Set 6 Flashcards
cushy
cushy
1 (of a job, task, or situation) undemanding, easy, or secure; a cushy job or life is very easy and does not need much effort
…I wish I had a nice cushy job like her.
…a very cushy number(=an easy job or life)
…a cushy job in the civil service
…He had a fairly cushy upbringing.
2 NORTH AMERICAN
(of furniture) comfortable
…cushy chairs and couches
> “easy,” 1915, Anglo-Indian slang, from Hindi khush “pleasant, healthy, happy” + -y (2). Wright’s “English Dialect Dictionary” (1898) has cush “a soft, useless person,” identified as Scottish and Northumberland and explained as “A common term of reproach, used of one who allows others to beat him, either in self-defence or at work,” hence cushie “soft, flabby.”
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Etymonline
rarefied
rarefied
vet
vet noun
1 (also veterinary surgeon British English formal) someone who is trained to give medical care and treatment to sick animals
2 INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN
a veteran
vet verb (vetted, vetting) [transitive]
1 BRITISH
to check someone’s past activities, relationships etc in order to make sure that person is suitable for a particular job, especially an important one
…All candidates are carefully vetted by Central Office.
2 to check a report, speech etc carefully to make sure it is acceptable
…The author vets every script for the new TV series.
> Possibly by analogy from Etymology 1, in the sense of “verifying the soundness [of an animal]”.
> “to submit (an animal) to veterinary care,” 1891, from veterinarian. The colloquial sense of “subject (something) to careful examination” (as of an animal by a veterinarian, especially of a horse before a race) is attested by 1901.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Wiktionary, Etymonline
flagellate
flagellate
gaffe
gaffe
/ɡæf/
an embarrassing mistake made in a social situation or in public SYN faux pas
…He made an embarrassing gaffe at the convention last weekend.
> From French gaffe (“blunder”). Doublet of gaff.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Wiktionary
heresy
her‧e‧sy
/ˈherəsi/
1 a belief that disagrees with the official principles of a particular religion.
2 a belief, statement etc that disagrees with what a group of people believe to be right
…To come to work without a shirt and tie was considered heresy.
> “doctrine or opinion at variance with established standards” (or, as Johnson defines it, “an opinion of private men different from that of the catholick and orthodox church”), c. 1200, from Old French heresie, eresie “heresy,” and by extension “sodomy, immorality” (12c.), from Latin hæresis, “school of thought, philosophical sect.” The Latin word is from Greek hairesis “a taking or choosing for oneself, a choice, a means of taking; a deliberate plan, purpose; philosophical sect, school,” from haireisthai “take, seize,” middle voice of hairein “to choose,” a word of unknown origin, perhaps cognate with Hittite šaru “booty,” Welsh herw “booty;” but Beekes offers “no etymology.”
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Etymonline
sultry
sultry
1 weather that is sultry is hot with air that feels wet; Sultry weather is hot and damp: HUMID, close, hot, sticky
…a hot and sultry day
…The climax came one sultry August evening.
…Since the rain, the air had become heavy and still and sultry.
2 a woman who is sultry makes other people feel strong sexual attraction to her; Someone who is sultry is attractive in a way that suggests hidden passion: SEDUCTIVE, sexy, sensual, voluptuous
…a dark-haired sultry woman
…a sultry film star
…She threw Carlo a sultry glance.
> 1590s, “oppressively hot, close and moist” (of weather), ultimately from swelter (to feel extremely hot and uncomfortable) + alteration of -y (2), either as a contraction of sweltry or from obsolete verb sulter “to swelter” (1580s), alteration of swelter. Figurative sense of “hot with lust” is attested from 1704; of women, “lascivious, sensual, arousing desire” it is recorded from 1940. Related: Sultriness.
> swelter (v.): c. 1400, “faint with heat,” frequentative of swelten “be faint (especially with heat),” late 14c., from Old English sweltan “to die, perish,” from Proto-Germanic *swiltan- (source also of Old Saxon sweltan “to die,” Old Norse svelta “to put to death, starve,” Gothic sviltan “to die”), perhaps originally “to burn slowly,” hence “to be overcome with heat or fever,” from PIE root *swel- (2) “to shine, beam” (see Selene). From the same ancient root comes Old English swelan “to burn.” For specialization of words meaning “to die,” compare starve.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Etymonline
pithy
pith‧y
/ˈpɪθi/
If something that is said or written is pithy, it is intelligent and strongly stated, without wasting any words: SUCCINCT, terse, concise, compact, short, short and sweet, brief, condensed, compendious, to the point, summary, epigrammatic, crisp, laconic, pointed
…Press releases must be short and pithy.
…a series of pithy quotations
> early 14c., “strong, vigorous,” from pith (n.) + -y (2). Meaning “full of substance or significance” is from 1520s; literal meaning “full of pith” not attested until 1560s. Related: Pithily; pithiness. Pithless “wanting strength, weak” is attested from 1550s but is rare.
> pith (n.): Old English piþa “central cylinder of the stems of plants,” also, figuratively, “essential part, quintessence, condensed substance,” from West Germanic *pithan- (source also of Middle Dutch pitte, Dutch pit, East Frisian pit), a Low German root of uncertain origin. Figurative sense of “energy, concentrated force, closeness and vigor of thought and style” is by 1520s. The pith helmet (1889, earlier pith hat, 1884) was so called because it is made from the dried pith of the Bengal spongewood.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
patriarchy
pa‧tri‧arch‧y
/ˈpeɪtriɑːki $ -ɑːr-/
> 1560s, “ecclesiastical province under a patriarch; church government by patriarchs,” from Latinized form of Greek patriarkhia, from patriarkhēs “male chief or head of a family” (see patriarch). Meaning “system of society or government by fathers or elder males of the community” is recorded from 1630s.
> Etymonline
faux pas
faux pas
/ˌfəʊ ˈpɑː$ ˌfoʊ ˈpɑː/
plural faux pas /-ˈpɑːz/
FORMAL
A faux pas is a socially embarrassing action or mistake: GAFFE, blunder; indiscretion, impropriety
…It was not long before I realized the enormity of my faux pas.
> from French faux pas “faux pas, blunder; misstep, false step”
> Collins English Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Wiktionary
plagiarism
plagiarism
pander
pander
quibble
quibble
tongue-in-cheek
tongue-in-cheek
intersperse
intersperse
rejoinder
rejoinder
eponymous
eponymous
perfunctory
per‧func‧to‧ry
/pəˈfʌŋktəri $ pər-/
A perfunctory action is done quickly and carelessly, and shows a lack of interest in what you are doing; a perfunctory action is done quickly, and is only done because people expect it: CURSORY, desultory; QUICK, brief, hasty, hurried, rapid, passing, fleeting, summary; token, casual, superficial, uninterested, careless, halfhearted, unthinking, sketchy, mechanical, automatic, routine, offhand, indifferent, inattentive
…She gave the list only a perfunctory glance.
…He gave a perfunctory nod.
…The applause was perfunctory.
> “done mechanically or without interest or zeal and merely for the sake of being rid of the duty of doing it; done so as to conform to the letter but not the spirit,” 1580s, from Late Latin perfunctorius “careless, negligent,” literally “like one who wishes to get through a thing,” from Latin perfungus, past participle of perfungi “discharge, busy oneself, get through,” from per “through” (from PIE root *per- (1) “forward,” hence “through”) + fungi “perform” (see function (n.)). Related: Perfunctorily.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
vaunt
vaunt
effusive
ef‧fu‧sive
/ɪˈfjuːsɪv/
showing your good feelings in a very excited way; expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner: GUSHING, gushy, unrestrained, unreserved, extravagant, fulsome, demonstrative, lavish, enthusiastic
…Our host gave us an effusive welcome.
…Rio Celeste Hideaway Hotel, an eco-resort near the Tenorio Volcano National Park, captured the fourth place on the list and garnered some of readers’ most effusive comments.
—Devorah Lev-Tov, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2023
effusive in
…Dotty was effusive in her thanks.
…He was effusive in his praise for the general.
…The Ticket, was particularly effusive in his praise of quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who completed 38 of 47 passes for 510 yards and four touchdowns.
—Detroit Free Press, 6 Sep. 2023
> “flowing profusely” (especially of words), 1660s, with -ive + Latin effus-, stem of effundere “pour forth, spread abroad; to lavish, squander, waste,” from assimilated form of ex “out” (see ex-) + fundere “to pour” (from nasalized form of PIE root *gheu- “to pour”). Hence, “with extravagant display of feelings” (1863). Related: Effusively.
> gheu-: Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to pour, pour a libation.” It forms all or part of: alchemy; chyle; chyme; confound; confuse; diffuse; diffusion; effuse; effusion; effusive; fondant; fondue; font (n.2) “complete set of characters of a particular face and size of type;” found (v.2) “to cast metal;” foundry; funnel; fuse (v.) “to melt, make liquid by heat;” fusible; fusion; futile; futility; geyser; gush; gust (n.) “sudden squall of wind;” gut; infuse; ingot; parenchyma; perfuse; perfusion; profuse; refund; refuse (v.) “reject, disregard, avoid;” refuse (n.) “waste material, trash;” suffuse; suffusion; transfuse; transfusion.
> Collins English Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Etymonline
buttress
buttress
grisly
grisly
finicky
finicky
spelunking
spelunking
siphon
siphon
slumber
slumber
/ˈslʌmbər/
verb
1 to sleep, especially peacefully and deeply
…The baby slumbered quietly in the crib.
…He slumbered peacefully through the night.
noun
1 a state of sleep, especially deep or peaceful sleep
…She fell into a peaceful slumber.
…His deep slumber was undisturbed by the storm.
2 a state of inactivity or dormancy
…The volcano had been in slumber for centuries.
…The town was in quiet slumber during the winter months.
> Middle English: alteration of Scots and northern English sloom, in the same sense. The -b- was added for ease of pronunciation.
> Oxford Dictionary of English
heinous
hei·nous
/ˈhānəs/
1 very shocking and immoral; hatefully or shockingly evil: ODIOUS, ABOMINABLE, wicked, evil, atrocious, monstrous, disgraceful, detestable, contemptible, reprehensible, despicable, horrible, horrific, horrifying, terrible, awful, abhorrent, loathsome, outrageous, shocking, shameful, hateful, hideous, unspeakable, unpardonable, unforgivable, inexcusable, execrable, ghastly, iniquitous, villainous, nefarious, beneath contempt, beyond the pale
2 INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN
extremely bad.
> late 14c., “hateful, odious, atrocious,” from Old French hainos “inconvenient, awkward; hateful, unpleasant; odious” (12c., Modern French haineux), from haine “hatred, hate,” from hair “to hate,” from Frankish, from Proto-Germanic *hatjan, from PIE *kad- “sorrow, hatred” (see hate (v.)). Related: Heinously; heinousness.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
lest
lest
desecrate
desecrate
apiece
apiece
overture
overture
bicker
bicker
mulligan
mulligan
burnish
burnish
menial
menial
thud
thud
apotheosis
apotheosis
unscrupulous
unscrupulous
rite
rite
nitpick
nitpick
antidote
antidote
viscous
viscous
glib
glib
lattice
lattice
facsimile
facsimile
comprise
comprise
opprobrium
opprobrium
furbish
furbish
lopsided
lopsided
proverbial
proverbial
stipulation
stipulation
grimly
grimly
have skin in the game
have skin in the game
retort
retort
debilitate
debilitate
searing
searing
prosaic
prosaic
prejudice
prejudice
clench
clench
postulate
postulate
substrate
substrate
chaste
chaste
ergo
ergo
protestation
protestation
jettison
jettison
right as rain
right as rain
rancid
/ˈrænsɪd/
(adj.) having a foul or unpleasant smell or taste, typically due to decomposition or spoilage of fats or oils
The butter had turned rancid after being left out in the heat for too long.
kaleidoscope
kaleidoscope
onus
onus
congenial
congenial
a tall order
a tall order
trounce
trounce
fluff
fluff
psychosis
psychosis
divestment
divestment
fumble
fumble
good riddance
good riddance
lurid
lurid
levy
levy
bonanza
bonanza
garner
garner
acquiesce
acquiesce
kilter
kilter
at odds
at odds
idiopathic
id·i·o·path·ic
/i·dee·uh·pa·thuhk/
MEDICINE
designating or of a disease whose cause is unknown or uncertain
…He’s got what they call idiopathic symptomology, sick as hell but nothing wrong with him that they can find.
— Tropic of Night (Michael Gruber • 2003)
> From idio- + -pathic
> Representing a combining form of Ancient Greek ἴδιος (ídios, “own, personal, distinct”).
> From Ancient Greek πάθος (páthos, “suffering”) + -ic.
> Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Wiktionary
concourse
concourse
restorative
restorative
adjourn
if a meeting, parliament, law court etc adjourns, or if the person in charge adjourns it, it stops for a short time.
adjourn for
adjourn until
> Middle English (in the sense ‘summon someone to appear on a particular day’): from Old French ajorner, from the phrase a jorn (nome ) ‘to an (appointed) day’.
> Oxford Dictionary of English
devious
devious
squeamish
squeamish
thereby
thereby
tordid
tordid
make amends
make amends
deity
deity
wade
wade
1 If you wade through something that makes it difficult to walk, usually water or mud, you walk through it: WALK THROUGH, cross, ford, pass through
2 To wade through a lot of documents or pieces of information means to spend a lot of time and effort reading them or dealing with them.
→ wade through sth
…Each day Parkin wades through lengthy court reports.
…It has taken a long time to wade through the ‘incredible volume’ of evidence.
…It could be a tremendous tool for scientists who have to wade through tons of data.
wade in (also wade into sth)
If someone wades in or wades into something, they get involved in a very determined and forceful way, often without thinking enough about the consequences of their actions.
1 to enter a discussion, argument etc in a forceful and annoying way, often without thinking about the possible results:
…I wish you wouldn’t always wade in with your opinion.
…They don’t just listen sympathetically, they wade in with remarks like, ‘If I were you…’.
2 to move forward and attack someone:
…The police waded into the crowd swinging sticks.
…I waded in to help, but got kicked to the ground.
…Police waded into a crowd of protesters.
> From Middle English waden, from Old English wadan, from Proto-Germanic *wadaną, from Proto-Indo-European *weh₂dʰ- (“to go”). Cognates include German waten (“wade”) and Latin vādō (“go, walk; rush”)
> Collins English Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Wiktionary
unflinching
unflinching
construe
construe
lay it on thick
lay it on thick
zany
zany
adultery
adultery
amnesty
amnesty
bellwether
bellwether
debrief
debrief
avarice
avarice
tacit
tacit
teeter
teeter
/ˈtiːtər/
verb
1 to move or sway unsteadily
…The old man teetered on the edge of the cliff.
…The stack of books teetered precariously on the desk.
2 to alternate between two states or positions
…The company teetered between profit and bankruptcy.
…His mood teetered between hope and despair.
> 1843, “move up and down in see-saw fashion;” 1844, “move unsteadily, sway from side to side, be on the edge of imbalance;” an alteration of titter “move unsteadily,” as if about to fall (14c.) which is probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse titra “to shake, shiver, totter, tremble,” from Proto-Germanic *ti-tra- (source also of German zittern “to tremble”).
> Etymonline
enunciation
enunciation
a flash in the pan
a flash in the pan
along the lines of
along the lines of
erroneous
erroneous
give a person some slack; cut a person some slack
give a person some slack; cut a person some slack
get hold of / get ahold of
get hold of / get ahold of
respite
respite
about-face
about-face
ballast
ballast
affect
affect
keep an eye on
keep an eye on
short straw
short straw
molasses
molasses
amenity
amenity
submerge
submerge
/səbˈmɜːdʒ/
verb
1 to put something completely under water or another liquid
…The submarine can submerge to great depths.
…She submerged the tea bag in the hot water.
2 to cover something completely with water or liquid
…The flood waters submerged the entire village.
…Heavy rains submerged the low-lying areas.
3 to hide or conceal something completely
…He tried to submerge his feelings of disappointment.
…The actress submerged herself in the character.
> c. 1600 (transitive), “cover with water, inundate” (implied in submerged); 1610s as “put under water, plunge;” from French submerger (14c.) or directly from Latin submergere “to plunge under, sink, overwhelm,” from sub “under” (see sub-) + mergere “to plunge, immerse” (see merge).
> Etymonline
unease
unease
attuned to sth
attuned to sth
hedgerow
/ˈhɛdʒrəʊ/
(n.) a row of shrubs or trees forming a boundary or fence, commonly found along the edges of fields or roads
The ancient hedgerow provided a natural boundary between the two farms.
vantage
vantage
crib
crib
run-of-the-mill
run-of-the-mill
precarious
precarious
beachhead
beachhead
turgid
turgid
peripheral
peripheral
commotion
commotion
apogee
apogee
vixen
vixen
tenuous
tenuous
laconic
laconic
enliven
enliven
covet
covet
bankroll
bankroll
lay the groundwork
lay the groundwork
afoot
afoot
tenancy
tenancy
cerebral
cerebral
lofty
lofty
promiscuity
promiscuity
genial
genial
buttress
buttress
aberration
aberration
infraction
infraction
drudgery
drudgery
trifle
trifle
_______ BUT = A LOT OF
Jack’s son is _______ but trouble. (=Jack’s son always causes problems.)
NOTHING BUT = A LOT OF
Jack’s son is nothing but trouble. (=Jack’s son always causes problems.)
> Happy English https://bit.ly/3keox7i
_______ BUT = A LOT OF
We had _______ but problems on our vacation. (=We had a lot of problems on our vacation.)
NOTHING BUT = A LOT OF
We had nothing but problems on our vacation. (=We had a lot of problems on our vacation.)
> Happy English https://bit.ly/3keox7i
_______ BUT = A LOT OF
I have _______ but good things to say about my new job. I like my new job!
NOTHING BUT = A LOT OF
I have nothing but good things to say about my new job. I like my new job!
> Happy English https://bit.ly/3keox7i
_______ BUT = ENTIRELY NOT
His story was _______ but true.
ANYTHING BUT = ENTIRELY NOT
His story was anything but true.
> Happy English https://bit.ly/3keox7i
_______ BUT = ENTIRELY NOT
Jack was _______ but on time for work.
ANYTHING BUT = ENTIRELY NOT
Jack was anything but on time for work.
> Happy English https://bit.ly/3keox7i
tenuous
tenuous
accolade
accolade
tattle
tattle
ostensible
ostensible
thrift
thrift
venerable
venerable
pertinent
pertinent
wayward
wayward
play by ear
play by ear
chug
chug
/tʃʌɡ/
verb
1 (of a vehicle/engine) to move or operate with a regular, heavy sound; If a car, train etc chugs somewhere, it moves there slowly, with the engine making a repeated low sound
…The old train chugged slowly up the hill.
chug along/up/around etc
…The boat chugged out of the harbor.
2 INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN
to drink something quickly or in large gulps
…He chugged the entire bottle of water after the race.
…The students were chugging their sodas.
3 to make slow but steady progress
…The economy just keeps chugging along.
noun
1 the sound made by an engine running rhythmically
…In the distance I could hear the chug of farm machinery.
…The steady chug of the boat’s motor filled the air.
2 the act of drinking something quickly
…He finished his drink in one chug.
…With a final chug, she emptied the glass.
> mid 19th century (as a noun): imitative.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English
the apple of one’s eye
the apple of one’s eye
toiler
toiler
primordial
primordial
sequestered
sequestered
subtext
subtext
allude
allude
flashpoint
/ˈflæʃpɔɪnt/
(n.) a critical or volatile moment or situation; the point at which something bursts into conflict or action
The debate over the new policy became a flashpoint for protests across the city.
dunk on
/dʌŋk ɒn/
(phr.) to criticize or mock someone, often in a public or humiliating way
- The comedian mercilessly dunked on the politician’s embarrassing gaffe during his stand-up routine.
- … getting dunked on on social media isn’t the same as getting canceled (whatever that means). It’s more like dropping your tray of food in the lunchroom in middle school and everyone points and laughs at you … —Jason Aten
wanderlust
/ˈwɒndərlʌst/
(n.) a strong desire to travel and explore the world
Her wanderlust led her to visit over 30 countries in just five years.
fug
/fʌɡ/
(n.) a stale, stuffy, or smoky atmosphere in a confined space
The fug in the crowded bar made it difficult to breathe, so they decided to leave early.
differential
/ˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃəl/
(n.) a difference between things, especially in terms of rates, levels, or amounts
(adj.) of, showing, or depending on a difference; varying according to circumstances
- The company implemented a differential pricing strategy, charging more in affluent neighborhoods.
- The wage differential between the two companies was a key factor in her decision.
propensity
/prəˈpensəti/
(n.) an inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way
His propensity for taking risks made him successful in the stock market but worried his family.
intermittent
/ˌɪntəˈmɪtənt/
(adj.) occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady
The forecast predicts intermittent showers throughout the day, so bring an umbrella.
bank on sb/sth
/bæŋk ɒn/
(phr.) to rely on or depend on someone or something
- You can bank on her to deliver the project on time; she’s very reliable.
- We can’t bank on good weather for the outdoor party.
daffy
/ˈdæfi/
(adj.) silly or eccentric in a harmless and amusing way
- The actress is starring in a daffy new comedy this summer.
- The book is filled with daffy characters.
- her daffy charm
- Her daffy sense of humor always lightens the mood at gatherings.
> Merriam-Webster
sentry
/ˈsɛntri/
(n.) a soldier or guard stationed to keep watch and prevent unauthorized access
The sentry stood at the gate, vigilantly monitoring everyone who entered the premises.
aggrieved
/əˈɡriːvd/
(adj.) feeling resentment at having been unfairly treated
- The aggrieved employee filed a formal complaint about the unfair distribution of bonuses.
- One aggrieved customer complained that he still hadn’t received the book he had ordered several weeks ago.
- He felt aggrieved by their refusal to meet with him.
> Merriam-Webster, Cambridge Dictionary
appendage
/əˈpɛndɪdʒ/
(n.) something attached to a larger or more important thing; a secondary or auxiliary part, often projecting from the main body
- The committee is a mere appendage of the council and has no power of its own.
- The tail is a useful appendage for many animals, aiding in balance and communication.
> Cambridge Dictionary
stripling
/ˈstrɪplɪŋ/
(n.) a young man, often implying youth and inexperience
- The seasoned warriors laughed at the stripling’s bold claims of victory.
- The old soldier looked at the stripling recruit and wondered if he was ready for the challenges ahead.
caught offside
/kɔːt ɒfˈsaɪd/
(phr.) in sports, particularly soccer, being in a position where a player is in violation of the offside rule; metaphorically, being unprepared or in the wrong place at the wrong time; being “caught offside” figuratively means being in a situation where you are at a disadvantage, often due to a lack of preparation, awareness, or appropriate action.
- He was caught offside during the critical play, costing his team a chance to score.
- The company was caught offside by the sudden change in market demand and suffered heavy losses.
- He was caught offside when the boss asked him about the project’s progress, as he hadn’t even started working on it”
- The politician was caught offside by the leaked documents, which revealed his involvement in a scandal.
sleaze
sleaze
…
rehash
rehash
…
turnout
turnout
…
dialectic
dialectic
…
logjam
logjam
…
overarching
overarching
/ˌoʊvərˈɑrtʃɪŋ/
adjective
1 forming an arch overhead or above
…The overarching branches created a natural canopy.
…The overarching dome of the cathedral was impressive.
2 comprehensive or all-encompassing; extending over or covering everything
…The overarching theme of the novel is redemption.
…The company developed an overarching strategy for global expansion.
errant
errant
…
brine
brine
…
scramble
scramble
/ˈskræm.bəl/
noun
1 a difficult or hurried movement upward
…The final scramble to the mountain’s peak was exhausting.
…There was a desperate scramble up the steep embankment.
2 a disorganized and competitive situation where people move quickly to get something
…There was a scramble for tickets when they went on sale.
…The job fair turned into a scramble for the few available positions.
3 a motorcycle or bicycle race across rough terrain
…He won the local dirt bike scramble last weekend.
…The mountain bike scramble attracted riders from across the country.
verb
1 to move or climb quickly but with difficulty, using your hands to help you
…He scrambled over the rocks to escape.
…The children scrambled up the steep hill.
2 to move quickly in a disorganized way, often competing with others
…People scrambled to get the best seats.
…Shoppers were scrambling for the last items in the sale.
3 to try hard to achieve something, especially in competition with others
…Companies are scrambling to develop new technology.
…Local businesses are scrambling for survival.
4a to toss or mix together in confusion : to throw into disorder : JUMBLE
…Bad weather often scrambles the train schedules.
→ scramble somebody’s brains
INFORMAL
to make someone unable to think clearly or reasonably
…Maybe the alcohol has scrambled his brains.
4b to mix eggs by stirring them gently while cooking them
…He scrambled some eggs for breakfast.
…Would you like your eggs scrambled or fried?
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster
rigor
rigor
…
fledge
fledge
…
knockoff
/ˈnɒkˌɒf/
(n.) a copy or imitation of a product, often of lower quality than the original
She accidentally bought a knockoff handbag, thinking it was the real designer brand.
expressly
expressly
/ɪkˈspresli/
adverb
1 if you say something expressly, you say it very clearly and firmly
…He was expressly forbidden to speak to the girl.
2 deliberately or for a specific purpose
…The building is expressly designed to conserve energy.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
