Words 0016

Question 1

slaphead

Answer 1

(very informal) a person who is bald (= has little or no hair on their head)

Question 2

slapper

Answer 2

a woman who has sex with a lot of men

• She looked like a right old slapper.

Question 3

pillory

Answer 3

to severely criticize someone, especially in a public way

• Although regularly pilloried by the press as an obnoxious loudmouth, he is, nonetheless, an effective politician.

Question 4

pillock

Answer 4

(offensive) a stupid or silly person

• You pillock, look what you’ve done!

Question 5

pillion

Answer 5

a seat or place behind the person riding a motorcycle where a passenger can sit

• a pillion seat/passenger
• You get a bit uncomfortable after riding pillion for a couple of hours.

Question 6

pillbox

Answer 6

a small, very strong building with narrow holes in the walls through which guns can be fired

Question 7

pillar box

Answer 7

a tall, red box for posting letters

Question 8

pillage

Answer 8

to steal something from a place or a person by using violence, especially during war

• Works of art were pillaged from many countries in the dark days of the Empire.

Question 9

bobble

Answer 9

a small ball of thread that develops on clothing or furniture covered in cloth

• She sat there sulking and picking the bobbles off her sweater.
• This jumper went all bobbly after a few washes.

Question 10

seamy

Answer 10

(of a situation) unpleasant because of a connection with dishonest behaviour, violence, and illegal sex

• The film vividly portrays the seamy side of life in the London of the early 70s.

Question 11

seamstress

Answer 11

a woman whose job is sewing and making clothes

Question 12

visceral

emotional

Answer 12

based on deep feeling and emotional reactions rather than on reason or thought

• visceral hatred/excitement
• His approach to acting is visceral rather than intellectual.

Question 13

visceral

body parts

Answer 13

relating to the large organs inside the body, including the heart, stomach, lungs, and intestines

Question 14

subvert, subversive

Answer 14

to try to destroy or damage something, especially an established political system

• The rebel army is attempting to subvert the government.
• Our best intentions are sometimes subverted by our natural tendency to selfishness.
• subversive elements/groups in society
• subversive ideas/influences

Question 15

lucid, lucidity

Answer 15

clearly expressed and easy to understand, or (of a person) thinking or speaking clearly

• She gave a clear and lucid account of her plans for the company’s future.
• The drugs she’s taking make her drowsy and confused, but there are times when she’s quite lucid.

Question 16

lubricious

Answer 16

having or showing too great an interest in sex, especially in an unpleasant way

Question 17

besmirch

Answer 17

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

Question 18

besotted

Answer 18

completely in love with someone and always thinking of them

• He was so completely besotted with her that he couldn’t see how badly she treated him.

Question 19

beseech

Answer 19

to ask for something in a way that shows you need it very much

Stay a little longer, I beseech you!

∆ besought

Question 20

bespeak

Answer 20

to suggest or show

• His letter bespeaks his willingness to help.