2021/03/27- Flashcards
2021/02/20-2021/03/27
tinker
to make small changes to something, especially in an attempt to repair or improve it:
He spends every weekend tinkering (around) with his car.
I wish the government would stop tinkering with the health service.
fiend
an evil and cruel person:
He was portrayed in the media as a complete fiend.
weld
to join two pieces of metal together permanently by melting the parts that touch:
Iron spikes have been welded (on) to the railings around the embassy.
riddled with
full of holes:
He wore an old jacket riddled with holes.
mayhem
a situation in which there is little or no order or control:
With 20 kids running around and only two adults to supervise, it was complete mayhem.
realm
an area of interest or activity:
Her interests are in the realm of practical politics.
theatrically
in a way that belongs or relates to the theatre, or to the performance or writing of plays, opera, films, etc.:
How can theatrically talented kids be nurtured and developed?
She writes theatrically exciting plays.
delirious
unable to think or speak clearly because of fever or mental confusion:
She had a high temperature and was delirious.
somberly
in a way that is serious, sad, and without humor or entertainment:
“She has lost one brother already,” he said somberly.
The two conversed somberly for a while then ordered sandwiches.
muse
to think about something carefully and for a long time:
I began to muse about/on the possibility of starting my own business.
sibling
a brother or sister:
I have four siblings: three brothers and a sister.
There was great sibling rivalry (= competition) between Peter and his brother.
variant
something that is slightly different from other similar things:
There are many colas on the market now, all variants on the original drink.
There are four variants of malaria, all transmitted to humans by a particular family of mosquitoes.
vignette
a short piece of writing, music, acting, etc. that clearly expresses the typical characteristics of something or someone:
She wrote several vignettes of small-town life.
intercom
a device that people speak into when they want to communicate with someone who is inside a building, in a different room, in part of a plane, etc.
stooge
a person who is forced or paid by someone in authority to do an unpleasant or secret job for them:
The newly appointed mayor is widely regarded as a government stooge.
seizure
a sudden failure of the heart:
His aunt died of a seizure.
figurative humorous When I told her how much it cost she nearly had a seizure (= she was very shocked).
vicinity
the area around a place or where the speaker is :
There are several hotels in the immediate vicinity of the station.
We could see that there were several open Wi-Fi networks in the vicinity.
Anyone who happened to be in the vicinity could have been injured or killed.
dichotomous
involving two completely opposing ideas or things:
The test was used to compare dichotomous variables.
precocity
the condition of showing mental development or achievement much earlier than usual:
His parents had recognized his musical precociousness.
Once so full of promise and precociousness, the golfer hasn’t won a tournament in 19 months.
erudite
having or containing a lot of knowledge that is known by very few people:
He’s the author of an erudite book on Scottish history.
hallow
to give something great importance and respect, often because it is very old:
methods that have been hallowed by centuries of use
recite
to say a piece of writing aloud from memory, or to publicly say a list of things:
She proudly recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
The opposition party recited a long list of the government’s failings.
