P251-300 Vocabulary Flashcards
Shabby
shabby clothes, places, or objects are untidy and in bad condition because they have been used for a long time
a shabby little restaurant
– Canon
a list of books or pieces of music that are officially recognized as being the work of a certain writer
the Shakespearean canon
– Grab
be up for grabs
if a job, prize, opportunity etc is up for grabs, it is available for anyone who wants to try to have it
her seat would be up for grabs.
Malordorous
smelling unpleasant
SYN smelly
Plumage
the feathers covering a bird’s body:
the parrot’s brilliant blue plumage
Security
something such as property that you promise to give someone if you cannot pay back money you have borrowed from them
Reiss used his Brooklyn home as security for the loan.
Prop up
to help an economy, industry, or government so that it can continue to exist, especially by giving money:
The government introduced measures to prop up the stock market.
Cue
a long straight wooden stick used for hitting the ball in games such as billiards and pool
Conundrum /kəˈnʌndrəm/
a confusing and difficult problem:
the conundrum of our purpose on Earth
Florid
a florid face is red in colour
a middle-aged man with a florid complexion
Satire
a way of criticizing something such as a group of people or a system, in which you deliberately make them seem funny so that people will see their faults
a comedy group that does political satire
Presage
to be a sign that something is going to happen, especially something bad:
The large number of moderate earthquakes that have occurred recently could presage a larger quake soon.
Ram
- [intransitive and transitive] to run or drive into something very hard
He lost control of his truck and rammed into a van, killing two people. - [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to push something into a position, using great force:
In 2015, when Mr. Abe rammed through Parliament legislation that expanded the role of Japan’s military.
Presage
to be a sign that something is going to happen, especially something bad:
The large number of moderate earthquakes that have occurred recently could presage a larger quake soon.
Renounce
if you renounce an official position, title, right etc, you publicly say that you will not keep it any more
SYN give up
Edward renounced his claim to the French throne.
Vexing
to make someone feel annoyed or worried
And the vexing problem quickly passed.
Taint
if something bad taints a situation or person, it makes the person or situation seem bad:
Baker argues that his trial was tainted by negative publicity.
– Immunity
the state or right of being protected from particular laws or from unpleasant things
They were granted immunity from prosecution.
Exempt
to give someone permission not to do or pay something
a document that exempts the owner from liability in case of accidents.
– Slot
■an amount of time which is officially allowed for a single event in a planned order of activities or events
*The program will occupy that half-hour slot before the nine o’clock news.
Taunt
to try to make someone angry or upset by saying unkind things to them ⇨ tease
The other children taunted him about his weight.
– Quality
very good – used especially by people who are trying to sell something:
quality child-care at prices people can afford
Rant
to speak or shout in a loud, uncontrolled or angry way, often saying confused or silly things
Two women arrested for invading gay politician’s home to rant about drag queen.
Bigotry
having such strong opinions about a group of people that you are unwilling to listen to anyone else’s opinions
SYN prejudice:
sensational news stories that just encourage bigotry
▪ prejudice
▪ discrimination
▪ intolerance an unreasonable refusal to accept beliefs, customs, and ways of thinking that are different from your own: religious intolerance | There is an atmosphere of intolerance in the media.
▪ bigotry
▪ sexism the belief that one sex, especially women, is weaker, less intelligent etc than the other, especially when this results in someone being treated unfairly: sexism in language | She accused him of sexism.
▪ ageism (also agism American English) unfair treatment of people because they are old: The new law aims to stop ageism in the workplace.
▪ homophobia prejudice towards or hatred of gay people: homophobia in the armed forces
▪ xenophobia /ˌzenəˈfəʊbiə $ -ˈfoʊ-/ hatred and fear of foreigners: the xenophobia of the right-wing press
Silhouette
a dark image, shadow, or shape that you see against a light background
a person dancing, maybe doing extraordinary moves, but in silhouette.
Conflagration
a very large fire that destroys a lot of buildings, forests etc
con + falgrant(fire) + ion
Extradite
to use a legal process to send someone who may be guilty of a crime back to the country where the crime happened in order to judge them in a court of law
They are expected to be extradited to Britain to face trial.
Hearsay
something that you have heard about from other people but do not know to be definitely true or correct
I wouldn’t take any notice of it – it’s just hearsay.
Mull
mull something ↔over
to think about a problem, plan etc for a long time before making a decision
SYN-Consider
Trump taxes: House panel mulls releasing long-sought returns.
Proxy
by proxy if you do something by proxy, you arrange for someone else to do it for you:
You can vote by proxy.
Reprieve
■an official order that stops or delays the punishment, especially by death, of a prisoner
He was sentenced to death but was granted a last-minute reprieve.
■an escape from a bad situation or experience
The injection provided a temporary reprieve from the pain.
Mangle
to destroy something by twisting it with force or tearing it into pieces so that its original form is completely changed
His arm was mangled in the machine.
Truce
an agreement between enemies to stop fighting or arguing for a short time, or the period for which this is arranged ⇨ ceasefire:
They agreed to call a truce.
▪ peace a situation in which there is no war or fighting: There has been peace in the region for six years now.
▪ truce
▪ ceasefire an agreement to stop fighting for a limited period of time, especially in order to discuss making peace: The two sides agreed to a ceasefire which would come into force immediately.
– Shore
to help or support something that is likely to fail or is not working well
SYN bolster:
attempts to shore up the struggling economy
Mogul
■an important person who is very rich or powerful
movie/media/industry moguls
Outage
a period of time during which a service such as the electricity supply cannot be provided
a power outage
Apex
- the top or highest part of something pointed or curved
the apex of a pyramid - formal the most successful part of something
SYN peak:
He was at the apex of his career.
Onlooker
someone who watches something happening without being involved in it:
A crowd of onlookers had gathered at the scene of the accident.
Whip up
to quickly make something to eat
this version whips up rapidly with the use of jarred roasted red peppers and a food processor.
Pulse
to push a button on a food processor to make the machine go on and off regularly, rather than work continuously:
Pulse several times until the mixture looks like oatmeal.
Puree
if you puree food, you crush it so that it is almost liquid
Use a processor to puree the apricots.
– Span v.
to include all of a particular space or area:
Together they welcome about 300 million visitors each year and span some 85 million acres.
Crumble not=stumble
if something, especially something made of stone or rock, is crumbling, small pieces are breaking off it:
crumbling colonial buildings
▪ break verb [intransitive] to become damaged and separate into pieces: Plastic breaks quite easily.
▪ smash verb [intransitive] to break after being hit with a lot of force: The bowl smashed as it hit the floor.
▪ shatter verb [intransitive] to break into a lot of small pieces: The glass shattered all over the pavement.
▪ crack verb [intransitive] if something cracks, a line appears on the surface, which means that it could later break into separate pieces: The ice was starting to crack.
▪ burst verb [intransitive] if a tyre, balloon, pipe etc bursts, it gets a hole and air or liquid suddenly comes out of it: She blew up the balloon until it burst.
▪ split verb [intransitive] to break in a straight line: The damp had caused the wood to split.
▪ crumble verb [intransitive] to break into a powder or a lot of small pieces: The cork just crumbled in my hand.
Rushmore
a mountain in South Dakota, US, where the rock has been cut into the shape of the faces of four US presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt
Mock-up
a full-size model of something, made before the real thing is built, or made for a film, show etc
he ended up filming the remainder of the movie on a mock-up of the monument.
Pristine
not spoiled or damaged in any way
Yellowstone is home of some of the most pristine aquatic ecosystems.
Plaster of Paris
a mixture of a white powder and water that dries fairly quickly and is used for making plaster casts and to decorate buildings
Roster
a list of the names of people on a sports team, in an organization etc
The campaign has a roster of 500 volunteers.
Mint n./v.
a place where coins are officially made:
coins issued by the Royal Mint
v. to make a coin
Legal tender minted by the U.S. MINT.
Voracious
■very eager for something, especially a lot of food
Sophia had been a gifted student and, even at a very young age, was a voracious and sensitive reader.
-vorous
omnivorous / locavore / devour / carnivorous
Inculcate /ˈɪŋkʌlkeɪt $ ɪnˈkʌl-/
to fix ideas, principles etc in someone’s mind
try to inculcate a sense of responsibility in my children.
Modesty
a modest way of behaving or talking:
‘Anyone else would have done the same thing,’ he said with typical modesty.
– Employ
to use a particular object, method, skill etc in order to achieve something
In 1955, King was given an opportunity to employ XX’s techniques during XXXX.
Barley
a plant that produces a grain used for making food or alcohol
Rye
a type of grain that is used for making bread and whisky
rye bread
Facet
one part of a subject, situation, etc. that has many parts
Government funds every facet of the program, from the instruments to the teachers.
Plaintiff
someone who makes a legal complaint against someone else in
Defendant
the person in a court of law who has been accused of doing something illegal ⇨ plaintiff
■ In a court ▪ *defendant* the person who is on trial for a crime ▪ *the defence* British English, the defense American English the lawyers who are working for the defendant ▪ *the prosecution* the lawyers who are trying to prove that the defendant is guilty ▪*judge* the official in charge of a court who decides how criminals should be punished ▪*jury* a group of people, usually 12 people, who listen to the facts and decide whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty ▪ *witness* someone who describes in a court of law what he or she knows about a crime ▪ *testimony* a formal statement made in a court of law about a particular situation or action ▪ *verdict* the decision of the jury as to whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty
Divulge
to give someone information that should be secret
SYN reveal
The plaintiffs divulged that, ranther than appointing a qualified engineer to oversee the tank’s seam.
Seam
a line where two pieces of cloth, leather etc have been stitched together:
She was repairing Billy’s trousers, where the seam had come undone.
Hindrance
something which makes it more difficult for you to do something or for something to develop
I’ve never considered my disability a hindrance, but other people have.
Garner
to take or collect something, especially information or support ⇨ glean:
The party garnered 70 percent of the vote.
– Fruitful
producing good results
OPP fruitless:
While her technique is unorthodox, Behar finds her work fruitful when she allows her own experience to shape her understanding of the stories she hears.
Fret
to worry about something, especially when there is no need
Asian shares muted as investors fret over China reopening.
Strait
a narrow passage of water between two areas of land, usually connecting two seas
The Taiwan Strait
Tacit
tacit agreement, approval, support etc is given without anything actually being said
SYN unspoken:
a tacit agreement between the three big companies
Reticent
unwilling to talk about what you feel or what you know
She’s strangely reticent about her son.
■ not saying much
▪ quiet ▪ silent ▪ taciturn ▪ reticent
Round-the-clock
happening all the time, both day and night
Caring for seriously ill patients needing round-the-clock attention during the pandemic has added layers of commitment.
Weather
if rock, wood, or someone’s face is weathered by the wind, sun, rain etc, or if it weathers, it changes colour or shape over a period of time
The brick has weathered to a lovely pinky-brown.
Overhaul
to change a system or method in order to improve it:
All the community’s decision-making institutions need to be overhauled.
Decibel
a unit for measuring the loudness of sound:
noise levels exceeding 85 decibels
Bartender
someone who makes, pours, and serves drinks in a bar or restaurant
Irk v. /ɜːk $ ɜːrk/
if something irks you, it makes you feel annoyed
SYN annoy
The negative reply to my complaint really irked me. - irksome
– Aside
a remark that someone makes in a quiet voice because they do not want everyone to hear it
*a whispered aside
Preponderance
if there is a preponderance of people or things of a particular type in a group, there are more of that type than of any other:
There is a preponderance of female students in the music department.
Meadow /ˈmedəʊ $ -doʊ/
a field with wild grass and flowers
▪ field noun [countable] an area of land in the country, especially one where crops are grown or animals feed on grass: a wheat field | Cows were grazing in the field.
▪ meadow noun [countable] a field with wild grass and flowers: alpine meadows
▪ pasture noun [uncountable and countable] land or a field that is covered with grass and is used for cattle, sheep etc to feed on: large areas of rough upland pasture | cow pastures
Repercussion
the effects of an action or event, especially bad effects that continue for some time ⇨ consequence
These levels are known to impact both human experience in national parks and have a range of repercussions for wildlife.
Fodder
■people or things that are useful for the stated purpose
Any personal anecdote or social media report from China – scarce medicines, overrun hospitals, overflowing crematories – is possible fodder for researchers’ model.
About-face
a complete change in the way someone thinks or behaves
SYN U-turn:
The about face on China’s messaging is also complicating scientists’ assessments.
Vigilant
giving careful attention to what is happening, so that you will notice any danger or illegal activity:
vigil (watchful awake) surveillance
Please remain vigilant at all times and report anything suspicious.
Gallantry
courage, especially in a battle:
An army board eventually reinstated Walker’s award posthumously, reciting her “distinguished gallantry, self-sacrifice, patriotism, dedication; and unflinching loyalty to her country.”
Unflinching
not changing or becoming weaker, even in a very difficult or dangerous situation
un + flinch(tu turn) + ing
It is a brave and unflinching account for person life.
Defect
a fault or a lack of something that means that something or someone is not perfect:
All the cars are tested for defects before they leave the factory.
