phone 16 Flashcards
sneer
to talk about or look at someone or something in an unkind way that shows you do not respect or approve of him, her, or it:
You may sneer, but a lot of people like this kind of music.
She’ll probably sneer at my new shoes because they’re not expensive.
[ + speech ] “Is that the best you can do?” he sneered.
desecrate
to damage or show no respect towards something holy or very much respected:
The mosque/shrine was desecrated by vandals.
It’s a crime to desecrate the country’s flag.
rabble
a large, noisy, uncontrolled group of people:
The defeated army returned home as a demoralized rabble.
He views his opponents as a mindless rabble.
people of a low social position:
Her speech stirred the emotions of the rabble.
the mass of people who are ordinary, unimportant, and poor, and sometimes threatening
pesky
annoying or causing trouble:
Those pesky kids from next door have let the air out of my car tyres again!
coddle
to cook food, especially eggs, in water just below boiling temperature:
coddled eggs
to protect someone or something too much:
The steel industry is coddled by trade protection and massive subsidies.
to protect and treat someone or something with great care:
The coach does not coddle his players.
gustatory
connected with taste:
gustatory pleasures
odyssey
a long, exciting journey:
The film follows one man’s odyssey to find the mother from whom he was separated at birth.
figurative a spiritual odyssey
a long trip or period involving a lot of different and exciting activities, esp. while searching for something:
The movie follows one man’s odyssey to find the mother he was separated from at birth.
chasm
a very deep, narrow opening in rock, ice, or the ground:
They leaned over the rails and peered down into the dizzying chasm below.
picture of chasm
formal
a very large difference between two opinions or groups of people:
There is still a vast economic chasm between developed and developing countries.
abscond
to go away suddenly and secretly in order to escape from somewhere:
abscond from She absconded from boarding school and hitchhiked to the city.
Two prisoners absconded last night.
to go away suddenly and secretly because you have stolen something, usually money:
abscond with They think they know who absconded with the funds from the bake sale.
abscond with humorous Someone absconded with my pen.
glean
to collect information in small amounts and often with difficulty:
From what I was able to glean, the news isn’t good.
glean something (from someone) They’re leaving on Tuesday - I managed to glean that much (from them).
candid`
honest and telling the truth, especially about something difficult or painful:
The two presidents have had candid talks about the current crisis.
To be candid with you, I think you’re making a dreadful mistake.
pungent
smelling or tasting very strong and sharp:
the pungent whiff of a goat
I sat down to a cup of wonderfully pungent Turkish coffee
ramp up
If a business ramps up its activity, it increases it:
The company announced plans to ramp up production to 10,000 units per month.
To stay competitive, they’ll have to ramp up product development as well as cut prices.
to increase the speed, power, or cost of something:
Announcement of the merger is expected to ramp up share prices over the next few days.
Mitsubishi has ramped up the speed of its new micro-controllers.
pitch
a speech or act that attempts to persuade someone to buy or do something:
The man in the shop gave me his (sales) pitch about quality and reliability.
She made a pitch for the job but she didn’t get it.
[ + to infinitive ] The city made a pitch to stage the Olympics.
[ C ] UK
a place in a public area where a person regularly sells goods or performs:
The flower seller was at his usual pitch outside the station.
slew
a large amount or number:
The product inspired a whole slew of copycats.
The bad weather could bring a slew of bankruptcies among farmers.
(of a vehicle) to turn or be turned round suddenly and awkwardly:
The car hit a patch of ice and slewed around violently.
He slewed the van to the left to avoid the dog.
Eventually the pilot managed to slew the aircraft round before it settled on all wheels on the runway.
wrap my head around
You can use this phrase when you want to express that you are having difficulty understanding something or comprehending a concept. Example: “I’m having trouble wrapping my head around this math problem.”. It took me awhile to wrap my head around this peculiar political pickle. I simply can’t wrap my head around this.
to find a way to understand or accept (something)
to persuade someone easily to do what you want them to do:
She could wrap her father around her little finger.
to dress in warm clothes, or to dress someone in warm clothes:
Wrap up well - it’s cold outside.
taint
to spoil something or give it an unpleasant quality:
His reputation was permanently tainted by the financial scandal.
He warned of toxins such as mercury tainting some fish.
fusion
an occasion when two or more things join or are combined:
nuclear fusion
Their music is described as “an explosive fusion of Latin American and modern jazz rhythms”.
multitudinous
consisting of many things or parts:
a night sky of multitudinous stars
The performers displayed their multitudinous talents.
hue
(a degree of lightness, darkness, strength, etc. of) a colour:
In the Caribbean waters there are fish of every hue.
a different type or group:
of all hues Politicians of all hues wish to get sleaze off the agenda so that they can discuss the real issues.
shut away
to put a person in a place that they are not allowed or able to leave:
He was ten years old when he was shut away for stealing an apple.
The diamonds are shut away in a bank vault somewhere.
to go into a place that you are unwilling to leave and where you do not want to be interrupted by other people:
Andy shuts himself away in his studio for hours on end when he’s recording a song.
unearth
to discover something in the ground:
Building at the site was halted after human remains were unearthed earlier this month.
to discover proof or some other information, especially after careful searching:
A private detective has unearthed some fresh evidence.
burrow
to dig a hole in the ground, especially to live in:
Rats had burrowed into the bank of the river.
[ T + adv/prep ]
to move yourself into a position where you can feel warm, comfortable, or safe:
Suddenly shy, our young daughter burrowed her head into my shoulder.
[ I + adv/prep ]
to search for something, as if by digging:
I burrowed through the clothes in the drawer looking for a clean pair of socks.
tresses
someone’s hair, especially long hair:
Her black tresses lay around her on the pillow.
staple
a main product or part of something:
Shortages mean that even staples (= basic foods) like bread are difficult to find.
Phosphate has been a staple of this area for many years.
Romantic fiction and reference books are a staple of many public libraries.
basic or main; standard or regular:
The staple diet here is mutton, fish and boiled potatoes.
Prices of staple foods such as wheat and vegetables have also been increasing.
Her latest film is the staple offering of action and comedy that we have come to expect.
to fasten something using staples:
Would you mind stapling the reports together?
caress
to touch or kiss someone in a gentle and loving way:
Gently he caressed her cheek.
cradle
a small bed for a baby, especially one that moves from side to side:
The nurse rocked the cradle.
the object that you put a phone, camera, etc. into in order to recharge (= put power into) its batteries
to hold something or someone gently, especially by supporting with the arms:
She cradled him tenderly in her arms.
Joe cradled his cup of coffee and began to speak.
don
to put on a piece of clothing:
He donned his finest coat and hat.
inaugural
An inaugural speech is the first speech someone gives when starting an important new job:
the president’s inaugural address to the nation
An inaugural event is the first in a series of planned events:
the inaugural meeting of the archaeological society
hoarsely
in a rough voice, often because of a sore throat or a cold:
He speaks softly, slowly and a little hoarsely.
“I’ve got a throat infection,” he said hoarsely.
unremitting
never stopping, becoming weaker, or failing:
Our thanks are due to Bob Lawrence whose unremitting labours have ensured the success of the whole project.
bout
a short period of illness or involvement in an activity:
UK a bout of flu
US a bout with the flu
He suffered from periodic bouts of insanity.
a drinking bout (= short period of drinking a lot of alcohol)
a boxing or wrestling match:
He’s a former heavyweight champion and is expected to win the bout easily.
amalgamate
to join or unite to form a larger organization or group, or to make separate organizations do this:
The electricians’ union is planning to amalgamate with the technicians’ union.
The different offices will be amalgamated as/into employment advice centres.
amalgamate with sth The electricians’ union is planning to amalgamate with the technicians’ union.
amalgamate (sth) as/into sth The different offices will be amalgamated as employment advice centres.
faint
not strong or clear; slight:
a faint sound/noise/smell
The lamp gave out a faint glow.
She gave me a faint smile of recognition.
There’s not the faintest hope of ever finding him.
She bears a faint resemblance to my sister.
faint suspicion I have a faint suspicion that you may be right!
used to emphasize that you do not know something:
“Is she going to stay?” “I haven’t the faintest idea.”
to feel weak, as if you are about to become unconscious:
She felt faint with hunger.
shimmer
to shine in such a way that the light seems to shake slightly and quickly:
She could see her reflection in the water, shimmering in the moonlight.
The stars shimmered in the night sky.
glitter
to produce a lot of small, bright flashes of reflected light:
Her diamond necklace glittered brilliantly under the spotlights.
If someone’s eyes glitter, they look bright and express strong feeling:
glitter with His dark eyes glittered with anger behind his glasses.
the excitement and attractive quality connected with rich and famous people:
glitter of He was attracted by the glitter of Hollywood.
Glitter is also very small pieces of shiny material used to decorate a surface:
Decorate the dress with glitter and buttons.
jolt
a sudden violent movement:
As the plane touched the ground, there was a massive jolt and we were thrown forwards.
I woke up with a jolt as I thought I heard my bedroom door being pushed open.
to shock someone in order to change their behaviour or way of thinking:
The charity used photos of starving children in an attempt to jolt the public conscience (= make people feel guilty and take action).
jolt someone into/out of something
to give someone a sudden shock that forces them to act:
The news about Sam’s illness jolted her into action.
muse
to think about something carefully and for a long time:
I began to muse about/on the possibility of starting my own business.
a person, or an imaginary being or force that gives someone ideas and helps them to write, paint, or make music:
The muse has left me - I haven’t written any poetry for months!
Juliet was not only the painter’s best model but also his muse.
guise
the appearance of someone or something, especially when intended to deceive:
in the guise of The men who arrived in the guise of drug dealers were actually undercover police officers.
under the guise of The company has been accused of trying to sell their products under the guise of market research.
bask
to lie or sit enjoying the warmth especially of the sun:
We could see seals on the rocks, basking in the sun.
stretch
to cause something to reach, often as far as possible, in a particular direction:
I tripped on a piece of wire that someone had stretched across the path.
She stretched out her hand and helped him from his chair.
to spread over a large area or distance:
A huge cloud of dense smoke stretched across the horizon.
The Andes stretch for 7,250 km along the west coast of South America.
Unsettled weather will stretch from the middle Mississippi Valley to the southern Middle Atlantic States.
The refugee camps stretch as far as the eye can see.
to go as far as or past the usual limit of something:
Many families’ budgets are already stretched to breaking point.
We can’t work any harder, Paul. We’re already fully stretched.
This movie really stretches the patience of the audience to the limit.
Normally, people under 18 aren’t allowed, but I guess we can stretch the rules for you as it’s your birthday tomorrow.
skirt
to go around the edge of something:
Take the road which skirts (round) the town, not the one which goes through it.
to avoid discussing a subject or problem, usually because there are difficulties that you do not want to deal with:
The government has been accused of skirting round the issue of torture.
subdued
If a colour or light is subdued, it is not very bright:
subdued lighting
If a noise is subdued, it is not loud:
subdued laughter/cheers
breach
an act of breaking a law, promise, agreement, or relationship:
breach of They felt that our discussions with other companies constituted a breach of our agreement.
breach of contract He was sued for breach of contract.
security breach There have been ten serious security breaches (= breaks in the security system) at the airport already this year.
(a) breach of the peace LAW specialized
(an example of) illegal noisy or violent behaviour in a public place:
Ten percent of this group were in persistent trouble for minor breaches of the peace.
a hole that is made in a wall or in another structure being used for protection during an attack:
A cannon ball had made a breach in their castle walls.
curfew
a rule that everyone must stay at home between particular times, usually at night, especially during a war or a period of political trouble:
to impose/lift a curfew
a midnight curfew
He was shot for breaking (= not obeying) the curfew.
mainly US
a time by which a child must be home in the evening:
You’ll be in trouble if you get home after curfew.
scrub
to decide not to do something you had planned to do:
We had to scrub our plans when I lost my job.
to rub something hard in order to clean it, especially using a stiff brush, soap, and water:
She scrubbed (at) the mark on the wall for a long time, but it wouldn’t come off.
[ + obj + adj ] He scrubbed the old saucepan clean, and it looked as good as new.
fastidious
giving too much attention to small details and wanting everything to be correct and perfect:
fastidious about He is very fastidious about how a suitcase should be packed.
having a strong dislike of anything dirty or unpleasant:
They were too fastidious to eat in a fast-food restaurant
having high standards and giving a lot of attention to details:
The restaurant offers elaborate food and fastidious service at high prices.
unwarranted
not having a good reason and therefore annoying or unfair:
Unnecessary
People need to be protected against such unwarranted intrusions into their private lives by journalists.
transcribe
to record something written, spoken, or played by writing it down:
Recordings of conversations are transcribed and entered into the database.
to make a complete written record of spoken or written words:
Only an expert could transcribe my notes so well.
to change a piece of writing or music into another form, for example into a different writing system or into music for different instruments:
Transcribing the Ethiopian text into the English alphabet was their first task.
The quintet had been transcribed for clarinet and piano.
flare
to burn brightly either for a short time or not regularly:
flare up The flame above the oil well flared up into the dark sky.
New fires flared and people were told to leave their homes.
When something bad such as violence, pain, or anger flares (up), it suddenly starts or gets much worse:
Violence flared up again last night.
temper flares Tempers flared after a three-hour delay at the Airport yesterday.
a sudden increase in the brightness of a fire:
There was a sudden flare when she threw the petrol onto the fire.
to (cause to) become wider:
The horse’s nostrils flared.
He flared his nostrils in rage.
The skirt fits tightly over the hips and flares just below the knees.
