LXXXIV Flashcards
pedestal /ˈpedəstəl/
1) the base on which a pillar or statue stands
“a Grecian bust on a pedestal”
2) a solid vertical post that supports something such as a table
“the pedestal of the dentist’s chair”
pedestal basin British English (=a bowl to wash your hands in, supported by a pedestal)
put/place somebody on a pedestal
to admire someone so much that you treat them or talk about them as though they are perfect
“Women are both put on a pedestal and treated like second-class citizens.”
yearning /ˈjɜːnɪŋ/
a strong desire for something SYN longing
yearning for
“a yearning for travel”
yearning to do something
“He had a deep yearning to return to his home town.”
dazzle /ˈdæzəl/
1) if a very bright light dazzles you, it stops you from seeing properly for a short time
“a deer dazzled by the headlights”
2) to make someone feel strong admiration
“As children, we were dazzled by my uncle’s good looks and charm.”
exposure /ɪkˈspəʊʒə/
1) when someone is in a situation where they are not protected from something dangerous or unpleasant
exposure to
“Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer.”
2) the action of showing the truth about someone or something, especially when it is bad
exposure of
“the exposure of his underground political activity”
exposure as
“her fear of exposure as a spy”
3) the attention that someone or something gets from newspapers, television etc SYN publicity
“The failure of their marriage has got a lot of exposure recently.”
4) the chance to experience new ideas, ways of life etc
exposure to
“The visit to Germany gave them exposure to the language.”
“her brief exposure to pop stardom”
5) the harmful effects on your body of being outside in very cold weather without protection
“We nearly died of exposure on the mountainside.”
6) the amount of financial risk that a company or person has
7) the direction in which a building, hill etc faces
“My bedroom has a southern exposure.”
gamble /ˈɡæmbəl/
1) to risk money or possessions on the result of something such as a card game or a race, when you do not know for certain what the result will be → bet
“Their religion forbids them to drink or gamble.”
gamble on
“Jack loves gambling on the horses.”
2) to do something that involves a lot of risk, and that will not succeed unless things happen the way you would like them to
gamble on
“They’re gambling on Johnson being fit for Saturday’s game.”
gamble something on something
“Potter gambled everything on his new play being a hit.”
gamble that
“She was gambling that he wouldn’t read it too carefully.”
gamble with
“We can’t relax our safety standards – we’d be gambling with people’s lives.”
3) an action or plan that involves a risk but that you hope will succeed
It was a big gamble for her to leave the band and go solo.
gamble on
“The gamble on the harvest had paid off (=succeeded).”
“Ellen had to admit the gamble had paid off (=succeeded).”
“In a depressed market, we cannot afford to take a gamble on a new product.”
recruitment /rɪˈkruːtmənt/
the process of finding new people to join a company, organization, the army etc
recruitment of
“the recruitment of nurses”
“A recruitment drive to attract new members is underway.”
“a recruitment agency”
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.”
initiative /ɪˈnɪʃətɪv/
1) the ability to make decisions and take action without waiting for someone to tell you what to do
“I wish my son would show more initiative.”
“Don’t keep asking me for advice. Use your initiative.”
“Lt. Carlos was not obeying orders. He acted on his own initiative (=he was not told what to do).”
2) an important new plan or process to achieve a particular aim or to solve a particular problem
“a government initiative to help exporters”
“an education initiative”
initiative for
“a new initiative for peace in the Middle East”
3) law a process by which ordinary citizens can officially suggest a change in the law by signing a petition
the initiative
if you have or take the initiative, you are in a position to control a situation and decide what to do next
“Why don’t you take the initiative and ask him out?”
“Politicians need to seize the initiative from the terrorists.”
“The government must not lose the initiative in the fight against terrorism.”
detest /dɪˈtest/
to hate something or someone very much
“The two men detested each other.”
plop /plɒp/
1) the sound made by something when it falls or is dropped into liquid
with a plop
“The soap fell into the bath with a loud plop.”
2) to fall somewhere, making a sound like something dropping into water
plop into/out of/onto etc
“The frog plopped back into the pond.”
3) to drop something, especially into a liquid, so that it makes a sound
plop something into something
“I plopped a couple of ice cubes into the drink.”
plop (yourself) down
to sit down or lie down heavily
“She plopped down on the sofa beside me.”
