Isolated words Flashcards
Learn words in some meanings.
stem (noun - C)
(CENTRAL PART)
1. a central part of something from which other parts can develop or grow, or which forms a support
“She twisted the stem of her glass.” -> stem of a glass is the central part of a glass, usually of a wine glass (where you put your hands on it)
2. the main body or stalk of a plant or shrub, typically rising above ground but occasionally subterranean
“With any shrub or tree, look for firm healthy roots and a sturdy straight stem”
stem (verb - T)
- to stop something unwanted from spreading or increasing:
“These measures are designed to stem the rise of violent crime.”
encompass (verb - T)
- to include several different things:
“The plan encompasses repaving the street and planting 40 new trees.”
“It encompasses the whole learning process, including learning styles and strategies.”
inhabit (verb - T)
- to occupy as a place of settled residence or habitat/ live in:
“A bird that inhabits North America.”
“The region was inhabited by Indians.”
wanderlust (noun - U)
- the wish to travel far away and to many different places:
“In July wanderlust takes over the whole nation.”
“He suffers from a bit of wanderlust, likes to travel alone and do whatever he wants or sees fit.”
harvest (noun - C/U)
- the activity or time of gathering a crop, or a crop that is gathered:
[ U ] “We picked the corn that had been missed during harvest.”
[ C ] “He had a large garden and loved to share his harvest with others.”
crop (noun - C)
- a plant such as a grain, vegetable, or fruit grown in large amounts on a farm, or the total amount gathered of such a plant:
“Apple growers celebrated their biggest crop ever last year.” - is also any group of similar things or people:
“We’ve got a new crop of students coming in every year.”
gather (verb)
- [T] to collect or obtain things, esp. (abbreviation for especially) from different places (COLLECT):
“I went to several libraries to gather information.”
“We gathered blackberries from the nearby fields.” - [ I ] (of people or animals) to come together in a group:
“A crowd gathered to hear her speak.”
sought (verb)
past simple and past participle of seek
SEEK (SEARCH)
1. [ T ] to search for something or try to find or obtain something:
“She is actively seeking work.”
“The government is seeking ways to reduce the cost of health care.”
2. [ T ] If you seek advice/approval/help/permission, you ask for it:
“They suggested she seek advice from the legal department.”
SEEK (TRY)
1.to try or attempt:
“They sought to reassure people that their homes would be safe from the flood.”
delve (verb - I)
- to search, especially as if by digging, in order to find a thing or information:
“She delved into her pocket to find some change.”
“Some write semi-autobiographical novels, delving into personal pasts in order to either discover or re-examine their motivations and affinities.”
ubiquitous (adjective)
- found or existing everywhere:
“The eelgrass limpet used to be ubiquitous on the New England coast.”
well-rounded (adjective)
- having or providing experience and knowledge in a number of different areas:
“Some experts say that home-schooled children may not receive a well-rounded education.”
complain (verb - I)
- to say that something is wrong or not good enough:
“Bill and Nancy are always complaining about their neighbor, whose dog frightens their kids.”
[ + that clause ] “She complained that she had too much work to do.”
complaint (noun - C/U)
- a statement that something is wrong or not good enough, the act of complaining, or the thing you are complaining about:
[ U ] “a letter of complaint”
[ C ] “Her only complaint is that she sometimes didn’t get enough heat in her apartment.”
puddle (noun - C)
- a pool of liquid on the ground or floor, formed by filling up the holes in uneven surfaces:
“You have to step around the puddles in the street after a rain shower.”
bloom (verb - I)
- (of a plant or tree) to produce flowers, or (of a flower) to open or be open:
“Alta loved watching her flowers bloom in the spring.”
*Algal bloom is a rapid increase of the population of algae in water.
turf (noun - U)
(GRASS)
1. a surface layer of land consisting of grass and the earth in which its roots grow:
“Lush turf lined the river’s banks.”
2. is also ground cover that looks like grass:
“artificial turf”
stakeholder (noun - C)
- a person or group of people who own a share in a business
“The failure to fund these studies left many stakeholders disappointed and frustrated.” - a person such as an employee, customer, or citizen who is involved with an organization, society, etc. and therefore has responsibilities towards it and an interest in its success
“Corporate executives need to think about the whole business and how it creates value for customers and stakeholders.”
panel (noun - C)
- is a small group of people who are chosen to do something, for example, to discuss something in public or to make a decision.
“He assembled a panel of scholars to advise him.” [+ of]
“A panel of experts was formed to look into the causes of the fire.”
gatecrash (verb - I or T)
- to go to a party or other event when you have not been invited:
“He decided to gatecrash the wedding.”
dam (noun - C)
- a wall built across a river to stop the flow and collect the water, esp. to make a reservoir (= an artificial lake) that provides water for an area or can be used to make electricity
“…plans to build a dam on the Danube River.”
con (verb - T)
- to deceive someone by using a trick, or to cheat someone of money:
“I know when I’m being conned.”
timestamp (noun - C)
- a record in a printed or digital form that shows the time at which something happened or was done:
“A timestamp may also be used to verify digital signatures.”
“A Postal Service time stamp shows it was mailed at 9:01 AM.”
joint (adjective - not gradable)
- belonging to or shared between two or more people:
“Do you and your husband have a joint bank account or separate accounts?”
“In court, the parents were awarded joint custody of their son (= the right to care for him was shared between them).”
*joint venture -> a business that gets its money from two or more partners.
venture (noun - C)
- a new activity, usually in business, that involves risk or uncertainty:
“She advised us to look abroad for more lucrative business ventures.”
“There are many joint ventures between American and Japanese companies.”
index (noun - C)
- an alphabetical list, such as one printed at the back of a book showing on which page a name or subject appears, or computer information ordered in a particular way:
“If you want to find the place in the text that Henry James is mentioned, look it up in the index.”
convey (verb - T)
- (COMMUNICATE) to express feelings, thoughts, or information to other people:
“He always conveyed a sense of genuine interest in his students.”
1.1 to express a thought, feeling, or idea so that it is understood by other people:
“His poetry conveys a great sense of religious devotion.
Please convey our condolences to the family.” - (TRANSPORT) to take or carry someone or something to a particular place:
“Water flows into the channels and those channels convey it to the fields.”
conceal (verb - T)
- to prevent something from being seen or known about; to hide something:
“He made no attempt to conceal his satisfaction.”
“The listening device was concealed in a pen.”
attendee (noun - C)
- someone who attends a performance, meeting, speech, etc.:
“The Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago attracted nearly 90,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibitors.”
mutinous (adjective)
- (especially of a sailor or a soldier) refusing to obey orders or attempting to take control from people in authority:
“The mutinous sailors took control of the ship.” - refusing or not willing to do what you are told to do:
“She gave him a mutinous look and snatched the cup from under his nose.”
quirky (adjective)
- unusual in an attractive and interesting way:
“He was tall and had a quirky, off-beat sense of humor.”
fare (noun C/U - or - I always + adv/prep)
as a noun:
1. [C] (PAYMENT) the money that you pay for traveling on a vehicle such as a bus or train:
“We shared a taxi and split the fare.”
2. [U] (FOOD) (in a restaurant) the type of food that is served:
“Middle Eastern fare”
as a verb:
1. to progress or to be in a particular condition:
“Middle-income families will fare better/worse under the new tax laws.”
2. to succeed or be treated in a stated way:
“How did you fare in your exams?”
“Low-paid workers will fare badly/well under this government.”
subset (noun - C)
- a set of numbers or things that is part of another, larger set
“The set {1,2,3} is a subset of the set {1,2,3,4,5}.”
“Only a small subset of the patients in the study experienced these side effects.”
kerfuffle (British informal – noun - S)
- a disturbance or commotion typically caused by a dispute or conflict
“In all the kerfuffle, nobody seemed to have noticed Harry, which suited him perfectly.”
“Her glasses were broken in the kerfuffle.”
coercion (noun - U)
- the use of force to persuade someone to do something that they are unwilling to do:
“He claimed the police had used coercion, threats, and promises to obtain the statement illegally.”
straightforward (adjective)
- (UNDERSTANDABLE) easy to understand; clear:
“The doctor explained the operation in straightforward English.” - (HONEST) honest and without unnecessary politeness:
“She’s a straightforward, no-nonsense teacher.” - (SIMPLE) easy to understand or simple:
“Just follow the signs to Bradford - it’s very straightforward.”
no-nonsense (adjective)
- serious and practical:
“Barnes has a quiet, no-nonsense manner of doing business.”
ballot (noun - U/C – or – verb)
as a noun
1. a process of voting, in writing and typically in secret.
“the commissioners were elected by ballot” (U)
“They decided to hold a ballot.” (C)
as a verb
1. (of an organization) elicit a secret vote from (members) on a particular issue.
“the union is preparing to ballot its members on the same issue”
terse (adjective)
- using few words ( sometimes in a way that seems rude or unfriendly):
“He was shouting terse orders for vehicles to pull over.”
“‘Are you feeling any better?’ ‘No!’ was the terse reply.”
stratify (verb - T)
- to arrange the different parts of something in separate layers or groups:
“The sample of people questioned was drawn from the university’s student register and stratified by age and gender.”
“a stratified society”
mislead (verb - T)
- to cause someone to believe something that is not true:
“We’re not misleading people, and we’re not pretending to be something we’re not.”
“He has admitted misleading the police about his movements on the night of the murder.”
broad (adjective - er/est only – or – adjective)
- (WIDE) very wide:
“He flashed a broad grin at us.” - (GENERAL) including many types of things; general:
“The magazine covers a broad range of subjects.”
“He explained it in very broad terms.”
grin (noun - U – or – verb - I)
as a noun
1. a wide smile:
“He flashed a big grin and gave us a thumbs up.”
as a verb
1. same meaning
“He grinned and waved to us.”
scope (noun - U)
- (RANGE) the range of matters considered or dealt with:
“We are going to widen the scope of the investigation.” - (OPPORTUNITY) the opportunity for activity:
“There is limited scope for further reducing the workforce.” - (device) a device you look through to see something that is difficult to see directly, such as a microscope or a telescope
bound (adjective)
- (CERTAIN) certain or extremely likely to happen:
[ + to infinitive ] “You’re bound to feel nervous about your interview.” - (TIED) tied tightly or fastened:
“Several of the prisoners had been bound.” - (FORCED) having a moral or legal duty to do something:
“She is not legally bound to pay the debts, but she has agreed to do it anyway.” - (TOWARD) traveling in the direction of:
“She was on a plane bound for Fairbanks.”
fig. “These two young musicians are bound for success.”
invoice (noun - C – or – verb - T)
- a statement listing goods or services provided and their prices, used in business as a record of sale:
“You need to have a copy of your original invoice if you want a refund.” - to send someone an invoice:
“When they ship the CDs, the company will invoice you.”
retrieve (verb - T)
- to find and bring back something:
“Important historic documents were retrieved from a dumpster last week.”
dumpster (noun - C)
- (SKIP) a brand name for a large, metal container into which people put garbage or building waste, and which is brought to and taken away from a place by a special truck when requested
query (noun - C – or – verb - T)
as a noun
1. a question, often expressing doubt about something or looking for an answer from an authority:
“If you have any queries about your treatment, the doctor will answer them.”
as a verb
1. same meaning:
“Lawyers queried Ann about what she wore that day.”
warehouse (noun - C)
- a large building used for storing goods:
“Textbooks are sent right from the warehouse to the schools.”
goods (plural noun)
- items for sale, or possessions that can be moved:
“They sell leather goods such as wallets, purses, and briefcases.”
outage (noun - C)
- a period when a power supply or other service is not available or when equipment is closed down
“Frequent power outages.”
“The radio news reported power outages affecting 50 homes.”
hangover (noun - C)
- a feeling of illness after drinking too much alcohol:
“I had a terrible hangover the next morning.”
“a hangover cure”
hungover (adjective)
- feeling ill with a bad pain in the head and often wanting to vomit after having drunk too much alcohol:
“That was a great party last night, but I’m (feeling) really hungover this morning.”
Samaritan (noun)
- someone who gives help to people who need it
“A Samaritan called a tow truck for us.”
tow (verb - T – or – noun - C)
as a verb
1. to pull a car, boat, aircraft, etc., using a rope or a chain attached to another vehicle:
“The town tows abandoned cars and then fines their owners.”
as a noun
1. the act of pulling someone’s vehicle using a rope or chain attached to your vehicle:
“My car broke down and Bob gave me a tow.”
fiancé/fiancée (noun - U)
- A fiancé is a man who is engaged to be married; a fiancée is a woman who is engaged to be married.
“My fiancé/fiancée and I were childhood sweethearts”
thus (adverb - not gradable)
- in this way, or with this result:
“This plan will reduce waste, and thus cut costs.”
-in this way: "Bend from the waist, thus." -with this result: "They planned to reduce staff and thus to cut costs."
bend (verb - I/T)
- to change the position of your body or a part of your body so that it is no longer straight but curved or forming an angle:
[ I always + adv/prep ] “She dropped her umbrella and bent down to pick it up.”
[ T ] “Bend your knees and keep your back straight when lifting heavy objects.”
waist (noun - C)
- the part of the body above and slightly narrower than the hips:
“These jeans are too tight around my waist.”
narrow (adjective)
- (SMALL) having a small distance from one side to the other:
“Scenes from the movie were filmed in some of Rome’s ancient, narrow streets.”
- also means slight, esp. as a measure of difference:
“He was defeated in the election by a narrow margin.
It was a narrow victory, with the golf tournament decided by a single stroke.”
- also means only just successful:
“He had a narrow escape, getting out of the car just before it burst into flames.” - (LIMITED) limited in range:
“The local newspaper tends to focus on narrow regional issues.”
strive (verb - I)
- to try hard to do something or make something happen, esp. for a long time or against difficulties:
[ + to infinitive ] “Neither Jefferson nor Madison was a pacifist, though both strove to keep America at peace.”
“Mr. Roe has kindled expectations that he must now strive to live up to.”
kindle (verb - T)
- to cause a fire to start burning:
fig. “Great literature kindled their imaginations (= made them work).”
“The stormcloud had come upon them, and in every face, the fire which Pierre had watched kindle burned up brightly.”
concise (adjective)
- expressing what needs to be said without unnecessary words; short and clear:
“She wrote up a concise summary of the day’s events.”
raw (adjective - not gradable)
- not cooked:
“raw fish/oysters” - not processed or treated; in its natural condition:
“raw milk”
“raw silk”
“Raw sewage ran in ditches along the streets of the village.” - If people or their qualities are raw, they have not been developed or trained:
“Even when she first started skating, you could see the determination and the raw talent.”
“Alex was just a raw recruit when he was handed this job.”
sewage (noun - U)
- waste and liquid from toilets:
“The storm caused raw sewage to flow into the bay.”
ditch (noun - C – or – verb - T)
as a noun
1. (CHANNEL) a long, narrow, open channel dug in the ground, usually at the side of a road or field, used esp. for supplying or removing water
“He drove the car into the ditch.”
as a verb
1. (TO GET RID OF) to get rid of or not continue with something or someone that is no longer wanted:
“The thief ditched Maxine’s purse in a trash can but kept the money.”
“It’s time to ditch this old, torn sweater.”
tear (verb - I/T)
- (PULL APART) to pull or be pulled apart or away from something else, or to cause this to happen to something:
“You have to be very careful with books this old because the paper tears very easily.”
“I tore my skirt on the chair as I stood up.”
“A couple of pages had been torn out of/from the book.”
“He angrily tore the letter up (= into small pieces).” - (HURRY) [infml] to move very quickly; to rush:
“She was late and went tearing around the house looking for her car keys.”
tram (noun - C)
- an electric vehicle that is similar to a bus but travels on tracks laid along roads:
“I hopped off the tram near the park.”
can be also called by ‘streetcar’ (most common) or ‘trolley’ (car)
wary (adjective)
- careful because you do not completely trust someone or something or are not certain about what you should do:
“Teachers are often wary of standardized tests.”
“I’m a little wary of/about giving people my address when I don’t know them very well.”
befuddled (adjective)
- confused and unable to think clearly:
“The director was sitting there looking somewhat befuddled.”
ebb (verb - I)
- (of the sea or its tide) to move away from the coast and fall to a lower level, or, more generally, (of something) to become less or disappear:
“He could feel his strength ebbing (away).”
-When the sea or tide ebbs, it moves away from the coast and falls to a lower level.
deed (noun - C/U)
- (ACTION) an intentional act, esp. a very bad or very good one:
[ C ] “Whatever his motives, the deed did save a hundred thousand lives.” - [ C ] law a legal document that is an official record and proof of ownership of property:
“According to the deed, she owns the land from here to the river.”
pat (verb - T)
- to touch someone or something lightly and repeatedly with an open hand:
“He patted me on the shoulder.”
“Pat the vegetables dry with a paper towel.”
adhere (verb - I)
- to stick or be attached firmly to a surface:
“Glue won’t adhere to any surface that’s wet.”
