Week Sixteen Flashcards
Indigenous
Adj: used to refer to plants and animals that grow or live naturally in a place, and have not been brought there from somewhere else; native
Example:
-indigenous to:Are there any species of frog indigenous to the area?
-The snakes are a serious threat to indigenous wildlife owing to their big appetites.
Gregarious
Adj: liking to be with other people; sociable
Example:
Leo was an open, gregarious, kind individual, who loved people.
Habitat
N: the natural environment in which an animal or plant usually lives
Example:
With so many areas of woodland being cut down, a lot of wildlife is losing its natural habitat.
Cursory
Adj: done quickly with little attention to detail; hasty; not through
Example:
He gave the picture a cursory glance.
Orderliness
Adj: the quality of being well arranged or organized
Example:
-Patients are complimentary about the cleanliness and orderliness of the hospital.
-The orderliness of the room surprised him.
Hive
N: a structure where bees live, either built by people or made by the bees themselves
Example:
Bees naturally attack anything entering their hives.
Interloper
Adj: someone who becomes involved in an activity or a social group without being asked, or enters a place without permission; an unauthorized person
Example:
Security did not prevent an interloper from getting onto the stage at the opening ceremony.
Nuance
N: a very slight difference in appearance, meaning, sound, etc.
Example:
-nuance of The painter has managed to capture every nuance of the woman’s expression.
-Linguists explore the nuances of language.
Drone
N: a male bee
Prolific
Adj: producing a great number or amount of something; producing abundantly
Example:
He was probably the most prolific songwriter of his generation.
Rabbits and other rodents are prolific (= have a lot of babies).
Bulwark
N: something that protects you from dangerous or unpleasant situations; protection
Example:
My savings were to be a bulwark against unemployment.
Sedentary
Adj: involving little exercise or physical activity
Example:
-a sedentary job/occupation
-My doctor says I should start playing sport because my lifestyle is too sedentary.
Frugal
Adj: careful in spending money; thrifty
Example: Lungren, a fiscal conservative when it comes to spending taxpayers’ money, is frugal in his personal life as well.
Antithesis
N: the exact opposite
Example:
-She is slim and shy - the very antithesis of her sister.
-He is the exact antithesis of what I find attractive in men.
In effect
Phrase: in fact, or in practice
Example:
-So in effect the government have lowered taxes for the rich and raised them for the poor.
-There was fluid in his lungs, in effect reducing their capacity.
Starve
V: to (cause someone to) become very weak or die because there is not enough food to eat
Example:
Whole communities starved to death during the long drought.
Come up with something
Phrasal verb: to suggest or think of an idea or plan
Example:
She’s come up with some amazing scheme to double her income.
Shake off something
Phrasal verb: to get rid of something bad
Example:
I had to shake off a bad case of nerves before taking the exam.
Badger
V: to persuade someone by telling them repeatedly to do something, or to question someone repeatedly
Example:
Stop badgering me - I’ll do it when I’m ready.
Bargain
N: something on sale at a lower price than its true value
Example;
This coat was half-price - a real bargain.
Inchoate
Adj: only recently or partly formed, or not completely developed or clear; basic; rudimentary
Example:
She had a child’s inchoate awareness of language.
Altruistic
Adj: showing a wish to help or bring advantages to others, even if it results in disadvantage for yourself; unselfish
Example:
I doubt whether her motives for donating the money are altruistic - she’s probably looking for publicity.
Embellish
V: to make something more beautiful by adding something to it; adorn; touch up
Example:
be embellished with: The ceiling was embellished with flowers and leaves.
Nectar
N: a sweet liquid produced by flowers and collected by bees and other insects
Example:
The bee turns nectar into honey.
Hind
Adj: at the back of an animal’s body
Example:
a hind leg
Cache
N: a hidden store of things, or the place where they are kept; secret hiding place
Example:
-an arms cache
-a cache of explosives/weapons/drugs
Coterie
N: small group having something in common
Example:
-coterie of: a coterie of writers
-I was never part of their cosy coterie.
Entrust
V: to make someone responsible for someone or something
Example:
We entrusted our dog to a neighbor when we went away on a trip.
Dedicate
V: to give completely your energy, time, etc. to something
Example:
He dedicated his life to helping the poor.
Cupidity
N: a strong feeling of wanting to have something, especially money or possessions; greed
Fortuitous
Adj: (of something that is to your advantage) not planned, happening by chance
Example:
The timing of the meeting is certainly fortuitous.
Saga
N: a long, detailed story of connected events
Example:
The Gold Rush was just one chapter in the saga of the old West.
Virtuosity
N: the quality of being extremely skilled at something; great technical skill
Example:
The technical virtuosity of the paintings is such that you can almost smell the flowers.
Temerity
N: a willingness to do or say something that shocks or upsets other people; foolish boldness
Example:
[ + to infinitive ] She had the temerity to call me a liar.
Amorous
Adj: full of love
Example:
Amanda had rejected his amorous advances.
Progeny
N: the young or offspring of a person, animal, or plant; descendants
Example:
His numerous progeny are scattered all over the country.
Saturate
V: to fill a thing or place completely so that no more can be added; soak; full up completely
Example:
The police saturated (= a large number of police officers were sent into) the area.
Scout
N: a person, especially a soldier, sent out to get information about where the enemy are and what they are doing
Dispatch
N: the act of sending someone or something somewhere
Example:
the dispatch of troops
Swarm
V: When insects swarm, they come together in a large group.
Classicist
N: a person who studies ancient Greek or Roman culture
Beatnik
N: (especially in the 1950s and 1960s) a young person who did not accept society’s customs and principles, and showed this by the way they dressed and behaved
Valor
N: great courage
Example:
He was promoted to the rank of major in recognition of his valor during the battle.
Mercy
N: kindness shown toward someone whom you have the right or power to punish
Example:
-He begged for mercy.
-The soldiers showed no mercy toward their prisoners.
Reprehensible
Adj: If someone’s behaviour is reprehensible, it is extremely bad or unacceptable
Example:
reprehensible conduct/actions
Irate
Adj: very angry
Example:
We have received some irate phone calls from customers.
