Set 8 Flashcards
hold sb to sth
hold sb to sth
to make somebody keep a promise; to make someone do what they promised or agreed to do; to demand that someone act on a promise or agreement
…We’ll hold him to the exact terms of the contract.
…They didn’t hold me to a month’s notice. “They didn’t hold me to a month’s notice” means that the speaker was not required to give a month’s notice before leaving their job or position. The phrase “hold to” means to make someone do what they have promised or decided. In this context, it means that the speaker was not required to fulfill the obligation of giving a month’s notice before leaving their job or position.
> Cambridge English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Macmillan Dictionary
rough around the edges
rough around the edges
send for sb/sth
send for sb/sth
shroud
shroud
/ʃraʊd/
noun
1 a cloth used to wrap a dead body for burial: WINDING /ˈwaɪn.dɪŋ/ SHEET, grave clothes, burial clothes, cerements, chrisom
…The body was wrapped in a white shroud.
…The ancient shroud was preserved in the museum.
2 something that conceals, covers, or protects: COVERING, veil, mantle, screen
…A shroud of fog covered the mountain.
…The fog rolled in, and a grey shroud covered the city.
shroud of
…The truth of the affair will always be hidden under a shroud of secrecy.
verb
1a to cover or hide something; If darkness, fog, or smoke shrouds an area, it covers it so that it is difficult to see: CONCEAL, COVER, screen, hide
…Mist shrouded the outline of Buckingham Palace.
be shrouded in sth
…The cliff was shrouded in mist.
1b to keep information secret so that people do not know what really happened; If something has been shrouded in mystery or secrecy, very little information about it has been made available.
be shrouded in sth
…The incident has always been shrouded in mystery.
…The truth was shrouded in mystery.
Grammar
Shroud is usually passive.
2 to wrap (a corpse) in a shroud
…They shrouded the deceased in traditional burial cloth.
…The body was carefully shrouded before the funeral.
> shroud (n.): Old English scrud “a garment, article of clothing, dress, something which envelops and conceals,” from West Germanic *skruthan, from Proto-Germanic *skrud- “cut” (source also of Old Norse skruð “shrouds of a ship, tackle, gear; furniture of a church,” Danish, Swedish skrud “dress, attire”), from PIE *skreu- “to cut” (see shred (n.)).
> shroud (v.): c. 1300, shrouden, “to clothe (with a garment or veil), cover, protect,” from Old English scrydan, scridan “to clothe, dress;” see shroud (n.). Especially “put a shroud on a dead body for burial” (1570s). The meaning “to hide from view, conceal” (transitive) is attested from early 15c. Related: Shrouded; shrouding.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
snide
snide
flagrant
flagrant
vouch for sb/sth
vouch for sb/sth
berate
berate
dismember
dismember
take sth by storm
take sth by storm
put in for sth
put in for sth
vigilant
vigilant
size up
size up
treasure trove
treasure trove
confide in sb
confide in sb
torrid
torrid
crude
crude
apprise
apprise
with flying colors
with flying colors
not mince (one’s) words
not mince (one’s) words
ask sb a favor (also ask a favor of sb)
ask sb a favor (also ask a favor of sb)
alas
alas
swoop
swoop
pragmatist
pragmatist
schematic
schematic
sovereignty
sovereignty
to fuss over sb/sth
to make a fuss over sb/sth
(also British to make a fuss of sb/sth)
to fuss over sb/sth
to make a fuss over sb/sth
to pay a lot of attention or too much attention to someone or something, especially to show that you are pleased with them or like them; If you fuss over someone, you pay them a lot of attention and do things to make them happy or comfortable.
…His aunts fussed over him all the time.
…Jess looked at the worried forehead wrinkles, the nervous hands fussing over the teacups, plum cake and shortbread.
to make a fuss of sb/sth
BRITISH
If you make a fuss of someone, you pay them a lot of attention and do things to make them happy or comfortable.
…When I arrived my nephews made a big fuss of me.
…Make a fuss of your dog when he behaves properly.
…Their grandmother made such a fuss of them.
> Collins English Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English
to make a fuss
to kick up a fuss
to make a fuss
to kick up a fuss
INFORMAL
to complain or become angry about something, especially when this is not necessary; If you make a fuss or kick up a fuss about something, you become angry or excited about it and complain.
…I don’t know why everybody makes such a fuss about a few mosquitoes.
…I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss about it.
…She felt unenthusiastic and listless about the eclipse and couldn’t see why everyone else was making such a fuss.
…Josie kicked up a fuss because the soup was too salty.
…If enough parents kick up a fuss, you can change things.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary
fuss
fuss
noun
1 Fuss is anxious or excited behavior which serves no useful purpose: COMMOTION, excitement, agitation, uproar, to-do, ado /əˈduː/
…There was all that fuss over his marriage breaking up.
…They wanted a quiet wedding without any fuss.
…Until I heard her sing I couldn’t see what all the fuss was about(=why people liked it so much).
verb
1 If you fuss, you worry or behave in a nervous, anxious way about unimportant matters or rush around doing unnecessary things: WORRY, FRET, be agitated, be worried, take pains, make a big thing out of
…‘Stop fussing,’ he snapped.
…I wish you’d stop fussing – I’ll be perfectly all right.
…Jack was fussing over the food and clothing we were going to take.
→ fuss with/around/about
…Paul was fussing with his clothes, trying to get his tie straight.
…She fussed with a wisp of hair over her ear.
…A team of waiters began fussing around the table.
…Carol fussed about getting me a drink.
2 If you fuss over someone, you pay them a lot of attention and do things to make them happy or comfortable.
…His aunts fussed over him all the time.
> Collins English Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
frown on sb/sth
frown upon sb/sth
frown on sb/sth
frown upon sb/sth
teething troubles
(also teething problems)
teething troubles
(also teething problems)
contrite adjective
contrition noun
contrite adjective
contrition noun
subside
subside
appropriate
appropriate
smirk
smirk
reside
reside
go off at a tangent
go off at a tangent
whimper
whimper
blatant
blatant
indiscriminate
indiscriminate
deliberation
deliberation
arid
arid
fiend
fiend
to stand pat
to stand pat
strain
strain
fiddle
fiddle
arraignment
arraignment
inappropriate
inappropriate
scrabble
scrabble
/ˈskræbl/
verb
1 to scratch or scrape around frantically with one’s fingers or hands
…She scrabbled around in her handbag for a pen.
…The dog was scrabbling at the door.
2 to move around hurriedly, especially on hands and knees
…They scrabbled up the steep hillside.
…The children scrabbled under the fence.
3 to struggle to achieve something; If you say that someone is scrabbling to do something, you mean that they are having difficulty because they are in too much of a hurry, or because the task is almost impossible: STRIVE, rush, hasten, run
…He scrabbled to make ends meet.
…They were scrabbling for political power.
…The banks are now desperately scrabbling to recover their costs.
…The government is scrabbling around for ways to raise revenue without putting up taxes.
…The opportunity had gone. His mind scrabbled for alternatives.
noun
1 a frantic scratching or scrambling movement
…There was a scrabble of claws on the wooden floor.
2 (Scrabble) a trademark board game using letter tiles to form words
…They played Scrabble every Sunday evening.
> From Middle Dutch schrabbelen, frequentative of schrabben (“to scrape”), equivalent to scrab + -le.
> Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Wiktionary
ilk
ilk
exorbitant
exorbitant
as thick as thieves
as thick as thieves
jeer
jeer
fissure
fissure
latch onto sb/sth
latch onto sb/sth
snicker
snicker
frill
frill
dupe
dupe
glitz
glitz
fight tooth and nail
fight tooth and nail
fickle
fickle
reimbursement
reimbursement
muck
muck
excavation
excavation
can’t abide sb/sth
can’t abide sb/sth
flaccid
flaccid
I’m being cruel only to be kind.
I’m being cruel only to be kind.
…You may scoff but I honestly feel I’m being cruel only to be kind.
The phrase “You may scoff but I honestly feel I’m being cruel only to be kind” means that the speaker is doing something that may seem harsh or unkind but is actually for the benefit of the person they are doing it to. It’s a way of saying that sometimes you have to be tough in order to help someone in the long run.
My nerves are getting frayed
fray
…My nerves are getting frayed(= I am becoming nervous) from the constant noise around here.
> Cambridge Dictionary
bristle with sth
bristle
noun
…
verb
1 to behave in a way that shows you are very angry or annoyed: GET ANGRY, become infuriated, be furious, be maddened, bridle, become indignant, be irritated; take offense, take umbrage; be defensive
→ bristle with rage/indignation etc
…John pushed back his chair, bristling with rage.
→ bristle at
If you bristle at something, you react to it angrily, and show this in your expression or the way you move.
…He bristled at her rudeness.
…Ellis bristles at accusations that Berkeley’s experiment is ill-conceived.
2 if an animal’s hair bristles, it stands up stiffly because the animal is afraid or angry
3 If you say that a place or thing bristles with people or with other things, you are emphasizing that it contains a great number of them: ABOUND, swarm, teem, crawl, overflow, be alive, hum
…The country bristles with armed groups.
…The idea fairly bristles with controversy.
…On the plus side are the 19 selections recorded at the band’s 1980 performance at the Lyceum Theater in London, which bristle with excitement.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Dec. 2023
…In San Francisco, Cruise now offers rides in driverless Chevrolet Bolt AVs (for autonomous vehicles) that bristle with sensors—not only the usual cameras and radar, but also lidar—that feed data to a powerful computer system that makes decisions in real time about what the car is doing and facing.
—John Voelcker, Car and Driver, 31 July 2023
…In the posh Tuscan port town of Forte dei Marmi, the gaudy vacation homes for moneyed seasonal visitors all bristle with security cameras that surveil every square inch of space.
—Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 23 June 2021
> c. 1200 (implied in past-participle adjective bristled) “set or covered with bristles,” from bristle (n.). Of hair, “to stand or become stiff and upright,” late 15c. The extended meaning “become angry or excited” is 1540s, from the way animals show fight.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
analogy
a‧nal‧o‧gy
/əˈnælədʒi/
> late Middle English (in the sense ‘appropriateness, correspondence’): from French analogie, Latin analogia ‘correspondence, proportion’, from Greek, from analogos ‘proportionate’, from Latin analogia, from Ancient Greek ἀναλογία (analogía), from ana “upon, according to” + lógos “speech, reckoning”.
a‧nal‧o‧gous
/əˈnæləɡəs/
similar or comparable to something else either in general or in some specific detail; If one thing is analogous to another, the two things are similar in some way.
→ analogous to/with
…Marine construction technology is very complex, somewhat analogous to trying to build a bridge under water.
…Remote voting via the Internet is analogous to absentee voting and will have the same kinds of problems.
…The report’s findings are analogous with our own.
> mid 17th century: via Latin from Greek analogos ‘proportionate’ + -ous.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, MacMillan Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionary of English, Wiktionary, Etymonline
analogous
a‧nal‧o‧gy
/əˈnælədʒi/
> late Middle English (in the sense ‘appropriateness, correspondence’): from French analogie, Latin analogia ‘correspondence, proportion’, from Greek, from analogos ‘proportionate’, from Latin analogia, from Ancient Greek ἀναλογία (analogía), from ana “upon, according to” + lógos “speech, reckoning”.
a‧nal‧o‧gous
/əˈnæləɡəs/
similar or comparable to something else either in general or in some specific detail; If one thing is analogous to another, the two things are similar in some way.
→ analogous to/with
…Marine construction technology is very complex, somewhat analogous to trying to build a bridge under water.
…Remote voting via the Internet is analogous to absentee voting and will have the same kinds of problems.
…The report’s findings are analogous with our own.
> mid 17th century: via Latin from Greek analogos ‘proportionate’ + -ous.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, MacMillan Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionary of English, Wiktionary, Etymonline
have an axe to grind
have an axe to grind
“Having an axe to grind” means having a strong personal opinion about something that you want people to accept¹. It can also mean that the person has an ulterior motive or personal reasons for doing something¹.
…If someone is always talking about how great their company is and how much better it is than other companies, they might have an axe to grind because they want people to think their company is better².
… I need objective advice from someone with no axe to grind⁶.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 4/17/2023(1) HAVE AN AXE TO GRIND definition | Cambridge English Dictionary. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/have-an-axe-to-grind Accessed 4/17/2023.
(2) The saying ‘Have an axe to grind’ - meaning and origin. - Phrasefinder. https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/have-an-axe-to-grind.html Accessed 4/17/2023.
(3) Have an axe to grind - Idioms by The Free Dictionary. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/have+an+axe+to+grind Accessed 4/17/2023.
(4) HAVE AN AXE TO GRIND - Cambridge English Dictionary. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/have-an-axe-to-grind Accessed 4/17/2023.
(5) HAVE AN AX TO GRIND | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/have-an-ax-to-grind Accessed 4/17/2023.
(6) https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/have-an-axe-to-grind
layman
layman
call out
call out
proprietary
proprietary
anonymity
anonymity
voluntarily
voluntarily
smug
smug
comrade
comrade
hone in on sth
hone in on sth
congeal
congeal
horrific
horrific
sanctimonious
sanctimonious
with aplomb
with aplomb
head over heels (in love)
head over heels (in love)
take the reins
take the reins
flinch
flinch
/flɪntʃ/
verb
1 to make a quick, nervous movement as a reaction to pain or fear: WINCE, start, shy (away), recoil, shrink, pull back, back away, shy away, draw back, withdraw, blench, cringe, squirm, quiver, shudder, shiver, tremble, quake, shake, quail, cower, waver, falter, hesitate, get cold feet, blanch
…He flinched when the doctor gave him the injection.
…She flinched at the loud noise.
2 → flinch from (doing) something
to avoid doing or becoming involved in (something) through fear or anxiety; If you flinch from something unpleasant, you are unwilling to do it or think about it, or you avoid doing it: SHY AWAY, SHRINK, recoil, turn away, swerve, hang back, demur; dodge, evade, avoid, duck, balk at, jib at, quail at, fight shy of; informal boggle at
…He didn’t flinch when faced with the tough decision.
…She flinched at the thought of speaking in public.
noun
a sudden jerking movement as a response to pain, fear, or surprise
…There was a slight flinch in his expression.
…Her flinch was barely noticeable.
> From Middle French flenchir (“to bend”), of Germanic origin. Compare Middle High German lenken (“to bend”). Attested in English since the 16th century.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary
slavish
slavish
trip up
trip up
pet peeve
pet peeve
cut one’s eyeteeth on sth
(also cut one’s teeth on sth)
cut one’s eyeteeth on sth
(also cut one’s teeth on sth)
Get one’s first experience by doing, or learn early in life, as in I cut my teeth on this kind of layout or He cut his eyeteeth on magazine editing. This term alludes to the literal verb to cut teeth, meaning “to have teeth first emerge through a baby’s gums,” a usage dating from the late 1600s.
> Dictionary.com
To gain a lot of experience with something, especially at a young age. A reference to one’s teeth coming in when one is a child; one’s “eyeteeth” are the canines.
…Oh, I cut my eyeteeth on those kinds of equations! Give me a challenging problem for a change!
…Jen may be young, but she cut her eyeteeth on assignments at a prestigious journal, so her perspective and expertise will be invaluable to us.
> The Free Dictionary
unravel
unravel
deluge
deluge
cast aspersions on sb/sth
cast aspersions on sb/sth
waver
waver
misnomer
misnomer
apathy
apathy
presumably
presumably
infatuation
infatuation
attentive
attentive
snub
snub
watershed
watershed
canny
canny
sardonic
sardonic
acrimonious
acrimonious
go to town
go to town
to do something thoroughly, enthusiastically, or extravagantly; If you say that someone goes to town on something, you mean that they deal with it with a lot of enthusiasm or intensity.
…I thought I’d go to town on the redecoration.
…They really went to town on the Christmas decorations.
…We really went to town on it, turning it into a full, three-day show.
…The papers got hold of it and went to town on it.
…With £500 spending money for each couple, you can really go to town!
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Collins English Dictionary, Macmillan Dictionary
romp
romp
go without saying
go without saying
to be completely obvious or true; to not need to be said; to be obvious, apparent, clear, or already established; said to mean that something is so obvious that it does not need to be said or explained
…It goes without saying that our volunteers love their work.
…It goes without saying that teachers must be selected with care.
…It goes without saying that I’m sorry.
…And of course it goes without saying that if there’s anything you should need while you’re out here, please don’t hesitate to call me here at the embassy.
> Wiktionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Macmillan Dictionary, Collins English Dictionary
bear/bore/borne
bear/bore/borne
have seen better days
have seen better days
INFORMAL
to be old and in bad condition:
…That jacket has seen better days. Why don’t you get a new one?
> Cambridge Dictionary
cop out
cop out
INFORMAL
to avoid or neglect problems, responsibilities, or commitments; If you say that someone is copping out, you mean they are avoiding doing something they should do.
…He copped out at the last moment.
…Don’t cop out on your promise to pay for the damage.
…The minute it got tough, he copped out.
> by 1942, noun (“a cowardly escape, an evasion”) and verb (“sneak off, escape, give up without trying”), American English slang, perhaps from cop a plea (c. 1925) “plead guilty to lesser charges,” which is probably from northern British slang cop “to catch” (a scolding, etc.); as in cop a feel “grope someone” (1930s); see cop (v.). Sense of “evade an issue or problem” is from 1960s.
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline
on tenterhooks
on tenterhooks
to feel nervous and excited because you are waiting to find out something or for something to happen; When someone is in a state of uneasiness or suspense, you might say that person is on tenterhooks: BE ON EDGE
…She had been on tenterhooks all night, expecting Joe to return at any moment.
…He was still on tenterhooks waiting for his directors’ decision about the job.
> Being stretched, of course, leaves fabric very tense, as one’s muscles are when one is feeling stressed or uneasy. And so to be “on tenterhooks” is to be similarly tense as one waits in suspense.
> Merriam-Webster, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary
brooding
brooding
jake
jake
shrivel
shrivel
thaw
thaw
josh
josh
gleam
gleam
sluice
sluice
frizz
frizz
sneak
sneak
scrotum
scrotum
jolly
jolly
repent
repent
wistful
wistful
trifle
trifle
embellish
embellish
pylon
pylon
pallid
pallid
whiff
whiff
acrid
acrid
blurb
blurb
gibber
gibber
bray
bray
chagrin
chagrin
goad
goad
syphilis
syphilis
spang
spang
resplendent
resplendent
splay
/spleɪ/
(v.) to spread out or expand; to display or arrange in a spread-out manner
- He sat with his legs splayed out in front of him.
- He sat with his legs splayed apart.
- She splayed her fingers to show off her manicure.
- His fingers splayed out over the table as he steadied himself.
> early 14c., “unfold, unfurl” (a sense now obsolete); c. 1400, “spread out,” a shortened form of desplayen (see display (v.)).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline
swig
swig
/swɪɡ/
verb
to drink something quickly or in large amounts
…He swigged the beer straight from the bottle.
…She swigged down the water after her run.
noun
a large drink or amount of liquid taken quickly
…He took a long swig from the water bottle.
…She had a quick swig of juice before heading out.
> Mid 16th c. Perhaps connected with Old English swelgan (“to swallow”).
> Wiktionary
holler
holler
spastic
spastic
stow
stow
harness
harness
bleary
bleary
(adj.) (of the eyes) unfocused or filmy from sleep or tiredness; dull or dimmed especially from fatigue or sleep
/ˈblɪəri/
After working all night, he stumbled into the meeting with bleary eyes and a foggy mind.
> bleary (1300-1400) blear “to make (the eyes) unable to see clearly” ((13-19 centuries))
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster
impassive
/ɪmˈpæsɪv/
(adj.) not showing emotion or reaction; expressionless
- Despite the shocking news, he remained impassive, giving no hint of his thoughts.
- Her face remained impassive throughout the trial.
- She remained impassive as the officers informed her of her son’s death.
USAGE NOTES:
Impassive stresses the absence of any external sign of emotion in action or facial expression.
- met the news with an impassive look
> From im- (“not”) + passive (“to express the suffering or feeling”).
> Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary
turret
turret
emblazon
emblazon
confide
confide
grim
grim
motley
motley
slosh
slosh
/slɒʃ/
verb
1 to move about or splash with a splashing sound (of liquid)
…Water sloshed over the sides of the bucket as he walked.
…The drinks in their glasses sloshed back and forth.
2 to cause liquid to move around noisily
…He sloshed the water around in the container.
…The child sloshed through the puddles in rain boots.
3 to pour carelessly or in large amounts
…She sloshed some milk into her coffee.
…He sloshed paint all over the floor.
noun
1 the sound or movement of liquid splashing around
…We could hear the slosh of water in the tank.
…The slosh of waves against the boat kept us awake.
2 an act of splashing or spilling liquid
…A slosh of tea landed on the tablecloth.
…There was a slosh as the water hit the floor.
crescent
crescent
cleft
cleft
pulpit
pulpit
seamy
seamy
combers
combers
smite/smote/smitten
smite
/smaɪt/
verb (past tense smote /sməʊt $ smoʊt/, past participle smitten /ˈsmɪtn/)
1 to hit or strike with heavy force or with a weapon
…The warrior smote his enemy with a mighty sword.
…The lightning smote the old oak tree.
2 to affect suddenly and strongly (as if by striking)
…He was smitten with a terrible disease.
…Grief smote her when she heard the news.
3 to attract or impress someone suddenly and strongly
…She was smitten by his charming smile.
…The young artist was smitten with the beauty of the landscape.
smitten
/ˈsmɪtən/
adjective
1 deeply affected by love or strong attraction
…He was smitten with her from the moment they met.
…She looked at him with smitten eyes.
2 struck or afflicted, especially in a figurative sense
…He was smitten with guilt after his harsh words.
…The village was smitten by a terrible drought.
3 (archaic) physically struck or hit
…The knight lay smitten on the battlefield.
…The tree was smitten by lightning during the storm.
> smite (v.): From Middle English smiten, from Old English smitan (“to daub, smear, smudge; soil, defile, pollute”), from Proto-West Germanic *smitan, from Proto-Germanic *smiten (“to sling; throw; smear”), from Proto-Indo-European *smeyd- (“to smear, whisk, strike, rub”).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Wiktionary, Etymonline
clump
clump
/klʌmp/
verb
1 to form into a compact mass or group
…The wet snow clumped on his boots.
…Hair and soap had clumped together in the drain.
…The students clumped together at the bus stop.
2 to walk heavily or clumsily
…He clumped down the hallway in his work boots.
…The children clumped up the stairs in their rain boots.
noun
1 a compact mass or group of something
…There is a clump of bushes at the edge of the field.
…She added a clump of butter to the pan.
2 a heavy, dull sound made by walking
…The clump of footsteps echoed in the empty house.
…I could hear the clump of his footsteps as he came down the stairs.
> clump (n.): 1580s, “lump; cluster or small, close group” (especially of shrubs or trees), from Middle English clompe “a lump” (c. 1300), from a Low German source (such as Dutch klomp “lump, mass,” or Middle Low German klumpe “clog, wooden shoe”). Old English had clympre “lump, mass of metal.”
> clump (v.1): “to heap or gather in clumps” (transitive), 1824, from clump (n.). Related: Clumped; clumping. Intransitive sense “to form a clump or clumps” is recorded from 1896.
> clump (v.2): “walk heavily and clumsily,” 1660s, imitative, or perhaps from the notion of walking in wooden shoes (see clump (n.)). Related: Clumped; clumping.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline
perky
perky
abrade
abrade
scant
scant
sough
sough
throb
throb
/θrɒb/
verb
1 to beat or pulse with a strong, regular rhythm: VIBRATE, pulse, resonate, pulsate
…The engines throbbed.
…The music throbbed through the walls.
…Her heart throbbed with excitement.
2 to feel pain in a series of regular beats; If a part of your body throbs, you have a feeling of pain in it that regularly starts and stops: PULSATE, pound, beat, pulse
…The back of my neck throbbed painfully.
throb with
…Her foot was throbbing with pain.
…I woke up with a throbbing headache.
noun
1 a strong, regular beating or pulsing
…The throb of the engines could be felt throughout the ship.
…She could feel the throb of her pulse in her temples.
2 a feeling of pain in a series of regular beats
…The dull ache became a throb.
> late Middle English: probably imitative.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English
hick
hick
baleful
baleful
supplication
supplication
jimmy
jimmy
coddle
coddle
splotch
splotch
on the sly
on the sly
flog
flog
maelstrom
maelstrom
reinstate
reinstate
breeches
breeches
sluggish
sluggish
sleet
sleet
scaly
scaly
/ˈskeɪli/
adjective
1 covered with or having scales
…The snake’s scaly skin glistened in the sun.
…Fish have scaly bodies that protect them from predators.
2 resembling or suggesting scales in appearance
…The old wall had a scaly paint surface.
…The tree trunk had a scaly texture.
3 (of skin) dry and flaking off in small pieces
…Her hands were scaly from working in the garden all day.
…The harsh winter left him with scaly patches on his legs.
growl
growl
finality
finality
lull
lull
oblivion
oblivion
scrawny
scrawny
plead
plead
surfeit
surfeit
nestle
nestle
/ˈnɛsəl/
verb
1 to settle or snuggle comfortably and cozily
…The cat nestled into the warm blanket.
…She nestled deeper into the armchair.
2 to be situated in a sheltered or partially hidden position
…The cottage nestled among the trees.
…The village nestled in the valley between mountains.
3 to place or position gently and snugly
…She nestled the baby in her arms.
…He nestled the eggs carefully in the basket.
> Middle English nestlen, from Old English nestlian “build a nest, make or live in a (bird’s) nest,” from nest (see nest (n.)) + suffix -el (3). Figurative sense of “settle (oneself) comfortably, snuggle” is recorded by 1540s. In Middle English also “take shelter as if in a nest.” Related: Nestled; nestling.
> Etymonline
philippic
philippic
a foregone conclusion
a foregone conclusion
nautical
nautical
tumbledown
tumbledown
dialectic
dialectic
unsettled
unsettled
rife
rife
orthodontics
orthodontics
improbable
improbable
invoke
invoke
come clean
/kʌm kliːn/
(phr.) to confess or admit the truth about something, especially something previously concealed
After days of questioning, he decided to come clean about his role in the prank.
keep at it
/kiːp æt ɪt/
(phr.) to persist or continue doing something, especially in the face of challenges
Learning a new language is tough, but if you keep at it, you’ll eventually succeed.
slight (n.)
/slaɪt/
(n.) an insult or act of disrespect, often subtle or unintentional
Anything slight is very small. There’s a slight chance you’ll run into a celebrity in New York City — in other words, don’t count on it. A slight is also an insult, like giving someone the cold shoulder. Burr.
Every meaning of slight stems from the Old Norse for “small or flimsy.” If you have a slight build, you’re slim with small bones. A slight deviation from your plan is a tiny adjustment. As a verb, to slight means to ignore or be indifferent toward someone; it’s also the noun for the act of ignoring. If you direct a movie and the star doesn’t thank you in her award acceptance speech, you’ll be offended at the slight.
- She may take it as a slight on her ability as a mother.
- a slight to his authority
- He took her refusal to dance as a personal slight, though she simply had sore feet.
- She took his forgetfulness as a slight, even though it wasn’t meant to offend.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Vocabulary.com
