15/8/20(princeton,tc,set-4,set-5) Flashcards
loath
ADJECTIVE
If you are loath to do something, you do not want to do it.
She is loath to give up her hard-earned liberty.
The new finance minister seems loth to cut income tax. [+ to-infinitive]
Synonyms: unwilling, against, opposed, counter
swindlers
VERB
If someone swindles a person or an organization, they deceive them in order to get something valuable from them, especially money.
A City businessman swindled investors out of millions of pounds. [V n + out of]
An oil executive swindled £250,000 out of his firm. [V n out of n]
Synonyms: cheat, do [slang], con, skin [slang] More Synonyms of swindle
Swindle is also a noun.
He was jailed for running a £4.5 million international investment swindle.
swindler
Word forms: plural swindlers
COUNTABLE NOUN
Swindlers have cheated investors out of £12 million.
Synonyms: cheat, fraud [informal], hustler [US, informal], conman or woman
pervasive
ADJECTIVE
Something, especially something bad, that is pervasive is present or felt throughout a place or thing.
[formal]
…the pervasive influence of the army in national life.
She lives with a pervasive sense of guilt.
Synonyms: widespread, general, common, extensive
sacrilegious
ADJECTIVE
If someone’s behaviour or actions are sacrilegious, they show great disrespect towards something holy or towards something that people think should be respected.
A number of churches were sacked and sacrilegious acts committed.
Synonyms: profane, irreverent, blasphemous, unholy
Philately
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Philately is the hobby of collecting and learning about postage stamps
numismatist
a person who studies or collects coins, medals, etc
philanderer
OUNTABLE NOUN
If you say that a man is a philanderer, you mean that he has a lot of casual sexual relationships.
[disapproval]
Synonyms: womanizer [informal], playboy, Don Juan, Casanova
stratagem
COUNTABLE NOUN
A stratagem is a plan that is intended to achieve a particular effect, often by deceiving people.
[formal]
Trade discounts may be used as a competitive stratagem to secure customer loyalty.
Synonyms: trick, scheme, manoeuvre, plan
proboscis
NOUN
Word forms: plural -cises or -cides (-sɪˌdiːz, US English -skɪˌdiːz)
1. a long flexible prehensile trunk or snout, as of an elephant
2. the elongated mouthparts of certain insects, adapted for piercing or sucking food
3. any similar part or organ
4. informal, facetious
a person’s nose, esp if large
pugnacious
ADJECTIVE
Someone who is pugnacious is always ready to quarrel or start a fight.
[formal]
…the pugnacious little Scouse striker who terrorised defences across the North West in a prolific playing career.
Synonyms: aggressive, contentious, irritable, belligerent
pristine
DJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun] Pristine things are extremely clean or new. [formal] Now the house is in pristine condition. ...pristine white shirts. Synonyms: new, pure, virgin, immaculate
harbinger
COUNTABLE NOUN
Something that is a harbinger of something else, especially something bad, is a sign that it is going to happen.
[literary]
The November air stung my cheeks, a harbinger of winter. [+ of]
Synonyms: sign, indication, herald [literary], messenger
tarnish
- VERB
If you say that something tarnishes someone’s reputation or image, you mean that it causes people to have a worse opinion of them than they would otherwise have had.
The affair could tarnish the reputation of the prime minister. [VERB noun]
His image was tarnished by the savings and loan scandal. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: damage, taint, blacken, sully More Synonyms of tarnish
tarnished ADJECTIVE
He says he wants to improve the tarnished image of his country. - VERB
If a metal tarnishes or if something tarnishes it, it becomes stained and loses its brightness.
It never rusts or tarnishes. [VERB]
Wear cotton gloves when cleaning silver, because the acid in your skin can tarnish the metal. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: stain, dull, discolour, spot More Synonyms of tarnish
tarnished ADJECTIVE
…its brown surfaces of tarnished brass.
3. UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Tarnish is a substance which forms on the surface of some metals and which stains them or causes them to lose their brightness.
The tarnish lay thick on the inside of the ring.
Synonyms: stain, taint, discoloration, spot
peruse
VERB
If you peruse something such as a letter, article, or document, you read it.
[formal]
We perused the company’s financial statements for the past five years. [VERB noun]
She found the information while she was perusing a copy of Life magazine. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: read, study, scan, check
Papal
ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
Papal is used to describe things relating to the Pope.
…the doctrine of papal infallibility.
epithet
COUNTABLE NOUN
An epithet is an adjective or short phrase which is used as a way of criticizing or praising someone.
[formal]
…the religious issue which led to the epithet ‘bible-basher’.
Tenure
- UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Tenure is the legal right to live in a particular building or to use a particular piece of land during a fixed period of time.
Lack of security of tenure was a reason for many families becoming homeless.
Synonyms: occupancy, holding, occupation, residence More Synonyms of tenure - UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Tenure is the period of time during which someone holds an important job.
…the three-year tenure of the President. [+ of]
He was in the middle of his tenure as Oxford Professor of Poetry and at the height of his fame.
Synonyms: term of office, term, incumbency, period in office More Synonyms of tenure - UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
If you have tenure in your job, you have the right to keep it until you retire.
Junior staff have only a slim chance of getting tenure.
investiture
COUNTABLE NOUN
An investiture is a ceremony in which someone is given an official title.
…Edward VIII’s investiture as Prince of Wales in 1911.
Synonyms: installation, ordination, inauguration, investment
zenith
- SINGULAR NOUN [usually with poss]
The zenith of something is the time when it is most successful or powerful.
His career is now at its zenith.
The zenith of Perugia’s influence came with the defeat of Siena in 1358.
Synonyms: height, summit, peak, top More Synonyms of zenith - SINGULAR NOUN
The zenith is the point at which the sun or moon is directly above you and seems to be at its highest. Compare nadir.
The sun rises, reaches its zenith and sets.