MO Book 16 - Words Flashcards
bedrock noun BrE /ˈbedrɒk/ ; NAmE /ˈbedrɑːk/
1) [singular] a strong base for something, especially the facts or the principles on which it is based ex) We begin tonight with a question of fairness in America, and a bedrock belief.
impartial adjective BrE /ɪmˈpɑːʃl/ ; NAmE /ɪmˈpɑːrʃl/
not supporting one person or group more than another synonym neutral, unbiased ex) You don’t have to like the IRS, but you do expect them to be completely impartial about politics.
be/come under fire
to be criticized severely for something you have done ex) But tonight the IRS is under fire.
tea party noun
2) the Tea Party [singular] a conservative political movement in the US, begun in 2009 in protest against the government. In particular they want to reduce the amount of money that the national government spends and to cut taxes ex) Did they target the Tea Party and other conservative groups?
in search of
Also, in quest of. Looking for, seeking, as in They went to California in search of gold, or I went to the library in quest of a quiet place to read. The first term dates from the mid-1400s, the second from the second half of the 1500s. ex) ABC’s chief White House correspondent, Jonathan Karl, goes in search of the facts.
tyranny noun BrE /ˈtɪrəni/ ; NAmE /ˈtɪrəni/ [uncountable, countable] (pl. tyrannies)
1) unfair or cruel use of power or authority ex) Liberty, not tyranny!
grill verb BrE /ɡrɪl/ ; NAmE /ɡrɪl/
3) grill somebody (about something) to ask somebody a lot of questions about their ideas, actions, etc., often in an unpleasant way ex) And that’s what Jennifer Stefano, a mom and conservative activist from Philadelphia, said she confronted when she was grilled by the IRS after trying to start her own Tea Party group.
scrutiny noun BrE /ˈskruːtəni/ ; NAmE /ˈskruːtəni/ uncountable
careful and thorough examination synonym inspection ex) Extra scrutiny that it turns out many other conservative groups have faced over the past three years when trying to register as tax-exempt organizations.
sic something on somebody present simple I / you / we / they sic BrE /sɪk/ ; NAmE /sɪk/ ; BrE /siːk/ ; NAmE /siːk/ he / she / it sics BrE /sɪks/ ; NAmE /sɪks/ past simple sicced BrE /sɪkt/ ; NAmE /sɪkt/ past participle sicced BrE /sɪkt/ ; NAmE /sɪkt/ -ing form siccing BrE /ˈsɪkɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈsɪkɪŋ/
(North American English, informal) to tell a dog to attack somebody sic somebody (North American English, informal) to attack somebody ex) Four years ago, President Obama joked about sicking the IRS on people when he gave a commencement address at Arizona State University, and didn’t get an honorary degree.
board of regents
a committee of university officers who have general supervision over the welfare and conduct of students ex) President Crowe and the board of regents will soon learn all about being audited by the IRS.
hold someone accountable (for something)
to consider someone responsible for something; to blame something on someone ex) It is contrary to our traditions, and people have to be held accountable, and it’s got to be fixed.
recourse noun BrE /rɪˈkɔːs/ ; NAmE /ˈriːkɔːrs/ uncountable
the fact of having to, or being able to, use something that can provide help in a difficult situation ex) And John, do these groups have any recourse? She made a complete recovery without recourse to surgery.
damage noun BrE /ˈdæmɪdʒ/ ; NAmE /ˈdæmɪdʒ/
3) damages [plural] an amount of money that a court decides should be paid to somebody by the person, company, etc. that has caused them harm or injury ex) I just spoke to a top lawyer for - representing many of these groups, who says they’re looking into suing the IRS for damages, of all the work they had to go through with these applications and the questioning.
brew verb BrE /bruː/ ; NAmE /bruː/
4) [intransitive] brew (up) (usually used in the progressive tenses) if something unpleasant is brewing or brewing up, it seems likely to happen soon ex) Well, it’s certainly a brewing and building controversy.
build verb BrE /bɪld/ ; NAmE /bɪld/
3) [intransitive] (of a feeling) to become gradually stronger ex) Well, it’s certainly a brewing and building controversy.
acting adjective BrE /ˈæktɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈæktɪŋ/
[only before noun] doing the work of another person for a short time synonym temporary ex) So how high did it go? Well, tonight, we learned that the acting commissioner of the IRS knew about this all in May of 2012, one year ago.
entrench verb (also intrench) BrE /ɪnˈtrentʃ/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈtrentʃ/
[usually passive] entrench something (sometimes disapproving) to establish something very firmly so that it is very difficult to change ex) The most obvious explanation for this entrenched disparity is racial discrimination.
disparity noun BrE /dɪˈspærəti/ ; NAmE /dɪˈspærəti/ uncountable, countable(formal)
a difference, especially one connected with unfair treatment ex) The most obvious explanation for this entrenched disparity is racial discrimination.
culprit noun BrE /ˈkʌlprɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈkʌlprɪt/
2) a person or thing responsible for causing a problem ex) But in my research I have found a somewhat different culprit: favoritism.
favouritism noun (especially US English favoritism) BrE /ˈfeɪvərɪtɪzəm/ ; NAmE /ˈfeɪvərɪtɪzəm/ uncountable
the act of unfairly treating one person better than others because you like them better ex) And while exclusion or discrimination is illegal, inclusion or favoritism is not.
innocuous adjective BrE /ɪˈnɒkjuəs/ ; NAmE /ɪˈnɑːkjuəs/ (formal)
2) not harmful or dangerous synonym harmless (1) ex) Through such seemingly innocuous networking, white Americans tend to help other whites , because social resources are concentrated among whites.
insidious adjective BrE /ɪnˈsɪdiəs/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈsɪdiəs/ (formal, disapproving)
spreading gradually or without being noticed, but causing serious harm ex) And while exclusion or discrimination is illegal, inclusion or favoritism is not - meaning it can be more insidious and largely immune to legal challenges.
all but
1) almost 2) everything or everyone except something/somebody ex) In interviews with hundreds of people on this topic, I found that all but a handful used the help of family and friends to find 70 percent of the jobs they held over their lifetimes; they all used personal networks and insider information if it was available to them.
land verb BrE /lænd/ ; NAmE /lænd/
7) [transitive] (informal) to succeed in getting a job, etc., especially one that a lot of other people want ex) You don’t usually need a strong social network to land a low-wage job at a fast-food restaurant or retail store.
reciprocate verb BrE /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪt/ ; NAmE /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪt/
1) [transitive, intransitive] to behave or feel towards somebody in the same way as they behave or feel towards you ex) It is only natural that when there are jobs to be had, people who know about them will tell the people who are close to them, those with whom they identify, and those who at some point can reciprocate the favor.
categorical adjective BrE /ˌkætəˈɡɒrɪkl/ ; NAmE /ˌkætəˈɡɔːrɪkl/ [usually before noun] (formal)
expressed clearly and in a way that shows that you are very sure about what you are saying ex) Because we still live largely segregated lives, such networking fosters categorical inequality: whites help other whites, especially when unemployment is high.
allow for allow for somebody | allow for something
to consider or include somebody/something when calculating something ex) Although people from every background may try to help their own, whites are more likely to hold the sorts of jobs that are protected from market competition, that pay a living wage and that have the potential to teach skills and allow for job training and advancement.
intuitive adjective BrE /ɪnˈtjuːɪtɪv/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈtuːɪtɪv/
1) (of ideas) obtained by using your feelings rather than by considering the facts 2) (of people) able to understand something by using feelings rather than by considering the facts ex) All of this may make sense intuitively, but most people are unaware of the way racial ties affect their job prospects.
revealing adjective BrE /rɪˈviːlɪŋ/ ; NAmE /rɪˈviːlɪŋ/
1) giving you interesting information that you did not know before ex) Seeing contemporary labor-market politics through the lens of favoritism, rather than discrimination alone, is revealing.
affirmative adjective BrE /əˈfɜːmətɪv/ ; NAmE /əˈfɜːrmətɪv/
(formal) an affirmative word or reply means ‘yes’ or expresses agreement opposite negative ***affirmative action noun (especially North American English) (usually British English positive discrimination) [uncountable] the practice or policy of making sure that a particular number of jobs, etc. are given to people from groups that are often treated unfairly because of their race, sex, etc. ex) It explains, for example, why even though the majority of all Americans, including whites, support civil rights in principle, there is widespread opposition on the part of many whites to affirmative action policies - despite complaints about “reverse discrimination,” my research demonstrated that the real complaint is that affirmative action undermines long-established patterns of favoritism.
betray verb BrE /bɪˈtreɪ/ ; NAmE /bɪˈtreɪ/
4) to tell somebody or make them aware of a piece of information, a feeling, etc., usually without meaning to synonym give away ex) But interviewees’ feelings about such policies betrayed the reality of their experience of them.
pass somebody↔over
to not consider somebody for promotion in a job, especially when they deserve it or think that they deserve it ex) I found these attitudes evident among my interviewees - even though, among the 1,463 jobs they discussed with me, there were only two cases in which someone might have been passed over for a job because of affirmative action policies benefiting African-Americans.
into preposition BrE /ˈɪntə/ ; NAmE /ˈɪntə/ ; BrE before vowels /ˈɪntu/ ; NAmE before vowels /ˈɪntu/ ; BrE strong form /ˈɪntuː/ ; NAmE strong form /ˈɪntuː/
4) to a point during a period of time ex) Into the late 1980s, things have changed in America’s payment schemes, perhaps in an absurd way.
pronounced adjective /prəˈnaʊnst/
very obvious or noticeable ex) Things look especially pronounced in the financial sector, the engine of the American economy.
for that matter
used to add a comment on something that you have just said ex) If you’re one of those workers, you know that very few small companies offer comprehensive health insurance - or, for that matter, any health insurance at all. I didn’t like it much. Nor did the kids, for that matter.
prohibitively adverb BrE /prəˈhɪbətɪvli/ ; NAmE /proʊˈhɪbətɪvli/
at such a high price that people are prevented from buying something or doing something synonym exorbitantly ex) Even when they do, premiums can be prohibitively expensive, because small businesses can’t negotiate the discounts given to large group plans.
pay-off noun BrE ; NAmE (informal)
3) an advantage or a reward from something you have done ex) Despite rising tuition and student-loan debt levels, the long-term payoff from earning a college degree is growing.
median adjective BrE /ˈmiːdiən/ ; NAmE /ˈmiːdiən/ only before noun
1) having a value in the middle of a series of values ex) The median earnings of full-time workers with bachelor’s degrees were $55,700 in 2008 - $21,900 more than those of workers who finished only high school.
faithfully adverb BrE /ˈfeɪθfəli/ ; NAmE /ˈfeɪθfəli/
2) in a loyal way; in a way that you can rely on ex) Starting in their 40s or 50s, most women in this country faithfully get a mammogram every year, as recommended by health officials.
mammogram noun BrE /ˈmæməɡræm/ ; NAmE /ˈmæməɡræm/
an examination of a breast using X-rays to check for cancer ex) Starting in their 40s or 50s, most women in this country faithfully get a mammogram every year, as recommended by health officials.
a close call/shave
1) a very difficult decision 2) something bad that almost happened ex) But a new study suggests that the decision about whether to have the screening test may now be a close call.
wash out
Fig. to deplete the strength or vitality of someone ex) While it is unlikely to settle the debate over mammograms, it indicates that improved treatments with hormonal therapy and other targeted drugs may have, in a way, washed out most of mammography’s benefits by making it less important to find cancers when they are too small to feel.
yet adverb BrE /jet/ ; NAmE /jet/
7) yet worse, more importantly, etc. used to emphasize an increase in the degree of something (= how bad, important, etc. it is) synonym even, still (used for making a comparison stronger) ex) Kindle2 was twice as fast as Nook. Kindle 3 is slightly faster yet. a recent and yet more improbable theory The next day was warmer still. If you can manage to get two tickets that’s better still. You know even less about it than I do. She’s even more intelligent than her sister.
rocker switch/button noun BrE ; NAmE (specialist)
a type of electrical switch often used, for example, for lights or electrical sockets, where you press one end down to switch it on, and the other end down to switch it off again ex) When you use the rocker button on Kindle3, the cursor moves almost immediately.
lag noun BrE /læɡ/ ; NAmE /læɡ/
1) an interval between one event or phenomenon and another ex) In contrast, when you use the virtual rocker button on Nook’s color touch screen, there is noticeable lag before the cursor moves.
shed verb BrE /ʃed/ ; NAmE /ʃed/ present simple I / you / we / they shed BrE /ʃed/ ; NAmE /ʃed/ he / she / it sheds BrE /ʃedz/ ; NAmE /ʃedz/ past simple shed BrE /ʃed/ ; NAmE /ʃed/ past participle shed BrE /ʃed/ ; NAmE /ʃed/ -ing form shedding BrE /ˈʃedɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈʃedɪŋ/
1) shed something (often used in newspapers) to get rid of something that is no longer wanted ex) It is time to shed that pesky few winter weight.
pesky adjective BrE /ˈpeski/ ; NAmE /ˈpeski/ only before noun
annoying ex) It is time to shed that pesky few winter weight.
flap verb BrE /flæp/ ; NAmE /flæp/
1) flap (something) if a bird flaps its wings, or if its wings flap, they move quickly up and down synonym beat ex) So we’re going to squat down and flap your wings, right over there, full extension.
fraught adjective BrE /frɔːt/ ; NAmE /frɔːt/
1) very worried and with a lot of problems ex) But that’s not the case in today’s fraught economy.
underlying adjective BrE /ˌʌndəˈlaɪɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˌʌndərˈlaɪɪŋ/ [only before noun]
1) underlying causes, facts, ideas etc are the real or basic ones, although they are not obvious or directly stated ex) Spending actually fell on goods - which are better measures of underlying demand.
cut something↔back
1) (also cut back (on something)) to reduce something ex) So rather than a sign of strength, spending figures for March show that money is tight, causing households to cut back on other spending in the face of higher spending on necessities.
in the face of something
2) as a result of something ex) So rather than a sign of strength, spending figures for March show that money is tight, causing households to cut back on other spending in the face of higher spending on necessities.
backdrop noun BrE /ˈbækdrɒp/ ; NAmE /ˈbækdrɑːp/ (British English also backcloth)
3) the general conditions in which an event takes place, which sometimes help to explain that event ex) Against that backdrop, it should come as no surprise that consumer confidence fell in April to a nine-month low, as measured by the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer-sentiment index.
low noun BrE /ləʊ/ ; NAmE /loʊ/
1) a low level or point; a low figure [fall/rise to a low/high] ex) Against that backdrop, it should come as no surprise that consumer confidence fell in April to a nine-month low, as measured by the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer-sentiment index. The yen has fallen to an all-time low against the dollar. fall/plunge to a new low: The euro fell to a new low against the dollar yesterday. a record/all-time low (=worse than ever before): Share prices hit an all-time low.
buoy verb BrE /bɔɪ/ ; NAmE /bɔɪ/ , also /ˈbuːi/ [usually passive]
3) buoy something (up) to keep prices at a high or acceptable level ex) It is also cause to think twice about claims that consumer spending will be buoyed by the wealth effect from rising home values and rising stock prices.
wealth effect
The wealth effect is the change in spending that accompanies a change in perceived wealth. Usually the wealth effect is positive: spending changes in the same direction as perceived wealth. The premise that when the value of stock portfolios rises due to escalating stock prices, investors feel more comfortable and secure about their wealth, causing them to spend more. For example, economists in 1968 were baffled when a 10% tax hike failed to slow down consumer spending. Later this continued spending was attributed to the wealth effect. While disposable income fell as a result of increased taxes, wealth was rising sharply as the stock market moved up. Undaunted, consumers continued their spending spree. ex) It is also cause to think twice about claims that consumer spending will be buoyed by the wealth effect from rising home values and rising stock prices.
foreclosure noun BrE /fɔːˈkləʊʒə(r)/ ; NAmE /fɔːrˈkloʊʒər/ uncountable, countable
the act of foreclosing on money that has been borrowed; an example of this ex) House prices have risen as the number of foreclosures and other distressed sales has declined.
distressed adjective BrE /dɪˈstrest/ ; NAmE /dɪˈstrest/
4) (formal or business) having problems caused by lack of money ex) House prices have risen as the number of foreclosures and other distressed sales has declined.
be here to stay, have come to stay
to be accepted or used by most people and therefore a permanent part of our lives ex) Is anyone convinced that those gains are here to stay?
tepid adjective
2) not very excited or enthusiastic synonym lukewarm ex) The economy is slowing - from an already tepid 2.5 percent annual growth rate in the first quarter, economists forecast growth of 1 percent to 1.5 percent in the second quarter.
blindly adverb BrE /ˈblaɪndli/ ; NAmE /ˈblaɪndli/
2) without thinking about what you are doing ex) The economy is slowing - from an already tepid 2.5 percent annual growth rate in the first quarter, economists forecast growth of 1 percent to 1.5 percent in the second quarter. Meanwhile, policymakers are blindly pursuing austerity.
austerity noun BrE /ɒˈsterəti/ , /ɔːˈsterəti/ ; NAmE /ɔːˈsterəti/ (pl. austerities)
1) [uncountable] a situation when people do not have much money to spend because there are bad economic conditions ex) The economy is slowing - from an already tepid 2.5 percent annual growth rate in the first quarter, economists forecast growth of 1 percent to 1.5 percent in the second quarter. Meanwhile, policymakers are blindly pursuing austerity.
on the cards(British English) (North American English in the cards)
(informal) likely to happen ex) Neither job growth nor pay raises are in the cards, and until they are, confidence will be hard to find and impossible to sustain.
incorporate verb BrE /ɪnˈkɔːpəreɪt/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈkɔːrpəreɪt/
1) to include something so that it forms a part of something ex) Two months ago, Billboard began incorporating YouTube views in the formula for computing its all-important Hot 100 singles chart, allowing viral-video smashes to reach No. 1 even if they trailed other songs in sales and airplay, two of the chart’s other criteria.
smash noun BrE /smæʃ/ ; NAmE /smæʃ/
4) (also smash hit) [countable] a song, film/movie or play that is very popular ex) Two months ago, Billboard began incorporating YouTube views in the formula for computing its all-important Hot 100 singles chart, allowing viral-video smashes to reach No. 1 even if they trailed other songs in sales and airplay, two of the chart’s other criteria.
trail verb BrE /treɪl/ ; NAmE /treɪl/
3) [intransitive, transitive] (used especially in the progressive tenses) to be losing a game or other contest ex) Two months ago, Billboard began incorporating YouTube views in the formula for computing its all-important Hot 100 singles chart, allowing viral-video smashes to reach No. 1 even if they trailed other songs in sales and airplay, two of the chart’s other criteria.
airplay noun BrE /ˈeəpleɪ/ ; NAmE /ˈerpleɪ/ [uncountable]
time that is spent broadcasting a particular record, performer, or type of music on the radio ex) Two months ago, Billboard began incorporating YouTube views in the formula for computing its all-important Hot 100 singles chart, allowing viral-video smashes to reach No. 1 even if they trailed other songs in sales and airplay, two of the chart’s other criteria.
embody verb BrE /ɪmˈbɒdi/ ; NAmE /ɪmˈbɑːdi/
to express or represent an idea or a quality synonym represent ex) If one artist embodies viral video smashes, it is Psy, the South Korean singer and rapper of “Gangnam Style.”
rack up something
(especially North American English) to collect something, such as profits or losses in a business, or points in a competition ex) His new song, “Gentleman,” was released two weeks ago, and immediately racked up big numbers on YouTube.
shoo-in noun
shoo-in (for something) shoo-in (to do something) (North American English, informal) a person or team that will win easily ex) It hit 100 million views in four days, and is now at about 218 million. Sounds like a shoo-in for No. 1, right?
catch on
to become popular or fashionable ex) “Gentleman” has also not caught on with pop radio (like “Gangnam Style,” it is sung mostly in Korean), and its sales are low for a song that is supposedly one of the most popular in the world.
channel verb BrE /ˈtʃænl/ ; NAmE /ˈtʃænl/
1) channel something (into something) to direct money, feelings, ideas, etc. towards a particular thing or purpose ex) So there’s no mystery about those investment banks channeling huge funds into high-risk financial derivatives and going all out to raise as much funds as they could to ‘grow the pie.’
chip in (with something)(informal)
2) (also chip in something) to give some money so that a group of people can buy something together synonym contribute *** shell out (for something) | shell something↔out (for something) (informal) to pay a lot of money for something synonym fork out (for something) ex) Meanwhile, those of us making a 400th of what the CEOs brought home were left chipping in what little we had to pull the financial industry out of the abyss.
abyss noun BrE /əˈbɪs/ ; NAmE /əˈbɪs/ usually singular
a very deep wide space or hole that seems to have no bottom ex) Meanwhile, those of us making a 400th of what the CEOs brought home were left chipping in what little we had to pull the financial industry out of the abyss.
deplore verb BrE /dɪˈplɔː(r)/ ; NAmE /dɪˈplɔːr/
deplore something (formal) to strongly disapprove of something and criticize it, especially publicly ex) US President Barak Obama deplored saying the CEO compensations turned out to be a reward for recklessness rather than for responsibility.
indignant adjective BrE /ɪnˈdɪɡnənt/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈdɪɡnənt/
feeling or showing anger and surprise because you think that you have been treated unfairly ex) Some Americans went so indignant as to call the Wall Street CEOs ‘flesh-eating bacteria.’
retort verb BrE /rɪˈtɔːt/ ; NAmE /rɪˈtɔːrt/
to reply quickly to a comment, in an angry, offended or humorous way ex) The CEOs, after all, are in no position to retort that.
juror noun BrE /ˈdʒʊərə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈdʒʊrər/
a member of a jury ex) Dr. Kermit Gosnell, led away in handcuffs today after jurors convicted him of murdering three babies.
botch verb BrE /bɒtʃ/ ; NAmE /bɑːtʃ/
botch something (up) (informal) to spoil something by doing it badly ex) Killing them with scissors after they were born during botched abortions he performed on women who where as much as seven months pregnant.
grisly adjective BrE /ˈɡrɪzli/ ; NAmE /ˈɡrɪzli/ usually before noun
extremely unpleasant and frightening and usually connected with death and violence ex) For two months, jurors heard often shocking, grisly (grizzly) testimony, including from members of Gosnell’s staff, who claimed they witnessed him killing live babies.
seize on something | seize upon something
to suddenly show a lot of interest in something, especially because you can use it to your advantage synonym pounce on/upon ex) Opponents of legalized abortion seized on this case.
aberration noun BrE /ˌæbəˈreɪʃn/ ; NAmE /ˌæbəˈreɪʃn/ countable, uncountable
a fact, an action or a way of behaving that is not usual, and that may be unacceptable ex) Well, Gosnell’s not an aberration. Abortion clinics are unregulated across our country and every year we see the deaths of women inside these abortion clinics.
epicentre noun (especially US English epicenter) BrE /ˈepɪsentə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈepɪsentər/
2) (formal) the central point of something ex) Sure enough, their gamble served as the epicenter of last year’s global financial crisis.
auspicious adjective BrE /ɔːˈspɪʃəs/ ; NAmE /ɔːˈspɪʃəs/ (formal)
showing signs that something is likely to be successful in the future synonym promising ex) Until she came to Washington DC to meet Barack Obama on May 7th and to address both houses of Congress the following day, South Korea’s new leader, Park Geun-hye, had not had an auspicious start to her presidency.
crank up↔something
to increase something ex) Meanwhile, North Korean provocations cranked up regional tensions.
inauguration noun BrE /ɪˌnɔːɡjəˈreɪʃn/ ; NAmE /ɪˌnɔːɡjəˈreɪʃn/
1) [uncountable, countable] a special ceremony at which a new public official or leader is introduced or a building or organization is officially opened ex) After testing a nuclear device shortly before Ms Park’s February inauguration, the North continued by threatening war and, last month, by denying South Korean managers entry to the Kaesong industrial complex.
deny verb BrE /dɪˈnaɪ/ ; NAmE /dɪˈnaɪ/
3) (formal) to refuse to allow somebody to have something that they want or ask for deny somebody something They were denied access to the information. deny something to somebody Access to the information was denied to them. ex) After testing a nuclear device shortly before Ms Park’s February inauguration, the North continued by threatening war and, last month, by denying South Korean managers entry to the Kaesong industrial complex.
rally noun BrE /ˈræli/ ; NAmE /ˈræli/
4) [singular] (in sport or on the Stock Exchange) an act of returning to a strong position after a period of difficulty or weakness synonym recovery ex) South Korean shares have signally failed to take part in this year’s Asia-wide rally.
rapport noun BrE /ræˈpɔː(r)/ ; NAmE /ræˈpɔːr/
[singular, uncountable] rapport (with somebody) rapport (between A and B) a friendly relationship in which people understand each other very well ex) Perhaps partly because of this rapport between the two leaders, things went better than Ms Park’s advisers dared hope.
belligerence noun BrE /bəˈlɪdʒərəns/ ; NAmE /bəˈlɪdʒərəns/ [uncountable]
2) (formal) the state of fighting a war or the act of going to war ex) Her visit was to mark the 60th anniversary of South Korea’s alliance with the United States, and North Korea’s recent belligerence underscored how the alliance’s chief reason for being is essentially unchanged since 1953: as a “bulwark of stability,” as Ms Park said, on a tricky peninsula.
underscore verb BrE /ˌʌndəˈskɔː(r)/ ; NAmE /ˌʌndərˈskɔːr/ (especially North American English) = underline
2) to emphasize or show that something is important or true ex) Her visit was to mark the 60th anniversary of South Korea’s alliance with the United States, and North Korea’s recent belligerence underscored how the alliance’s chief reason for being is essentially unchanged since 1953: as a “bulwark of stability,” as Ms Park said, on a tricky peninsula.
bulwark noun BrE /ˈbʊlwək/ ; NAmE /ˈbʊlwɜːrk/
1) [usually singular] bulwark (against something) (formal) a person or thing that protects or defends something ex) Her visit was to mark the 60th anniversary of South Korea’s alliance with the United States, and North Korea’s recent belligerence underscored how the alliance’s chief reason for being is essentially unchanged since 1953: as a “bulwark of stability,” as Ms Park said, on a tricky peninsula.
take to somebody | take to something
[no passive] to start liking somebody/something ex) Yet Ms Park cannot have been sure how Mr Obama and his administration would take to her proposals for managing relations with the North in future.
strike a balance (between A and B)
to manage to find a way of being fair to two opposing things; to find an acceptable position which is between two things ex) She calls them “trustpolitik,” aiming in broad terms to strike a balance between the hard line of her predecessor, Lee Myung-bak, and ht e “sunshine policy,” or uncritical engagement, of the two South Korean presidents before him.
let something off
to fire a gun or make a bomb, etc. explode ex) In principle, her approach consists of refusing to reward provocative behaviour (“give us more money and we will refrain from attacking you/letting off missiles/closing Kaesong”), while remaining open to engagement once North Korea demonstrates sincerity.
resort to something
to make use of something, especially something bad, as a means of achieving something, often because there is no other possible solution synonym recourse ex) Crucially, and in contrast to Mr Lee, Ms Park says she will strike back hard should the North ever again resort to violence.
unruffled adjective BrE /ʌnˈrʌfld/ ; NAmE /ʌnˈrʌfld/
(of a person) calm synonym unperturbed ex) Remaining unruffled in the face of provocations is part of the game, and both South Korea and America have played it well of late, as did foreign diplomats in Pyongyang who stayed when North Korea ordered them to leave or risk the consequences.
tantrum noun BrE /ˈtæntrəm/ ; NAmE /ˈtæntrəm/
a sudden short period of angry, unreasonable behaviour, especially in a child ex) And now Kim Jong Un, the North’s young ruler (who, some joke, probably learnt geopolitical strategy at the gaming console), may be climbing down after his staged tantrums.
at any rate(informal)
1) used to say that a particular fact is true despite what has happened in the past or what may happen in the future ex) At any rate, missile launchers visible from satellite imagery have recently been withdrawn from sites on the country’s east coast.
liability noun BrE /ˌlaɪəˈbɪləti/ ; NAmE /ˌlaɪəˈbɪləti/ (pl. liabilities)
2) [countable, usually singular] (informal) a person or thing that causes you a lot of problems ex) Hence a chief, if quieter, aim of Ms Park’s visit was to co-ordinate more closely over how to persuade China that the North is more of a strategic liability than an asset.
heartening adjective BrE /ˈhɑːtnɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈhɑːrtnɪŋ/
making you feel encouragement or hope opposite disheartening ex) It was heartening that the Bank of China this week said it had ended all business with North Korea’s chief overseas bank.
jugular noun BrE /ˈdʒʌɡjələ(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈdʒʌɡjələr/ (also jugular vein)
any of the three large veins in the neck that carry blood from the head towards the heart ex) China appears to be enforcing UN sanctions, even though they do not yet really go for the regime’s financial jugular.
rapturous adjective BrE /ˈræptʃərəs/ ; NAmE /ˈræptʃərəs/ [usually before noun]
expressing extreme pleasure or enthusiasm for somebody/something synonym ecstatic ex) Ms Park’s visit, and especially her rapturous welcome in Congress, brought pride to many of her compatriots, perhaps even to some who did not vote for her.
compatriot noun BrE /kəmˈpætriət/ ; NAmE /kəmˈpeɪtiət/
a person who was born in, or is a citizen of, the same country as somebody else synonym countryman ex) Ms Park’s visit, and especially her rapturous welcome in Congress, brought pride to many of her compatriots, perhaps even to some who did not vote for her.
punch above your weight
to be or try to be more successful than others in doing something that normally requires more skill, experience, money, etc. than you have ex) The country of 50m came fifth in the gold-medal list of the last Olympics; its biggest companies are global brands; its peacekeeping operations and foreign aid punch above the economy’s weight; and it has Gangnam cool.
reassure verb BrE /ˌriːəˈʃʊə(r)/ , /ˌriːəˈʃɔː(r)/ ; NAmE /ˌriːəˈʃʊr/
to say or do something that makes somebody less frightened or worried synonym put/set somebody’s mind at ease/rest ex) Ms Park brought with her to America many titans of corporate South Korea partly to reassure foreign investors.
philanthropy noun BrE /fɪˈlænθrəpi/ ; NAmE /fɪˈlænθrəpi/ [uncountable]
the practice of helping the poor and those in need, especially by giving money ex) As the year wanes and a new one draws near, heart-warming stories of philanthropy are never missing.
marginalize verb (British English also -ise) BrE /ˈmɑːdʒɪnəlaɪz/ ; NAmE /ˈmɑːrdʒɪnəlaɪz/
marginalize somebody to make somebody feel as if they are not important and cannot influence decisions or events; to put somebody in a position in which they have no power ex) Charities have always been there offering hope and courage to the socially marginalized.
mud·sling·ing /ˈmʌdˌslɪŋ.ɪŋ/ noun [U]
the act of saying insulting or unfair things about someone, especially to try to damage their reputation ex) Well, I really don’t know whether they would care at all about those poor neighbors in a competition where mudslinging, not policies, is the name of the game.
give somebody the benefit of the doubt
to accept that somebody has told the truth or has not done something wrong because you cannot prove that they have not told the truth/have done something wrong ex) I’m hardly convinced but giving them the benefit of the doubt.
epitome noun BrE /ɪˈpɪtəmi/ ; NAmE /ɪˈpɪtəmi/
[singular] the epitome of something (formal) a perfect example of something synonym embodiment ex) She is the epitome of Hollywood glamour and beauty, voted the most beautiful woman in the world many times over.
carry on (with something) | carry something↔on
to continue doing something ex) She kept it private and carried on with her work.
claim sb’s life
If a violent event, fighting, or a disease claims someone’s life, it kills that person: ex) But the Oscar-winning actress hints she may still have to deal with the high chance of developing ovarian cancer which claimed her mother’s life at the age of 56.
ovary noun BrE /ˈəʊvəri/ ; NAmE /ˈoʊvəri/ (pl. ovaries)
1) either of the two organs in a woman’s body that produce eggs; a similar organ in female animals, birds and fish ` ex) In “The New York Times” today, she writes her doctors estimated she had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer.
hold out
2) to resist or survive in a dangerous or difficult situation ex) She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms.
proactive adjective BrE /ˌprəʊˈæktɪv/ ; NAmE /ˌproʊˈæktɪv/
(of a person or policy) controlling a situation by making things happen rather than waiting for things to happen and then reacting to them ex) Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could.
mastectomy noun BrE /mæˈstektəmi/ ; NAmE /mæˈstektəmi/ (pl. mastectomies)
a medical operation to remove a person’s breast ex) I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy.
susceptible adjective BrE /səˈseptəbl/ ; NAmE /səˈseptəbl/
1) [not usually before noun] susceptible (to somebody/something) very likely to be influenced, harmed or affected by somebody/something ex) But today it is possible to find out through ta blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action.
duct noun BrE /dʌkt/ ; NAmE /dʌkt/
1) a pipe or tube carrying liquid, gas, electric or telephone wires, etc. 2) a tube in the body or in plants through which liquid passes ex) My own process began on Feb. 2 with a procedure known as a “nipple delay,” which rules out disease in the breast ducts behind the nipple and draws extra blood flow to the area.
holistic adjective BrE /həʊˈlɪstɪk/ ; NAmE /hoʊˈlɪstɪk/ ; BrE /hɒˈlɪstɪk/ ; NAmE /hɑːˈlɪstɪk/
1) (informal) considering a whole thing or being to be more than a collection of parts 2) (medical) treating the whole person rather than just the symptoms (= effects) of a disease ex) I acknowledge that there are many wonderful holistic doctors working on alternatives to surgery.
regimen noun BrE /ˈredʒɪmən/ ; NAmE /ˈredʒɪmən/ (also regime) (medical or formal)
a set of rules about food and exercise or medical treatment that you follow in order to stay healthy or to improve your health ex) My own regimen will be posted in due course on the Web site of the Pink Lotus Breast Center.
in due course
at the right time and not before ex) My own regimen will be posted in due course on the Web site of the Pink Lotus Breast Center.
means noun BrE /miːnz/ ; NAmE /miːnz/ (pl. means)
2) [plural] the money that a person has ex) It has got to be a priority to ensure that more women can access gene testing and lifesaving preventive treatment, whatever their means and background, wherever they live.
take somebody↔on
2) [no passive] to play against somebody in a game or contest; to fight against somebody ex) Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of.
estranged adjective BrE /ɪˈstreɪndʒd/ ; NAmE /ɪˈstreɪndʒd/ (formal)
2) estranged (from somebody) no longer friendly, loyal or in contact with somebody 3) estranged (from something) no longer involved in or connected with something, especially something that used to be important to you ex) Prisoners living in solitude and surrounded by grey walls are being denied even the right to die and staying completely estranged from the outside world.
impairment noun BrE /ɪmˈpeəmənt/ ; NAmE /ɪmˈpermənt/ uncountable, countable
the state of having a physical or mental condition which means that part of your body or brain does not work correctly; a particular condition of this sort ex) We can demonstrate significant impairments. You are 38% more likely to be involved in a crash at 0.05.
vigilance noun BrE /ˈvɪdʒɪləns/ ; NAmE /ˈvɪdʒɪləns/ uncountable
great care that is taken to notice any signs of danger or trouble synonym watchfulness ex) The board says even at 0.04, your vigilance is affected.
weave verb BrE /wiːv/ ; NAmE /wiːv/ present simple I / you / we / they weave BrE /wiːv/ ; NAmE /wiːv/ he / she / it weaves BrE /wiːvz/ ; NAmE /wiːvz/ past simple wove BrE /wəʊv/ ; NAmE /woʊv/ past participle woven BrE /ˈwəʊvn/ ; NAmE /ˈwoʊvn/ -ing form weaving BrE /ˈwiːvɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈwiːvɪŋ/
In sense 4) weaved BrE /wiːvd/ ; NAmE /wiːvd/ is used for the past tense and past participle. 4) [intransitive, transitive] to move along by running and changing direction continuously to avoid things that are in your way ex) Oh, he’s weaving all over the place. He had to weave his way through the milling crowds.
fall victim (to something)
(formal) to be injured, damaged or killed by something ex) It turns out, she’d fallen victim to a growing scam that could happen to you. Many plants have fallen victim to the sudden frost.
waive verb BrE /weɪv/ ; NAmE /weɪv/
waive something to choose not to demand something in a particular case, even though you have a legal or official right to do so synonym forgo ex) But after being contacted by ABC News, both AT&T and her company Charter got back to Melissa today saying they would be waiving all the charges.
embed verb (also imbed) BrE /ɪmˈbed/ ; NAmE /ɪmˈbed/ [usually passive]
2) to make something a fixed and important part of something else be embedded in something ex) They beauty of stories is that they embed real cultural wisdom in a specific context.
from/since time immemorial (literary)
for longer than anyone can remember ex) Poverty has been with us from time immemorial.
game changer noun
a person, an idea or an event that completely changes the way a situation develops ex) But according to a new British study, this time lapse video of a developing embryo could be a game changer.
IVF noun BrE /ˌaɪ viː ˈef/ ; NAmE /ˌaɪ viː ˈef/ uncountable
the abbreviation for ‘in vitro fertilization’ (a process which fertilizes an egg from a woman outside her body. The egg is then put inside her uterus to develop.) ex) A simple technique that promises to double the success rate of the hugely popular fertility treatment known as IVF.
replicate verb BrE /ˈreplɪkeɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈreplɪkeɪt/
1) [transitive] replicate something (formal) to copy something exactly synonym duplicate ex) It was a small study, only about 70 couples, so the findings still need to be replicated.
heist noun BrE /haɪst/ ; NAmE /haɪst/
(informal, especially North American English) an act of stealing something valuable from a shop/store or bank synonym robbery ex) Tonight, police are trying to piece together the clues in a dramatic jewel heist.
glitz noun BrE /ɡlɪts/ ; NAmE /ɡlɪts/ uncountable
the quality of appearing very attractive, exciting and impressive, in a way that is not always genuine ex) The glitz and glamour of the iconic Cannes Film Festival.
make off with something
to steal something and hurry away with it ex) Just blocks from the red carpet at a hotel in the center of town, thieves made off with more than $1 million worth of jewelry, according to investigators, ripping a safe right out of the wall.
premises noun BrE /ˈpremɪsɪz/ ; NAmE /ˈpremɪsɪz/ [plural]
the building and land near to it that a business owns or uses ex) An employee of the Chopard house has been victim of a robbery last night in their hotel room, while they were not present on the premises.
lure noun BrE /lʊə(r)/ , /ljʊə(r)/ ; NAmE /lʊr/
1) [usually singular] the attractive qualities of something ex) The French Riviera, long been a lure for thieves, as Alfred Hitchcock revealed in “To Catch a Thief.”
drip verb BrE /drɪp/ ; NAmE /drɪp/
3) [intransitive, transitive] to contain or hold a lot of something ex) Jennifer Garner was dripping in diamonds this year, a necklace, earrings and bracelet worth $2.5 million. The trees were dripping with fruit. His voice dripped sarcasm.
big time adverb/adjective BrE ; NAmE (informal)
on a large scale; to a great extent ex) Here at Cannes, big-time security protects not just the ladies, but the loot. This time they’ve messed up big time!
loot noun BrE /luːt/ ; NAmE /luːt/ [uncountable]
2) (informal) money and valuable objects that have been stolen by thieves ex) Here at Cannes, big-time security protects not just the ladies, but the loot.
photo opportunity noun
an occasion when a famous person arranges to be photographed doing something that will impress the public ex) Well, beyond the photo op, there is plenty of security here on the red carpet behind me, guarding the stars and starlets.
wrestle verb BrE /ˈresl/ ; NAmE /ˈresl/
[intransitive, transitive] to struggle to deal with something that is difficult synonym battle, grapple ex) Wrestling with my newspaper on the subway recently, I noticed the woman next to me reading a book on her smartphone.
nimble adjective BrE /ˈnɪmbl/ ; NAmE /ˈnɪmbl/ (nimbler BrE /ˈnɪmblə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈnɪmblər/ , nimblest BrE /ˈnɪmblɪst/ ; NAmE /ˈnɪmblɪst/
1) able to move quickly and easily synonym agile 2) (of the mind) able to think and understand quickly ex) While publishers have been nimble about marketing e-books to consumers, until very recently they’ve been mostly unwilling to sell e-books to libraries to lend, fearful that doing so would hurt their business, which is under considerable pressure.
by/in fits and starts
frequently starting and stopping again; not continuously ex) Negotiations between the nation’s libraries and the Big Six publishers - Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Groupo, Random House and Simon & Schuster, which publish roughly two-thirds of the books in America - have gone in fits and starts.
holdout noun
1) a person who refuses to reach an agreement until certain terms are met : a person who holds out 2) an act of holding out for something 3) a person who continues to do or use something after others have stopped doing or using it ex) Today Hachette, which had been a holdout, is joining the others in announcing that it will make e-books available to public libraries.
consensus noun BrE /kənˈsensəs/ ; NAmE /kənˈsensəs/ [singular, uncountable]
an opinion that all members of a group agree with ex) This is a big step, as it represents, for the first time, a consensus among the Big Six, at least in principle, that their e-books should be made available to library users.
repository noun BrE /rɪˈpɒzətri/ ; NAmE /rɪˈpɑːzətɔːri/ (pl. repositories) (formal)
1) a place where something is stored in large quantities ex) Libraries remain essential repositories of books, periodicals and research collections, but they are also places to check e-mail and browse the Web - a third of New Yorkers lack home broadband - and to learn computer skills, seek jobs and get information about government benefits.
back out (of something)
to decide that you are no longer going to take part in something that has been agreed ex) While HarperCollins, in 2003, was the first to provide access, after the downturn, it limited the number of times each e-book could be lent, while Hachette decided to no longer sell new e-books to libraries, and Penguin, which had agreed to do so, said it might back out.
come around
(to doing something) to agree to do something eventually, after a long wait ex) To their credit, the publishers have now each come around.
imprint noun BrE /ˈɪmprɪnt/ ; NAmE /ˈɪmprɪnt/
3) (specialist) the name of the publisher of a book, usually printed below the title on the first page ex) Today’s announcement by Hachette (whose imprints include Little, Brown) is the capstone of that process.
capstone noun BrE /ˈkæpstəʊn/ ; NAmE /ˈkæpstoʊn/
2) (especially North American English) the best and final thing that somebody achieves, thought of as making their career or life complete ex) Today’s announcement by Hachette (whose imprints include Little, Brown) is the capstone of that process.
sort somebody out | sort something out | sort yourself out
(especially British English) to deal with somebody’s/your own problems successfully ex) Many issues still need to be sorted out.
enterprise noun BrE /ˈentəpraɪz/ ; NAmE /ˈentərpraɪz/
[C or U] an organization, especially a business, or a difficult and important plan, especially one that will earn money ex) We have every interest in seeing that publishers remain sustainable enterprises and that authors are paid fairly for their work.
imperative noun BrE /ɪmˈperətɪv/ ; NAmE /ɪmˈperətɪv/
1) (formal) a thing that is very important and needs immediate attention or action ex) But those economic imperatives must be considered alongside the role of libraries in a democratic society.
go hungry
to miss a meal and end up hungry ex) There’s no lack of heart-breaking stories like a mother of a new-born baby caught stealing things to feed her little one going hungry and wet.
lest conjunction BrE /lest/ ; NAmE /lest/ (formal or literary)
1) in order to prevent something from happening ex) Is there anything we could do to help the kids lying on their back trying to fall asleep lest they feel hunger? He gripped his brother’s arm lest he be trampled by the mob. Lest anyone should doubt my story, I have brought documents to attest to its truth. 2) used to introduce the reason for the particular emotion mentioned ex) She was afraid lest she had revealed too much.
wake-up call noun
2) an event that makes people realize that there is a problem that they need to do something about ex) Next, a new report tonight that is likely to give a lot of Americans a wake-up call just in time for this long weekend ahead.
shape up
1) to develop in a particular way, especially in a good way ex) Memorial Day holiday is shaping up to be as busy as ever.
get away
1) to have a holiday/vacation ex) More than 31 million Americans are expected to drive more than 50 miles to get away, between tomorrow and Monday.
be in for sth
to be going to experience something unpleasant very soon ex) And many will be in for a surprise, a dramatic hike in gas prices. The weather forecast says we’re in for heavy rain this evening. You’ll be in for it (= you’ll be in trouble) if you don’t do what she tells you.
plateau verb BrE /ˈplætəʊ/ ; NAmE /plæˈtoʊ/
[intransitive] plateau (out) to stay at a steady level after a period of growth or progress synonym level off | level out 1) to stop rising or falling and remain horizontal 2) to stay at a steady level of development or progress after a period of sharp rises or falls ex) And while the record prices have plateaued, experts say drivers on the coast should buckle up.
pump noun BrE /pʌmp/ ; NAmE /pʌmp/
5) (informal) the place where consumers purchase gasoline ex) Americans pay the most at the pump during summer months.
heed verb BrE /hiːd/ ; NAmE /hiːd/
heed somebody/something (formal) to pay careful attention to somebody’s advice or warning synonym notice ex) The best advice? Heed the warnings and instructions on the rides, and if your child can’t follow the rules, get ice cream instead.
at a pinch(British English) (North American English in a pinch)
something that you can do at a pinch can be done if it is really necessary, but it will be difficult, not perfect, or not what you would really like ex) It’s the easy bit in fact, you go into a dark place. Big cupboards are very useful generally, toilets at a pinch.
stumble noun BrE /ˈstʌmbl/ ; NAmE /ˈstʌmbl/
1) (informal) a problem or temporary failure when you are on the way to achieving something ex) Think of the moment you’re going to and you’ll find yourself there, after a bit of a stumble and a rumble and a tumble.
rumble noun BrE /ˈrʌmbl/ ; NAmE /ˈrʌmbl/
1) [uncountable, countable] rumble (of something) a long deep sound or series of sounds ex) Think of the moment you’re going to and you’ll find yourself there, after a bit of a stumble and a rumble and a tumble.
tumble noun BrE /ˈtʌmbl/ ; NAmE /ˈtʌmbl/
1) [countable, usually singular] a sudden fall ex) Think of the moment you’re going to and you’ll find yourself there, after a bit of a stumble and a rumble and a tumble.
plump for somebody | plump for something
(informal) to choose somebody/something from a number of people or things, especially after thinking carefully ex) Wow. This is as good a reaction as any. I think I plumped for fuuuuuuuuck.
as good a time/place etc as any
not an especially good time/place etc to do something, but not worse than any other ex) Wow. This is as good a reaction as any. I think I plumped for fuuuuuuuuck. This is as good a time as any to get started. I guess now’s as good a time as any to tell Dad about the car.
incarcerate verb BrE /ɪnˈkɑːsəreɪt/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈkɑːrsəreɪt/
[usually passive] incarcerate somebody (in something) (formal) to put somebody in prison or in another place from which they cannot escape synonym imprison ex) Most of the roughly 2.2m incarcerated Americans will eventually be freed.
loved one noun [C usually plural]
a person that you love, usually a member of your family ex) Those who remain in contact with loved ones on the outside are less likely, studies show, to return to a life of crime after serving their time.
mug verb BrE /mʌɡ/ ; NAmE /mʌɡ/
1) [transitive] mug somebody to attack somebody violently in order to steal their money, especially in a public place ex) Much as voters hate criminals, they also have an interest in not being mugged.
incur verb BrE /ɪnˈkɜː(r)/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈkɜːr/ (formal)
2) incur something if you incur costs, you have to pay them ex) Prisoners’ families tend to be poor. Talking to a brother, son or father behind bars can incur an upfront fee as high as $4.99; per-minute charges may reach $0.89. The investment incurred $4m in losses.
at liberty
(formal) (of a prisoner or an animal) no longer in prison or in a cage synonym free ex) Americans at liberty, even if they don’t have Skype, can easily get unlimited domestic calls for $9.99 a month.
contraband noun BrE /ˈkɒntrəbænd/ ; NAmE /ˈkɑːntrəbænd/ [uncountable]
goods that are illegally taken into or out of a country ex) The result is high prices and a booming trade among inmates in contraband mobile phones.
to be fair
considering everything that has an effect on a situation, so that a fair judgment can be made ex) To be fair, phones in prisons require special security features, such as the ability to record, monitor and block calls.
discretionary adjective BrE /dɪˈskreʃənəri/ ; NAmE /dɪˈskreʃəneri/ [usually before noun] (formal)
decided according to the judgement of a person in authority about what is necessary in each particular situation; not decided by rules ex) These commissions provide a ready source of discretionary money for cash-strapped prison systems to cope with a rising inmate population.
cash-strapped adjective BrE ; NAmE [only before noun]
without enough money ex) These commissions provide a ready source of discretionary money for cash-strapped prison systems to cope with a rising inmate population.
clout noun BrE /klaʊt/ ; NAmE /klaʊt/
1) [uncountable] power and influence ex) But they do so by taking money from those whom Foster Campbell, one of Louisiana’s five public-service commissioners, calls “the least of these… poor people in bad situations [with] no voice… and no political clout.”
exorbitant adjective BrE /ɪɡˈzɔːbɪtənt/ ; NAmE /ɪɡˈzɔːrbɪtənt/ (formal)
(of a price) much too high ex) No politician wants to be seen as soft on criminals, but exorbitant charges also hurt the 2.7m children who have a parent behind bars.
extort verb BrE /ɪkˈstɔːt/ ; NAmE /ɪkˈstɔːrt/
extort something (from somebody) to make somebody give you something by threatening them ex) But Eleanor Holmes Norton, a congresswoman from Washington, DC, and the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus’s Prison Telecom Reform Working Group, blames loose regulation, which has allowed companies to “extort excessive telephone rates from the people in society least able to pay them.”
FCC abbreviation /ˌɛf si ˈsi/ Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission(the U.S. government department that controls radio, television, telephone, and other communications) ex) That may soon change. More than a decade after a federal court ruled that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may regulate prison phone calls, including “the reasonableness of rates,” the agency has taken notice.
onwards adverb BrE /ˈɒnwədz/ ; NAmE /ˈɑːnwərdz/ , /ˈɔːnwərdz/ (especially British English) (usually North American English onward BrE /ˈɒnwəd/ ; NAmE /ˈɑːnwərd/ , /ˈɔːnwərd/)
1) (from… onwards) continuing from a particular time ex) The Ministry of Justice says more than one in two ex-convicts released in 1998 and onward lapsed.
lapse into something
2) to start speaking or behaving in a different way, often one that is less acceptable ex) The Ministry of Justice says more than one in two ex-convicts released in 1998 and onward lapsed.
turn over a new leaf
to change your way of life to become a better, more responsible person ex) For an ex-offender to get a job and turn over a new leaf in a prejudiced society like ours is a tall order.
tall order
a request that is difficult to fulfill (typically: be ~; give someone ~) ex) For an ex-offender to get a job and turn over a new leaf in a prejudiced society like ours is a tall order. That’s a tall order. Do you think anyone can do it? Well, it’s a tall order, but I’ll do it.
Columbine High School massacre
The Columbine High School massacre or simply Columbine was a school shooting that occurred on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County in the state of Colorado. In addition to the shootings, the complex and highly planned attack involved a fire bomb to divert firefighters, propane tanks converted to bombs placed in the cafeteria, 99 explosive devices, and bombs rigged in cars. The perpetrators, two senior students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered a total of 12 students and one teacher. They injured 21 additional people, with three others being injured while attempting to escape the school. The pair then committed suicide. Although their motives remain unclear, the personal journals of the perpetrators document that they wished their actions to rival the Oklahoma City bombing, as well as other deadly incidents that occurred in the United States in the 1990s. The attack has been referred to by USA Today as a “suicidal attack [that was] planned as a grand—if badly implemented—terrorist bombing.” The massacre is reported as being “the deadliest high school shooting in US history.” The massacre sparked debate over gun control laws, the availability of firearms within the United States and gun violence involving youths. Much discussion also centered on the nature of high school cliques, subcultures and bullying, in addition to the influence of violent movies and video games in American society. The shooting resulted in an increased emphasis on school security with zero tolerance policies, and a moral panic aimed at goth culture, social outcasts, gun culture, the use of pharmaceutical anti-depressants by teenagers, teenage Internet use and violence in video games.
revelation noun BrE /ˌrevəˈleɪʃn/ ; NAmE /ˌrevəˈleɪʃn/
1) [countable] revelation (about/concerning something) | revelation (that…) a fact that people are made aware of, especially one that has been secret and is surprising synonym disclosure ex) Tonight, new revelations, 17-year-old Grand Acord may have dropped hints to classmates about the massacre police say he was planning at his Oregon high school.
stockpile noun BrE /ˈstɒkpaɪl/ ; NAmE /ˈstɑːkpaɪl/
a large supply of something that is kept to be used in the future if necessary ex) Police say they found a stockpile of homemade explosives in the teenager’s bedroom, pipe bombs, napalm bombs Molotov cocktails, along with detailed plans, even a date for an attack.
napalm noun BrE /ˈneɪpɑːm/ ; NAmE /ˈneɪpɑːm/ [uncountable]
a substance like jelly, made from petrol/gas, that burns and is used in making bombs ex) Police say they found a stockpile of homemade explosives in the teenager’s bedroom, pipe bombs, napalm bombs Molotov cocktails, along with detailed plans, even a date for an attack.
Molotov cocktail noun BrE /ˌmɒlətɒf ˈkɒkteɪl/ ; NAmE /ˌmɑːlətɔːf ˈkɑːkteɪl/ , /ˌmɔːlətɔːf ˈkɑːkteɪl/ (British English also petrol bomb)
a simple bomb that consists of a bottle filled with petrol/gas and a piece of cloth in the end that is made to burn just before the bomb is thrown ex) Police say they found a stockpile of homemade explosives in the teenager’s bedroom, pipe bombs, napalm bombs Molotov cocktails, along with detailed plans, even a date for an attack.
hurl verb BrE /hɜːl/ ; NAmE /hɜːrl/
1) [transitive] hurl something/somebody + adv./prep. to throw something/somebody violently in a particular direction 2) [transitive] hurl abuse, accusations, insults, etc. (at somebody) to shout insults, etc. at somebody ex) You’ll remember the coach caught on tape at Rutgers, hurling basketballs and slurs at those players.
slur noun BrE /slɜː(r)/ ; NAmE /slɜːr/
1) slur (on somebody/something) an unfair remark about somebody/something that may damage other people’s opinion of them synonym insult ex) You’ll remember the coach caught on tape at Rutgers, hurling basketballs and slurs at those players.
firestorm noun BrE /ˈfaɪəstɔːm/ ; NAmE /ˈfaɪərstɔːrm/
a very large fire, usually started by bombs, that is not under control and is made worse by the winds that it causes ex) And there is a different kind of video generating a firestorm this time. (figurative) a firestorm of criticism
damning adjective BrE /ˈdæmɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈdæmɪŋ/
critical of somebody/something; suggesting that somebody is guilty ex) She’s the woman Rutgers hired to fix the athletic department after that damning video of ex-coach Mike Rice berating players.
berate verb BrE /bɪˈreɪt/ ; NAmE /bɪˈreɪt/
berate somebody/yourself (formal) to criticize or speak angrily to somebody because you do not approve of something they have done ex) She’s the woman Rutgers hired to fix the athletic department after that damning video of ex-coach Mike Rice berating players.
allegation noun BrE /ˌæləˈɡeɪʃn/ ; NAmE /ˌæləˈɡeɪʃn/
a public statement that is made without giving proof, accusing somebody of doing something that is wrong or illegal synonym accusation ex) Now Julie Hermann is facing allegations that she was abusive while coaching the University of Tennessee’s women’s volleyball team.
tenure noun BrE /ˈtenjə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈtenjər/ [uncountable]
1) the period of time when somebody holds an important job, especially a political one; the act of holding an important job ex) Late today, Hermann issued a statement saying she never knew about the letter, admitting she was “an intense coach,” but adding, I am truly sorry that some were disappointed during my tenure.
cheeky adjective BrE /ˈtʃiːki/ ; NAmE /ˈtʃiːki/ (cheekier, cheekiest)(informal)
rude in an amusing or an annoying way ex) So you always know that underneath sh’s still just the same. She’s a cheeky normal girl, naked on the beach.
pivotal adjective BrE /ˈpɪvətl/ ; NAmE /ˈpɪvətl/
of great importance because other things depend on it ex) It’s a pivotal moment in the film, coming after descriptions of numerous cases linking cell towers and phones to biological harm: cancer clusters in a small town, the collapse of bee colonies, the decline of migratory bird populations, and a rising number of people afflicted by electromagnetic hypersensitivity (a popular butt of jokes about crazies wearing aluminum hats).
afflict verb BrE /əˈflɪkt/ ; NAmE /əˈflɪkt/ often passive
to affect somebody/something in an unpleasant or harmful way ex) It’s a pivotal moment in the film, coming after descriptions of numerous cases linking cell towers and phones to biological harm: cancer clusters in a small town, the collapse of bee colonies, the decline of migratory bird populations, and a rising number of people afflicted by electromagnetic hypersensitivity (a popular butt of jokes about crazies wearing aluminum hats).
butt of a joke
the reason for or aim of a joke, especially when it is a person ex) It’s a pivotal moment in the film, coming after descriptions of numerous cases linking cell towers and phones to biological harm: cancer clusters in a small town, the collapse of bee colonies, the decline of migratory bird populations, and a rising number of people afflicted by electromagnetic hypersensitivity (a popular butt of jokes about crazies wearing aluminum hats).
anthropomorphic adjective BrE /ˌænθrəpəˈmɔːfɪk/ ; NAmE /ˌænθrəpəˈmɔːrfɪk/
(of beliefs or ideas) treating gods, animals or objects as if they had human qualities ex) They’ve studied the thermal effects of this radiation in laboratory experiments, testing phones on a dummy head, or Specific Anthropomorphic Mannequin (SAM), to measure where a phone can be safely held.
model on/upon/after
[OFTEN PASSIVE] model something on something to copy a way of doing something or a system A much more troublesome aspect is that the SAM skull is modeled on soldiers’ heads, which tend to be larger than most adult heads and, more importantly, much bigger and thicker than those of vulnerable children and teen cell users.
compunction noun BrE /kəmˈpʌŋkʃn/ ; NAmE /kəmˈpʌŋkʃn/ [uncountable]
(also [C] in NAmE) compunction (about doing something) (formal) a guilty feeling about doing something ex) And as we noted here in July, these companies have no compunction about using a public relations scheme to “war-game the science” in order to spread doubt and confusion about the dangers of mobile communication.
game verb BrE /ɡeɪm/ ; NAmE /ɡeɪm/
3) [transitive] game something to use something in a way that is unfair but legal, in order to get what you want ex) And as we noted here in July, these companies have no compunction about using a public relations scheme to “war-game the science” in order to spread doubt and confusion about the dangers of mobile communication.
discredit verb BrE /dɪsˈkredɪt/ ; NAmE /dɪsˈkredɪt/
1) discredit somebody/something to make people stop respecting somebody/something ex) The trick involves discrediting researchers who report evidence of harm while backing scholarship that reports reassuring findings a sham that worked with disastrous success for tobacco corporations for decades.
sham noun BrE /ʃæm/ ; NAmE /ʃæm/ (disapproving)
1) [singular] a situation, feeling, system, etc. that is not as good or true as it seems to be ex) The trick involves discrediting researchers who report evidence of harm while backing scholarship that reports reassuring findings a sham that worked with disastrous success for tobacco corporations for decades.
disastrous adjective BrE /dɪˈzɑːstrəs/ ; NAmE /dɪˈzæstrəs/
very bad, harmful or unsuccessful synonym catastrophic, devastating ex) The trick involves discrediting researchers who report evidence of harm while backing scholarship that reports reassuring findings a sham that worked with disastrous success for tobacco corporations for decades.
building block noun
2) building blocks [plural] parts that are joined together in order to make a large thing exist ex) The billions of neurons in our brains use electricity to function and communicate, as do all living cells, DNA, genes, and the rest of the building blocks of life.
underlie verb BrE /ˌʌndəˈlaɪ/ ; NAmE /ˌʌndərˈlaɪ/
[no passive] underlie something (formal) to be the basis or cause of something ex) Disruption of this ability is said to underlie the disorders affecting these species.
pineal noun BrE /paɪˈniːəl/ ; NAmE /paɪˈniːəl/ (also pineal gland) (anatomy)
a small organ in the brain that releases a hormone ex) They tell our bodies when it’s dark and when to sleep, two important triggers for the pineal gland’s production of the hormone melatonin, which has important antioxidant properties and forms part of our immunological system, potentially helping fight cancer.
antioxidant noun BrE /ˌæntiˈɒksɪdənt/ ; NAmE /ˌæntiˈɑːksɪdənt/
1) (biology) a substance such as vitamin C or E that removes dangerous molecules, etc., such as free radicals from the body ex) They tell our bodies when it’s dark and when to sleep, two important triggers for the pineal gland’s production of the hormone melatonin, which has important antioxidant properties and forms part of our immunological system, potentially helping fight cancer.
immunological adjective BrE /ˌɪmjunəˈlɒdʒɪkl/ ; NAmE /ˌɪmjunəˈlɑːdʒɪkl/
connected with the scientific study of protection against disease ex) They tell our bodies when it’s dark and when to sleep, two important triggers for the pineal gland’s production of the hormone melatonin, which has important antioxidant properties and forms part of our immunological system, potentially helping fight cancer.
ionosphere noun BrE /aɪˈɒnəsfɪə(r)/ ; NAmE /aɪˈɑːnəsfɪr/ the ionosphere [singular]
이온층 (전리층) a layer of the earth’s atmosphere between about 80 and 1 000 kilometres above the surface of the earth, that reflects radio waves around the earth cf) stratosphere noun BrE /ˈstrætəsfɪə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈstrætəsfɪr/ the stratosphere [singular] 성층권 the layer of the earth’s atmosphere between about 10 and 50 kilometres above the surface of the earth ex) Naturally occurring EMF is generated by the electrical activity of lightning and moves around the planet in waves that bounce off the ionosphere.
piffle noun BrE /ˈpɪfl/ ; NAmE /ˈpɪfl/ [uncountable] (old-fashioned, informal)
nonsense synonym rubbish ex) It can sound like new-age piffle, but our brains have evolved to resonate in very basic ways with the planet.
advent noun BrE /ˈædvent/ ; NAmE /ˈædvent/
1) [singular] the advent of something/somebody the coming of an important event, person, invention, etc. ex) And here’s the main point: the advent of manufactured, artificial EMF radiation has altered our electromagnetic environment on a scale that is unprecedented in evolutionary history.
unprecedented adjective BrE /ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/ ; NAmE /ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/
that has never happened, been done or been known before ex) And here’s the main point: the advent of manufactured, artificial EMF radiation has altered our electromagnetic environment on a scale that is unprecedented in evolutionary history.
control group
A researcher must only measure one variable at a time, and using a scientific control group gives reliable baseline data to compare their results with. For example, a medical study will use two groups, giving one set of patients the real medicine and the other a placebo, in order to rule out the placebo effect. ex) At least when the tobacco industries lied to us, we could point to a naturally-occurring control group of healthy non-smokers to call their hacking bluff.
bluff noun BrE /blʌf/ ; NAmE /blʌf/
1) uncountable, countable] an attempt to trick somebody by making them believe that you will do something when you really have no intention of doing it, or that you know something when you do not, in fact, know it ex) At least when the tobacco industries lied to us, we could point to a naturally-occurring control group of healthy non-smokers to call their hacking bluff.
carcinogenic adjective BrE /ˌkɑːsɪnəˈdʒenɪk/ ; NAmE /ˌkɑːrsɪnəˈdʒenɪk/
likely to cause cancer ex) The World Health Organization’s International agency for Research on Cancer advised two year ago that the family of frequencies that includes cellphone emissions “is possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
call on
1) (call on or call upon/call on someone/something to do something) to officially ask a person or organization to do something ex) And in August this year, the American Academy of Pediatrics called on the Federal Communications Commission and the Food and Drug Administration to revise EMF standards to account for different peoples’ vulnerability to cancer from cell phones, notably pregnant women and children.
do somebody/something the world of good
to make somebody feel much better; to improve something ex) Maybe a goo night’s rest, low-wattage entertainments, and a walk outdoors would do a world of good.
staggering adjective BrE /ˈstæɡərɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈstæɡərɪŋ/ (rather informal)
so great, shocking or surprising that it is difficult to believe synonym astounding ex) With thanks to David, we turn next to what’s being called a staggering security breach, a report that Chinese hackers gained access to the blueprints of some of the nation’s most advanced weapons.
compromise verb BrE /ˈkɒmprəmaɪz/ ; NAmE /ˈkɑːmprəmaɪz/
3) [transitive] compromise somebody/something/yourself to bring somebody/something/yourself into danger or under suspicion, especially by acting in a way that is not very sensible ex) American officials told ABC News today that at least 29 of the country’s most critical weapons systems have been compromised by Chinese hackers.
knock off | knock off something
(informal) to stop doing something, especially work ex) From the Navy’s Aegis System to knock off enemy ballistic missiles, to the state-of-the-art F-35 jet fighter, to the most advanced marine combat vehicles.
sustain verb BrE /səˈsteɪn/ ; NAmE /səˈsteɪn/
sustain something (formal) to experience something bad synonym suffer ex) The list of compromised systems, first reported by “The Washington Post,” was part of a Pentagon study that said the US “sustained staggering losses.”
all the while
all the time that something is happening ex) And all the while, officials say, a huge team of Chinese military hackers, operating out of this building in Shanghai, continues to refine and accelerate its efforts to rip off US military designs.
rip somethingoff
(informal) to steal something ex) And all the while, officials say, a huge team of Chinese military hackers, operating out of this building in Shanghai, continues to refine and accelerate its efforts to rip off US military designs.
erosion noun BrE /ɪˈrəʊʒn/ ; NAmE /ɪˈroʊʒn/ [uncountable]
2) the process of gradually destroying something or making it weaker over a period of time ex) The Pentagon spokesman said today that there has been no erosion of US capabilities.
cash in (on something)
(disapproving) to gain an advantage for yourself from a situation, especially in a way that other people think is wrong or immoral ex) As for the two million plus Americans currently selling their homes, they’re looking to cash in. He has successfully cashed in on the idea.
list verb BrE /lɪst/ ; NAmE /lɪst/
3) [intransitive, transitive] list (at something) | list something (North American English) to be put or put something in a list of things for sale ex) This 1,400 square foot single family home in Las Vegas would have listed for roughly $158,000 a year ago. Today, it’s $200,000.
fetch verb BrE /fetʃ/ ; NAmE /fetʃ/
2) (fetch something) to be sold for a particular price synonym sell ex) And in Atlanta, this three-bedroom home could now fetch $180,000, up roughly 19% from last year. The painting is expected to fetch $10,000 at auction.
clutter noun BrE /ˈklʌtə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈklʌtər/
[uncountable, singular] (disapproving) a lot of things in an untidy state, especially things that are not necessary or are not being used; a state of confusion synonym mess ex) By cleaning out of the clutter, buying a new faucet, replacing that outdated TV, we helped one family increase the value of their home by over $24,000.
inherently adverb BrE /ɪnˈhɪərəntli/ , /ɪnˈherəntli/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈhɪrəntli/
according to or because of the basic nature of somebody/something synonym intrinsically
ex) The belief that we are all created equal is one which is inherently flawed.
forward verb BrE /ˈfɔːwəd/ ; NAmE /ˈfɔːrwərd/
1) (formal) to send or pass goods or information to somebody ex) A few weeks ago I received an e-mail written by members of the Republican Party that was forwarded on to me.
even [level] the playing field
to create a situation where everyone has the same opportunities ex) Why is Obama Care necessary to even the playing field?
conversely adverb BrE /ˈkɒnvɜːsli/ ; NAmE /ˈkɑːnvɜːrsli/ (formal)
in a way that is the opposite or reverse of something ex) Every person has a unique set of strengths, which can aid in achieving the success they desire. Conversely, each person also has their own unique set of challenges that inhibit them in achieving such success.
inhibit verb BrE /ɪnˈhɪbɪt/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈhɪbɪt/
1) inhibit something (formal) to prevent something from happening or make it happen more slowly or less frequently than normal ex) Every person has a unique set of strengths, which can aid in achieving the success they desire. Conversely, each person also has their own unique set of challenges that inhibit them in achieving such success.
take something↔on
[no passive] to begin to have a particular quality, appearance, etc. ex) Increasingly more people take on the attitude, “Why should they get help when I never did? I turned out fine.”
nurture verb BrE /ˈnɜːtʃə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈnɜːrtʃər/ (formal)
1) nurture somebody/something to care for and protect somebody/something while they are growing and developing ex) Not everyone is lucky enough to grow up in a nurturing environment and it is these people that we should try and provide support to.
subsequently adverb BrE /ˈsʌbsɪkwəntli/ ; NAmE /ˈsʌbsɪkwəntli/ (formal)
afterwards; later; after something else has happened ex) In this situation most children will never be able to catch up and this will subsequently affect the rest of their lives.
in respect to
in relation to; with regard to; as respects ex) If you travel around the world, you will see that other countries do not have advantages equal to those of the United States in respect to individual freedoms and standard of living.
take hold
to become strong; to be established ex) In war-torn regions like Syria, you see millions displaced by the violence that has taken hold as a result of people fighting for the very freedoms we all take for granted.
imperative adjective BrE /ɪmˈperətɪv/ ; NAmE /ɪmˈperətɪv/
1) [not usually before noun] (formal) very important and needing immediate attention or action synonym vital ex) Most of the released prisoners have little to fall back on, making it imperative for the society to lend a helping hand.
rear-end verb
rear-end something/somebody (informal, especially North American English) (of a vehicle or driver) to drive into the back of another vehicle
ex)
