All Flashcards
a contradiction
[C] a difference between two stories, facts, etc. C that means they cannot both be true: There were contradictions between the testimonies of the two men.
a contraption
n. [C] (informal) a piece of equipment that looks strange
a contraceptive
n. [C] a drug, object, or method used so that a woman does not become P R E G N A N T when she has sex —contraceptive adj.
contraception
. [U] the practice or methods of preventing a woman from becoming PREGNANT when she has sex SYN birth control
contraband
2 goods that are illegal to supply to either side in a war
contour
n. [C] the shape of the outer edges of something such as an area of land or someone’s body
contract sth ↔ out
phr. v. to arrange to have a job done by a person or company outside your own organization: The city has contracted its garbage collection out to an independent company.
contraction
2 [U] the process of becoming smaller or shorter
to the contrary
to the contrary showing or saying the opposite: In spite of rumors to the contrary, their marriage is fine.
contingency
[C] an event or situation that might happen and could cause problems: a contingency plan to cope with any computer failures
continental drift
n. [U] EARTH SCIENCES the very slow movement of the CONTINENTs across the surface of the Earth
a continental breakfast
n.[C]a breakfast consisting of coffee, juice, and a sweet ROLL (=type of bread)
contiguous
adj. (formal) next to something, or sharing the same border: the 48 contiguous States
a contender
n. [C] someone who is involved in a competition: She is a contender for the Democratic nomination for president.
to contend with
sth phr. v. to deal with a problem or difficult situation: The police would then have less paperwork to contend with.
contemptuous
adj. show-ing that you believe someone or something does not deserve any respect: young people who are contemptuous of authority
contemplative
adj. spending a lot of time thinking seriously and quietly
a container
n. [C] something such as a box, a bowl, a bottle, etc. that can be filled with something: an eight-gallon container
a contact
. 1 [C,U] communication with a person, organization, country, etc.: Have you kept/stayed in contact with any of your school friends? | The soldiers had little contact with citizens of the country. | the establishment of diplomatic contacts
the constitution
Constitution a set of laws and principles that a country or organization is governed by: the Constitution of the United States
to construct
1 to build something large such as a building, bridge, etc.: The Empire State Building was constructed in 1931. | The cabin is constructed from thick, heavy timbers
to constrain
v. [T] (formal) to limit someone’s freedom to do what s/he wants to do: Our research was constrained by a lack of funds.
constitutional monarchy
2 [C] POLITICS a country that is ruled by a king or queen whose powers are limited by law
to conspire
to secretly plan with other people to do something bad or illegal:
The company was accused of conspiring with local stores to fix prices.
constitutional
1 officially allowed or restricted by the consti- tution of a country or organization: The court ruled that the officers had violated the men’s constitu- tional rights.
constant
1 happening “constitutional ‘monarchy n. 1 [U] POLITICS a
regularly or all the time: There was a constant stream of visitors to the house. | He’s under con- stant pressure
to consits of
phr. v. to be made of or contain particular things or people: The top layer of earth consists largely of clay, gravel and sand. | The audience consisted solely of teenagers.
consign sb/sth to sth
1 to cause someone or something to be in a bad situation: a decision that consigned him to political obscurity
consideration
4 [U] the quality of thinking and caring about other people’s feelings, wants, or needs: He shows no consideration for others.
consider
1 [I,T] to think about something very carefully, especially before making a decision: I considered resigning. | He was consid- ering whether to apply for the job. | You should consider the possibility of moving there perma- nently.
conservative
1 preferring to continue doing things the way they are being done or have been proven to work, rather than risking changes: a very conservative attitude to education
conservatism
n. [U] the belief that any changes to the way things are done must happen slowly and have very good reasons: political conservatism
consecutive
adj. consecutive numbers or periods of time happen one after the other: It rained for three consecutive days. —consecutively adv.
to connive
v. [I] to plan something secretly, especially something that is wrong or illegal: Together, they connived to deceive her.
a connection
2 [C] a piece of wire or metal joining two parts of a machine together or to an electrical system: There must be a loose connection – I’m not getting any power.
conjure sth ↔ up
1 make an image, idea, memory, etc. very clear and strong in someone’s mind: Smells can often conjure up memories
a congresswoman
[C] a woman who is elected to be in Congress
congenial
adj. (formal) pleasant in a way that makes you feel comfortable and relaxed: a congenial atmosphere
to congeal
[I] if a liquid such as blood congeals, it becomes thick or solid
confusing
adj. difficult to understand: The diagram is really confusing.
bewildered
very confused and not sure what to do or think: People are often bewildered by all the rules and regulations about taxes.
confused
1 unable to understand clearly what someone is saying or what is happening: I’m totally confused. | I’m still confused about what happened.
congested
1 too full or blocked because of too many vehicles or people: congested freeways
congested
2 a congested nose, chest, etc. is filled with thick liquid that does not flow easily —congestion /k@n’dZEstS@n/ n. [U]
to conform
1 to behave in the way that most people behave: There’s always pressure on kids to conform.
confined
adj. a confined space or area is very small: It wasn’t easy to sleep in such a confined space.
a configuration
n. [C] the way in which parts of something are arranged or formed into a particular shape: a star-shaped con- figuration
a conflict
1 [C,U] angry disagreement between people, groups, countries, etc.: a conflict between father and son | conflicts over land | The two groups have been in conflict with each other for years.
a confession
1 [C] a statement that you have done something wrong or illegal: He made a full confession at the police sta- tion.
to gain/win/earn sb’s confidence
if you gain someone’s confidence, s/he begins to trust you: Gradually, the new manager began to win the employees’ confidence
a conference
2 a large formal meeting, often lasting for several days, at which members of an organization, profession, etc. discuss things related to their work: a sales conference | The American Medical Asso- ciation is sponsoring a conference on men’ s health. | Professor Roth is in London attending an international conference.
to condone
. [T] to accept or allow behavior that most people think is wrong: I cannot condone the use of violence.
condescending
adj. showing that you think you are better or more important than other people: He gave us a conde- scending smile.
a concerto
[C] ENG. LANG. ARTS a piece of CLASSICAL MUSIC, usually for one instrument and an ORCHESTRA
concerned
3 believing that something is important: They seem to be only concerned with making money.
concerned
2 worried about something important: We’re concerned about the results of the test. | letters from concerned parents
conceptual
Ac adj. (formal) relating to ideas, or based on them, and not yet real: The plans are in the conceptual stage. —conceptually adv.
be concen- trated in/on/at etc. sth
to be present in large numbers or amounts in a particular place: Most of the state’s population is concentrated in the cities.
to conceive
BIOLOGY to become PREGNANT ➔ CONCEP- TION: Ben and Tracy are hoping to conceive a second child soon.
to conceive
2 [T] to think of a new idea or plan: It was Dr. Salk who conceived the idea of a polio vaccine.
conceivable
adj. able to be believed or imagined ANT inconceivable: It is
conceivable that the experts could be wrong. | C Doctors looked at every conceivable cause
to start a computer
You start up/boot up a computer and log in/on in order to start using it.
to compute
v. [I,T] (formal) to calculate an answer, total, result, etc.: The machine can compute the time it takes a sound wave to bounce back. —computation /”kAmpy@’teIS@n/ n. [C,U]: He is below average in spelling and math computation. | The software is able to perform (=do) complex computations.
compulsive
compulsive behavior is very difficult to stop or control: compul- sive eating
a compulsion
1 [C] a strong desire to do something that is wrong: Drinking is a compulsion with her.
compromising
dj. mak- ing it seem that someone has done something dishonest or wrong: a compromising photograph
Comprise, be composed of, and consist of
Comprise, be composed of, and consist of can each be used in order to talk about the parts that things are made of, or the things that something contains.
Comprise is the more formal word.
Each of the following sentences means the same thing, but the patterns are different: The United States comprises 50 states. | The United States is composed of 50 states. | The United States consists of 50 states.
to comprise
1 [link- ing verb] to consist of particular parts: The World Trade Organization comprises more than 100 nations. | The committee is comprised of eight members.
composition
2 a) [U] the art or process of writing music, a poem, or an ESSAY, etc.
complication
2 [C,U] a prob- lem or situation that makes something more diffi- cult to understand or deal with: The drop in student numbers added further complications.
complex
difficult to understand because of having a lot of different parts that are all connected in different ways: Scientists are still trying to understand the complex relationship between the genes that cause the disease.
compliant
adj. willing to obey or agree to other people’s wishes and demands
a omplex number
n. [C] MATH any number that can be written in the form a + bi, where a and b are REAL NUMBERs and i is the square root of −1 ➔ IMAGINARY NUMBER
a complex
2 an emotional problem in which someone is too anxious about something or thinks too much about it: Linda has a complex about her appearance.
to complement
v. [T] to combine well with another thing, and bring out the good qualities in it: Buy a hat and scarf that complements your coat. —complementary /”kAmpl@’mEntriX, -‘mEnô@riX/ adj.: a small team of people with complementary skills
a complaint
[C] something that you complain about: My only complaint is the high prices they charge.
to complain of sth
phr. v. to say that you feel sick or have a pain in a part of your body: He complained of stomach pains.
to compile
v. [T] to make a book, list, record, etc. using different pieces of informa- tion, music, etc.: The report is compiled from a survey of 5,000 households. | It took several months to compile the database.
to compete
v. [I] to try to win or gain something, or try to be better or more successful than someone else: How many runners will be competing in the race? | We just can’t compete with/against big companies like theirs. | The stores are competing for customers.
to compensate
2 [T] to pay someone money because s/he has suffered injury, loss, or damage: The firm will compensate workers for their loss of earnings. | The fund was set up to compensate victims of the disaster.
comparison
1 [U] the process of comparing two people or things: In comparison with/to his brother, he’s really shy. | My last job was so boring that this one seems great by comparison.
contrast
to compare two things, situations, etc., in order to show how they are different from each other: In the novel, he contrasts the lives of two families living in New York.
a compass
2 MATH an instru- ment with a sharp point, used for drawing circles or measuring distances on maps
comparitively
adv. as compared to something else or to a previous state: The disease is comparatively rare.
commute
n. [C usually singular] the trip made to work every day: My morning commute takes 45 minutes.
a community college
n. [C] a college that people can go to, usually for two years, in order to learn a skill or to prepare to go to another college or university
common sense
n. [U] the ability to behave in a sensible way and make practical decisions: Use your common sense.
communicative
1 willing or able to talk or give information: My son isn’ t very communica- tive.
communciable
adj. a communicable disease is one that can be passed on to other people SYN infectious
a commodore
[C] an officer who has a high rank in the Navy
commercial
1 relating to business and the buying and selling of things: commercial activity
commerce
n. [U] the buying and selling of goods and services: interstate commerce (=among U.S. states)
Schnapps
n. [U] a strong alcoholic drink
a school
[C,U] a place where a particu- lar subject or skill is taught: an art school
to schmooze
v. [I] (informal, disapproving) to talk about unimportant things at a social event in a friendly way that is not always sincere
scenery
1 the natural features of a place, such as mountains, forests, etc.: What beautiful scenery!
not sb’s scene
(informal) not the type of thing someone likes: Loud parties aren’t really my scene.
a scene
a part of a play or movie during which the action all happens in one place over a short period of time: She comes on in Act 2, Scene 3. | a love scene
to schedule
v. [T] to plan that something will happen at a particular time: The meeting has been scheduled for Friday. | Another new store is sched- uled to open in three weeks.
a scare
1 [singular] a sudden feeling of fear: You really gave us a scare.
a continent
n. [C] one of the main areas of land on the Earth: the continent of Africa
a continental divide
n. [C] EARTH SCIENCES a very large area of high ground on a CONTINENT, from each side of which river systems flow in opposite directions
continuation
n. 1 [U] the act or state of continuing for a long time without stopping: the continuation of family tradi- tions
continuity
n. [U] the state of continuing over a long period of time without being interrupted or changing: Changing doctors can affect the continuity of your treatment.
contrary
adj. deliberately doing or saying the opposite of what someone else wants: an extremely contrary child
a contrast
1 [C,U] a differ- ence between two people, situations, ideas, etc. that are being compared: the contrast between the rich and poor in America | Claire is tall and dark, in contrast to her mother, who is short and fair. | At that time, the life of West Berlin stood in sharp/ stark/marked contrast to East Berlin.
a contradiction
1 [C] BIOLOGY a very strong and painful movement of a muscle in which it suddenly becomes tight, used especially about the muscles that become tight when a woman is going to give birth
a contractor
C] a person or company that does work or supplies material for other companies
contractual
adj. agreed in a contract: contractual obligations
contravene
v. [T] (formal) to do something that is not allowed by a law or a rule
to contribute
v. 1 [I,T] to give money, help, or ideas to something that other people are also giving to: Large companies contribute money to both parties. | Other people had good ideas, but I felt I had nothing to contrib- ute.
to contract
1 [T] (formal) to get an illness SYN catch: The disease is contracted from drinking contaminated water.
a contribution
1 something that is given or done to help something else be successful: The Mayo Clinic has made important contributions to cancer research. | Einstein’ s significant/important/valuable contri- butions to physics
contrived
adj. seeming false and not natural: The plot was contrived.
control
1 [U] the power or abil- ity to make someone or something do what you want: They don’t have any control over their son. | Newborn babies have little control of/over their movements. | The car went out of control and hit a tree. | The situation is now under control. | These events are beyond our control (=not possible for us to control).
conventional
used or existing for a long time, and consid- ered usual: Acupuncture is one alternative to con- ventional medicine.
convergent
dj. coming together at a point: convergent lines ➔ see picture at LINE1
convenience food
n. [C,U] food that is partly or completely prepared already
a convenience store
n. [C] a store where you can buy food, newspapers, etc. and that is often open 24 hours each day
convenience
1 [U] the quality of being good or useful for a particular purpose, especially because it makes something easier ANT inconvenience: Most people like the convenience of using a credit card.
to convict
v. [T] LAW to prove or announce that someone is guilty of a crime after a TRIAL in acourt of law ANT acquit:Both men were convicted of fraud.
(a) conversion
1 the act or process of changing something from one form, system, or purpose to another: Canada’s conversion to the metric system
a conversion factor
n.[C]MATH a fixed quantity that, when multiplied or divided by another num- ber, changes one type of measurement into a differ- ent type of measurement, for example miles into kilometers
a convert
Someone who has accepted a new religion
convertible
1 an object that is convertible can be folded or arranged in a different way, so that it can be used as some- thing else: a convertible couch (=one that unfolds to become a bed)
to cook
1 [I,T] to prepare food for eating by using heat: Whoever gets home first cooks dinner/supper. | Alice said she’d cook tonight. | Cook the pasta for 10–12 minutes.
to bake
to cook food such as bread in the oven
to fry
to cook food in oil on the top part of an oven
to grill
to cook food over strong heat, especially over flames: a grilled steak
to sauté
to fry vegetables for a short time in a small amount of oil
Cool
calm, relaxed, laid-back, easygoing, mellow, placid, serene
coordination
the organization of people or things so that they work together well: More coordination between departments is needed.
a copier
n. [C] a machine that quickly copies documents onto paper by photographing them
a coordinate
n. [C usually plural] MATH one of a set of numbers showing the exact position of a point on a line, map, or GRAPH, etc.
to pirate
to illegally copy and sell a movie, book, CD, or DVD that was made by another company: pirated DVDs
to duplicate
to copy something exactly, in order to have more than one: They duplicate the DVDs and then sell them illegally.
to deposit
v. [T] 1 to put money into a bank account ANT withdraw: I’d like to deposit this in my checking account.
dermis
n. [U] BIOLOGY the layer of skin under the EPIDERMIS (=the outside layer of ski
a designated driver
n. [C] someone who does not drink alcohol at a party, bar, etc. so that s/he can drive his/her friends home
determined
adj. having a strong desire to do something even when it is difficult: a determined opponent | Beth was determined to make her marriage work.
deviation
n. [C,U] (formal) a noticeable difference from what is expected or normal: Any deviation from procedures will not be tolerated.
a dial
1 the round part of a clock, watch, machine, etc., that has numbers that show you the time or a measure- ment
to dine on
sth phr. v. (formal) to eat a particular type of food for dinner, especially expensive food: We dined on shrimp and pasta.
a diploid
n. [C] BIOLOGY a cell or ORGAN- D ISM that contains two complete sets of CHROMO-
SOMEs, one from each parent —diploid adj.
direct current
n. [U] PHYSICS abbrevation DC a flow of electricity that moves in one direction only, for example the current produced by a BATTERY ➔ ALTERNATING CURRENT
a dipstick
n. [C] a stick used for mea- suring the amount of liquid in a container, such as oil in a car’s engine
to dis
(dissed, disses, dissing) [T] (informal) to make unfair and unkind remarks about someone
a duplicate
n. [C] an exact copy of something that you can use in the same way: a duplicate of the front door key
during vs for
During is followed by a particular period of time and is used to say when something happens: During the summer, she worked as a lifeguard. For is followed by words describing a length of time and is used to say how long something continues: I lived in Chicago for two years.
during
at some point in a period of time: Henry died during the night.
to dunk
1 to quickly put something that you are eating into coffee, milk, etc., and take it out again
a dwarf
2 a person, animal, or plant that does not grow to the normal height
to get rent a DVD
duty-free
adj. duty-free goods can be brought into a country without paying tax on them —duty- free adv.
a DVD
digital versatile disc or digital video disc a type of CD that can store large amounts of sound, VIDEO, and information
a dwelling
n. [C] (formal) a house, apart- ment, etc. where people live
dwelt
v. a past tense and past participle of DWELL
to dwindle
v. [I] to gradually become fewer or smaller: Their ten-point lead has dwindled now to only four points. —dwindling adj.
to dynamite
v. [T] to damage or destroy something with dynamite
dynamics
2 PHYSICS the science that studies the movement of objects and the forces related to movement
E
the written abbreviation of EAST or EASTERN
each vs every and all
Each, every, and all are all used to talk about every person or thing in a group.
When you are considering them separately, use each or every with a singular noun: Each/Every room has a shower.
When you are considering them together, use all with a plural noun: You answered all the questions correctly.
each and every
used in order to emphasize that you are talking about every person or thing in a group: This will affect each and every one of us.
at an early age
when someone is very young: He was orphaned at an early age.
to earmark
v. [T] to decide that some- thing will be used for a particular purpose: funds that are earmarked for highway repairs
earmuffs
n. [plural] two pieces of material attached to the ends of a band, that you wear to keep your ears warm
to get
to receive money for doing work or selling something: How much do you get an hour?
to net
to earn a particular amount of money after paying taxes: She netted only $300 for a rug that took her 150 hours to weave.
