Reading Passage 1 Vocabulary

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from Reading Passage 1.

ochre

a natural yellow-brown earth used as a pigment

stain

to colour a surface, often deeply or permanently

hide

the skin of an animal

pigment

a substance that gives colour to something

fabric

cloth or woven material

fibre

a thin thread used to make cloth

mordant

a substance that fixes dye to fabric

fixative

a substance that holds colour or shape in place

bleach

to lose or remove colour, especially through sunlight or chemicals

medieval

relating to the Middle Ages (roughly 5th-15th centuries)

manufacturer

a person or company that makes goods

import

to bring goods in from another country

luxury

an expensive, non-essential item; great comfort

colourfastness

the ability of a dye to keep its colour after washing or sunlight

prized

highly valued; treasured

withstand

to resist; to endure successfully

exposure

the condition of being subjected to something (e.g. sunlight)

originate

to begin or come from a particular place

extract

to take or obtain something from a source

mucus

a slimy fluid produced by living creatures

shellfish

a sea creature with a shell (e.g. crab, oyster, snail)

cultivate

to grow plants, especially by farming

native

originating naturally in a particular place

demand

strong public desire to buy or have something

dyestuff

a substance used to make dye

blend

to mix two or more things together

restrictive

limiting freedom or choice

exotic

strikingly different; from a distant, foreign place

yield

to produce or give as a result

beehive

a structure where bees live and make honey

mead

an alcoholic drink made by fermenting honey

moss

a small green plant that grows on damp surfaces

tremendous

very great in amount or intensity

innovation

a new method, idea, or invention

celebrated

widely known and admired; famous

accidentally

by chance; not intentionally

synthetic

made by chemical processes; artificial, not natural

patent

to officially register an invention as one's own

remote

far from populated areas; isolated

retain

to continue to have; to keep