Words from the end of July 2024

New vocab updates

derisive (/dɪˈraɪsɪv/)

​unkind and showing that you think somebody/something is silly

• She gave a short, ~laugh.

• His voice was savagely ~.

awe (/ɔː/)

​feelings of respect and slight fear; feelings of being very impressed by something/somebody

• ~and respect

• ~and wonder

• with ~ He speaks of her with ~.

• in ~ ‘It's magnificent,’ she whispered in ~.

revulsion (/rɪˈvʌlʃn/)

a strong feeling of horror

SYNONYM disgust, repugnance

• Most people viewed the bombings with ~.

• ~at something She felt a deep sense of ~at the violence.

• ~against something I started to feel a ~against their decadent lifestyle.

heave (/hiːv/)

1. to lift, pull or throw somebody/something very heavy with one great effort

   • I managed to ~the trunk down the stairs.

   • They ~ed the body overboard.

   • He ~ed himself out of his armchair.

   • + adv./prep. We all ~ed on the rope.

   • ~ away lads!

2. ​[intransitive] to rise up and down with strong, regular movements

   • The boat ~ed beneath them.

   • ~with something Her shoulders ~ed with laughter.

    

3. ​[transitive] ~a sigh, etc. to make a sound slowly and often with effort

   • We all ~ed a sigh of relief.

   • She ~ed a long sigh.

4. ​[intransitive] to experience the tight feeling in your stomach that you get before you vomit

   SYNONYM retch

   • The thought of it makes me ~.

centaur (/ˈsentɔːr/)

(in ancient Greek stories) a creature with a man’s head, arms and upper body on a horse’s body and legs

scab (/skæb/)

1. [countable] a hard dry layer that forms over and covers a wound on the skin as it gets better

   "I had a cut on my arm that had ~ed over"

2. ​[countable] (informal, disapproving) a worker who refuses to join a strike or takes the place of somebody on strike

   SYNONYM blackleg

    

3. ​[uncountable] a skin disease of animals

4. ​[uncountable] a disease of plants, especially apples and potatoes, that causes a rough surface

acquaintance (/əˈkweɪntəns/)

1. a person that you know but who is not a close friend

   • Claire has a wide circle of friends and ~s.

   • He's just a business ~.

   • I bumped into an old ~on the train.

2. ​[uncountable, countable] ~(with somebody) (formal) slight friendship

   • He hoped their ~would develop further.

   • a man with whom I had a passing ~

   • I first met Simon in 2008 and struck up an ~with him.

jumble (/ˈdʒʌmbl/)

​to mix things together in a confused or untidy way

• be ~ed together Books, shoes and clothes were ~ed together on the floor.

• be ~ed up The letters in these words have been ~ed up.

• ~something (together/up) She put the raffle tickets into a bag and ~ed them up.

gawk (/ɡɔːk/)

~(at somebody/something) to stare at somebody/something in a rude or stupid way

SYNONYM gape

• Stop ~ing like that!

• The old station master ~ed in surprise as they pushed past him.

chestnut (/ˈtʃesnʌt/)

a glossy brown nut that may be roasted and eaten.

• a deep reddish-brown color.

  "~hair"

• a horse of a reddish-brown color, with a brown mane and tail.

  "a ~stallion (male horse)"

  the large European tree that produces the edible ~, which develops within a bristly case, with serrated leaves and heavy timber.

suture (/ˈsuːtʃər/)

noun

1. 1.

   a stitch or row of stitches holding together the edges of a wound or surgical incision.

   "~s are removed on the 5th to 7th day after the operation"

2. 2.

   an immovable junction between two bones, such as those of the skull.

verb

1. stitch up (a wound or incision) with a suture.

   "the small incision was ~ed"

torso (/ˈtɔːrsəʊ/)

the main part of the body, not including the head, arms or legs

SYNONYM trunk

• He took off his T-shirt to reveal his tanned ~.

• The headless ~of a man was found in some bushes.

strangle ( /ˈstræŋɡl/)

1. to kill somebody by pressing their throat and neck hard, especially with your fingers

   • to ~somebody to death

   • The victim had been ~ed with a scarf.

   • Whenever he starts going on about football, I could cheerfully ~him.s

2. ​~ something to prevent something from growing or developing

   • The current monetary policy is ~ing the economy.

   • ‘Oh, no!’ she cried, ~ing a sob.

   • This project should have been ~ed at birth.

yelp (/jelp/)

utter a short sharp cry of pain or alarm. (dog..)

• "my dogs were ~ing at Linus"

municipal (/mjuːˈnɪsɪpl/)

[usually before noun]

1. ​connected with or belonging to a town, city or district that has its own local government

   • ~elections/councils

   • ~workers

   • the Los Angeles ~Art Gallery

swish (/swɪʃ/)

(v) to move quickly through the air in a way that makes a soft sound; to make something do this

• (+ adv./prep.) A large car ~ed past them and turned into the embassy gates.

• The pony's tail ~ed.

• swish something (+ adv./prep.) The pony ~ed its tail.

• She ~ed her racket aggressively through the air.

• The cows were ~ing their tails lazily.

subsidy (/ˈsʌbsədi/)

money that is paid by a government or an organization to reduce the costs of services or of producing goods so that their prices can be kept low

• agricultural ~es

• to reduce the level of ~

swat (/swɑːt/)

~something to hit something, especially an insect, using your hand or a flat object

• He was trying to ~a fly with a rolled-up newspaper.

• I ~ed a mosquito that had landed on my wrist

privation (/praɪˈveɪʃn/)

a lack of the basic things that people need for living

SYNONYM hardship

• the ~s of poverty

• They endured years of suffering and ~.

partial (/ˈpɑːrʃl/)

1. not complete or whole

   • It was only a ~solution to the problem.

   • a ~eclipse of the sun

2. ​[not before noun] ~to somebody/something (old-fashioned) liking somebody/something very much

   • I'm not ~to mushrooms.

3. ​[not usually before noun] ~ (towards somebody/something) (disapproving) showing or feeling too much support for one person, team, idea, etc., in a way that is unfair

   • The resulting assessment is necessarily ~and subjective.

   SYNONYM biased

   OPPOSITE impartial

jurisdiction (/ˌdʒʊərɪsˈdɪkʃn/)

the authority that an official organization has to make legal decisions about somebody/something

• ~over somebody/something The English court had no ~over the defendants.

• ~(of somebody/something) to do something The Court of Appeal exercised its ~to order a review of the case.

• within/outside somebody's ~These matters do not fall within our ~.

  ​[countable] an area or a country in which a particular system of laws has authority

  • Practice varies between different European ~.

sabotage (/ˈsæbətɑːʒ/)

1. to damage or destroy something deliberately to prevent an enemy from using it or to protest about something

   • The main electricity supply had been ~ed by the rebels.

2. ​~something to prevent something from being successful or being achieved, especially deliberately

   • Protesters failed to ~the peace talks.

   • The rise in interest rates ~ed any chance of the firm's recovery.

   • They had tried to ~our plans.

   • His speech was calculated to ~our efforts to reach a solution to the crisis.

stake

(n) 1. money that somebody invests in a company

• a 20 per cent ~in the business

• a controlling/majority/minority ~

2. [countable] something that you risk losing, especially money, when you try to predict the result of a race, game, etc., or when you are involved in an activity that can succeed or fail

• How much was the ~(= how much did you bet)?

• They were playing cards for high ~~~s (= a lot of money).

• With only two points separating the top five players, the~s are high as they enter the final round.

(V) ​~something (on something) to risk money or something important on the result of something

SYNONYM bet

• He ~ed £25 on the favourite (= for example, in horse racing).

• She ~ed her political career on tax reform, and lost.

• That's him over there—I'd ~my life on it (= I am completely confident).

(Phrasal verb) ~ out: to watch a place secretly, especially for signs of illegal activity

• Detectives had been ~ing out the house for several weeks.

to state your opinion, position, etc. on something very clearly

• The president ~ed out his position on the issue.

tabby (/ˈtæbi/)

a cat with brown or grey fur marked with dark lines or spots

• My friend Duc has owned a young ~ cat named Me.

gobble (/ˈɡɑːbl/)

to eat something very fast, in a way that people consider rude or greedy

SYNONYM wolf

• ~(something) Don't ~your food like that!

• ~something up/down They ~ed down all the sandwiches.

• He ~ed up the last of the chocolates.

clamber (/ˈklæmbər/)

to climb or move with difficulty or a lot of effort, using your hands and feet

SYNONYM scramble

• The children ~ed up the steep bank.

saunter (/ˈsɔːntər/)

+ adv./prep. to walk in a slow relaxed way

SYNONYM stroll

• He ~ed by, looking as if he had all the time in the world.

• For his part, the dog bared his fangs, glared at the drivers, and ~ed defiantly across the street.

pendulum (/ˈpendʒələm/)

a long straight part with a weight at the end that moves regularly from side to side to control the movement of a clock

• (figurative) In education, the ~has swung back to traditional teaching methods.

• the ~ of public opinion

swivel chair

a chair with a seat able to be turned on its base to face in any direction.

• As Nakata entered the room the silhouette slowly turned. Whoever was there sat in a ~ and had turned around to face him.

come to a halt

(interjection: than tu)

to no longer move or happen.

• The bus slowly ~.

• The project suddenly ~ when its funding was withdrawn.

brim

1. the top edge of a cup, bowl, glass, etc.

   • two wine glasses, filled to the ~

   • (figurative) She felt suddenly alive and full to the ~with enthusiasm.

2. the flat edge around the bottom of a hat that sticks out

   • One hand was raised to the ~ of his hat, like he was tipping it politely to a lady.

   • One hand was raised to the ~ of his hat, like he was tipping it politely to a lady.

   compare to ~ (cut first character)

perk up

1. to become or to make somebody become more cheerful or lively, especially after they have been ill or sad

SYNONYM brighten

• He soon ~d ~ when his friends arrived.

• A cup of coffee will ~ you~.

2. to make something more interesting, more attractive, etc.

SYNONYM liven up

• ideas for ~ing ~ bland food

• Stencilling is a cheap and easy way to ~ old furniture.

(Dog) 3. to be lifted in a quick and alert way (happy)

• The dog ~ his ears again.

lewd (/luːd/)

referring to or involving sex in a rude and offensive way

SYNONYM obscene

• ~behaviour/jokes/suggestions

delude (/dɪˈluːd/)

to make somebody believe something that is not true

SYNONYM deceive

• ~somebody You poor ~d creature.

• ~yourself He's ~ing himself if he thinks it's going to be easy.

• ~somebody/yourself into doing something Don't be ~ed into thinking that we are out of danger yet.

• ~yourself that… She had been ~ing herself that he loved her.

valet (/ˈvæleɪ/)

1. a man’s personal servant who takes care of his clothes, serves his meals, etc.

   • His ~brought him his letters.

2. ​a hotel employee whose job is to clean the clothes of hotel guests

3. a person who parks your car for you at a hotel or restaurant

vapid (/ˈvæpɪd/)

not showing interest or intelligence

SYNONYM dull

• The ~conversation bored her.

sue (/suː/)

1. to make a claim against a person or an organization in court about something that they have said or done to harm you

   • They threatened to ~ if the work was not completed.

   • sue (somebody/something) for something to ~ somebody for breach of contract

   • to ~ somebody for $10 million (= in order to get money from somebody)

   • to ~somebody for damages

   • He threatened to ~the company for negligence.

   • ~somebody/something The water authority was successfully ~ed over his illness.

2. ​[intransitive] ~for something (formal) to formally ask for something, especially in court

   • to ~for divorce

   • The rebels were forced to ~for peace.

composite (/kəmˈpɑːzət/)

made of different parts or materials

• a ~picture (= one made from several pictures)

• this soup is one of those ~ dishes which you gradually build up

lurch (/lɜːrtʃ/)

to make a sudden, unsteady movement forward or to one side

SYNONYM stagger, sway

• Suddenly the horse ~ed to one side and the child fell off.

• The man ~ed drunkenly out of the pub.

• (figurative) Their relationship seems to ~from one crisis to the next.

cog (/kɑːɡ/)

one of a series of teeth on the edge of a wheel that fit between the teeth on the next wheel and cause it to move

• the ~s and springs of a watch

toil (/tɔɪl/)

[intransitive] to work very hard and/or for a long time, usually doing hard physical work

• Hundreds of men ~ed for years at building the pyramid.

• She ~s tirelessly for various charities.

+ adv./prep. to move slowly and with difficulty

SYNONYM slog

• They ~ed up the hill in the blazing sun

buttock (/ˈbʌtək/)

either of the two round soft parts at the top of a person’s legs

• He fell down hard on his right ~ and slid along the path

remit

1. to send money, etc. to a person or place

   SYNONYM forward

   • ~something to ~funds

   • ~something to somebody Payment will be ~ed to you in full.

2. ​~something to cancel or free somebody from a debt, duty, punishment, etc.

   SYNONYM cancel

   • to ~a fine

   • to ~a prison sentence

ADJ: un~ing: never stopping

spurt ( /spɜːrt/)

1. (of liquid or flames) to burst out or pour out suddenly; to produce sudden, powerful streams of liquid or flames

   • ~(from something) Blood was ~ing from her nose.

   • ~out (of/from something) Red and yellow flames ~ed out of the fire.

   • ~something Her nose was ~ing blood.

   • ~something + adv./prep. The volcano ~ed clouds of steam and ash high into the air.

2. ​[intransitive] + adv./prep. to increase your speed for a short time to get somewhere faster

   • She ~ed past me to get to the line first.

liquor (/ˈlɪkər/)

1. (especially North American English) strong alcoholic drink

   SYNONYM spirit

   • hard ~

   • She drinks wine and beer but no ~.

2. ​(British English, specialist) any alcoholic drink

   • intoxicating ~

   • The sale of ~to persons under 18 is prohibited.

   • The restaurant finally obtained a ~licence.

magnanimous (/mæɡˈnænɪməs/)

1. ​kind, generous and forgiving, especially towards an enemy or competitor

   • a ~gesture

   • He was ~in defeat and praised his opponent's skill.

   • The regime had to decide whether to be ~in victory.

lucidity (/luːˈsɪdəti/)

1. the quality of being clearly expressed and easy to understand

   • to write with clarity and ~

   • his lecture combined intellectual ~and passion

2. ​the ability to think clearly, especially when somebody cannot usually do this

   • a rare moment of ~

symphony (/ˈsɪmfəni/)

a long, complicated piece of music for a large orchestra, in three or four main parts (called movements)

• Beethoven’s Fifth ~

• Bruckner’s ~No. 5, conducted by Hugh Wolff

• the Chicago ~Orchestra

ridge

1. a narrow area of high land along the top of a line of hills; a high pointed area near the top of a mountain

   • walking along the ~

   • the north-east ~of the Matterhorn

   • We stood on the windswept ~and looked down at the valley below.

2. ​

   

   a raised line on the surface of something; the point where two sloping surfaces join

   • The ~s on the soles of my boots stopped me from slipping.

   • the ~of the roof

den (/den/)

1. the hidden home of some types of wild animal

   • a bear’s/lion’s ~

2. ​(disapproving) a place where people meet in secret, especially for some illegal activity

   • a ~of thieves

   • a drinking/gambling ~

   • He thought of New York as a ~of iniquity.

grit

1. ery small pieces of stone or sand

   • I had a piece of ~in my eye.

   • They were spreading ~and salt on the icy roads.

   • A bit of ~had got into my eye.

2. ​the courage and strength of mind that makes it possible for somebody to continue doing something difficult or unpleasant

   • It takes sheer ~to stand up to a bully like that.

   • At times he got discouraged, but his ~and determination kept him going.

grimy (/ˈɡraɪmi/)

covered with dirt

SYNONYM dirty

• ~hands/windows

• His clothes were ~and bloodstained.

gape (/ɡeɪp/)

1. ~(at somebody/something) to stare at somebody/something with your mouth open because you are shocked or surprised

   • Isabel ~ed at him, horrified.

   • Frank ~ed. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

   • What are you ~ing at?

2. ​[intransitive] to be or become wide open

   • a ~ing hole/mouth/wound

   • A huge chasm ~ed before them.

   • ~open He stood yawning, his pyjama jacket ~ing open.

   • The empty cash box lay ~ing open in one corner.

compare to gawk

lousy (/ˈlaʊzi/)

1. very bad

   SYNONYM awful, terrible

   • What ~weather!

   • I’ve had a ~day.

   • She felt ~(= ill).

   • The food here is really ~!

   

2. ​[only before noun] used to show that you feel annoyed or offended because you do not think that something is worth very much

   • All she bought me was this ~T-shirt.

   • He offered me a ~£100 for it.

conceited /kənˈsiːtɪd/

being too proud of yourself and what you do

• a very ~person

• It's very ~of you to assume that your work is always the best.

mink (/mɪŋk/)

1. [countable] a small wild animal with thick shiny fur, a long body and short legs. Mink are often kept on farms for their fur.

   • a ~farm

2. ​[uncountable] the skin and shiny brown fur of the mink, used for making expensive coats, etc.

   • a ~jacket

extort (/ɪkˈstɔːrt/)

something (from somebody) to make somebody give you something by threatening them

SYN: ~blackmail

• The gang ~ed money from over 30 local businesses.

clamour (/ˈklæmər/)

1. [intransitive, transitive] (formal) to demand something loudly

   • People began to ~ for his resignation.

   • Everyone was ~ing to know how much they would get.

   • A great many interest groups were ~ing to be heard.

   • + speech ‘Play with us!’ the children ~red.

2. ​[intransitive] (of many people) to shout loudly, especially in a confused way

   • A crowd of reporters ~ed around the car.

loop (/luːp/)

1. a shape like a curve or circle made by a line curving right round

   • The road went in a huge ~around the lake.

   • Duclair is a small town on a ~of the River Seine.

2. ​

   

   a piece of rope, wire, etc. in the shape of a curve or circle

   • He tied a ~of rope around his arm.

   • Make a ~in the string.

   • a belt ~(= on trousers, etc. for holding a belt in place)

compact (/kəmˈpækt/)

1. ADJ ​(usually approving) smaller than is usual for things of the same kind

   • a ~camera

   • The device is small and ~and weighs only 2.2lb.

2. ​using or filling only a small amount of space

   • The kitchen was ~but well equipped.

   • Computers have become much more ~over the last 15 years.

3. ​closely packed together

   • a ~mass of earth

   • The grey clouds had become more ~and the sky suddenly grew dark.

slump (/slʌmp/)

1. ​[intransitive] to fall in price, value, number, etc., suddenly and by a large amount

   SYNONYM drop

   • Sales have ~ed this year.

   • Profits ~ed by over 50 per cent.

   • The paper's circulation has ~ed to 90 000.

2. ​[intransitive] + adv./prep. to sit or fall down heavily

   • Exhausted, he ~ed down in his chair.

   • She ~ed to her knees.

saturate (/ˈsætʃəreɪt/)

1. ​~something to make something completely wet

   SYNONYM soak

   • The continuous rain had ~ed the soil.

   • Condensation can ~the insulation, rendering it useless.

   • The heavy autumn rains ~the ground.

2. ​[often passive] to fill something/somebody completely with something so that it is impossible or useless to add any more

   • be ~ed (with/in something) Newspapers were ~ed with reports about the royal wedding.

solvent (/ˈsɑːlvənt/)

a substance, especially a liquid, that can dissolve (= remove or destroy by a chemical process) another substance

• industrial ~s for removing oil

• ~cleaners

ADJ. having enough money to pay your debts; not in debt

• The company managed to remain ~ during the recession.

alms

/ɑːmz/

[plural] (old-fashioned) (monk maybe)

1. ​money, clothes and food that are given to poor people

   • "the riders stopped to distribute ~"

syndicate (/ˈsɪndɪkət/)

a group of people or companies who work together and help each other in order to achieve a particular aim

• a crime ~

• an insurance/investment ~

scrap (/skræp/)

1. a small piece of something, especially paper, cloth, etc.

   • She scribbled his phone number on a ~of paper.

   • (figurative)~s of information

   • (figurative) She was just a ~of a thing (= small and thin).

   • Some of the women were wearing ~s of cloth in their hair.

2. ​[singular](usually with a negative)a small amount of something

   SYNONYM bit

   • It won't make a ~of difference.

   • There's not a ~of evidence to support his claim.

   • a barren landscape without a ~of vegetation

   • He ate every last ~of the food.

3. things that are not wanted or cannot be used for their original purpose, but which have some value for the material they are made of

   • for ~ We sold the car for ~(= so that any good parts can be used again).

   • ~metal

   • a ~dealer (= a person who buys and sells ~)

buoyant (/ˈbɔɪənt/)

1. (of prices, business activity, etc.) tending to increase or stay at a high level, usually showing financial success

   • a ~economy/market

   • ~sales/prices

   • a ~demand for homes

   • The relatively ~housing market has kept consumers confident enough to spend.

2. ​cheerful and feeling sure that things will be successful

   • They were all in ~mood.

3. ​floating, able to float or able to keep things floating

   • The boat bobbed like a cork (lid) on the waves: light and ~.

   • Salt water is more ~than fresh water.

tingle (/ˈtɪŋɡl/)

1. (of a part of your body) to feel as if a lot of small sharp points are pushing into it

   • The cold air made her face ~.

   • a ~ing sensation

2. ​[intransitive] ~with something to feel an emotion strongly

   • She was still ~ing with excitement.

simmer (/ˈsɪmər/)

1. [transitive, intransitive] ~(something) to cook something by keeping it almost at boiling point; to be cooked in this way

   • ~the sauce gently for 10 minutes.

   • Leave the soup to ~.

2. ​[intransitive] ~(with something) to be filled with a strong feeling, especially anger, which you have difficulty controlling

   SYNONYM seethe(sui bot)

   • She was still ~ing with resentment.

   • Anger ~ed inside him.

   • She was still quietly ~ing from her argument with Nathan.

flute (/fluːt/)

1. a musical instrument of the woodwind group, like a thin pipe in shape. The player holds it to the side of his or her face and blows across a hole at one end.

   • to play the ~

     compare to

     saxophone ( /ˈsæksəfəʊn/)

2. ​

   

   champagne ~a tall narrow glass used for drinking champagne

demean (/dɪˈmiːn/)

v. ~yourself to do something that makes people have less respect for you

• I wouldn't ~myself by asking for charity.

1. ​~somebody/something to make people have less respect for somebody/something

   SYNONYM degrade

   • Such images ~women.

   • Behaviour like this ~s politics.

     be careful with ~our: the way that somebody looks or behaves (different)

     • He maintained a professional ~our throughout.
       

quartz

a hard mineral, often in crystal form, that is used to make very accurate clocks and watches

• The watch runs with a normal ~ movement.

• rose ~.

premonitory /prɪˈmɑːnɪtɔːri/

giving you the feeling that something is going to happen, especially something unpleasant

• a ~ dream

• Behind the horizon line there is a ~whispering among the hurricanes.

drearily

in a way that makes you feel or seem sad and not interested in anything

• ‘I didn’t get the job,’ he said ~.

• The dresses all looked ~similar—I didn’t like any of them.

ejaculate (/ɪˈdʒækjuleɪt/)

1. ​[intransitive, transitive] ~(something) when a man or a male animal ~s, semen comes out through the penis

(compare to thrust)

1. ​[transitive] + speech (old-fashioned) to say or shout something suddenly

   • "“Indeed?”~ed the stranger"

   SYNONYM exclaim

transient (/ˈtrænʃnt/)

continuing for only a short time

SYNONYM fleeting, temporary

• the ~nature of speech

• Sometimes there could be a ~ increase in testosterone in times of arousal or sex

stigma (/ˈstɪɡmə/)

1. [uncountable, countable, usually singular] negative feelings that people have about particular circumstances or characteristics that somebody may have

   • But, societal ~ has made masturbation out to be something shameful and gross.

2. ​

   

   [countable] (biology) the part in the middle of a flower where pollen is received

cemetery (/ˈseməteri/)

an area of land used for burying dead people, especially one that is not next to a church

• He was buried in a private ~.

perpetual (/pərˈpetʃuəl/)

1. continuing for a long period of time without stopping or being interrupted

   SYNONYM continuous

   • the ~noise of traffic

   • We lived for years in a ~state of fear.

   • (literary) mountain peaks covered with ~snows and ice

2. ​[usually before noun] frequently repeated, in a way that is annoying

   SYNONYM continual

   • How can I work with these ~interruptions?

toss and turn

you keep moving around in bed and cannot sleep properly, for example because you are ill or worried.

• I was ~ing all night.

• When I wake up around three I know I'm going to be ~ing till morning.

• I ~ed until I finally fell asleep at 2 a.m.

• I just couldn't get comfortable in bed and ~ed all night.

• He ~ed restlessly in his sleep.

ledge

1. a narrow, flat piece of rock that sticks out from a cliff

   • seabirds nesting on rocky ~s

   • The climbers were clinging to a ~hundreds of feet above the sea.

2. ​a narrow flat shelf fixed to a wall, especially one below a window

   • She put the vase of flowers on the window ~.

granite (/ˈɡrænɪt/)

[uncountable]

1. ​a type of hard grey stone, often used in building

   • ~columns

scorch (/skɔːrtʃ/)

1. to burn and slightly damage a surface by making it too hot; to be slightly burned by heat

   • ~(something) I ~ed my dress when I was ironing it.

   • Don't stand so near the fire—your coat is ~ing!

   • ~something + adj. The buildings around us were ~ed black by the fire.

   Synonyms burn

2. ​[transitive, intransitive] ~(something) to become or to make something become dry and brown, especially from the heat of the sun or from chemicals

   • ~ed grass

   • The leaves will ~if you water them in the sun.

   • Wildfires have ~ed over two million acres of forest.

jagged (/ˈdʒæɡɪd/)

with rough, pointed, often sharp edges

• ~ rocks/peaks/edges

• the ~edges gashed their fingers

quarry (/ˈkwɑːri/)

1. a place where large amounts of stone, etc. are dug out of the ground

   • a slate ~

   • the site of a disused ~

   • Mining is the process of extracting buried material below the earth surface. ~ing refers to extracting materials directly from the surface

   COMPARE mine

2. ​[singular] an animal or a person that is being hunted or followed

   SYNONYM prey

   • The hunters lost sight of their ~in the forest.

   • The photographers pursued their ~through the streets.

weld (/weld/)

1. ​[transitive, intransitive] to join pieces of metal together by heating their edges and pressing them together

   • to ~a broken axle

   • The car has had a new wing ~ed on.

   • ~A and B (together) All the parts of the sculpture have to be ~ed together.

2. ​[transitive] to make people or things join together into a strong and effective group (WOW)

   • They had ~ed a bunch of untrained recruits into an efficient fighting force.

   • The crisis helped to ~the party together.

sediment (/ˈsedɪmənt/)

1. ​ the solid material that settles at the bottom of a liquid

   • If milk is clean, there should be no ~in the bottom of the bottle.

2. ​(geology) sand, stones, mud, etc. carried by water or wind and left, for example, on the bottom of a lake, river, etc.

molten (/ˈməʊltən/)

ADJ (of metal, rock or glass) heated to a very high temperature so that it becomes liquid

• ~lead

• a stream of ~lava

drone (/drəʊn/)

an aircraft without a pilot, or a small flying device, controlled from the ground and used for taking photographs, dropping bombs, delivering goods, etc.

• aerial/surveillance ~s

• The film crew got some breathtaking footage from their ~.

• Unmanned ~s have replaced pilots for many of the missions in aerial warfare.

• ~strikes killed 20 people in rebel-held areas.

• Get ready for a future where ~s are delivering our packages.

​[usually singular] a continuous low noise

• the distant ~of traffic

• the continuous ~of the engine

  a male bee that does not work

  COMPARE queen bee, worker

  ​a person who is lazy and gives nothing to society while others work

  • The medieval lord of the manor was what some today would call a ~.

unswerving (/ʌnˈswɜːrvɪŋ/)

​strong and not changing or becoming weaker

• ~loyalty/support, etc.

garret (/ˈɡærət/)

a room, often a small dark unpleasant one, at the top of a house, especially in the roof

• An attic typically refers to a large, open space that is used for storage or can be converted into a living area, while a ~is a small, cramped space, often with a sloping roof and limited headroom.

COMPARE attic

compress (/kəmˈpres/)

1. to press things together or press something into a smaller space; to be pressed in this way

   • ~something (into something) compressed air/gas

   • She ~ed her lips.

   • ~means increase in density or change in volume, while pressure is a force applied on the surface.

2. ​[transitive] ~something (into something) to reduce something and fit it into a smaller space or amount of time

   SYNONYM condense

   • The main arguments were ~ed into one chapter.

   • Rehearsal time will have to be ~ed into two evenings.

intoxicating (/ɪnˈtɑːksɪkeɪtɪŋ/)

1. ADJ (of alcoholic drink or a drug) that can cause somebody to lose control of their behaviour or their physical and mental abilities

2. ​making you feel excited so that you cannot think clearly

   • Power can be ~.

   • the ~touch of freedom

grease (/ɡriːs/)

1. any thick oily substance, especially one that is used to make machines run smoothly

   • ~marks can be removed with liquid detergent.

   • Her hands were covered with oil and ~.

   • the ~in his hair

2. ​animal fat that has been made softer by cooking or heating

   • He collected the plates, which were covered with ~.

   • There was a film of ~on the kitchen window.

slant (/slænt/)

1. to slope or to make something slope in a particular direction or at a particular angle

   • (literary) The sun ~ed through the window.

   • ~your skis a little more to the left.

2. ​[transitive] ~something (+ adv./prep.) (sometimes disapproving) to present information based on a particular way of thinking, especially in an unfair way (

   • The findings of the report had been ~ed in favour of the manufacturers.

drape (/dreɪp/)

~something around/over/across, etc. something to hang clothes, materials, etc. loosely on somebody/something

• She had a shawl ~ed around her shoulders.

• He ~ed his coat over the back of the chair.

• She ~ed a cover over the old sofa.

• We followed Chiron back to the cave, our wrung-dry tunics ~ed over our shoulders

dour (/ˈdaʊər/)

1. (of a person) giving the impression of being unfriendly and severe

   • He was a ~middle-aged man.

   • He was a striking figure with a long, ~face.

   • They were barely acknowledged by a ~receptionist.

2. ​(of a thing, a place, or a situation) not pleasant; with no features that make it lively or interesting

   • The city, drab and ~by day, is transformed at night.

   • The game proved to be a ~struggle, with both men determined to win.

dwindle (/ˈdwɪndl/)

to become gradually less or smaller

• ~ing audiences

• As the fire ~ed, my eyes closed in half-dreaming.

• Support for the party has ~ed away to nothing.

• Membership of the club has ~ed from 70 to 20.

sadistic (/səˈdɪstɪk/)

ADJ. getting pleasure, especially sexual pleasure, from hurting other people

• He took ~pleasure in taunting the boy.

• She smiled with almost ~satisfaction.

• There are several ~scenes in the film

frost (/frɔːst/)

[uncountable, countable] a weather condition in which the temperature drops below 0° Celsius (= freezing point) so that a thin white layer of ice forms on the ground and other surfaces, especially at night

• It will be a clear night with some ground ~.

• a sharp/hard/severe ~

• There were ten degrees of ~(= the temperature dropped to -10° Celsius) last night.

• ~damage