phone 7 Flashcards
scrub
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.
2) ) to decide not to do something you had planned to do:
We had to scrub our plans when I lost my job.
cascade
a large amount of something that hangs down:
A cascade of golden hair fell down his back.
Coins cascaded from/out of the fruit machine.
2) to pass on information by giving it to just a few people, who then give it to more people; to be passed on in this way:
Guest information is cascaded through employee shift briefings.
Communication cascades down the organization until the information has been communicated through each level, to the front lines.
C2 something that causes growth or activity:
Foreign investment has been a stimulus to the industry.
The book will provide a stimulus to research in this very important area.
2) BIOLOGY specialized something that causes part of the body to react:
The tip of the tongue is sensitive to salt and sweet stimuli and the back of the tongue is sensitive to bitter stimuli.
broach
to begin a discussion of something difficult:
At some point we’ve got to discuss money but I don’t know how to broach the subject with him.
2) formal to open a bottle or barrel in order to drink its contents:
Shall we broach another cask of wine?
insoluble
so difficult that it is impossible to solve:
Traffic congestion in large cities seems to be an insoluble problem.
2) impossible to dissolve:
These minerals are all insoluble in water.
conflate
to combine two or more separate things, especially pieces of text, to form a whole:
She conflated the three plays to produce a fresh new work.
a young animal or child:
disapproving He looked at me as if I was a spawn of Satan because I was smoking a cigarette.
2) to cause something new, or many new things, to grow or start suddenly:
The new economic freedom has spawned hundreds of new small businesses.
Her death spawned countless films and books.
3) to produce eggs:
The frogs haven’t spawned yet.
ample
C1 more than enough:
You’ll have ample opportunity to ask questions after the talk.
There’s ample evidence that the lawyer knew exactly what she was doing.
They had ample warning of the factory closure.
inoculate
] to give a weak form of a disease to a person or animal, usually by injection, as a protection against that disease:
My children have been inoculated against polio.
Louis Pasteur inoculated an 8-year-old boy with cowpox and then exposed him to smallpox to test his theory.
There may be a shortage of flu vaccine to inoculate the elderly and other vulnerable groups.
Compare
hold sway
have great power or influence over a particular person, place, or domain.
“they had held sway in France for a quarter of a century”
to have power or a very strong influence:
Fundamentalist beliefs hold sway over whole districts, ensuring the popularity of religious leaders.
sinewy
with strong muscles and little fat:
The fighter had a strong, sinewy body.
sway
to move slowly from side to side:
The trees were swaying in the wind.
The movement of the ship caused the mast to sway from side to side/back and forth.
A drunk was standing in the middle of the street, swaying uncertainly and trying hard to stay upright.
[ T ] to cause something to move or change:
Recent developments have swayed the balance of power in the region.
2) to persuade someone to believe or do one thing rather than another:
Her speech failed to sway her colleagues into supporting the plan.
3) formal control or influence:
In the 1980s, the organization came under the sway of (= became strongly influenced by) Christian fundamentalism.
Her parents no longer seem to have much sway over her.
The party could hold sway (= have an important influence) on some crucial votes.
dimly
in a way that does not give or have much light:
The room was dimly lit.
The February sun shone dimly.
slightly, but not very well:
I dimly remembered reading the book a few years before.
They were only dimly aware of the telephone ringing.
toss something off
to do something quickly, especially in a careless way or with little effort:
She tossed off a reply to the letter before she left for the meeting.
tassel
a group of short threads or ropes held together at one end, used as a hanging decoration on hats, curtains, furniture, etc.
pardadi tegidagi narsa
larch
a tall tree that grows in cold northern countries and has leaves shaped like needles that it loses in winter
clump
a group, especially of trees or flowers:
a clump of grass/daffodils
knoll
a small low hill with a rounded top:
a grassy knoll
hiss
to make a noise like a long s sound:
Why do snakes hiss?
The iron was hissing and spluttering.
People in the audience were hissing their disapproval.
2) to say something in a quiet angry way:
“Shut up, Tom!” she hissed.
leverage
power to influence people and get the results you want:
If the United Nations had more troops in the area, it would have greater leverage.
2) the act of using borrowed money to buy an investment or a company:
With leverage, the investor’s $100,000 buys $500,000 or more of stock if he wants.
accrue
to increase in number or amount over a period of time:
Interest will accrue on the account at a rate of seven percent.
Little benefit will accrue to the city (= it will receive little benefit) from the new transport links.
2) if a payment or an advantage accrues to you, you receive it or have the right to receive it:
accrue to sb Building societies are mutually owned, and benefits accrue to members rather than shareholders.
The school district is being criticized for allowing $74 million in vacation pay to accrue to school administrators and other nonteachers.
