Oxford Guide Flashcards
ordinary [/ˈɔːdnri/]
[usually before noun] not unusual or different in any way
an ordinary sort of day
in the ordinary course of events
ordinary people like you and me
auxiliary [/ɔːɡˈzɪliəri/]
(of workers) giving help or support to the main group of workers
auxiliary nurses/workers/services
polite [/pəˈlaɪt/]
having or showing good manners and respect for the feelings of others
polite to somebody Please be polite to our guests.
Our waiter was very polite and helpful.
manner [/ˈmænə(r)/]
behaviour that is considered to be polite in a particular society or culture
to have good/bad manners
It is bad manners to talk with your mouth full.
possessive [/pəˈzesɪv/]
possessive (of/about somebody/something) demanding total attention or love; not wanting somebody to be independent
Some parents are too possessive of their children.
She had always been possessive of her brother.
demonstrative [/dɪˈmɒnstrətɪv/]
showing feelings openly, especially feelings of love
Some people are more demonstrative than others.
a demonstrative greeting
(grammar) used to identify the person or thing that is being referred to
‘This’ and ‘that’ are demonstrative pronouns.
complement [/ˈkɒmplɪment/]
complement something to add to something in a way that improves it or makes it more attractive
The excellent menu is complemented by a good wine list.
The team needs players who complement each other.
The flavours in the dish complement each other perfectly.
to make a good combination with someone or something else
John and Bob complemented each other well.
The dark red walls complement the red leather chairs.
steward [steward]
a man whose job is to take care of passengers on a ship, an aircraft or a train and who brings them meals, etc.
a ship’s steward
a person who helps at a large public event, for example a race or public meeting, by keeping order, showing people where to go, etc.
The race stewards will investigate the incident.
a steward’s enquiry into Goodman’s victory
completion [/kəmˈpliːʃn/]
[uncountable] the act or process of finishing something; the state of being finished and complete
the completion of the new hospital building
Satisfactory completion of the course does not ensure you a job.
The project is due for completion in the spring.
due [/djuː/]
The team’s success was largely due to her efforts.
He argues that climate change is mainly due to the actions of industrialized countries.
The increase in reported cases is partly due to growing public awareness of the disease.
This increase is due in part to the strong economy.
Most of the problems were due to human error.
abrupt [/əˈbrʌpt/]
sudden and unexpected, often in an unpleasant way
an abrupt change/halt/departure
The accident brought his career to an abrupt end.
garnish [/ˈɡɑːnɪʃ/]
garnish something (with something) to decorate a dish of food with a small amount of another food
Garnish the chicken with almonds.
Soup garnished with croutons.
crouton [/ˈkruːtɒn/]
a small piece of cold dry fried bread served in soup or as part of a salad
ladder [/ˈlædə(r)/]
to climb up/fall off a ladder
idiomatic [/ˌɪdiəˈmætɪk/]
containing expressions that are natural to a native speaker of a language
She speaks fluent and idiomatic English.
idiom [/ˈɪdiəm/]
[countable] a group of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words
‘Let the cat out of the bag’ is an idiom meaning to tell a secret by mistake.
hitch [/hɪtʃ/]
[transitive, intransitive] to get a free ride in a person’s car; to travel around in this way, by standing at the side of the road and trying to get passing cars to stop
hitch something They hitched a ride in a truck.
(British English also) They hitched a lift.
lift [/lɪft/]
[transitive, intransitive] to raise somebody/something or be raised to a higher position or level
lift somebody/something I lifted the lid of the box and peered in.
She lifted her head to look at him.
inspector [/ɪnˈspektə(r)/]
an officer of middle rank in the police force
Inspector Maggie Forbes
He reached the rank of inspector.
a person whose job is to visit schools, factories, etc. to check that rules are being obeyed and that standards are acceptable
a school/health/safety inspector
(in the UK) a person whose job is to check tickets on a bus or train
possession [/pəˈzeʃn/]
[countable, usually plural] something that you own or have with you at a particular time
SYNONYM belongings
Prisoners were allowed no personal possessions.
One of Jane’s most prized possessions was her photo album.
The ring is one of her most treasured possessions.
Please make sure you have all your possessions with you when leaving the plane.
committee [/kəˈmɪti/]
a group of people who are chosen, usually by a larger group, to make decisions or to deal with a particular subject
an executive/advisory/organizing committee
a parliamentary/congressional/Senate committee
The committee has/have decided to close the restaurant.
alter [/ˈɔːltə(r)/]
[intransitive, transitive] to become different; to make somebody/something different
Prices did not alter significantly during 2019.
He had altered so much I scarcely recognized him.
alter somebody/something His actions that day altered my perception of him.
bend [/bend/]
[intransitive, transitive] (especially of somebody’s body or head) to lean, or make something lean, in a particular direction
He bent and kissed her.
The doctor told me to avoid bending
slope [/sləʊp/]
[intransitive] (of a horizontal surface) to be at an angle so that it is higher at one end than the other
a sloping roof
sloping shoulders
