Word list: the underworld podcast - the triple frontier episode

tong

noun a Chinese organization in the US, often connected with secret or criminal activities

denominator

noun the number below the line in a fraction

placid

adjective having a calm appearance or characteristics

shakedown

noun the activity of getting money from someone by threatening or tricking them

guild

noun an organization of people who do the same job or have the same interests

blow

verb to make a sound by forcing air out of your mouth and through an instrument, or to make a sound when someone does this

flaccid

adjective weak and not effective

extort

verb to get something by force or threats

theft

noun (the act of) dishonestly taking something that belongs to someone else and keeping it

prey

noun an animal that is hunted and killed for food by another animal

entrepreneur

noun someone who starts their own business, especially when this involves seeing a new opportunity

remain

verb to continue to exist when other parts or other things no longer exist

exile

noun the condition of someone being sent or kept away from their own country, village, etc., especially for political reasons

stature

noun the good reputation a person or organization has, based on their behaviour and ability

godforsaken

adjective A godforsaken place is not attractive and contains nothing interesting or pleasant

pleased

adjective happy or satisfied

dispatch

noun the act of sending someone or something somewhere

misstep

noun an act of placing your foot somewhere in an awkward way

intrigue

verb to interest someone a lot, especially by being strange, unusual, or mysterious

intricacies of something

collocation the complicated details of something

wily

adjective (of a person) intelligent, having a very good understanding of situations, possibilities, and people, and often willing to use tricks to achieve an aim

jostle

verb to knock or push roughly against someone in order to move past them or get more space when you are in a crowd of people

bigwig

noun a person who has an important or powerful position

weary

adjective very tired or lacking energy and enthusiasm

ruthless

adjective not thinking or worrying about any pain caused to others; cruel

gaggle

noun a group of noisy or silly people

below

adverb, preposition in a lower position (than), under

illicit

adjective illegal or disapproved of by society

seek someone/something out

phrasal verb to look for someone or something, especially for a long time until you find him, her, or it

acquiescence

noun the act of accepting or agreeing to something, often unwillingly

sting

verb to cause sharp but usually temporary pain

dreadlocks

noun a hairstyle in which the hair hangs in long thick twisted pieces

dashing

adjective attractive in a confident, exciting, and stylish way

bromance

noun a close, friendly, but not sexual relationship between two men

budding

adjective beginning to develop or show signs of future success in a particular area

prestigious

adjective very much respected and admired, usually because of being important

avalanche

noun a large amount of ice, snow, and rock falling quickly down the side of a mountain

recall

verb to bring the memory of a past event into your mind, and often to give a description of what you remember

rather you than me

idiom said by someone who does not want to do the thing that someone else is doing

boost

verb to increase or improve something

eclipse

noun a situation in which something becomes less important

dismantle

verb to get rid of a system or organization, usually over a period of time

confine

verb to limit an activity, person, or problem in some way

riddle

noun something that is confusing, or a problem that is difficult to solve

commute

verb to make the same journey regularly between work and home

demolish

verb to prove that an argument or theory is wrong

hand something/someone over

phrasal verb to give another person control of someone or something, or responsibility for dealing with him, her, or it

plot

noun a secret plan made by several people to do something that is wrong, harmful, or not legal, especially to do damage to a person or a government

rotten

adjective decayed

cheque

noun a printed form, used instead of money, to make payments from your bank account

paymaster

noun a person or an organization that pays for something to happen and therefore has or expects to have some control over it

booming

adjective making a deep and loud hollow sound

enjoy

verb to get pleasure from something

furthermore

adverb in addition; more importantly

coup

noun an unexpectedly successful achievement

casserole

noun a dish made by cooking meat, vegetables, or other foods in liquid inside a heavy container at low heat, or the heavy, deep container with a lid used in cooking such dishes

crossroads

noun a place where two roads meet and cross each other

quote

verb to repeat the words that someone else has said or written

harrowing

adjective extremely upsetting because connected with suffering

dubbed

past simple and past participle of dub

trial

noun the hearing of statements and showing of objects, etc. in a law court to judge if a person is guilty of a crime or to decide a case or a legal matter

extradite

verb to make someone return for trial to another country or state where they have been accused of doing something illegal

equation

noun a mathematical statement in which you show that two amounts are equal using mathematical symbols

scam

noun a dishonest plan for making money or getting an advantage, especially one that involves tricking people

from 6 o'clock, March, the 1870s, etc. onwards

phrase beginning at a particular time and continuing after it

mobster

noun a person, esp. a man, who belongs to an organization of criminals

pungent

adjective smelling or tasting very strong and sharp

indigenous

adjective used to refer to the people who originally lived in a place, rather than people who moved there from somewhere else, or to things that relate to these people

stunning

adjective shocking or very impressive

simile

noun an expression including the words "like" or "as" to compare one thing with another

slip

verb to slide without intending to

pun

noun a humorous use of a word or phrase that has several meanings or that sounds like another word

washed-up

adjective no longer suitable for or able to do what you did in the past

soprano

adjective having a voice that uses the highest notes

foremost

adjective most important or best; leading

ordinarily

adverb usually

end up

phrasal verb to finally be in a particular place or situation

frontier

noun a border between two countries

polished

adjective Someone who is polished is polite, graceful, and stylish

oust

verb to force someone to leave a position of power, job, place, or competition

fugitive

noun a person who is running away or hiding from the police or a dangerous situation

kingpin

noun the most important person within a particular organization

tumble

verb to move in an uncontrolled way, as if falling or likely to fall

sordid

adjective dirty and unpleasant

prosecutor

noun a legal official who accuses someone of committing a crime, especially in a law court

dispatch

verb to send something, especially goods or a message, somewhere for a particular purpose

informality

noun the fact of not being formal or official, or of being suitable for friends and family but not for official occasions

bound up

adjective closely connected or involved

goatee

noun a small, usually pointed beard grown only on the chin, not the cheeks

notorious

adjective famous for something bad

haul

verb to take something or someone somewhere, especially by force

rip

verb to pull apart; to tear or be torn violently and quickly

slam

verb to (cause to) move against a hard surface with force and usually a loud noise

tamp down

phrasal verb to reduce the amount, level, size, or importance of something

ensue

verb to happen after something else, especially as a result of it

cannily

adverb in a way that shows quick and clever thinking, especially about business or financial matters

contraband

noun goods that are brought into or taken out of the country secretly and illegally

besides

adverb, preposition in addition to; also

anodyne

adjective intended to avoid causing offence or disagreement, especially by not expressing strong feelings or opinions

triad

noun a secret Chinese organization involved in illegal activities such as selling drugs