Lesson Five Flashcards
Jargon
N: special words and phrases that are used by particular groups of people, especially in their work
Example:military/legal/computer jargon
Break out
Phrasal verb: If something dangerous or unpleasant breaks out, it suddenly starts
Example:
-War broke out in 1914.
-Fighting has broken out all over the city.
Acquainted
Adj: knowing or being familiar with a person
Example:
acquainted with: I am not personally acquainted with the gentleman in question.
Propulsion
N: a force that pushes something forward
Example:
-wind propulsion
-a propulsion system
Dock
N: a long structure built over water where passengers can get on or off a boat or where goods can be put on and taken off
Consonant
N: one of the speech sounds or letters of the alphabet that is not a vowel. Consonants are pronounced by stopping the air from flowing easily through the mouth, especially by closing the lips or touching the teeth with the tongue.
Articulate
Adj: able to express thoughts and feelings easily and clearly, or showing this quality
Example:
-an intelligent and highly articulate young woman
-She gave a witty, entertaining, and articulate speech.
Convey
V: to express a thought, feeling, or idea so that it is understood by other people
Example:His poetry conveys a great sense of religious devotion.
Ostracize
V: to avoid someone intentionally, or to prevent someone from taking part in the activities of a group
Example:His colleagues ostracized him after he criticized the company in public.
Tenant
N: a person who pays rent for the use of land or a building
Example: For years, they were tenants on my father’s property.
Skyscraper
N: a very tall modern building, usually in a city
Domestic
Adj: relating to a person’s own country
Example: domestic airlines/flights
Utterance
N:something that someone says
Example;
The senator’s recent utterances were promptly rebutted by three of his colleagues on Monday.
Rebut
V: to argue that a statement or claim is not true
Example:He appeared on TV to rebut the charges against him.
Masonry
N: the bricks and pieces of stone that are used to make a building
Example:Several of the firefighters were injured by falling masonry.
Beam
N:
1. a line of light that shines from a bright object
Example:
beam of light The lighthouse cast a beam of light across the bay.
- a long, thick piece of wood, metal, or concrete, especially used to support weight in a building or other structure
Example:The sitting room had exposed wooden beams.
Shingle
N:
1. small, round stones that cover a beach or the ground by the edge of a river
Example:
a shingle beach
- a thin, flat tile made of wood, slate, etc. that is fixed in rows to make a roof or wall covering
Clapboard
N: a series of boards fixed horizontally to the outside of a building, with each board partly covering the one below, to protect the building from the weather
Example:The town of Rockport is full of rows of white clapboard houses.
Foundry
N: a factory where metal is melted and poured into specially shaped containers to produce machine parts
Usher
V: to show someone where they should go, or to make someone go where you want them to go
Example:She ushered us into her office and offered us coffee.
Carving
N: a shape or pattern cut into wood or stone or the skill of doing this
Example:wooden/stone carvings
Integrity
N: wholeness and unity
Example:The integrity of the play would be ruined by changing the ending
Exploit
V: to use something in a way that helps you
Example:exploit resources: We need to make sure that we exploit our resources as fully as possible.
Lethal
Adj: able to cause or causing death; extremely dangerous
Example:Three minutes after the fire started, the house was full of lethal fumes.
Plate tectonics
N: the study of how the surface of the earth is formed, how the separate pieces of it move, and the effects of this movement
Drift
V: to move slowly, especially as a result of outside forces, with no control over direction
Example:The talk drifted aimlessly from one subject to another.
Tremor
N: a slight earthquake
Example:The tremor was felt as far as 200 miles away.
Seismograph
N: a piece of equipment that measures and records the strength of an earthquake
Strain
N: a force or influence that stretches, pulls, or puts pressure on something, sometimes causing damage
Example:
-put a strain on: The hurricane put such a strain on the bridge that it collapsed.
-As you get older, excess weight puts a lot of strain on the heart.
-Their constant arguments were putting a strain on their marriage.
-The recent decline in the dollar has put a bigger strain on the economic system.
-Migration into the cities is putting a strain on already stretched resources.
Slippage
N: a reduction in the rate, amount, or standard of something
Example:The party leader is said to be concerned at the slippage (= loss of popularity) in the recent opinion polls.
-prone
Suffix: likely to experience a particular problem more often than is usual
Example:
-accident-prone
-injury-prone
Horrendous
Adj: extremely unpleasant or bad
Example:a horrendous accident/tragedy/crime
Rubble
N: the piles of broken stone and bricks, etc. that are left when a building falls down or is destroyed
Example:The bomb reduced the house to rubble.
Tidal wave
N: an extremely large wave caused by movement of the earth under the sea, often caused by an earthquake (= a shaking of the earth)
Well
N: a deep hole in the ground from which you can get water, oil, or gas
Menace
N: something that is likely to cause harm
Example:Drunk drivers are a menace to everyone.
Intensify
V: to become greater, more serious, or more extreme, or to make something do this
Example:Fighting around the capital has intensified in the last few hours.
Unerring
Adj: always accurate in your judgment or ability
Example:He has an unerring talent for writing catchy melodies.
Occurrence
N: something that happens
Example:Street-fights are an everyday occurrence in this area of the city.
Epicenter
N: the point on the earth’s surface directly above an earthquake or atomic explosion
Screech
V: to make an unpleasant, loud, high noise
Example:She was screeching at him at the top of her voice.
Yelp
V: to make a sudden, short, high sound, usually when in pain
Example:
-I accidentally stepped on the dog’s foot and it yelped.
-She yelped, as if being punched in the stomach.
Evacuate
V: to move people from a dangerous place to somewhere safe
Example:The police evacuated the village shortly before the explosion.
Toll
N: suffering, deaths, or damage
Example:Independent sources say that the death toll from the earthquake runs into thousands.
Alloy
N: a metal that is made by mixing two or more metals, or a metal and another substance
Example:Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.
Propel
V: to push or move something somewhere, often with a lot of force
Example:a rocket propelled through space
Eradicate
V: to get rid of something completely or destroy something bad
Example:
The disease that once claimed millions of lives has now been eradicated.
Endeavor
N: an effort or attempt to do something
Example:Writing is a very different endeavor than teaching.
Subtle
Adj:
1.not loud, bright, noticeable, or obvious in any way
Example:
-The room was painted a subtle shade of pink.
-The play’s message is perhaps too subtle to be understood by young children.
2.small but important
Example:
There is a subtle difference between these two plans.
3.achieved in a quiet way that does not attract attention to itself and is therefore good or clever
Example:
-a subtle plan/suggestion
-subtle questions
