331 TOEFL Word List (Cram) Flashcards
administer
[T] 1 to give, (syns.) to dispense, mete out: The doctor administered medicine to the patient. 2 to manage, supervise: She ~ed the committee meeting to make sure that everything worked smoothly.
injection
n. [] a liquid passed through a needle or small opening: My car’s engine gets an ~ of gas when I step on the pedal. Thesaurus: a shot of s.t./ vaccination, immunization, inoculation
interpret
1 [] to translate (usu. orally) from one language into another: She ~s the French museum guide’s words for American tourists. 2 [T] to decide on the meaning of s.t. that is not very clear: I ~ your nod to mean that you agree with me. 3 [T] to show one’s own artistic ideas and ability through painting, music, writing, etc.: She is a violinist who ~s Bach brilliantly. Thesaurus: 1 to explain to, decipher 2 to understand, read, construe frml. Ant. to misinterpret
alleviate
frml. [T] –ated, –ating, –ates to make less difficult (painful, etc.), (syn.) to relieve: The medicine ~d the pain.
aspire
frml. [I] –pired, –piring, –pires to desire strongly, hope to do or to be: He ~s to be a great actor someday.
hinder
[T] to slow the progress of s.t., (syn.) to impede: Lack of modern equipment ~s efficient manufacturing.
unsure
adj. 1 not sure, uncertain: I am ~; I think it might rain today. 2 unsure of oneself: insecure, lacking confidence in oneself: When I play golf, I am ~ of myself, because I can’t hit the ball very well.
significance
n. [U] 1 the importance of s.t.: The end of the war was an event of great ~. 2 the meaning of s.t.: I don’t understand the ~ of your wearing black all the time; are you sad? Thesaurus: 1 consequence 2 the point, implication
application
n. 1 [C] a document or blank form for writing down information for a specific purpose, such as requesting a job or a loan: I filled out an ~ for a job at the factory. 2 [C] a use in s.t.: Mathematics has ~s in science. 3 [] the act of putting s.t. on: An ~ of paint improved the appearance of the house. Thesaurus: 1 a request for (job, driver’s license) 2 the relevance to (or) of, suitability of 3 spreading on, a treatment with (paint, face cream)
closure
n. [] frml. a finish of s.t., (syn.) a conclusion: We achieved ~ on an agreement after months of talks.
ambiguity
n. [] when something has more than one possible meaning: Legal documents must be free of ~.
emphasis
n. –ses /siz/ special importance placed on s.t.: She put great ~ on beginning work immediately.
exterior
n. 1 the outside of s.t., surface: The ~ of the house needs painting. 2 appearance, looks: He has a rough ~, but inside, he has a heart of gold. adj. outside: The ~ walls of the building are made of glass and steel.
effectively
ad 1 in a way that is successful and achieves what you want: Teachers need to be able to communicate ideas ~. 2 used when you describe what the real result of a situation is: His illness ~ ended his career.
ruin
[T] 1 to damage s.t., make s.t. no longer useful: She spilled coffee on her white silk dress and ~ed it. 2 to spoil s.t., to take the fun or usefulness out of s.t., esp. an event: His stupid behavior ~ed our party. 3 to destroy s.t., such as breaking, burning, or knocking s.t. down: A fire ~ed everything inside the museum. 4 to cause s.o. to lose all of his or her money: The stock market crash ~ed him, so he has no money. n. 1 [] a state of destruction, anything unusable because of damage: After the fire, the museum lay in ~s. 2 broken parts of historical buildings that still exist after thousands of years: We went to Greece to see the ~s of ancient temples.
pertain
[I] to belong or be related to s.t.: These financial records ~ to this year’s tax returns.
impact
n. 1 a forceful contact: The meteor made a large ~ when it crashed to earth. 2 effect, impression: Poverty has a bad ~ on people’s health. infrml. [] to affect: Lack of food ~ed the starving nation. Thesaurus: 1 a shock, jolt, collision 2 an influence
evoke
[T] evoked, evoking, evokes to bring out a feeling, response, (syn.) to elicit: The poetry ~d a feeling of love in the reader.
penetrate
–trated, –trating, –trates 1 [] to pass or cut a way into or through: The child cried as the doctor’s needle ~d his skin.||Searchlights ~d the darkness. 2 [T] to break or enter into with force: The army ~d the city’s walls. 3 [T] to see into, understand, esp. s.t. difficult: A spy ~d the secrets of the Defense Department. 4 [] to spread through s.t., (syn.) to permeate: The smell of frying fish ~d the hallway.
conservative
adj. 1 having a political view toward keeping old and often proven ways of doing things: In the USA, Republicans are the ~ party. 2 slow to change, cautious 3 not too much or too high: She is ~ in her spending.||He made a ~ estimate of the costs. 4 not showy, restrained in manner and dress: Tomiko is a banker who wears a ~ business suit to work. n. a person who is a ~ Thesaurus: 2 conventional, old–fashioned, wary 3 careful, prudent, moderate 4 traditional, dark– colored. Ant. showy
emphasis
n. –ses /siz/ special importance placed on s.t.: She put great ~ on beginning work immediately.
vital
adj. 1 most important, absolutely necessary: Water is ~ to life. 2 energetic, lively: She has a ~ personality. n.pl. ~s important organs, such as the heart, lungs, and digestive system: His ~s are in bad condition.
staunch
adj. firm, dedicated: a ~ supporter of the political party [T] to stop or slow bleeding: We ~ed the flow of blood with a shirt until we could get to the hospital.
judiciary
n. –ies 1 the court system: The ~ is a branch of government. 2 judges as a group