LXXVII Flashcards
rush /rʌʃ/
1) to move very quickly, especially because you need to be somewhere very soon SYN hurry
“A small girl rushed past her.”
“Mo rushed off down the corridor.”
2) to do or decide something too quickly, especially so that you do not have time to do it carefully or well
“He does not intend to rush his decision.”
rush into
“I’m not rushing into marriage again.”
rush through
“She rushed through her script.”
rush it/things
“When we first met, neither of us wanted to rush things.”
3) to take or send someone or something somewhere very quickly, especially because of an unexpected problem
rush somebody/something to something
“The Red Cross rushed medical supplies to the war zone.”
“Dan was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries.”
4) to try to make someone do something more quickly than they want to
“I’m sorry to rush you, but we need a decision by Friday.”
rush somebody into (doing) something
“They felt they were being rushed into choosing a new leader.”
5) if water or another liquid rushes somewhere, it moves quickly
“Water rushed through the gorge.”
6) to attack a person or place suddenly and in a group
“They rushed the guard and stole his keys.”
7) a situation in which a lot of people suddenly try to do or get something
rush on
“There’s always a rush on swimsuits in the hot weather.”
rush to do something
“the rush to put computers in all schools”
8) situation in which you need to hurry
“I knew there would be a last-minute rush to meet the deadline.”
“Don’t worry, there’s no rush. We don’t have to be at the station until 10.”
do something in a rush (=do something quickly because you need to hurry)
“I had to do my homework in a rush because I was late.”
be in a rush
“I’m sorry, I can’t talk now – I’m in a rush.”
exert /ɪɡˈzɜːt/
to use your power, influence etc in order to make something happen
“They exerted considerable influence within the school.”
“Environmental groups are exerting pressure on the government to tighten pollution laws.”
exert yourself
to work very hard and use a lot of physical or mental energy
“He has exerted himself tirelessly on behalf of the charity.”
subtle /ˈsʌtl/
1) not easy to notice or understand unless you pay careful attention OPP obvious
“The pictures are similar, but there are subtle differences between them.”
“The warning signs of the disease are so subtle that they are often ignored.”
“a subtle form of racism”
subtle taste/flavour/smell etc
“The flavour of the dried berries is more subtle.”
“The dish had a subtle hint of ginger.”
2) behaving in a skilful and clever way, especially using indirect methods or language to hide what you are trying to do
“I think we need a more subtle approach.”
“a subtle plan”
subtle about
“She wasn’t very subtle about it. She just said she didn’t love him anymore.”
3) very clever in noticing and understanding things → sensitive
“a subtle mind”
braid /breɪd/
1) a narrow band of material formed by twisting threads together, used to decorate the edges of clothes
“a jacket trimmed with red braid”
2) a length of hair that has been separated into three parts and then woven together SYN plait British English
in braids
“Suzy always wears her hair in braids.”
3) to weave or twist together three pieces of hair or cloth to form one length SYN plait British English
culprit /ˈkʌlprɪt/
1) the person who is guilty of a crime or doing something wrong → victim
“Police finally managed to catch the culprit.”
2) the reason for a particular problem or difficulty
“High production costs are the main culprit.”
blister /ˈblɪstə/
1) a swelling on your skin containing clear liquid, caused, for example, by a burn or continuous rubbing
“New shoes always give me blisters.”
2) a swelling on the surface of metal, rubber, painted wood etc
3) to develop blisters, or make blisters form
“The paint will blister in the heat.”
pension /ˈpenʃən/
an amount of money paid regularly by the government or company to someone who does not work anymore, for example because they have reached the age when people stop working or because they are ill
“At what age can you start drawing your pension?”
“If you are self-employed, you should think about taking out a private pension.”
“Many people find it hard to live on a basic state pension.”
“She pays a quarter of her salary into a pension plan.”
pension somebody/something ↔ off
1) to make someone leave their job when they are old or ill, and pay them a pension
“Not everyone wants to be pensioned off at 65.”
2) to get rid of something because it is old or not useful anymore
“Many of the old ships have been pensioned off.”
pension /ˈpɒnsiɒn $ pɑːnˈsjoʊn/ noun [countable]
a small cheap hotel in France and some other European countries
urn /ɜːn/
1) a decorated container, especially one that is used for holding the ashes of a dead body
2) a metal container that holds a large amount of tea or coffee
ballot /ˈbælət/
1) a system of voting, usually in secret, or an occasion when you vote in this way
“The party leader is elected by secret ballot.”
“Workers at the plant held a ballot and rejected strike action.”
2) a piece of paper on which you make a secret vote SYN ballot paper
“Only 22% of voters cast their ballots.”
3) to ask someone to vote for something
ballot on/over
“Train drivers are being balloted on industrial action.”
4) to vote for something
ballot for
“Staff balloted for strike action yesterday.”
nepenthes /nɪˈpɛnθiːz/
1) a drug described in Homer’s Odyssey as banishing grief or trouble from a person’s mind.
2) a drug or potion bringing welcome forgetfulness.
3) a plant of a genus that comprises the Old World pitcher plants.
