Vocabulary 5

Question 1

reckon (v.)

Answer 1

to think or believe

I reckon it’s going to rain.
How much do you reckon that’s going to cost?

Question 2

overlap (v.)

Answer 2

1) to partly cover something with a layer of something else
2) to have some parts or features that are the same

1. The edges of the wallpaper should overlap slightly.
2. My musical tastes don’t overlap with my brother’s at all.

Question 3

instill (v.)

Answer 3

to put a feeling, idea, or principle gradually into someone’s mind, so that it has a strong influence on the way that person thinks or behaves

It is part of a teacher’s job to instill confidence in/into his or her students.

Question 4

bureau (n.)

Answer 4

an organization or a business that collects or provides information

The FBI stands for the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Question 5

nuisance (n.)

Answer 5

something or someone that annoys you or causes trouble for you

I’ve forgotten my umbrella - what a nuisance!

Question 6

metaphor (n.)

Answer 6

an expression, often found in literature, that describes a person or object by referring to something that is considered to have similar characteristics to that person or object

“The mind is an ocean” and “the city is a jungle” are both metaphors.

Question 7

saturate (v.)

Answer 7

to make something or someone completely wet, or to make a place completely full of something

Water thoroughly to saturate the soil.

Contemporary U.S. culture is completely saturated with technology.

Question 8

ridicule (v.)

Answer 8

to laugh at someone in an unkind way

He was ridiculed for his ideas.

Question 9

bashful (adj.)

Answer 9

often feeling uncomfortable with other people and easily embarrassed

She gave a bashful smile as he complimented her on her work.

Question 10

pious (adj.)

Answer 10

strongly believing in religion, and living in a way that shows this belief

She is a pious follower of the faith, never missing her prayers.

Question 11

relic (n.)

Answer 11

an object, tradition, or system from the past that continues to exist

During the dig, the archaeological team found some relics from the Stone Age.

Question 12

fraud (n.)

Answer 12

the crime of getting money by deceiving people

They spent ten years in jail for fraud.

Question 13

leer (v.)

Answer 13

to look at someone in an unpleasant or offensive way

He was always leering at female members of staff.

Question 14

eradicate (v.)

Answer 14

to get rid of something completely or destroy something bad

The government claims to be doing all it can to eradicate corruption

Question 15

gloomy (adj.)

Answer 15

unhappy and without hope

The cemetery is a gloomy place.

Question 16

reminiscent (adj.)

Answer 16

making you remember a particular person, event, or thing
USE: reminiscent of someone/something

That song is so reminiscent of my adolescence.

Question 17

punctuate (v.)

Answer 17

to regularly interrupt something that is happening

The president spoke at length in a speech punctuated by applause

Question 18

pioneer (n.)

Answer 18

a person who is one of the first people to do something:

He was a pioneer in big-band jazz.

Question 19

harmonize (v.)

Answer 19

1) to add harmonies to a tune
2) to be suitable together, or to make different people, plans, situations, etc. suitable for each other

1. I can sing a tune, but I find it hard to harmonize.
2. The garden has been designed to harmonize with the natural landscape.

Question 20

prune (v.)

Answer 20

1) to cut off branches from a tree, bush, or plant, especially so that it will grow better in the future
2) to reduce something by removing things that are not necessary:

1. She spent the afternoon pruning roses.
2. I felt his essay needed a little pruning.

Question 21

admittance (n.)

Answer 21

permission to enter a place:

refuse admittance:
The club has the right to refuse admittance to anyone.

gain admittance:
The enquiry centered on how the assassin had gained admittance to (= succeeded in entering) the building.

The sign read “Private - no admittance”.

Question 22

edible (adj.)

Answer 22

suitable or safe for eating:

Only the leaves of the plant are edible.

Question 23

treacherous (adj.)

Answer 23

If the ground or sea is treacherous, it is extremely dangerous, especially because of bad weather conditions:

Snow and ice have left many roads treacherous, and drivers are warned to use caution.

Question 24

flirtatious (adj.)

Answer 24

behaving as if you are interested in someone, in a not serious way

She’s very flirtatious.

Question 25

square with (phrasal verb)

Answer 25

to match or agree with something, or to think that one thing is acceptable together with another thing

Her story doesn’t quite square with the evidence.

Question 26

stack up (phrasal v.)

Answer 26

to compare with another thing of a similar type:

The new model of this car just doesn’t stack up against previous models (= is not as good as previous models).

Question 27

tuck (something) away (phrasal v.)

Answer 27

to put something in a private, safe place:

Grandma always kept a little of money tucked away in case of an emergency.

Question 28

doze off (phrasal v.)

Answer 28

If you doze off, you start to sleep, especially during the day:

The office was so hot I nearly dozed off at my desk.

Question 29

flow (v)

Answer 29

(especially of liquids, gases, or electricity) to move in one direction, especially continuously and easily

The teacher drew a diagram showing how the blood flows through the heart.

The road was blocked for two hours after the accident, but traffic is now flowing smoothly again.

Question 30

greet (v)

Answer 30

to welcome someone with particular words or a particular action, or to react to something in the stated way:

He greeted me at the door.

The teacher greeted each child with a friendly “Hello!”

Question 31

issue (n)

Answer 31

a subject or problem that people are thinking and talking about:

environmental/ethical/personal issues

As employers we need to be seen to be addressing (= dealing with) these issues sympathetically.

Don’t worry about who will do it - that’s just a side issue (= not the main problem).

Animal experimentation is a highly emotive issue.

Question 32

nod (v)

Answer 32

to move your head down and then up, sometimes several times, especially to show agreement, approval, or greeting, or to show something by doing this:

Many people in the audience nodded in agreement.

When I suggested a walk, Elena nodded enthusiastically.

She looked up and nodded for me to come in.

Question 33

argument (n)

Answer 33

a disagreement, or the process of disagreeing:

The children had an argument about/over what game to play.

He got into an argument with Jeff in the pub last night.

A decision was finally made after some heated argument.