To Prep 2 - Words Flashcards
puberty noun
BrE /ˈpjuːbəti/ ; NAmE /ˈpjuːbərti/ [uncountable]
the period of a person’s life during which their sexual organs develop and they become capable of having children
ex) Puberty might be a very important time for development of breast cancer.
progesterone noun
BrE /prəˈdʒestərəʊn/ ; NAmE /prəˈdʒestəroʊn/ [uncountable]
a hormone produced in the bodies of women and female animals which prepares the body to become pregnant and is also used in contraception
ex) In one study, girls who reduced the amount of fat they ate by 6%, lowered their estrogen and progesterone levels by at least 30%.
eventual adjective
BrE /ɪˈventʃuəl/ ; NAmE /ɪˈventʃuəl/ [only before noun]
happening at the end of a period of time or of a process
ex) The evidence linking a girl’s diet and exercise habits to a lower risk of eventual breast cancer is still evolving, and far from proven.
tantalizing adjective
(British English also -ising)
BrE /ˈtæntəlaɪzɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈtæntəlaɪzɪŋ/
making you want something that you cannot have or do
ex) Some researchers say it’s nothing more than a tantalizing theory.
drive/strike a hard bargain
to argue in an aggressive way and force somebody to agree on the best possible price or arrangement
ex) You drive a hard bargain, Bob.
can’t complain
Used as a response meaning fairly good or well, to questions such as “How are you?” or “How is business?” For example, How’ve you been?-Can’t complain. This term means that nothing serious is wrong.
- 1) a person whose job involves working with numbers, such as an accountant
2) a computer or computer program that works with numbers and calculates data
ex) ‘Fine thanks, Carol. How are you?’ ‘Can’t complain. Bob, I’ve had a chance to crunch some numbers. I can pay you 50 cents per cookie.’
crunch verb
BrE /krʌntʃ/ ; NAmE /krʌntʃ/
- number cruncher noun
(also number-cruncher) (informal)
4) [transitive] crunch something (computing) to deal with large amounts of data very quickly
ex) ‘Fine thanks, Carol. How are you?’ ‘Can’t complain. Bob, I’ve had a chance to crunch some numbers. I can pay you 50 cents per cookie.’
out of the question
impossible or not allowed and therefore not worth discussing
ex) That’s out of the question. At that price, it’s not worth our while.
worth somebody’s while
interesting or useful for somebody to do
ex) That’s out of the question. At that price, it’s not worth our while. The ingredients alone cost us 30 cents per cookie.
sweeten verb
BrE /ˈswiːtn/ ; NAmE /ˈswiːtn/
3) sweeten something to make something more pleasant or acceptable
ex) Okay, let me sweeten the deal - 60 cents per cookie?
The fall in inflation did little to sweeten news of massive job losses.
twist somebody’s arm
(informal) to persuade or force somebody to do something
ex) Okay, okay, you’ve twisted my arm. I’ll pay you 75 cents per cookie. Take it or leave it!
now you’re talking
(informal) used when you like what somebody has suggested very much
ex) ‘Okay, okay, you’ve twisted my arm. I’ll pay you 75 cents per cookie. Take it or leave it!’ ‘Now you’re talking! We’ll take it.’
get/set/start/keep the ball rolling
to make something start happening; to make sure that something continues to happen
ex) Let’s get the ball rolling. Bring me 2,000 cookies on Monday morning by 9 a.m.
Surgeon General noun
BrE ; NAmE (pl. Surgeons General)
(in the US) the head of a public health service or of a medical service in the armed forces
ex) That is the message from the Surgeon General, who, for the first time in 20 years, has issued a new report on secondhand smoke.
deleterious adjective
BrE /ˌdeləˈtɪəriəs/ ; NAmE /ˌdeləˈtɪriəs/ (formal)
harmful and damaging
ex) The bottom line is, is that secondhand smoke, in any dose, for any time period, is deleterious for your health.
SIDS noun
BrE /ˌes aɪ diː ˈes/ ; NAmE /ˌes aɪ diː ˈes/ ; BrE /sɪdz/ ; NAmE /sɪdz/ [uncountable]
- cot death noun
BrE ; NAmE (British English)
(North American English crib death)
[uncountable, countable]
the abbreviation for ‘sudden infant death syndrome’ (the sudden death while sleeping of a baby which appears to be healthy)
- synonym cot death
the sudden death while sleeping of a baby that appears to be healthy
ex) In children, it does increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome and severe asthma attacks.
the final nail in the coffin
an event that causes the failure of something that had already started to fail
ex) It’s really the final nail in the coffin for anybody who doubts that secondhand smoke is harmful.
ordinance noun
BrE /ˈɔːdɪnəns/ ; NAmE /ˈɔːrdɪnəns/ countable, uncountable
an order or a rule made by a government or somebody in a position of authority 법령, 조례
ex) Just 14 states and Washington, DC have passed strict laws, though there are thousands of local ordinances.
dupe verb
BrE /djuːp/ ; NAmE /duːp/
to trick or cheat somebody
ex) The decades-long campaign by the tobacco industry to dupe smokers into thinking that “low tar,” “light” and “ultra light” cigarettes are a safe haven has been astonishingly effective.
safe haven noun
- tax haven noun
a place where somebody can go to be safe from danger or attack
- a place where taxes are low and where people choose to live or officially register their companies because taxes are higher in their own countries
ex) The decades-long campaign by the tobacco industry to dupe smokers into thinking that “low tar,” “light” and “ultra light” cigarettes are a safe haven has been astonishingly effective.
crave verb
BrE /kreɪv/ ; NAmE /kreɪv/
1) [transitive, intransitive] crave (for) something | crave to do something to have a very strong desire for something
synonym long for
ex) Most smokers are hooked on nicotine and crave a certain daily dose.
puff noun
BrE /pʌf/ ; NAmE /pʌf/
1) [countable] an act of breathing in something such as smoke from a cigarette, or drugs
ex) If a light cigarette gives them too small a dose in each puff, they will make up the difference, often unconsciously, by taking more puffs, inhaling more deeply, covering cigarette ventilation holes or simply smoking more cigarettes.
actuarial adjective
BrE /ˌæktʃuˈeəriəl/ ; NAmE /ˌæktʃuˈeriəl/
- actuary noun
BrE /ˈæktʃuəri/ ; NAmE /ˈæktʃueri/ (pl. actuaries)
connected with the work of an actuary
- a person whose job involves calculating insurance risks and payments for insurance companies by studying how frequently accidents, fires, deaths, etc. happen
ex) You may escape all the actuarial fates there are, and yet the body has its own term limits, a point at which the warranty expires and something furls up inside you.
furl verb
BrE /fɜːl/ ; NAmE /fɜːrl/
furl something to roll and fasten something such as a sail, a flag or an umbrella
ex) You may escape all the actuarial fates there are, and yet the body has its own term limits, a point at which the warranty expires and something furls up inside you.
in retrospect
thinking about a past event or situation, often with a different opinion of it from the one you had at the time
ex) In retrospect, the life of such a very old person becomes a kind of historical timeline, in which personal milestones are laid against the impersonal events of history (Ms. Capovilla was born the same year as Charlie Chaplin and was married the year the United States entered World War I).
impersonal adjective
BrE /ɪmˈpɜːsənl/ ; NAmE /ɪmˈpɜːrsənl/
2) not referring to any particular person
ex) In retrospect, the life of such a very old person becomes a kind of historical timeline, in which personal milestones are laid against the impersonal events of history (Ms. Capovilla was born the same year as Charlie Chaplin and was married the year the United States entered World War I).
lurk verb
BrE /lɜːk/ ; NAmE /lɜːrk/
[intransitive] (+ adv./prep.) to wait somewhere secretly, especially because you are going to do something bad or illegal
synonym skulk
ex) But then there’s always a question lurking in the obituary of a supercentenarian. How did she do it?
obituary noun
BrE /əˈbɪtʃuəri/ ; NAmE /oʊˈbɪtʃueri/ (pl. obituaries)
an article about somebody’s life and achievements, that is printed in a newspaper soon after they have died 부고
ex) But then there’s always a question lurking in the obituary of a supercentenarian. How did she do it?
centenarian noun
BrE /ˌsentɪˈneəriən/ ; NAmE /ˌsentɪˈneriən/
a person who is 100 years old or more
ex) But then there’s always a question lurking in the obituary of a supercentenarian. How did she do it?
poignant adjective
BrE /ˈpɔɪnjənt/ ; NAmE /ˈpɔɪnjənt/
having a strong effect on your feelings, especially in a way that makes you feel sad
synonym moving
ex) There is always something a little poignant about the news that the oldest person has died.
eclipse verb
BrE /ɪˈklɪps/ ; NAmE /ɪˈklɪps/
2) eclipse somebody/something to make somebody/something seem dull or unimportant by comparison
synonym outshine, overshadow
ex) No matter what kind of life she has lived, it is always eclipsed by the strangely passive fact of having lived so long.
set out
2) to begin a job, task, etc. with a particular aim or goal
ex) No one sets out to be the oldest person alive.
He set out to betray Mr. Kim. But over time, he’s become a fan of his.
head something↔off
to take action in order to prevent something from happening
ex) He told Congress to head off a strike.
ADHD abbreviation
BrE /ˌeɪ diː eɪtʃ ˈdiː/ ; NAmE /ˌeɪ diː eɪtʃ ˈdiː/
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 주의력결핍/과잉행동장애
ex) There is a surprising new study that finds many girls are at serious risk from a disorder much more commonly associated with boys. It’s ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
disorganized adjective
(British English also -ised)
BrE /dɪsˈɔːɡənaɪzd/ ; NAmE /dɪsˈɔːrɡənaɪzd/
(less frequent unorganized, -ised)
badly planned; not able to plan or organize well
ex) Chloe was often distracted and disorganized, which led to frustration and family feuds.
feud noun
BrE /fjuːd/ ; NAmE /fjuːd/
an angry and bitter argument between two people or groups of people that continues over a long period of time
ex) Chloe was often distracted and disorganized, which led to frustration and family feuds.
perpetually adverb
BrE /pəˈpetʃuəli/ ; NAmE /pərˈpetʃuəli/
1) in a way that continues for a long time without interruption
synonym continuously (1)
ex) Chloe was often distracted and disorganized, which led to frustration and family feuds. But she was not perpetually restless.
hallmark noun
BrE /ˈhɔːlmɑːk/ ; NAmE /ˈhɔːlmɑːrk/
1) a feature or quality that is typical of somebody/something
ex) Girls have ADHD just as often as boys. But it looks very different, so it’s harder to diagnose. They are no usually hyperactive. So, the hallmarks of ADHD tend not to be seen at all.
cascade verb
BrE /kæˈskeɪd/ ; NAmE /kæˈskeɪd/
to flow down or hang down in large amounts
ex) Professor Stephen Hinshaw’s pioneering research reveals the cascading effects when girls go undiagnosed.
dull verb
BrE /dʌl/ ; NAmE /dʌl/
1) [transitive, intransitive] dull (something) (of pain or an emotion) to become or be made weaker or less severe
ex) She’s gonna be tempted, either to self-medicate or to dull some of the pain, to try alcohol and drugs.
look up
(informal) (of business, somebody’s situation, etc.) to become better
synonym improve
ex) I know I’ve been down in the bumps since I got fired, but things are looking up now.
like crazy/mad
(informal) very fast, hard, much, etc.
ex) We’re going to have to bake like crazy over the weekend. They wend 2,000 cookies by Monday.
bite off more than you can chew
to try to do too much, or something that is too difficult
ex) Two thousand cookies in three day? Don’t you think you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?
run around like a headless chicken/run around like a chicken with its head cut off
to be very busy and active trying to do something, but not very organized, with the result that you do not succeed
ex) Yeah, you’re going to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off!
pitch in | pitch in with somebody | pitch in with something
(informal) to join in and help with an activity, by doing some of the work or by giving money, advice, etc.
ex) Fortunately, there are four of us here. You kids will have to pitch in too.
get going
to get started on something; to set off for a destination; to leave
ex) Sorry, but I can’t. I have to finish Ted’s chemistry homework and then I’ve got to get going on my election speech.
for Christ’s, God’s, goodness’, heaven’s, pity’s, etc. sake
used to emphasize that it is important to do something or when you are annoyed about something
ex) For heaven’s sake, Nicole! It’s like pulling teeth getting you to do any work around here.
Do be careful, for goodness’ sake.
For pity’s sake, help me!
like pulling teeth
If you say that making someone do something was like pulling teeth, you mean it was very difficult and they did not want to do it:
ex) For heaven’s sake, Nicole! It’s like pulling teeth getting you to do any work around here.
Getting her to tell me about her childhood was like pulling teeth.
complication noun
BrE /ˌkɒmplɪˈkeɪʃn/ ; NAmE /ˌkɑːmplɪˈkeɪʃn/
2) [countable, usually plural] (medical) a new problem or illness that makes treatment of a previous one more complicated or difficult
ex) Preventing diabetes is so important, because it will then prevent all the pain and suffering that come along with a late diagnosis and the complications.
elevate verb
BrE /ˈelɪveɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈelɪveɪt/
3) elevate something (specialist) to make the level of something increase
ex) An estimated 40 million Americans have slightly elevated levels of sugar in their blood, putting them at high risk of developing diabetes.
make up for something
to do something that corrects a bad situation
synonym compensate
ex) The company fired four employees to make up for the loss.
Nothing can make up for the loss of a child.
After all the delays, we were anxious to make up for lost time
Her enthusiasm makes up for her lack of experience.
A warm and sunny September made up for a miserable wet August.
tuberculosis noun
BrE /tjuːˌbɜːkjuˈləʊsɪs/ ; NAmE /tuːˌbɜːrkjəˈloʊsɪs/ [uncountable]
(abbreviation TB)
a serious infectious disease in which swellings appear on the lungs and other parts of the body 폐결핵, 결핵
ex) Throughout much of Africa, the shortage of trained medical personnel is hurting the effort to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, not to mention other diseases, including malaria and tuberculosis, that are endemic in parts of the continent.
go beyond something
to be more than something
synonym exceed
ex) But a comprehensive solution to this problem would go beyond funds for training and better pay for medical personnel in Africa to include commitments by industrialized nations to educate more of their own doctors and nurses and to curb recruitment in underserved areas.
pandemic adjective
BrE /pænˈdemɪk/ ; NAmE /pænˈdemɪk/
(of a disease) that spreads over a whole country or the whole world
ex) Providing AIDS drugs is a great step forward, but the industrialized countries will fail in addressing the full dimensions of the AIDS pandemic if they do not help Africa build a stronger corps of trained health workers.
corps noun
BrE /kɔː(r)/ ; NAmE /kɔːr/ (pl. corps BrE /kɔːz/ ; NAmE /kɔːrz/ )[countable + singular or plural verb]
1) a large unit of an army, consisting of two or more divisions
2) one of the groups of an army with a special responsibility
3) a group of people involved in a particular job or activity
ex) Providing AIDS drugs is a great step forward, but the industrialized countries will fail in addressing the full dimensions of the AIDS pandemic if they do not help Africa build a stronger corps of trained health workers.
reinvigorate verb
BrE /ˌriːɪnˈvɪɡəreɪt/ ; NAmE /ˌriːɪnˈvɪɡəreɪt/
reinvigorate something/somebody to give new energy or strength to something/somebody
reinvigoration noun
ex) These would include additional cigarette taxes of up to $2 a pack to discourage purchases, reinvigoration of state tobacco control programs that are jeopardized by budget cuts, more vigilant enforcement of laws that bar young people from buying cigarettes and stronger programs to help people quit.
vigilant adjective
BrE /ˈvɪdʒɪlənt/ ; NAmE /ˈvɪdʒɪlənt/ (formal)
very careful to notice any signs of danger or trouble
synonym alert, watchful
ex) These would include additional cigarette taxes of up to $2 a pack to discourage purchases, reinvigoration of state tobacco control programs that are jeopardized by budget cuts, more vigilant enforcement of laws that bar young people from buying cigarettes and stronger programs to help people quit.
strike at somebody | strike at something
2) to cause damage or have a serious effect on somebody/something
ex) The only real hope of breaking smokers’ addiction is to strike at the addictive properties of cigarettes and at the machinations of manufacturers who work hard to hook customers.
machination noun
BrE /ˌmæʃɪˈneɪʃn/ ; NAmE /ˌmæʃɪˈneɪʃn/ usually plural
a secret and complicated plan
synonym plot, intrigue
ex) The only real hope of breaking smokers’ addiction is to strike at the addictive properties of cigarettes and at the machinations of manufacturers who work hard to hook customers.
constituent noun
BrE /kənˈstɪtjuənt/ ; NAmE /kənˈstɪtʃuənt/
1) a person who lives, and can vote in a constituency
2) one of the parts of something that combine to form the whole
ex) The panel recommends that Congress grant the Food and Drug Administration or some other agency the authority to regulate tobacco products, including the amount of nicotine and other harmful constituent.
magnitude noun
BrE /ˈmæɡnɪtjuːd/ ; NAmE /ˈmæɡnɪtuːd/ magnitude (of something)
1) [uncountable] (formal) the great size or importance of something; the degree to which something is large or important
ex) I was actually surprised by the magnitude of the result. They were better than expected.
the first line of defense (=defence)
The first line of defence (or outside defence system) includes physical and chemical barriers that are always ready and prepared to defend the body from infection. These include your skin, tears, mucus, cilia, stomach acid, urine flow, ‘friendly’ bacteria and white blood cells called neutrophils.
ex) But doctors say basic lifestyle changes remain the first line of defense.
stakes are high
a) if the stakes are high when you are trying to do something, you risk losing a lot or it will be dangerous if you fail
ex) The stakes, says Clinton, are high.
Climbing is a dangerous sport and the stakes are high.
silver bullet noun
1) a simple solution to a complicated problem
synonym magic bullet
ex) There is no silver bullet. What there is… is really sandbags.
the tide turned, turn the tide
used to say that there is a change in somebody’s luck or in how successful they are being
ex) And if we have stacked enough sandbags we can turn the tide and stop the flood of obesity-causing factors.
proliferate verb
BrE /prəˈlɪfəreɪt/ ; NAmE /prəˈlɪfəreɪt/ [intransitive]
to increase rapidly in number or amount
synonym multiply
ex) School-based programs are proliferating. The state of Arkansas, for example, now says its law requiring schools to report students’ weight and body size to their parents has stopped the rise of childhood obesity.
Books and articles on the subject have proliferated over the last year.
Time passed and animal life proliferated.
in good hands
also in safe hands
managed or cared for with great attention
ex) Don’t worry, Mom. Your business is in good hands with Amber. She really knows her stuff.
You’ll be in good hands with her – she’s a terrific lawyer.
know your stuff
(informal) to know a lot about a particular subject or job
ex) Don’t worry, Mom. Your business is in good hands with Amber. She really knows her stuff.
lose your touch
if you lose your touch, you can no longer do something as well as you could before
ex) ‘Well, I’m sure you haven’t lost your touch.’ ‘I might be a bit out of practice.’
It’s good to see their goalkeeper’s not losing his touch.
be/get out of practice
to be/become less good at doing something than you were because you have not spent time doing it recently
ex) ‘Well, I’m sure you haven’t lost your touch.’ ‘I might be a bit out of practice.’
Don’t ask me to speak French! I’m out of practice.
the tricks of the trade
the clever ways of doing things, known and used by people who do a particular job or activity
ex) Mom, you can watch Amber bake if you want. You might pick up a few tricks of the trade.
too many cooks spoil the broth
(saying) if too many people are involved in doing something, it will not be done well
ex) Thanks, but I’m going to get out of the way. You know what they say: too many cooks spoil the broth!
work your arse/tail/buns/ass/butt off
(taboo, slang) to work very hard
ex) Mom, why don’t you just call it a night and go to bed. You’ve been working your tail off all day.
quick/easy fix noun
(informal) an easy remedy or solution, especially a temporary one which fails to address underlying problems
ex) Only in 2007 did he realize there was no quick fix for this problem.
rash adjective
BrE /ræʃ/ ; NAmE /ræʃ/
(of people or their actions) doing something that may not be sensible without first thinking about the possible results; done in this way
synonym reckless
ex) It would be rash to make definitive judgments until the F.D.A. completes a detailed analysis.
It would be rash to assume that everyone will agree with you on this.
Think twice before doing anything rash.
This is what happens when you make rash decisions.
resemblance noun
BrE /rɪˈzembləns/ ; NAmE /rɪˈzembləns/ [countable, uncountable]
the fact of being or looking similar to somebody/something
synonym likeness
ex) But the handling of this case bears disturbing resemblances to the Vioxx debacle, in which early warning signs were ignored by its manufacturer until the evidence of serious harm became inescapable and the drug was pulled from the market.
She bears an uncanny resemblance to Dido.
The movie bears little resemblance to the original novel.
The resemblance between the two signatures was remarkable.
inescapable adjective
BrE /ˌɪnɪˈskeɪpəbl/ ; NAmE /ˌɪnɪˈskeɪpəbl/
(of a fact or a situation) that you cannot avoid or ignore
synonym unavoidable
ex) But the handling of this case bears disturbing resemblances to the Vioxx debacle, in which early warning signs were ignored by its manufacturer until the evidence of serious harm became inescapable and the drug was pulled from the market.
glucose noun
BrE /ˈɡluːkəʊs/ ; NAmE /ˈɡluːkoʊs/ ; BrE /ˈɡluːkəʊz/ ; NAmE /ˈɡluːkoʊz/ [uncountable]
a simple type of sugar that is an important energy source in living things and which is a part of many carbohydrates
ex) Avandia was approved for sale in 1999 based on studies showing that it could lower blood glucose levels in patients suffering from Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes.
heed verb
BrE /hiːd/ ; NAmE /hiːd/
heed somebody/something (formal) to pay careful attention to somebody’s advice or warning
synonym notice
ex) What’s most troubling is the possibility that early warning signs were not adequately heeded.
prod verb
BrE /prɒd/ ; NAmE /prɑːd/
2) [transitive] prod somebody (into something/into doing something) to try to make somebody do something, especially when they are unwilling
ex) Now, prodded by Dr. Nissen’s article, the agency has issued a safety alert, is completing its own safety analysis and will convene a panel of experts to review the data.
convene verb
BrE /kənˈviːn/ ; NAmE /kənˈviːn/ (formal)
1) [transitive] convene something to arrange for people to come together for a formal meeting
ex) Now, prodded by Dr. Nissen’s article, the agency has issued a safety alert, is completing its own safety analysis and will convene a panel of experts to review the data.
2) [intransitive] to come together for a formal meeting
ex) The committee will convene at 11.30 next Thursday.
mitigate verb
BrE /ˈmɪtɪɡeɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈmɪtɪɡeɪt/
mitigate something (formal) to make something less harmful, serious, etc.
synonym alleviate
ex) Congress will need to probe hard to determine what risks the agency and the manufacturer were aware of and what they did - or didn’t do - to mitigate them.
probe verb
BrE /prəʊb/ ; NAmE /proʊb/
1) [intransitive, transitive] to ask questions in order to find out secret or hidden information about somebody/something
synonym investigate
ex) Congress will need to probe hard to determine what risks the agency and the manufacturer were aware of and what they did - or didn’t do - to mitigate them.
misguided adjective
BrE /ˌmɪsˈɡaɪdɪd/ ; NAmE /ˌmɪsˈɡaɪdɪd/
- guided adjective
BrE /ˈɡaɪdɪd/ ; NAmE /ˈɡaɪdɪd/ [usually before noun]
wrong because you have understood or judged a situation badly
synonym inappropriate
ex) Misguided missile
The new proposals are, in our opinion, totally misguided.
She only did it in a misguided attempt to help.
- that is led by somebody who works as a guide
ex) a guided tour/walk
guided missile: a missile that can be controlled while in the air by electronic equipment
tone-deaf adjective
BrE ; NAmE
unable to hear the difference between musical notes
ex) But the Bush administration’s tone-deaf plan to station parts of a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic and Moscow’s snarling response shows that all sides could use a refresher course in diplomacy and civility.
snarl verb
BrE /snɑːl/ ; NAmE /snɑːrl/
1) [intransitive] snarl (at somebody/something) (of dogs, etc.) to show the teeth and make a deep angry noise in the throat
2) [transitive] to speak in an angry or bad-tempered way
ex) But the Bush administration’s tone-deaf plan to station parts of a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic and Moscow’s snarling response shows that all sides could use a refresher course in diplomacy and civility.
I, you, etc. could use something
(informal) used to say that you would like to have something very much
ex) But the Bush administration’s tone-deaf plan to station parts of a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic and Moscow’s snarling response shows that all sides could use a refresher course in diplomacy and civility.
I thinks we could all use a drink after that!
refresher course noun
BrE ; NAmE
(also refresher especially in North American English)
a short period of training to improve your skills or to teach you about new ideas and developments in your job
ex) But the Bush administration’s tone-deaf plan to station parts of a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic and Moscow’s snarling response shows that all sides could use a refresher course in diplomacy and civility.
civility noun
BrE /səˈvɪləti/ ; NAmE /səˈvɪləti/ (formal)
1) [uncountable] polite behaviour
ex) But the Bush administration’s tone-deaf plan to station parts of a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic and Moscow’s snarling response shows that all sides could use a refresher course in diplomacy and civility.
out of (all) proportion (to something)
larger, more serious, etc. in relation to something than is necessary or appropriate
ex) Russia’s furious reaction to the stationing of even weak missile defenses near its borders (and on the territory of its former satellites) was utterly out of proportion, if totally predictable.
Pole noun
BrE /pəʊl/ ; NAmE /poʊl/
- Polish adjective
BrE /ˈpəʊlɪʃ/ ; NAmE /ˈpoʊlɪʃ/
a person from Poland
- from or connected with Poland
ex) A top Russian general, who sounded like he’d slept through the last 15 years, warned the Poles and the Czechs that Russia’s missiles “ill be capable of targeting the facilities,” while President Vladimir Putin shed crocodile tears against the rise of “one center of authority.”
Czech noun,adjective
BrE /tʃek/ ; NAmE /tʃek/
(a person) from the Czech Republic
ex) ex) A top Russian general, who sounded like he’d slept through the last 15 years, warned the Poles and the Czechs that Russia’s missiles “ill be capable of targeting the facilities,” while President Vladimir Putin shed crocodile tears against the rise of “one center of authority.”
crocodile tears
if somebody sheds (= cries) crocodile tears, they pretend to be sad about something, but they are not really sad at all
ex) ex) A top Russian general, who sounded like he’d slept through the last 15 years, warned the Poles and the Czechs that Russia’s missiles “ill be capable of targeting the facilities,” while President Vladimir Putin shed crocodile tears against the rise of “one center of authority.”
cut your teeth on something
to do something that gives you your first experience of a particular type of work
ex) Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who cut her teeth on Kremlinology, should have known how Moscow would react, and that provoking Moscow this way would be especially counterproductive in her efforts to get Russia to help put pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear efforts.
Kremlinology noun
/krɛmlɪnˈɒlədʒɪ/
(formerly) the study and analysis of the policies and practices of the Soviet government
ex) Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who cut her teeth on Kremlinology, should have known how Moscow would react, and that provoking Moscow this way would be especially counterproductive in her efforts to get Russia to help put pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear efforts.
counterproductive adjective
BrE /ˌkaʊntəprəˈdʌktɪv/ ; NAmE /ˌkaʊntərprəˈdʌktɪv/
having the opposite effect to the one which was intended
ex) Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who cut her teeth on Kremlinology, should have known how Moscow would react, and that provoking Moscow this way would be especially counterproductive in her efforts to get Russia to help put pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear efforts.
spat noun
BrE /spæt/ ; NAmE /spæt/
1) (informal) a short argument or disagreement about something unimportant
ex) This is a spat that should be quickly reined in.
vitriol noun
BrE /ˈvɪtriəl/ ; NAmE /ˈvɪtriəl/ uncountable
very cruel and bitter comments or criticism
synonym abuse
ex) Washington has wisely chosen to respond calmly to the Russoan vitriol, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has taken some welcome steps to moderate Moscow’s stance.
irk verb
BrE /ɜːk/ ; NAmE /ɜːrk/
- irksome adjective
BrE /ˈɜːksəm/ ; NAmE /ˈɜːrksəm/ (formal)
irk somebody (to do something) | it irks somebody that… (formal or literary) to annoy or irritate somebody
- annoying or irritating
synonym tiresome
ex) A few interceptors in Europe may or may not work against “rogue states,” but they’re counterproductive if all they do is (to) provoke Russia and irk NATO allies.
deadlock noun
BrE /ˈdedlɒk/ ; NAmE /ˈdedlɑːk/
1) [singular, uncountable] a complete failure to reach agreement or settle an argument
synonym stalemate/impasse/stand-off/stalemate
ex) There are some signs, tonight, the first signs really, that a deal to end the deadlock over Iran’s nuclear program might be possible. Might be.
integrity noun
BrE /ɪnˈteɡrəti/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈteɡrəti/ [uncountable]
2) (formal) the state of being whole and not divided
synonym unity
ex) The deal would also open the door to guarantees for Iran’s territorial integrity, words meant to assure Iran there would be no invasion by the US or Israel.
to respect the territorial integrity of the nation
fleet noun
BrE /fliːt/ ; NAmE /fliːt/
1) [countable] a group of military ships commanded by the same person
4) [countable] fleet (of something) a group of planes, buses, taxis, etc. travelling together or owned by the same organization
ex) Iran would be allowed to buy a new fleet of American and European aircraft, something which it is now forbidden to do.
embargo noun
BrE /ɪmˈbɑːɡəʊ/ ; NAmE /ɪmˈbɑːrɡoʊ/
(pl. embargoes) an official order that bans trade with another country
synonym boycott
ex) If Iran rejects the deal, the draft proposal threatens a long list of sanctions, including freezing Iranian assets abroad, a travel ban on high-ranking officials, an arms embargo, and reducing diplomatic relations.
an embargo on arms sales to certain countries
to impose/enforce/lift an embargo
a matter of hours, minutes, etc., a matter of inches, metres, etc.
only a few hours, minutes, etc.
ex) Secretary of State Rice says Iran has a matter of weeks to respond to this offer.
It was all over in a matter of minutes.
The bullet missed her by a matter of inches.
ominous adjective
BrE /ˈɒmɪnəs/ ; NAmE /ˈɑːmɪnəs/
suggesting that something bad is going to happen in the future
synonym foreboding
ex) There is potentially ominous news from North Korea.
She picked up the phone but there was an ominous silence at the other end.
perilous adjective
BrE /ˈperələs/ ; NAmE /ˈperələs/ (formal or literary)
- peril noun
BrE /ˈperəl/ ; NAmE /ˈperəl/ (formal or literary)
very dangerous
synonym hazardous
- 1) [uncountable] serious danger
ex) China and Russia are helping make the world a much more perilous place.
a perilous adventure/journey
turning noun
BrE /ˈtɜːnɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈtɜːrnɪŋ/ (British English)
(also turn North American English, British English)
a place where a road leads away from the one you are travelling on
ex) Every diplomatic road has its turnings.
I think we must have taken a wrong turning somewhere.
provocatively adverb
BrE /prəˈvɒkətɪvli/ ; NAmE /prəˈvɑːkətɪvli/
1) in a way that is intended to make people angry or upset; in a way that is intended to make people argue about something
ex) North Korea, which in October provocatively tested what it said was a nuclear bomb, has just rejoined the six-way talks with America, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia that is has been boycotting for more than a year.
strong-arm verb
[T] disapproving
to use force and threats to make people do what you want
ex) Strong-armed back to the table by China, North Korea’s boss, Kim Jong Il, still shows no sign of preparing to abandon his bombs.
We never strong-armed anybody. I told people about the website and they could take it or leave it.
fissile adjective
BrE /ˈfɪsaɪl/ ; NAmE /ˈfɪsl/ (physics)
- fission noun
BrE /ˈfɪʃn/ ; NAmE /ˈfɪʃn/ [uncountable]
** fusion noun
BrE /ˈfjuːʒn/ ; NAmE /ˈfjuːʒn/
capable of nuclear fission 핵분열성의
- (also nuclear fission) (physics) the act or process of splitting the nucleus (= central part) of an atom, when a large amount of energy is released 핵분열/분열
** (also nuclear fusion) [uncountable] (physics) the act or process of combining the nuclei (= central parts) of atoms to form a heavier nucleus, with energy being released 핵융합/융합/결합
ex) Despite an earlier agreement in principle to disarm, he may already have enough fissile material for up to a dozen bombs.
interim adjective
BrE /ˈɪntərɪm/ ; NAmE /ˈɪntərɪm/ [only before noun]
1) intended to last for only a short time until somebody/something more permanent is found
ex) He wants to be rewarded for his weapons test with a Western-designed nuclear reactor, interim energy supplies and the like, all of which he forfeited four years ago when he broke a 1994 agreement to end his illicit plutonium-making by messing about with uranium too.
forfeit verb
BrE /ˈfɔːfɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈfɔːrfət/
forfeit something to lose something or have something taken away from you because you have done something wrong
ex) He wants to be rewarded for his weapons test with a Western-designed nuclear reactor, interim energy supplies and the like, all of which he forfeited four years ago when he broke a 1994 agreement to end his illicit plutonium-making by messing about with uranium too.
If you cancel your flight, you will forfeit your deposit.
He has forfeited his right to be taken seriously.
renege verb
BrE /rɪˈniːɡ/ ; NAmE /rɪˈniːɡ/ ; BrE /rɪˈneɪɡ/ ; NAmE /rɪˈneɪɡ/
present simple I / you / we / they renege BrE /rɪˈniːɡ/ ; NAmE /rɪˈniːɡ/ ; BrE /rɪˈneɪɡ/ ; NAmE /rɪˈneɪɡ/
he / she / it reneges BrE /rɪˈniːɡz/ ; NAmE /rɪˈniːɡz/ ; BrE /rɪˈneɪɡz/ ; NAmE /rɪˈneɪɡz/
past simple reneged BrE /rɪˈniːɡd/ ; NAmE /rɪˈniːɡd/ ; BrE /rɪˈneɪɡd/ ; NAmE /rɪˈneɪɡd/
past participle reneged BrE /rɪˈniːɡd/ ; NAmE /rɪˈniːɡd/ ; BrE /rɪˈneɪɡd/ ; NAmE /rɪˈneɪɡd/
-ing form reneging BrE /rɪˈniːɡɪŋ/ ; NAmE /rɪˈniːɡɪŋ/ ; BrE /rɪˈneɪɡɪŋ/ ; NAmE /rɪˈneɪɡɪŋ/
[intransitive] renege (on something) (formal) to break a promise, an agreement, etc.
ex) Needless to say, lifting sanctions and paying bribes in the hope that Mr. Kim, who has reneged on every nuclear agreement he has made, will get around to disarming some fine day would have the opposite effect: to legitimise his bomb.
get round to something | get around to something
to find the time to do something
ex) Needless to say, lifting sanctions and paying bribes in the hope that Mr. Kim, who has reneged on every nuclear agreement he has made, will get around to disarming some fine day would have the opposite effect: to legitimise his bomb.
I meant to do the ironing but I didn’t get round to it.
I hope to get around to answering your letter next week.
legitimize verb
(British English also -ise)
BrE /lɪˈdʒɪtəmaɪz/ ; NAmE /lɪˈdʒɪtəmaɪz/ (formal)
1) legitimize something to make something that is wrong or unfair seem acceptable
ex) Needless to say, lifting sanctions and paying bribes in the hope that Mr. Kim, who has reneged on every nuclear agreement he has made, will get around to disarming some fine day would have the opposite effect: to legitimise his bomb.
cheeky adjective
BrE /ˈtʃiːki/ ; NAmE /ˈtʃiːki/ (cheekier, cheekiest)(informal)
rude in an amusing or an annoying way
ex) Needless to say, lifting sanctions and paying bribes in the hope that Mr. Kim, who has reneged on every nuclear agreement he has made, will get around to disarming some fine day would have the opposite effect: to legitimise his bomb. Just a cheeky opening gambit in a tough negotiation?
You cheeky monkey!
a cheeky grin
You’re getting far too cheeky!
gambit noun
BrE /ˈɡæmbɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈɡæmbɪt/
1) a thing that somebody does, or something that somebody says at the beginning of a situation or conversation, that is intended to give them some advantage
ex) Needless to say, lifting sanctions and paying bribes in the hope that Mr. Kim, who has reneged on every nuclear agreement he has made, will get around to disarming some fine day would have the opposite effect: to legitimise his bomb. Just a cheeky opening gambit in a tough negotiation?
an opening gambit (=the first thing you say)
The opposition have dismissed promises of tax cuts as a pre-election gambit.
His idea of a brilliant conversational gambit is ‘What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?’
sit something↔out
1) to stay in a place and wait for something unpleasant or boring to finish
ex) But the signs are that Mr. Kim has a different purpose than disarmament: to keep an angry China off his back while he sits out the Bush administration in the hope that the next American president, and the world, will learn to live with a nuclear North Korea.
live with something
to accept something unpleasant
ex) But the signs are that Mr. Kim has a different purpose than disarmament: to keep an angry China off his back while he sits out the Bush administration in the hope that the next American president, and the world, will learn to live with a nuclear North Korea.
pay off
(informal) (of a plan or an action, especially one that involves risk) to be successful and bring good results
ex) The strategy could pay off. Although it backed UN sanctions on North Korea after its bomb test, China has been dismayingly slow to see them enforced.
incremental adjective
BrE /ˌɪŋkrəˈmentl/ ; NAmE /ˌɪŋkrəˈmentl/
increasing in regular amounts
ex) Russia agreed with America, China and three European countries (Britain, France and Germany) leading the effort to get Iran to comply with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT): incremental sanctions should follow unless Iran suspends its uranium and plutonium work.
whittle something↔away
- whittle verb
BrE /ˈwɪtl/ ; NAmE /ˈwɪtl/
to make something gradually decrease in value or amount
- to form a piece of wood, etc. into a particular shape by cutting small pieces from it
ex) Iran refuses. But Russia has spent the past months whittling away the proposed list.
ward off somebody | ward off something | ward somebody off | ward something off
to protect or defend yourself against danger, illness, attack, etc
ex) Its selfish aim has been to exempt from sanctions the Bushehr nuclear-reactor project it is completing for Iran, and to ward off a financial squeeze that might put at risk the profits Russia hopes to earn from providing nuclear fuel for the reactor, which is due to be commissioned in 2007.
airily adverb
BrE /ˈeərəli/ ; NAmE /ˈerəli/ (formal)
in a way that shows that you are not worried or that you are not treating something as serious
ex) More airily, President Vladimir Putin argues that Iran, unlike North Korea, has not expelled nuclear inspectors, flounced out of the NPT or set off a weapons test - and should be dealt with gently.,
delve into something
- delve verb
BrE /delv/ ; NAmE /delv/
to try hard to find out more information about something
- [intransitive] + adv./prep. to search for something inside a bag, container, etc.
synonym dig
ex) It has already blocked inspectors’ efforts to delve into some of its suspect nuclear past.
impunity noun
BrE /ɪmˈpjuːnəti/ ; NAmE /ɪmˈpjuːnəti/ uncountable
if a person does something bad with impunity, they do not get punished for what they have done
ex) There is no need for the regime to threaten to leave the NPT now, since it can apparently break the treaty’s rules with impunity.
at short notice, at a moment’s notic
not long in advance; without warning or time for preparation
ex) But if suspicions are correct that Iran has been secretly learning how to build and trigger a nuclear device, and shape a missile cone to carry such a warhead (as well as publicly developing nuclear-capable, far-flying missiles), then once it has fully mastered uranium enrichment it will soon be poised to break out at short notice, at a moment of its choosing.
poised adjective
BrE /pɔɪzd/ ; NAmE /pɔɪzd/
1) [not before noun] in a position that is completely still but is ready to move at any moment
3) [not before noun] completely ready for something or to do something
synonym set
ex) But if suspicions are correct that Iran has been secretly learning how to build and trigger a nuclear device, and shape a missile cone to carry such a warhead (as well as publicly developing nuclear-capable, far-flying missiles), then once it has fully mastered uranium enrichment it will soon be poised to break out at short notice, at a moment of its choosing.
follow suit
2) to act or behave in the way that somebody else has just done
ex) If neither North Korea nor Iran is shown to pay a heavy price for breaking the NPT and defying the Security Council, others nervously rethinking their nuclear ambitions will be tempted to follow suit.
enfeeble verb
BrE /ɪnˈfiːbl/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈfiːbl/
- feeble adjective
BrE /ˈfiːbl/ ; NAmE /ˈfiːbl/ (feebler BrE /ˈfiːblə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈfiːblər/ , feeblest BrE /ˈfiːblɪst/ ; NAmE /ˈfiːblɪst/ )
enfeeble somebody/something (formal) to make somebody/something weak
- 1) very weak
ex) By enfeebling diplomacy, China and Russia are taking the world into more dangerous territory.
scapegoat verb
BrE /ˈskeɪpɡəʊt/ ; NAmE /ˈskeɪpɡoʊt/
to blame somebody/something for a failure or for something bad that another person has done
ex) Scapegoating immigrants
The community chose to ignore its own failings and to scapegoat her instead.
sentiment noun
BrE /ˈsentɪmənt/ ; NAmE /ˈsentɪmənt/
1) [countable, uncountable] (formal) a feeling or an opinion, especially one based on emotions
ex) By some accounts, the country is drowning in immigrants - including the estimated 12 million who are undocumented - taking jobs and driving down wages. Mix anti-immigrant sentiment and overinflated rhetoric about terrorists, and false images emerge of white America being overrun by brown-skinned criminals.
overinflated adjective
BrE /ˌəʊvərɪnˈfleɪtɪd/ ; NAmE /ˌoʊvərɪnˈfleɪtɪd/
1) (of a price or value) too high
2) made to seem better, worse, more important, etc. than it really is
synonym exaggerated
ex) By some accounts, the country is drowning in immigrants - including the estimated 12 million who are undocumented - taking jobs and driving down wages. Mix anti-immigrant sentiment and overinflated rhetoric about terrorists, and false images emerge of white America being overrun by brown-skinned criminals.
rhetoric noun
BrE /ˈretərɪk/ ; NAmE /ˈretərɪk/ [uncountable]
1) (formal, often disapproving) speech or writing that is intended to influence people, but that is not completely honest or sincere
2) (formal) the skill of using language in speech or writing in a special way that influences or entertains people
ex) By some accounts, the country is drowning in immigrants - including the estimated 12 million who are undocumented - taking jobs and driving down wages. Mix anti-immigrant sentiment and overinflated rhetoric about terrorists, and false images emerge of white America being overrun by brown-skinned criminals.
legitimate adjective
BrE /lɪˈdʒɪtɪmət/ ; NAmE /lɪˈdʒɪtɪmət/
1) for which there is a fair and acceptable reason
synonym valid, justifiable
ex) Contractors and carpenters do make a legitimate argument that they are undercut by competitors who can make low bids because they underpay undocumented workers.
overrun verb
BrE /ˌəʊvəˈrʌn/ ; NAmE /ˌoʊvəˈrʌn/
1) [transitive, often passive] overrun something (especially of something bad or not wanted) to fill or spread over an area quickly, especially in large numbers
ex) By some accounts, the country is drowning in immigrants - including the estimated 12 million who are undocumented - taking jobs and driving down wages. Mix anti-immigrant sentiment and overinflated rhetoric about terrorists, and false images emerge of white America being overrun by brown-skinned criminals.
The house was completely overrun with mice.
Enemy soldiers had overrun the island.
The tiny village was overrun by tourists.
tactical adjective
BrE /ˈtæktɪkl/ ; NAmE /ˈtæktɪkl/
1) [usually before noun] connected with the particular method you use to achieve something
synonym strategic
2) [usually before noun] carefully planned in order to achieve a particular aim
synonym strategic
ex) It’s a factual and tactical mistake to lump terrorism with unrelated issues of undocumented immigrants seeking work.
pile something↔on
1) to make something increase rapidly
ex) It’s a factual and tactical mistake to lump terrorism with unrelated issues of undocumented immigrants seeking work. Nonetheless, towns in Massachusetts and other states are piling on.
pinched adjective
BrE /pɪntʃt/ ; NAmE /pɪntʃt/
(of a person’s face) pale and thin, especially because of illness, cold or worry
ex) Anti-immigrant stances are shortsighted, but they suggest that many Americans themselves feel pinched, unfairly treated, and cut off from opportunities to get ahead.
quaint adjective
BrE /kweɪnt/ ; NAmE /kweɪnt/
attractive in an unusual or old-fashioned way
ex) In Massachusetts, for example, the notion of young couples moving into affordable starter homes seems increasingly quaint.
quaint old customs
a quaint seaside village
notion noun
BrE /ˈnəʊʃn/ ; NAmE /ˈnoʊʃn/
an idea, a belief or an understanding of something
ex) In Massachusetts, for example, the notion of young couples moving into affordable starter homes seems increasingly quaint.
a political system based on the notions of equality and liberty
She had only a vague notion of what might happen.
He has no notion of the difficulty of the problem.
I have to reject the notion that greed can be a good thing.
skewed adjective
BrE /skjuːd/ ; NAmE /skjuːd/
3) not straight or level
ex) Scapegoating immigrants is easy. But much of what ails ordinary Americans is a skewed economic playing field that makes it difficult to get ahead.
ail verb
BrE /eɪl/ ; NAmE /eɪl/
1) ail something (formal) to cause problems for somebody/something
ex) Scapegoating immigrants is easy. But much of what ails ordinary Americans is a skewed economic playing field that makes it difficult to get ahead.
nuts adjective
BrE /nʌts/ ; NAmE /nʌts/ not before noun
1) crazy
2) nuts about somebody/something very much in love with somebody; very enthusiastic about something
ex) I was nuts about you from the beginning too, Amber.
give me a break!
(informal) used when somebody wants somebody else to stop doing or saying something that is annoying, or to stop saying something that is not true
ex) ‘Come here and give me a kiss.’ ‘Give me a break, Amber! We don’t have time for that now. We need to crank out these cookies.’
crank something↔out
(informal) to produce a lot of something quickly, especially things of low quality
synonym turn somebody/something↔out | chrun something↔out
ex) ‘Come here and give me a kiss.’ ‘Give me a break, Amber! We don’t have time for that now. We need to crank out these cookies.’
crunch time noun
[uncountable] (informal)
an extremely important moment or period of time when you must make a decision or take action; a crucial time
ex) Amber, I’m head over heels in love with you. But it’s crunch time with these cookies.
one-track mind noun
BrE ; NAmE [usually singular]
if somebody has a one-track mind, they can only think about one subject (often used to refer to somebody thinking about sex)
ex) Cookies, cookies, cookies - you’ve got a one-track mind.
All he ever talks about is football. He’s got a one-track mind.
plug away (at something)
to continue working hard at something, especially something that you find difficult
ex) No, I’ll keep plugging away… I’m just your cookies slave. Go ahead, treat me like dirt.
treat somebody like dirt
(informal) to treat somebody with no respect at all
ex) No, I’ll keep plugging away… I’m just your cookies slave. Go ahead, treat me like dirt.
They treat their workers like dirt.
make out
2) make out (with somebody) (North American English, informal) to kiss and touch somebody in a sexual way; to have sex with somebody
ex) Hey, what’s going on in here? Are you two making cookies or making out?
approval rating noun
[əˈpruːvəl ˈreɪtɪŋ]
approval of a politician as shown by opinion polls
ex) The President’s approval rating on immigration is almost as low as his overall job approval.
take, claim, seize, etc. the moral high ground
to claim that your side of an argument is morally better than your opponents’ side; to argue in a way that makes your side seem morally better
ex) His Oval Office address last night was intended to seize the political high ground on immigration.
win over somebody | win over somebody to something | win round somebody | win round somebody to something | win around somebody | win around somebody to something | win somebody over | win somebody over to something | win somebody round | win somebody round to something | win somebody around | win somebody around to something
to get somebody’s support or approval by persuading them that you are right
ex) But it doesn’t look like he won over many critics.
She’s against the idea but I’m sure I can win her over.
nails on a chalkboard
(Expression) Idiom - referring to an extremely annoying, unpleasant uncomfortably loud sound or noise. Usually referring to someone’s voice.
ex) Some of that was finger nails on a chalkboard.
When she song the national anthem, she sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
amnesty noun
BrE /ˈæmnəsti/ ; NAmE /ˈæmnəsti/ (pl. amnesties)
1) [countable, usually singular, uncountable] an official statement that allows people who have been put in prison for crimes against the state to go free
ex) If you give a person who came here illegally every single benefit that you give to somebody who comes legally, all the way to citizenship and the benefits that come with that, then it’s hard to say that’s not an amnesty.
elicit verb
BrE /iˈlɪsɪt/ ; NAmE /iˈlɪsɪt/
elicit something (from somebody) (formal) to get information or a reaction from somebody, often with difficulty
ex) Even the war on terrorism, oftentimes discussed in town meeting doesn’t elicit as much passion as the debate over this subject.
compound verb
BrE /kəmˈpaʊnd/ ; NAmE /kəmˈpaʊnd/
1) [often passive] compound something to make something bad become even worse by causing further damage or problems
ex) Access, anonymity of Internet may compound addiction problems.
The problems were compounded by severe food shortages.
The Chancellor compounded the situation by ruling out an early cut in interest rates.
gruff adjective
BrE /ɡrʌf/ ; NAmE /ɡrʌf/
1) (of a voice) deep and rough, and often sounding unfriendly
2) (of a person’s behaviour) unfriendly and impatient
ex) Gambling has been around for centuries, from gruff Wild West saloons to glitzy Las Vegas casinos.
manifestation noun
BrE /ˌmænɪfeˈsteɪʃn/ ; NAmE /ˌmænɪfeˈsteɪʃn/ (formal)
1) [countable, uncountable] manifestation (of something) an event, action or thing that is a sign that something exists or is happening; the act of appearing as a sign that something exists or is happening 형체/모양이 없는 것을 형상화 시킴
ex) Internet gambling is a modern manifestation of man’s timeless attraction to playing cards.
rev up (sb/sth)
present simple I / you / we / they rev BrE /rev/ ; NAmE /rev/
he / she / it revs BrE /revz/ ; NAmE /revz/
past simple revved BrE /revd/ ; NAmE /revd/
past participle revved BrE /revd/ ; NAmE /revd/
-ing form revving BrE /ˈrevɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈrevɪŋ/
to become more active, or to make someone or something become more active
ex) What the Internet has done is (…it) revved up the excitement.
The hotel is revving up for the busy summer season.
drugs which rev up your nervous system
locale noun
BrE /ləʊˈkɑːl/ ; NAmE /loʊˈkæl/ (specialist or formal)
a place where something happens
ex) Previously, people would have had to fly or drive to casinos, generally restricted to a few locales.
pull noun
BrE /pʊl/ ; NAmE /pʊl/
3) [countable, usually singular] the pull (of something) the fact of something attracting you or having a strong effect on you
ex) They promised themselves they would get off, and they won’t do it again. But there is such a pull.
The magnetic pull of the city was hard to resist.
He felt the pull of paternal love.
plane noun
BrE /pleɪn/ ; NAmE /pleɪn/
3) a level of thought, existence or development
ex) But the Internet has taken this age-old game of chance to a new plane - allowing anyone to place bets, anytime, from anywhere.
problem adjective
BrE /ˈprɒbləm/ ; NAmE /ˈprɑːbləm/
[only before noun] causing problems for other people
ex) Since most students already spend hours at a time sitting in front of a computer screen, problem gambling can be hard to identify.
She was a problem child, always in trouble with the police.
telltale adjective
BrE /ˈtelteɪl/ ; NAmE /ˈtelteɪl/
[only before noun] showing that something exists or has happened
ex) But the most tell-tale sign of a gambling problem may be a person’s finances - whether he or she has had to sell valuables or find other ways to make up for their losses.
something of the/that kind
something like what has been said
ex) And politics in this state is something of a contact sport.
‘He’s resigning.’ ‘I’d suspected something of the kind.’
contact sport noun
a sport in which players have physical contact with each other
ex) And politics in this state is something of a contact sport.
a case in point
a clear example of the problem, situation, etc. that is being discussed
ex) A case in point, the governor’s race. The winner will make history here.
lieutenant noun
BrE /lefˈtenənt/ ; NAmE /luːˈtenənt/
(abbreviation Lieut., Lt)
1) an officer of middle rank in the army, navy, or air force
2) (in compounds) an officer just below the rank mentioned
3) (in the US) a police officer of fairly high rank
4) a person who helps somebody who is above them in rank or who performs their duties when that person is unable to
ex) She is the Republican nominee. Lieutenant Governor (부지사) Kerry Healey. Mrs. Kerry Healey.
for all
1) despite
ex) For all the history being made, his race and her gender don’t seem to matter in this election.
playbook noun
/ˈpleɪbʊk/ (sport)
1) a book or set of notes, used especially in football, with descriptions and diagrams of the various plays (= actions or moves in a game) that a team can make 전략집, 공략집
2) (figurative)
ex) It’s a page out of a national right wing playbook that has worked in other places. And they’re hoping it will work here.
old school adjective
BrE ; NAmE
- old-timer noun
BrE ; NAmE
old-fashioned or traditional
- 1) a person who has been connected with a club or an organization, or who has lived in a place, for a long time
2) (North American English) an old man
2) I’m very upset by it. I’m old school. And I like to see, you know, respecting your opponent.
student body noun
all the students in a high school or college
ex) Nicole is running for student body president.
pull an all-nighter
depriving yourself of sleep to do things that need to be done or you want to do, usually used for studying
ex) I pulled an all-nighter working on my election speech.
basket case noun
BrE ; NAmE (informal)
The term originated from WWI, indicating a soldier missing both his arms and legs, who needed to be literally carried around in a litter or “basket.” Today it indicates a state of helplessness similar to the metaphoric removal of the appendages, most frequently in the context of mental health or aptitude.
1) (idiomatic, slang, potentially offensive) One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic or stress.
2) (idiomatic) A country in a difficult economic or financial situation.
ex) ‘I pulled an all-nighter working on my election speech.’ ‘No wonder you look like a basket case!’
a load/weight off your mind
an occasion when a problem that has been worrying you stops or is dealt with
ex) That must be a load off your mind!
I’m so relieved that I don’t have to make a speech - it’s such a weight off my mind!
a rule of thumb
a practical method of doing or measuring something, usually based on past experience rather than on exact measurement
ex) Just remember the old rule of thumb: Imagine your audience naked.
As a rule of thumb, you should cook a chicken for 20 minutes for each pound of weight.
do the trick
(informal) to succeed in solving a problem or achieving a particular result
ex) Only practice will do the trick.
I don’t know what it was that did the trick, but I am definitely feeling much better.
turn off
- turn somebody↔off
(informal) to stop listening to or thinking about somebody/something
* 1) to make somebody feel bored or not interested
ex) You can’t say that. You’ll turn off your audience immediately.
big-head noun
BrE ; NAmE (informal, disapproving)
a person who has a very high opinion of how important and clever they are or who is too proud
ex) ‘It sounds like I have a big head?’ ‘I’ll say!’
I’ll say!
(old-fashioned, informal) used for emphasis to say ‘yes’
ex) ‘It sounds like I have a big head?’ ‘I’ll say!’
‘Does she see him often?’ ‘I’ll say! Nearly every day.’
anywhere from
- somewhere around, between, etc. something
any quantity, time, degree, etc, above a specified limit
- approximately the number or amount mentioned
ex) Treatment can last anywhere from several months to more than a year, depending on a person’s response to therapy.
He could be anywhere from 40 to 50 years old.
strike it rich
- hit/strike pay dirt
** hit the jackpot
(informal) to get a lot of money, especially suddenly or unexpectedly
ex) Now, you are just a click away from striking it rich.
* (informal) to suddenly be in a successful situation, especially one that makes you rich
ex) The band really hit pay dirt with their last album.
** to make or win a lot of money quickly and unexpectedly
of every stripe/of all stripes
of all types
ex) During the 1990s and the early part of this decade, crime fell and stayed down - and politicians of all stripes claimed credit.
swell verb
BrE /swel/ ; NAmE /swel/
3) [transitive, intransitive] to increase or make something increase in number or size
ex) Conservatives attributed the drop to tough sentencing policies that swelled the national prison population.
police verb
BrE /pəˈliːs/ ; NAmE /pəˈliːs/
1) police something (of the police, army, etc.) to go around a particular area to make sure that nobody is breaking the law there
2) police something (of a committee, etc.) to make sure that a particular set of rules is obeyed
synonym monitor
ex) The Clinton administration cited its heavy investment in local law enforcement and community-oriented policing.
vindication noun
BrE /ˌvɪndɪˈkeɪʃn/ ; NAmE /ˌvɪndɪˈkeɪʃn/ uncountable, singular
proof that something is true or that you were right, especially when other people had a different opinion
ex) Governors and mayors around the country claimed vindication for their particular policies though local declines were, in almost all cased, no greater than those in adjacent jurisdictions that pursed different policies.
adjacent adjective
BrE /əˈdʒeɪsnt/ ; NAmE /əˈdʒeɪsnt/
(of an area, a building, a room, etc.) next to or near something
ex) Governors and mayors around the country claimed vindication for their particular policies though local declines were, in almost all cased, no greater than those in adjacent jurisdictions that pursed different policies.
Our farm land was adjacent to the river.
The planes landed on adjacent runways.
stand verb
BrE /stænd/ ; NAmE /stænd/
11) [intransitive] stand to do something to be in a situation where you are likely to do something
ex) Now, according to new data from the FBI, crime is inching back up - and stands to make policymakers look bad.
You stand to make a lot from this deal.
uptick noun
BrE /ˈʌptɪk/ ; NAmE /ˈʌptɪk/ (economics, North American English)
a small increase in the level or value of something
opposite downtick
ex) Though the uptick is not uniform - some crime is still falling - it seems substantial, alarming even.
aggravated adjective
BrE /ˈæɡrəveɪtɪd/ ; NAmE /ˈæɡrəveɪtɪd/ only before noun
an aggravated crime involves further unnecessary violence or unpleasant behaviour
ex) Murder was up 1.4 percent, aggravated assault 1.2 percent. 가중폭행
crack noun
BrE /kræk/ ; NAmE /kræk/
6) (also crack cocaine) [uncountable] a powerful, illegal drug that is a form of cocaine
ex) Just as the waning of the crack epidemic, economic good times and general demographic trends contributed to the drop in crime, so a number of factors are probably at work now: a bulge in age segments of the population more prone to crime, the rise of methamphetamine use, a pinched fiscal climate for state and local governments that provide social services for people likely to turn to crime.
a crack addict
methamphetamine noun
BrE /ˌmeθæmˈfetəmiːn/ ; NAmE /ˌmeθæmˈfetəmiːn/
(informal meth, crystal meth BrE /ˌkrɪstl ˈmeθ/ ; NAmE /ˌkrɪstl ˈmeθ/ )
[uncountable]
a powerful illegal drug
ex) Just as the waning of the crack epidemic, economic good times and general demographic trends contributed to the drop in crime, so a number of factors are probably at work now: a bulge in age segments of the population more prone to crime, the rise of methamphetamine use, a pinched fiscal climate for state and local governments that provide social services for people likely to turn to crime.
tongue-in-cheek adjective adverb
not intended seriously; done or said as a joke
not seriously; as a joke
ex) a tongue-in-cheek remark
a tongue-in-cheek fashion
The magazine published a wonderful tongue-in-cheek review of his latest work.
effect noun
BrE /ɪˈfekt/ ; NAmE /ɪˈfekt/
1) [countable, uncountable] effect (on somebody/something) a change that somebody/something causes in somebody/something else; a result
ex) Crime is a complex social effect, and it’s important to understand in order to intervene effectively.
dawdle verb
BrE /ˈdɔːdl/ ; NAmE /ˈdɔːdl/ [intransitive]
to take a long time to do something or go somewhere
ex) But given the lag between policy changes and impact, it is also important not to dawdle.
jockey verb
BrE /ˈdʒɒki/ ; NAmE /ˈdʒɑːki/
[intransitive] jockey (with somebody) (for something) | jockey (with somebody) (to do something) to try all possible ways of gaining an advantage over other people
ex) Paralysis will only lead to an environment in which politicians jockey to avoid blame.
foregone adjective
BrE /ˈfɔːɡɒn/ ; NAmE /ˈfɔːrɡɔːn/
a foregone conclusion
if you say that something is a foregone conclusion, you mean that it is a result that is certain to happen
ex) For most parents, choosing between diapering their babies in disposables or cloth diapers has become less of a dilemma and more of a foregone conclusion.
quasi- combining form
BrE /ˈkweɪzaɪ/ ; NAmE /ˈkweɪzaɪ/ ; BrE /ˈkweɪsaɪ/ ; NAmE /ˈkweɪsaɪ/ ; BrE /ˈkwɑːzi/ ; NAmE /ˈkwɑːzi/ (in adjectives and nouns)
1) that appears to be something but is not really so 유사-
2) a quasi-scientific explanation
2) partly; almost 준- 반-
ex) A new study released in England by a quasi-government environmental organization may dampen the debate even further. 준정부
dampen verb
BrE /ˈdæmpən/ ; NAmE /ˈdæmpən/
2) dampen something to make something such as a feeling or a reaction less strong
ex) A new study released in England by a quasi-government environmental organization may dampen the debate even further.
emeritus adjective
BrE /iˈmerɪtəs/ ; NAmE /iˈmerɪtəs/
(also Emeritus)
used with a title to show that a person, usually a university teacher, keeps the title as an honour, although he or she has stopped working
ex) Research by Bill Rathje, a trash expert and professor emeritus at the University of Arizona, has shown that even a head of lettuce, let alone a plastic diaper, can persist for decades; in a landfill where there is often a lack of exposure to air and sun that would otherwise break materials down.
let alone
used after a statement to emphasize that because the first thing is not true or possible, the next thing cannot be true or possible either
ex) Research by Bill Rathje, a trash expert and professor emeritus at the University of Arizona, has shown that even a head of lettuce, let alone a plastic diaper, can persist for decades; in a landfill where there is often a lack of exposure to air and sun that would otherwise break materials down.
There isn’t enough room for us, let alone any guests.
I didn’t have any clothes, let alone a passport.
depletion noun
BrE /dɪˈpliːʃn/ ; NAmE /dɪˈpliːʃn/ uncountable
the reduction of something by a large amount so that there is not enough left
ex) “The most significant environmental impacts for all three nappy systems were on resource depletion, acidification and global warming,” the authors concluded.
silencer noun
BrE /ˈsaɪlənsə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈsaɪlənsər/
2) a device that is fixed to the end of a gun in order to reduce the amount of noise that it makes when it is fired 소음기
ex) She was 48. A mother of two, shot in the head. Executed, really. There was a silencer on the pistol.
critical adjective
BrE /ˈkrɪtɪkl/ ; NAmE /ˈkrɪtɪkl/
1) expressing disapproval of somebody/something and saying what you think is bad about them
ex) Politkovskaya was sharply critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Tom’s parents were highly critical of the school.
seeming adjective
BrE /ˈsiːmɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈsiːmɪŋ/ only before noun
appearing to be something that may not be true
synonym apparent
ex) This was a very deliberate assassination of a journalist acting like a free journalist in a place where press freedom has been wiped out, which is a terrible, terrible indication of where Russia has gone since its seeming liberation in 1991.
grip noun
BrE /ɡrɪp/ ; NAmE /ɡrɪp/
2) [singular] grip (on somebody/something) control or power over somebody/something
ex) It should indicate to people just how bad things are on one level in Russia, just how tight the grip is of what some people call the mafia and what other people call simply Russian power and Kremlin power.
strangle verb
BrE /ˈstræŋɡl/ ; NAmE /ˈstræŋɡl/
1) strangle somebody to kill somebody by squeezing or pressing on their throat and neck
2) strangle something to prevent something from growing or developing
ex) She was strangled even before she was assassinated.
bear verb
BrE /beə(r)/ ; NAmE /ber/
3) [transitive] bear something (formal) to take responsibility for something
ex) An earlier today, in my conversation with secretary of state Rice, I asked whether she thought the Russian government bears any responsibility for this murder and others.
tribute noun
BrE /ˈtrɪbjuːt/ ; NAmE /ˈtrɪbjuːt/
[uncountable, countable] tribute (to somebody) an act, a statement or a gift that is intended to show your respect or admiration, especially for a dead person
ex) And finally, tonight, we’re gonna pay tribute to a pioneer in space.
lift off
- lift-off noun
BrE ; NAmE [countable, uncountable]
(of a rocket or, less frequently, an aircraft) to leave the ground and rise into the air
ex) And we pay that tribute just a few days before the space shuttle Discovery lifts off on a new mission.
* the act of a spacecraft leaving the ground and rising into the air
synonym blast-off
ex) Ten minutes to lift-off.
space noun
BrE /speɪs/ ; NAmE /speɪs/
6) (also outer space) [uncountable] the area outside the earth’s atmosphere where all the other planets and stars are
ex) These days, getting into outer space is all about high-powered booster rockets.
gondola noun
BrE /ˈɡɒndələ/ ; NAmE /ˈɡɑːndələ/ , /ɡɑːnˈdoʊlə/
1) a long boat with a flat bottom and high parts at each end, used on canals in Venice
2) the part on a cable car or ski lift where the passengers sit
3) (especially North American English) the part of a hot air balloon or airship where the passengers sit
ex) And so, on August 16, 1960, Captain Kittenger took off in a gondola attached to a helium balloon which floated up into the New Mexico sky, passing through air 100 degrees below 0 till he was up 102,800 feet off the ground.
helium noun
BrE /ˈhiːliəm/ ; NAmE /ˈhiːliəm/ uncountable
a chemical element. Helium is a very light gas that does not burn, often used to fill balloons and to freeze food.
ex) And so, on August 16, 1960, Captain Kittenger took off in a gondola attached to a helium balloon which floated up into the New Mexico sky, passing through air 100 degrees below 0 till he was up 102,800 feet off the ground.
fanny pack noun
BrE ; NAmE (North American English)
(British English bumbag)
(informal)
a small bag attached to a belt and worn around the waist, to keep money, etc. in
ex) The camera on his fanny pack shows the curvature of the earth, the emptiness of space.
curvature noun
BrE /ˈkɜːvətʃə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈkɜːrvətʃər/ uncountable, countable
the state of being curved; the amount that something is curved
ex) The camera on his fanny pack shows the curvature of the earth, the emptiness of space.
parachute noun
BrE /ˈpærəʃuːt/ ; NAmE /ˈpærəʃuːt/
(informal chute) a device that is attached to people or objects to make them fall slowly and safely when they are dropped from an aircraft. It consists of a large piece of thin cloth that opens out in the air to form an umbrella shape.
ex) The, at about 14,000 feet, my parachute opened.
live, etc. to tell the tale
to survive a difficult or dangerous experience so that you can tell others what really happened
ex) And he landed on the desert floor, having proven that a human could go way up and come way down and live to tell the tale.
elated adjective
BrE /iˈleɪtɪd/ ; NAmE /iˈleɪtɪd/
elated (at/by something) very happy and excited because of something good that has happened, or will happen
ex) Yes, I was elated because we had accomplished what we set out to do.
weigh in (with/on something)
(informal) to join in a discussion, an argument, an activity, etc. by saying something important, persuading somebody, or doing something to help
ex) People of all stripes weighed in on the debate about immigration.
even/much/still less
and certainly not
ex) He lacks life’s necessities much less luxury items.
No explanation was offered, still less an apology.
He’s too shy to ask a stranger the time, much less speak to a room full of people.
embryonic adjective
BrE /ˌembriˈɒnɪk/ ; NAmE /ˌembriˈɑːnɪk/ [usually before noun]
1) (formal) in an early stage of development
ex) The plan, as yet, only exists in embryonic form.
2) (specialist) of an embryo
ex) A small biotech company says it has found a way to produce human embryonic stem cells without destroying an embryo.
theological adjective
BrE /ˌθiːəˈlɒdʒɪkl/ ; NAmE /ˌθiːəˈlɑːdʒɪkl/
connected with the study of religion and beliefs
ex) That the prospect does not satisfy many religious conservatives who have opposed stem cell research demonstrates once again why the government should avoid making decisions on theological grounds.
White Paper noun
- Green Paper noun
(in Britain) a government report that gives information about something and explains government plans before a new law is introduced 백서
ex) Nevertheless, religious conservatives have already denounced the technique, and the President’s Council on Bioethics, in a white paper evaluating alternative ways to produce stem cells, declared this approach “ethically unacceptable.”
* (in Britain) a document containing government proposals on a particular subject, intended for general discussion 녹서
sidestep verb
BrE /ˈsaɪdstep/ ; NAmE /ˈsaɪdstep/
1) [transitive] sidestep something to avoid answering a question or dealing with a problem
ex) The technique would seem to sidestep the council’s main objection, that it is unethical to put the tiny embryo at risk for research unrelated to the welfare of the embryo.
intercept verb
BrE /ˌɪntəˈsept/ ; NAmE /ˌɪntərˈsept/
intercept somebody/something to stop somebody/something that is going from one place to another from arriving
ex) Now the company proposes to intercept these cells, allow them to divide in a laboratory dish, and then use one cell for the diagnostic test and the other to derive stem cells.
derive from something | be derived from something
to come or develop from something
ex) Now the company proposes to intercept these cells, allow them to divide in a laboratory dish, and then use one cell for the diagnostic test and the other to derive stem cells.
The word ‘politics’ is derived from a Greek word meaning ‘city’.
intrude verb
BrE /ɪnˈtruːd/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈtruːd/ (formal)
2) [intransitive] intrude (on/into/upon something) to disturb something or have an unpleasant effect on it
ex) It won’t ease the council’s concern that research objectives may intrude into the practice of reproductive medicine at a time when doctors are making critical decisions.
reproductive adjective
BrE /ˌriːprəˈdʌktɪv/ ; NAmE /ˌriːprəˈdʌktɪv/ [only before noun]
ex) connected with reproducing babies, young animals or plants
ex) It won’t ease the council’s concern that research objectives may intrude into the practice of reproductive medicine at a time when doctors are making critical decisions.
reproductive organs
floodgate noun
BrE /ˈflʌdɡeɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈflʌdɡeɪt/ [usually plural]
a gate that can be opened or closed to control the flow of water on a river
ex) (figurative) If the case is successful, it may open the floodgates to more damages claims against the industry (= start something that will be difficult to stop).
And so the Advanced Cell Technology approach does not seem likely to open the floodgates for federal financing.
illustrate verb
BrE /ˈɪləstreɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈɪləstreɪt/
2) to make the meaning of something clearer by using examples, pictures, etc.
3) illustrate something | illustrate how, what, etc… | illustrate that… to show that something is true or that a situation exists
synonym demonstrate
ex) Mostly it illustrates the great lengths to which scientists must go these days to shape stem cell research to fit the dictates of religious conservatives who have imposed their own view of morality on the scientific enterprise.
dictate noun
Add to my wordlist
BrE /ˈdɪkteɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈdɪkteɪt/ [usually plural] (formal)
an order or a rule that you must obey
ex) Mostly it illustrates the great lengths to which scientists must go these days to shape stem cell research to fit the dictates of religious conservatives who have imposed their own view of morality on the scientific enterprise.
go to any, some, great, etc. lengths (to do something)
to put a lot of effort into doing something, especially when this seems extreme
ex) Mostly it illustrates the great lengths to which scientists must go these days to shape stem cell research to fit the dictates of religious conservatives who have imposed their own view of morality on the scientific enterprise.
She goes to extraordinary lengths to keep her private life private.
get the hang of something
(informal) to learn how to do or to use something; to understand something
ex) Slow at first, but we’re getting the hang of it.
show somebody/know/learn the ropes
(informal) to show somebody/know/learn how a particular job should be done
ex) Once you learn the ropes, it becomes second nature.
second nature noun
[uncountable] second nature (to somebody) (to do something) something that you do very easily and naturally, because it is part of your character or you have done it so many times
ex) Once you learn the ropes, it becomes second nature.
a pain in the neck
(British English also a pain in the arse/backside)
(North American English also a pain in the ass/butt)
(informal) a person or thing that is very annoying
ex) To tell you the truth, I thought that baking 2,000 cookies would be a pain the neck.
round up somebody | round up something | round somebody up | round something up
1) to find and gather together people, animals or things
ex) But we managed to round up some helpers, and it was a piece of cake.
your guess is as good as mine
(informal) used to tell somebody that you do not know any more about a subject than the person that you are talking to does
ex) Maybe 500, maybe 2,000. Your guess is as good as mine.
shove/stick sth up your ass!
(mainly US) (offensive) used to tell someone angrily that you do not want or need something that they are offering you or telling you to do
ex) If she asks me to work over the weekend, I’ll tell her to shove it up her ass!
stem-cell line
A stem-cell line is a group of stem cells that is cultured in vitro and can be propagated indefinitely. Stem-cell lines are derived from either animal or human tissues and come from one of three sources: embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, or induced stem cells. 세포주 세포군
ex) The company claims it’s found a way to make new stem cell lines without destroying embryos.
piggyback on somebody | piggyback on something
to use something that already exists as a support for your own work; to use a larger organization, etc. for your own advantage
ex) They are proposing the piggyback on an already existing procedure to test for genetic defects in fertility clinics.
ideologue noun
BrE /ˈaɪdiəlɒɡ/ ; NAmE /ˈaɪdiəlɔːɡ/ , /ˈaɪdiəlɑːɡ/ ; BrE /ˈɪdiəlɒɡ/ ; NAmE /ˈɪdiəlɔːɡ/ , /ˈɪdiəlɑːɡ/
(also ideologist BrE /ˌaɪdiˈɒlədʒɪst/ ; NAmE /ˌaɪdiˈɑːlədʒɪst/ )
(formal, sometimes disapproving)
a person whose actions are influenced by belief in a set of principles (= by an ideology )
ex) No. Ideologues will say you’re still interfering with the embryo. The legalists will say the rules are that you can’t interfere with an embryo, and you’re clearly doing that here. And the ethicists say how can parents give consent for something that really does not really benefit the embryo?
hold out something
to offer a chance, hope or possibility of something
ex) The news involves lab animals, just rats, so far, but its research that may hold out real hope for humans.
elusive adjective
BrE /iˈluːsɪv/ ; NAmE /iˈluːsɪv/
- elude verb
BrE /iˈluːd/ ; NAmE /iˈluːd/
difficult to find, define or achieve
- 2) elude somebody if something eludes you, you are not able to achieve it, or not able to remember or understand it
ex) It has been a long-sought and elusive goal.
realm noun
BrE /relm/ ; NAmE /relm/
1) an area of activity, interest, or knowledge
ex) I think that even two or three years ago, the possibility of this was really more in the realm of science fiction.
in the realm of literature
At the end of the speech he seemed to be moving into the realms of fantasy.
motor neuron noun
BrE ; NAmE
(also motoneuron)
(biology)
a nerve cell which sends signals to a muscle or gland
ex) There have been other experiments with paralyzed animals, but this is the first in which stem cells actually created new healthy nerves known as motor neurons.
polio noun
BrE /ˈpəʊliəʊ/ ; NAmE /ˈpoʊlioʊ/
(formal poliomyelitis BrE /ˌpəʊliəʊˌmaɪəˈlaɪtɪs/ ; NAmE /ˌpoʊlioʊˌmaɪəˈlaɪtɪs/ )
[uncountable]
an infectious disease that affects the central nervous system and can cause temporary or permanent paralysis (= loss of control or feeling in part or most of the body)
ex) This is important in spinal cord injury and diseases like ALS. Polio would be an example where the actual connection to the muscle was lost and now we have a possibility that that might be replaceable.
umbilical cord noun
BrE /ʌmˌbɪlɪkl ˈkɔːd/ ; NAmE /ˈkɔːrd/
a long piece of tissue that connects a baby to its mother before it is born and is cut at the moment of birth 탯줄
ex) Usable stem cells could come from the adult body or from the umbilical cords of newborns.
confound verb
BrE /kənˈfaʊnd/ ; NAmE /kənˈfaʊnd/ (formal)
1) confound somebody to confuse and surprise somebody
synonym baffle
ex) Now, to a bird flu outbreak that has health officials confounded and very concerned.
grief-stricken adjective
feeling extremely sad because of something that has happened, especially the death of somebody
ex) By the time medical investigators began reaching the remote Indonesian village, nearly all the victims had been buried, and many of the villagers were too brief-stricken, too frightened to remember the full sequence of events, making the mystery that much difficult to solve.
hot zone noun
a location that is considered to be dangerous due to biological, chemical, or nuclear contamination
ex) This is what the hot zone teams have pieced together so far.
go the extra mile (for somebody/something)
to make a special effort to achieve something, help somebody, etc.
ex) He’s a nice guy, always ready to go the extra mile for his friends.
canary in a coal mine (plural canaries in a coal mine)
1) (idiomatic) something whose sensitivity to adverse conditions makes it a useful early indicator of such conditions; something which warns of the coming of greater danger or trouble by a deterioration in its health or welfare
ex) Arctic polar bears are becoming canaries in the mine, warning of the consequences of global warming.
grudgingly adverb
BrE /ˈɡrʌdʒɪŋli/ ; NAmE /ˈɡrʌdʒɪŋli/
(less frequent begrudgingly)
in a way that is given or done unwillingly
synonym reluctantly
ex) Even the Bush administration has been forced, grudgingly, to acknowledge this.
deprive somebody of something | deprive something of something
to prevent somebody from having or doing something, especially something important
ex) Last week, it proposed to put the bears on the threatened species list because rising temperatures in the Arctic are depriving them of the ice platforms from which they hunt seals.
smokestack noun
BrE /ˈsməʊkstæk/ ; NAmE /ˈsmoʊkstæk/ (especially North American English)
- smokestack industry noun
1) a tall chimney that takes away smoke from factories
* a traditional industry that makes things in factories using large machines
ex) But Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne acted only under pressure of a suit from environmental organizations, and has refused to admit that greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and smokestacks are causing the ice loss and would have to be cut back to save the bears’ habitat.
sideline noun
BrE /ˈsaɪdlaɪn/ ; NAmE /ˈsaɪdlaɪn/
3) a sphere of little or no participation or activity — usually used in plural
ex) The administration still has a long way to go before it comes out of the denial that has left it on the sidelines as other nations take action to reduce greenhouse gases.
cannibalize verb
(British English also -ise)
BrE /ˈkænɪbəlaɪz/ ; NAmE /ˈkænɪbəlaɪz/
3) to eat another human, or another animal of the same type
ex) Bears have been seen cannibalizing one another and have drowned during ever-longer swims from ice floe to ice floe.
ice floe noun
BrE ; NAmE
(also floe)
a large area of ice, floating in the sea
ex) Bears have been seen cannibalizing one another and have drowned during ever-longer swims from ice floe to ice floe.
auspices noun
BrE /ˈɔːspɪsɪz/ ; NAmE /ˈɔːspɪsɪz/
- under the auspices of somebody/something
- with the help, support or protection of somebody/something
ex) In the Bush administration’s first year in office, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change under the auspices of the United Nations reported on the strong evidence that global warming in recent decades has been “attributable to human activities.”
cannibalism noun
BrE /ˈkænɪbəlɪzəm/ ; NAmE /ˈkænɪbəlɪzəm/ [uncountable]
2) (among animals) the fact of eating other animals of the same type
ex) With all this evidence, it should not take polar bear cannibalism for the president to stop pretending that an environmental disaster is not in the making.
in the making
in the process of becoming something or of being made
ex) With all this evidence, it should not take polar bear cannibalism for the president to stop pretending that an environmental disaster is not in the making.
it is all too easy (for someone) to do something
used for saying that it is very easy to make a mistake or to do something that will cause problems
ex) When you think about the growth of human population over the last century or so, it is all too easy to imagine it merely as an increase in the number of humans.
carbon footprint noun
BrE /ˌkɑːbən ˈfʊtprɪnt/ ; NAmE /ˌkɑːrbən ˈfʊtprɪnt/
a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide that is produced by the daily activities of a person or company
ex) With pigs and poultry, they form a critical part of our enormous biological footprint upon this planet.
terrain noun
BrE /təˈreɪn/ ; NAmE /təˈreɪn/ [countable, uncountable]
used to refer to an area of land when you are mentioning its natural features, for example, if it is rough, flat, etc.
ex) And the drive to expand grazing land destroys more biologically sensitive terrain, rain forests especially, than anything else.
deforestation noun
BrE /ˌdiːˌfɒrɪˈsteɪʃn/ ; NAmE /ˌdiːˌfɔːrɪˈsteɪʃn/ , /ˌdiːˌfɑːrɪˈsteɪʃn/ [uncountable]
- afforestation noun
BrE /əˌfɒrɪˈsteɪʃn/ ; NAmE /əˌfɔːrɪˈsteɪʃn/ , /əˌfɑːrɪˈsteɪʃn/ uncountable
** reforestation noun
BrE /ˌriːfɒrɪˈsteɪʃn/ ; NAmE /ˌriːfɔːrɪˈsteɪʃn/ , /ˌriːfɑːrɪˈsteɪʃn/
(British English also reafforestation)
uncountable
the act of cutting down or burning the trees in an area 산림 황폐화, 삼림 벌채
ex) Deforestation of grazing land adds to the effect.
* the process of planting areas of land with trees in order to form a forest 조림
** the act of planting new trees in an area where there used to be a forest 재식림, 재조림, 숲 다시 만들기
trade-off noun
trade-off (between something and something) the act of balancing two things that are opposed to each other
ex) There are no easy trade-offs when it comes to global warming, and the human passion for meat is certainly not about to end anytime soon.
a trade-off between increased production and a reduction in quality
There is a trade-off between the benefits of the drug and the risk of side effects.
go/sell like hot cakes
to sell quickly or in great numbers
ex) Bob, your wife’s cookies are selling like hotcakes!
take off
3) (of an idea, a product, etc.) to become successful or popular very quickly or suddenly
ex) Don’t blow it, Bob! Susan’s Scrumtious Cookies could really take off.
burn the midnight oil
to study or work until late at night
ex) Bake all night if you have to. Burn the midnight oil! If you work hard now, you’ll be sitting pretty in a few years.
be sitting pretty
(informal) to be in a good situation, especially when others are not
ex) Bake all night if you have to. Burn the midnight oil! If you work hard now, you’ll be sitting pretty in a few years.
With profits at record levels, the company’s certainly sitting pretty this year.
grim adjective
BrE /ɡrɪm/ ; NAmE /ɡrɪm/ (grimmer, grimmest)
2) unpleasant and depressing
ex) A grim prediction today from top scientists, who study global warming.
Despite the grim forecast, the number of deaths was slightly down on last year.
gather momentum/pace
to become gradually stronger or more successful
ex) They say global warming has gathered so much momentum there is no way to stop Earth’s average temperature from rising another two degrees by the year 2050.
Opposition to the new law is gathering momentum.
climatologist noun
BrE /ˌklaɪməˈtɒlədʒist/ ; NAmE /ˌklaɪməˈtɑːlədʒist/
an expert in the scientific study of climate
ex) The warning came from one of the government’s top climatologists and from the National Academy of Sciences.
heatwave noun
BrE /ˈhiːtweɪv/ ; NAmE /ˈhiːtweɪv/
- ↔ cold spell
a period of unusually hot weather
- a period when the weather is colder than usual
ex) Those two degrees, the scientists are talking about, may not sound like much, but what that change means is that by mid-century, the world will look like this, even more record heat waves and wildfires, a rise of up to a foot or more in the world’s sea level.
snowpack noun
Snowpack forms from layers of snow that accumulate in geographic regions and high altitudes where the climate includes cold weather for extended periods during the year. Snowpacks are an important water resource that feed streams and rivers as they melt. Therefore, snowpacks are both the drinking water source for many communities and a potential source of flooding (in case of sudden melting). Snowpacks also contribute mass to glaciers in their accumulation zone.
ex) Worsening droughts, as more mountain glaciers and snow pack vanish, no longer sending water to the valleys below.
erosion noun
BrE /ɪˈrəʊʒn/ ; NAmE /ɪˈroʊʒn/ [uncountable]
1) the process by which the surface of something is gradually destroyed through the action of wind, rain, etc.
ex) Take a walk on the Carolina coast or Florida Keys in 40 or 50 years, say scientists, you’ll see much more coastal erosion like what’s already happening to coastal villages in the Arctic, where temperatures are rising even faster than on the rest of the planet.
level off | level out
1) to stop rising or falling and remain horizontal
2) to stay at a steady level of development or progress after a period of sharp rises or falls
ex) Start reducing carbon dioxide emissions now, temperatures later will level off.
all bets are off
used to say that if a particular event happens then your current forecast, agreement, etc. will no longer apply
ex) If we go to three to five degrees Fahrenheit warmer, all bets are off.
go out of your way (to do something)
to make a special effort to do something
ex) Today’s study goes out of its way to attack the best-selling author Michale Crichton, who wrote a very popular book that downplays the danger of global warming and, who, last year, was welcomed at the White House.
downplay verb
BrE /ˌdaʊnˈpleɪ/ ; NAmE /ˌdaʊnˈpleɪ/
downplay something to make people think that something is less important than it really is
synonym play down
ex) Today’s study goes out of its way to attack the best-selling author Michale Crichton, who wrote a very popular book that downplays the danger of global warming and, who, last year, was welcomed at the White House.
bleak adjective
BrE /bliːk/ ; NAmE /bliːk/ (bleaker, bleakest)
1) (of a situation) not encouraging or giving any reason to have hope
ex) And those are the scientists whose forecasts for the future are so bleak.
bromide noun
/ˈbroʊmaɪd/
2) [countable] an idea or remark that is intended to make someone feel calmer or more comfortable, but that is not original and has no effect
ex) The facts what to do with leftovers? One common bromide is that leftovers stored in the refrigerator must be allowed to cool first at room temperature.
rationale noun
BrE /ˌræʃəˈnɑːl/ ; NAmE /ˌræʃəˈnæl/
rationale (behind/for/of something) (formal) the principles or reasons which explain a particular decision, course of action, belief, etc.
synonym reason
ex) Whatever the rationale, the claim is wrong.
thrive verb
BrE /θraɪv/ ; NAmE /θraɪv/ [intransitive]
to become, and continue to be, successful, strong, healthy, etc.
synonym flourish
ex) Generally, the bacteria that contaminate food thrive at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, so leftovers should always be stored in a refrigerator set at 40 degrees or below.
dash somebody’s hopes
to destroy somebody’s hopes by making what they were hoping for impossible
ex) Dashing hopes of a pick-up in the economy, the dawn of a new year has been greeted by a surge in prices as always.
Hopes of a peaceful settlement have been dashed.
pickup noun
BrE /ˈpɪkʌp/ ; NAmE /ˈpɪkʌp/
3) [countable] pickup (in something) an improvement
ex) Dashing hopes of a pick-up in the economy, the dawn of a new year has been greeted by a surge in prices as always.
upwards adverb
BrE /ˈʌpwədz/ ; NAmE /ˈʌpwərdz/ (especially British English)
(also upward especially in North American English)
3) upwards of something more than the amount or number mentioned
ex) Electricity bills saw a 1.9% jump, city gas prices upwards of 3% from late last year.
You should expect to pay upwards of £50 for a hotel room.
have some/no bearing on something
to be relevant/not relevant to something, or to have /an influence/no influence on it
ex) Higher utility bills have a direct bearing on inflation.
His private life has no bearing on his competence as a manager.
tatters noun
BrE /ˈtætəz/ ; NAmE /ˈtætərz/ [plural]
- in tatters
clothes or pieces of cloth that are badly torn
2) ruined or badly damaged
synonym in shreds
ex) With households economy left in tatters, a recovery in the national economy is no sure bet.
arguably adverb
BrE /ˈɑːɡjuəbli/ ; NAmE /ˈɑːrɡjuəbli/
used (often before a comparative or superlative adjective) when you are stating an opinion that you believe you could give reasons to support
ex) Although the economy actually felt by the people has arguably been getting better since the second half of last year, it’s a bit too early for the upturn to be felt across the nation.
upturn noun
BrE /ˈʌptɜːn/ ; NAmE /ˈʌptɜːrn/
[usually singular] upturn (in something) a situation in which something improves or increases over a period of time
synonym upswing
ex) Although the economy actually felt by the people has arguably been getting better since the second half of last year, it’s a bit too early for the upturn to be felt across the nation.
wind something↔down
1) to bring a business, an activity, etc. to an end gradually over a period of time
ex) In the Atlantic Ocean, with the hurricane season winding down, this has been an unusually quiet year.
dire adjective
BrE /ˈdaɪə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈdaɪər/ (direr, direst)
1) [usually before noun] (formal) very serious
2) (British English, informal) very bad
ex) Last spring, as you may recall, the government issued a dire forecast of a very active hurricane season, with eight to 10 major storms.
scramble verb
BrE /ˈskræmbl/ ; NAmE /ˈskræmbl/
2) [intransitive] to push, fight or compete with others in order to get or to reach something
ex) Just last spring, businesses were scrambling to profit from hurricane anxiety and the ominous forecasts.
materialize verb
(British English also -ise)
BrE /məˈtɪəriəlaɪz/ ; NAmE /məˈtɪriəlaɪz/
1) [intransitive] (usually used in negative sentences) to take place or start to exist as expected or planned
ex) But that busy hurricane season never materialized. Forecasters admit theirs is an inexact science.
inexact adjective
BrE /ˌɪnɪɡˈzækt/ ; NAmE /ˌɪnɪɡˈzækt/
not accurate or exact
ex) But that busy hurricane season never materialized. Forecasters admit theirs is an inexact science.
chancy adjective
BrE /ˈtʃɑːnsi/ ; NAmE /ˈtʃænsi/ (informal)
involving risks and uncertainty
synonym risky
ex) Weather forecasting is a chancy business. It’s gotten a lot better.
Working for yourself can be a chancy business.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), also sometimes shortened to CoE is a U.S. federal agency under the Department of Defense and a major Army command made up of some 37,000 civilian and military personnel,[1] making it one of the world’s largest public engineering, design, and construction management agencies. Although generally associated with dams, canals and flood protection in the United States, USACE is involved in a wide range of public works throughout the world. The Corps of Engineers provides outdoor recreation opportunities to the public, and provides 24% of U.S. hydropower capacity.
ex) The quiet season is very good news for New Orleans, where the Army Corps of Engineering has another year to rebuild levees Hurricane Katrina overran.
levee noun
BrE /ˈlevi/ ; NAmE /ˈlevi/ (North American English)
1) a low wall built at the side of a river to prevent it from flooding
ex) The quiet season is very good news for New Orleans, where the Army Corps of Engineering has another year to rebuild levees Hurricane Katrina overran.
power grid noun
a network of electrical transmission lines connecting a multiplicity of generating stations to loads over a wide area
ex) A year ago today, in Florida, six million people lost electricity, exposing major weaknesses in the state’s power grid.
nocturnal adjective
BrE /nɒkˈtɜːnl/ ; NAmE /nɑːkˈtɜːrnl/
- ↔diurnal adjective
BrE /daɪˈɜːnl/ ; NAmE /daɪˈɜːrnl/
1) (of animals) active at night
ex) These animals are strictly nocturnal.
These insects are largely nocturnal.
- 1) (biology) (of animals) active during the day
ex) Unlike most other bats, this species is diurnal.
lighten up
(informal) used to tell somebody to become less serious or worried about something
ex) ‘Bake cookies the night before the elections? Nothing doing!’ ‘Lighten up, big shot. You’re running for high school president, not president of the United States.’
Come on, John. Lighten up!
a big noise/shot/name
an important person
ex) ‘Bake cookies the night before the elections? Nothing doing!’ ‘Lighten up, big shot. You’re running for high school president, not president of the United States.’
nothing doing
(informal) used to refuse a request
ex) Bake cookies the night before the elections? Nothing doing!
‘Cant you lend me ten dollars?’ ‘Nothing doing!’
fool around
1) (British English also fool about) to waste time instead of doing something that you should be doing
synonym mess around
ex) Okay, kids, let’s stop fooling around. We need to get the show on the road.
get the show on the road
(informal) to start an activity or a journey
ex) Okay, kids, let’s stop fooling around. We need to get the show on the road.
Let’s get this show on the road!
home equity loan
A home equity loan is a type of loan in which the borrower uses the equity of his or her home as collateral. Home equity loans are often used to finance major expenses such as home repairs, medical bills, or college education. A home equity loan creates a lien against the borrower’s house and reduces actual home equity.
ex) If you take a look at what’s happened, for example to variable rate credit cards, they’re up about 40% to 15%. Home equity loans, also up sharply from about 4% to 8%. On the other hand, take a look at what’s happened for savers. Six-month CDs up 230%. Now, yielding about 3.5%. Savings accounts, up 29%.
CD (Certificate Of Deposit)
A certificate of deposit (CD) is a savings certificate entitling the bearer to receive interest. A CD bears a maturity date, a specified fixed interest rate and can be issued in any denomination. CDs are generally issued by commercial banks and are insured by the FDIC. The term of a CD generally ranges from one month to five years.
ex) If you take a look at what’s happened, for example to variable rate credit cards, they’re up about 40% to 15%. Home equity loans, also up sharply from about 4% to 8%. On the other hand, take a look at what’s happened for savers. Six-month CDs up 230%. Now, yielding about 3.5%. Savings accounts, up 29%.
fumble verb
BrE /ˈfʌmbl/ ; NAmE /ˈfʌmbl/
2) [intransitive, transitive] to have difficulty speaking clearly or finding the right words to say
ex) But it fumbled the transition to smaller machines in the personal-computer era, and the throne was usurped by Microsoft.
usurp verb
BrE /juːˈzɜːp/ ; NAmE /juːˈzɜːrp/
usurp somebody/something (formal) to take somebody’s position and/or power without having the right to do this
ex) ex) But it fumbled the transition to smaller machines in the personal-computer era, and the throne was usurped by Microsoft.
upstart noun
BrE /ˈʌpstɑːt/ ; NAmE /ˈʌpstɑːrt/ (disapproving)
a person who has just started in a new position or job but who behaves as if they are more important than other people, in a way that is annoying
ex) As the upstart has matured into a powerful industry giant, the suggestion that “Google is the new Microsoft” has become commonplace in computing circles.
commonplace noun
BrE /ˈkɒmənpleɪs/ ; NAmE /ˈkɑːmənpleɪs/ (formal)
2) a remark, etc. that is not new or interesting
ex) As the upstart has matured into a powerful industry giant, the suggestion that “Google is the new Microsoft” has become commonplace in computing circles.
heyday noun
BrE /ˈheɪdeɪ/ ; NAmE /ˈheɪdeɪ/ [usually singular]
the time when somebody/something had most power or success, or was most popular
synonym prime
ex) As with Microsoft in its heyday, Google is the technology firm where the smartest geeks aspire to work; it embodies the technological zeitgeist; and it is a highly regarded company that has become a household name.
zeitgeist noun
BrE /ˈzaɪtɡaɪst/ ; NAmE /ˈzaɪtɡaɪst/ singular
the general mood or quality of a particular period of history, as shown by the ideas, beliefs, etc. common at the time
ex) As with Microsoft in its heyday, Google is the technology firm where the smartest geeks aspire to work; it embodies the technological zeitgeist; and it is a highly regarded company that has become a household name.
highly adverb
BrE /ˈhaɪli/ ; NAmE /ˈhaɪli/
3) with admiration or praise
ex) As with Microsoft in its heyday, Google is the technology firm where the smartest geeks aspire to work; it embodies the technological zeitgeist; and it is a highly regarded company that has become a household name.
His teachers think very highly of him (= have a very good opinion of him).
She speaks highly of you.
Her novels are very highly regarded.
household name noun
BrE ; NAmE
(less frequent household word)
a name that has become very well known
ex) As with Microsoft in its heyday, Google is the technology firm where the smartest geeks aspire to work; it embodies the technological zeitgeist; and it is a highly regarded company that has become a household name.
reproach noun
BrE /rɪˈprəʊtʃ/ ; NAmE /rɪˈproʊtʃ/ (formal)
1) [uncountable] blame or criticism for something you have done
ex) But the comparison is also a reproach, because it highlights growing concern that Google is now too powerful for its own good, or that of the industry, or indeed that of the world at large.
at large
1) (used after a noun) as a whole; in general
ex) But the comparison is also a reproach, because it highlights growing concern that Google is now too powerful for its own good, or that of the industry, or indeed that of the world at large.
counterbalance noun
Add to my wordlist
BrE /ˈkaʊntəbæləns/ ; NAmE /ˈkaʊntərbæləns/
(also counterweight)
[usually singular] counterbalance (to something) a thing that has an equal but opposite effect to something else and can be used to limit the bad effects of something
ex) Microsoft and other big Internet firms, including eBay, Amazon and Yahoo!, are now said to be negotiating various alliances in order to provide a counterweight to the new behemoth.
behemoth noun
BrE /bɪˈhiːmɒθ/ ; NAmE /bɪˈhiːmɔːθ/ ; BrE /ˈbiːhɪmɒθ/ ; NAmE /ˈbiːhɪmɔːθ/ (formal)
something that is very big and powerful, especially a company or organization
ex) Microsoft and other big Internet firms, including eBay, Amazon and Yahoo!, are now said to be negotiating various alliances in order to provide a counterweight to the new behemoth.
small fry noun
BrE ; NAmE uncountable + singular or plural verb
people or things that are considered unimportant compared to somebody/something else
ex) As soon as Google says it is moving into a particular market, small fry in that market now dart for cover, unless they are lucky enough to be acquired by Google.
dart verb
BrE /dɑːt/ ; NAmE /dɑːrt/
1) [intransitive] + adv./prep. to move suddenly and quickly in a particular direction
ex) As soon as Google says it is moving into a particular market, small fry in that market now dart for cover, unless they are lucky enough to be acquired by Google.
cover noun
BrE /ˈkʌvə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈkʌvər/
2) [uncountable] a place that provides shelter from bad weather or protection from an attack
ex) As soon as Google says it is moving into a particular market, small fry in that market now dart for cover, unless they are lucky enough to be acquired by Google.
irreparably adverb
BrE /ɪˈrepərəbli/ ; NAmE /ɪˈrepərəbli/
in a way that is too bad or too serious to repair or put right
ex) Google irreparably damaged its reputation with the more idealistic geeks in January when it set up a censored version of its search service for Chinese users.
cave in (to something)
to finally do what somebody wants after you have been strongly opposing them
ex) Caving in to the Chinese government, argued Google’s critics, made a mockery of its corporate motto, “don’t be evil.”
make a mockery of something
to make something seem ridiculous or useless
ex) Caving in to the Chinese government, argued Google’s critics, made a mockery of its corporate motto, “don’t be evil.”
augment verb
BrE /ɔːɡˈment/ ; NAmE /ɔːɡˈment/
augment something (formal) to increase the amount, value, size, etc. of something
ex) Having started out as nothing more than a search engine, Google’s ever-greater ambitions - augmented by a range of new initiatives unveiled at its annual media day this week - now make it seem both creepy and incoherently sprawling.
incoherently adverb
BrE /ˌɪnkəʊˈhɪərəntli/ ; NAmE /ˌɪnkoʊˈhɪrəntli/
1) in a way that is not clear or easy to understand, often because of emotion (서로 연관성이 없어서)
synonym unintelligibly
ex) Having started out as nothing more than a search engine, Google’s ever-greater ambitions - augmented by a range of new initiatives unveiled at its annual media day this week - now make it seem both creepy and incoherently sprawling.
sprawling adjective
BrE /ˈsprɔːlɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈsprɔːlɪŋ/ [only before noun]
spreading in an untidy way
ex) Having started out as nothing more than a search engine, Google’s ever-greater ambitions - augmented by a range of new initiatives unveiled at its annual media day this week - now make it seem both creepy and incoherently sprawling.
befall verb
BrE /bɪˈfɔːl/ ; NAmE /bɪˈfɔːl/
something befalls somebody (used only in the third person) (literary) (of something unpleasant) to happen to somebody
ex) Having started out as nothing more than a search engine, Google’s ever-greater ambitions - augmented by a range of new initiatives unveiled at its annual media day this week - now make it seem both creepy and incoherently sprawling. A similar fate befell Microsoft.
stagnate verb
BrE /stæɡˈneɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈstæɡneɪt/
1) [intransitive] to stop developing or making progress
ex) Microsoft, in contrast, has stagnated as a result of its size and dominance.
lock noun
BrE /lɒk/ ; NAmE /lɑːk/
9) [singular] a lock (on something) (North American English) total control of something
ex) More important, however, are the differences that suggest that Google will not be able to establish an IBM- or Microsoft-style lock on the industry.
One company had a virtual lock on all orange juice sales in the state.
proprietary adjective
BrE /prəˈpraɪətri/ ; NAmE /prəˈpraɪəteri/ [usually before noun]
1) (abbreviation: Pty.) (of goods) made and sold by a particular company and protected by a registered trademark 등록 [전매] 상표가 붙은
ex) a proprietary medicine
proprietary brands
a proprietary name
2) (of goods) made and sold by a particular company and protected by a registered trademark
ex) IBM’s dominance was based on its ownership of the proprietary hardware and software of its mainframe computers.
landfall noun
BrE /ˈlændfɔːl/ ; NAmE /ˈlændfɔːl/
1) [uncountable, countable] (literary) the act of arriving on land after a long journey by sea or by air, or the land that you first see or arrive at
ex) After three weeks they made landfall on the coast of Ireland.
Hurricane Katrina roared across the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall.
San Salvador is thought to be the original landfall of Christopher Columbus.
farm somebody↔out (to somebody)
1) to send part of your work to be done by people outside a company
2) INFORMAL to send someone to be looked after by someone else
ex) Large firms such as Yahoo!, which previously farmed searches out to Google, have switched to other technologies.
whip noun
BrE /wɪp/ ; NAmE /wɪp/
2) [countable] an official in a political party who is responsible for making sure that party members attend and vote in important government debates
ex) Today, Senate Minority Leader (=whip) Harry Reid also speculated on the power of one.
the chief whip
hit the skids
1) To fail; go belly up
ex) But if HBJ hit the skids, could the building ensure the integrity of retirees’ pensions?
2) To show a precipitous decline; fall disastrously
ex) Home sales are down and sales of large cars have hit the skids.
Eventually they had hit the skids.
본문: Yeah. And about to hit the skids of the campaign…
blame game noun
[C or S] UK /ˈbleɪm ˌɡeɪm/ US /ˈbleɪm ˌɡeɪm/ informal
a situation in which people try to blame each other for something bad that has happened
ex) Well, there’s a bit of a blame game going on here, Terry, over who is responsible for the condition of those pipelines.
disabuse verb
BrE /ˌdɪsəˈbjuːz/ ; NAmE /ˌdɪsəˈbjuːz/
disabuse somebody (of something) (formal) to tell somebody that what they think is true is, in fact, not true
ex) Americans who still harbor the notion that the U.S. economy is “good” should prepare to be disabused.
trough noun
BrE /trɒf/ ; NAmE /trɔːf/
4) [countable] a period of time when the level of something is low, especially a time when a business or the economy is not growing
cf. dip
* double dip recession
ex) Bur the share of the population now in poverty - 12.6 percent - is still higher than at the trough of the last recession, when it was 11.7 percent.
adulterate verb
BrE /əˈdʌltəreɪt/ ; NAmE /əˈdʌltəreɪt/
[often passive] adulterate something (with something) to make food or drink less pure by adding another substance to it
synonym contaminate
ex) Hearings before a House oversight subcommittee raised serious questions about the F.D.A.’s ability to protect the public against contaminated or adulterated foods.
shoddy adjective
BrE /ˈʃɒdi/ ; NAmE /ˈʃɑːdi/ (shoddier, shoddiest)
1) (of goods, work, etc.) made or done badly and with not enough care
synonym second-rate
ex) And they are allowed to take possession of suspect goods and arrange testing by private laboratories whose work is often shoddy or driven by financial concerns.
2) dishonest or unfair
ex) shoddy treatment
corrode verb
BrE /kəˈrəʊd/ ; NAmE /kəˈroʊd/
[transitive, intransitive] corrode (something) to destroy something slowly, especially by chemical action; to be destroyed in this way
ex) Corroded and leaky lines have now shut down the biggest US oil field.
stock buyback
A buyback is the repurchase of outstanding shares (repurchase) by a company in order to reduce the number of shares on the market. Companies will buy back shares either to increase the value of shares still available (reducing supply), or to eliminate any threats by shareholders who may be looking for a controlling stake.
ex) In the last five years of the $63 billion BP earned in profits, $51 billion went to enrich shareholders through stock buybacks and dividend payouts.
payout noun
BrE /ˈpeɪaʊt/ ; NAmE /ˈpeɪaʊt/
a large amount of money that is given to somebody
ex) In the last five years of the $63 billion BP earned in profits, $51 billion went to enrich shareholders through stock buybacks and dividend payouts.
an insurance payout
a lottery payout
skimp on sth
to not spend enough time or money on something, or not use enough of something
ex) It’s coming at a time when they may be skimping on investing in preventative maintenance.
preventive adjective
BrE /prɪˈventɪv/ ; NAmE /prɪˈventɪv/
(also preventative BrE /prɪˈventətɪv/ ; NAmE /prɪˈventətɪv/ )
[only before noun]
intended to try to stop something that causes problems or difficulties from happening
ex) It’s coming at a time when they may be skimping on investing in preventative maintenance.
preventive medicine
The police were able to take preventive action and avoid a possible riot.
corporate citizen
Corporate citizenship is the extent to which businesses are socially responsible for meeting legal, ethical and economic responsibilities placed on them by shareholders. The aim is for businesses to create higher standards of living and quality of life in the communities in which they operate, while still preserving profitability for stakeholders.
ex) BP’s track record on safety and environmental issues are all the more ironic, given the company’s push to market itself as a green company and a good corporate citizen.
reckoning noun
BrE /ˈrekənɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈrekənɪŋ/
2) [countable, usually singular, uncountable] a time when somebody’s actions will be judged to be right or wrong and they may be punished
ex) So, it’d be a reckoning for the company likely and for consumers.
In the final reckoning truth is rewarded.
Officials concerned with environmental policy predict that a day of reckoning will come.
Then the time of reckoning came—was it all going to work?
workweek noun
BrE /ˈwɜːkwiːk/ ; NAmE /ˈwɜːrkwiːk/ (North American English)
(British English working week)
the total amount of time that you spend at work during the week
ex) People who work a 40-hour workweek ought to earn a minimum wage that’s worth living on.
unintended adjective
BrE /ˌʌnɪnˈtendɪd/ ; NAmE /ˌʌnɪnˈtendɪd/
an unintended effect, result or meaning is one that you did not plan or intend to happen
ex) The unintended consequences of this action today will hurt the very people it’s supposed to help.
In law you are considered responsible for the unintended consequences of your actions.
The animosity which his remarks provoked was entirely unintended.
an unintended insult
status quo noun
BrE /ˌsteɪtəs ˈkwəʊ/ ; NAmE /ˌsteɪtəs ˈkwoʊ/ singular
the situation as it is now, or as it was before a recent change
ex) For the nearly two million Americans who worked for the minimum wage, the 10-year status quo has been painful.
harbour verb
(especially US English harbor)
BrE /ˈhɑːbə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈhɑːrbər/
2) harbour something to keep feelings or thoughts, especially negative ones, in your mind for a long time
ex) Americans who still harbor the notion that the U.S. economy is “good” should prepare to be disabused.
bottom out
- hit/touch bottom
(of prices, a bad situation, etc.) to stop getting worse
ex) In all, median income for the full-time working women under-65 group was $2,000 lower in 2005 than in 2001, when the last recession bottomed out.
* to reach the worst possible state or condition
ex) Her career really touched bottom with that movie.
ill noun
BrE /ɪl/ ; NAmE /ɪl/
1) [usually plural] (formal) a problem or harmful thing; an illness
ex) The Census findings are yet another indication that growth alone is not the answer to the economic and social ills of poverty, income inequality and lack of insurance.
social/economic ills
the ills of the modern world
yet adverb
BrE /jet/ ; NAmE /jet/
6) yet another/more | yet again used to emphasize an increase in number or amount or the number of times something happens
ex) The Census findings are yet another indication that growth alone is not the answer to the economic and social ills of poverty, income inequality and lack of insurance.
progressive income tax
A progressive tax is a tax that takes a larger percentage from the income of high-income earners than it does from low-income individuals. The United States income tax is considered progressive: in 2010, individuals who earned up to $8,375 fell into the 10% tax bracket, while individuals earning $373,650 or more fell into the 35% tax bracket. Basically, taxpayers are broken down into categories based on taxable income; the more one earns, the more taxes they will have to pay once they cross the benchmark cut-off points between the different tax bracket levels.
ex) What have been missing are government policies that help to ensure that the benefits of growth are broadly shared - like strong support for public education, a progressive income tax, affordable health care, a higher minimum wage and other labor protections.
be wedded to something
present simple I / you / we / they wed BrE /wed/ ; NAmE /wed/
he / she / it weds BrE /wedz/ ; NAmE /wedz/
past simple wedded BrE /ˈwedɪd/ ; NAmE /ˈwedɪd/
past participle wedded BrE /ˈwedɪd/ ; NAmE /ˈwedɪd/
past simple wed BrE /wed/ ; NAmE /wed/
past participle wed BrE /wed/ ; NAmE /wed/
to strongly support an idea
ex) President George W. Bush is unlikely to push for those changes, wed as he is to (=as he is wedded to) tax cuts that mainly benefit the wealthy.
We shouldn’t be too strongly wedded to one particular solution.
cabinet noun
BrE /ˈkæbɪnət/ ; NAmE /ˈkæbɪnət/
1) (also the Cabinet) [countable + singular or plural verb] a group of chosen members of a government, which is responsible for advising and deciding on government policy
ex) President Bush took a potentially useful step last week, appointing a cabinet-level committee to find ways to ensure the safety of imported food and other products.
a cabinet meeting
(British English) a cabinet minister
(British English) the shadow Cabinet (= the most important members of the opposition party)
oversight noun
BrE /ˈəʊvəsaɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈoʊvərsaɪt/
2) [uncountable] (formal) the state of being in charge of somebody/something
ex) Hearings before a House oversight subcommittee raised serious questions about the F.D.A.’s ability to protect the public against contaminated or adulterated foods.
The committee has oversight of finance and general policy.
subcommittee noun
BrE /ˈsʌbkəmɪti/ ; NAmE /ˈsʌbkəmɪti/ [countable + singular or plural verb]
a smaller committee formed from a main committee in order to study a particular subject in more detail 분과위원회
ex) Hearings before a House oversight subcommittee raised serious questions about the F.D.A.’s ability to protect the public against contaminated or adulterated foods.
the House of Representatives subcommittee on taxation
porous adjective
BrE /ˈpɔːrəs/ ; NAmE /ˈpɔːrəs/
having many small holes that allow water or air to pass through slowly
ex) As if that weren’t discouraging enough, the committee’s chief investigator described how porous the current safety shield is.
game verb
BrE /ɡeɪm/ ; NAmE /ɡeɪm/
3) [transitive] game something to use something in a way that is unfair but legal, in order to get what you want
ex) Importers also learn to game the system by sending goods to lax entry points or mislabeling them.
rant and rave
(disapproving) to show that you are angry by shouting or complaining loudly for a long time
ex) Bob, a lady came into the Village Market today ranting and raving.
take somebody aback
[usually passive] to shock or surprise somebody very much
ex) Aha. I can see how she’d be taken aback.
sweep something under the carpet
also US English sweep something under the rug
to try to stop people from finding out about something wrong, illegal, embarrassing, etc. that has happened or that you have done
ex) Couldn’t we just sweep this under the rug?
get/have a handle on somebody/something
(informal) to understand or know about somebody/something, especially so that you can deal with it or them later
ex) But I was just getting a handle on the cookie business. Now what will I do? I don’t have any other way of making a living!
your heart goes out to somebody
used to say that you feel a lot of sympathy for somebody
ex) My heart goes out to you, Bob, but you need to get your act together. I want to sell chocolate chip cookies, not hair cookies!
get your act together
(informal) to organize yourself and your activities in a more effective way in order to achieve something
ex) My heart goes out to you, Bob, but you need to get your act together. I want to sell chocolate chip cookies, not hair cookies!
knock oneself out
1) to work very hard; do one’s utmost
ex) I guess I just knocked myself out for the past week for nothing.
electrifying adjective
BrE /ɪˈlektrɪfaɪɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ɪˈlektrɪfaɪɪŋ/
very exciting; thrilling
ex) An electrifying car
The dancers gave an electrifying performance.
The view of the mountains was electrifying.
roadster noun
BrE /ˈrəʊdstə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈroʊdstər/ (old-fashioned)
a car with no roof and two seats
ex) That’s why the introduction of a sleek, high-performance roadster that happens to be electric rather than gasoline-fueled is worth noting.
two-seater noun
a vehicle, an aircraft or a piece of furniture with seats for two people
ex) Tesla Motors, a Silicon Valley start-up, has developed a two-seater that goes from zero to 60 miles an hour in four seconds, leaving the days of electric cars as glorified golf carts in the dust.
leave somebody in the dust
(North American English) to leave somebody far behind
ex) Tesla Motors, a Silicon Valley start-up, has developed a two-seater that goes from zero to 60 miles an hour in four seconds, leaving the days of electric cars as glorified golf carts in the dust.
glorified adjective
BrE /ˈɡlɔːrɪfaɪd/ ; NAmE /ˈɡlɔːrɪfaɪd/ [only before noun]
making somebody/something seem more important or better than they are
ex) Tesla Motors, a Silicon Valley start-up, has developed a two-seater that goes from zero to 60 miles an hour in four seconds, leaving the days of electric cars as glorified golf carts in the dust.
The restaurant was no more than a glorified fast-food cafe.
stumbling block noun
stumbling block (to something) | stumbling block (to doing something) something that causes problems and prevents you from achieving your aim
synonym obstacle
ex) Rather than a stumbling block in this case, it’s actually a selling point.
sow the wind and reap the whirlwind
every decision has consequences; a person’s actions will come back to him
ex) The reason is that Japan is merely reaping the whirlwind it and other nations have sowed.
taste bud noun
BrE ; NAmE [usually plural]
one of the small structures on the tongue that allow you to recognize the flavours of food and drink
ex) The real issue here is not the deprivation of Japanese taste buds but the decline of the tuna.
free fall noun
BrE ; NAmE [uncountable]
1) the movement of an object or a person falling through the air without engine power or a parachute
ex) a free fall display
2) a sudden drop in the value of something that cannot be stopped
ex) Along with sharks and other ocean-dwelling species, tuna have been in free fall for decades, in part from rapacious overfishing by big industrial fleets, of which Japan’s is by far the most aggressive.
Share prices have gone into free fall.
rapacious adjective
BrE /rəˈpeɪʃəs/ ; NAmE /rəˈpeɪʃəs/ (formal, disapproving)
wanting more money or goods than you need or have a right to
synonym grasping
ex) Along with sharks and other ocean-dwelling species, tuna have been in free fall for decades, in part from rapacious overfishing by big industrial fleets, of which Japan’s is by far the most aggressive.
fleet noun
BrE /fliːt/ ; NAmE /fliːt/
2) [countable] a group of ships fishing together
ex) Along with sharks and other ocean-dwelling species, tuna have been in free fall for decades, in part from rapacious overfishing by big industrial fleets, of which Japan’s is by far the most aggressive.
catch noun
BrE /kætʃ/ ; NAmE /kætʃ/
2) [countable] the total amount of things that are caught
ex) With that in mind, an international commission representing dozens of fishing nations agreed last year to a 20 percent reduction in annual tuna catches in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
prized adjective
BrE /praɪzd/ ; NAmE /praɪzd/ [only before noun]
very valuable to somebody
ex) Ellen Pikitch, director of the Pew Institute for Ocean Science, and other experts believe that the new limits may not be tough enough to prevent commercial extinction of the much-prized Atlantic bluefin tuna.
ratchet (something)↔up
to increase, or make something increase, repeatedly and by small amounts
ex) Recent record-breaking heat waves in North America had officials urging businesses and homeowners to turn down the lights and ratchet up the thermostat.
mileage noun
(also milage)
BrE /ˈmaɪlɪdʒ/ ; NAmE /ˈmaɪlɪdʒ/
1) [uncountable, countable, usually singular] the distance that a vehicle has travelled, measured in miles
ex) My annual mileage is about 10 000.
I get a mileage allowance if I use my car for work (= an amount of money paid for each mile I travel).
2) [uncountable, countable] the number of miles that a vehicle can travel using a particular amount of fuel
ex) Public attention tends to focus largely on automobile companies and mileage, but houses and skyscrapers consume more energy than cars.
If you drive carefully you can get better mileage from your car.
rebate noun
BrE /ˈriːbeɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈriːbeɪt/
1) an amount of money that is paid back to you because you have paid too much
ex) But even in states that fail to offer rebates and tax benefits, businesses have strong motives of their own to get on board simply for the sake of competitiveness.
a tax rebate
dinosaur noun
BrE /ˈdaɪnəsɔː(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈdaɪnəsɔːr/
2) (disapproving) a person or thing that is old-fashioned and cannot change in the changing conditions of modern life
ex) Companies can choose to be energy-wasting dinosaurs, but in an age of escalating prices, they’ll go extinct.
appalled adjective
BrE /əˈpɔːld/ ; NAmE /əˈpɔːld/
feeling or showing horror or disgust at something unpleasant or wrong
synonym horrified
ex) It’s no surprise that the pharmaceutical industry is appalled at proposals to set up a national registry of its gifts and payments to doctors.
ply somebody with something
1) to keep giving somebody large amounts of something, especially food and/or drink
ex) The drug companies ply doctors with a wide range of gifts, everything from free lunches for busy doctors and their staffs while sales representatives extol the virtues of their latest drugs to subsidized trips to vacation spots for conferences billed as educational events.
She plied us with tea and cake.
2) to keep asking somebody questions
ex) He plied me with questions from the moment he arrived.
extol verb
BrE /ɪkˈstəʊl/ ; NAmE /ɪkˈstoʊl/ (formal)
to praise somebody/something very much
ex) The drug companies ply doctors with a wide range of gifts, everything from free lunches for busy doctors and their staffs while sales representatives extol the virtues of their latest drugs to subsidized trips to vacation spots for conferences billed as educational events.
Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat.
She was extolled as a genius.
bill verb
BrE /bɪl/ ; NAmE /bɪl/
2) [usually passive] bill somebody/something as something to advertise or describe somebody/something in a particular way
ex) The drug companies ply doctors with a wide range of gifts, everything from free lunches for busy doctors and their staffs while sales representatives extol the virtues of their latest drugs to subsidized trips to vacation spots for conferences billed as educational events.
He was billed as the new Tom Cruise.
inducement noun
BrE /ɪnˈdjuːsmənt/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈduːsmənt/
[countable, uncountable] inducement (to/for somebody) (to do something) something that is given to somebody to persuade them to do something
synonym incentive
ex) These payments, which can mount into the hundreds of thousands of dollars over a period of years, look suspiciously like inducements to promote or prescribe the companies’ drugs.
lavish something on somebody | lavish something on something | lavish something upon somebody | lavish something upon something
to give a lot of something, often too much, to somebody/something
ex) Although medical societies and the industry’s trade association have adopted voluntary guidelines that are supposed to limit payments and gifts to modest proportions, they typically still allow doctors to be paid as consultants or speakers, leaving plenty of room to lavish favors upon them.
enticement noun
BrE /ɪnˈtaɪsmənt/ ; NAmE /ɪnˈtaɪsmənt/ [countable, uncountable]
something that you offer to somebody in order to persuade them to go somewhere or to do something; the act of offering an enticement
ex) The enticement was free airfare, a rental car and hotel room, plus a $2,700 stipend.
stipend noun
BrE /ˈstaɪpend/ ; NAmE /ˈstaɪpend/ (formal)
an amount of money that is paid regularly to somebody, especially a priest, as wages or money to live on
ex) The enticement was free airfare, a rental car and hotel room, plus a $2,700 stipend.
