Lesson Eight Flashcards
Boom
V: to make a very deep and loud hollow sound
Example:
-The cannons boomed in the night.
-He boomed out an order to the soldiers.
Bowels
N:
-a long tube through which food travels while it is being digested after leaving the stomach; intestines
-The bowels of something are the deepest parts of it
Example:
Prisoners were generally confined to the bowels of the ship.
Convulsive
Adj: Convulsive movements are movements of the muscles in your body that you cannot control
Example:
convulsive spasms
Corona
N: a shining ring around the sun seen during eclipses
Dazzle
V: make somebody unable to see properly for a while, because of too much light
Example: I was dazzled by the sunlight.
Detonate
V: explode or cause to explode
Example:
-The device detonated unexpectedly.
-A remote control device was used to detonate the bomb.
Dim
Adj: not bright or distinct
Example:
-The lamp gave out a dim light.
-He sat in a dim corner of the waiting room.
-We could see a dim (= not easily seen) shape in the fog.
Doomsday
N: the day of the last judgement; the end of the world, or a time when something very bad will happen
Example: “this job is going to take me till doomsday,” he muttered.
Eclipse
N: an occasion when the sun disappears from view, either completely or partly, while the moon is moving between it and the earth, or when the moon becomes darker while the shadow of the earth moves over it
Obstruction
N: something that blocks a road, passage, entrance, etc. so that nothing can go along it, or the act of blocking something in this way
Example:
There’s some kind of obstruction on the railway tracks.
Celestial
Adj: of or from the sky or outside this world
Example:
The moon is a celestial body.
Flare
N: a sudden increase in the brightness of a fire
Example:
There was a sudden flare when she threw the petrol onto the fire.
Fleeting
Adj: short or quick
Example:
-a fleeting glimpse
-This is just a fleeting visit.
Huddle
V: crowd together
Example:
huddle round: Employees huddled round television sets at the company headquarters.
huddle together: It was so cold that we huddled together for warmth.
Luminosity
N: the condition or quality of emitting light; bright light
Example: the freshness and luminosity of the colors in his paintings captivated visitors
Mundane
Adj: very ordinary and therefore not interesting
Example:
Mundane matters such as paying bills and shopping for food do not interest her.
Quiver
V: to shake slightly, often because of strong emotion
Example:
Lennie’s bottom lip quivered and tears started in his eyes.
Tremble
V: to shake slightly in a way that you cannot control, for example because you are frightened, angry, or excited, or because of illness; quiver
Example:
I was trembling with fear, panicking that I had not made the right decision.
Spectacular
Adj: very exciting to look at; sensational
Example:
-a spectacular view
-He scored a spectacular goal in the second half.
-There was a spectacular sunset last night.
Sensational
Adj: very good, exciting, or unusual
Example:
-a sensational sports car/dress
-She looks sensational (= extremely attractive) in her new dress.
Split
V: to (cause to) divide into two or more parts, especially along a particular line
Astound
V: to surprise or shock someone very much
Example:
The news astounded me.
Coterie
N: a small group of people with shared interests, often one that does not want other people to join them
Example:
-coterie of: a coterie of writers
-I was never part of their cosy coterie.
Cosy
Adj: comfortable and pleasant, especially (of a building) because of being small and warm
Example:
nice and cosy: This room is nice and cosy in the winter.
