The woman who stared at the sun Flashcards
roll
verb
to (cause something to) move somewhere by turning over and over or from side to side:
sentence:
- The vase rolled off the edge of the table and smashed.
- The dog rolled over onto its back.
- I rolled the wheel along the side of the road back to the car.
blackout
noun
a time when all lights must be hidden by law, or when there is no light or power because of an electricity failure:
sentence:
- wartime blackouts
- Power lines were blown down and we had a blackout of several hours.
syn:
noun temporary unconsciousness;
collapse
unconsciousness
noun
the state of not being awake and not aware of things around you, especially as the result of a head injury:
=She drifted into unconsciousness.
=Anaesthetics directly affect the brain and produce unconsciousness.
syn:
noun ignorance;
oblivion
Anaesthetics
noun
a substance that makes you unable to feel pain:
=The operation is performed under anaesthetic.
=The procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic (= a substance that makes you unable to feel pain in part of your body).
=I’ve never had a general anaesthetic (= a substance that makes you unconscious so you do not feel pain).
stargaze
verb
observe the stars.
=He tells me of entire nights spent stargazing until dawn.
=Next time you get a chance to stargaze, look at Jupiter.
dawn
Noun
the period in the day when light from the sun begins to appear in the sky:
=We woke at dawn.
=We left as dawn was breaking (= starting).
=We left at the break of dawn.
syn: noun beginning of day; dawning daybreak daylight morning
noun a beginning;
advent
birth
dawning
verb start;
loom
unfold
rolling blackout
Rolling blackouts, or rotating outages, are systematic, temporary power outages that help bring balance to the supply and demand of electricity in the market.
visibility
Noun
how clearly objects can be seen, or how far you can see clearly, usually because of the weather conditions:
=Blowing snow made for poor visibility on the roads last night.
raid
verb
to attack a place suddenly:
=The nomads raided the enemy camp and captured over 100 camels.
syn: noun attack, seizure; arrest assault break-in capture incursion invasion onslaught sortie surprise attack sweep
verb attack, pillage;
pillage
verb
to steal something from a place or a person by using violence, especially during war:
sentence:
=Works of art were pillaged from many countries in the dark days of the Empire.
syn: verb plunder, destroy; desecrate loot maraud pilfer ransack ravage
seizure
noun
the action of taking something by force or with legal authority:
sentence:
=seizure of power/property/control
=Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30 percent this year.
syn:
noun convulsive attack;
noun capture, taking;
sustained
adj.
continuing for a large amount of time
= We must make a sustained effort to get this task finished this week.
grid
noun
a pattern or structure made from horizontal and vertical lines crossing each other to form squares:
=A metal grid had been placed over the hole to prevent people from falling in.
=In Barcelona the streets are laid out in/on a grid system.
syn: net work
shortages
noun
a situation in which there is not enough of something:
=There's a shortage of food and shelter in the refugee camps. =The long hot summer has led to serious water shortages. syn: noun deficiency; dearth deficit failure lack poverty scarcity shortfall weakness
intensive
adj.
involving a lot of effort or activity in a short period of time:
=The course compresses two year’s training into six intensive months.
=The soil has been so heavily leached through intensive farming that it is no longer fertile.
=The allies let loose an intensive artillery bombardment over the border.
=As agriculture became more capital intensive, many farm labourers moved to the towns and cities to look for work.
=In some areas, modern intensive farming is giving way to the re-introduction of traditional methods.
unsolicited
adj.
not asked for:
=unsolicited advice
syn: adj. unasked for; spontaneous uninvited unwelcome voluntary
association
noun
a group of people who work together in a single organization for a particular purpose:
=The school is affiliated with a national association of driving schools.
=It falls to me to thank you for all you have done for the association.
=The association needs to win back former members who have allowed their subscriptions to lapse.
=As chairman of the association, he held office for over 20 years.
=The aim of the association is to perpetuate the skills of traditional furniture design.
syn: noun group with common interest or pursuit; club company cooperative corporation federation guild league organization partnership society tribe union
noun friendship;
cooperation
partnership
noun mental connection;
union
pursuit
noun
an activity that you spend time doing, usually when you are not working:
tidal
adj
relating to the tide:
=a tidal river/sea
climate
noun
the general weather conditions usually found in a particular place:
=The climate is cooler in the east of the country.
=Millions of years ago, changes in the earth’s climate caused animal and plant life to diversify.
=The south of the country enjoys an equable climate.
=The low temperatures here are a function of the terrain as much as of the climate.
=As you go further south, you will notice a gradual change of climate.
regret
noun
to apologize for something;
=I left school at 16, but I’ve had a great life and I have no regrets.
=The manager expressed deep regret at/for the number of staff reductions.
=We think, much to our regret (= and we are very sorry about this), that we will not be able to visit you next year.
syn: noun upset over past action; verb be upset about; apologize bemoan deplore grieve lament repent
upset
verb
to hurt someone emotionally
numerous
adj
many;
=The report contains numerous errors.
=The book contains numerous plagiarized passages.
=His numerous progeny are scattered all over the country.
=The numerous awards on the walls bear witness to his great success.
=She has proved her worth on numerous occasions.
syn: adj. many, abundant; big diverse great large plentiful various
