UNITS 21&22 • TOPIC Flashcards
aggravate
uk |ˈæɡ.rə.veɪt| us |ˈæɡ.rə.veɪt|
verb
1. to make a bad situation worse
* “Attempts to restrict parking in the city centre have further aggravated the problem of traffic congestion.”
2. to make a disease worse
* “The treatment only aggravated the condition.”
3. to annoy someone [informal]
* “Stop aggravating me, will you!”
better
uk |ˈbet.ər| us |ˈbet̬.ɚ|
adjective
1. [comparative of] good : of a higher standard, or more suitable, pleasing, or effective than other things or people
* “He stood near the front to get a better view.”
* “Relations between the two countries have never been better.”
* “[better than] The book was better than I expected.”
* “It’s much better to have a small, cosy room than a big, cold one.”
* “[better at] She is much better at tennis than I am.”
* “[far better] It is far (= much) better to save some of your money than to spend it all at once.”
* “[better for] Fresh vegetables are better for you (= more beneficial to you) than canned ones.”
* “[the better] The longer you keep this wine, the better it tastes (= it has a better flavour if you keep it for a long time).”
* “[better than nothing] The bed was hard, but it was better than nothing (= than not having a bed).”
2. If you are or get better after an illness or injury, you are healthy again
* “I hope you get better soon.”
better
uk |ˈbet.ər| us |ˈbet̬.ɚ|
adverb
1. in a more suitable, pleasing, or satisfactory way, or to a greater degree
* “The next time he took the test, he was better prepared.”
* “[much better] They did much better (= were more successful) in the second half of the game.”
* “I like this jacket much better than (= I prefer it to) the other one.”
* “[better than] She knows her way around the college better than I do.”
2. to a greater degree, when used as the comparative of adjectives beginning with “good” or “well”
* “[better looking] She is better looking (= more attractive) than her brother.”
* “[better known] He is much better known for his poetry than his songwriting.”
better
uk |ˈbet.ər| us |ˈbet̬.ɚ|
noun
1. something that is of a higher standard than something else [U]
* “He ran the 100 metres in 9.91 seconds, and I have not seen better (= a faster result) this year.”
2. behaviour, work, or treatment that is more suitable, pleasing, or satisfactory [U]
* “[deserve better] You shouldn’t be so mean to your mother - she deserves better.”
* “[expect better] I didn’t think he would go out without telling me - I expected better of him.”
better
uk |ˈbet.ər| us |ˈbet̬.ɚ|
verb
1. to improve a situation
* “The organization was established to better conditions for the disabled.”
better yourself
phrase
1. to improve your social position, often by getting a better job or education
* “He tried to better himself by taking evening classes.”
* “She’d spent most of her adult life trying to better herself.”
* “He was keen to better himself and make something of his life.”
blemish
uk |ˈblem.ɪʃ| us |ˈblem.ɪʃ|
noun
1. a mark on something that spoils its appearance [C]
* “freckles, scars, and other minor skin blemishes”
2. a fault in a person’s character [C/U]
* “Is any politician’s record without blemish on this issue?”
blemish
uk |ˈblem.ɪʃ| us |ˈblem.ɪʃ|
verb
1. to spoil something
* “This latest revelation has seriously blemished the governor’s reputation.”
chaos
uk |ˈkeɪ.ɒs| us |ˈkeɪ.ɑːs|
noun
1. a state of total confusion with no order
* “Snow and ice have caused chaos on the roads.”
* “Ever since our secretary walked out, the office has been in a state of total/utter chaos.”
* “We muddled up the name labels and chaos ensued (= resulted).”
cheapen
uk |ˈtʃiː.pən| us |ˈtʃiː.pən|
verb
1. to reduce the price
* “This has had the effect of cheapening UK exports.”
2. to make someone or something seem less valuable or important so that people respect them less [disapproving]
* “She felt that the photos were exploitative and cheapened her.”
contaminate
uk |kənˈtæm.ɪ.neɪt| us |kənˈtæm.ə.neɪt|
verb
1. to make something less pure or make it poisonous
* “Much of the coast has been contaminated by nuclear waste.”
* “The food which had been contaminated was destroyed.”
decay
uk |dɪˈkeɪ| us |dɪˈkeɪ|
verb
1. to become gradually damaged, worse, or less; to cause something to do this [I/T]
* “Sugar makes your teeth decay.”
* “The role of the extended family has been decaying for some time.”
* “Pollution has decayed the surface of the stonework on the front of the cathedral.”
* “the smell of decaying meat”
2. If a radioactive substance decays, it changes to a different form, producing radiation [I physics specialized]
* “[decay into] Radioactive uranium decays into stable lead at a known rate.”
* “As the actinium-225 decays, it gives off short-lived, highly energized alpha particles.”
decay
uk |dɪˈkeɪ| us |dɪˈkeɪ|
noun
1. the process of decaying
* “environmental/industrial/moral/urban decay”
* “dental/tooth decay”
* “[fall into decay] The buildings had started to fall into decay.”
* “This industry has been in decay for some time.”
2. the process by which a radioactive substance changes to a different form, producing radiation [physics specialized]
* “Radon is emitted in the natural decay of radioactive materials in rock and soil.”
* “the decay rate of beryllium-7”
decline
uk |dɪˈklaɪn| us |dɪˈklaɪn|
verb
1. to gradually become less, worse, or lower [I]
* “His interest in the project declined after his wife died.”
* “The party’s popularity has declined in the opinion polls.”
* “[formal] The land declines sharply away from the house.”
2. to refuse [I/T formal]
* “I invited him to the meeting but he declined.”
* “He declined my offer.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] They declined to tell me how they had obtained my address.”
3. If a noun, pronoun, or adjective declines, it has different forms to show if it is the subject or object, etc. of a verb or if it is singular or plural, etc. If you decline such a word, you list its various forms [I/T language specialized]
* “In Latin we learned how to decline nouns.”
decline
uk |dɪˈklaɪn| us |dɪˈklaɪn|
noun
1. the process or fact of something becoming less in amount, importance, quality, or strength
* “industrial decline”
* “Home cooking seems to be in decline (= not so many people are doing it).”
* “It is clear that teenage smoking is on the decline.”
* “[decline in] a decline in the number of unemployed”
2. the process or fact of someone becoming physically or mentally weaker
* “We all experience physical and cognitive decline over time.”
* “Vitamin B may guard against mental decline.”
* “Now his health is in decline and his ambitions have been crushed.”
* “She seemed to be recovering and then she went into a decline.”
defective
uk |dɪˈfek.tɪv| us |dɪˈfek.tɪv|
adjective
1. Something that is defective has a fault in it and does not work correctly
* “defective brakes”
* “defective eyesight”
* “a defective gene”
* “I think that theory is defective.”
detrimental
uk |ˌdet.rɪˈmen.təl| us |ˌdet.rəˈmen.t̬əl|
adjective
1. causing harm or damage
* “[detrimental effect/impact] These chemicals have a detrimental effect/impact on the environment.”
* “[detrimental to] Their decision could be detrimental to the future of the company.”
devastate
uk |ˈdev.ə.steɪt| us |ˈdev.ə.steɪt|
verb
1. to destroy a place or thing completely or cause great damage
2. to make someone feel very shocked and upset
enhance
uk |ɪnˈhɑːns| us |ɪnˈhæns|
verb
1. to improve the quality, amount, or strength of something
* “These scandals will not enhance the organization’s reputation.”
evaluate
uk |ɪˈvæl.ju.eɪt| us |ɪˈvæl.ju.eɪt|
verb
1. to judge or calculate the quality, importance, amount, or value of something
* “It’s impossible to evaluate these results without knowing more about the research methods employed.”
* ”[+ question word] We shall need to evaluate how the new material stands up to wear and tear.”
exacerbate
uk |ɪɡˈzæs.ə.beɪt| us |ɪɡˈzæs.ɚ.beɪt|
verb
1. to make something that is already bad even worse
* “This attack will exacerbate the already tense relations between the two communities.”
exquisite
uk |ɪkˈskwɪz.ɪt| us |ɪkˈskwɪz.ɪt|
adjective
1. very beautiful and delicate
* “an exquisite piece of china”
* “Look at this exquisite painting.”
* “She has exquisite taste.”
* “a vase of exquisite workmanship”
2. used to describe feelings such as pleasure or pain that are extremely strong, or qualities that are extremely good; great [literary]
* “exquisite joy”
* “The pain was quite exquisite.”
* “A good comedian needs to have an exquisite sense of timing.”
first-rate
uk |ˌfɜːstˈreɪt| us |ˌfɝːstˈreɪt|
adjective
1. extremely good
* “a first-rate restaurant”
flaw
uk |flɔː| us |flɑː|
noun
1. a fault, mistake, or weakness, especially one that happens while something is being planned or made, or that causes something not to be perfect
* “[flaw in] I returned the material because it had a flaw in it.”
* “[fatal flaw] There’s a fatal flaw in your reasoning.”
* “This report is full of flaws.”
* “a character flaw”
flaw
uk |flɔː| us |flɑː|
verb
1. to cause something to be not perfect
* “A tiny mark flawed the otherwise perfect silk shirt.”
ideal
uk |aɪˈdiː.əl| us |aɪˈdiː.əl|
adjective
1. perfect, or the best possible
* “the ideal employer”
* “[ideal person for] She’s the ideal person (= exactly the right type of person) for the job.”
* “[ideal for] The television also comes in a compact 36 cm screen size, ideal for bedroom or kitchen use.”
* “[ideal opportunity] It’s the ideal opportunity to meet people.”
* “[in an ideal world] In an ideal world no one would go hungry.”
ideal
uk |aɪˈdiː.əl| us |aɪˈdiː.əl|
noun
1. a principle or a way of behaving that is of a very high standard [C]
* “democratic ideals”
* “We are committed to the ideal of equality.”
* “They share the same high ideals.”
2. a perfect thing or situation [S]
* “The ideal would be to have a house in the town and one in the country.”
inadequate
uk |ɪˈnæd.ɪ.kwət| us |ɪˈnæd.ə.kwət|
adjective
1. not good enough or too low in quality
* “[woefully inadequate] This work is woefully (= extremely) inadequate - you’ll have to do it again.”
2. too small in amount
* “She rejected the $2 million offer as totally inadequate.”
3. not confident enough to deal with a situation
* “Maddie’s a real expert on art, so I feel completely inadequate whenever I talk to her about it.”
invaluable
uk |ɪnˈvæl.jə.bəl| us |ɪnˈvæl.jə.bəl|
adjective
1. extremely useful
* “The new job will provide you with invaluable experience.”
* “Such data will prove invaluable to/for researchers.”
optimum
uk |ˈɒp.tɪ.məm| us |ˈɑːp.tə.məm|
adjective
1. best; most likely to bring success or advantage
* “A mixture of selected funds is an optimum choice for future security and return on investment.”
outclass
uk |ˌaʊtˈklɑːs| us |ˌaʊtˈklæs|
verb
1. to be much better than someone or something
* “The company’s latest mountain bikes outclass all the competition.”
prime
uk |praɪm| us |praɪm|
adjective
1. main or most important
* “This is a prime example of 1930s architecture.”
* “the prime suspect in a murder investigation”
* “a prime source of evidence”
* “The president is a prime (= likely) target for the assassin’s bullet.”
2. of the best quality
* “prime beef”
* “The hotel is in a prime location in the city centre.”
prime
uk |praɪm| us |praɪm|
noun
1. the period in your life when you are most active or successful [S]
* “This is a dancer in her prime.”
* “Middle age can be the prime of life if you have the right attitude.”
* “I suspect this cheese is past its prime.”
prime
uk |praɪm| us |praɪm|
verb
1. to tell someone something that will prepare them for a particular situation
* “I’d been primed so I knew not to mention her son.”
2. to cover the surface of wood with a special paint before the main paint is put on
3. to make a bomb or gun ready to explode or fire
refurbish
uk |ˌriːˈfɜː.bɪʃ| us |ˌriːˈfɝː.bɪʃ|
verb
1. to make a building look new again by doing work such as painting, repairing, and cleaning
* “The developers refurbished the house inside and out.”
reinforce
uk |ˌriː.ɪnˈfɔːs| us |ˌriː.ɪnˈfɔːrs|
verb
1. to make something stronger
* “The pockets on my jeans are reinforced with double stitching.”
2. If something reinforces an idea or opinion, it provides more proof or support for it and makes it seem true
* “The final technical report into the accident reinforces the findings of initial investigations.”
* “His behaviour merely reinforced my dislike of him.”
3. to provide an army with more soldiers or weapons to make it stronger
* “The garrison is to be reinforced with/by another two battalions of soldiers.”
renovate
uk |ˈren.ə.veɪt| us |ˈren.ə.veɪt|
verb
1. to repair and improve something, especially a building
* “He renovates old houses and sells them at a profit.”
rotten
uk |ˈrɒt.ən| us |ˈrɑː.tən|
adjective
1. decayed
* “The room smelled of rotten vegetables.”
2. very bad
* “rotten weather”
* “[old-fashioned] It was rotten of you to leave without saying goodbye.”
rusty
uk |ˈrʌs.ti| us |ˈrʌs.ti|
adjective
1. covered with rust (= metal decay)
* “a rusty car/nail”
2. If a skill you had is rusty, it is not as good as it was because you have not practised it
* “My Italian is a bit rusty these days.”
satisfactory
uk |ˌsæt.ɪsˈfæk.tər.i| us |ˌsæt̬.ɪsˈfæk.tɚ.i|
adjective
1. good or good enough for a particular need or purpose
* “The teachers seem to think his work is satisfactory.”
* “We hope very much to find a satisfactory solution to the problem.”
* “The outcome of the discussion was highly satisfactory (= very pleasing).”
shambles
uk |ˈʃæm.bəlz| us |ˈʃæm.bəlz|
noun
1. a state of confusion, bad organization, or untidiness, or something that is in this state
* “After the party, the house was a total/complete shambles.”
* “Our economy is in a shambles.”
* “The way these files are arranged is the biggest shambles I’ve ever seen.”
shoddy
uk |ˈʃɒd.i| us |ˈʃɑː.di|
adjective
1. badly and carelessly made, using low quality materials
* “shoddy goods”
* “shoddy workmanship”
2. showing little respect, thought, or care
* “They refused him sick pay when he had the flu, which is a shoddy way to treat an employee.”
sound
uk |saʊnd| us |saʊnd|
noun
1. something that you can hear or that can be heard [C/U]
* “[hear a sound] They could hear the sound of a bell tolling in the distance.”
* “[make a sound] She stood completely still, not making a sound.”
* “Suddenly we heard a loud knocking sound from the engine.”
* “[sound travels] Sound can travel over very large distances in water.”
2. the activity of recording and broadcasting sound such as from a performance of music or for a film [U]
* “a sound engineer/recording”
3. the volume or quality of the sound of a television or film [U]
* “[turn the sound down/up] Could you turn the sound down/up on the TV?”
4. the particular quality of the music that a musician or a group of musicians produce [C]
* “The band’s sound is a distinctive mixture of funk and rap.”
sound
uk |saʊnd| us |saʊnd|
adjective
1. not broken or damaged; healthy; in good condition
* “It’s an old building but it’s still structurally sound.”
* “Considering his age, his body is surprisingly sound.”
* “[of sound mind] Was she of sound mind (= not mentally ill) at the time of the incident?”
2. financially strong and likely to succeed
* “Although the company’s share price has declined, its business remains basically sound.”
* “[sound investment] Government bonds are a sound investment.”
3. showing or based on good judgment
* “[sound advice] She gave me some very sound advice.”
* “She is a sound judge of character.”
* “I’m not sure how sound the theoretical basis for this argument is.”
4. able to be trusted because of having a lot of ability or knowledge
* “[sound on] The book is very sound on the basics.”
* “How sound is her knowledge of the subject?”
5. not harmful or wrong
* “Are these pesticides environmentally sound?”
* “I want our business to operate in an ethically sound way.”
6. used to say that you like, agree with, or approve of someone or something [UK informal]
* “He’s a good guy. He’s sound.”
* "”Shall we go there now?” “Yeah, sound.””
7. (of sleep) deep
* “He quickly fell into a sound sleep.”
* “Her sleep was so sound that she did not wake when they moved her.”
8. used to describe someone who sleeps deeply and well
* “I’m normally a very sound sleeper but this noise kept me awake.”
9. (of a beating or defeat) severe
* “The party was forced to reflect after a sound beating at the ballot box.”
* “The thief was given a sound thrashing.”
sound
uk |saʊnd| us |saʊnd|
adverb
1. deeply
* “[sound asleep] He was sound asleep within moments of getting into bed.”
stale
uk |steɪl| us |steɪl|
adjective
1. no longer new or fresh, usually as a result of being kept for too long
* “The bread/biscuits/cake had gone stale.”
* “The morning after the party, their apartment smelled of stale cigarette smoke.”
2. not fresh and new; boring because too familiar
* “stale jokes/news”
3. used to describe someone who has lost interest in what they are doing because of being bored or working too hard
* “They had been working together for over five years and they had both become a little stale.”
streamline
uk |ˈstriːm.laɪn| us |ˈstriːm.laɪn|
verb
1. to shape something so that it can move as effectively and quickly as possible through a liquid or gas
* “Streamlining cars increases their fuel efficiency.”
* “The bodies of dolphins are more streamlined than those of porpoises.”
2. to improve the effectiveness of an organization such as a business or government, often by making the way activities are performed simpler
* “The cost-cutting measures include streamlining administrative procedures in the company.”
* “Leading organizations use software to streamline their workflow.”
* “Streamlining management could save at least 15 percent in costs.”
strengthen
uk |ˈstreŋ.θən| us |ˈstreŋ.θən|
verb
1. to make something stronger or more effective, or to become stronger or more effective
* “They have been strengthening their border defences in preparation for war.”
* “His battle against cancer has strengthened his belief in God.”
* “The accident strengthens the case for better safety measures at fairgrounds.”
* “The bank loan has greatly strengthened our financial position.”
* “The organization’s aim is to strengthen the cultural ties between Britain and Germany.”
* “The rise in US interest rates caused the dollar to strengthen (= increase in value) against all the Asian currencies.”
surpass
uk |səˈpɑːs| us |sɚˈpæs|
verb
1. to do or be better than
* “His time for the 100 metres surpassed the previous world record by one hundredth of a second.”
* “The book’s success has surpassed everyone’s expectations.”
* “The director has really surpassed himself (= done better than he has done before) with this new film.”
ultimate
uk |ˈʌl.tɪ.mət| us |ˈʌl.tə.mət|
adjective
1. most extreme or important because either the original or final, or the best or worst
* “Of course the ultimate responsibility for the present conflict without doubt lies with the aggressor.”
* “My manager will make the ultimate decision about who to employ.”
* “Infidelity is the ultimate betrayal.”
* “the ultimate luxury cruiser”
worsen
uk |ˈwɜː.sən| us |ˈwɝː.sən|
verb
1. to become worse or to make something become worse
* “As the company’s financial problems worsened, several directors resigned.”
* “The continued supply of arms to the region will only worsen the situation.”
wreck
uk |rek| us |rek|
verb
1. to destroy or badly damage something
* “The explosion shattered nearby windows and wrecked two cars.”
* “Our greenhouse was wrecked in last night’s storm.”
2. to spoil something completely [informal]
* “He has been warned that his behaviour might wreck his chances of promotion.”
wreck
uk |rek| us |rek|
noun
1. a vehicle or ship that has been destroyed or badly damaged
* “Divers exploring the wreck managed to salvage some coins and jewellery.”
* “The burned-out wrecks of two police cars littered the road.”
2. someone who is in bad physical or mental condition [informal]
* “The stress she had been under at work reduced her to a nervous/quivering wreck.”
abstract
uk |ˈæb.strækt| us |ˈæb.strækt|
adjective
1. existing as an idea, feeling, or quality, not as a material object
* “Truth and beauty are abstract concepts.”
2. An abstract argument or discussion is general and not based on particular examples
* “This debate is becoming too abstract - let’s have some hard facts!”
abstract
uk |ˈæb.strækt| us |ˈæb.strækt|
noun
1. a short form of a speech, article, book, etc., giving only the most important facts or ideas
* “There is a section at the end of the magazine that includes abstracts of recent articles/books.”
2. a painting that uses shapes, lines, and colour in a way that does not try to represent the appearance of people or things
abstract
uk |æbˈstrækt| us |æbˈstrækt|
verb
1. to consider something in a general way or make a general judgment after looking at particular details [I/T]
* “Most interviewees focus on their own experience and do not generalize or abstract the situation.”
* “A general rule is arrived at by abstracting from the data.”
2. to remove or separate someone or something from a place or context (= the situation, facts, words, etc. that exist around something) [T]
* “[abstract someone from something] It was impossible to abstract children from their social environment with all its dangers.”
* “[abstract something from something] Relevant information was abstracted from the database or from medical records.”
3. to give a summary or abstract (= a short description giving the most important ideas) of something [T]
* “If you find an article you think should be abstracted in our journal, submit it for consideration.”
auction
uk |ˈɔːk.ʃən| us |ˈɑːk.ʃən|
noun
1. a usually public sale of goods or property, where people make higher and higher bids (= offers of money) for each thing, until the thing is sold to the person who will pay most
* “a furniture auction”
* “They’re holding an auction of jewellery on Thursday.”
* “The painting will be sold at auction next week.”
* “The house and its contents are being put up for auction.”
auction
uk |ˈɔːk.ʃən| us |ˈɑːk.ʃən|
verb
1. to sell something in a public auction
* “The stamps will be auctioned tomorrow.”
* “The family is auctioning (off) its art collection.”
audition
uk |ɔːˈdɪʃ.ən| us |ɑːˈdɪʃ.ən|
noun
1. a short performance that an actor, musician, dancer, etc. gives in order to show they are suitable for a particular play, film, show, etc.
* “His audition went well and he’s fairly hopeful about getting the part.”
* “The director is holding auditions next week for the major parts.”
audition
uk |ɔːˈdɪʃ.ən| us |ɑːˈdɪʃ.ən|
verb
1. to give a short performance in order to show that you are suitable for a part in a film, play, show, etc., or to make someone do this
* “I’m auditioning for the part of Lady Macbeth.”
* “We’re auditioning local rock bands for the music festival.”
bestseller
uk |ˌbestˈsel.ər| us |ˌbestˈsel.ɚ|
noun
1. a product that is extremely popular and has sold in very large numbers
* “The “Harry Potter” novels were all bestsellers.”
* “the bestseller list (= the list of the most popular books)”
curator
uk |kjʊəˈreɪ.tər| us |kjʊˈreɪ.t̬ɚ|
noun
1. a person in charge of a museum, library, etc.
fine art
uk |ˌfaɪn ˈɑːt| us |ˌfaɪn ˈɑːrt|
noun
1. drawings, paintings, and sculptures that are admired for their beauty and have no practical use [U]
installation
uk |ˌɪn.stəˈleɪ.ʃən| us |ˌɪn.stəˈleɪ.ʃən|
noun
1. the act of putting furniture, a machine, or a piece of equipment into position and making it ready to use [C/U]
* “Do you have to pay extra for installation?”
* “There have been calls for the installation of cameras at the junction.”
* “Among our installations is a solar thermal system for domestic hot water.”
2. the act of putting a computer program onto a computer so that the computer can use it [C/U computing specialized]
* “You will receive a message confirming correct installation of the program.”
* “There’s no guaranteed way to block unwanted software installations.”
3. a place where there are buildings and equipment that have a particular, especially military, purpose [C]
* “a nuclear installation”
* “The military still have several bases and installations on the island.”
4. an occasion when someone is put in an important job or position [U]
* “The installation of the new archbishop will take place in January.”
5. a form of modern sculpture where the artist uses sound, movement, or space as well as objects in order to make an often temporary work of art [C]
* “The new installation adds an exciting interactive element to the museum’s central atrium.”
lines
phrase
1. a punishment for school students in which a sentence has to be written repeatedly
* “She got 200 lines for swearing at her teacher.”
* “We had to stay behind after school and write lines.”
* “We were given lines for minor misdeeds.”
* “You can’t leave this room until you have finished your lines.”
* “If you answer back once, you get 50 lines and if you do it again, you get 100.”
lyrics
phrase
1. the words of a song, especially a pop song
* “Paul Simon wrote the lyrics for most of his songs.”
* “The lyrics of her songs are deeply personal.”
* “You can download all the lyrics from the band’s website.”
* “They were forced to change the song’s lyrics in order to play it on TV.”
* “They sang in the car, making up their own lyrics to well-known tunes.”
masterpiece
uk |ˈmɑː.stə.piːs| us |ˈmæs.tɚ.piːs|
noun
1. a work of art such as a painting, film, or book that is made with great skill (also masterwork)
* “Leonardo’s “Last Supper” is widely regarded as a masterpiece.”
paperback
uk |ˈpeɪ.pə.bæk| us |ˈpeɪ.pɚ.bæk|
noun
1. a book with a cover made of thick paper
* “a best-selling paperback”
* “I’ll buy some paperbacks at the airport.”
* “It will be published in paperback (= as a paperback) in March.”
period
uk |ˈpɪə.ri.əd| us |ˈpɪr.i.əd|
noun
1. a length of time
* “Her work means that she spends long periods away from home.”
* “[in a period] Unemployment in the first half of the year was 2.5 percent lower than in the same period the year before.”
* “[in/over a period of] 15 people were killed in/over a period of four days.”
* “[over a period] The study will be carried out over a six-month period.”
2. a fixed time during the life of a person or in history
* “Most teenagers go through a rebellious period.”
* “The house was built during the Elizabethan period.”
3. in school, a division of time in the day when a subject is taught
* “We have six periods of science a week.”
4. one of the fixed times that a sports game is divided into, especially in ice hockey (= a team game played on ice, with curved sticks and a small disc)
* “The match was won and lost in the first period, when Durham fell six goals behind.”
* “In the second period he scored by banking the puck off the right post and into the net.”
5. the process of blood coming from the uterus (= the organ in which a baby develops before birth), which usually happens once a month when someone is not pregnant
* “period pains”
* “She’d missed a period and was worried.”
6. the symbol . used in writing at the end of a sentence or at the end of the short form of a word [mainly US (UK usually full stop)]
7. said at the end of a statement to show that you believe you have said all there is to say on a subject and you are not going to discuss it any more [mainly US]
* “There will be no more shouting, period!”
period
uk |ˈpɪə.ri.əd| us |ˈpɪr.i.əd|
adjective
1. used to describe clothes, furniture, and other things from a particular time in history
* “[period dress] They performed “Julius Caesar” in period dress.”
* “[period furniture] The house, with its period furniture, is in demand as a film location.”
* “The film is very impressive in its period detail.”
* “Recordings of period music are now widely available, much of it performed on authentic period instruments.”
priceless
uk |ˈpraɪs.ləs| us |ˈpraɪs.ləs|
adjective
1. A priceless object has such a high value, especially because it is rare, that the price of it cannot be calculated
* “A priceless collection of vases was destroyed.”
* “[figurative] Her knowledge and experience would make her a priceless (= extremely useful) asset to the team.”
2. extremely funny to see or hear [informal]
* “You should have seen the look on her face when I told her - it was priceless!”
recital
uk |rɪˈsaɪ.təl| us |rɪˈsaɪ.t̬əl|
noun
1. a performance of music or poetry, usually given by one person or a small group of people
* “I went to a violin recital today.”
* “He is giving a recital of Bach’s sonatas.”
2. a detailed description of something or a list of things
* “She gave us a long, boring recital of all her troubles.”
3. the main details about a contract including who it involves and why they are making the contract, often given before the main text of a contract and starting with the word “whereas” [law specialized]
* “The recitals and parts of the text imply that the directive can only apply to contracts for the supply of goods and services.”
retrospective
uk |ˌret.rəˈspek.tɪv| us |ˌret.rəˈspek.tɪv|
noun
1. a show of the work an artist has done in their life so far
* “a Hockney retrospective/a retrospective of Hockney’s work”
retrospective
uk |ˌret.rəˈspek.tɪv| us |ˌret.rəˈspek.tɪv|
adjective
1. relating to or thinking about the past
* “a retrospective album of solo Freddie Mercury tracks”
score
uk |skɔːr| us |skɔːr|
verb
1. to win or get a point, goal, etc. in a competition, sport, or game [I/T]
* “Tennant scored in the last minute of the game.”
* “She has scored over twenty goals for her team this season.”
* “In American football, a touchdown scores (= is worth) six points.”
* “She scored 18 out of 20 in the spelling test.”
2. to get a particular number of points on a test or in an examination [T mainly US]
* “She did well in her exam, scoring 85, well above the necessary 60.”
* “All the youngsters scored well in intelligence tests.”
3. to count or decide on the number of points someone gets on a test or in an examination [T mainly US]
* “Thousands of teachers are involved in preparing questions for state tests and in scoring the exams.”
* “Safeguards are built in to ensure that the tests are scored correctly.”
4. to record the number of points won by competitors [I UK (US keep score)]
* “We need someone to score for tomorrow’s match.”
5. to succeed in an activity or to achieve something [I/T]
* “She has certainly scored a success with her latest novel.”
* “His 2018 teen comedy scored with audiences, if not with critics.”
* “Nearly every bomb scored a hit.”
* “[UK] You have a lot of patience - that’s where you score over (= are better than) your opponents.”
6. to get something [T US informal]
* “I managed to score a couple of tickets to the World Cup final.”
7. to get illegal drugs [I/T slang]
* “She tried to score some dope in a nightclub.”
8. to have sex with someone that you have usually just met [I slang]
* “Did you score last night, then?”
9. to make a mark or cut on the surface of something hard with a pointed tool, or to draw a line through writing [T]
* “If you score the tile first, it will be easier to break.”
score
uk |skɔːr| us |skɔːr|
noun
1. the number of points, goals, etc. achieved in a game or competition [C plural scores]
* “a high/low score”
* “Have you heard the latest cricket score?”
* “At half time, the score stood at (= was) two all.”
* “The final score was 3–0.”
* “Could you keep (= record) the score at this afternoon’s game?”
2. the number of points someone gets on a test or in an examination [C mainly US plural scores (UK usually mark)]
* “The test scores of hundreds of students were compared.”
* “Only 939 out of approximately 1.4 million high school seniors achieved the perfect score.”
3. a piece of written music showing the parts for all the instruments and voices [C plural scores]
* “an orchestral score”
4. the music written for a film, play, etc. [C plural scores]
* “a film score”
* “Rodgers wrote the score for/of/to “Oklahoma!”.”
5. 20 or approximately 20 [C usually singular formal plural score]
* “He lived to be three score years and ten (= until he was 70 years old).”
sketch
uk |sketʃ| us |sketʃ|
noun
1. a simple, quickly-made drawing that does not have many details
* “My mother made a (pencil) sketch of my brother reading a book.”
2. a short written or spoken story that does not have many details
3. a short, humorous part of a longer show on stage, television, or radio
* “I thought the sketch about celebrity chefs was really funny.”
sketch
uk |sketʃ| us |sketʃ|
verb
1. to make a sketch of something
* “The art students were told to sketch the landscape.”
* “When I have some spare time, I like to sketch.”
* “The artist has sketched out a design for the new school.”
work of art
uk |ˌwɜːk əv ˈɑːt| us |ˌwɝːk əv ˈɑːrt|
noun
1. an object made by an artist of great skill, especially a painting, drawing, or statue
* “The thieves stole several valuable works of art.”
worthless
uk |ˈwɜːθ.ləs| us |ˈwɝːθ.ləs|
adjective
1. having no value in money
* “The company’s shares are now virtually worthless.”
* “He said the jewels were worthless fakes.”
2. not important or not useful
* “She was criticized so much by her employers that she began to feel worthless.”
