Week Two

Question 1

Laconic

Answer 1

Adj: expressing much in few words

Example: She had a laconic wit.

Question 2

Sermon

Answer 2

N: a part of a Christian church ceremony in which a priest gives a talk on a religious or moral subject, often based on something written in the Bible

Question 3

Throng

Answer 3

N: a crowd or large group of people

Example: A huge throng had gathered around the speaker.

Question 4

Intrepid

Answer 4

Adj: extremely brave and showing no fear of dangerous situations

Example:a team of intrepid explorers

Question 5

Accost

Answer 5

V: to approach and speak to

Example: I’m usually accosted by beggars and drunks as I walk to the station.

Question 6

Reticent

Answer 6

Adj: unwilling to speak about your thoughts or feelings; silent

Example:He is very reticent about his past.

Question 7

Rambling

Answer 7

Adj: too long and confused

Example:a long rambling speech

Question 8

Surly

Answer 8

Adj: often in a bad mood, unfriendly, and not polite

Example:We were served by a very surly waiter.

Question 9

Panhandler

Answer 9

N: someone who asks people passing by for money

Example:Tourists have been warned not to give these panhandlers spare change.

Question 10

Howling

Answer 10

Adj: (of people) making a lot of noise

Example:Their premises were stormed by a howling drunken mob.

Question 11

Mob

Answer 11

N: a large, angry crowd, especially one that could easily become violent

Example:
angry mob: The angry mob outside the jail was/were ready to riot.

Question 12

Premises

Answer 12

N: the land and buildings owned by someone, especially by a company or organization

Example: There is no smoking allowed anywhere on school premises.

Question 13

Corporal

Answer 13

N: a person of low rank in the army or the air force

Question 14

Deed

Answer 14

N: an intentional act, especially a very bad or very good one

Example:
-do an evil deed: It seems to me that a lot of evil deeds are done in the name of religion.
-do a good deed: She’s always helping people and doing good deeds.

Question 15

Furtive

Answer 15

Adj: (of people) behaving secretly and often dishonestly, or (of actions) done secretly and often dishonestly

Example:furtive glance I saw him cast a furtive glance at the woman at the table to his right.

Question 16

Felon

Answer 16

N: a person who is guilty of a serious crime

Example: a convicted felon

Question 17

Plethora

Answer 17

N: a very large amount of something, especially a larger amount than you need, want, or can deal with

Example:There’s a plethora of books about the royal family.

Question 18

Hapless

Answer 18

Adj: unlucky and usually unhappy

Example:hapless victim: Many children are hapless victims of this war.

Question 19

Irate

Answer 19

Adj: very angry

Example:We have received some irate phone calls from customers.

Question 20

Accuse

Answer 20

V: to say that someone has done something morally wrong, illegal, or unkind

Example:
“It wasn’t my fault.” “Don’t worry, I’m not accusing you.”

Question 21

Bribe

Answer 21

N: money or a present that you give to someone so that they will do something for you, usually something dishonest

Example:
-accept a bribe He was accused of accepting bribes from wealthy businessmen.
-take a bribe The judge took a bribe in exchange for giving a lenient sentence to the defendant.

Question 22

Tiptoe

Answer 22

V: to walk on your toes with the heel of your foot lifted off the ground, especially in order not to make a noise

Example:He waited until his daughter was asleep, then tiptoed quietly out of the room.

Question 23

Alibi

Answer 23

N: an excuse for something bad or for a failure

Example:After eight years in power, the government can no longer use the previous government’s policy as an alibi for its own failure.

Question 24

Convict

Answer 24

N: someone who is in prison because they are guilty of a crime

Example:an escaped convict

Question 25

Pretext

Answer 25

N: a pretended reason for doing something that is used to hide the real reason; an excuse Example:The border dispute was used as a pretext for military intervention.

Question 26

Fabricate

Answer 26

V: to invent or produce something false in order to deceive someone; to lie; to construct Example:He was late, so he fabricated an excuse to avoid trouble.

Question 27

Adroit

Answer 27

Adj: very skilful and quick in the way you think or move; skillful Example: -an adroit reaction/answer/movement of the hand -She became adroit at dealing with difficult questions.

Question 28

Get away with something

Answer 28

Phrasal verb: to succeed in avoiding punishment for something Example: If I thought I could get away with it, I wouldn't pay my taxes at all.

Question 29

Phony

Answer 29

Adj: not sincere or not real Example: -All salespeople seem to have the same phony smile. -He gave the police a phony address.

Question 30

Gesticulate

Answer 30

V: to make movements with your hands or arms, to express something or to emphasize what you are saying; move the arms energetically Example: gesticulate wildly There was a man outside the window gesticulating wildly.

Question 31

Scalpel

Answer 31

N: a very sharp knife that is used for cutting through skin and flesh during an operation

Question 32

Vigilant

Answer 32

Adj: always being careful to notice things, especially possible danger; watchful Example:Following the bomb scare at the airport, the staff have been warned to be extra vigilant.

Question 33

Fraud

Answer 33

N: someone who deceives people by saying that they are someone or something that they are not Example:She was a psychic who was later revealed to be a fraud.

Question 34

Marvel

Answer 34

V: to show or experience great surprise or admiration Example: -We paused to marvel at the view. -I often marvel that humans can treat each other so badly.

Question 35

Avid

Answer 35

Adj: extremely eager or interested Example: -an avid football fan -an avid supporter of the arts -He took an avid interest in the project.

Question 36

Cajole

Answer 36

V: to persuade someone to do something they might not want to do, by pleasant talk and promises, sometimes ones which are false; coax Example: -cajole someone into something/doing something: He really knows how to cajole people into doing what he wants. -I managed to cajole her out of leaving too early. -The most effective technique is to cajole rather than to threaten

Question 37

Rudimentary

Answer 37

Adj: basic; elementary Example: Her knowledge is still only rudimentary.

Question 38

Intricate

Answer 38

Adj: with many complicated details that make something difficult to understand Example: The novel’s intricate plot will not be easy to translate into a movie.

Question 39

Enhance

Answer 39

V: to improve the quality, amount, or strength of something Example:These scandals will not enhance the organization's reputation.

Question 40

Nuance

Answer 40

N: a very slight difference in appearance, meaning, sound, etc. Example: nuance of: The painter has managed to capture every nuance of the woman's expression.

Question 41

Grasp

Answer 41

V: to understand something, especially something difficult Example: -I think I managed to grasp the main points of the lecture. -The government has acknowledged that homelessness is a problem but it has failed to grasp the scale of the problem.

Question 42

Satire

Answer 42

N: a way of criticizing people or ideas in a humorous way, especially in order to make a political point, or a piece of writing that uses this style Example: -political satire -Her play was a biting/cruel satire on life in the 80s.

Question 43

Oversleep

Answer 43

V: to sleep for longer than you intended to and so wake up late Example:I missed the bus this morning because I overslept again.

Question 44

Sprint

Answer 44

V: to run as fast as you can over a short distance, either in a race or because you are in a great hurry to get somewhere Example:We had to sprint to catch the bus.

Question 45

Uneventful

Answer 45

Adj: An uneventful time or situation is one in which nothing interesting or surprising happens Example:It was an uneventful journey.

Question 46

Courtesy

Answer 46

Adj: provided at no cost Example:There is a courtesy bus provided to take you to the terminal.

Question 47

Gall bladder

Answer 47

N: a small organ in the body, connected to the liver, that stores bile (= a bitter liquid that helps to digest food) Example: -She had an operation to remove a stone from her gall bladder. -He was diagnosed with treatable gallbladder disease.

Question 48

Slack

Answer 48

Adj: not tight; loose Example:His jaw went slack, and he looked puzzled.

Question 49

Ward

Answer 49

N: 1.one of the parts or large rooms into which a hospital is divided, usually with beds for patients Example:a geriatric/maternity/psychiatric ward 2.one of the parts into which a prison is divided

Question 50

Accomplice

Answer 50

N: a person who helps someone else to commit a crime or to do something morally wrong

Question 51

Seizure

Answer 51

N: a very sudden attack of an illness in which someone becomes unconscious or develops violent movements Example: an epileptic seizure

Question 52

Smuggle

Answer 52

V: to take goods or people into or out of a country illegally Example:He was sentenced to 65 months in prison for smuggling 14 kilograms of cocaine.

Question 53

Slip out of something

Answer 53

Phrasal verb: to remove clothing quickly and easily Example:Rose slipped out of her work clothes.

Question 54

Schemer

Answer 54

N: someone who makes clever, secret plans, often to deceive others Example:He's a schemer who always finds a way of getting what he wants.

Question 55

Foil

Answer 55

V: to prevent someone or something from being successful Example:The prisoners' attempt to escape was foiled at the last minute when police received a tip-off.

Question 56

Tip-off

Answer 56

N: a secret warning or piece of secret information Example: -Acting on a tip-off, the police arrested the drug dealers. -tip-off from: Following a tip-off from a friend, we sold all our shares in the company.