Vocabulary (Noun) Flashcards
Idiosyncrasy (noun)
a strange or unusual habit, way of behaving, or feature that someone or something has
E.g. She often cracks her knuckles when she’s speaking - it’s one of her little idiosyncrasies.
E.g. One of the idiosyncrasies of this printer is that you can’t stop it once it has started.
E.g. one of his little idiosyncrasies was always preferring to be in the car first.
Mutiny (noun)
an occasion when a group of people, especially soldiers or sailors, refuses to obey orders and/or attempts to take control from people in authority
E.g. Conditions on the ship were often very bad, and crews were on the point of mutiny.
E.g. There were rumours of mutiny among the troops.
E.g.Soldiers crushed mutinies in three jails.
E.g. a mutiny by those manning the weapons could trigger a global war
Sheaf (noun)
a number of things, especially pieces of paper or plant stems, that are held or tied together
E.g. A lawyer walked in carrying a whole sheaf of papers.
E.g.The corn was cut and tied in sheaves
E.g he waved a sheaf of papers in the air.
Cadre (noun)
a small group of trained people who form the basic unit of a military, political, or business organization
E.g. I was part of the cadre for a new armored division.
E.g. a cadre of professional managers.
Anthology (noun)
a collection of artistic works that have a similar form or subject, often those considered to be the best
E.g. an anthology of modern quotations/American verse
E.g. This Bob Dylan anthology includes some rare recordings of his best songs.
E.g an anthology of European poetry.
Tyrant (noun)
a person exercising power or control in a cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary way:
E.g. her father was a tyrant and a bully.
Faculty (noun) - ability
a natural ability to hear, see, think, move, etc.
E.g. Even at the age of 100, she still had all her faculties.
E.g.Is he in command/possession of all his faculties ?
Forebear (noun)
an ancestor
E.g. generations of his forebears had lived in London.
Vocation (noun)
a type of work that you feel you are suited to doing and to which you should give all your time and energy, or the feeling that a type of work suits you in this way
E.g. I feel I’ve found my true vocation.
E.g. Most teachers regard their profession as a vocation, not just a job.
E.g. To work in medicine, you should have a vocation for it.
E.g. GNVQs in Leisure and Tourism will be the introduction to a wide span of vocations.
Volume (noun) -book
one in a set of related books
E.g. The second volume of his memoirs will be published later this year.
E.g. a biography of George Bernard Shaw in three volumes
Scowl (noun)
an angry or bad-tempered expression; a very annoyed expression
E.g. She was clearly annoyed, as you could tell from the scowl on her face.
E.g. He opened the door again, not bothering to hide his fierce scowl.
E.g. she stamped into the room with a scowl on her face.
Dissertation (noun)
a long essay on a particular subject, especially one written for a university degree or diploma
E.g. a dissertation on the novels of the Brontë sisters
E.g. he had considered writing his doctoral dissertation on Kant.
Anomaly (noun)
something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected
E.g. there are a number of anomalies in the present system
Linoleum (noun)
material consisting of a canvas backing thickly coated with a preparation of linseed oil and powdered cork, used especially as a floor covering.
Swivel (noun)
a coupling between two parts enabling one to revolve without turning the other.
Clamour (noun)
Hint :
- clamour for
- clamour of
- a loud complaint about something or a demand for something
E.g. After the bombing, there was a public clamour for vengeance.
-loud noise, especially made by people’s voices
E.g.the clamour of the city
E.g.a clamour of voices
Reverence (noun)
deep respect for someone or something
E.g. rituals showed honour and reverence for the dead.
Treatise (noun)
a written work dealing formally and systematically with a subject ;a formal piece of writing that considers and examines a particular subject
E.g. a six-volume treatise on trademark law
E.g. his treatise on Scottish political theory.
Monastery (noun)
a building or buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows.
Aristocracy (noun)
the highest class in certain societies, typically comprising people of noble birth holding hereditary titles and offices
E.g. members of the aristocracy.
Novelty (noun)
the quality of being new, original, or unusual
E.g. the novelty of being a married woman wore off
E.g. The novelty of experiencing snow for the first time delighted the children as they built snowmen in their front yard.
Fad (noun)
an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived; a craze
E.g. some regard green politics as no more than the latest fad.
Piety (noun)
strong belief in a religion that is shown in the way someone lives
E.g. the accepted pieties of our time
Tribunal (noun)
a special court or group of people who are officially chosen, especially by the government, to examine (legal) problems of a particular type
E.g. a war crimes tribunal
E.g. She took her case to an immigration appeals tribunal.
E.g. an international war crimes tribunal.
Refuge (noun)
(a place that gives) protection or shelter from danger, trouble, unhappiness, etc.
E.g.These people are seeking/taking refuge from persecution.
E.g.The climbers slept in a mountain refuge.
E.g.She had fled from her violent husband to a women’s refuge.
E.g. he was forced to take refuge in the French embassy
Blurb (noun)
a short description of a book, film, or other product written for promotional purposes.
Buttress (noun)
a structure made of stone or brick that sticks out from and supports a wall of a building
E.g. she clung to her shrinking faith as a buttress against despair. (Figurative)
Academic (noun)
a person who teaches at a college, or who studies as part of their job
E.g. The research company was founded by a group of academics from Stockholm University.
E.g. the EU offers grants to academics for research on approved projects.
Colour supplement (noun)
a magazine with colour pictures that is given free with a newspaper, especially on Saturdays and Sundays.
Correspondent (noun)
a person employed to report for a newspaper or broadcasting organization ;a person employed by a newspaper, a television station, etc. to report on a particular subject or send reports from a foreign country
E.g. a war correspondent
E.g. the education correspondent for the Guardian
E.g. a cricket correspondent.
Editorial (noun)
an article in a newspaper that expresses the editor’s opinion on a subject of particular interest at the present time
E.g. All the papers deal with the same subject in their editorials
E.g. The Times and The Observer published editorials criticizing the minister.
E.g. the paper ran an editorial denouncing his hawkish stand.
Obituary (noun)
a notice of a death, especially in a newspaper, typically including a brief biography of the deceased person
E.g. his obituary of Samuel Beckett
Tabloid (noun)
(of or relating to) a type of popular newspaper with small pages that has many pictures and short, simple reports
E.g. the tabloid press
E.g. a tabloid newspaper
E.g. [as modifier] the tabloid press.
Box office (noun)
a place at a theatre, cinema, etc. where tickets are bought or reserved ;the place in a cinema or theatre where tickets are sold
E.g. The box office opens at ten.
E.g. For tickets, call the box office on this number.
Convict (noun)
a person found guilty of a criminal offence and serving a sentence of imprisonment ; someone who is in prison because they are guilty of a crime
E.g. an escaped convict
E.g. two escaped convicts kidnapped them at gunpoint.
Conscience (noun)
the part of you that judges how moral your own actions are and makes you feel guilty about bad things that you have done or things you feel responsible for
E.g. a guilty conscience
E.g.a question/matter of conscience
E.g. You didn’t do anything wrong - you should have a clear conscience (= not feel guilty).
E.g. My conscience would really bother me if I wore a fur coat.
E.g. he had a guilty conscience about his desires
Amnesty (noun)
a decision by a government that allows political prisoners to go free
E.g. Most political prisoners were freed under the terms of the amnesty.
E.g. an amnesty for political prisoners.
Breakthrough (noun)
an important discovery or event that helps to improve a situation or provide an answer to a problem
E.g. Scientists are hoping for a breakthrough in the search for a cure for cancer.
E.g. A major breakthrough in negotiations has been achieved.
E.g. a major breakthrough in DNA research
Output (noun)
the amount of something produced by a person, machine, or industry
E.g. output from the mine ceased in May
Turnover (noun)
the amount of business that a company does in a period of time
E.g. Large supermarkets have high turnovers (= their goods sell very quickly).
E.g. The business has an annual turnover of £50,000.
Propaganda (noun)
information, ideas, opinions, or images, often only giving one part of an argument, that are broadcast, published, or in some other way spread with the intention of influencing people’s opinions
E.g. political/wartime propaganda
E.g. At school we were fed communist/right-wing propaganda.
E.g. One official dismissed the ceasefire as a mere propaganda exercise.
E.g. he was charged with distributing enemy propaganda.
Pauper (noun)
a very poor person:
E.g. he died a pauper.
Mitigation (noun)
the action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something
E.g. the identification and mitigation of pollution.
E.g. effective mitigation of climate change
E.g. There has been no significant increase in funding for flood mitigation works.
Sustenance (noun)
Hint: 2 meanings
- food, or the energy and other things food provides people and animals to keep them strong and healthy
E.g. The ranch animals get a lot of their sustenance from grazing.
E.g. poor rural economies turned to potatoes for sustenance. - emotional or mental support
E.g. When her husband died, she drew sustenance from/she found sustenance in her religious beliefs.
Victuals (noun)
food and drink
E.g. “I can’t bear to see good victuals wasted,” said Martha.
E.g. Thank you for these fine victuals, my good man.
E.g. They sat outside in the sunshine and enjoyed their vittles(same meaning as victuals).
E.g. turkey and other savoury victuals were served.
Remnant (noun)
a small piece or amount of something that is left from a larger original piece or amount
E.g. the remnants of last night’s meal
E.g. remnants of the city’s former glory
E.g. a carpet remnant
E.g. the bogs are an endangered remnant of a primeval landscape.
Synthesis (noun) -mix
the mixing of different ideas, influences, or things to make a whole that is different, or new
E.g. He describes his latest record as “a synthesis of African and Latin rhythms”.
E.g. the synthesis of intellect and emotion in his work
Catamaran (noun)
a yacht or other boat with twin hulls in parallel.
Easel (noun)
a wooden frame for holding an artist’s work while it is being painted or drawn
E.g. I set up my easel on the beach and began to paint.
Arachnid (noun)
an arthropod of the class Arachnida, such as a spider or scorpion.
Confidant (noun)
Feminine -confidante
a person with whom one shares a secret or private matter, trusting them not to repeat it to others
a close confidante of the princess.
Serenade (noun)
a piece of music sung or played in the open air, typically by a man at night under the window of his beloved.
Garter (noun)
a band worn around the leg to keep a stocking or sock up
E.g. she leaned back, showing the garter on her thigh.
Clavicle (noun)
technical term for collarbone
Monolith (noun)
a large single upright block of stone, especially one shaped into or serving as a pillar or monument
E.g. we passed Stonehenge, the strange stone monoliths silhouetted against the horizon.
Gratituity (noun)
a tip given to a waiter, taxi driver, etc..
Scapegoat (noun)
a person who is blamed for something that someone else has done
E.g. The captain was made a scapegoat for the team’s failure.
Facsimile (noun)
an exact copy, especially of written or printed material
E.g. a facsimile of the manuscript
Euphoria (noun)
a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness
E.g. in his euphoria, he had become convinced he could defeat them.
Melancholy (noun)
a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause
E.g. an air of melancholy surrounded him he had an ability to convey a sense of deep melancholy and yearning through much of his work
E.g. at the centre of his music lies a profound melancholy and nostalgia.
Serendipity (noun)
the fact of finding interesting or valuable things by chance
E.g. a fortunate stroke of serendipity
E.g. There is a real element of serendipity in archaeology.
Enigma (noun)
something that is mysterious and seems impossible to understand completely
E.g. She is something of an enigma.
E.g. The newspapers were full of stories about the enigma of the plane’s disappearance.
E.g. Madeleine was still an enigma to him.
Anorak (noun)
a waterproof jacket, typically with a hood, of a kind originally used in polar regions.
Monarchy (noun)
a form of government with a monarch at the head. ▪ [count noun] a state that has a monarch. ▪ (the monarchy) the monarch and royal family of a country
E.g. the monarchy is the focus of loyalty and service.
Hemline (noun)
the level of the lower edge of a garment such as a skirt, dress, or coat
E.g. modest dress means that hemlines must be below the knee.
Governess (noun)
(especially in former times) a woman employed to teach children in a private household
E.g. she insisted they be put in school at a young age instead of being taught by a governess.
Demesne (noun)
a piece of land attached to a manor and retained by the owner for their own use
E.g. because labour was cheap, there were ample advantages in cultivating the demesne
Prowess (noun)
skill or expertise in a particular activity or field
E.g.his prowess as a fisherman
E.g. her culinary prowess.
Renegade (noun)
a person who has changed their feelings of support and duty from one political, religious, national, etc. group to a new one
E.g. A band of renegades had captured the prince and were holding him to ransom.
E.g. an agent who later turns out to be a renegade.
Solitude (noun)
the situation of being alone without other people
E.g. a life of solitude
E.g. After months of solitude at sea it felt strange to be in company.
E.g. It provides one with a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude.
E.g. she savoured her few hours of freedom and solitude.
Auditor (noun)
someone whose job is to carry out an official examination of the accounts of a business and to produce a report
E.g. The external auditors come in once a year.
E.g. the company is required to appoint auditors at each general meeting
E.g. external auditors report on the financial statements.
Varnish (noun)
resin dissolved in a liquid for applying on wood, metal, or other materials to form a hard, clear, shiny surface when dry
E.g. several coats of varnish
Labyrinth (noun)
a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one’s way; a maze
E.g. you lose yourself in a labyrinth of little streets.
Entourage (noun)
the group of people who travel with and work for an important or famous person
E.g. The star arrived in London with her usual entourage of dancers and backing singers.
E.g. an entourage of loyal courtiers.
Fuchsia (noun)
a vivid purplish-red colour like that of the sepals of a typical fuchsia flower
E.g. dresses in fuchsia and lavender.
Addendum (noun)
extra information added at the end of a report, letter, contract, etc.
E.g. An addendum to the contract stated that the buyer would be responsible for all transportation costs
E.g. the group has issued an addendum to the letter
E.g. such contracts, forms, and addenda exist for many types of real estate transactions.
Figment (noun)
something that seems real but is not
E.g. Was it just a figment of my imagination or did I hear John’s voice in the other room?
E.g. it really was Ross and not a figment of her overheated imagination.
Cosmology (noun)
the science of the origin and development of the universe. Modern cosmology is dominated by the Big Bang theory, which brings together observational astronomy and particle physics.
Roster (noun)
Hint : 2 meanings
- a list of people’s names, often with the jobs they have been given to do
E.g. If you look on the duty roster, you’ll see when you’re working
E.g. next week’s duty roster. - a list of people’s names and sometimes their work schedules, esp. for a military unit or a sports team
E.g. a cluster of outstanding players on the club’s roster
E.g. the label assembled an extraordinarily eclectic roster of artists.