Chapter 1 Flashcards
Coinage
“2500 Invention of coinage - a universal money”
/ˈkɔɪnɪdʒ/
n
[noncount]
- the act of creating a new word or phrase that other people begin to use
- money in the form if coins
- the art of process of creating money
Coinage
/ˈkɔɪnɪdʒ/
n
[count]
- a word that sb has created
Transcend
“The Present Humans transcend the boundaries of planet Earth.”
/trænˈsend/
v
[+obj] formal
- to rise above or go beyond the normal limits of (sth)
Fellow
/ˈfeləʊ/
n
[count]
<informal + somewhat old-fashioned>
- a male person: a boy or man
- a male companion of a girl or woman: boyfriend
<old-fashioned> (usually plural)
- a member of a group of people who have shared interests, activities, etc.
(Fellow)
- a member of a literary, artistic, or scientific organisation
- a senior member of some British colleges and universities
(chiefly US)
- an advanced student at a university who is given money to pay for food, housing, etc.
</old-fashioned>
Fellow
“This book tells the story of how these three revolutions have affected humans and their fellow organism.”
/ˈfeləʊ/
adj
(always used before a noun)
- used to describe people who belong to the same group or class or who share a situation, experience, etc.
Hike
/haɪk/
v
[+obj] [no obj]
- to walk a long distance esp for pleasure or exercise: to go on a hike
[+obj]
- to suddenly increase the cost, amount or level of (sth)
- to pull of lift (sth, such as yourself or a part of your clothing) with a quick movement (up sth)
- (American football) to pass the ball back to the quarterback at the start of a play
n [count] hiker
n [noncount] hiking
adj hiking
Hike
“On a hike in East African 2 million years ago, you might well have…”
/haɪk/
n
[count]
- a usually long walk esp for pleasure or exercise
- a usually sudden increase in the cost, level or amount of sth
(US, informal, impolite) take a hike
- used in speech as an angry way of telling somebody ti leave
Chafe
“… temperamental youths chafing against the dictates of society…”
/tʃeɪf/
v
[no obj]
- to become irritated or annoyed: to feel impatient (against/ at/ under sth)
- to become sore or damaged from rubbing
[+obj] [no obj]
- to cause the soreness or damage by rubbing against sth (such as your skin)
Weary
“… and weary elders who just wanted to be left in peace…”
/ˈwɪəri/
adj
- lacking strength, energy, or freshness because if a need for rest or sleep: tired
- bored or annoyed by sth because you have seen it, heard it, done it, etc. many times or for a long time (of sth | used in combination)
<literary>
- causing you to feel tired
adv wearily
n [noncount] weariness
</literary>
Weary
/ˈwɪəri/
v
[+obj] (somewhat formal)
- to make (someone) very tired
phr v
weary of (sth)
- to become bored by (sth)
- to stop being interested in (sth)
Matriarch
“… and wise old matriarchs who had already seen it all.”
/ˈmeɪtriɑːk/
n
[count]
- a woman who controls a family, group or government
>< patriarch
adj matriarchal
n [non count] matriarchy
Fathom
/ˈfæðəm/
n
[count]
- a unit if length equal to six feet (1.8 meters) used esp for measuring the depth of water
Fathom
“…that their descendants would one day walk on the moon, split the atom, fathom the genetic code and write.”
/ˈfæðəm/
v
[+obj]
- to understand the reason for (sth) (Brit: out sth)
Banal
“This banal fact used to be one of history’s most closely guarded secrets.”
/bəˈnɑːl/
adj
- boring or ordinary: not interesting
Bereft
“… an orphan bereft of family, lacking siblings or cousins…”
/bɪˈreft/
adj
- sad because a family member or friend has died
(of sth)
- not having (sth that is needed, wanted or expected)
Orangutan
“Our closest living relatives include chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans.”
/əˈræŋətæn/
n
[count]
- a large ape that has very long arms and reddish-brown hair
Archair
“About 2 million years ago, some of these archaic men and women left their homeland…”
/ɑːˈkeɪɪk/
adj
- old and no longer used = old
- old and no longer useful: outdated
- of or relating to ancient times
Cradle
“The cradle of humanity continued to nurture numerous new species…”
/ˈkreɪdl/
n
[count]
- a bed for a baby that us usually designed to rock back and forth while pushing gently (sometimes used figuratively: out of the cradle)
- the place where sth begin (sing, of sth)
- sth that is used to hold or support sth else
- a platform designed to move up and down the sides of a building so that workers can paint, clean, etc.
From (the) cradle to (the grave)
idm
- from the beginning until the end of life
Rob the cradle
idm
(US, informal)
- to date or marry someone who is much younger than you
Cradle
/ˈkreɪdl/
v
[+obj]
- to hold (sth or someone) gently in your arms and hands
Fallacy
“It’s a common fallacy to envision these species as arranged in a straight line of descent…”
/ˈfæləsi/
n
[count]
- a wrong belief: a false or mistaken idea
[noncount]
- the quality of being false or wrong
Envision
“… to envision these species as arranged in a straight line of descent…”
/ɪnˈvɪʒn/
v
[+obj] (chiefly US)
- to think of (sth that you believe might exist or happen in the future): to picture (sth) in your mind
Beget
“…with Ergaster begetting Erectus, Erectus begetting the Neanderthals, and…”
/bɪˈɡet/
v
begat /bɪˈɡæt/ begotten /bɪˈɡɒtn/
<formal>
- to cause (sth) to happen or exist
<old-fashioned, literary>
- to become the father of (someone)
n [count] beggeter
</formal>
Exclusivity
“It’s our current exclusivity, not that multi-species past, that is peculiar - and perhaps incriminating.”
/ˌekskluːˈsɪvəti/
also exclusiveness /ɪkˈskluːsɪvnəs/
n
[noncount]
- the quality or state of being exclusive: the quality of being limited to people of wealth or high social class
Incriminate
“It’s our current exclusivity, not that multi-species past, that is peculiar - and perhaps incriminating.”
/ɪnˈkrɪmɪneɪt/
v
[+obj]
- to cause (someone) to appear guilty of or responsible for something (such as a crime)
adj incriminating
Sport
/spɔːt/
n
[count]
- a contest or game in which people do certain physical activities according to a specific set of rules and compete against each other
- to say if someone has behaved politely or not after losing a game or contest (used with: good, bad, etc.)
- <informal + old-fashioned> someone who is kind and generous
- <informal + old-fashioned> used as a friendly way to address someone (esp a man)
[count] [noncount]
- <plural> sports in general (Brit: sing)
- a physical activity (such as hunting, fishing, running, swimming, etc.) that is done for enjoyment (for sport)</plural>
In sport
<somewhat formal + old-fashioned> in a joking way: in a way that is not serious
Make sport of
<somewhat formal + old-fashioned> to laugh at and make jokes about (someone or something) in an unkind way = make fun of
Sport
/spɔːt/
adj
[always used before a noun]
- done for enjoyment rather than as a job or for food for survival
- (chiefly US) participating in an activity (such as hunting or fishing) for enjoyment rather than as a job or for food for survival
Sport
“Modern Sapiens sport a brain averaging 1,200-1,400 cubic centimeters.”
/spɔːt/
v
[+obj]
- to wear (something) in a way that attracts attention
[no obj]
- <literary> to play in a happy and lively way</literary>
Enamoured
“We are so enamoured of our high intelligence that we assume that when it comes to cerebral power, more must be better.”
/ɪˈnæməd/
adj
- in a state in which you love, admire, or are very interested in something or someone (usually + of/with)
Cerebral
“…when it comes to cerebral power, more must be better.”
/ˈserəbrəl/
adj
- <always> (medical) of or relating to the brain
- related to the mind rather than to feelings: intellectual and not emotional</always>
Atrophy
/ˈætrəfi/
n
[noncount]
- (medical) gradual loss of muscle or flesh usually because of disease or lack of use (often used figuratively: emotional/intellectual atrophy)
Atrophy
“Secondly, their muscles atrophied.”
/ˈætrəfi/
v
[no obj]
- if a part of the body atrophies, it becomes weak because it is not used or because it does not have enough blood
Biceps
“Like a government diverting money from defence to education, humans diverted energy from biceps to neurons.”
/ˈbaɪseps/
n
[count] <plural>
- a large muscle at the front of the upper arm</plural>
Wrestling
“…and shoot them from a safe distance instead of wrestling.”
/ˈreslɪŋ/
n
[noncount]
- a sport in which two people try to throw, force, or pin each other to the ground
Flint
“…but apart from some flint knives and pointed stocks, humans had precious little to show for…”
/flɪnt/
n
[noncount]
- a hard type of rock that produces a small piece of burning material (called a spark) when it is hit by steel
[count]
- a piece of flint
- a piece of metal used for producing a spark
Scaffolding
“Adjusting to an upright position was quite a challenge, especially when the scaffolding had to support an extra-large cranium.”
/ˈskæfəldɪŋ/
n
[noncount]
- the metal poles and wooden boards that are used to build or support a scaffold (a cradle)
Cranium
“…had to support an extra-large cranium.”
/ˈkreɪniəm/
n
[count] (plural: crania /ˈkreɪniə/)
- (technical) skull