reading-vocabulary Flashcards by vida esmaeili

Hard drug

an addicting drug capable of producing severe physical or psychological dependence, as heroin.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Soft drug

a drug, usually illicit(غيرقانوني), that does not produce significant psychological or physical dependence.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Get in/into

to become associated with:

He got in with a bad crowd.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

At the end of your tether

Idm

Mainly UK (US usually at the end of your rope) having no strength or patience left:

By six o’clock after a busy day I’m at the end of my tether.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

take steps

to set about putting something into operation; begin to act:

I will take steps to see that your application is processed.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

tether verb, noun
BrE / teðə(r) /
NAmE / teðər /

verb
~ sth (to sth)
to tie an animal to a post so that it cannot move very far
> He tethered his horse to a tree.
noun
a rope or chain used to tie an animal to sth, allowing it to move around in a small area

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

mean verb, adjective, noun
BrE / min /
NAmE / min /

adjective ( mean • er , mean • est )
1 not generous
unkind
2 ~ (to sb) ( of people or their behaviour ) unkind, for example by not letting sb have or do sth
> Don’t be so mean to your little brother!
angry/violent
3 ( especially NAmE ) likely to become angry or violent
> That’s a mean-looking dog.
poor
7 ( literary ) poor and dirty in appearance
> mean houses/streets

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Tip off

Phr v

give information about sth in a confidential way

tip-off
noun
( especially BrE )
( NAmE usually tip ) ( informal )
secret information that sb gives, for example to the police, to warn them about an illegal activity that is going to happen
> The man was arrested after an anonymous tip-off.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

lash verb, noun
BrE / læʃ /
NAmE / læʃ /

verb
1 [ intransitive , transitive ] to hit sb/sth with great force
syn : pound
4 [ transitive ] ~ sth + adv./prep. to fasten sth tightly to sth else with ropes

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

wind up (informal)
BrE / waɪnd /
NAmE / waɪnd /
( wound , wound / BrE waʊnd ; NAmE waʊnd / )

( of a person ) to find yourself in a particular place or situation
I always said he would wind up in prison.
~ doing sth We eventually wound up staying in a little hotel a few miles from town.
+ adj. If you take risks like that you’ll wind up dead.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

unlawful 
BrE   / ʌnlɔfl / 
NAmE   / ʌnlɔfl / 
  adjective
 ( formal )

not allowed by the law
syn: illegal , opp: lawful
un • law • ful • ly / BrE ʌnlɔfəli ; NAmE ʌnlɔfəli / adverb

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

unfold
BrE / ʌnfəʊld /
NAmE / ʌnfoʊld /
verb

2 [ intransitive , transitive ] to be gradually made known; to gradually make sth known to other people
> The audience watched as the story unfolded before their eyes.
> Dramatic events were about to unfold.
>~ sth (to sb) She unfolded her tale to us.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

tabloid
BrE / tæblɔɪd /
NAmE / tæblɔɪd /
noun

1 a newspaper with small pages (usually half the size of those in larger papers)
Full of pictures and its not that serious

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

drop out (phr v)

abandon a course of study

> she dropped out of school in sixth grade.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

flee 
BrE   / fli / 
NAmE   / fli / 
  verb 
( fled ,  fled   / BrE   fled ;  NAmE   fled / )  [ intransitive ,  transitive ,  no passive ]

to leave a person or place very quickly, especially because you are afraid of possible danger

> She burst into tears and fled.
~ from sb/sth a camp for refugees fleeing from the war
~ to…/into… He fled to London after an argument with his family.
~ sth He was caught trying to flee the country.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

be mixed up in

involve in sth dubious or dishonest

> They never wanted their son to be mixed up in a drug dealer group.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

in • timi • date 
BrE   / ɪntɪmɪdeɪt / 
NAmE   / ɪntɪmɪdeɪt / 
  verb 
   intimidation   / BrE   ɪntɪmɪdeɪʃn ;  NAmE   ɪntɪmɪdeɪʃn /   noun   [ uncountable ]

~ sb (into sth/into doing sth)
to frighten or threaten sb so that they will do what you want
> They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them.
> She refused to be intimidated by their threats.
> the intimidation of witnesses

petition noun, verb
BrE / pətɪʃn /
NAmE / pətɪʃn /

2 [ intransitive , transitive ] ~ (sb) (for sth) | ~ sb/sth to do sth to formally ask for sth in court
> to petition for divorce

welfare
BrE / welfeə(r) /
NAmE / welfer /
noun

2 practical or financial help that is provided, often by the government, for people or animals that need it
The state is still the main provider of welfare.
> child welfare
> a social welfare programme
> welfare provision/services/work

urge verb, noun
BrE / ɜdʒ /
NAmE / ɜrdʒ /

verb
1 to advise or try hard to persuade sb to do sth
> ~ sb to do sth She urged him to stay.
Police are urging anyone who saw the accident to contact them immediately.
> ~ that… The report urged that all children be taught to swim.
> ~ (sb) + speech ‘Why not give it a try?’ she urged (him).
noun
a strong desire to do sth
> sexual urges
> ~ to do sth I had a sudden urge to hit him.

track sb down

find someone /something after a thorough search

lost cause noun

something that has failed or that cannot succeed

> The game looked a lost cause when the score reached 6–0.

be hard-pressed to do sth

find sth very difficult to do

ghetto 
BrE   / ɡetəʊ / 
NAmE   / ɡetoʊ / 
noun 
( plural   ghettos   or   ghettoes )

1 an area of a city where many people of the same race or background live, separately from the rest of the population. Ghettos are often crowded, with bad living conditions
> a poor kid growing up in the ghetto

``` beguiling BrE / bɪɡaɪlɪŋ / NAmE / bɪɡaɪlɪŋ / adjective ( formal ) beguilingly / BrE bɪɡaɪlɪŋli ; NAmE bɪɡaɪlɪŋli / adverb ``` 0

attractive and interesting but sometimes mysterious or trying to trick you > beguiling advertisements >Her beauty was beguiling. >This is perhaps the most beguiling resort on the island.

``` exile noun, verb BrE / eksaɪl / NAmE / eksaɪl / BrE / eɡzaɪl / NAmE / eɡzaɪl / ```

``` noun 1 [ uncountable , singular ] the state of being sent to live in another country that is not your own, especially for political reasons or as a punishment >to be/live in exile >to be forced/sent into exile > to go into exile > a place of exile > He returned after 40 years of exile. ```

keep off sth

to avoid eating,drinking,smoking sth | > I'm trying to keep off fatty foods.

``` superintendent BrE / supərɪntendənt / BrE / sjupərɪntendənt / NAmE / supərɪntendənt / noun ```

1 a person who has a lot of authority and manages and controls an activity, a place, a group of workers, etc a park superintendent the superintendent of schools in Dallas 2 ( abbr. Supt ) (in Britain) a police officer just above the rank of chief inspector Superintendent Livesey 3 ( abbr. Supt. ) (in the US) the head of a police department 4 ( NAmE ) a person whose job is to be in charge of a building and make small repairs, etc. to it

``` meagre ( especially US meager ) BrE / miɡə(r) / NAmE / miɡər / adjective ```

``` small in quantity and poor in quality paltry a meagre diet of bread and water She supplements her meagre income by cleaning at night. syn : deficient ```

fall apart

1 to be in very bad condition so that parts are breaking off My car is falling apart. 2 to have so many problems that it is no longer possible to exist or function Their marriage finally fell apart. The deal fell apart when we failed to agree on a price.

fall back on sb/sth

[ no passive ] to go to sb for support; to have sth to use when you are in difficulty I have a little money in the bank to fall back on. She fell back on her usual excuse of having no time. related noun fallback

fall behind with sth | ( also fall behind on sth especially in NAmE )

to not pay or do sth at the right time They had fallen behind on their mortgage repayments. He's fallen behind with his school work again.

fall for sth | [ no passive ] ( informal )

to be tricked into believing sth that is not true | I'm surprised you fell for that trick.

fall on/upon sb/sth | [ no passive ] ( especially BrE )

1 to attack or take hold of sb/sth with a lot of energy and enthusiasm They fell on him with sticks. The children fell on the food and ate it greedily. 2 to be the responsibility of sb The full cost of the wedding fell on us.

fall through

to not be completed, or not happen Our plans fell through because of lack of money.

fall short of sth

to fail to reach the standard that you expected or need The hotel fell far short of their expectations.

``` fall victim (to sth) ( formal ) ```

to be injured, damaged or killed by sth | Many plants have fallen victim to the sudden frost.

fall/slot into place

if sth complicated or difficult to understand falls or slots into place , it becomes organized or clear in your mind Then I found his diary and it all began to fall into place.

fall in with sb/sth

to agree to sth she fell in with my idea at once.

Potentially | Adverb

possibly but not yet actually: potentially useful information.