UNITS 11&12 • TOPIC Flashcards
approximate
uk |əˈprɒk.sɪ.mət| us |əˈprɑːk.sə.mət|
adjective
1. not completely accurate but close
* “The train’s approximate time of arrival is 10.30.”
* “The approximate cost will be about $600.”
* “Can you give me an approximate idea of the numbers involved?”
approximate
uk |əˈprɒk.sɪ.meɪt| us |əˈprɑːk.sə.meɪt|
verb
1. to be almost the same as
* “The newspaper reports of the discussion only roughly approximated to (= were not exactly the same as) what was actually said.”
* “Student numbers this year are expected to approximate 5,000 (= to be about 5,000).”
ascribe something to something
uk |əˈskraɪb| us |əˈskraɪb|
verb
1. to believe or say that something is caused by something else
* “To what do you ascribe your phenomenal success?”
ascribe something to someone
uk |əˈskraɪb| us |əˈskraɪb|
verb
1. to believe or claim that something was said, written, or created by a particular person
* “After years of research, scholars have finally ascribed this anonymous play to Christopher Marlowe.”
ascribe something to someone/something
uk |əˈskraɪb| us |əˈskraɪb|
verb
1. to believe that a particular quality or feature belongs to or is typical of someone or something
* “People like to ascribe human feelings to animals.”
assign
uk |əˈsaɪn| us |əˈsaɪn|
verb
1. to give a particular job or piece of work to someone [often passive]
* ”[+ two objects] UN troops were assigned the task of rebuilding the hospital.”
* “The case has been assigned to our most senior officer.”
2. If you assign a time for a job or activity, you decide it will be done during that time
* “Have you assigned a day for the interviews yet?”
3. If you assign a characteristic or value to something, you say that it has it
* “Each visitor to the site chooses an online alter ego, which is assigned a name.”
4. to decide a reason for something
* “Detectives have been unable to assign a motive for the murder.”
* “The report assigned the blame for the accident to inadequate safety regulations.”
5. to send someone somewhere to do a job
* “She was assigned to the newspaper’s Berlin office.”
6. to put a value in a particular position in the memory of a computer [computing specialized]
7. to give property, money, or rights using a legal process [law specialized]
* “Her property was assigned to her grandchildren.”
attribute
uk |ˈæt.rɪ.bjuːt| us |ˈæt.rɪ.bjuːt|
noun
1. a quality or characteristic that someone or something has
* “Organizational ability is an essential attribute for a good manager.”
blow
uk |bləʊ| us |bloʊ|
verb
1. to move and make currents of air, or to be moved or make something move on a current of air [I/T]
* “The letter blew away and I had to run after it.”
* “[blow something down] A gale-force wind had blown the fence down .”
* “The wind was blowing harder every minute.”
* “I blew the dust off the books.”
* “I wish you wouldn’t blow smoke in my face.”
2. to make a sound by forcing air out of your mouth and through an instrument, or to make a sound when someone does this [I/T]
* “Ann blew a few notes on the trumpet.”
* “He scored the winning goal just before the whistle blew.”
3. to blow air down a tube into a piece of heated soft glass, in order to shape it into an object [T]
* “a beautiful blown glass vase”
blow
uk |bləʊ| us |bloʊ|
noun
1. a hard hit with a hand or a weapon [C]
* “a sharp blow to the stomach”
2. an unexpected event that has a damaging effect on someone or something [C]
* “Losing his job was a severe blow to his confidence.”
* “Her death came as a terrible blow to her parents.”
3. an act of blowing [C usually singular]
* “a blow on the trumpet”
* “It took him three blows to get all the candles out.”
4. a walk in the fresh air [C usually singular UK old-fashioned]
* “Shall we go out for a blow?”
5. →cannabis [U UK slang]
6. →cocaine [U US slang]
cause
uk |kɔːz| us |kɑːz|
noun
1. the reason why something, especially something bad, happens [C/U]
* “[cause of] The police are still trying to establish the cause of the fire.”
* “She had died of natural causes.”
* “I wouldn’t tell you without (good) cause (= if there was not a (good) reason).”
* “I believe there is just cause (= a fair reason) for taking this action.”
2. a reason to feel something or to behave in a particular way [U]
* “[cause for concern] He’s never given me any cause for concern.”
3. a socially valuable principle that is strongly supported by some people [C]
* “They are fighting for a cause - the liberation of their people.”
* “I’ll sponsor you for £10 - it’s all in a good cause.”
cause
uk |kɔːz| us |kɑːz|
verb
1. to make something happen, especially something bad
* “The difficult driving conditions caused several accidents.”
* ”[+ obj + to infinitive] The bright light caused her to blink.”
* “Most heart attacks are caused by blood clots.”
* ”[+ two objects] I hope the children haven’t caused you too much trouble.”
coincidence
uk |kəʊˈɪn.sɪ.dəns| us |koʊˈɪn.sɪ.dəns|
noun
1. an occasion when two or more similar things happen at the same time, especially in a way that is unlikely and surprising [C]
* “[what a coincidence] You chose exactly the same wallpaper as us - what a coincidence!”
* “Is it just a coincidence that the wife of the man who ran the competition won first prize?”
* “a series of strange/amazing coincidences”
2. chance or luck [U]
* “[by coincidence] Just by coincidence, I met my old schoolmate again 50 years later.”
* ”[+ that] It was sheer coincidence that I remembered his phone number.”
* “[pure coincidence] By pure coincidence, both books were published on the same day.”
* “[sheer coincidence] It’s sheer coincidence that I walked along the same street and into the same bar as her.”
* “[strange coincidence] By some strange coincidence, he was passing the house just when it happened.”
curse
uk |kɜːs| us |kɝːs|
verb
1. to use a word or an expression that is not polite, usually when you are very angry [I/T]
* “We could hear him cursing and swearing as he tried to get the door open.”
* “Please don’t curse in front of the children.”
* “[curse at] He leaned out of the window and cursed at passing pedestrians.”
* “I heard them yelling and cursing me as I ran away.”
curse
uk |kɜːs| us |kɝːs|
noun
1. magic words that are intended to bring bad luck to someone [C]
* “[put a curse on] In the story, a wicked witch puts a curse on the princess for a hundred years.”
2. a cause of trouble and unhappiness [C]
* “Noise is the curse of modern city life.”
deliberate
uk |dɪˈlɪb.ər.ət| us |dɪˈlɪb.ɚ.ət|
adjective
1. (often of something bad) intentional or planned
* “a deliberate attack/insult/lie”
* “We made a deliberate decision to live apart for a while.”
2. A deliberate movement, action, or thought is done carefully without hurrying
* “From her slow, deliberate speech I guessed she must be drunk.”
deliberate
uk |dɪˈlɪb.ə.reɪt| us |dɪˈlɪb.ə.reɪt|
verb
1. to think or talk seriously and carefully about something
* “[deliberate on] The jury took five days to deliberate on the case.”
* “The committee has deliberated the question at great length.”
* ”[+ question word] He’s deliberating whether or not to accept the new job that he’s been offered.”
determine
uk |dɪˈtɜː.mɪn| us |dɪˈtɝː.mɪn|
verb
1. to control or influence something directly, or to decide what will happen [T often passive]
* “The number of staff we can take on will be determined by how much money we’re allowed to spend.”
* “Your health is determined in part by what you eat.”
* “Eye colour is genetically determined.”
* “[formal] [+ question word] Officials will determine whether or not the game will be played.”
* “People should be allowed to determine their own future.”
2. to make a strong decision [T formal]
* ”[+ that] She determined that one day she would be an actor.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] On leaving jail, Joe determined to reform.”
3. to discover the facts or truth about something [T formal]
* “The police never actually determined the cause of death.”
* ”[+ question word] It is the responsibility of the court to determine whether these men are innocent.”
* ”[+ that] The jury determined that the men were guilty.”
fate
uk |feɪt| us |feɪt|
noun
1. what happens to a particular person or thing, especially something final or negative, such as death or defeat [C usually singular]
* “[decide someone’s fate] We want to decide our own fate.”
* “His fate is now in the hands of the jury.”
* “The disciples were terrified that they would suffer the same fate as Jesus.”
* “Parents in children’s stories often meet a harsh fate.”
2. a power that some people believe causes and controls all events, so that you cannot change or control the way things will happen [U]
* “When we met again by chance in Cairo, I felt it must be fate.”
* “Fate has brought us together.”
fluctuate
uk |ˈflʌk.tʃu.eɪt| us |ˈflʌk.tʃu.eɪt|
verb
1. to change, especially continuously and between one level or thing and another
* “[fluctuate according to] Vegetable prices fluctuate according to the season.”
* “Her wages fluctuate between £150 and £200 a week.”
* “[fluctuate wildly] Her weight fluctuates wildly.”
* “fluctuating prices”
foresee
uk |fəˈsiː| us |fɚˈsiː|
verb
1. to know about something before it happens
* “I don’t foresee any difficulties so long as we keep within budget.”
freak
uk |friːk| us |friːk|
noun
1. a thing, person, animal, or event that is extremely unusual or unlikely, and not like any other of its type [C]
* “I was born with black hair all over my back, like some sort of freak.”
* “[freak of nature] The pearl is so big that it has been described as a freak of nature.”
* “[humorous] At my school you were considered to be a freak if you weren’t interested in sport.”
freak
uk |friːk| us |friːk|
verb
1. to become or cause someone to become extremely emotional
* “My parents freaked when I told them I was pregnant.”
freak
uk |friːk| us |friːk|
adjective
1. very unusual or unexpected
* “[freak accident] She was crushed in a freak (= very unlikely) accident in a cave in France.”
* “The village was destroyed by a freak storm.”
gamble
uk |ˈɡæm.bəl| us |ˈɡæm.bəl|
verb
1. to do something that involves risks that might result in loss of money or failure, hoping to get money or achieve success [I]
* “[gamble on] Anyone who gambles on the stock exchange has to be prepared to lose money.”
2. to risk money, for example in a game or on a horse race [I/T]
* “I like to gamble when I play cards - it makes it more interesting.”
* “[gamble on] He gambles on the horses (= horse races).”
* “[gamble away] He gambled away all of our savings.”
gamble
uk |ˈɡæm.bəl| us |ˈɡæm.bəl|
noun
1. a risk that might result in loss of money or failure
* “[take a gamble] Her publishers knew they were taking a gamble when they agreed to publish such an unusual novel.”
* “[a gamble paid off] It was a gamble using such an inexperienced director, but it paid off (= was successful).”
haphazard
uk |ˌhæpˈhæz.əd| us |ˌhæpˈhæz.ɚd|
adjective
1. not having an obvious order or plan
* “He tackled the problem in a typically haphazard manner.”
hazard
uk |ˈhæz.əd| us |ˈhæz.ɚd|
noun
1. something that is dangerous and likely to cause damage
* “a health/fire hazard”
* “[hazard to] The busy traffic entrance was a hazard to pedestrians.”
2. an area of a golf course (= area of land used for playing golf) that provides an obstacle (= something that blocks you so that movement, going forward, or action is made more difficult)
* “In golf, hazards are just another part of the game.”
* “The golf course now features the most dramatic water hazards.”
hazard
uk |ˈhæz.əd| us |ˈhæz.ɚd|
verb
1. to risk doing something, especially making a guess, suggestion, etc.
* “[hazard a guess] I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess.”
2. to risk doing something that might cause harm to someone or something else [formal]
* “The policy hazarded the islands and put the lives of the inhabitants at risk.”
inadvertent
uk |ˌɪn.ədˈvɜː.tənt| us |ˌɪn.ədˈvɝː.t̬ənt|
adjective
1. not intentional
* “All authors need to be wary of inadvertent copying of other people’s ideas.”
instrumental
uk |ˌɪn.strəˈmen.təl| us |ˌɪn.strəˈmen.t̬əl|
adjective
1. If someone or something is instrumental in a process, plan, or system, that person or thing is one of the most important influences in causing it to happen [after verb formal]
* “[instrumental in] She was instrumental in bringing about the prison reform act.”
2. involving only musical instruments, and no singing
* “instrumental music”
* “an instrumental piece/arrangement”
instrumental
uk |ˌɪn.strəˈmen.təl| us |ˌɪn.strəˈmen.t̬əl|
noun
1. a piece of music without singing
jinxed
uk |dʒɪŋkst| us |dʒɪŋkst|
adjective
1. having or believed to bring bad luck
* “I must be jinxed - whenever I wash a wine glass, it breaks.”
* “Some people believe the family is jinxed.”
likelihood
uk |ˈlaɪ.kli.hʊd| us |ˈlaɪ.kli.hʊd|
noun
1. the chance that something will happen
* “This latest dispute greatly increases the likelihood of a strike.”
* ”[+ that] There is every likelihood that more jobs will be lost later this year.”
* “There is little likelihood now that interest rates will come down further.”
lucky charm
uk |ˌlʌk.i ˈtʃɑːm| us |ˌlʌk.i ˈtʃɑːrm|
noun
1. an object or person that is thought to bring good luck
* “He keeps a rabbit’s paw as a lucky charm.”
* “The shop sold amulets, crystals, and other good luck charms.”
* “She came to think of him as her lucky charm, as good things tended to happen when they were together.”
meander
uk |miˈæn.dər| us |miˈæn.dɚ|
verb
1. If a river, stream, or road meanders, it follows a route that is not straight or direct. [I]
2. to walk slowly without any clear direction [I usually + adv/prep]
* “We spent the afternoon meandering around the streets of the old town.”
3. If a text, process, or activity meanders, it has no clear purpose or direction [I]
* “The film meanders along with no particular story line.”
meander
uk |miˈæn.dər| us |miˈæn.dɚ|
noun
1. a curve of a river or stream
2. a journey that has no particular direction
* “The TV series continues its haphazard meander around the globe - this week in Portugal.”
mishap
uk |ˈmɪs.hæp| us |ˈmɪs.hæp|
noun
1. bad luck, or an unlucky event or accident
* “The parade was very well organized and passed without mishap.”
* “A series of mishaps led to the nuclear power plant blowing up.”
mutate
uk |mjuːˈteɪt| us |mjuːˈteɪt|
verb
1. to develop new physical characteristics because of a permanent change in the genes. These changes can happen naturally or can be produced by the use of chemicals or radiation
* “These bacteria have mutated into forms that are resistant to certain drugs.”
2. to change from one thing or type of thing into another
* “Jon has mutated from an awkward teenager into a sophisticated young man.”
odds
uk |ɒdz| us |ɑːdz|
noun
1. the probability (= how likely it is) that a particular thing will or will not happen
* “If you drive a car all your life, the odds are that you’ll have an accident at some point.”
* “There are heavy odds against people succeeding in such a bad economic climate.”
* “What are the odds on him being (= do you think he will be) re-elected?”
* “The overall odds of winning a lottery prize are 1 in 13.”
* “The odds are stacked against a woman succeeding (= it is not likely that a woman will succeed) in the business.”
2. in gambling (= the activity of risking money guessing the result of something), a probability expressed as a number
* “The odds against my horse winning (= that it will not win)/on my horse winning (= that it will win) are a hundred to one.”
* “The odds that the US entrant will win the race are ten to one.”
pick
uk |pɪk| us |pɪk|
verb
1. to take some things and leave others [T]
* “Pick a card from the pack.”
* “[be picked for] One of my sisters has been picked for the Olympic team.”
* ”[+ obj + to infinitive] She was picked to play for the team.”
* “The committee will pick the successful candidate from a short list of four.”
* “[pick someone out] The police asked him if he could pick out the killer from a series of photos.”
* “[pick something out of a hat] The fairest way to decide the winner is to pick a name out of a hat (= without looking or choosing).”
* “[be picked at random] The winning lottery numbers will be picked at random (= without choosing).”
* “[pick your way] They picked their way (= carefully chose a route) down the broken steps.”
* “[pick a winner] He’s brilliant at picking winners (= choosing what will be successful).”
pick
uk |pɪk| us |pɪk|
noun
1. choice [U]
* “You can have first pick of the desserts.”
2. a thing or person chosen, especially a player chosen to play for a sports team [C]
* “He was expected to be one of the top 10 picks in the upcoming draft.”
pot luck
uk |ˌpɒt ˈlʌk| us |ˈpɑːt ˌlʌk|
noun
1. anything that is available or is found by chance, rather than something chosen, planned, or prepared [U]
* “We had no idea which hotel would be best, so we just took pot luck with the first one on the list.”
* “Mary’s welcome to stay for dinner if she doesn’t mind taking pot luck (= having whatever is available).”
2. an informal meal where guests bring different dishes that are then shared with the other guests [C US (also potluck)]
* “We’re having a pot luck on Saturday.”
* “This fruit salad would make a great addition to a potluck, barbecue, or dinner party.”
* “I like having a pot luck where everyone brings their favorite dish.”
* “All the neighbours call each other by their first names and get together regularly for potlucks.”
pot luck
uk |ˌpɒt ˈlʌk| us |ˌpɑːt ˈlʌk|
adjective
1. used to refer to an informal meal or event where guests bring different dishes that are then shared with the other guests
* “A lady from church always brought this dish to our pot luck dinners.”
* “I have to get to a 6:30 potluck party.”
* “a potluck picnic”
random
uk |ˈræn.dəm| us |ˈræn.dəm|
adjective
1. happening, done, or chosen by chance rather than according to a plan
* “random checks/tests/attacks”
* “We asked a random sample/selection of people what they thought.”
2. strange or unusual [informal]
* “I just saw Billy wearing a top hat - he’s so random!”
3. unknown and unexpected in a particular situation [informal]
* “Some random guy walked in.”
random
uk |ˈræn.dəm| us |ˈræn.dəm|
noun
1. an unknown or unexpected person
* “You can’t make a whole movie with randoms off the street.”
sign
uk |saɪn| us |saɪn|
verb
1. to write your name, usually on a written or printed document, to show that you agree with its contents or have written or created it yourself [I/T]
* “to sign a letter/cheque/contract/lease/agreement”
* “Sign here, please.”
* “He signed his name at the end of the letter.”
* ”[+ obj + noun] He signed himself “Mark Taylor”.”
* “She said the painting was by Picasso, but it wasn’t signed.”
2. in sport, to make a legal written agreement to employ a player [T]
* “The team has just signed a new player.”
3. to give an order or information, or make a request, using hand and body movements [T/I]
* ”[+ to infinitive] He signed for/to the waiter to bring him another drink.”
* ”[+ that] He signed to the waiter that he wanted another drink.”
4. to use sign language (= language used by people who cannot hear or talk) [I/T]
sign
uk |saɪn| us |saɪn|
noun
1. a notice giving information, directions, a warning, etc.
* “a road sign”
* “a shop sign”
2. a movement of the body that gives information or an instruction
* “[as a sign that] She pointed to her watch as a sign that it was getting late and she wanted to leave.”
* “[make/give a sign to] He made/gave a sign to his boyfriend to stop talking.”
* “[make the sign of the cross] The priest made the sign of the cross (= made the shape of a cross by moving his hand between four points on his chest) when he entered the church.”
speculate
uk |ˈspek.jə.leɪt| us |ˈspek.jə.leɪt|
verb
1. to guess possible answers to a question when you do not have enough information to be certain
* “I don’t know why she did it - I’m just speculating.”
* “A spokesperson declined to speculate on the cause of the train crash.”
* “Journalists are speculating about whether interest rates will be cut.”
* ”[+ that] The newspapers have speculated that they will get married next year.”
2. to buy and sell in the hope that the value of what you buy will increase and that it can then be sold at a higher price in order to make a profit
* “He made his money speculating on the London gold and silver markets.”
* “The company has been speculating in property for years.”
spontaneous
uk |spɒnˈteɪ.ni.əs| us |spɑːnˈteɪ.ni.əs|
adjective
1. happening or done in a natural, often sudden way, without any planning or without being forced
* “His jokes seemed spontaneous, but were in fact carefully prepared beforehand.”
* “[approving] She’s such a spontaneous, lively woman.”
2. happening, especially in a living thing, without being caused by something outside, or without the organism’s control [biology, medical specialized]
* “Since spontaneous remissions are common in rheumatoid arthritis, it is impossible to attribute them to any particular therapy.”
* “Spontaneous maturation is when meiosis continues without hormonal stimulation.”
startle
uk |ˈstɑː.təl| us |ˈstɑːr.t̬əl|
verb
1. to do something unexpected that surprises and sometimes worries a person or animal
* “She was concentrating on her book and his voice startled her.”
* “The noise of the car startled the birds and the whole flock flew up into the air.”
* “Her article on diet startled many people into changing their eating habits.”
statistics plural
us |stəˈtɪs·tɪks|
noun
1. a collection of numerical facts or measurements, as about people, business conditions, or weather
* “The statistics show that, in general, women live longer than men.”
statistics
us |stəˈtɪs·tɪks|
noun
1. the science of using information discovered from collecting, organizing, and studying numbers
stray
uk |streɪ| us |streɪ|
verb
1. to travel along a route that was not originally intended, or to move outside a limited area
* “A herd of cattle had strayed into the road.”
* “They got lost when they strayed too far from the path.”
* “The ship strayed off course during the storm.”
2. to start thinking or talking about a different subject from the one you should be giving attention to
* “I think we’ve strayed too far from our original plan.”
* “Sorry - I’ve strayed from the subject.”
stray
uk |streɪ| us |streɪ|
noun
1. a pet that no longer has a home or cannot find its home
* “a stray dog”
* "”Who owns that cat?” “I don’t know. I think it must be a stray.””
stray
uk |streɪ| us |streɪ|
adjective
1. Stray things have moved apart from similar things and are not in their expected or intended place
* “There are still a few stray spots of paint on the window pane.”
* “Several journalists have been killed or injured by stray bullets while reporting on the civil war.”
superstition
uk |ˌsuː.pəˈstɪʃ.ən| us |ˌsuː.pɚˈstɪʃ.ən|
noun
1. belief that is not based on human reason or scientific knowledge, but is connected with old ideas about magic, etc.
* “According to superstition, if you walk under a ladder it brings you bad luck.”
* “I don’t believe in the old superstition that the number 13 is unlucky.”
superstitious
uk |ˌsuː.pəˈstɪʃ.əs| us |ˌsuː.pɚˈstɪʃ.əs|
adjective
1. based on or believing in superstitions (= beliefs based on old ideas about luck and magic rather than science or reason)
* “superstitious nonsense”
* “Some people are superstitious about spilling salt on the table.”
transpire
uk |trænˈspaɪər| us |trænˈspaɪɚ|
verb
1. If it transpires that something has happened, this previously secret or unknown fact becomes known [I formal]
* ”[+ that] It may yet transpire that ministers knew more than they are admitting at the moment.”
* “As it later transpired, she had known him at school.”
2. to happen [I formal]
* “No one is willing to predict what may transpire at the peace conference.”
3. If a body or plant transpires, it loses water through its surface or skin. [I/T biology specialized]
uncertainty
uk |ʌnˈsɜː.tən.ti| us |ʌnˈsɝː.tən.ti|
noun
1. a situation in which something is not known, or something that is not known or certain
* “Nothing is ever decided, and all the uncertainty is very bad for staff morale.”
* “Life is full of uncertainties.”
wobble
uk |ˈwɒb.əl| us |ˈwɑː.bəl|
verb
1. to (cause something to) shake or move from side to side in a way that shows poor balance [I/T]
* “That bookcase wobbles whenever you put anything on it.”
* “Don’t wobble the table, please, Dan.”
* “[figurative] The company’s shares wobbled with the news of a foreign takeover bid.”
2. to be uncertain what to do or to change repeatedly between two opinions [I informal]
* “The government can’t afford to wobble on this issue.”
wobble
uk |ˈwɒb.əl| us |ˈwɑː.bəl|
noun
1. a movement from side to side that shows poor balance
* “I gave the poles a slight wobble and the whole tent collapsed.”
* “[figurative] The closure of the company’s German subsidiary caused a sharp wobble in its profits.”
2. a feeling of not being certain about something [UK informal]
* “She’s having a bit of a wobble about the move to New York.”
agriculture
uk |ˈæɡ.rɪ.kʌl.tʃər| us |ˈæɡ.rə.kʌl.tʃɚ|
noun
1. farming
* “Agriculture is still largely based on traditional methods in some countries.”
* “The area depends on agriculture for most of its income.”
* “70 percent of the country’s population practises subsistence agriculture.”
appreciate
uk |əˈpriː.ʃi.eɪt| us |əˈpriː.ʃi.eɪt|
verb
1. to recognize how good someone or something is and to value them or it
* “There’s no point buying him expensive wines - he doesn’t appreciate them.”
* “[greatly appreciated] Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated.”
* “[much appreciated] His visits were much appreciated by the boys.”
2. to understand a situation and realize that it is important [T]
* “We appreciate the need for immediate action.”
* ”[+ that] I appreciate that it’s a difficult decision for you to make.”
* ”[+ question word] I don’t think you appreciate how much time I spent preparing this meal.”
catastrophe
uk |kəˈtæs.trə.fi| us |kəˈtæs.trə.fi|
noun
1. a sudden event that causes very great trouble or destruction
* “They were warned of the ecological catastrophe to come.”
2. a bad situation
* “The emigration of scientists is a catastrophe for the country.”
crop
uk |krɒp| us |krɑːp|
noun
1. (the total amount collected of) a plant such as a grain, fruit, or vegetable grown in large amounts [C]
* “The main crops grown for export are coffee and rice.”
* “a bumper (= very good) potato crop”
2. a group of people or things with something in common, that exist at a particular time [C usually singular informal]
* “[crop of] The judges will select the best from this year’s crop of first novels.”
3. a short hairstyle [C]
* “Her hair was cut in a short crop.”
4. a part of the throat in many birds where food is stored before going into the stomach [C]
5. a short stick used to control a horse by hitting it [C]
crop
uk |krɒp| us |krɑːp|
verb
1. to make something shorter or smaller, especially by cutting [T]
* “He had his hair cropped when he went into the army.”
2. When animals such as sheep or horses crop grass or other plants, they eat the top parts. [T]
3. to remove some or all of the edges from a picture, leaving only the most important part [T]
* “He cropped the photo so that only the face remained.”
4. If a plant crops, it produces fruit, flowers, etc. [I usually + adv/prep]
* “The carrots have cropped well (= produced a lot of carrots) this year.”
5. to grow crops on land [T usually passive]
* “The land is intensively cropped.”
drought
uk |draʊt| us |draʊt|
noun
1. a long period when there is little or no rain
* “This year (a) severe drought has ruined the crops.”
evacuate
uk |ɪˈvæk.ju.eɪt| us |ɪˈvæk.ju.eɪt|
verb
1. to move people from a dangerous place to somewhere safe
* “The police evacuated the village shortly before the explosion.”
* “[be evacuated from] A thousand people were evacuated from their homes following the floods.”
* “When toxic fumes began to drift toward our homes, we were told to evacuate.”
2. to empty something of its contents, especially the bowels [formal]
* “The horse evacuated its bowels all over the path.”
* “products that stimulate the bowel to evacuate its contents”
exploit
uk |ɪkˈsplɔɪt| us |ɪkˈsplɔɪt|
verb
1. to use something in a way that helps you
* “[exploit resources] We need to make sure that we exploit our resources as fully as possible.”
2. to use someone or something unfairly for your own advantage
* “Laws exist to stop companies exploiting their employees.”
exploit
uk |ˈek.splɔɪt| us |ˈek.splɔɪt|
noun
1. something unusual, brave, or funny that someone has done
* “She was telling me about her exploits while travelling around Africa.”
famine
uk |ˈfæm.ɪn| us |ˈfæm.ɪn|
noun
1. a situation in which there is not enough food for a great number of people, causing illness and death, or a particular period when this happens
* “[widespread famine] Another crop failure could result in widespread famine.”
* “[die of famine] There were reports of refugees dying of famine.”
* “Thousands of people emigrated during the Irish potato famine of 1845–46.”
flood
uk |flʌd| us |flʌd|
verb
1. to cause to fill or become covered with water, especially in a way that causes problems [I/T]
* “Our washing machine broke down yesterday and flooded the kitchen.”
* “The whole town flooded when the river burst its banks.”
* “[be flooded out] Several families living by the river were flooded out (= forced to leave their houses because they became covered with water).”
2. to fill or enter a place in large numbers or amounts [I usually + adv/prep, T]
* “[flood into] Donations are flooding into the homeless shelter.”
* “[flood in] She drew back the curtains and the sunlight came flooding in.”
* “[be flooded with] He was flooded with (= suddenly felt a lot of) joy when his first child was born.”
* “[flood back] For Proust, the taste of a madeleine brought childhood memories flooding back (= made him suddenly remember a lot of things).”
flood
uk |flʌd| us |flʌd|
noun
1. a large amount of water covering an area that is usually dry [C/U]
* “After the flood it took weeks for the water level to go down.”
* “[in flood] The river is in flood (= water has flowed over its banks) again.”
fossil fuel
uk |ˈfɒs.əl ˌfjʊəl| us |ˈfɑː.səl ˌfjʊəl|
noun
1. fuels, such as gas, coal, and oil, that were formed underground from plant and animal remains millions of years ago
global warming
uk |ˌɡləʊ.bəl ˈwɔː.mɪŋ| us |ˌɡloʊ.bəl ˈwɔːr.mɪŋ|
noun
1. a gradual increase in world temperatures caused by gases such as carbon dioxide that are collecting in the air around the earth and stopping heat escaping into space
greenery
uk |ˈɡriː.nər.i| us |ˈɡriː.nər.i|
noun
1. green plants or branches, especially when cut and used as decoration
habitat
uk |ˈhæb.ɪ.tæt| us |ˈhæb.ə.tæt|
noun
1. the natural environment in which an animal or plant usually lives
* “With so many areas of woodland being cut down, a lot of wildlife is losing its natural habitat.”
harvest
uk |ˈhɑː.vɪst| us |ˈhɑːr.vəst|
noun
1. the time of year when crops are cut and collected from the fields, or the activity of cutting and collecting them, or the crops that are cut and collected
* “the grain/potato/grape harvest”
* “We had a good harvest this year.”
* “[bumper harvest] Farmers are reporting a bumper (= very big) harvest this year.”
* “It won’t be long now till harvest (time).”
harvest
uk |ˈhɑː.vɪst| us |ˈhɑːr.vəst|
verb
1. to pick and collect crops, or to collect plants, animals, or fish as food [I/T]
* “In the US, winter wheat is harvested in the early summer.”
* “By the end of the year, growers in the state will have harvested 1.8 million barrels of fruit.”
* “About 30 million pounds of red snapper are harvested from US waters every year.”
* “Farmers sort the vegetables when they harvest.”
2. to take or collect a useful substance, for example water or a chemical element, from somewhere so that it can be used [T]
* “Hydrogen and oxygen could be harvested from the frozen water reserves.”
* “We use harvested rainwater for most of our cooking.”
3. to take cells or other body parts from someone for medical use [T]
* “The donor organ is harvested at the accident scene and rushed to a hospital.”
* “Stem cells harvested from cord blood have been used to successfully treat dozens of serious illnesses.”
4. to collect large quantities of information, especially automatically [T]
* “The ministry will not harvest data about salaries, sexual orientation, or country of origin for foreigners.”
* “Unauthorized use of personal information harvested from social networks is likely to anger potential customers.”
5. to get an advantage or something valuable from a situation [T]
* “He could harvest considerable political capital out of this incident.”
* “The only winners here seem to be the large, for-profit corporations who harvest profits from schools.”
hurricane
uk |ˈhʌr.ɪ.kən| |ˈhʌr.ɪ.keɪn| us |ˈhɝː.ɪ.keɪn| |ˈhɝː.ɪ.kən|
noun
1. a violent wind that has a circular movement, especially in the West Atlantic Ocean
* “[be hit by a hurricane] The state of Florida was hit by a hurricane that did serious damage.”
* “Hurricane force (= very strong) winds are expected tonight.”
instinct
uk |ˈɪn.stɪŋkt| us |ˈɪn.stɪŋkt|
noun
1. the way people or animals naturally react or behave, without having to think or learn about it
* “All his instincts told him to stay near the car and wait for help.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] Her first instinct was to run.”
* “It is instinct that tells the birds when to begin their migration.”
* “[figurative] [have an instinct for] Bob seems to have an instinct for (= is naturally good at) knowing which products will sell.”
natural disaster
uk |ˌnætʃ.ər.əl dɪˈzɑː.stər| us |ˌnætʃ.ɚ.əl dɪˈzæs.tɚ|
noun
1. a natural event such as a flood, earthquake, or tsunami that kills or injures a lot of people
* “Europe’s 2003 heat wave claimed more than 30,000 lives, making it the continent’s largest natural disaster in 50 years.”
resource
uk |rɪˈzɔːs| |ˈriː.sɔːs| us |ˈriː.sɔːrs| |ˈriː.zɔːrs|
noun
1. a useful or valuable possession or quality of a country, organization, or person [C usually plural]
* “The country’s greatest resource is the dedication of its workers.”
* “Britain’s mineral resources include coal and gas deposits.”
2. [formal for] resourcefulness approving [U]
resource
uk |rɪˈzɔːs| |ˈriː.sɔːs| us |ˈriː.sɔːrs| |ˈriː.zɔːrs|
verb
1. to provide an organization or department with money or equipment
* “The school must be properly resourced with musical instruments and audio equipment.”
scarce
uk |skeəs| us |skers|
adjective
1. not easy to find or get
* “Food and clean water were becoming scarce.”
* “scarce resources”
scarce
uk |skeəs| us |skers|
adverb
1. almost not
* “I could scarce believe my eyes.”
species
uk |ˈspiː.ʃiːz| |ˈspiː.siːz| us |ˈspiː.ʃiːz| |ˈspiː.siːz|
noun
1. a set of animals or plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other and can breed with each other
* “Mountain gorillas are an endangered species.”
* “Over a hundred species of insect are found in this area.”
