Lesson One Flashcards
a chill/shiver runs up/down someone’s spine
idiom: used to say that someone feels very thrilled, frightened, etc.
-A shiver runs up my spine when I listen to a beautiful Beethoven symphony.
-A (cold) shiver ran down my spine when I heard his angry voice.
Myriad
N: a very large number of something
Example:
-a myriad of choices
-And now myriads of bars and hotels are opening up along the coast.
Spring something on someone
Phrasal verb: to suddenly tell or ask someone something when they do not expect it
Example:I hope he’s not going to spring any nasty surprises on us at the meeting this morning.
Consolation
N: something that makes someone who is sad or disappointed feel better.
Example:
-consolation to: If it’s any consolation to you, you’re not the only one he was nasty to.
-His visit home was some consolation to his mother.
-if it’s any consolation- If it’s any consolation, I feel the same way.
-words of consolation: I didn’t know what to say - I just offered a few words of consolation.
Cringe
V: to feel very embarrassed, and often show this by a physical movement or expression
Example:
-cringe at: I cringed at the sight of my dad dancing.
-Their praise was so gushing it made me cringe.
-When I hear my own voice played back I just sit there cringing.
Gushing
Adj: expressing a positive feeling, especially praise, in such a strong way that it does not sound sincere
Example:One of the more gushing newspapers described the occasion as “a fairy-tale wedding”.
Gushing
Adj: expressing a positive feeling, especially praise, in such a strong way that it does not sound sincere
Example:One of the more gushing newspapers described the occasion as “a fairy-tale wedding”.
Briefcase
N: a usually flat, rectangular container, used esp. for carrying business papers
Engulf
V: to surround and cover something or someone completely
Example:
-The flames rapidly engulfed the house.
-be engulfed by/in: Northern areas of the country were engulfed by/in a snowstorm last night.
-The war is threatening to engulf the entire region.
Snare
V: to get or achieve something that is difficult to get
Example:
Arriving in Nashville, she had hopes of snaring a country-music record contract.
Abruptly
Adv: in a sudden, unexpected, and sometimes unpleasant way
Example: He stood up abruptly and went outside.
Procedure
N: a set of actions that is the official or accepted way of doing something
Example:
-The company has new procedures for dealing with complaints.
-You must follow correct procedure at all times.
Trench
N: a long, narrow ditch.
Example:dig a trench around the perimeter of the fire
Primeter
N: the outer edge of an area of land or the border around it
Example:
-Protesters cut a hole in the perimeter fence.
-A river runs along one side of the field’s perimeter.
Excavate
V: to remove earth that is covering very old objects buried in the ground in order to discover things about the past
Example:
Ice age bones are being excavated in the caves.
Registry
N: a place where official records are kept
Example:
a land/business/electoral registry
Preliminary
Adj: coming before a more important action or event, especially introducing or preparing for it
Example:
-Preliminary results show that the vaccine is effective, but this has to be confirmed by further medical trials.
-We’ve decided to change the design based on our preliminary findings.
Bustling
Adj: If a place is bustling, it is full of busy activity
Example:
-This used to be a bustling town but a lot of people have moved away over recent years.
-The house, usually bustling with activity, was strangely silent.
Far-flung
Adj: used to refer to places that are a great distance away, or something that is spread over a very large area
Example:
She has travelled to the most far-flung corners of the world.
Arid
Adj: very dry and without enough rain for plants
Example:The desert is so arid that nothing can grow there.
Unwieldy
Adj: An unwieldy object is difficult to move or handle because it is heavy, large, or a strange shape
Example:
A piano is a very unwieldy item to get down a flight of stairs.
Flight of stairs
N: a set of steps or stairs, usually between two floors of a building
Mounting
Adj: gradually increasing
Example:
-mounting anxiety/excitement
-mounting debts
Ripe
Adj:
(of fruit or crops) completely developed and ready to be collected or eaten
Example:
Those bananas aren’t ripe yet - they’re still green.
Charcoal
N: a hard, black substance similar to coal that can be used as fuel or, in the form of sticks, as something to draw with
Example:
charcoal for the barbecue
Fermentation
N: a process of chemical change in food or drink because of the action of yeast or bacteria, which may cause it to produce bubbles or heat, or turn sugars in it into alcohol
Example:
-Ethanol is an alcohol produced by fermentation of sugars.
-Fermentation takes about 48 hours.
Bale
N: a large amount of something such as hay, paper, wool, or cloth that has been tied tightly together
Stacked
Adj: covered or filled with a large amount of things
Example:
The fridge is stacked with food
Symbiotic
Adj: involving two types of animal or plant in which each provides the conditions necessary for the other to continue to exist
Example:a symbiotic relationship
Genus
N: a group of animals or plants, more closely related than a family, but less similar than a species
Gland
N: an organ of the body or of a plant that secretes (= produces) liquid chemicals that have various purposes
Example:
The glands in my neck are a little bit swollen.
Squirt
(to force a liquid) to flow out through a narrow opening in a fast stream
Example:
-He squirted some ketchup on his burger.
-There was a leak in one of the pipes and water was squirting out all over the kitchen floor.
Irritant
N: a substance that makes part of your body sore or painful
Example:Pollen is an irritant, causing red and sore eyes in sensitive people.
Irritant
N: a substance that makes part of your body sore or painful
Example:Pollen is an irritant, causing red and sore eyes in sensitive people.
Marauding
Adj: going from one place to another killing or using violence, stealing, and destroying
Example:
Witnesses reported gangs of marauding soldiers breaking into people’s houses and setting fire to them.
Wasp
N: a flying insect, often black and yellow, that can sting (= produce a small, painful skin injury)
Example:
-There’s a wasps’ nest in that old tree.
-a wasp sting
In conjunction with
Collocation; together.
Example:herbal medicine was used in conjunction with acupuncture and massage
Distinctive
Adj: Something that is distinctive is easy to recognize because it is different from other things
Example:
-a distinctive smell/taste
-She’s got a very distinctive voice.
Primarily
Adv: mainly
Example:
-We’re primarily concerned with keeping expenditure down.
-Baseball is primarily a summer game.
Combustion
N: the process of burning
Agitate
V: to make someone feel worried or angry
Example:I didn’t want to agitate her by telling her.
By-product
N: something that is produced as a result of making something else, or something unexpected that happens as a result of something
Example:
-Buttermilk is a by-product of making butter.
-Illness is one of the by-products of overcrowded housing.
Furnace
N: a container that is heated to a very high temperature, so that substances that are put inside it, such as metal, will melt or burn
Example:
-People who work with furnaces in a steel factory need to wear protective clothing.
-like a furnace: This room’s like a furnace (= is very hot)!
Deterioration
N: the fact or process of becoming worse
Example:
-deterioration in: We’ve seen a deterioration in relations between the countries.
-When we arrived, we were appalled at her deterioration.
Appalled
Adj: having strong feelings of shock or disapproval
Example:
-an appalled silence/fascination
-I am absolutely appalled by/at the state of our cities.
Crumble
V: to break, or cause something to break, into small pieces
Example:
-She nervously crumbled the bread between her fingers.
-The cliffs on which the houses are built are starting to crumble.
Culprit
N: someone who has done something wrong; guilty person
Example:
Police hope the public will help them to find the culprits.
Rag
N: a torn piece of old cloth
Example:
I keep these rags for cleaning the car.
Calfskin
N: leather made from the skin of a young cow
Example:calfskin boots
Pit
N: a large hole in the ground, or a slightly low area in any surface
Example:
-They’d dug a shallow pit and left the bodies in it.
-These pits in my skin are from when I had chickenpox.
Nostril
N: either of the two openings in the nose through which air moves when you breathe
Example:The horses came to a halt, steam streaming from their nostrils
Burrow
N: a hole in the ground dug by an animal such as a rabbit, especially to live in
Prong
N: one of two or more long, sharp points on an object, especially a fork
Fang
N: a long, sharp tooth
Example:
The dog growled and bared its fangs.
Scent
N: a pleasant natural smell
Example:
the scent of roses
Palate
N: the top part of the inside of your mouth
Jacobson’s organ
N: either of two small organs in the nose, just above the top of the mouth, that are involved in smell. They are found in humans and many animals, but are especially well developed in snakes and lizards
Example:The snake tastes scent particles from the air using a special membrane, called Jacobson’s organ, at the back of its mouth.
Membrane
N: a thin piece of skin that covers or connects parts of a person’s or animal’s body
Example:The cornea is the transparent membrane that covers the front of the eye.
Sincere
Adj:(of a person, feelings, or behaviour) not pretending or lying; honest
Example:
-a sincere apology
-He seems so sincere.
Caliber
N: the quality of someone or something, especially someone’s ability
Example:
-If teaching paid more it might attract people of (a) higher caliber.
-The competition entries were of such (a) high caliber that judging them was very difficult.
Realism
N: a way of thinking and acting based on facts and what is possible, rather than on hopes for things that are unlikely to happen
Example:His decision not to expand the business shows his down-to-earth realism.
Down-to-earth
Adj: practical, reasonable, and friendly
Example:She’s a down-to-earth woman with no pretensions.
Pretension
N: a claim or belief that you can succeed or that you are important or have serious value
Example:The Chronicle has pretensions to being a serious newspaper.
Pretension
N: a claim or belief that you can succeed or that you are important or have serious value
Example:The Chronicle has pretensions to being a serious newspaper.
Vitality
N: energy and strength
Example:According to the packet, these vitamin pills will restore lost vitality.
Stagecoaches
N: (in the past) a covered vehicle pulled by horses that carried passengers and goods on regular routes
Inn
N: a small hotel, usually in the countryside
Thatched
Adj: A thatched roof is made from straw or reeds; a thatched building has a roof that is made from straw or reeds
Example:They live in a thatched cottage/a cottage with a thatched roof.
Minute
V: to make a written record of what is said at a meeting
Example:The chairman is minuted as having said that profits had fallen to an all-time low.
Mannerism
N: something that a person does repeatedly with their face, hands, or voice, and that they may not realize they are doing
Example:
-He’s got some very strange mannerisms.
-We’ve spent so much time together that we’ve picked up each other’s mannerisms.
Moving
Adj: causing strong feelings of sadness or sympathy
Example:
-a very moving story
-I find some of Brahms’s music deeply moving.
Bid someone/something farewell
Collocation: to say goodbye in an affectionate or loving way
Example:
-He bid us both a fond farewell.
-We bade farewell to Costa Rica, but promised that we would return one day.
Exclamation
N: something you say or shout suddenly because of surprise, fear, pleasure, etc.
Example:an exclamation of delight
Grim
Adj: extremely bad, worrying, or without hope
Example:look grim؛ The future looks grim.
Squalid
Adj: (of places) extremely dirty and unpleasant, often because of lack of money
Example:Many prisons, even today, are overcrowded and squalid places.
Break loose
Collocation: to become able to move around freely
Example:
-In the storm, the boat broke loose from its moorings.
-The kite broke loose and drifted across the sky.
Fleeting
Adj: short or quick
Example:
-a fleeting glimpse
-This is just a fleeting visit.
Vehemently
Adv: in a strong and emotional way
Example:The president has vehemently denied having an extra-marital affair.
Triumphant
Adj: having achieved a great victory (= winning a war or competition) or success, or feeling very happy and proud because of such an achievement
Example:
-It seemed as though the whole city had turned out for their team’s triumphant homecoming.
-She emerged triumphant from the court after all the charges against her were dropped because of a lack of evidence.
Flogging
N: a punishment in which someone is beaten severely with a whip or a stick
Haul
V: to pull something heavy slowly and with difficulty
Example:
-They hauled the boat out of the water.
-haul yourself up: She hauled herself up into the tree.
Antic
Adj: strange and unusual, especially in a silly or very energetic way
Example:
-Such an antic comedy does not need to be realistic.
-His mood and behaviour vary, from silent intensity to almost antic animation.
Vanquish
V: to defeat completely
Example:Smallpox, a once deadly disease, has now been vanquished.
Endure
V: to suffer something difficult, unpleasant, or painful
Example:
-We had to endure a nine-hour delay at the airport.
-She’s already had to endure three painful operations on her leg.
Adversity
N: a difficult or unlucky situation or event
Example:
-She was always cheerful in adversity.
-The road to happiness is paved with adversities.
Confront
V: to face, meet, or deal with a difficult situation or person
Example:As she left the court, she was confronted by angry crowds who tried to block her way.
Confront
V: to face, meet, or deal with a difficult situation or person
Example:As she left the court, she was confronted by angry crowds who tried to block her way.
Mutiny
N: an occasion when a group of people, especially soldiers or sailors, refuses to obey orders and/or attempts to take control from people in authority
Example:
-Conditions on the ship were often very bad, and crews were on the point -of mutiny.
There were rumors of mutiny among the troops.
