whet his appetite.

answerable

if you are ____ to someone, you have to explain to them the reasons for your actions or mistakes Soldiers who obey orders to commit atrocities should be answerable for their crimes. The police force here is answerable only to the governor of the colony.

wear thin

if your patience wears thin, you become less and less patient (often in continuous tenses); if a joke, an excuse, or an explanation wears thin, it becomes less effective because it has been used too much (often in continuous tenses) I've warned you several times about being late and my patience is wear thin __. This excuse is wearing rather thin, don't you think?

untenable

impossible to continue because of serious problems, opposition, or criticism She left, saying her job had become untenable. He claimed the charges against him were untenable.

in relation to

in connection with Let's discuss Bill in relation to _ ___ his future with this company. I mention this fact in relation to your proposed trip.

constable

in the UK, a police officer of the lowest rank The upper floor of the gatehouse housed the constable of the castle. A local constable was compassionate during a silly, embarrassing moment.

alike

in the same or a similar manner, way, or degree Not everyone acts or thinks alike. The children all look very alike.

inadmissible

inadmissible evidence cannot be used in a court of law This court has ruled that that evidence was inadmissible. Her confession was ruled inadmissible as evidence because...

intrusive

interrupting a peaceful situation The cameras were not an intrusive presence. intrusive questioning

sympathetic

kind to someone who has a problem and willing to understand how they feel Jill was a sympathetic listener. You're not being very sympathetic.

pasture

land covered with grass where sheep, cows etc are kept The sheep were grazing on the lush green pasture. 100 acres of pasture and woodland

gobbledegook

language that is meaningless or is made unintelligible by excessive use of technical terms. reams of financial gobbledegook

onslaught

large numbers of people or things that come at the same time and are difficult to deal with a military onslaught against the rebels his forces could withstand an allied onslaught for very long

bridle

leather bands that go over a horse's head and hold the bit in its mouth She dismounted and took her horse's bridle. The bewhiskered older man held the bridle of the buggy horse

fealty

loyalty that someone promised to a king or queen in the past loyalty, faith, submission, devotion, allegiance, fidelity, homage, faithfulness No, what's important is your unswerving fealty to the Lord.

bailout

money that someone gives or lends to a person or organization with financial problems Three years of huge losses forced the bank to seek a government bailout. the $50 billion emergency bailout package

impervious

not affected by something or not seeming to notice it; Not allowing liquid to go through. He carried on talking, impervious to the effect his words were having. She continued to work, apparently impervious to the midday heat.

faint-hearted

not brave or enthusiastic ...to punish the politicians who devised a faint-hearted solidarity pact. It may be a hard battle and it is not a battle for the faint-hearted.

tentative

not definite, or not certain unconfirmed, provisional, indefinite, test, trial, pilot, preliminary I have made tentative plans to take a trip to Seattle in July.

subtle

not obvious, and therefore difficult to notice The room was painted a subtle shade of pink. I detected a subtle change in his attitude towards us.

disagreeable

not pleasant or enjoyable She said some very disagreeable things. a rather disagreeable young man

let alone

not to mention or think of someone or something; not even to take someone or something into account I didn't invite John, let alone _ the rest of his family. I don't even have a dime, let alone a dollar.

buttock

one of the two round parts of your body that you sit on my entire body weight centered on my right buttock. The infection caused a swelling and redness in his buttock

organic

organic food or drink is produced without using artificial chemicals organic farming is expanding everywhere. Is this milk organic?

serendipitous

pleasant and happening by chance It appears to have been a serendipitous discovery a serendipitous encounter

testament

proof, evidence, testimony His house is a testament to his Gothic tastes. The detail of her wildlife paintings is (a) testament to (= proof of) her...

psychedelic

psychedelic drugs are drugs that make you see things that are not really there experimenting with psychedelic drugs psychedelic drugs

avowed

publicly claimed or promised; Stated. An avowed traditionalist, he is against reform of any kind. an avowed aim/intention; The government's ____ intent/purpose/aim is to reduce tax.

on short notice

quickly and without a timely notification of other people; with very little lead time She called the meeting on such on short notice ____ that we had no time to prepare.

sedate

quiet or slow, and not likely to shock people or attract attention The speed limit is a sedate 55 mph. They continued at a more sedate pace.

mutinous

refusing to accept someone else's authority and obey them The girls are very mutinous_ and difficult to manage. His own army, stung by defeat, is mutinous.

tight-lipped

refusing to comment on something, especially to journalists secretive, reticent, uncommunicative, reserved, quiet, silent, mute He's been very tight-lipped-_ about what happened at the meeting.

papal

relating to the pope Events came to a head in 1208 when a papal legate was assassinated near Carcassonne. a papal messenger/announcement/election

well-off

rich, or having enough money to live well a well-off-__ neighbourhood They worked long hours and became very well off.

earnest

serious, determined, and meaning what you say earnest discussions He was a very earnest young man.

turf

short grass and the earth that is under it They shuffled slowly down the turf towards the cliff's edge. they walked across the springy turf

presumptuous

showing too much confidence and not enough respect It would be presumptuous of me to comment on the matter. It would be presumptuous of me to decide what she wants.

slumber

sleep He had fallen into exhausted slumber. I didn't want to rouse you from your slumbers.

Spaniard

someone from Spain The Spanish people, or Spaniard The Spanish people, or Spaniards...

regent

someone who governs a country in the place of a king or queen who is ill, young, or not available to govern The king and his regent queen made it their haven for the evenings. No provision existed in the will for the appointment of a single regent .

nominee

someone who has been officially suggested for a job or a prize All nominee for Treasurer will be considered. the nominees for this year's science award

cunning

someone who is ____ uses their intelligence to get what they want, especially by tricking or cheating people a cunning marketing strategy a cunning and resourceful criminal

layman

someone who is not trained to a high or professional standard in a particular subject a medical dictionary for the layman What does that mean in layman's terms?

entrepreneur

someone who uses money to start businesses and make business deals An internet entrepreneur has sold his online company... the flamboyant British entrepreneur Richard Branson

deputy

someone whose job is the second most important in a department or organization, and who takes the responsibilities of the most important person in some situations the deputy ambassador to Sweden I'm acting as deputy while the boss is away.

attendant

someone whose job is to help customers or people who visit a public place a cloakroom/museum attendant a car park attendant

comptroller

someone whose job is to look after the financial aspects of an organization I am currently the comptroller for Baltimore, serving my second term in office. Office of the comptroller and Auditor General

more than you bargained for

something different from what you expected, especially something worse she may have gotten more than you bargained for __ ___ ___ ___ in this job. The pain caused by the operation was much more than I bargained for.

loophole

something that has been left out of a law or legal document that people can use to avoid obeying it He exploited a legal loophole in order to avoid paying child support. tax loopholes

gimmick

something that is intended to impress and interest you but is really not at all useful It's not a real education policy, it's just a gimmick to win votes. a publicity gimmick

indictment

something that shows how bad or wrong something is This seems to me to be a damning indictment of education policy. This incident is an indictment of the way the health service is being run.

concession

something you give or allow to someone in order to reach an agreement He stated firmly that no concession will be made to the strikers. The company has already made several concessions on pay.

hereafter

starting from this moment. This word is often used in official and legal documents Elizabeth Gaskell's novel 'Ruth' will hereafter be cited within the text as EG. All buildings hereafter built on this block will be at least ten feet from the next building.

reminiscence

stories or thoughts of past experiences he was already thinking of her in nostalgic reminiscence. personal reminiscences of the war

cranky

strange or unusual; Easily annoyed or upset. It was just another of his cranky theories. He's been cranky all day.

crackdown

strong action that someone in authority takes to stop a particular activity Police are launching a new crackdown on drug users. a government crackdown against terrorists

dissent

strong disagreement, especially with what people in authority think or with what the majority of people think When the time came to approve the proposal, there were one or two voices of dissent. He banned political parties and crushed dissent.

savvy

the ability to understand and judge people and situations well She hasn't got much savvy . He has a lot of political savvy.

indulgence

the act of doing or having something that is not good for you His health suffered from over-indulgence in (= too much) rich food and drink. She treated her sons with a great deal of indulgence.; ____ in alcohol

abnegation

the act of giving up something, especially something you would like to keep He attacked 'society' for its abnegation of responsibility. These monks took to abnegation and scourging as expiation for the sins of the world

backdrop

the background to any scene or situation The lake and mountains provided a dazzling backdrop for the ceremony. The election will take place against a backdrop of increasing instability.

onset

the beginning of something, especially something bad The new treatment can delay the onset of the disease by several years. the onset of winter

enormity

the fact that something is morally wrong, or the degree to which it is morally wrong the enormity of the crime they had committed They were desperate to conceal the enormity of what they had done.

exasperation

the feeling of being extremely annoyed and impatient because things are not happening in the way that you want them to happen After ten hours of fruitless negotiations, he stormed out of the meeting in exasperation. There was a trace of exasperation in his voice.

ruff

the fur or feathers that grow around the neck of an animal or bird Juveniles have a dark crown with no plumes or ruff, and a mottled neck. A generous ruff about the neck, and breeches on the hind legs are preferred.

rollout

the introduction of a new product, especially when it gradually becomes available in a large number of places The nationwide rollout will be staged on a regional basis. But the delay in 3G rollout gives us a chance to tackle such issues

lion's share

the largest portion of something. I earn a lot, but the lion's share goes for taxes. Nuclear research has received the lion's share ___ of public funding. I earn a lot, but the lion's share goes for taxes.

restraint

the limit or control of the expression of strong emotion or opinion The President sent a letter to both nations urging restraint. He showed admirable restraint, and refused to be provoked.

saliva

the liquid produced by glands in your mouth spit, dribble, drool, slaver, spittle, sputum My throat was dry and my mouth was filled with a thick, sticky saliva.

lineage

the people in your family who lived in the past, especially when you come from a rich or important family She's very proud of her ancient royal lineage. Despite his lineage and qualifications, he was a modest man.

leverage

the power to make someone do what you want His position affords him the leverage to get things done through committees. Thus the US would have greater leverage in negotiations over trade

rote

the process of learning something by repeating it many times rather than by understanding it Children still learn their times tables by rote. Rote learning does not really give people any insight into their subject.

obstinacy

the quality of being unwilling to be reasonable and change your behaviour, plans, or ideas That same obstinacy is driving him now. the obstinacy typical of his thoroughly awkward nature

condolence

the things that you say to show sympathy when someone has just died sympathy, pity, compassion, consolation, commiseration We offer our condolence to David and his family on their tragic loss.

unveil

to announce something officially that was previously a secret The memorial to those who had died in the war was unveil by the Queen. In his statement, Brown unveiled a series of initiatives.

crop up

to appear without warning; to happen suddenly; [for something] to begin to reveal itself in the open. Some new problems cropped up at the last minute. Some new problems crop up __ at the last minute. one of the many theories that keep cropping up in his story

remonstrate

to argue with, complain to, or criticize someone about something The barrister remonstrate with the judge about the amount of the fine. I went to the boss to remonstrate against the new rules.

convene

to arrange a formal meeting, or to gather for a meeting The prime minister convene his ministers to discuss the matter. A panel of experts was convene to study safety issues.

roll with the punches

to be able to deal well with difficulties or criticism Paul could never roll with the punches __ __ __. He always had to get even. You have to learn to roll with the punches. Accept what is dealt to you.

rest assured

to be assured; to be certain; to be certain something will happen rest assured ____ the road was closed to traffic for the experiments. Rest assured that we will finish on time.

flank

to be at the side of something or someone The president entered the room, flank by his advisers. He put his hand on the dog's flank.

pertain

to be directly related to something regulations which pertain to your own specific situation They are trying to gather all the facts pertain to this situation.

nigh

to be going to happen soon The time is nigh (= it is nearly time) for us to make a decision. The end of the world is nigh!

ascribe

to believe something is the cause of something else Doctors ascribe the child's death to a hole in the heart. Their defeat was ascribed to a poor defence.

infringe

to break a law, rule, or agreement Detectives often use infringe video surveillance. Making an unauthorized copy of the article infringe copyright.

vet

to check someone's character or reputation to find out if they are suitable for a particular job After an initial set of interviews, they were then vet and approved ... everyone who applies for a licence is carefully vetted

hoover

to clean a carpet or floor with a vacuum cleaner My husband is upstairs, hoover. I need to hoover this room.

cloud

to confuse or impair The issue is further cloud by the plausible special pleading... your reasoning might be clouded by emotions.

batter

to deliberately hit someone many times He was batter (at/on) the door with his fists and howling. The waves battered against the rocks at the bottom of the cliff.

unearth

to discover something or someone that was not known before or that people had kept secret, especially by searching very thoroughly Building at the site was halted after human remains were unearth.. He unearthed a rare early recording by Billie Holiday.

accede

to do what someone wants or agree with what they say Why didn't he accede to our demands at the outset? They were forced to accede to all of the hijackers' demands.

sup

to drink something slowly taking small sips He spends most of his evenings in the pub, sup beer. They sup on/off cold meat.

snuff something out

to extinguish something, such as a flame. she snuffed all the candles out and went to bed. Karen snuffed out the flames one by one.

root out

to find something bad or illegal and get rid of it The generals have to root out __ traitors. The president vowed to root out corruption.

fit like a glove

to fit very well; to fit snugly. My new shoes fit like a glove. My new shoes fit like a glove _ __ __. My new jeans contain Lycra so they fit like a glove.

draw a blank

to get no response; to find nothing; to fail to remember something I asked him about Tom's financial problems, and I just draw a blank _ blank We looked in the files for an hour, but we drew a blank.

reinstate

to give someone their previous job or position again The Supreme Court reinstate the death penalty in 1976. A month after being unfairly dismissed, he was reinstate in his job.

fizzle

to gradually fail, become less enthusiastic, or disappear, especially after starting successfully The group's efforts at reform fizzle out after their leader left. Interest in the project fizzle after the funding was withdrawn.

discredit

to harm someone's reputation Evidence of links with drug dealers has discredit the president. She claims there was a conspiracy to discredit her.

make ends meet

to have enough money to pay for your basic expenses. To make ends meet, she runs a day-care center out of her home. Even with Betty's salary, they could barely make ends meet __ ___. I have to work at two jobs to make ends meet.

flog

to hit someone very hard with a stick or whip as a punishment Flog them soundly! Soldiers used to be flog for disobedience.

streamline

to improve a business, organization, process etc by making it more modern or simple They're making efforts to streamline their bureaucracy. Streamlining cars increases their fuel efficiency.

concoct

to invent a false explanation or false information, especially for a dishonest purpose He concoct the most amazing dish from all sorts of unlikely ingredients. He said the prisoner had concocted the story

impute

to lay blame to, attribute, ascribe or credit I impute your success to nepotism. It is unfair to impute blame to the employees.

scarper

to leave a place very quickly and suddenly The police are coming! We'd better scarper . Come on, get out of my way - scarper!

take something with a pinch of salt

to listen to a story or an explanation with considerable doubt. They took my explanation take something with a pinch of salt _ _ _ __ . I was sure they didn't believe me. You must take anything she says with a grain of salt.

pamper

to look after someone very well, especially by making them feel very comfortable or by giving them nice things Be sure to pamper your face, giving this skin some extra attention. She had a whole evening in which to pamper herself.

trawl

to look for someone or something, for example by searching through a large amount of information He has trawl through hundreds of documents in the library. I've been trawling the Internet to find a new job.

downsize

to make a company or organization smaller by reducing the number of workers The plight of the economy is forcing businesses to downsize. to downsize your workforce/company

ratify

to make an agreement official by signing it or formally accepting it The decision will have to be ratify (= approved) by the executive board. The treaty still has to be ratified by EU heads of state.

amend

to make changes to a document, law, agreement etc, especially in order to improve it In line 20, "men" should be amend (= changed) to "people". A law amending the Chilean constitution was approved on...

hum

to make musical sounds with your lips closed Jerry hum softly to himself. If you don't know the words, just hum the tune.

deter

to make someone decide not to do something These measures are designed to deter an enemy attack. The rain didn't deter people from coming to the game.

nullify

to make something lose its legal effect The state death penalty law was nullify in 1977. The other candidates sought to have the election results nullified.

detract

to make something seem less good, attractive, or important personal difficulties to detract from her public achievements. Her faults did not seem to detract from her appeal.

dampen

to make something such as a feeling or hope less strong Not even defeat could dampen the enthusiasm of his supporters. Nothing seemed to dampen his enthusiasm.

keep tabs

to monitor someone or something; to follow the activities of someone or something. Try to keep tabs ___ on everyone who works for you. It's hard to keep tabs when you have a lot of other work to do.

recede

to move back from a high point or level The painful memories gradually recede in her mind. The flood waters receded.

shunt

to move someone or something to a different place or position, especially to avoid dealing with them We can't just shunt patients off to other hospitals. Traffic will be shunted onto other roads.

ruffle

to move something so that it is no longer smooth or even disarrange, disorder, wrinkle, mess up, rumple, tousle, derange The birds ruffle their feathers (up) in alarm.

lurch

to move suddenly in a way that is not smooth or controlled Joe lurch drunkenly into the room. The bus finally lurched to a halt outside the school.

crouch

to move your body close to the ground by bending your knees and leaning forwards slightly She crouch down and reached out to the little boy. She saw him coming and crouched (down) behind a bush.

nod

to move your head first downwards and then upwards, to answer 'Yes' to a question or to show that you agree, approve, or understand Many people in the audience nod in agreement. She looked up and nod for me to come in.

decide against

to not choose someone or something Jane decide against __ the supplier. We decided against Tom and chose Larry instead.

prosecute

to officially accuse someone of a crime and ask a court of law to judge them He was prosecute for fraud. He might still be prosecuted for perjury.

secede

to officially leave an organization. This word is used especially about a state or region that chooses to become independent and govern itself. There is likely to be civil war if the region tries to secede from the south. On 20 August 1960 Senegal seceded.

confiscate

to officially remove someone's possessions for legal reasons or as a punishment seize, appropriate, impound, commandeer, sequester, expropriate Police confiscated their weapons.

tout

to praise someone or something because you want other people to think they are good or important The minister has been tout these ideas for some time. She's being touted as a possible challenger for the title.

screen out

to prevent something that is dangerous or unsuitable from coming in Cycle masks are designed to screen out __ pollutants. The test screened all the unqualified candidates out of the group.

tow

to pull a vehicle or boat by fixing it to the back of another vehicle or boat drag, draw, pull, trail, haul, tug, yank, hale, trawl, lug The damaged boat was tow to safety.; The car broke down and had to be ____ home.

anoint

to put oil on a part of someone's body in a religious ceremony Ange Postecoglou will have seen enough by March and will anoint a new leader. And now his party will anoint this man their 'hero'

don

to put on a piece of clothing To really get a taste of Karijini, visitors should don a wetsuit. Donning a new suit, he set off for his interview.

clock up

to reach a particular number or amount he must have clock up two hundred flying hours _ in six months. Patrick clocked a fantastic number of points up this year.

curtail

to reduce or limit something, especially something good The last government severely curtail trade union rights. to curtail your holiday/spending

pare

to reduce the total number or amount of something The list has been pare down from 9 counties to 4. He was busy paring apples in the kitchen.

supplant

to replace something or someone, often as a result of being more powerful automated manufacturing equipment that was going to supplant human employment Printed books will soon be supplant by e-books.

jeopardise

to risk damaging or destroying something important She knew that by failing her exams she could jeopardise her whole future. Cuts in funding could jeopardise this vital research work.

liken

to say that someone or something is similar to someone or something else The pain is liken to being drilled through the head. His works have been likened to those of Beckett.

recant

to say that something you said was not true After a year spent in solitary confinement, he publicly recant (his views). He later recant his confession.

bristle at something

to show sudden anger or other negative response to something. (Alludes to a dog or cat raising the hair on its back in anger or as a threat.) I knew Lily would bristle at something __ the appearance of Max. She bristled at his insolent remarks

atone

to show that you are sorry for doing something bad or wrong He felt he had atoned for what he had done. His successors on Chicago's south side have a chance to atone for those sins this week.

kindle

to start a fire by lighting small pieces of wood or paper that will burn easily the news didn't really kindle any emotion in me. These poems have helped kindle the imagination of ...

assert

to state firmly that something is true She always manages to assert her point of view. The governor asserted that no more money would be available.

gulp

to swallow food or drink quickly in a way that shows you are very hungry She quickly gulp her tea. She gulped down her drink and made a hasty exit.

jilt

to tell someone that you want to end your romantic relationship with them Like jilt lovers often do, Cleveland did a lot in the haste of spurn to ... He jilt her for his best friend's sister.

lash

to tie something firmly to something else, or to tie two things together firmly using a rope The fuel tanks were lash together, upright and side by side. After lash the boat to the dock, we ran for shelter from the storm.

commute

to travel regularly to and from work I commute by train. It's exhausting commute from Brighton to London every day.

mediate

to try to end a disagreement between two people or groups The two envoys have succeeded in mediate an end to the war. Negotiators were called in to mediate between the two sides.

wring

to twist and squeeze something in order to remove liquid from it I'll just wring out this jumper and hang it up. Dampen with water and wring out all the excess moisture.

unravel

to understand something complicated by thinking about it for a long time solve, explain, work out, resolve, interpret Police are trying to unravel the mystery of their sudden disappearance.

tread

to walk or step on something Don't tread mud into the carpet. Tutilo kept his eyes on the cobbles, treading carefully.

invincible

too strong to be defeated Teams like the Wallabies are not invincible. Last year the company seemed/looked invincible but in recent weeks has begun to have problems.

latter

used for referring to the second of two people, things, or groups that have just been mentioned In the latter stages of the fight he began to tire. Building of the new library should begin in the latter part of next year.

ostensibly

used for saying that although someone pretends to have one reason for something, there is in fact another reason He was ostensibly on holiday, but actually he was on a diplomatic mission. Melissa went to her room, ostensibly to do her homework.

convoluted

very complicated, or more complicated than necessary the novel's convoluted storyline

chock-full

very full, especially with things that are pleasant or enjoyable The whole room was chock-full-__ of books. a book that's chock-full of delicious recipes

licentious

very interested in sex in a way that is unpleasant or offensive promiscuous, immoral, lewd, debauched, abandoned, sensual, uncontrollable That does not mean there should be no sanction for misbehaviour or licentious behaviour.

denunciation

very strong public criticism of someone or something a stinging denunciation of his critics Her comments have been interpreted as a denunciation of government policy.

archetypal

very typical of a particular type of person or thing Cricket is the archetypal English game. In his dark suit, he looked like the archetypal businessman.

belligerent

very unfriendly and angry Watch out! Lee's in a belligerent mood. a belligerent gesture

negligible

very unimportant or small The difference between the two products is negligible. a negligible rise in unemployment

voluminous

voluminous clothing has a lot of material in it and is loose on your body She was swathed in a voluminous cloak. Her voluminous silk dress billowed out behind her.

sought-after

wanted by many people but not easy to get An Olympic gold medal is the most sought-after -_ prize in sport. a much sought-after actor

gunpoint

while threatening to shoot someone or while being threatened with a gun The family were held at gunpoint for an hour while the men raided their house. Two masked men held the bank clerks at gunpoint for three hours.

perturbed

worried or upset by something He didn't seem unduly/overly perturbed by the news. William looked more than a little perturbed at the suggestion.

rim

The outer, often curved or circular, edge of something. The rim of the cup was chipped and broken. They were standing on the rim of the volcano.

insulate

To cause to be in a detached or isolated position. Their wealthy families had insulate them from reality. You can insulate a house against heat loss by having the windows double-glazed.

glean

To collect bit by bit. At present, we're glean information from all sources. From what I was able to glean, the news isn't good.

nick

To cut into and wound slightly. cut, mark, scratch Apart from a few nicks in the varnish, the guitar is in very good condition.

drip

To fall in drops. drop, splash, sprinkle Water dripped down the wall.

niggle

To worry someone slightly, usually for a long time. One thought kept niggle at her. Something was niggling him.

cyst

A sac or vesicle in the body. He had a cyst removed from near his eye. He had a minor operation to remove a cyst.

perpetual

Continuing for ever in the same way. He has hard, cold eyes and his mouth is set in a perpetual sneer. He soon grew tired of her perpetual demands for money.

flavour

Distinctive taste. Add flavour to your meal by using more herbs and garlic. This beer has no flavour.

apathetic

Feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern. Many people feel apathetic about the candidates in both parties. Young people today are so apathetic about politics.

landmark

A building or place that is easily recognized, especially one that you can use to judge where you are. The Rock of Gibraltar is one of Europe's most famous landmark. The Statue of Liberty is a very famous landmark.

pretension

A claim or belief that you can succeed or that you are important or have serious value. We liked him for his honesty and lack of pretension. The Chronicle has pretension to being a serious newspaper.

scab

A crust discharged from and covering a healing wound. Once the scab heals, there is no longer any danger of transmission. Once the scab heals, there is no longer any danger of transmission.

distaste

A dislike of something that you find unpleasant or unacceptable. His distaste for publicity of any sort is well known. She looked with distaste at the man's clothes.

promenade

A leisurely walk, especially one taken in a public place as a social activity. A public place for such walking. a fine promenade running past the boathouses We strolled along on the promenade eating ice creams.

ditch

A long, narrow open hole that is dug into the ground. a wide canal or antitank ditch that was filled with water The car went out of control and ended up in a ditch.

cushion

A pad or pillow with a soft filling, used for resting, reclining, or kneeling. Her leg was propped up on two cushion . She sank back against/into the cushions.

clerk

A person who works in an office, dealing with records. a junior office clerk a filing clerk

spouse

A person's husband or wife. living with someone other than a spouse In 60 percent of the households surveyed both spouses went out to work.

tutor

A private instructor. His tutor encouraged him to read widely in philosophy. During my illness I was taught by a series of home tutors.

reclamation

A restoration, as to productivity, usefulness, or morality. Land reclamation can be achieved with a number of different methods. Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill..

hedge

A row of closely planted shrubs or low-growing trees forming a fence or boundary. a privet hedge We crawled through a gap in the hedge.

sketch

A simple, quickly-made drawing that does not have many details. Draw a rough sketch of the dog. I do a few sketches of the design first.

cot

A small bed for a baby or young child with high bars around the sides. She was laying down on a small bed, a cot really, in an old, wooden house. I returned to my tent and got comfortable on my collapsible cot .

affection

A tender feeling toward another. fondness, liking, feeling He had a deep affection for his aunt.

garret

A very small uncomfortable room at the top of a house. a tortured artist living in a garret in Paris a tortured artist living in a garret in Paris

scarce

Hard to find; absent or rare. Food and clean water were becoming scarce. Fresh water and medicines were scarce in the disaster area.

rickety

In bad condition and therefore weak and likely to break. She slowly climbed the rickety wooden steps. Careful! That chair's a bit rickety.

incidental

Of a minor, casual, or subordinate nature. The points you make are true, but they're incidental to the main problem. You will receive an allowance for meals and incidental expenses.

instalment

One of several parts into which a story, plan, or amount of money owed has been divided. We agreed to pay for the car by/in instalment. We paid for the television in 12 monthly instalments.

vicissitude

One of the sudden or unexpected changes or shifts often encountered in one's life. Indian economy had enjoyed from the vicissitude of world capitalism. stiffening himself to withstand life's vicissitudes

indigenous

Originating and living or occurring naturally in an area. So who are the indigenous people of this land? Are there any species of frog indigenous to the area?

labour

Physical or mental exertion, especially when difficult or exhausting. the labour of seeding, planting and harvesting The company is passing its higher labour costs on to its customers.

facility

Something such as a room or piece of equipment that is provided at a place for people to use. Does the company offer any facility for employees with young children? All the rooms have private facilities.

eccentric

Strange or unusual, sometimes in a humorous way. a rather eccentric decision by the referee an eccentric family tradition

provision

The act of providing something. There is provision for storage in the basement. Of course there's provision in the plan for population increase.

heyday

The most successful or popular period of someone or something. In his heyday his face was on every magazine cover. In its heyday, the studio boasted it had more stars than heaven.

abundance

The situation in which there is more than enough of something. We had wine in abundance. There was an abundance of food at the wedding.

congestion

The state of being overcrowded, esp with with traffic or people. Energy consumption, road congestion and pollution have increased. The project aims to reduce traffic congestion.

patronage

The support given to an organization by someone. He enjoyed the patronage of many literary enthusiasts. The reforms are intended to halt political patronage and corruption.

from the outset

Throughout, from the very beginning. I felt from the outset __ __ that Lisa was the wrong one for the job From the outset, I felt unwelcome in the group.

hypothesize

To assert as a hypothesis. we can hypothesize a link between a type of counterfactual thinking... They hypothesize that resistance is rational...

prevail

To be greater in strength or influence; triumph; to be most common or frequent. a report on the economic conditions prevail in the country A friendly atmosphere prevailed among the crowds in the park.

baulk

To be unwilling to do something or to allow something to happen. The horse baulk at crossing the bridge. They really wanted the house, but they baulked at the price.

imitate

To behave in a similar way to someone or something else. They produce artificial chemicals which exactly imitate particular natural... Italian ice cream is imitated all over the world.

lean

To bend or slant away from the vertical. The other girl lean forward to hear what was going on. Bigelow leaned across the desk and lowered his voice.

afflict

To cause suffering or unhappiness to. It is an illness that afflict women more than men. More and more children are afflicted by allergies.

swerve

To change direction, especially suddenly. The bus driver swerve to avoid hitting the cyclists. He swerved suddenly, narrowly missing a cyclist.

blend

To combine or mix so that the constituent parts are indistinguishable from one another. Their music is a blend of jazz and African rhythms. a delicious blend of sharp and sweet

regard as

To consider or have an opinion about something or someone. The cult members regard as the stone idol _ their dead leader. I have always regarded you as my friend.

encompass

To constitute or include. The student debates will encompass a range of subjects. His kingdom encompassed 890 square miles.

administer

To control the operation or arrangement of something. The economy has been badly administer by the present government. We do our best to see that justice is administered fairly.

drape

To cover, dress, or hang with or as if with cloth in loose folds. He wore a long scarf drape around his neck. She draped the scarf loosely around her shoulders.

denounce

To criticize something or someone strongly and publicly. We must denounce injustice and oppression. Some groups have denounced Bush's decision as ill-judged.

confer

To exchange ideas on a particular subject; to give something such as authority or an honour to someone. I should like some time to confer with my lawyer. A share confers certain rights on the person who holds it.

convey

To express a thought, feeling, or idea so that it is understood by other people. You don't want to convey the impression that we're not interested. A good photograph can often convey far more than words.

incorporate

To include something as part of something larger. This aircraft incorporate several new safety features. The course incorporates a strong German language element.

circumscribe

To limit something; to limit narrowly; restrict. The monarch's powers are circumscribe by Parliament. There followed a series of tightly circumscribed visits to military installations.

retain

To maintain possession of. The US expects to retain control over the operation. We're trying to recruit and retain skilled staff.

facilitate

To make easy or easier. The current structure does not facilitate efficient work flow. The new ramp will facilitate the entry of wheelchairs.

enact

To make into law. The bill would be submitted for discussion before being enact as law. A package of economic sanctions is to be enacted against the country.

writhe

To make large twisting movements with the body. She was writhe around/about on the ground. He writhed in agony on the ground.

mend

To make repairs or restoration to. The gate needs to be mend so it closes properly. These socks need to be mended.

revolve

To turn on an axis. Her life has revolve around tennis. The planets revolve around the Sun.

draw on

To use someone or something in some beneficial way. Your body draw on _ its reserves of fat during the times when you are... As an actor, you often draw on your own life experiences.

fluctuate

To vary irregularly. Her weight fluctuate wildly. Her wages fluctuate between £150 and £200 a week.