28/8/20(princeton,tc,set-7) Flashcards
scribble
verb [ I or T ]
to write or draw something quickly or carelessly:
The baby’s just scribbled all over my new dictionary!
[ + two objects ] I’ll just scribble Dad a note/scribble a note to Dad to say we’re going out.
veteran
noun [ C ]
a person who has had a lot of experience of a particular activity:
a 20-year veteran of the New York Police Department
C2 (US informal vet) someone who has been in the armed forces during a war: a Vietnam veteran the surviving veterans of World War II
dubious
adjective
thought not to be completely true or not able to be trusted:
These claims are dubious and not scientifically proven.
He has been associated with some dubious characters.
Ruth Ellis has the dubious (= bad) distinction of being the last woman to be hanged in Britain.
C2
feeling doubt or not feeling certain:
I’m dubious about his promises to change his ways.
wrought
adjective formal
made or done in a careful or decorative way:
The new album contains some carefully wrought new songs and a number of familiar hits.
Her poems are well-wrought and intensely personal.
- VERB [only past]
If something has wrought a change, it has made it happen.
[journalism, literary]
Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany. [VERB noun]
perilous
adjective formal
extremely dangerous:
The country roads are quite perilous.
purist
noun [ C ]
someone who believes in and follows very traditional rules or ideas in a subject:
Although purists may object to split infinitives, like “to boldly go”, the fact is, they are commonly used.
Purists eat smoked salmon with nothing more than lemon and black pepper.
licentious
ADJECTIVE
If you describe a person as licentious, you mean that they are very immoral in their sexual behaviour.
[formal, disapproval]
…alarming stories of licentious behaviour.
Synonyms: promiscuous, immoral, lewd, debauched
supplant
VERB
If a person or thing is supplanted, another person or thing takes their place.
[formal]
He may be supplanted by a younger man. [be VERB-ed]
By the 1930s the wristwatch had almost completely supplanted the pocket watch. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: replace, oust, displace, supersede
refulgent
adjective literary
shining with a bright light:
the beauty of her refulgent face
plaintiff
COUNTABLE NOUN
A plaintiff is a person who brings a legal case against someone in a court of law.
accusation
noun [ C or U ]
a statement saying that someone has done something morally wrong, illegal, or unkind, or the fact of accusing someone:
You can’t just make wild accusations like that!
He glared at me with an air of accusation.
[ + that ] What do you say to the accusation that you are unfriendly and unhelpful?
malleable
- ADJECTIVE
If you say that someone is malleable, you mean that they are easily influenced or controlled by other people.
[written]
She was young enough to be malleable.
Synonyms: manageable, adaptable, compliant, impressionable More Synonyms of malleable - ADJECTIVE
A substance that is malleable is soft and can easily be made into different shapes.
Silver is the most malleable of all metals.
…using clay, plasticine or another malleable material.
Synonyms: workable, soft, plastic, tensile
commensurate
adjective formal
in a correct and suitable amount compared to something else:
a salary that is commensurate with skills and experience
commensurate
adjective formal
in a correct and suitable amount compared to something else:
a salary that is commensurate with skills and experience
pervade
VERB
If something pervades a place or thing, it is a noticeable feature throughout it.
[formal]
The smell of sawdust and glue pervaded the factory. [VERB noun]
…the corruption that pervades every stratum of the country. [VERB noun]
Throughout the book there is a pervading sense of menace. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: spread through, fill, affect, penetrate
eviscerate
verb [ T ] formal
to remove one or all of the organs from the inside of a body
innervate
verb [ T ] MEDICAL specialized
to supply nerves to an organ or part of the body
mound
noun [ C ]
a large pile of earth, stones, etc. like a small hill:
a burial mound (= a place where people were buried in ancient times)
a large pile of something:
a mound of potatoes/papers
instill
verb [ T ] US (UK instil)
to put a feeling, idea, or principle gradually into someone’s mind, so that it has a strong influence on the way that person thinks or behaves:
It is part of a teacher’s job to instill confidence in/into his or her students.
multifaceted
adjective
having many different parts or sides:
It’s a multifaceted business, offering a range of services.
inadvertent
adjective
not intentional:
All authors need to be wary of inadvertent copying of other people’s ideas.
foreclose
verb
(especially of banks) to take back property that was bought with borrowed money because the money was not being paid back as formally agreed:
The bank is threatening to foreclose on the family’s house.
metamorphose
verb [ I ] formal
to change into a completely different form or type:
The awkward boy I knew had metamorphosed into a tall, confident man.
dispel
verb [ T ]
to remove fears, doubts, and false ideas, usually by proving them wrong or unnecessary:
I’d like to start the speech by dispelling a few rumours that have been spreading recently.
incantation
noun [ C or U ]
(the performance of) words that are believed to have a magical effect when spoken or sung:
Around the fire, tribal elders chanted incantations.
constrict
verb
to become tighter and narrower, or to make something become tighter and narrower:
He hated wearing a tie - he felt it constricted his breathing.
When you’re dancing, you don’t want to wear anything that constricts your movements.
The drug causes the blood vessels to constrict.
Diurnal
adjective
Diurnal means happening or active during the daytime.
[formal]
Kangaroos are diurnal animals.
Synonyms: daytime, active during the day, non-nocturnal
circadian
adj BIOLOGY specialized
used to describe the processes in animals and plants that happen naturally during a 24-hour period:
Our circadian clock makes it difficult to sleep during the day.
affinity
noun
[ S ]
a liking or sympathy for someone or something, especially because of shared characteristics:
She seems to have a natural affinity for/with water.
[ C or U ]
a close similarity between two things:
There are several close affinities between the two paintings.
Camaraderie
noun [ S or U ]
a feeling of friendliness towards people that you work or share an experience with:
When you’ve been climbing alone for hours, there’s a tremendous sense of camaraderie when you meet another climber.
fatuity
noun
a: something foolish or stupid
b: STUPIDITY, FOOLISHNESS
balmy
adjective
(of weather) pleasantly warm:
a balmy summer evening
preoccupation
noun
[ C ]
an idea or subject that someone thinks about most of the time:
My main preoccupation now is trying to keep life normal for the sake of my two boys.
[ C or U ]
the state of being worried about or thinking about something most of the time:
Lately, his preoccupation with football had caused his marks at school to slip.
envision
verb [ T ]
to imagine or expect that something is a likely or desirable possibility in the future:
He envisioned a partnership between business and government.
The company envisions adding at least five stores next year.
schematic
adjective
showing the main form and features of something, usually in the form of a drawing, in a way that helps people to understand it:
a schematic diagram/outline
regime
noun [ C ]
a particular government or a system or method of government:
The old corrupt, totalitarian regime was overthrown.
a particular way of operating or organizing a business, etc.:
The regime in this office is hard work and more hard work.
