Isolated words Flashcards
Learn words in some meanings. (189 cards)
1
Q
stem (noun - C)
A
(CENTRAL PART)
1. a central part of something from which other parts can develop or grow, or which forms a support
“She twisted the stem of her glass.” -> stem of a glass is the central part of a glass, usually of a wine glass (where you put your hands on it)
2. the main body or stalk of a plant or shrub, typically rising above ground but occasionally subterranean
“With any shrub or tree, look for firm healthy roots and a sturdy straight stem”
2
Q
stem (verb - T)
A
- to stop something unwanted from spreading or increasing:
“These measures are designed to stem the rise of violent crime.”
3
Q
encompass (verb - T)
A
- to include several different things:
“The plan encompasses repaving the street and planting 40 new trees.”
“It encompasses the whole learning process, including learning styles and strategies.”
4
Q
inhabit (verb - T)
A
- to occupy as a place of settled residence or habitat/ live in:
“A bird that inhabits North America.”
“The region was inhabited by Indians.”
5
Q
wanderlust (noun - U)
A
- the wish to travel far away and to many different places:
“In July wanderlust takes over the whole nation.”
“He suffers from a bit of wanderlust, likes to travel alone and do whatever he wants or sees fit.”
6
Q
harvest (noun - C/U)
A
- the activity or time of gathering a crop, or a crop that is gathered:
[ U ] “We picked the corn that had been missed during harvest.”
[ C ] “He had a large garden and loved to share his harvest with others.”
7
Q
crop (noun - C)
A
- a plant such as a grain, vegetable, or fruit grown in large amounts on a farm, or the total amount gathered of such a plant:
“Apple growers celebrated their biggest crop ever last year.” - is also any group of similar things or people:
“We’ve got a new crop of students coming in every year.”
8
Q
gather (verb)
A
- [T] to collect or obtain things, esp. (abbreviation for especially) from different places (COLLECT):
“I went to several libraries to gather information.”
“We gathered blackberries from the nearby fields.” - [ I ] (of people or animals) to come together in a group:
“A crowd gathered to hear her speak.”
9
Q
sought (verb)
A
past simple and past participle of seek
SEEK (SEARCH)
1. [ T ] to search for something or try to find or obtain something:
“She is actively seeking work.”
“The government is seeking ways to reduce the cost of health care.”
2. [ T ] If you seek advice/approval/help/permission, you ask for it:
“They suggested she seek advice from the legal department.”
SEEK (TRY)
1.to try or attempt:
“They sought to reassure people that their homes would be safe from the flood.”
10
Q
delve (verb - I)
A
- to search, especially as if by digging, in order to find a thing or information:
“She delved into her pocket to find some change.”
“Some write semi-autobiographical novels, delving into personal pasts in order to either discover or re-examine their motivations and affinities.”
11
Q
ubiquitous (adjective)
A
- found or existing everywhere:
“The eelgrass limpet used to be ubiquitous on the New England coast.”
12
Q
well-rounded (adjective)
A
- having or providing experience and knowledge in a number of different areas:
“Some experts say that home-schooled children may not receive a well-rounded education.”
13
Q
complain (verb - I)
A
- to say that something is wrong or not good enough:
“Bill and Nancy are always complaining about their neighbor, whose dog frightens their kids.”
[ + that clause ] “She complained that she had too much work to do.”
14
Q
complaint (noun - C/U)
A
- a statement that something is wrong or not good enough, the act of complaining, or the thing you are complaining about:
[ U ] “a letter of complaint”
[ C ] “Her only complaint is that she sometimes didn’t get enough heat in her apartment.”
15
Q
puddle (noun - C)
A
- a pool of liquid on the ground or floor, formed by filling up the holes in uneven surfaces:
“You have to step around the puddles in the street after a rain shower.”
16
Q
bloom (verb - I)
A
- (of a plant or tree) to produce flowers, or (of a flower) to open or be open:
“Alta loved watching her flowers bloom in the spring.”
*Algal bloom is a rapid increase of the population of algae in water.
17
Q
turf (noun - U)
A
(GRASS)
1. a surface layer of land consisting of grass and the earth in which its roots grow:
“Lush turf lined the river’s banks.”
2. is also ground cover that looks like grass:
“artificial turf”
18
Q
stakeholder (noun - C)
A
- a person or group of people who own a share in a business
“The failure to fund these studies left many stakeholders disappointed and frustrated.” - a person such as an employee, customer, or citizen who is involved with an organization, society, etc. and therefore has responsibilities towards it and an interest in its success
“Corporate executives need to think about the whole business and how it creates value for customers and stakeholders.”
19
Q
panel (noun - C)
A
- is a small group of people who are chosen to do something, for example, to discuss something in public or to make a decision.
“He assembled a panel of scholars to advise him.” [+ of]
“A panel of experts was formed to look into the causes of the fire.”
20
Q
gatecrash (verb - I or T)
A
- to go to a party or other event when you have not been invited:
“He decided to gatecrash the wedding.”
21
Q
dam (noun - C)
A
- a wall built across a river to stop the flow and collect the water, esp. to make a reservoir (= an artificial lake) that provides water for an area or can be used to make electricity
“…plans to build a dam on the Danube River.”
22
Q
con (verb - T)
A
- to deceive someone by using a trick, or to cheat someone of money:
“I know when I’m being conned.”
23
Q
timestamp (noun - C)
A
- a record in a printed or digital form that shows the time at which something happened or was done:
“A timestamp may also be used to verify digital signatures.”
“A Postal Service time stamp shows it was mailed at 9:01 AM.”
24
Q
joint (adjective - not gradable)
A
- belonging to or shared between two or more people:
“Do you and your husband have a joint bank account or separate accounts?”
“In court, the parents were awarded joint custody of their son (= the right to care for him was shared between them).”
*joint venture -> a business that gets its money from two or more partners.
25
venture (noun - C)
1. a new activity, usually in business, that involves risk or uncertainty:
"She advised us to look abroad for more lucrative business ventures."
"There are many joint ventures between American and Japanese companies."
26
index (noun - C)
1. an alphabetical list, such as one printed at the back of a book showing on which page a name or subject appears, or computer information ordered in a particular way:
"If you want to find the place in the text that Henry James is mentioned, look it up in the index."
27
convey (verb - T)
1. (COMMUNICATE) to express feelings, thoughts, or information to other people:
"He always conveyed a sense of genuine interest in his students."
1.1 to express a thought, feeling, or idea so that it is understood by other people:
"His poetry conveys a great sense of religious devotion.
Please convey our condolences to the family."
2. (TRANSPORT) to take or carry someone or something to a particular place:
"Water flows into the channels and those channels convey it to the fields."
28
conceal (verb - T)
1. to prevent something from being seen or known about; to hide something:
"He made no attempt to conceal his satisfaction."
"The listening device was concealed in a pen."
29
attendee (noun - C)
1. someone who attends a performance, meeting, speech, etc.:
| "The Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago attracted nearly 90,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibitors."
30
mutinous (adjective)
1. (especially of a sailor or a soldier) refusing to obey orders or attempting to take control from people in authority:
"The mutinous sailors took control of the ship."
2. refusing or not willing to do what you are told to do:
"She gave him a mutinous look and snatched the cup from under his nose."
31
quirky (adjective)
1. unusual in an attractive and interesting way:
| "He was tall and had a quirky, off-beat sense of humor."
32
fare (noun C/U - or - I always + adv/prep)
as a noun:
1. [C] (PAYMENT) the money that you pay for traveling on a vehicle such as a bus or train:
"We shared a taxi and split the fare."
2. [U] (FOOD) (in a restaurant) the type of food that is served:
"Middle Eastern fare"
as a verb:
1. to progress or to be in a particular condition:
"Middle-income families will fare better/worse under the new tax laws."
2. to succeed or be treated in a stated way:
"How did you fare in your exams?"
"Low-paid workers will fare badly/well under this government."
33
subset (noun - C)
1. a set of numbers or things that is part of another, larger set
"The set {1,2,3} is a subset of the set {1,2,3,4,5}."
"Only a small subset of the patients in the study experienced these side effects."
34
kerfuffle (British informal -- noun - S)
1. a disturbance or commotion typically caused by a dispute or conflict
"In all the kerfuffle, nobody seemed to have noticed Harry, which suited him perfectly."
"Her glasses were broken in the kerfuffle."
35
coercion (noun - U)
1. the use of force to persuade someone to do something that they are unwilling to do:
"He claimed the police had used coercion, threats, and promises to obtain the statement illegally."
36
straightforward (adjective)
1. (UNDERSTANDABLE) easy to understand; clear:
"The doctor explained the operation in straightforward English."
2. (HONEST) honest and without unnecessary politeness:
"She’s a straightforward, no-nonsense teacher."
3. (SIMPLE) easy to understand or simple:
"Just follow the signs to Bradford - it's very straightforward."
37
no-nonsense (adjective)
1. serious and practical:
| "Barnes has a quiet, no-nonsense manner of doing business."
38
ballot (noun - U/C -- or -- verb)
as a noun
1. a process of voting, in writing and typically in secret.
"the commissioners were elected by ballot" (U)
"They decided to hold a ballot." (C)
as a verb
1. (of an organization) elicit a secret vote from (members) on a particular issue.
"the union is preparing to ballot its members on the same issue"
39
terse (adjective)
1. using few words ( sometimes in a way that seems rude or unfriendly):
"He was shouting terse orders for vehicles to pull over."
"'Are you feeling any better?' 'No!' was the terse reply."
40
stratify (verb - T)
1. to arrange the different parts of something in separate layers or groups:
"The sample of people questioned was drawn from the university's student register and stratified by age and gender."
"a stratified society"
41
mislead (verb - T)
1. to cause someone to believe something that is not true:
"We’re not misleading people, and we’re not pretending to be something we’re not."
"He has admitted misleading the police about his movements on the night of the murder."
42
broad (adjective - er/est only -- or -- adjective)
1. (WIDE) very wide:
"He flashed a broad grin at us."
2. (GENERAL) including many types of things; general:
"The magazine covers a broad range of subjects."
"He explained it in very broad terms."
43
grin (noun - U -- or -- verb - I)
as a noun
1. a wide smile:
"He flashed a big grin and gave us a thumbs up."
as a verb
1. same meaning
"He grinned and waved to us."
44
scope (noun - U)
1. (RANGE) the range of matters considered or dealt with:
"We are going to widen the scope of the investigation."
2. (OPPORTUNITY) the opportunity for activity:
"There is limited scope for further reducing the workforce."
3. (device) a device you look through to see something that is difficult to see directly, such as a microscope or a telescope
45
bound (adjective)
1. (CERTAIN) certain or extremely likely to happen:
[ + to infinitive ] "You’re bound to feel nervous about your interview."
2. (TIED) tied tightly or fastened:
"Several of the prisoners had been bound."
3. (FORCED) having a moral or legal duty to do something:
"She is not legally bound to pay the debts, but she has agreed to do it anyway."
4. (TOWARD) traveling in the direction of:
"She was on a plane bound for Fairbanks."
fig. "These two young musicians are bound for success."
46
invoice (noun - C -- or -- verb - T)
1. a statement listing goods or services provided and their prices, used in business as a record of sale:
"You need to have a copy of your original invoice if you want a refund."
2. to send someone an invoice:
"When they ship the CDs, the company will invoice you."
47
retrieve (verb - T)
1. to find and bring back something:
| "Important historic documents were retrieved from a dumpster last week."
48
dumpster (noun - C)
1. (SKIP) a brand name for a large, metal container into which people put garbage or building waste, and which is brought to and taken away from a place by a special truck when requested
49
query (noun - C -- or -- verb - T)
as a noun
1. a question, often expressing doubt about something or looking for an answer from an authority:
"If you have any queries about your treatment, the doctor will answer them."
as a verb
1. same meaning:
"Lawyers queried Ann about what she wore that day."
50
warehouse (noun - C)
1. a large building used for storing goods:
| "Textbooks are sent right from the warehouse to the schools."
51
goods (plural noun)
1. items for sale, or possessions that can be moved:
| "They sell leather goods such as wallets, purses, and briefcases."
52
outage (noun - C)
1. a period when a power supply or other service is not available or when equipment is closed down
"Frequent power outages."
"The radio news reported power outages affecting 50 homes."
53
hangover (noun - C)
1. a feeling of illness after drinking too much alcohol:
"I had a terrible hangover the next morning."
"a hangover cure"
54
hungover (adjective)
1. feeling ill with a bad pain in the head and often wanting to vomit after having drunk too much alcohol:
"That was a great party last night, but I'm (feeling) really hungover this morning."
55
Samaritan (noun)
1. someone who gives help to people who need it
| "A Samaritan called a tow truck for us."
56
tow (verb - T -- or -- noun - C)
as a verb
1. to pull a car, boat, aircraft, etc., using a rope or a chain attached to another vehicle:
"The town tows abandoned cars and then fines their owners."
as a noun
1. the act of pulling someone's vehicle using a rope or chain attached to your vehicle:
"My car broke down and Bob gave me a tow."
57
fiancé/fiancée (noun - U)
1. A fiancé is a man who is engaged to be married; a fiancée is a woman who is engaged to be married.
"My fiancé/fiancée and I were childhood sweethearts"
58
thus (adverb - not gradable)
1. in this way, or with this result:
"This plan will reduce waste, and thus cut costs."
```
-in this way:
"Bend from the waist, thus."
-with this result:
"They planned to reduce staff and thus to cut costs."
```
59
bend (verb - I/T)
1. to change the position of your body or a part of your body so that it is no longer straight but curved or forming an angle:
[ I always + adv/prep ] "She dropped her umbrella and bent down to pick it up."
[ T ] "Bend your knees and keep your back straight when lifting heavy objects."
60
waist (noun - C)
1. the part of the body above and slightly narrower than the hips:
"These jeans are too tight around my waist."
61
narrow (adjective)
1. (SMALL) having a small distance from one side to the other:
"Scenes from the movie were filmed in some of Rome’s ancient, narrow streets."
2. also means slight, esp. as a measure of difference:
"He was defeated in the election by a narrow margin.
It was a narrow victory, with the golf tournament decided by a single stroke."
3. also means only just successful:
"He had a narrow escape, getting out of the car just before it burst into flames."
4. (LIMITED) limited in range:
"The local newspaper tends to focus on narrow regional issues."
62
strive (verb - I)
1. to try hard to do something or make something happen, esp. for a long time or against difficulties:
[ + to infinitive ] "Neither Jefferson nor Madison was a pacifist, though both strove to keep America at peace."
"Mr. Roe has kindled expectations that he must now strive to live up to."
63
kindle (verb - T)
1. to cause a fire to start burning:
fig. "Great literature kindled their imaginations (= made them work)."
"The stormcloud had come upon them, and in every face, the fire which Pierre had watched kindle burned up brightly."
64
concise (adjective)
1. expressing what needs to be said without unnecessary words; short and clear:
"She wrote up a concise summary of the day’s events."
65
raw (adjective - not gradable)
1. not cooked:
"raw fish/oysters"
2. not processed or treated; in its natural condition:
"raw milk"
"raw silk"
"Raw sewage ran in ditches along the streets of the village."
3. If people or their qualities are raw, they have not been developed or trained:
"Even when she first started skating, you could see the determination and the raw talent."
"Alex was just a raw recruit when he was handed this job."
66
sewage (noun - U)
1. waste and liquid from toilets:
| "The storm caused raw sewage to flow into the bay."
67
ditch (noun - C -- or -- verb - T)
as a noun
1. (CHANNEL) a long, narrow, open channel dug in the ground, usually at the side of a road or field, used esp. for supplying or removing water
"He drove the car into the ditch."
as a verb
1. (TO GET RID OF) to get rid of or not continue with something or someone that is no longer wanted:
"The thief ditched Maxine’s purse in a trash can but kept the money."
"It’s time to ditch this old, torn sweater."
68
tear (verb - I/T)
1. (PULL APART) to pull or be pulled apart or away from something else, or to cause this to happen to something:
"You have to be very careful with books this old because the paper tears very easily."
"I tore my skirt on the chair as I stood up."
"A couple of pages had been torn out of/from the book."
"He angrily tore the letter up (= into small pieces)."
2. (HURRY) [infml] to move very quickly; to rush:
"She was late and went tearing around the house looking for her car keys."
69
tram (noun - C)
1. an electric vehicle that is similar to a bus but travels on tracks laid along roads:
"I hopped off the tram near the park."
can be also called by 'streetcar' (most common) or 'trolley' (car)
70
wary (adjective)
1. careful because you do not completely trust someone or something or are not certain about what you should do:
"Teachers are often wary of standardized tests."
"I'm a little wary of/about giving people my address when I don't know them very well."
71
befuddled (adjective)
1. confused and unable to think clearly:
| "The director was sitting there looking somewhat befuddled."
72
ebb (verb - I)
1. (of the sea or its tide) to move away from the coast and fall to a lower level, or, more generally, (of something) to become less or disappear:
"He could feel his strength ebbing (away)."
-When the sea or tide ebbs, it moves away from the coast and falls to a lower level.
73
deed (noun - C/U)
1. (ACTION) an intentional act, esp. a very bad or very good one:
[ C ] "Whatever his motives, the deed did save a hundred thousand lives."
2. [ C ] law a legal document that is an official record and proof of ownership of property:
"According to the deed, she owns the land from here to the river."
74
pat (verb - T)
1. to touch someone or something lightly and repeatedly with an open hand:
"He patted me on the shoulder."
"Pat the vegetables dry with a paper towel."
75
adhere (verb - I)
1. to stick or be attached firmly to a surface:
| "Glue won’t adhere to any surface that’s wet."
76
cluster (verb - I -- or - noun - C)
as a verb
1. to form or gather together:
"All his grandchildren clustered around him."
"cluster the tents together"
as a noun
1. a group of similar things growing or held together, or a group of people or things that are close together:
"dense clusters of delicate pink blossoms"
"This section of town has a large cluster of fast-food restaurants."
77
tent (noun - C)
1. (BARRACA) a movable shelter, usually made of a strong cloth supported by poles and held in position by ropes fixed to the ground:
"We pitched our tents near the stream."
78
jug (noun - C)
1. pitcher a container for holding liquids that has a handle and a shaped opening at the top for pouring:
"a glass/plastic jug"
as a slang
1. A woman's breasts, especially when large and shapely
"I enjoy my jugs! Especially on a hot day when I wear a sleeveless T-Shirt!"
79
auburn (noun - C -- or -- adjective)
1. (of) a red-brown color:
"auburn hair"
[ U ] "Browns in the picture were highlighted with auburn."
80
sanction (noun - U)
1. [fml] approval or permission:
| "To be just, a government must have the sanction of the governed."
81
scintillating (adjective)
1. sparkling or shining brightly.
"the scintillating sun"
"a scintillating diamond necklace"
82
loathe (verb - T)
1. to feel strong hate, dislike, or disgust for someone or something:
"I loathe doing housework."
"Do you like fish?" "No, I loathe it."
83
fizzy (adjective)
1. having a lot of bubbles:
| "fizzy orange/mineral water"
84
hire (verb - T)
1. rent to pay to use something for a short period:
"How much would it cost to hire a car for the weekend?"
"You could always hire a dress for the ball if you can't afford to buy one."
2. to employ someone or pay someone to do a particular job:
"I was hired by the first company I applied to."
[ + to infinitive ] "We ought to hire a public relations consultant to help improve our image."
85
mop (noun - C -- or -- verb - T)
as a noun
1. a stick with soft material attached to one end, especially used for washing floors:
"a floor mop"
"a dish mop"
```
as a verb
1. to use a mop to wash something:
"He mopped the bathroom floor."
2. to use a cloth to remove sweat from the face:
"He kept pausing to mop his brow."
```
86
heed (verb - T -- or -- noun - U)
as a verb
1. to listen to and follow advice:
"The airline failed to heed warnings about security."
as a noun
1. attention or notice:
"Voters are dissatisfied, and Congress should take heed (= consider this)."
87
reckless (adjective)
1. showing a lack of care about risks or danger, and acting without thinking about the results of your actions:
"These punks have a reckless disregard for the law."
"He pleaded innocent to reckless driving charges."
88
dean (noun - C)
1. an official of high rank in a college or university who is responsible for the organization of a department or departments:
"She is the new dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences.
the Dean of Medicine"
2. [US] someone among a group of people who has worked the longest in the particular job or activity they share, and who is their unofficial leader:
"Parsons is the dean of the TV news correspondents at Channel Nine."
89
myriad (noun - C - usually singular)
1. a very large number:
"There’s a myriad of insects on the island."
"And now myriads of bars and hotels are opening up along the coast."
90
showcase (noun - C -- or - verb - T)
as a noun
1. (CABINET) a cabinet, usually of glass, in which objects are kept that are valuable or easily broken:
"a jeweler’s showcase"
2. (OPPORTUNITY) a place or event where something, esp. something new, can be shown or performed:
"The Sundance Film Festival is an especially sympathetic showcase for unusual films."
as a verb
1. to show the best qualities or parts of something:
"In the opening set, he showcased his own songs."
91
recidivism (noun - U)
1. the act of continuing to commit crimes even after having been punished; relapsed into criminal behavior:
"This program is aimed at reducing recidivism."
"Recidivism rates are 25 percent lower for offenders who get structured treatment."
92
shambles (noun - S)
1. a state of confusion, bad organization, or untidiness, or something that is in this state:
"After the party, the house was a total/complete shambles."
"Our economy is in a shambles."
93
untapped (adjective - not gradable)
1. (of a supply of something valuable) not yet used or taken advantage of:
"The country’s forests are largely untapped resources."
94
shortfall (noun - C)
1. an amount that is less than what was expected or needed:
"The county had to close three of its four libraries because of a budget shortfall."
"The drought caused serious shortfalls in the food supply."
95
drought (noun - C/U)
1. a long period when there is little or no rain:
| "This year (a) severe drought has ruined the crops."
96
cumbersome (adjective)
1. difficult to do or manage and taking a lot of time and effort:
"Critics say that the process for amending the Constitution is cumbersome, but others defend it."
2. awkward because of being large, heavy, or not effective:
"cumbersome equipment"
"cumbersome bureaucracy"
97
patio (noun - C)
1. an area outside a house with a solid floor but no roof, used in good weather for relaxing, eating, etc.:
"In the summer we have breakfast out on the patio."
98
flaw (noun - C)
1. a fault or weakness, esp. one that happens while something is being planned or made and that makes it not perfect:
"A flaw in the steering mechanism led to a recall of 200,000 cars."
"I returned the material because it had a flaw in it."
"There's a fatal flaw in your reasoning."
99
crumb (noun - C)
1. a very small piece that has fallen from bread, cookies, or cake:
"The floor was covered with crumbs after breakfast."
2. a small amount of something:
"a crumb of hope/comfort"
100
scarf (noun - C -- or -- verb - T/I)
as a noun
plural - scarves or scarfs
1. a piece of cloth that covers the shoulders, neck, or head for warmth or appearance:
"A heavy woolen scarf hid most of his face."
as a verb
2. [infml] to eat a lot of food quickly:
[ I ] "In no time, I scarfed down two hamburgers, French fries, and something to drink."
"Lunch is usually scarfed down in five minutes before they run out to play."
101
dire (adjective)
1. very serious or extreme:
"Cheating will bring dire consequences."
"These people are in dire need of help."
"This decision will have dire consequences for local people."
102
deceptive (adjective)
1. making you believe something that is not true:
| "It's deceptive - from the outside the building looks small, but inside it's very big."
103
strait (noun - C)
1. [usually plural ] a narrow area of sea that connects two larger areas of sea:
"the Straits of Gibraltar"
2. a difficult situation, especially because of financial problems:
"So many companies are in such dire/difficult straits that their prices have come right down."
104
outrageous (adjective)
1. unacceptable, offensive, violent, or unusual:
"He made outrageous claims."
"outrageous clothes/behavior"
"an outrageous character"
105
nasty (adjective)
1. mean, unpleasant, or offensive:
"He was, to be honest, a nasty man, with never a kind word for anyone."
"I got a rather nasty (= severe) cut from the garage door."
106
flagship (noun - C)
1. the ship among a group of ships on which the most important officer sails
2. [usually sing] the best or most important thing among a group:
"The retail chain has its flagship in New York and branches in 19 states."
107
reckon (verb - T)
1. to calculate an amount based on facts or on your expectations:
"Do you reckon this watch has a little value?"
[ + that clause ] "Brusca reckons that the value of all goods and services produced declined last quarter."
2. to consider or have the opinion that something is as stated:
"She reckoned they were both equally responsible."
"She was widely reckoned to be the best actress of her generation."
"I reckon I better get goin’ now."
108
grapple (verb - I)
1. to hold someone while fighting with him or her:
"He briefly grappled with the police officer."
"Bad news is something it becomes necessary to grapple with (= deal with)."
2. to fight, especially in order to win something:
"The children grappled for the ball."
109
balk - or baulk (verb - I)
1. to be unwilling to do something or let something happen:
| "I balked at the prospect of spending four hours on a train with him."
110
unwilling (adjective)
1. not wanting to do something:
| [ + to infinitive ] "The bank was unwilling to lend her money."
111
shed (noun - C -- or -- verb - T/[I/T])
as a noun
1. a small building usually used for storage or shelter:
"The lawn mower is kept in the shed."
as a verb [T]
1. (present participle shedding), (past tense and past participle shed) to get rid of something:
"As the day warmed up, she shed her sweater."
as a verb [T/I]
2. to lose hair, leaves, or skin, or to cause hair, skin, or leaves to drop:
[ I ] "My cat shed all over the couch."
[ T ] "By November, the trees had shed their leaves."
112
onslaught (noun - C)
1. a violent and forceful attack:
fig. "With the nice weather, the beach towns are expecting an onslaught of tourists."
"It is unlikely that his forces could withstand an enemy onslaught for very long."
"Scotland's onslaught on Wales in the second half of the match earned them a 4–1 victory."
2. an overwhelmingly large number of people or things.
"in some parks the onslaught of cars and people far exceeds capacity"
113
snore (verb - I)
1. to make loud noises as you breathe while you are sleeping:
"My husband snores so loudly it keeps me awake at night."
"Do you know any cures for snoring?"
114
urchin (noun - C)
1. [old-fashioned or humorous] a small child, especially one who behaves badly and is dirty or untidily dressed:
"a street urchin"
"urchins playing in the street"
115
lonesome (adjective)
1. (of someone) feeling sad because you are alone or are apart from someone, or (of something) causing this feeling:
"She was feeling lonesome for her family."
"the lonesome whistle of a distant train"
116
impending (adjective)
1. (esp. of something unpleasant) about to happen soon:
"The impending crisis over trade made everyone nervous."
"The player announced his impending retirement from international football."
117
disburse (verb - I)
1. if a bank, organization, or government disburses money, it officially pays it to someone:
"Up to now, the foundation has disbursed $1.3 million."
[disburse sth to sb] "The money was disbursed to employees as a bonus."
118
drawback (noun - C)
1. a disadvantage or problem; the negative part of a situation:
"One of the drawbacks of working for a big company is that you have to follow a lot of rules."
119
borrow (verb - I/T)
1. to take something from someone with the intention of giving it back after using it:
[ T ] "Could I borrow your bike until next week?"
[ T ] (fig.) "We constantly borrow words from other cultures."
120
oblivious (adjective)
1. not aware of or not noticing something, esp. what is happening around you:
"She was often oblivious to the potential consequences of her actions."
121
spurious (adjective)
1. based on false reasoning or information that is not true, and therefore not to be trusted:
"They made spurious claims of personal injury."
"Some of the arguments in favor of shutting the factory are questionable and others downright spurious."
122
adage (noun - C)
1. a wise saying or proverb:
| "He remembered the old adage, 'Look before you leap.'"
123
datum (noun - C)
1. a single piece of information
"We take corruption as a datum of the economy."
"the fact is a datum worth taking into account"
124
wiretap (verb - I/T)
1. to secretly listen to people by connecting a listening device to their telephone, or to attach a listening device to a telephone for this purpose:
[ T ] "The court gave permission to have his phone wiretapped to gather evidence."
125
ominous (adjective)
1. suggesting that something unpleasant is likely to happen:
"There was an ominous silence when I asked whether my contract was going to be renewed."
"The engine had been making an ominous sound all the way from my parents' house."
"ominous dark clouds"
126
slab (noun - C)
1. a thick, flat, usually square or rectangular piece of a solid substance:
"a marble slab"
"He ate a whole slab of chocolate."
127
tinker (verb - I always + adv/prep)
1. to make small changes in something, because you hope to improve or fix it:
"Chuck tinkers with the car’s engine all the time."
"I wish the government would stop tinkering with the health service."
128
lawnmower (noun - C)
1. a machine used for cutting grass
| "The lawnmower made a lot of noise when the men at the zoo used it."
129
filth (noun - U)
1. thick, unpleasant dirt:
"The floor was covered in filth."
2. sexually offensive words or pictures:
"People complain about the filth on TV and in the press."
130
fiend (noun - U)
1. an evil or cruel person or spirit:
"Who was the fiend who designed such ugly clothes?"
"He was portrayed in the media as a complete fiend."
2. A fiend can also be a person who likes something in an extreme way:
"a chocolate fiend"
131
tackle (verb - T)
as a verb
1. to catch and knock down someone who is running, esp. in the game of football:
"All four players were unable to tackle the quarterback before he scored a touchdown."
2. to attack or to deal with something:
"There are many ways of tackling this problem."
132
scapegoat (noun - C)
1. someone who is blamed or punished for another’s faults or actions:
"When things don’t go well, people always look for a scapegoat."
133
assess (verb - T)
1. (judge) to decide the quality or importance of something:
"A college is going to assess a student’s ability based on grades."
1.1 To assess is also to judge the cost or value of something:
"Government officials assessed the flood damage in the millions of dollars."
2. (ask for money) to charge someone an amount of money as a special payment:
"In order to complete the new clubhouse, all members will be assessed an additional $200 a year."
134
unaware (adjective)
1. not knowing that something exists, or not having knowledge or experience of something:
"I was unaware of the risks involved."
[ + that clause ] "Bowman was unaware that the car was gone."
"He was unaware that the police were watching him."
"I was completely unaware of the problem."
135
permeate (verb - T)
1. to spread through something and be present in every part of it:
"The smell of detergent and bleach permeated the air."
"The table has a plastic coating which prevents liquids from permeating into the wood beneath."
136
feasible (adjective - not gradable)
1. possible, reasonable, or likely:
"It’s no longer feasible to fund this research."
"With the extra resources, the project now seems feasible."
[ + to infinitive ] "It may be feasible to clone human beings, but is it ethical?"
137
nest (noun - C -- or -- verb - T/I)
as a noun
1. a structure built by birds or insects to leave their eggs in to develop, and by some other animals to give birth or live in:
"Cuckoos are famous for laying their eggs in the nests of other birds."
"The alligators build their nests out of grass near the water's edge."
2. (set) a set of things that are similar but different in size and have been designed to fit inside each other:
"I'd like a nest of tables for the living room."
as a verb
1. [ I or T ] to fit one object inside another, or to fit inside in this way:
"nested coffee tables"
"dolls that nest inside one another"
"Each document has a root element and all elements must be nested within other elements."
2. [ I ] to build a nest, or live in a nest:
"We've got some swallows nesting in our roof at the moment."
"Farm buildings are ideal nesting sites for barn owls."
138
steward (noun - C)
1. A steward (female - stewardess) on an aircraft, ship, or train is someone who helps and serves passengers.
139
lap (noun - C -- usually singular)
1. the top surface of the upper part of the legs of a person who is sitting down:
"Come and sit on my lap and I'll read you a story."
140
crawl (verb - I)
1. to move slowly with the body stretched out along the ground or (of a human) on hands and knees:
"a caterpillar crawling in the grass"
"The child crawled across the floor."
fig. "The train crawled slowly through the night."
2. [informal] to be completely covered with or full of a particular type of thing:
"After the bomb scare, the airport was crawling with police."
141
aisle (noun - C)
1. a long, narrow space between rows of seats in an aircraft, theater, church, etc., or between the rows of shelves in a store
"Would you like an aisle seat or would you prefer to be by the window?"
"You'll find the shampoo and the soap in the fourth aisle from the entrance."
142
spurt (verb - I/T)
1. to flow out suddenly and with force:
[ I ] "Water spurted from the faucet into the sink."
"There was a sudden spurt of flame."
2. A spurt is also a sudden and brief period of increased activity, effort, or speed:
"Penn State ended the game with a 10–4 spurt (= period of scoring)."
143
grin (noun - C -- or -- verb)
as a noun
1. a wide smile:
"He flashed a big grin and gave us a thumbs up."
"I assumed things had gone well for him because he had a big grin on his face."
as a verb
1. to smile a wide smile:
"He grinned at me from the doorway."
"What are you grinning about?"
144
writhe (verb - I)
1. to make twisting movements with the body, esp. because you are feeling strong emotion:
"He writhed in agony at the thought."
"The pain was so unbearable that he was writhing in agony."
145
dim (adjective -- or -- verb - I/T)
as an adjective
1. not bright; not giving or having much light:
"A dim bulb provides the only light in the hall."
2. Something that is dim is also not clear in your mind or memory or not likely to happen:
"I had only a dim memory of a tall, slender man."
as a verb
1. to become or make something less bright:
[ I ] "In the middle of the storm, the lights suddenly dimmed."
146
smooch (verb - I)
1. [informal] to kiss, hold, and touch someone in a sexual way:
"Didn't I see you smooching with Mark at Kim's party?"
147
faucet (noun - C)
1. a device that controls the flow of liquid, especially water, from a pipe:
"the hot/cold faucet"
"Turn the faucet on/off."
148
tease (verb - T/I)
1. to intentionally annoy a person or animal by saying something that is not true or pretending to do something, often in a playful way:
[ T ] "Don’t tease the dog by showing her the treat if you’re not going to give it to her."
[ I ] "I was only teasing (= joking), I didn’t mean anything by it."
149
tingle (verb - I/T)
1. to have a slight stinging feeling:
"Her skin tingled after swimming in the cold, salty water."
"My fingers and toes are tingling with the cold."
"There's a line in that poem that makes my spine tingle every time I read it."
150
swirl (verb - i/T)
1. to move quickly with a twisting circular movement, or to cause something to move this way:
[ I ] "Snowflakes swirled down from the sky."
[ I ] fig. "Accusations continue to swirl around him."
[ T ] "I swirled cocoa through the dough."
151
skid (verb - I)
1. (esp. of a vehicle) to slide unintentionally on a surface:
"His car skidded on a patch of ice."
fig. "Stock prices skidded again today (= they dropped suddenly)."
152
tizzy (noun - C -- usually sing.)
1. a state of excitement or confusion:
"She’s in a tizzy because she locked her keys in the car."
"If they believe that no one would do so, why are they getting into such a tizzy about whether the provision should be introduced?"
153
wad (noun - C -- or -- verb - T)
1. a number of thin pieces of something pressed together, or something pressed into a lump:
"a wad of bills/cash"
"a wad of chewing gum"
as a verb
1. to fold or press together something to form a mass:
"He wadded his towel into a ball."
154
deem (verb - T)
1. to consider or judge:
"The president asked Congress for authority to take whatever steps he deemed necessary, including the use of force."
[ + obj + noun/adj ] "The area has now been deemed safe."
[ + noun/adj ] "We will provide help whenever you deem it appropriate."
[ + obj + to infinitive ] "Anyone not paying the registration fee by 31 March will be deemed to have withdrawn from the offer."
155
akin (adjective)
1. related by blood; descended from a common ancestor or prototype
"The dog and fox are closely akin."
2. essentially similar, related, or compatible
"His interests are akin to mine."
156
dish (noun - C)
1. a round, flat container with a raised edge, used for serving or holding food
2. The dishes are all the plates, glasses, knives, forks, etc., that have been used during a meal:
"Who’s going to do the dishes (= clean the plates, glasses, etc.)?"
3. a particular type of food or food prepared in a particular way as part of a meal:
"This restaurant serves both Cuban and Chinese dishes."
157
cuisine (noun - C)
1. a style of cooking:
| "French cuisine"
158
outstanding (adjective)
1. very much better than usual; excellent:
"You’ve done an outstanding job."
2. not yet done, solved, or paid:
"My credit cards usually have an outstanding balance."
159
undertake (verb - T)
1. (DO) to do or begin to do something, especially something that will take a long time or be difficult:
"Students are required to undertake simple experiments."
2. to take responsibility for and begin doing something:
[ T ] "The president directed the Department of Justice to undertake an investigation of the allegations."
[ + to infinitive ] "I undertook to help him learn English."
160
suitable (verb - T)
1. being right or correct for a particular situation or person:
"The book is suitable as a text for a course in beginning chemistry."
"The movie may not be suitable for very young children."
"A conference was planned, but finding a suitable venue proved difficult."
"Each room has books, toys, and games that are suitable to that particular age group."
161
inquisitive (adjective)
1. wanting to discover as much as you can about things, sometimes in a way that annoys people:
"an inquisitive child"
"an inquisitive mind"
"She could see inquisitive faces looking out from the windows next door."
162
casket (noun - C)
1. a coffin (where people put the corpse)
163
peasant (noun - C)
1. a person who owns or rents a small piece of land and grows crops, keeps animals, etc. on it, especially one who has a low income, very little education, and a low social position. This is usually used of someone who lived in the past or of someone in a poor country:
"Tons of internationally donated food was distributed to the starving peasants."
"Most of the produce sold in the market is grown by peasant farmers."
2. a person who is not well educated or is rude and does not behave well:
"Joe's a real peasant."
164
girth (noun - U)
1. the distance around the outside of a thick or fat object, like a tree or a body:
"He was a man of massive girth."
"The oak was two meters in girth."
[humurous] "His ample girth was evidence of his love of good food."
2. [very informal] The thickness of your dick
"You know, I think girth matters more than length"
165
-monger (suffix)
1. a person who encourages a particular activity, especially one that causes trouble:
"They're nothing but a bunch of war-mongers."
166
herd (noun - C)
1. a large group of animals of the same type that feed, travel, or are kept together:
"a herd of elephants"
167
smallpox (disease)
1. was an infectious disease caused by one of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor.
168
polio (disease)
1. also called poliomyelitis or infantile paralysis, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus.
169
stray (verb - I)
1. to move away from a place where you should be or from a direction in which you should go:
"The children were told to stay together and not to stray."
"The plane disappeared after straying several hundred miles off course."
2. (LOST) (of an animal) having no home, or lost:
"Eric and Lise rescued the stray cat and named her Pashmina."
3. Stray also means happening by chance and lacking direction:
"It was just a stray thought I had while washing the dishes."
170
sugarcoat (verb - T)
1. to make something seem more positive or pleasant than it really is:
"We are not going to sugarcoat the facts for partisan gain."
"No one tried to sugarcoat it: bronze wasn't the medal the US team had come for."
2. to cover food or pills with a thin layer of sugar
171
dump (verb - T -- or -- noun - C)
as a verb
1. to put down or drop something heavy without caring where it goes, or to get rid of something or someone no longer wanted:
"The ship was accused of dumping garbage overboard."
"She missed too many rehearsals and was dumped from the cast."
as a noun
1. a place where people are allowed to leave their garbage:
"You have to bring household garbage to the town dump."
172
elementwise (adjective)
1. (mathematics) Obtained by operating on one element (of a matrix etc) at a time
173
gauge (verb - T -- or -- noun - C)
as a verb
1. to calculate an amount by using a measuring device or by your own judgment, or to make a judgment about people’s feelings:
"It was not easy to gauge his height from this distance, but he seemed pretty tall."
[ + question word ] "It’s difficult to gauge how they’ll react when they hear the news."
as a noun
1. a device for measuring the amount or size of something:
"She used a pressure gauge to measure the air pressure in her bicycle tires."
"The test is simply a gauge of (= a way of judging) how well they will do in college."
2. A gauge is also a measure of the thickness of a wire or of the opening inside the barrel (= long part) of a gun:
"a 12-gauge shotgun"
174
gear (noun - U -- or -- verb)
as a noun
1. equipment or clothes used for a particular activity:
"camping gear"
as a verb
1. (MAKE READY) to make something ready or suitable for a particular purpose:
[ T ] "Our program is geared to the needs of children."
175
yield (verb - T/I)
1. (PRODUCE) to supply or produce something positive such as a profit, an amount of food, or information:
"Some mutual funds are currently yielding 15% on new money invested."
"A letter found by the FBI last week may yield new clues."
2. (GIVE UP) to give up the control of or responsibility for something, often because you have been forced to:
[ T ] "to yield power"
2.1 If you yield to something, you accept that you have been defeated by it:
[ I ] "It’s easy to yield to the temptation to borrow a lot of money."
176
bogus (adjective)
1. (of something) not what it appears or claims to be; false but made to look real:
"He was arrested and charged with carrying a bogus passport."
"She produced some bogus documents to support her application."
"On investigation, his claim was found to be bogus."
177
morass (noun - C/usually sing)
1. something that is extremely complicated and difficult to deal with, making any advance almost impossible:
"The morass of rules and regulations is delaying the start of the project."
178
murky (adjective)
1. dark and dirty, cloudy, or difficult to see through:
"murky waters"
"The movie has dumb characters and a murky plot (= it is difficult to understand)."
"The river was brown and murky after the storm."
179
croupier (noun - C)
1. a person who works in a casino (= a place where people risk money in games) who is responsible for a particular table and whose job is to collect and pay out money and give out playing cards, etc.
180
raffle (noun - C)
1. a system of selling numbered tickets and then giving prizes to those people whose numbers are chosen by chance
181
drawer (noun - C)
1. (FURNITURE) a box-shaped container, without a top, that is part of a piece of furniture. It slides in and out to open and close and is used for keeping things in:
"I keep my socks in the bottom drawer."
"He rummaged through his desk drawer trying to find a pen."
182
extraneous (adjective)
1. not directly connected or related to a matter being considered:
"We must not be distracted by extraneous issues, she said."
"extraneous information"
"These questions are extraneous to the issue being discussed."
183
fume (verb - I)
1. to be very angry, sometimes without expressing it:
"Days after the argument, he was still fuming."
"I saw her a week after they'd had the argument and she was still fuming."
"The whole episode left me fuming at the injustice of it all."
184
stubborn (adjective)
1. A stubborn person is determined to do what he or she wants and refuses to do anything else:
"They have huge arguments because they're both so stubborn."
2. Things that are stubborn are difficult to move, change, or deal with:
"He was famed for his stubborn resistance and his refusal to accept defeat."
"Stubborn stains can be removed using a small amount of detergent."
185
naive (adjective)
1. too willing to believe that someone is telling the truth, that people's intentions, in general, are good, or that life is simple and fair. People are often naive because they are young and/or have not had much experience of life:
"She was very naive to believe that he'd stay with her."
"They make the naive assumption that because it's popular it must be good."
"It was a little naive of you to think that they would listen to your suggestions."
186
mainstay (noun - C)
1. the most important part of something, providing support for everything else:
"In the early 1900s, farming was the mainstay of the national economy."
"Antibiotic therapy is the mainstay of treatment for many infections."
187
rummage (verb - I)
1. to search for something by moving things around without care and looking into, under, and behind them:
"She rummaged through the drawer, looking for a pen."
188
vendor (noun - C)
1. a person or company that sells goods or services:
"Our company deals with many vendors of women’s clothing."
2. A vendor is also a person who sells food or goods on the street:
"a hot dog vendor"
"a street vendor"
189
attic (noun - C)
1. the space or room at the top of a building, under the roof, often used for storing things:
"I've got boxes of old clothes in the attic."
"an attic bedroom at the top of the house"
