Chapter 1.7 Vocabulary

Question 1

Endeavour

Answer 1

Noun

1. an attempt to do something:

In spite of our best endeavours, it has proven impossible to contact her.

Engineers are endeavouring to locate the source of the problem.

Crossing the North Pole on foot was an amazing feat of human endeavour.

artistic endeavour

Question 2

Lavish

Answer 2

Adj

1. large in quantity and expensive or impressive:

lavish gifts/promises/praise

lavish spending

lavish banquets

The evening was a lavish affair with glorious food and an endless supply of champagne.

The lavish production makes this musical truly memorable.

The team has the most lavish training facility in the league.

2. very generous:

The critics were lavish in their praise for the paintings.

Question 3

Instantiate

Answer 3

Verb

1. to represent or be an example of something:

He seems to instantiate a new type of masculinity.

Electronic hardware, like software, can be designed modularly, by creating subcomponents and then higher-level components to instantiate them.

Particular physical objects merely exemplify or instantiate the universal.

Question 4

Accustom

Answer 4

Verb

1. to make someone familiar with new conditions:

It takes awhile to accustom yourself to working at night.

Whatever it is worth, it is a style to which many readers will have grown accustomed.

Question 5

Vouch for sth/sb

Answer 5

Phrasal verb

1. to say that you know from experience that something is true or good, or that someone is honest and has a good character:

Patricia has checked the reports and can vouch for the accuracy of the information.

Question 6

Stern

Answer 6

Adj

1. severe, or showing disapproval:

a stern look/warning/voice.

She is her own sternest critic.

Journalists received a stern warning not to go anywhere near the battleship.

2. If something, such as a job, is stern, it is difficult:

The country’s president is facing the sternest test of his authority since he came to power five years ago.

noun

1. the back part of a ship or boat:

Question 7

Pacifier

Answer 7

Noun

1. something that makes people calm when they are angry or upset

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2. smooth rubber or plastic object that is given to a baby to suck on, in order to comfort it and make it stop crying

Question 8

Surreal

Answer 8

Adj

1. strange; not seeming real; like a dream:

Driving through the total darkness was a slightly surreal experience.

2. strange, esp. because of combining items that are never found together in reality:

Fragments of surreal dream crosses over into his life.

a surreal landscape/painting

Question 9

Non-compliance

Answer 9

Noun

1. the fact of not obeying a rule or law:

non-compliance with sth Non-compliance with environmental laws can be both costly and dangerous.

Bexar County Jail received a notice of noncompliance with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards on Wednesday, one month after the escape of three inmates.

Question 10

Attributable

Answer 10

Adj

1. Caused by

Do you think that these higher-than-average temperatures are attributable to global warming?

Her death was attributable to natural causes.

The increase in sales is largely attributable to the fact that the product has come down in price.

Question 11

Conviction

Answer 11

Noun

1. the fact of officially being found to be guilty of a particular crime, or the act of officially finding someone guilty:

Since it was her first conviction for stealing, she was given a less severe sentence.

He has a long record of previous convictions for similar offences.

The conviction of the three demonstrators has caused public outrage locally.

2. a strong opinion or belief:

religious/moral convictions

a deep/strong/lifelong conviction

It’s my personal conviction that all rapists should be locked away for life.
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3. a feeling of being certain about something:

He said he was enjoying his new job, but his voice lacked conviction.

Question 12

Alleged

Answer 12

Adj

1. said or thought by some people to be the stated bad or illegal thing, although you have no proof:

It took 15 years for the alleged criminals (= people thought to be criminals) to prove their innocence.

Question 13

Muse

Answer 13

Verb

1. to think about something carefully and for a long time:

I began to muse about/on the possibility of starting my own business.

Noun

1. ​an imaginary being, person, or force that gives someone ideas and helps them to write, paint, or make music:

The muse has left me - I haven’t written any poetry for months!

Juliet was not only the painter’s best model but also his muse.

Question 14

Offhand

Answer 14

Adj

1. not friendly, and showing little interest in other people in a way that seems slightly rude:

I didn’t mean to be offhand with her - it’s just that I was in such a hurry.

Adverb

1. without looking for information and without thinking carefully; immediately:

I can’t quote the exact statistics for you offhand, but they’re there for you to see in the report.

Question 15

Espouse

Answer 15

Verb

1. to become involved with or support an activity or opinion:

Vegetarianism is one cause she does not espouse.

He espoused conservative political views.

He promised the creation of a coalition government which would not espouse socialism.

Both have then been driven in one sense or another, rightly or wrongly, to espouse such a move.

Question 16

Contemporary

Answer 16

Adj

1.existing or happening now:

contemporary music/literature/art/fashion.

Although the play was written hundreds of years ago, it still has a contemporary (= modern) feel to it.

Almost all of the contemporary accounts of the event have been lost.

Most of the writers he was contemporary with were interested in the same subjects.

2.belonging to the same or a stated period in the past:

She’s been reading contemporary accounts of New York from the early 1900s.

Noun

1. a person who is the same age as you:

The language you use with your contemporaries may not be appropriate in the classroom.

Question 17

Insinuating

Answer 17

Adj

1. suggesting ideas without saying them directly:

She didn’t reply - she merely smiled that insinuating smile.

Both songs are in danger of being banned for their sexy, insinuating lyrics.

He insinuated that they were lying.

Question 18

Abrupt

Answer 18

Adj

1. sudden and unexpected, and often unpleasant:

an abrupt change/movement.

Our conversation came to an abrupt end when George burst into the room.

The road ended in an abrupt (= sudden and very steep) slope down to the sea.

2. using too few words when talking, in a way that seems rude and unfriendly:

an abrupt manner/reply

He is sometimes very abrupt with clients.

Question 19

Decipher

Answer 19

Verb

1. to discover the meaning of something written badly or in a difficult or hidden way:

Can you decipher the writing on this envelope?

In cases without actual bodies, he assists by using his psychological training to decipher the clues left by the perpetrators.

I have a hard time deciphering my phone bill.

Question 20

Reimburse

Answer 20

Verb

1. to pay back money to someone who has spent it for you or lost it because of you:

The airline reimbursed me for the amount they had overcharged me.

They’re going to reimburse me for the airfare.

She was reimbursed by the gas company for the damage to her house.

Question 21

Thoroughly

Answer 21

Adverb

1. Completely, very much

I thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

I thoroughly approve of what the government is doing.

2. In a detailed and careful way

We went through the report thoroughly but couldn’t find the information anywhere.

3. very greatly; very much:

The movie left me thoroughly confused about its real meaning.

Question 22

Quiddity

Answer 22

Noun

1. the basic nature or quality of something, that makes it different from other things:

Reading about a subculture like swimming provides an opportunity to appreciate the idiosyncratic details and quiddity of the sport.

Question 23

Oddity

Answer 23

Noun

1.someone or something that is strange and unusual:

Even today a man who stays at home to take care of the children is regarded as something of an oddity.

As one of the few women in engineering in the 1950s, she was considered an oddity.

Question 24

Affinity

Answer 24

Noun

1. a liking or sympathy for someone or something, especially because of shared characteristics:

She seems to have a natural affinity for/with water.
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2. a close similarity between two things:

There are several close affinities between the two paintings.

Question 25

Enigmatic

Answer 25

Adj 1. mysterious and impossible to understand completely: The Mona Lisa has a famously enigmatic smile. He left an enigmatic message on my answering machine. Many reviewers expressed bafflement at the text, which has an enigmatic and riddling style.

Question 26

Imprint

Answer 26

Verb 1. to mark a surface by pressing something hard into it ​ 2. to fix an event or experience so firmly in the memory that it cannot be forgotten although you do not try to remember it: That look of grief would be imprinted on her mind forever. War has left its imprint on the strained faces of these people. The terrible scene has been deeply imprinted on my mind.

Question 27

Unnerve

Answer 27

Verb 1. to make someone feel less confident and slightly frightened: I think it unnerved me to be interviewed by so many people. The long silence unnerved him. Investors were unnerved by recent profit warnings.

Question 28

Purview

Answer 28

Noun 1. the limit of someone's responsibility, interest, or activity: This case falls outside the purview of this particular court. Some of the bank's lending operations come under/within the purview of the deputy manager, and some are handled directly by the manager.

Question 29

Bottom line

Answer 29

Noun 1. the final line in the accounts of a company or organization, stating the total profit or loss that has been made: How will the rise in interest rates affect our bottom line? 2. the most important fact in a situation: The bottom line is that we need another ten thousand dollars to complete the project.

Question 30

Whatnot

Answer 30

Noun 1. also and what have you and other similar things: You can buy snacks and whatnot at the bar. That'll give you enough time to get the table set and whatnot. When he was presenting cases and what-not, it was almost as if he was doing monologues. Lots of people are knocking on my door to meet her about everything, movies, what-not.

Question 31

Hedging

Answer 31

Noun 1. the activity of reducing the risk of losing money on shares, bonds, etc. that you own, for example, by buying futures (= agreements to sell shares for a particular price at a date in the future) or options (= the rights to buy or sell shares for a particular price within a particular time period): Originally hedge funds took a more traditional approach to hedging: they bought shares they thought would rise in companies they expected to do well.

Question 32

Nonchalant

Answer 32

Adjective 1. behaving in a calm manner, often in a way that suggests you are not interested or do not care: a nonchalant manner/shrug 2. behaving in a calm manner, showing that you are not worried or frightened: She waited her turn to audition, trying to look nonchalant.

Question 33

Revitalize

Answer 33

Verb 1. to give new life, energy, activity, or success to something: Japanese investment has revitalized this part of Britain. 2. to make something grow, develop, or become successful again: revitalize an economy/industry/business A variety of policy initiatives have been undertaken aimed at revitalizing the economy. revitalize a city/an area Community leaders are working hard to attract new industry and revitalize the downtown area.

Question 34

Debilitating

Answer 34

Adj 1. Causing weakness Strokes are a common debilitating condition of old age. Existential crisis is a debilitating notion.

Question 35

Disrobe

Answer 35

Verb 1. To remove your clothes, especially an outer or formal piece of clothing worn for ceremonies. He disrobe with no shame. I like it when you disrobe.