1. Calvino Flashcards
abbaino
dormer window, attic room
abete
fir (tree), spruce (tree)
acconciatura
hairstyle, headdress
accozzamento
clutter, hotchpotch, jumble
aguzza, il bisogno ~ l’ingegno
necessity is the mother of invention
alice
anchovy
alone
halo; glow, ring
amo, l’~
(fish)hook; bait
annaffiatoio
watering can
ansimante
panting, gasping, breathless
appannare
to steam up, mist up, tarnish; blur
appicciacare
to stick
arcobaleno
rainbow
arenaria
sandstone
arnese
tool, implement; gadget, thing
assai
much, many
avanzo
remnant; leftovers, scraps; surplus
avvinghiare
clutch, clasp
azzuffarsi
to come to blows, squabble
bacheca
showcase, noticeboard
badare
look after, take care of, mind; care about
balia (1)
wet-nurse
balia (2), essere in ~ di
to be at the mercy of
bambagia
cotton wool; mollycoddle
baratro
chasm, abyss
bastimento
ship, shipload. [I spy]
beato te!
lucky you!
biscia
grass snake
boato
boom, rumble, roar
boato sonico
sonic boom
bilico
pivot, fulcrum
branco
pack, herd, flock, gaggle, shoal
brivido
shiver, shudder, thrill
brontolare
mutter, mumble
bruco
caterpillar, worm, grub
bucce
skin, peal, husk, bark
calamaio
inkpot, inkwell
calante
falling. setting (sun). waning (moon)
calcagno
heel
campioncino
sample
cantiere
shipyard; building site
cantone
corner
cantonata, prendere una ~
drop a clanger, blunder
capofitto
headlong, headfirst
capolinea
terminus, end of the line
capolino
to peep (out/in)
carponi
on all fours, on one’s hands and knees
cassettone
chest of drawers
catramare
to tar (a road)
cencioso
in rags, tatters, ragged; pauper, beggar
cenno
sign, signal, nod, wink, gesture, wave
ceppo
stool, stump; log; block; stock
chioma
hair, mane; foliage; crown
ciocca
lock (of hair)
comignolo
chimney (top)
concime
manure, fertiliser
contegno
behaviour; dignity, grace, composure
contesa
dispute, altercation, quarrel; contest
coratella
offal
corazza
armour, shell
crepacuore
heartbreak
cupo
pitch black, deep, dark, sullen, morose
davanzale
windowsill, window ledge
degenza
stay
derrata
foodstuff; commodity
desco
dinner table
dirottare
to hijack; divert; change the course of
esca
bait
esile
slender, slim; thin; faint
fagiano
pheasant
fanale
light, lamp, beacon; headlight
fantaticheria
daydream
fauci
fauces; jaws, chap, maw, mouth
fiato
breath; stamina, staying power. wind instrument
ficcare
to shove, stick, stuff, put; thrust
foggiare
to fashion, form
fogna
sewer; pigsty
frugare
delve, ferret, go through; search, rummage
fuliggine
soot
fuoriserie
specially-built; outstanding. custom-built car
galleggiare
float, stay afloat
gambo
stem, stalk
ganascia
jaw; fishplate; (wheel) clamp
garbo
politeness, gentleness, courtesy, tact
ghiotto(1)
greedy, piggish
ghiotto(2), essere ~ di qcs
to be fond of sth
giacere
to lie, lie idle (cf FR ici gît)
gomito
elbow
gracile
weak, puny, frail; slight, delicate; spindly
gremito
crowded, crammed, packed
gronda, la
eaves
guanciale
pillow
guizzo
dart, flash; spring, leap
imbacuccato
muffled up, wrapped up
immedesimare
to identify oneself
impadronirsi
take over, seize; possess; master
impalcatura
scaffold(ing), stage; structure, framework
inciampare
stumble, trip
incombenza
duty, task
increspare
to curl, gather,ripple
indaffarato
busy, pushed
ingannare
to deceive, mislead; dupe; betray
ingobbito
hunchbacked
ingombrare
to block, obstruct; clutter up
intercapidine
gap, cavity
investire
run over, knock down; crash into, hit
involucro
covering, cover; wrapper
issarsi
to heave oneself up
lesto
quick, fast
letame
dung, manure, muck; soil
lombrico
earthworm
maestranze, le
workforce, workers
mandria
herd
Mascalzone!
Rascal! Scoundrel!
medesimo
the same; the very; in person
mensola
console; bookshelf, shelf
monello
urchin; rascal,brat, scamp. naughty
morbillo
measles
mugnaio
miller
mulinello
twirl; whirlpool; reel; winch; windmill
nitido
clear, sharp; limpid
pascolare
to pasture, graze
valico
pass, crossing
pennello
paintbrush; painter; groyne; black ancor. a ~ - perfectly
piatanza
dish
pigiare
force down; pack
pigiato
packed, squeezed
pigione
rent
poggiolo
balcony
poltiglia
paste, mush, pulp; slush
preda, una ~
prey, booty
quintale
quintal (100 kg)
raggio
radius; beam, ray
ragguardevole
notable, distinguished, considerable
ragnatela
(spider’s) web, cobweb
rammendo
darning, mending
rampicante
climbing; creeper, climber
randagio
stray, wandering, vagabond
ranocchio
frog
ranucolo
buttercup
redditizio
profitable, payable
rimandare
return; postpone, put off; refer to
rintoccare
to toll, strike
ripiano
bookshelf, shelf
ricossione
collection, collecting, raising
rugiada
dew
saracinesca
(rolling) shutter; portcullis; sluice gate
sbiadire
to fade
sbigottire
dismay, consternate; astonish, amaze
sbuffo
gust, puff
scacciare
chase away, chase off; drive out, throw out, overcome
scampo
(1) escape, safety
(2) Norway lobster, Dublin Bay prawn
scantinato
basement
scapaccione
clout, slap
scatto
click, release; trigger; dart, bolt, jerk. a ~ flip-top
scavalcare
clear, step/climb over, get ahead, bypass
scia
wake, slipstream; scent
sciame
swarm, hive; cluster
scodella
bowl, soup plate
scogliera
cliff, bluff, reef
scolo
drainage, drain; waste water
scoppio
explosion, bursting; bang, crack, crash
scosceso
steep
seminterrato
basement
sfarfallio
flicker
sfavillare
to shine, blaze, sparkle
sfiorare
touch, brush, skim
sfoggiare
to show off
sfratto
eviction
sgombro
clear, empty. mackerel
sgualcito
creased, crumpled, wrinkled, mussed up
sgusciare
to shell
siepe
hedge, hedgerow; hurdle
slancio
rush, dash; leap, jump
smentia
denial, confutation, disclaimer
smilzo
thin, lean
smorzare
muffle, deaden; tone down, dim; quench
solco
furrow, track, rut, wake, groove
sorbire
to sip, slurp; put up with
sorcio
mouse
spaccalegna
lumberjack
spangherato
unhinged, off its hinges, ramshackle
spargere
scatter, spread, strew; shed, spill, emit
spasso, essere a ~
to be unemployed, sacked
spellare
to skin
spiccare
to finish off, attend to
spogliare
to undress; strip; rob, despoil; go through
spolpare
to strip the flesh off. skin, fleece
sporta, la ~
shopping bag
sprazzo
flash, burst, shaft; hint
stillare
drip, ooze
stizza
irritation, annoyance, anger
stordito
dazed, stunned; scatterbrained, heedless
storno, il ~
flock
strappo
tear, rip; tug, pull; lift (give sb a ~)
strascico
train (of dress); trawl(net). after-effect
strenna
Christmas present
strofinare
to rub, polish, wipe
struggere
to consume
superattico
penthouse
svitabile
twist-off
svolta
turn, bend; turning point
taccuino
note book
tafano
horsefly
tana
lair, den, burrow, hideout
tarlo
woodworm
tarma
moth
tegame
(frying) pan; panful
tergo
back, verso; back of a leaf
timone
helm, rudder; shaft
trespolo
trestle, stand; perch. wreck, crock
tuffo
dive, dip
uggia
boredom
varcare la soglia
cross the threshold
variopinto
multicoloured
