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THE BRIDGE

 Absorb shock: make the ride smoother


- The air in the tires help to absorb shock.
 A bitter pill to swallow: an unpleasant fact that has to be accepted.
- It was a bitter pill for her brother to swallow when she married his enemy.
 A lot of luck: success in
- She had a lot of luck finding a job.
 A wild-goose chase : a worthless hunt or chase; a futile pursuit; unsuccessful
search for sth.
- I wasted all afternoon on a wild-goose chase.
 Abide: to bear patiently; to endure without yielding; to remain stable; to
continue in a place :
- She can't abide watching horror films.
- They would abide in the summer house.
 abide by
- to conform to: obey
- They have got to abide by the rules.
- to accept without objection
- Competitors must abide by the judge's decision.
 Abandon: Leave a place, thing or person forever;Stop doing activity
- We had to abandon the car.

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 .Ability: Capacity, skill
- I do not have the ability to this job.
 Abnormal: Irregular, unusual
- It is abnormal to rain at this time of the year.
 Aboard: on a train, ship, aircraft or bus
- During a cruise, the crew should live aboard the boat.
 Abrupt(ly): Sudden(ly)
- We have had many abrupt inspections this week.
 Absolve : to set (sb) free from an obligation or the consequences of guilt ; to
pardon or forgive (a sin) ; (especially in religion or law) to free sb from guilt,
blame or responsibility for sth
- The priest absolved him ( of all his sins).
- The jury absolved the defendants of their crimes.
- Her youth does not absolve her of responsibility for her actions.
 Abstained: to choose not to do, prevent
- I took a vow to abstain from smoking.
 Absorb: Take in as a sponge, understand
- I cannot absorb any of the instructions written in this manual.
 Absurd: Ridiculous, unreasonable
- You look absurd in that hat.
 Abundant: Ample, more than enough
- There were abundant supplies of food in the stores.
 Accelerate: Speed up, increase the speed
- I accelerated and left the other cars behind me.
 Accessory: Something extra
- Cars have accessories such as an electronic alarm.
 Accidental: By chance
- It was an accidental mistake; nothing was intended.

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 Accommodate: fit; take; to make room for; to hold without crowding or
inconvenience
- This bus will accommodate forty people.
 Accompany: Go or come along with
- The general came accompanied by his staff.
 Accomplish: Carry out, complete, finish
- The soldiers accomplished their mission successfully.
 Accord: Agreement
- The two parties were not able to reach an accord.
 Account: Report
- The driver gave the police a detailed account of the accident.
 No account: no worth or value
- His remark was of no account, so don't get mad.
 Account for: reason for; because of
- Hard work account for Edison’s success.
 Accumulate (v): Collect, pile: accumulation (n)
- Hundreds of books were accumulated in the stores.
- Robert has accumulation of books. (=a pile of books)
 Accuse : Blame
- It's wrong to accuse him when he's not here and can't answer you back.
- The driver was not to blame for the traffic accident.
 Accused with: charged with
- John was accused with robbery.
 Accustomed to: Have the habit of, used to
- Mike is accustomed to working hard.
- I am accustomed to drinking coffee in the morning .
 Ace: SKILLED PERSON: (V): to do very well in an exam ; MAXED
- Lt Smith aced the PT test, so he’ll probably gloat all week.
- Kim is the ace of the staff

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 Achieve: Reach; succeed in finishing sth or reaching an aim
- One should work hard to achieve his goals.
 Achilles' heel: vulnerable point,weakness
- I think spelling is my Achilles' heel.
 Acknowledge: Admit as true
- He refused to acknowledge that he was wrong.
 Acquainted with sthsb: know sthsb
- Are you acquainted with the new factsboss?
 Acquiescent: One who obeys without protest
- Pvt. Sammy is so acquiescent; he always does what he is told.
 Across from: On the oppositeother side
- Joan lives across from our house.
 Act: behave ; perform
- She acted without thinking.
 Activate: Cause to start, run
- I do not know how to activate this machine.
 Activity: action; movement; work; when a lot of things are happening or
people are moving around
- There is too much activity at the airport.
 Acute: Sharp, severe
- The pain I feel is acute; it is not chronic ( lasting a long time).
 Adapt to: Adjust, accommodate
- Recruits cannot adapt quickly to the new military life.
 Add insult to injury: to make a bad situation worse; to hurt the feelings of a
person who has already been hurt.
- My car wouldn’t start this morning. And, to add insult to injury, I missed the bus.

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 add up : find the total.
- What's the total of those bills? Could you add them up and see?"
 add up to : to total amount; amount to
- The bills add up to $734.96. That's more than I expected!"
 Additional: extra
- The union asked for additional subsidies (financial help).
 Adept: highly skilled, expert
- James is very adept atin repairing watches.
 Adequate: Sufficient, enough
- The time we were given to finish the work was adequate.
 Adhere to: Join, stick to; to continue to obey a rule or have a belief
- Students are supposed to adhere to the new instructions.
 Adjacent: Nearby
- There was a fire in the adjacent building,
 Adjust: reset, fix, repair; change sth to make it more correct, effective, or
suitable; to become more familiar with a new situation
- I got Adam to adjust ray radio.
- The mechanic adjusted the brakes.
 Admire: Respect, like
- I admire the way she treats her children.
 Admissible :considered satisfactory and acceptable in a law court
- The judge ruled that new evidence was admissible.
- the Opposite inadmissible
 Admission price: Entrance price
- What is the admission price at the theater?
 Adopt: Take as one's own; to accept or start to use sth new
- The company is adopting new methods in marketing.

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 Advances: Developments
- Many scientific advances have taken place recently.
 Advent: the coming or arrival
- The next week will witness the advent of new technology.
 Adversary: Foe, enemy
- He is my adversary; therefore, do not ask me to like him.
 Adverse: Opposed, harmful
- The flight was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.
 Adversity: Misfortune
- We should show strength in the face of adversity.
 Affable: friendly and easy to talk to
- The OPI-ers agreed that Lt Suzuki has an affable personality.
 Affiliate towith : associate with, become part of
- The college is affiliated to Texas University.
 Affluent: Rich
- Jerry is a very affluent man.
 Afford: Have enough money to pay with
- I cannot afford buying a new car.
 Aft: rear part of a ship
- The sailor was standing at aft part of the boat.
 Against: Touching, not with; opposite direction
- Mary put the broom against the wall I am against the new rule.
 Aggravate: to make a bad situation worse; make a disease worse; to annoy sb
- Stop aggravating me, will you!
- The treatment only aggravated the condition.
 Agility: Ability to move
- Agility is a decisive factor to win any battle.

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 A goodgreat deal of: A lot of
- Do not worry! We have a great deal of time.
 Ahead of time: beforehand; before the announced time; earlier than
expexted. (*Typ: arrive ~; get there ~; leave ~; show up ~.)
- If you show up ahead of time, you will have to wait.
- Be there ahead of time if you want to get a good seat.

 Aid: Help
- I was trying to aid the old man to cross the street.
 Ailment: Disease, illness
- Some children suffer from persistent (continuing) ailment.
 Aim: Goal
- Susie has no aim in her life.
 Aisle: Path between rows
- The bride looked anxious as she walked down the aisle
 Alert (adj.): Watchful
- Tell the guards to be aletr ; the enemy is close by.
 Alias: an assumed name
- Mike Clarck, alias John thaw, was killed yesterday.
 Align: To bring into line
- I asked the students to alien the chairs.
 Alike: The same
- The new students were almost alike.
 Ailment: sickness; a bodily disorder or chronic disease; unrest ; uneasiness.
- He's always complaining of some ailment.

 All along: From the beginning


- I knew all along that the car was not yours.

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 All ears : I’m listening and I’m all ears: listening eagerly and
carefully; to be waiting eagerly to hear about sth.
- Well, hurry up and tell me. I’m all ears.
- I'm all ears - tell us what they had to say.
 All hours (of the day and night) : very late in the night or very early
in the morning. (Typically: until ~; till ~; at ~.)
- Why do you always stay out until all hours of the day and night?
- I like to stay out till all hours.
 All of a sudden: suddenly; quickly and unexpectedly
- All of a sudden lightning struck the tree we were sitting under.
- I felt a sharp pain in my side all of a sudden.
 All shook up Sl. excited; disturbed and upset. (Typically: be ~; get ~.)
- She stole my heart, and I’m all shook up.
- They were all shook up after the accident .
 All the rage: popular
- Long hair for men was all the rage in the seventies.
 Alleviate: lessen or relieve
- A number of measures were taken to alleviate the problem.
 Allegation : accusation ; claim
- The proponent has rebutted all the alligations.
 Allied: In close relation with each other
- The United States and the U.K are two allied countries.
 All in: Tired, exhausted
- I was all in after the game.
 all over
adverb
1: over the whole extent
- The room is decorated all over with a flower pattern
2: EVERYWHERE
- He looked all over for the book
- She’s spreading the rumor all over.

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3: in every respect : THOROUGHLY
- She is her mother all over
preposition
1: in eagerly affectionate, attentive, or aggressive pursuit of (sb or sth)
- The band's fans were all over them
2: very critical of (sb) in usually an angry or unreasonable way
- The press was all over the coach after the loss
 All over (all) over with: finished
- Dinner is all over. I’m sorry you didn’t get any.
 All set: Ready
- I am all set for the race.
 Allow: Permit, let
- Children are allowed to travel when they come of age ( mature).
 Allowance: An amount of money
- The children are given a daily allowance to buy some snacks.
 Alloy: a mixture of metals
- Kris added an alloy to the mixture.
 A lot of luck: success in
- She had a lot of luck finding a job.
 Alter: Modify; change
- The plan needs to be altered slightly.
 Alterations: Changes
- I do not think this shirt needs any alterations.
 Alternate: to take turns ; to happen one after the other repeatedly
- The soldiers alternated guarding the base.
 Altitude: Height
- The altitude of the plane was 300 feet.
 Along with: together with
- Al came along with his boss to the party.

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 Ancestors: forefathers
- His ancestors carne to American from Ireland.
 Amaze: Surprise
- The child's answer amazed me.
 Amazing: Remarkable; extremely surprising
- The show last night was amazing. - That is amazing.
 Amber : a deep yellow color
- The traffic lights were on amber.
 Ambiguous: not clear, have more than one meaning
- Jiff gave me an ambiguous response.
 Ameliorate : to make better or more tolerable; to make a bad or unpleasant
situation better
- Foreign aid is badly needed to ameliorate the effects of the drought.
- Steps have been taken to ameliorate the situation.
 Amend: Change
- Some laws need to be amended.
 Amendments: Alterations, changes
- The bill was passed without any amendments.
 Amenities:Things that make you comfortable; delight facilities
- The hotel has every amenity you could want.
 Ample: Plentiful, sufficient
- We have ample time to reach a decision.
 Amplify: Increase the strength
- The music at the party was highly amplified.
 Analyze: Separate things for study
- Dr. Lane analyzed the results of the experiment.
 Anarchy: Absence of government
- After the president death, the country went into anarchy.

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 Anesthetic: Drug used to make an area numb
- The doctor used an anesthetic to alleviate the patient's pain.
 Angry: Mad
- My father was angry because I came home late last night.
 Annex: an extra building added to a larger building: (V):attach to
- The annex has been built on to the main building.
 Announce: Cause to be known, declare
- The couple will announce their engagement soon.
 Annual: Once a year, yearly
- The annual conference for the trade union was cancelled
 Antagonism: opposition of a conflicting force or principle; hostility
- The way they talked to me revealed a lot of antagonism.
 Anthropology: the science of human beings
- David is specialized in anthropology.
 Anticipate: Look forward to, expect
- I anticipate that the situation will get worse.
 Antidote : a remedy or drug, which limits the effects of a poison
- We do not have an effective antidote to this poison.
- I think that stricter punishment is the best antidote for crime.
 Antipathy: Dislike
- I experienced a feeling of antipathy towards the speaker.
 Apparent: Clear, evident
- Jane's dislike for Kim was very apparent.
 Appealing : attractive or interesting; sympathetic
- He had a nice smile and an appealing personality.
 Appliance: Device, apparatus (machine)
- John bought his wife a new appliance.

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 Appoint: named; to choose sb for a job ;assign, designate
- The principal was appointed by the board of education.
 Appointment: Date
- Windy made an appointment to see the doctor.
 Apprehend: Capture; catch and arrest sb disobeyed the law; understand sth
- The police have finally apprehended the killer.

 Approach: Get close to


- Her wedding day is approaching.
 Approaching: Heading towards
- The enemy troops were approaching towards our lines.
 Appropriate: Suitable, proper
- The dress she wore was not appropriate for the occasion.
 Approve of: give one's consent, accept
- The parliament has not approved of the new budget.
 Approximately: About
- My flight to London took approximately three hours.
 Aptitude : a natural ability or skill ; talent
- My son has no aptitude for sport.
 Arbitrary: based on chance rather than being planned or based on reason
- What guided your choice of destination or was it arbitrary?
 Argument: Difference of opinions
- Sue had an argument with her husband.
 Arid: Dry and barren
- A desert is an arid place to live in.
 Arrange: Plan, put into order
- The graduation was arranged by the steering committee.

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 Arson : the crime of intentionally starting a fire ; Malicious burning to
destroy property
- Police suspect it is a crime of arson .
 As a matter of fact: actually; in addition to what has been
said; in reference to what has been said.
- I’m not a poor worker. As a matter of fact, I’m very efficient.
 ASAP: ABBREVIATION FOR as soon as possible
- Please reply asap.
 As though: as if
- You look as though you've been running a marathon!
- He behaved as if nothing had happened.
- He looked as though he'd seen a ghost
 As well as: In addition to
- He gave me money as well as advice.
 Ascend: move upward; climb sth: the opposite of descend
- The plane is going to ascend in few minutes.
 Aside from sb or sth : not including sb or sth; except for ; in
addition to
- Aside from a small bank account, I have no money at all.
- Aside from us, there were only a half dozen people there.
- Aside from being well written, the book is also beautifully illustrated.

 Assassination : murder by sudden or secret attack often for of someone


famous or important
- The judge escaped assassination by drug dealers.
 Asset: a valuable quality, skill or person ; sth valuable belonging to a person
or organization; (plural) the property of a deceased person; legacy
- He'll be a great asset to the team.
- The court ordered the seizure of his assets.

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 Assignment: duty; job; task
- Spencer has the best assignment in the project.
 Assume: Suppose
- I assume that your next mission will be thorny (causing trouble).
 Assume responsibility: Take on over
- The new commander will assume responsibility next week.
 Assure: Guarantee, warrantee
- I assure you that your heel (leg) is fine.
 Astonished: Surprised
- I was astonished to see her at john's party.
 Astrology : the study of the movements and positions of the sun, moon, planets
and stars. -I
don't believe in astrology.
 Astute: shrewd; mentally sharp or clever
- The captain made some very astute comments about the proposed changes.
 At dawn: In the morning
- The attack will be launched at dawn.
 (be) At large: Free after escape;Having escaped from confinemen
- The criminal is still at large.
 At midnight: At 12:00 a.m
- Our flight to Texas departs at midnight.
 At once: Immediatel; right now
- We were told to evacuate the building at once.
 At the crack of dawn and at the break of dawn : at the
earliest light of the day; very early in the morning.
- Jane was always awake at the crack of dawn.
- The birds start singing at the break of dawn

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 At one’s wit ’s end : at the limits of one’s mental resources; at a loss for a
means of solving a problem; to be very upset
- I’m at my wit’s end with this problem. I cannot figure it out.
- Tom could do no more. He was at his wit’s end.
- The baby’s been crying for hours, and I 'm at my wit’s end!
 Attached to sth: Hanging on it
- My grandfather's picture is attached to the wall.
 Attachments: extra parts
- This machine is not sold without its attachments.
 Attempt: Try
- Do not attempt to argue with him.
 Attract: to pull to or draw toward oneself or itself
- Uncovered food will attract flies.
 Augur: predict what is yet to come : to be a sign of especially good or bad
things in the future
- Mounting sales augur a profitable year.
 Author: Writer of a book
- John Wales is the author of this novel.
 Authority: power
- Lieutenant Smith has the authority to make those decisions.
 Authorize: permit
- He authorized his secretary to sign letters in his absence.
 Automatic: Work by itself
- The new machine is automatic.
 Auxiliary: additional
- We need some auxiliary tools to finish the work.
 Average: Normal
- He is an average police officer.

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 Avalanche: a large amount of ice, snow and rock falling quickly down the side
of a mountain; the sudden arrival of too many things
- He was buried by an avalanche.
 Avoid: Stay away from
- The chief ordered his men to avoid troubles.
 Avenue: street, road
- My house is located on the fifth avenue.
 Aware of: conscious of ; having or showing realization, or knowledge
- When the driver became aware of the noise in the engine, she stopped the car
 Away (from sb or sth): (Typically: get ~; keep ~; stay ~.): avoiding sb or sth;
maintaining a physical distance from sb or sth
- Please keep away from me if you have a cold.
- Stay away from the construction site, Timmy.
 Awfully: extremely badly ; exceedingly great —used as an intensive
- England played awfully throughout the game.
- Awful (adv.) : VERY, EXTREMELY
awful sorry awful long time
 Awkward: difficult to use, do, or deal with; causing problems, worry or
embarrassment; embarrassed or nervous; moving in a way that is not
attractive; Clumsy.
- Some of the questions were rather awkward.
- They'd chosen an awkward time to call as I'd just got into the bath.
- He seemed a little awkward when I first met him.
- His movements were slow and awkward.
 AWOL: Absent without official leave
- Pvt. Ed was AWOL for nine days; he will be court- martialed.

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 Back and forth: To and fro
- Steve kept walking back and forth.
 Back off : back away : to stop being involved in a situation; move backwards
from a person or thing; withdraw
- She started to criticize me, then she suddenly backed off.
 Back on one’s feet : standing up again after a fall; recovered from an illness
and out of one’s sickbed; recovered from anything, especially financial
problems. (Typically: be ~; get ~.)
- I will go back to work as soon as I get back on my feet.
- I can’t afford to buy a car until I get a job and get back on my feet.
 back sb up : support or help sb ; say that sb is telling the truth
- My family backed me up throughout the court case.
- Will you back me up if I say that I never saw him?

 back sth up: prove something is true


- His claims are backed up by recent research.
 Backbone: Spine
- Alice hurt her backbone during the game.
 Background: Past events or facts
- I need some background information on terrorism.

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 Bail out: jump out of an aircraft with a parachute
- When the engine of the plane failed, the pilot had to bail out.
 Balance: Remainde
- While in the bank. I asked the cashier about my balance.
 Balmy : (of weather) pleasantly warm; mild; gentle
- The air was balmy and pleasant.
- The weather is balmy there.
 Bane (the bane of sth) : a cause of continuous trouble or unhappiness :
something causes misery or death.
- Drugs are the bane of the inner cities.
- That cat is the bane of my life !
 Bang-up: First class
- The party last night was a bang up.
 Band: Belt, strap
- He was wearing a white hat with black band round it.
 Bandit: an outlaw who lives by plunder especially : a member of a band of
marauders; ROBBER
- The bandit gunned the guards down.
 Bar: Rigid piece of metal
- The prisoner was standing behind the cell bars.
 Bar: the test that a person must pass in order to become eligible to work as
a lawyer
- He passed the bar and went into private practice
 Barbaric: extremely cruel ; unpleasant; primitive quality
- She found the idea of killing animals for pleasure barbaric.
 Barefoot: Not have one's shoes
- The boys were playing barefoot in the sand.
 Barely: Hardly, by narrow margin
- I barely remembered her name. (I did not remember it)

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 Bargain: Reduced price; an agreement between two people or groups in which
each promises to do sth in exchange for sth else
- The manger of the store gave me a bargain on some shirts.
 Barge in: walk into a room quickly, without being invited ; interrupt rudely
- We were in the dining room when Kris barged in.
 Barn : a usually large building for the storage of farm products or feed and
usually for the housing of farm animals or farm equipment.
- The children are playing hide-and-seek in the barn
 Barometer: A device measures atmospheric pressure
- Most meteorologists use barometers in their work.
 Barren: Desert-like ; not productive
- Some of the land in the south is barren.
 Barricade: Barrier ; obstacle ; Something that blocks passage
- The protesters formed a human barricade.
- The soldiers make a barricade across the road.
 Barrier: material that blocks passage; fence ; barricade
- Concrete barriers surround the race track to protect spectators.
 Base: Lowest part
- The sculptor's name was written at the base of the statute.
 Basement: Beneath the ground
- We store a lot of our supply in the basement.
 Bash : to strike violently; hit; smash; to attack physically or verbally
- She got a bash on the head.
 Basic: Fundamental
- The contractor gave us a basic guideline about the project.
 Basis of: Reasons for
- We made our decision on the basis of the last report.

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 Basket case: sb who is extremely nervous or anxious and is therefore unable to
organize their life
- By the end of the course I was a complete basket case.
 Be about to do sth: to be going to do sth very soon; in the
process of doing sth.
- I was about to leave when Mark arrived.
- She looked as if she was about to cry.
 Be behind: Be overdue in work
- We are still behind in our project.
 Behind the eight ball : in trouble; in a weak or losing
position; broke (Typically: be ~; get ~; have sb ~; put sb~.)
- Al is behind the eight ball because he started writing his term paper far too late.
- I was behind the eight ball again and couldn’t make my car payment.
 Be laid up: Stay in bed because of an injury or illness.
- I was laid up for two weeks after my accident.
 Be on feet again: recover, be in a good health
- I hope John will be on his feet a gain very soon.
 Be up on: be well informed about a matter or subject; knowledgeable
about; up to date on.
- Leaclers should be up on the topic they are going to give a speech on. Else they
will he mockeb by public & lose their votes.
 Beach: Seashore
- The children spent a lot of time playing on the beach.
 Beacon: signal light: a light or fire on a top that acts as a warning or signal
- We saw the beacon in the distance.
 Beam: Stream or a ray of light
- It is easy to see the beams of you car's headlights at night.
 Beans: white seeds
- Math bought some beans.

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 Bear: Tolerate, endure, stand
- I left the kitchen because I could not bear the heat.
 Bear out: Confirm
- The figures bear out what he says.
 Bear with: Be patient with, endure
- Bear with me. I will not make you wait much longer.
 Beat: Strike
- The man was beating the little boy with a stick.
 Beat one’s head against the wall and bang one’s
head against a brick wall : to waste one’s time trying hard to accomplish sth
that is completely hopeless; try to do sth without success.
- You’re wasting your time trying to figure this puzzle out. You’re just beating your
head against the wall.
- You’re banging your head against a brick wall trying to get that dog to behave
properly.
 Become aware of: Realize, notice
- Mary got upset when she became aware of the situation.
 Become of: Happen to
- I do not know what has become of Dave.
 Beef brisket: beef from the chest of a cow
- The supermarket sold out of beef brisket.

 Beforehand: in anticipation; in advance; ahead of time ; EARLY ; earlier


(than a particular time)
- The electric timer was set beforehand.
 Beg off : decline or refuse an invitation; ask to be excused from doing sth
- She begged of early from the party because she was so tired.
 Behavior: Conduct
- I did not like your behavior at the party.

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 Behind time: Late
- You are behind time; you need a contingency (emergency) plan.
 Believe in: Trust
- I believe in every word he says.
 Bend (n+v): Turn, curve, fold
- There is a sharp bend in the road. Please don't bend my jacket.
 Bend over backward(s): try very hard; work very hard to
accomplish sth for sb
- Everyone here bent over backward to make me feel welcome.
 Bend out of shape: make sb or become very angry or upset
- The cheating that was going on really bent Joe out of shape .
 Berth: Bed, bunk; a bed in a boat, train, etc., or a place for a ship or boat to
stay in a port
- She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.
 Beside: Next to, close, by
- Jean sat beside me.
 Beside the point: and beside the question: irrelevant; of no
importance.
- That’s very interesting, but beside the point.
- What you said was beside the point.
 Besides:
preposition1: OTHER THAN, EXCEPT
- No one besides us
- Nothing besides a miracle could help them.
2: TOGETHER WITH; IN ADDITION TO
- A decision that, besides being practical, is morally right
adverb 1: as well : ALSO
- He serves pizza, pasta, and many other foods besides
2: MOREOVER, FURTHERMORE
- I can't go, and besides, I wouldn't go if I could.

23
adjective ELSE
- He knows a lot about pop culture but very little besides
 Bet: Challenge
- I bet him that he cannot stop smoking.
 Better half: Wife or husband
- My better half was with me at the party.
 Beverages: Any drink other than water
- What kind of beverages do they offer on a plane?
 Bewildering: Confusing
- His answer to my question was bewildering.
 Bias: prejudice: supporting or opposing a particular person or thing in an
unfair way by allowing personal opinions to influence your judgment ; a
preference towards a particular subject or thing
- The government has accused the media of bias.
- She showed a scientific bias at an early age
 Bicker: quarrel ; engage in rude speech or behavior
- My kids bicker all the time.
 a big rush: in a great hurry
- Captain Smith seems to be in a big rush this morning.
 Big shot wheelwig: Prominent person V.I.P
- All the big shots will be here for the evaluation.
 Bigamist: Married to two women
- In Christianity, to be a bigamist is a crime.
 Bird's eye view: Overall explanation
- Ted gave a bird's eye view on computer training.
 Bite: to seize, grip, or cut into with or as if with teeth; to wound or sting
usually with a stinger or fang; to take a bait
- Jerry's kid bit Maryland’s son.
- A mosquito bit me.
- The fish are biting.

24
 Bite sb’s head off: speak sharply and with great anger to sb.
- Don’t bite my head off! Be patient.
- I’m very sorry I lost my tempter. I didn’t mean to bite your head off.
 Bite the bullet Sl. to accept sth difficult and try to live with it.
- Jim bit the bullet and accepted what he knew had to be.
 Bitter cold weather: Disagreeable weather
- We had a bitter cold weather over the last weekend.
 Black coffee: Without cream
- Sandy prefers her coffee black.
 Blacksmith: a man who put shoes on horse
- Jerry works as a blacksmith.
 Bland: Mild or lacking in taste
- The food they serve at that diner is very bland.
 Blanket: Cover
- The police officer put a blanket over the dead body.
 Blank: Empty space
- He tore a blank page from his notebook.
 Blast: Explosion
- The windows of the nearby shops were shattered in the blast.
 Blinking: going on and off, flashing; close and then open your eyes quickly
once or several times

- The lights of the police car were blinking.

 Blip: Spot of light on radar screen


- There was a blip on the screen.
 Blizzard: Heavy snow storm
- Nobody could leave his house during the blizzard.

25
 Bloom: Flower opens; grow or develop successfully
- Most plants bloom in May.
 Blow: : to be in motion ; to move with speed or force
- A breeze blew gently. The wind was blowing.
 Blow let off (some) steam : to release one’s pent-up
emotions, such as anger, usually verbally; to do or say something that helps
you to get rid of strong feelings or energy
- He lifts weights after work to let off steam.
- I’m sorry I yelled at you. I guess I needed to let off some steam.
- She’s not that mad. She’s just letting off steam.
 Blowtorch: a small burner; a device that produces a hot flame
- Jerry used a blowtorch to melt the metal rod.
 Blow away: to surprise or please someone very much
- The ending will blow you away.
 Blow sb away : to kill a person by shooting them
- He'd like to get hold of a gun and blow them all away.
 Blow it: make a big mistake; to destroy, lose, or waste a good
opportunity; to fail to take advantage of an opportunity by doing or saying
something wrong
- I thought Steve would get that job, but he blew it when he showed up for the
interview in gym clothes.
- I really blew it on yesterday's test.
 blow one's top or blow one's stack: to become violently angry; to
go crazy; to explode with anger; to lose one’s temper.
- When my dad found out I had failed the exams, he just blew his top.
 Blow up: Explode, destroy
- The back tire of my car blew up suddenly.
 Blow up : suddenly become very angry.
- When I told Jerry that I'd had an accident with his car, he blew up.

26
 Blow your top: to lose ones temper; become extremely angry
- Do not let anything blow your top.
 Blunt: Dull, not keen, not sharp ; rude
- Do not use that knife; it's blunt.
 Blurry: Not clear, unfocused
- The vision was very blurry due to the rain.
 Board: Get in, embark
- The captain asked the passengers to board the ship.
 Bogus: false, not real or not legal; Counterfeit
- On investigation, his claim was found to be bogus.
 Bog down: to cause (sth) to sink in wet ground; to become stuck in wet
ground (often used figuratively)
- The mud bogged down the car.
- It's easy to get bogged down in details.
- The car bogged down in the mud.
- The story bogs down after the second chapter.
 Boil down: Reduce, condense; summarize
- Al asked me to boil down my article to two hundred words.
 Bolt: to attach or fasten sth in position with a bolt; fix
- Those chairs are bolted to the floor. (=cannot be moved)
 Bone up: Study and learn quickly
- We have got to bone up before the final exams.
 Boom: a rapid expansion or increase in settlement,ecomonic growth or
development; a deep and loud hollow sound
- This year has seen a boom in book sales.
 Boost: Raise, increase
- The result of her last exam boosted her confidence.

27
 Boot out: force sb to leave a place or a job
- Jason was booted out from the military.
 Booth: Small enclosed place
- I phoned the company from that booth on the corner.
 Bore: Drill; make a hole (punch)
- He used a drill to bore a hole in the wall.
 Botany: The study of plants
- Janet studied botany at the university.
 Bother: Distract
- My little brother always bothers me.
 Bottle opener: Gadget
- May I borrow your bottle opener?
 Bow: Front
- Willy was standing on the bow of the ship.
 Brag: boast; to speak too proudly ; arrogant talk or manner
- Lt Jones brags too much.
 Branch: division
- Each branch of this organization has a job to do.
 Brand-new: completely new, especially not yet used ; never used
- The car was brand-new.
 Brass: high-ranking officer
- The brass was coming to inspect the barracks.
 Break (n): A rest
- We asked the captain to give us a five minute-break.
- He broke away from the crowd.
 Break away loose : Free oneself, leave suddenly; escape
- John finally broke away from the job and went on a vacation.

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 Break down: Failure
- We stopped t because there was a breakdown in the system.
 Break into in: Enter by force, interrupt
- Last night a thief broke into our apartment.
 Break it up!: Stop fighting!; Stop arguing!
- When the police officer saw the boys fighting, he came over and hollered (=to
shout loudly ), “Break it up! You want me to arrest you?
 Break a leg!: Good luck!
“A special theatrical way of wishing a performer good luck. Saying “good luck”
is considered to be a jinx (= bad luck).”
- Let’s all go and do our best. Break a leg!
 Break off: Stop, end, withdraw from
- UK broke off diplomatic relations with Iran.
 Break out: Escape, occur suddenly
- A prisoner broke out yesterday. Heavy firing broke out lately.
 Break the ice : to attempt to become friends with sb; to initiate
social interchanges and conversation; to get something started.
- A nice smile does a lot to break the ice .
- It’s hard to break the ice at formal events.
 Break up: End, terminate, divorce; divide into pieces
- The meeting will break up soon.
- Liz and John broke up.
 Breeze: A light gentle wind
- A warm breeze was blowing during the night.
 Bribe : make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence
- This judge can be bribed.
 Brief: short in duration, extent, or length
- The meeting was very brief.
- She was wearing a brief skirt.

29
 Bring about: Cause to happen
- The new president will bring about change in people's life.
 Bring back: Recall, remember, return
- Seeing her brings back memories.
 Bring down: Decrease, lower
- The new manger will bring down the prices.
 Bring off : accomplish something difficult
- It was an important event, and she’s managed to bring it off brilliantly.
 Bring up: Raise, rear
- She has brought up four children.
 Bring up: Introduce, present, mention
- Our commander brought up many subjects at the meeting.
 Brittle: breakable
- Some kinds of plastic are brittle
 Broad picture: general view of a situation.
- The company gave us a broad picture on the project.
 Broke: have no money
- I cannot pay my bills. I am broke.
 Broth : a thin soup, often with vegetables or rice in it
- Every cook praises his own broth.
- Too many cooks spoil the broth.
 Brush aside: Ignore
- The captain brushed aside ail the unfavorable reports.
 Brush up on sth: Review; study thoroughle for a short time;
improve one’s knowledge of sth or one’s ability to do sth.
- I need to brush up on my German.
 Buckle up: belt up:fasten the belt that keeps you in your seat in a car plane
- Don't forget, belt up before you drive off.

30
 Buddy: companion; friend
- Bob and I have been great buddies for years.
 Bug someone : to irritate sb; to bother sb.
- Go away! Stop bugging me!
- Leave me alone. Go bug someone else.

 Bulb: Electric light


- My mother sent me to the store to buy a new bulb.
 Bumper to bumper: lines of cars are almost touching each other
and moving vers slowly; heavy traffic jam.

- By eight o'clock the traffic was bumper to bumper.


 Bumpy: Rough; full of difficulties
- The road to the lake was bumpy; it went in a huge loop.
 Bundle: Pile, package
- I bought two bundles of carrots.
 Bunk: A narrow bed
- The old man was looking for a bunk.
 Bunny: children's word for rabbit
- I used to have a bunny when I was a little kid.
 Burn down : become destroyed consumed by fire.
Note: For upright things--trees, buildings, etc.--only.
- Lightning struck Mr. Ken's barn last night. It burned down before the fire fighters
arrived.
 Burn up : become destroyed consumed by fire; become very angry
Note: For people and non-upright things only.
- The factory was completely burned up.
 Burn the midnight oil: work or study late into the night
- I have to burn the midnight oil to complete the report.

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 Bury the hatchet: make peace; settle a disagreement ; become
reconciled
- It’s time for them to bury the hatchet and start working together again.
 Burst: Come apart
- The tire burst suddenly.
 Bush: Short tree
- There are some bushes behind our house.
 Butt in: impolitely interrupt (a conversation, an action).
- Hey, you! Don't butt in! Wait for your turn!
- He kept on butting in with silly comments.
 Butter up : Flatter with the intention of getting something
- She liked to butter up every new boss she had.
 By accident: unexpectedly
- I met john by accident.
 By and large: In general
- By and large, everybody agreed on the plan.
 By the skin of one's teeth: just barely; only just succeed
in doing it
- He escaped from the secret police by the skin of his teeth.
 By the way and by the by : a phrase indicating that the speaker is adding
information ; a phrase indicating that the speaker is casually opening a new
subject.
- Oh, by the way, my name's Julie.
- I think we've discussed everything we need to, by the way, what time is it?
 By way of: Via
- We flew to San Antonio by way of Houston

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 Cab: a taxi
- It'll save time if we go by cab.
 Cabbie : Cabby : a driver of a taxi
- The cabby misread an important signal.
 Cabin: a small house made of wood; a private room on a ship or boat
- Tom lives in a log(=a thick piece of tree trunk or branch) cabin.
 Calculation: computation
- Would you check my calculation?
 Call back: Return somebody's call
- I will call you back as soon as possible.
 Call down: Reprimand, scold, reproach
- The major called down ail the soldiers who arrived late.
 Call for sb or sth : to need, require, or demand sth or the services of sb; to
shout for or request sb or sth; get
- This job calls for someone with experience.
- You can call for your new name tag in a couple days.
 Call in: to summon to one's help or for consultation
- A new team of detectives were called in to conduct a fresh inquiry.

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 Call it a day: to quit work and go home; to say that a day’s work has been
completed.
- I’m tired. Let’s call it a day.
 Call off: to quit sth; to stop; to cancel
- We need to call off the football game. It’s too rainy to be outside.
 Call on: Visit
- I will call on some friends in my way back home.
 Call roll (Roll call): Call of names to check attendance
- Roll call will be at 7 a.m.
- Each day before the class begins the instructor calls roll.

 Call up: give a call by telephene to sb.


- Camila called up her mether when she arrived to France.
 Clam up : suddenly become quiet; refuse to talk about sth: say nothing.
(Closing one’s mouth in the way that a clam closes up.)
- The minute they got him in for questioning, he clammed up.
- You’ll clam up if you know what’s good for you
- When I asked Lila about the accident, she clammed up.
 Camouflage: Color change, disguise
- Soldiers have to wear camouflage during operations.
 Can’t help but do sth: [to be] unable to choose any but one course of action;
can’t stop from thinking or doing sth.
- Her parents live nearby, so she can’t help but go there on holidays.
 Cantankerous: bad-tempered, quarrelsome; mean nature; arguing and
complaining a lot
- My little brother is a very cantankerous kid.
- Marth’s grandfather is known for his cantankerous nature. (=mean nature)
 Capable: proficient
- She is very capable.

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 Capacity: the total amount that ; ability ; a particular position or job
- The stadium has a seating capacity of 50 000.
 Capsize: (boat or ship) turn upside down by accident while on water
- A huge wave capsized the yacht.
 Capture: Take by force, catch
- The enemy forces captured some of our soldiers
 Cardboard: very thick stiff paper ; carton
- She packed her books in cardboard boxes.

 Career: profession; job


- Mary Has a good career .
 Care for sb or sth : look after; take care of sb or sth
- Will you care for my cat while I am away?
 Cargo: Something carried by, freight
- It needed twenty workers to unload the cargo.
 Carry: transport or take something from one place to another
- Would you like me to carry your bag for you?
 Carry on: Continue
- I told the students to carry on with what they were doing.
 Carry out: execute
- He carried out the mission successfully.
 Carton: a box or container usually made of cardboard
- She got a carton of ice cream out of the freezer.
 Carve: Cut
- Joan carved the meat into small pieces.
 Cascade down: fall or drop in a cascade.
- The avalanche cascaded down the cliff.

35
 Cash: to exchange a cheque , etc. for cash
- Would you cash a cheque for me?
 Cast: actors and actresses
- I do not know any of the cast in that movie.
 Catch: Get on
- Jamey was running so fast this morning to catch the bus.
 Catch on : Understand
- She cannot catch on everything that the teacher says.
 Catch on (with someone): to become popular with sb.
- I hope our new product catches on with children.
 Catch up with: Come along side with; reach the same position or level
- He was walking too fast for us to catch up with him.
 Cattle: Cows
- The cattle are grazing in the field.
 Cause: Reasonn
- No one knows the cause of the accident.
 Cautious: Careful, attentive
- Jerry is a very cautious person.
 Cave in: Collapse, give in (surrender); agree
- The roof caved in. He caved in easily.
 Cavity: a hole in a tooth
- There's a cavity in the boy's tooth.
 Cease: stop; to cause to come to an end especially gradually : no longer
continue; : to come to an end
- They were forced to cease operations.
 Cellar: Underground room, basement
- We store lots of things in the cellar.

36
 Century: hundred years
- The ottomans influenced the Arab world for a century.
 Challenge: invite sb to enter a fight or a competition.
- He challenged me to a game of chess.
 Chance: opportunity
- If you get the chance to leave this job, take it.
 Change: coins
- I asked john for some change.
 Change one's mind: decide not to do something
- I was going out tonight but I changed my mind.
 Change the subject: to begin talking about sth different.
- We’ll change the subject if we are embarrassing you.
 Chaplain: Priest, religious advisor
- The couple went to the chaplain to get married.
 Chapter: Division of a book
- I read a chapter of this novel everyday.
 Characteristics: Properties
- I don't know all the characteristics of water.
 Characterize by: known for; distinguish
- Cheetahs are characterize by their speed.

 Charge: Cost
- What is the charge for admission?
 Chase : follow; hurry after sb or sth in order to catch them; pursuit
- She was chasing (after) a man who had snatched her bag.

37
 Chaste : not having had sex, or only having a sexual relationship with the
person you are married to; pure woman
- In the past, a woman needed to be chaste to make a good marriage.
- describes decoration or style that is very simple and smooth
- I like the simple, chaste lines of their architecture.
 Chat: Talk, converse
- I like to chat with my friends.
 Check: Inspect, examine
- Check your work for mistakes before you hand it in.
 Check in: Report to, register in a hotel
- The first thing to do when you arrive at a hotel is check in.
 Check off : make a mark to indicate that sth on a list has been completed; to
mark or cross out the name of a person or thing on a list.
- I am glad to see that you were able to come. I will cheek you off

- I checked the items off

 Check out: Pay and leave a hotel, borrow


- I checked out before leaving. I will check some books out.
 Check-up (n+v): Medical exam, examine
- I have two check-ups monthly.
- I will check up this page.
 Check up on: Investigate, inquire about
- Sally went upstairs to check on the kids.
 Cheer up: Become happier, smile
- Everybody cheered up after hearing the good news.
 Chew: Bite and crush with teeth
- You should chew your food before swallowing it.

38
 Chew out: criticize speak harshly toreprimand
- The captain chewed some of the soldiers who arrived late.
 Chicken (adj.): not brave; cowardly ; afraid
- Joe was too chicken to go with us.
 Chicken feed : a small amount of anything, especially of money
- Of course I can afford $800. That’s just chicken feed.
- It may be chicken feed to you, but that’s a month’s rent to me.
 Chief: Main
- One of the chief reasons for his decision was money.
 Chilly: Cold
- Bring a sweater to the park; it will be chilly later
 Chime in with: to add (one's comment or opinion) to a conversation or
discussion that one has been listening to: to be in agreement or harmony
with (something)
- He kept chiming in with his opinions.
- The illustrations chimed in perfectly with the story.
 Chimney : a hollow structure that allows the smoke from a fire inside a
building to escape to the air outside
- Factory chimneys belched dense white smoke into the sky.
 Chin: Part of the face
- I cut my chin while shaving.
 Chip in: Contribute, donate
- The students were asked to chip in for the new club.
 Chip on the shoulder: Ready to quarrel; a bad attitude that
tends to get someone easily upset; to seem angry all the time because you
think you have been treated unfairly
- Ed has a chip on his shoulder: he vents his anger on me.
 Choice: Selection
- What is you choice David? We have all the colors you like.

39
 Choir : a group of people who sing together, especially in a church
- He sings in the church choir.
 Choked: strangled; stop or block breathing
- Othello choked Desdemona.
 Choose: Select, pick out
- Choose the right answer before you mark your answer sheet.
 Chop down: Cut down
- Most of the trees in the forest were chopped down.
 Chopper: Helicopter , whirly bird
- The colonel called for a chopper to evacuate the casualties.
 Chore : a routine task or boring , difficult or unpleasant job
- The children were each assigned household chores.
- I find writing reports a real chore (= very boring)
 Chow: Food (slang)
- Soldiers always complain about the chow.
 Cinch: sth which is very easy and is therefore certain to be a success
- The exam was a cinch.
- It’s a (dead) cinch: It’s a very easy task. (Dead means absolutely.)
- Altering clothes patterns is difficult for me, but for Mary, it’s a dead cinch.
 Circulate: Pass around
- A copy of the report will be circulated to every office.
 Circulation: the movement of blood; blood pressure
- The doctor checked Mr. Brown circulation
 Circumstance: Situation
- I don't know the exact circumstances surrounding the accident.
 Clarify: Explain, make clear
- We asked the police officer to clarify the situation for us.

40
 Classical: Old
- I prefer classical cars to modem ones.
 Classify: Arrange
- Books in the library are classified according to subject.
 Clear-cut: Definite
- The plan that the commander proposed was a clear cut.
 Clear the air : to get rid of doubts or hard feelings; to remove the
bad feelings between people
- I had a massive argument with Sue, but at least it has cleared the air.
- All right, let’s discuss this frankly. It’ll be better if we clear the air.
 Clear up: Explain; If the weather clears up, the cloud and rain disappears
- Let's clear up this point before we move to the next item.
- We can go out for a walk when it clears up.
 Clerk: One who files records and letters
- When I came in, the clerk was sitting at his desk writing.
 Climb: go up
- Barbara is climbing the mountain.
 A Close call and a close shave: a narrow escape.
- Wow, that was a close shave. I thought the guard would spot us.
- The speeding car passed only a few inches from us—a real close call

 Close down: Shut


- Health inspectors closed down the factory.
 close shave: a narrow escape; extremely close to a dangerous or
unpleasant situation or only just manage to avoid it; almost has an accident
- Bill is a careful driver but he had a close shave today.
 Cloudburst: Sudden and heavy rain
- We had cloudburst last night.

41
 Clout: power and influence over other people or events ; hit sb or sth with
your hand or with a heavy object
- Hillary Clinton has lost some of her clout.
 Clumsy: awkward in movement or manner
- The first mobile phones were heavy and clumsy to use, but nowadays they are
much easier to handle.
- My attempts to apologize were very clumsy (= not said well) .

 Coach (v): Teach


- Mary is coached by her father.
 Coarse: Rough, not even
- This piece of cloth is very coarse.
 Coat: Cover, film (layer)
- The wall needs two coats of paint.
 Coil: Wind or arrange into circles
- He coiled up the wire and put it in the trunk.
 (give) Cold shoulder: ignore, treat unfriendly
- I wanted to say hi to John, but he gave me the cold shoulder.
 Cold turkey Sl. immediately; without cutting down gradually; all at
once; without preparation (See also go cold turkey. Originally drug slang.
Now used of breaking any habit.)
- Tom stopped smoking cold turkey.
- She gave up her drinking habit cold turkey and had no ill effects.
 Collide with: Strike, hit
- Our bus collided with a van near the state overpass (bridge).
 Colonist: One who makes a home in an area
- The colonists who lived here were illiterate (can't read or write).
 Come about: Happen, occur
- I do not know what come about of John.

42
 Come across: Find or discover by accident
- While I was cleaning the drawer, I came across this key.
 Come along with: Accompany
- Jack wants us to come along with him to the mall.
 Come apart : burst to separate into several pieces; to break up.
- I picked up the book and it came apart in my hands.
- I was afraid our car would come apart on that rough road.
 Come by (somewhere): to visit a place for a short time; VISIT
- I 'Il come by your house one day this week and we can have or chat.
 Come clean: admit or confess; to be honest with sb about sth.
- The boss wants Ed to come clean about the missing file.
 Come down with: Catch an illness, become sick with
- I think I am coming down with flu.
 Come in: Enter
- We asked Mary to come in for a cup of tea.
 Come out: to publish; to result; to succeed; to happen.
- My first book came out in 2004. - I hope everything comes out fine.
 Come out for: Support
- The mayor of the town came out for the new governor.
 Come to: to become conscious; to wake up.
- We threw a little cold water in his face, and he came to at once.
 Come to the point and get to the point: to get to the important
part (of sth); reach the main idea of the conversation.
- He has been talking a long time. I wish he would come to the point.
- We are talking about money, Bob! Come on, get to the point.

 Come to terms: Reach an agreement


- We finally come to terms on which car to buy.

43
 Come true: happen
- Susan’s wish actually came true.
 Come up with: Think of, suggest
- I am sure Joan will come up with a new idea.
 Comedy: Comic
- I did not like the comedy shown on TV last night.
 Commence: start; begin
- We will commence with this work.
 Comment: Make a remark
- I do not like to comment on everything I hear or see.
 Commerce: Buying and selling, trade
- I met the minister of industry and commerce yesterday,
 Compact: taking little space; parts or units are closely packed or joined; a
small car
- Jason bought a compact car.
 Comparable: Similar, the same, Identical
- The two flats are comparable.
 Compartment: enclosed space; a separate division or section
- The money was hidden in the rear compartment of the train.
 Compensate (for): Make payment for, make up for
- The company will compensate all the injured workers.
 Competent: Capable, able
- I think jerry is a highly competent player.
 Completely: Thoroughly
- Our house was completely burned.
 Complex: complicated; hard to separate, analyze, or solve; a large building
with various connected rooms or a related group of buildings
- The repair job was complex. //// - They live in a large apartment complex.

44
 Commandant : COMMANDING OFFICER; an officer who is in charge of a
military organization or building
- Colonel Copper is the conmmandant of the Defence Lunguage Institute.
 Components: Elements, parts
- What are the basic components of this device?
 Composed of: Made of
- The committee was composed of three members.
 Composite: Made up of separate parts
- This paint is a composite.
 Compound: Mixture of two parts
- The teacher used a chemical compound in the experiment.
 Comprehend: Understand
- She is too young to comprehend what happened.
 Compress: Condense, squeeze
- The paper file was very compressed.
 Comprise: Compose
- Women comprise 62% of the staff in this company.
 Compulsory: MANDATORY;ENFORCED; Required
- Swimming was compulsory at my school.
- Wearing seat belts in cars is compulsory by law.
 Compute: Calculate
- I will compute the cash in this box
 Conceal: Make unseen, hide
- She tried to conceal her anger from her friend.
 Conceited: arrogant: snobbish; false pride
- I thought him conceited and arrogant.
 Concentrate on: Think only about
- Drivers should concentrate on the road only.

45
 Concentrate : Direct one's attention; come together
- I can't concentrate on my work with all that noise.
- The troops are being concentrated in this area.
 Concept : an idea or thought ; a principle
- It is very difficult to define the concept of beauty.
 Concern (n) : a matter of interest or importance to someone
[ + to infinitive ]
- His concern to appear sophisticated amused everyone.
- The company's sole concern is to ensure the safety of it employees.

- Concern (v) : to relate; to worry


- The state of my father's health concerns us greatly .
- Matters of pollution and the environment concern us all.
- Concerned (adj): worried; interested in
- The judge is very concerned about traffic accidents.
- I'm a bit concerned aboutfor your health.

[ + to infinitive ]
- He was concerned to hear that two of his trusted workers were leaving.
- Concerned parents have complained about the dangerous playground.

- Concerning (pre) : about

- I've had a letter from the tax authorities concerning my tax payments.
 Concert : musical performance given by singersmusicians
- The orchestra will be giving a free concert.
 Concierge: porter: someone employed by a large company to do jobs, such as
shopping, for other employees while they are working or in hotel handles
luggage
- He is a concierge at a five - star hotel.

46
 Conclude : finish; decide; judge
- She concluded the speech by reminding us of our responsibility.
- The jury concluded from the evidence that the defendant was innocent.

 Concrete : mixture of cement, sand, and rocks


- He broke up the concrete block with a hammer. (
(v): to cover something in concrete
- Why did you concrete over that nice garden?
(adj) clear and certain, or real and existing in a form that can be seen or felt
- They think she killed her husband, but they've no concrete evidence .
 Concord : harmony; a state of agreement
- The two tribes lived in concord.
 Condense: shorten; reduce sth, such as a speech or piece of writing, in length;
change or make something change from a gas to a liquid or solid state
- The story should be condensed before publication.
- Water vapour in the air condenses into fog.
 Condominium (informal condo) : an apartment building in which each
apartment is owned separately by the people ; property; estate
- Mr. Miller lived in a condominium.
 Conduct (v): carry; to convey: (n) behavor
- Metals conduct electricity well.
- Jim's conduct was good.
 Confine : restrict; limit an activity
- Let's confine our discussion to the matter in question, please!
- Please confine your use of the telephone to business calls.

 Confrontation : a fight or argument


- She actually enjoys confrontation, whereas I prefer a quiet life.
- There were violent confrontations between police and

47
 Confuse : mix up sb's mind or ideas, or to make sth difficult to understand
- You're confusing him! Tell him slowly and one thing at a time.
 Conscientious: careful; honest; putting a lot of effort into your work; using or
done with care
- Frank was a very conscientious worker.
 Consent : approval; permission or agreement
- They can't publish your name without your consent.
 Constant : fixed: staying the same, or not getting less or more
- We've kept up a fairly constant speed .
- The fridge keeps food at a constant temperature .
 Constantly: always; all the time
- He smokes a pipe constantly.
 Consult: Refer to, seek advice
- I do not like to consult my father on everything.
 Contact: Get in touch with
- I want you to contact the company as soon as possible,
 Contain: Hold, take
- Each box contains 24 cups.
 Contaminate: Pollute, make impure
- Water in this lake is contaminated with poisonous chemicals.
 Continue: Keep on, proceed
- Ed continued to go to school although he flunked (failed).
 Contraband: Smuggling : goods which are brought into or taken out of the
country secretly and illegally
- The lorry contained thousands of pounds worth of contraband.
 Contract: Get smaller: make or become shorter or narrower or generally
smaller : (n): agreement or arrangement ; document.
- In spoken English, 'do not' often contracts to 'don't'.
- As it cooled, the metal contracted.

48
 Contradicted: to imply the opposite or a denial of; Deny the truth of
- How dare you contradict (me)!
 Contrary to: In opposition to
- He is very nice, contrary to what people say about him.
 Contrasting: Different
- I chose two contracting colors.
 Convenient: easy to get; accessible, handy, reachable; suitable; proper
- Everything is convenient here.
- The new mall location is very convenient for me.
 Conventional: Usual, ordinary
- The house was built with conventional materials.
 Conversing: Talking
- If you are not busy, I would like to converse with you.
 Convert: Changing from one thing to another, turn into
- They are converting their house into four flats.
 Convertible: Having a top that can be folded back
- I bought a convertible car.
 Cook up: invent (sth, such as an idea, excuse, etc.): deal with a particular situation
- You'll have to cook an excuse up quickly.
 Cool downoff: Calm down, be quiet, chili out (relax)
- Cool down! You look very pathetic (pitiful).
 Coordinate: Adjust
- It is her job to coordinate the work for the whole staff.
 Cooperate: help
- The men will cooperate with The police
 Cope with: endure sb or sth; manage to deal with
- I don’t think I can cope with any more trouble.
 Core: Center
- I do not know what the core issue of the meeting was.

49
 Correspond: to be in conformity or agreement; to compare closely; match;
to be equivalent or parallel; to communicate with a person by exchange of
letters
- In some countries, the role of president corresponds to that of prime minister.
 Correspondence: letters, especially official or business letters
- Any further correspondence should be sent to my new address.
 Corroborated: backed up; support with evidence; make more certain
- Two witnesses corroborated everything I said.
 Corrode: Wear or eat away; damage
- The rust corroded parts of my car.
 Cost an arm and leg: very expensive
- This piece of furniture cost me an arm and leg
 Couldn't agree more: to strongly agree
- Bob says it’s the government’s fault, and I couldn’t agree more.
 Count on: Depend on, rely on
- I count on your support. Don't let me down.
 Count In out :Include exclude
- I asked Joan to count me inout the trip.
 Counterclockwise: Opposite to the hands of the clock
- Our advance will be counterclockwise
 Courteous: Polite
- The new employee was both courteous and alert.
 Counterfeit: made in imitation of sth else with intent to deceive : bogus ;
FORGED
- Joe gave me a counterfeit hundred-dollar bill.
 Cram for an exam or a test : study very hard for an exam.
- I have to go cram for a test now.

50
 Crawl (n):move on one's hands and knees;move slowly; a style of swimming
- The baby crawled toward her mother.
 Creature of habit : sb who always does the same thing in the
same way
- He always goes to bed at ten-he's a creature of habit .
 Crestfallen:feeling shame or humiliation: DEJECTED
- Why does Sgt Smith look so crestfallen today?
 Crew: People working together
- The flight crew was very cooperative.
 Criteria : a standard on which a judgment or decision may be based
- The Health Service should not be judged by financial criteria alone.
 Critical: Severe, serious
- The patient was in a critical condition.
 Criticize: express disapproval of
- When someone criticizes me, I only mumble. I do not speak.
 Crop up: to happen or appear suddenly
- The problem will probably crop up a gain.
 Crosscheck: Verify, check again
- David will crosscheck the shopping list.
 Cross offout: Remove from a list, delete; mark with X
- I asked the captain to cross off my name.
 Crowd: Large group of people
- A large crowd gathered to hear the president speech.
 Crucial: Very important
- The patient's condition was very crucial.
 Crumb: a small fragment especially of sth baked (such as bread)
- He swept the crumbs from under the table.

51
 Crumble: Fail apart
- The walls in the school began to crumble.
 Cumulus: Massy or thick clouds
- We flew by huge cumulus during our flight to Boston.
 Cultivate: grow crop ; to try to develop and improve sth
- John cultivates vegetables.
- She has cultivated an image as a tough negotiator.
 Cure: Remedy
- There is no imminent (immediate) cure for AIDS.
 Curious: Eager to know
- He is curious to know how the machine works.
 Currency: Money
- He admitted possessing and delivering counterfeit currency.
 Current events: Present happenings
- They will be discussing many current events on T.V tonight.
 Curtains: Window covers; drapes
- Jamey bought a new curtain for the kitchen.
 Curvature: Curve
- She suffered from curvature of the spine.
 Customs: Usual way of doing things, habits
- When travel to another country, you must respect its customs.
 Cut and dry: Unchanging ; boring; Routine
- The captain's briefing was cut and dry.
 Cut back : use less of sth or in smaller amounts; to do less of sth
- You drink too much coffee. You should cut back.
 Cut down (on sth): Reduce; use or buy less of sth
- You should cut down on drinking.

52
 Cut take sb down (to size) : to make a person humble; to
show sb that he is not as clever or important as he thinks he is ; to put one in
one’s place.
- Jane is too conceited. I think her new boss will take her down to size.
 Cut in (on): Interrupt, butt in; to join in sth even when not invited.
- The operator will sometimes cut in on you.
- I didn’t mean to cut in on your announcement.
- Can I cut in on this little party?
 Cut like a knife: to sting severely, to cause a sensation of stinging,
especially said of cold weather; to be very sharp (of a character, or remark)
- The wind cuts like a knife.
- The Minister's question cut like a knife.

 Cut sth off: Stop the supply of; to remove a part of sth
- Our water supply has been cut off.
 Cut sb off: disconnect telephone call
- We were out off before she could give me directions
 Cut out: Stop working , eating or talking; remove; quit
- The doctor told me to cut out smoking.
 Cut out for: Fitted ; naturally able or suited to do or be (sth)
- He's not cut out to be a teacher.
 Cut to the bone: reduced to the lowest possible amount
- The company's expenses had been cut to the bone.
 Cut to the chase Sl. to focus on what is important; to abandon
the preliminaries and deal with the major points.
- All right, let’s stop the idle chatter and cut to the chase.
 Cynical: distrustful ; doubts the sincerity of everyone; sarcastic
- Alex is so cynical.
- Some people have accused me of being too cynical.

53
 Damage: broken, destruct
- The roof was damaged by the storm.
 Dash against: break or destroy (sth) by throwing or hitting it against sth
- The storm dashed the boat against a reef.
 Dash off: Hurry away or leave : to complete or do hastily
- He dashed off a note before leaving.
 Data: Facts, information
- The command center will send all the needed data.
 Date from sth: to have an existence that extends from a particular time; to
have been made in or to have come into being in (a certain time in the past)
- This building dates from the beginning of the last century.
- These books date from the 1920s.
 Daunting : discouraging through fear.
- The task before us is a daunting one.
 Dazzling: so bright light; impressive: extremely attractive or exciting
- He gave a dazzling speech
 Day in and day out: Daily, on every day; for each day
- Al is a very good tennis player. He plays tennis day in day out.

54
 Deadline: Completion date
- After the deadline is set nobody is permitted to withdraw.
 Deaf: Can't hear
- Although the girl was deaf she danced the most beautifully.
 Deal out: Distribute, divide
- We will start dealing out the identifications cards at 0830.
 Debt (to be In debt): To owe money
- Joan cannot give you any money: she is already in debt.
 Decade: 10 years
- Many wars took place in the last decade.
 Decay: Spoil, become bad
- Children's teeth will decay if they eat too many cookies.
 Deceased: Dead
- Many friends of the deceased were present at the funeral.
 Decent: proper, respectable
- John was looking for a decent job. Ed is a very decent man.
 Declare: give information about : to make known formally, or officially : to
make known as a determination
- The judge declared the defendant fit to stand trial.
 Deduct: to take away an amount or part from a total
- The player had points deducted ( from his score) for arguing with the referee.
 De-emphasizes: make less important
- Ed de-emphasized the importance of what the doctor said.
 Defective: Slightly damaged, on the blink, out of order
- We returned some of the goods because they were defective
 Defer: postpone
- Our departure was deferred for a week.

55
 Definite: Sure, clear
- The principal could not give me a definite answer.
 Deflate: Let the air out
- The mechanic had to deflate the tire before repairing it.
 Defy: confront with assured power of resistance : resist attempts at : to
challenge to do something considered impossible : DARE
- She defied her parents and dropped out of school
 DEJECTED: unhappy, disappointed; low in spirits; Crestfallen
- She looked a bit dejected when she was told that she hadn't got the job.
 Deliberate :(often of something bad) intentional or planned
- The attack on him was quite deliberate.
 Deliver: Send
- I will have them deliver the food to your place.
 Demented : unable to think or act clearly because you are extremely worried,
angry or excited by something; MAD, INSANE; Indulgence
- The children have driven me demented today.
 Demolish: destroy by explosives ; completely destroys something
- The old factory is scheduled for demolition next week.
 Demonize : to try to make someone or a group of people seem as if they are
completely evil
- The Nazis used racist propaganda in an attempt to demonize the Jews
 Demonstrate: Exhibit, show how
- Ted demonstrated for the passengers how to use lifejackets.
 Denomination: a value or size of a series of values or sizes :a general name
for a category
- It is listed under the general denomination of gifts
 Dense: Thick, a lot of things
- The forest we visited was very dense.

56
 Density: Weight
- What is the density of this material?
 Dent: a depression or a small hollow mark in the surface of something, caused
by pressure or by being hit
- There was a dent on the right fender of my car.
- There is a dent in the door of a car.
 Depart: Leave, take off
- When my wife's plane departed, I felt bine (gloomy).
 Dependable: reliable
- Mr. James is a very dependable person.
 Deposit: Put into bank account
- I need to go to the bank to deposit some money.
 Depot: A station
- The train will stop at the next depot.
 Derive: to take, receive, or obtain especially from a specified source
- The word televise is derived from the word television
 Descend: Go down
- The plane hit the ground while descending.
 Describe: Tell
- She described what happened to the reporter.
 Desert (n): Dry land with little water: (v) to withdraw from or leave usually
without intent to return
- There are few animals in the desert.
 Deserve: Be worthy of
- She deserves to be named the chairperson of the committee.
 Dessert: Sweet; candy
- I would like to have some dessert after dinner.

57
 Destination: The place to which a person is going
- What is your destination jack?
 Destroy: Damage
- Some of the houses were destroyed by the tornado.
 Detained: Delayed, held up
- The enemy forces detained three of our soldiers.
 Detect: Discover, find
- Stains of blood were detected on his clothes.
 Determination: firmness of purpose; firm or fixed intention to achieve a
desired end
- She is a woman of great courage and determination.
- Your determination will bring you success.
 Detach: to separate or remove sth from sth else that it is connected to.
- You can detach the hood from the jacket.
 Deter (v): Make sb decide not to do
- New alarms were installed in the store to deter shoplifters.
 Deteriorate: Become worse
- The political situation in the region has deteriorated rapidly.
 Determination: Firmness of purpose
- She has a strong determination to win the race.
 Detest: Hate, dislike
- They absolutely detest each other.
 Detriment: a cause or act of causing injury or damage ; sth that will cause
damage or injury to sth or sb — usually singular — often + to
- He saw the new regulations as a detriment to progress.
- He puts all his time into his career, to the detriment of [=in a way that is harmful to]
his personal life.
- She was able to work long hours without detriment to her health.
[=without harming her health]
- Why was the student a detriment to the class.:- He had many irrelevant questions.

58
 Deviate: To stray from, to turn aside
- He likes to deviate from the main subject.
 Device: Mechanism
- Washing- machines are labor- saving devices.
 Diagram: Plan or drawing, pattern
- The doctor wanted a diagram of my digestive system.
 Diameter: Measures the length
- I want to know the diameter and the circumference of the ball.
 Didn't have the heart : not do sth that might hurt
another's feelings
- I just didn't have the heart to tell her that I didn't like her singing.
 Die down: to fade to almost nothing; to decrease gradually.
- The fire died down and went out
 Differ from: Unlike
- This pin differs from that one.
 Difficult: Hard
- The exam today was very difficult.
 Difficulties: Hardships, problems
- I face many difficulties in my work.
 Dig: Understand; REMOVE SOIL
- I cannot dig what you are saying.
 Dig up: Find, discover
- She dug up some embarrassing facts about my private life.
 Digest (n): condensed forms of articles
- There were very interesting articles in the last digest.
 Digest (v): To summarize, to sum up
- Will you please digest what you just said?

59
 Digress :move away from the main subject to sth else ; stray; depart
- The old professor used to digress from his subject for a moment to tell his
students a funny story.

 Diminish: Die down, lessen, become smaller


- The storm is supposed to diminish this afternoon.
 Dip: Lower as deep as possible
- Jack dipped his toe into the pool.
 Disagreeable: Bad
- We might have disagreeable weather conditions next week.
 Disaster: awful; a sudden or great misfortune or failure
- The party was a disaster.
 Discipline: Control gained by enforcing obedience or order.
- I'm trying to discipline myself to eat less chocolate.
- The soldiers showed perfect discipline under the fire of the enemy.
 Discover: Figure out
- I thinkn I have discovered what was wrong with this machine.
 Discreet: conservative; having or showing good judgment in conduct and
especially in speech ; MODEST
- He is very discreet in giving his opinions.
 Discrepancy: A difference between conflicting facts, claims or opinions;
difference, inconsistency
- There is some discrepancy between the two accounts.
 Disenchanted: : Disappointed; dissatisfied;(v): to free from illusion
- Many voters have become disenchanted with the government.
 Disengage : make two things become separate from each other ; remove
obstruction; become free
- I want to disengage myself from his influence

60
 Dismount: Remove from; take down from
- Jerry dismounted the flat tire.
- Tim dismounted the aircraft.
 Dismiss : fire; discharge ; throw out; lose job; put out of consideration
- He was dismissed from his job.
- Students will be dismissed from class today.

 Display: Show
- The new items were displayed for public.
 Dispose of: Get rid of, dispense with; sl: kill sb
- I want to dispose of (or dispense with) all my old files.
 Disregard: ignore, pay no attention to
- I will disregard all of what you have said.
 Dissipate: to (cause to) gradually disappear or waste; to break up and scatter
or vanish.
- The heat gradually dissipates into the atmosphere.
- His anger dissipated as the situation became clear
 Distinct: Clear, separate
- His work is distinct. We are classified into two distinct groups.
 Distinguish: Recognize, to tell apart
- I cannot distinguish red from green at night.
 Distinguished: Famous, important
- Jerry is a very distinguished student.
 Distorted: garbled, fuzzy (not clear)
- The reading on this tape is distorted.
- Due to the strong wind, the picture on the TV was distorted.
 Distract:to draw or direct (sth, such as sb's attention) to a different object
or in different directions at the same time: to turn aside;divert
- You sneak into his room while I distract him.
- He was distracted from his studies.

61
 Distribute: Give to everybody, hand out
- The test papers were distributed to the students.
 Disturb: Bother
- The commander prefers not to be disturbed by anybody.
 Dive in: Jump in the water headfirst
- John dived in and saved the drawing man.
 Diverge: to follow a different direction, or become different
diverging roads
: to become or be different in character or form
- The friends' lives diverged after graduation.
: differ in opinion
- This is where our views diverge.
 Divert : change direction; Turn aside; turn away from ; to cause sth or sb to
change direction; to take sb's attention away from sth
- Our flight had to be diverted to Stan Antonio because of the storm.
- The war has diverted attention (away) from the economic problems.

 Dizzy: feeling unsteady; tired; having a whirling sensation in the head with
a tendency to fall; mentally confused
- He felt sick and dizzy and then passed out.
- After working in the sun for three hours, Pasty felt dizzy.
 Do away with: Get rid of, throw away, destroy
- I have many papers that I have to do away with.
 Do justice to : do sth well; to represent sth accurately; to appreciate sth
properly.
- Sally did justice to our side in the contract negotiations.
 Do sb in :KILL : attack or kill sb; TIRE : make sb extremely tired
- They threatened to do me in if I didn't pay up by Friday.
- That hockey match really did me in.

62
 Do over: Repeat, do again
- We had to do over the exam.
 Donation: something given as charity, gift or contribution
- The new lab was a donation from U.K.
 Dote : to love someone completely and believe they are perfect: love
- He dotes on the new baby.
 Double check: Review
- The captain asked me to double-check the results.
 Doubt (be in doubt): Be not sure about or uncertain
- If you have any doubts, feel free to ring me.
 Dovetail: Coincide, fit together
- Their plan dovetails very well with ours.
 Down: discouraged; unable to feel excited or energetic about anything
- She's been really down since her husband died.
 Doze off: Fall into alight sleep
- The driver dozed off and was about to hit another car.
 Drag: to move sth by pulling it along a surface
- She dragged the canoe down to the water.
 Drag on : last much longer than expected or is necessary.
- It was a bureaucratic battle that was to drag on for more than five years.
 Drain: remove liquid; make grdually dry
- The state council decided to drain the lake.
 Drapes: heavy curtains made with thick cloth
- The room was curtained off by red drapes.
 Drastic: acting rapidly or violently; (especially of actions) severe and sudden
or having very noticeable effects
- Many employees have had to take drastic cuts in pay.
- The situation calls for drastic measures.

63
 Draw: to attract attention or interest
- He's an excellent speaker who always draws a crowd.
 Draw out : to cause sth to last longer than is usual or necessary
(usually far beyond the normal limits).
- The director drew the meeting out for another hour.
 Draw up: create a formal document; to prepare something official, in Writing.
- I've drawn up a list of candidates that I'd like to interview.
 Drawback: disadvantage, a refund of duties
- His lack of experience is a major drawback.
 Dread (v): to fear greatly: to b e afraid, scared of or frightened of; (adj.)
causing fear or dread or terror; very unpleasant.
- I can't swim and dreads the water.
- Her greatest dread was that she would lose her job.
- They told us the dreadful news.

 Dress up: Wear nice clothes


- The way she dresses up is very alluring (tempting, fascinating).
 Drift: Move along freely
- The boat drifted out to sea
 Drifted off : to gradually start to sleep
- He always drifts off during lectures
 Drill: Bore, make holes, perforate
- The carpenter drilled a hole in the wooden board.
 Drink (sth) up: to finish your drink completely
- Drink up! It's time to go.
 Drizzle (a): rain in very small light drops; a fine misty rain
- Tomorrow will be cloudy with outbreaks of rain and drizzle.

64
 Drop away : to fall off; to fall away.
- The leaves were still dropping away from the trees in November.
- [for a group of people] to decline in number over time
- His friends gradually dropped away as the years passed.
 Drop sb a line or a few lines: to write a letter or a note to sb.
- Drop me a note when you get a chance.
 Drop back: Move behind, lag
- Towards the end of the race, Roger dropped back.
 Drop off: fall asleep; decrease or become less
- The demand for mobile phones shows no signs of dropping off.
 Drop in: Drop by, drop over, come by, visit shortly
- We were in the area, so we decided to drop in on Jason.
 Drop it off: Deliver it
- Joe needs this parcel. Can you drop it off at his house?
 Drop out of: Stop participating in, leaven; quit; resign
- Jordan decided to drop out of college.
- Sally dropped out of school for some unknown reason.

 Drought: a long period when there is little or no rain


- When will this drought ever end?
 Drum : a musical instrument; a large tube-like container
- They danced to the beat of the drums (= sound of the drums being hit) .
- He bought a five-gallon plastic drum
 Dry run: Rehearsal, practice
- Before videotaping the performance, let us first do a dry run.
 Dry up
: WATER : If a river, lake, etc. dries up, the water in it disappears.
- I'll dry up if you wash the dishes.

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:END : If a supply of something dries up, it ends
- His main source of work had dried up, leaving him short of money.
- I wish the conversation will dry up.
 Duds: a bomb or missile that fails to explode; not working
- The firecrackers (= fireworks) that Jim gave me were duds.
 Due to: Because of
- The game was cancelled due to the rain.
 Dull: not interesting, boring,not bright; not sharp; STUPID
- He's pleasant enough, but deadly dull (= very boring) .
 Durable: Last for a long time
- Steel is used in Bridges because it is very durable.

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 Eager: wanting very much to do or have something
- They crowded round the spokesperson, eager for any news
 Earn: Gain
- I do not know how much a dentist earns.
 Easy come, easy go : sth that one gets easilyquickly can be lost
or spent just as easily, especially money
- Julio never thinks about money; for her it's easy come, easy go.
 Eat away: Corrode, destroy
- The rust has eaten away the pipes.
 Eat out : have a meal in a restaurant.
- I'm too tired to cook tonight. Why don't we eat out?
 Eccentric : strange or unusual, sometimes in a humorous way
- His eccentric behavior lost him his job.
- The old lady has some eccentric habits.
 Editorial: An article for the editor's opinion
- I like to read the editorial everyday.

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 Eerie: so mysterious, strange, or unexpected as to send a chill up sb's spine
(=make someone feel very frightened)
- The flames cast an eerie glow.
- His words sent a chill down her spine.
 Effect: Result
- Her words have a strong effect on me.
 Effective: operative
- A federal law is effective as soon as the President signs the act.
 Efficiently: Well and quick; very well
- The new secretary does her work very efficiently.
- The student handles the machine efficiently
 Egg on: urge; to strongly encourage someone to do something which might
not be a very good idea
- Don't egg him on! He gets himself into enough trouble without your
encouragement.
 Eject: Throw out: to leave an aircraft in an emergency
- The pilot ejected from the plane
 Elbow: joint between the upper and the lower arm.
- John felt down and broke his elbow.
 Elected: Chosen
- Sam was elected to parliament in 2001.
 Elevate: to raise sth or lift sth up ; raise in rank or condition
- The platform was elevated by means of hydraulic legs.
 Eligible: Qualified ;having the necessary qualities or satisfying the necessary
conditions
- Only people over 18 are eligible to vote.
 .Eliminate: put an end to or get rid of : REMOVE
- Doctors seek to eliminate the causes of the epidemic.

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 Emaciated: thin from hunger ; very thin and weak because of illness or
extreme hunger
- Most of the prisoners looked emaciated.
 Emergency: Sudden need
- This is an emergency case: we must call an ambulance.
 Emit: Send out, give off gases or light
- The volcano emits smoke.
 Emphasize: Stress
- The minister emphasized the importance of education.
 Empty handed: with nothing
- Come away empty-handed : to return without anything.
- Go to the bank and ask for the loan again. This time don’t come away empty -
handed.
- Go away empty-handed : to depart with nothing.
- They came hoping for some food, but they had to go away empty-handed.
 Enable: Allow
- The new law enabled more women to return to work.
 Enclosed: surrounded from all directions (all around)
- Our house is enclosed with trees.
 Encounter: Meet, run into; to come upon face-to-face
- I have never encountered any difficulties at work.
 Encourage: Give hope
- My fathered encouraged me to continue my higher studies.
 End up (come to an end): finish
- The meeting came to an end at last.
 End up: finally arrive at; arrive at an unexpected place.
- We got lost last night and ended up in the next town.

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 End up : arrive somewhere as a result or consequence.
- You're working too hard. If you don't take it easy, you'll end up in the hospital!
 Endanger: Risk
- Smoking endangers your health.

 Endorse: write your name and Sign on the back of check


- I had to endorse the check before I got it cashed.
 Engaged: busy with an activity; involved in activity; greatly
interested; involved especially in a hostile encounter; promised to be
married
- Tom is engaged in something new.
 Ensur: guarantee
- The commander could not ensure promotions for his men.
 Endure: Stand, bear, tolerate
- I cannot endure loneliness.
 Enduring : existing for a long time
- I shall be left with many enduring memories of the time I spent in India.
 Enforce the law: Make people obey it
- The police officer main job is to enforce the law.
 Engaged in: Be busy or occupied with
- I am always engaged in my work.
 Enlisted: not commissioned or a warrant officer
- John is an enlisted in the infantry.
 Enmity: dispute; hostility; hate; quarrel
- I don't understand his enmity towards his parents.
 Enrollment: the act of joining a course
- School enrollments are currently falling.
 Entertaining: Enjoyable, amusing
- The jokes he tells are very entertaining.

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 Entire: Whole, complete
- The entire class is invited to the prom.
 Environment: Surroundings
- A bad home environment can affect the children growth.
 Equal: the same
- All automobiles do not get equal gas mileage.
 Equip with: Furnish, provide or supply with
- The factory will be equipped with new machines.
 Equivalent: Almost the same
- There is no English equivalent for every word in Arabic.
 Erase: Remove, wipe or rub out
- It is difficult to erase this word. It is written in ink.
 Errand: Task, mission
- In the army, a soldier is supposed to carry out lots of errands.
 Erratic: Irregular
- The electricity supply here is quite erratic.
 Erect: to build a building, wall or other structure
- The war memorial was erected in 1950.
- The building was erected in 10 days.

 Erroneous: not correct, wrong


- The way he talked first gave us an erroneous impression.
 Estate: a large area of land; property; assets
- John was the sole heir to a vast estate.
 Estimate: Give an approximation, evaluate
- The police estimated the crowd at 1000.
 Essential (adj): necessary, indispensable
- Mathematics is essential for a career in computers.

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 Evaluate: measure
- Exams evaluate student's comprehension and progress.
 Evaporate: change to vapor, disappear
- Water evaporates in the sunshine. All my hopes evaporated.
 Even if: Though
- I would not do it, even if you paid me a thousand dollars.
 Eventually: In the end, sooner or later, at last
- He will return home eventually.
 Every cloud has a silver lining: used to say that
every bad situation holds the possibility of something good or has some
advantage.
- Don't be discouraged. Every cloud has a silver lining.
 (every) now and then and; (every) now and again:
occasionally; infrequently; sometimes
- We eat lamb every now and then.
- I read a novel every now and again.
 Evident: Clear
- Her love for her father was evident.
 Excavate: dig out and remove earth to discover things about the past
- The old castle is being excavated.
- dig a hole or channel in the ground
- The workers excavate tunnels horizontally from a vertical shaft.
 Exceed: Go beyond
- You are not allowed to exceed the speed limit.
 Excel: Do better than others; to be extremely good at sth
- Rebecca always excelled in languages at school.
 Exhaust: Tire out, use up
- The match exhausted me.
- He exhausted all the food I bought.

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 Exhibit (v): Display, show, demonstrate
- Sam's paintings will be exhibited in the main gallery.
 Exile : send someone away from their own country; expel
- The monarch was exiled because of the coup.
 Exist (n): Live
- Fish cannot exist out of water.
 Expand (v): Spread out; get larger, increase; make it bigger
- We hope to expand our business this year.
- John expanded his garage.
 Expel (v): force out : to force to leave (a place, an organization, etc.) by
official action : kick out of ; take away rights or privileges of membership
- The club may expel members who do not follow the rules.
- She was expelled from school for bad behavior.
- The student was expelled from class.

 Expenditure: costs, payments


- Did the commander Okay the expenditure for the party?
 Expert: A man of special skills
- Maj Karl is an expert in mine detection.
 Explicit : clear and exact; fully revealed or expressed
- He gave me explicit directions on how to get there.
 Export (v): Send sth to another country;to carry away; remove
- The islands export sugar and fruit.
 Express: Say or show, fast
- It was difficult to express what I felt for her.
 Extemporaneous: unrehearsed, offhand
- Ralf gave an extemporaneous speech at the reception.

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 Extend: make it longer or larger ; to spread or stretch forth
- They're going on an extended holiday to Australia.
- Sally extended the measuring tape.
 Extensive: Thorough, large
- We had to do a lot of extensive work.
 Exterior: Outside
- The exterior walls of the house were in a bad condition.
 Extinct: No longer existing
- Tigers are nearly extinct in the wild.
 Extinguish: Put out
- The fire was hard to extinguish.
 Extra: Additional, more
- We asked the teacher for extra time.
 Extract: take out: to remove something from somewhere
- The doctor had to extract the splinter from my finger.
 Extreme (ly): existing in a very high degree; very; exceeding the ordinary,
usual, or expected;most advanced or thoroughgoing; maximum
- The weather was extremely hot.
- in the extreme : to the greatest possible extent
- The journey would be dangerous in the extreme.
- They live in the extreme south of the island.

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Face: Look out on, to confront;encounter
- The garden faces south.
- I face lots of problems in my work.
 Face up to (sbsth) : admit to; take responsibility for; to accept that a difficult
situation exists; to confront with courage
- We had to face up to the harsh realities of life sooner or later.
- She had to face up to the fact that he was guilty.
 Face the music: meet the blame with courage
- If you did it on your own, you should face the music.
 Factors: Elements
- Before you decide, you should consider different factors.
 Fade: Disappear, lose color
- Marge suddenly looked sad and her smile faded.
 Fail to do sth: Don't do it
- I tried to pass the exam but I failed to do it.
 Faint: (adj.) not strong or clear; slight; (V) become unconscious; pass out
- She felt faint with hunger. The lamp gave out a faint glow.
 Fall: Autumn
- Next fall we'll be back in New York.

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 Fall apart: break into pieces; stops working effectively; break down mentally
- My poor old boots are falling apart.
-The deal fell apart because of a lack of financing.
- Tom works too much and finally fell apart.
 Fall apart: Break or go into pieces; stop working
- My lifehouse is falling apart.
 Fall back: move back from sth; retreat from.
- She fell back in horror.
 Fall back on: have a second plan if a first plan doesn’t work; to
begin to use sb or sth held in reserve.
- We fell back on our savings to get us through the hard times.
- We had to fall back on our emergency generator.
 Fall behind: can't keep up with; fail to do sth fast enough or on time.
- The had fail en behind with their mortgage repayments.
- He was ill for six weeks and fell behind with his schoolwork.
 Fall for (sb): fall in love with sb.
- She always falls for unsuitable men.
 Fall in: Line up in formation; collapse
- The drill sergeant asked us to fall in. The roof of the store fell in.
 Fall to pieces: Break up completely
- The soccer team fell to pieces after the coach resigned.
 Fall through: fail to happen; not happen
- We found a buyer for our house, but then the sale fell through.
 Fall out: to argue with sb and stop being friendly with them; to cut off
relations over a quarrel
- He left home after falling out with his parents.
 Fallow: land that is not planted with crops; a period of time in which very
little happens
- August is a fallow period in British politics.

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 Familiar with: know
- I am not familiar with the new law.
 Famous: popular, well known
- Marie Curie is famous for her contribution to science.
 Fare: price of a trip (by plane, bus, taxi)
- Train fares are going up again.
 Fasten : put together ; become firmly fixed together.
- Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened.
 Fatal: resulting in death; disastrous
- This illness is fatal in almost all cases.
 Fault: defect; mistake
- It's not my fault she didn't come!
 Faucet: device for controlling the flow of water
- Don't forget to turn off the faucet
 Favor: helpful act
- Could you do me a favour - would you feed my cat this weekend?
 Feasible: able to be made, done or achieved
- With the extra resources, the scheme now seems feasible.
 Feel like: have a wish for sth, want to do sth that you don’t do
- I feel like (going for) a swim.
- He was so rude I felt like slapping his face
 Feel like a million (dollars) : to feel well and healthy, both
physically and mentally.
- A quick swim in the morning makes me feel like a million dollars.
- What a beautiful day! It makes you feel like a million.
 Feel refreshed: feel better; to make (sb) have more energy and
feel less tired
- Dusty felt refreshed after he took a shower.

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 Feel up to: feel strong; comfortable enough to do sth.
- Mary didn’t feel up to making the visit.
 Fellow: sb who has the same job, or in the same situation; colleague
- She introduced me to some of her fellow students.
 Fence: a wire or wooden wall used to divide two areas of land
- We put up a fence around our yard.
 Fender: a low metal frame around an open fireplace ; wing of car
- In Britain they call a fender a wing.
 Fertile: fruitful
- He has a fertile imagination
 Fervent: have strong and sincere beliefs; enthusiastic; very hot
- It is his fervent hope that a peaceful solution will soon be found.
 Few and far between: not happening ; uncommon; few; rare
- Some people think that good movies are few and far between.
 Fictional: invented; imaginary; not real
- Ed enrertained us with fictional stories.
 Fight off: repel an attack from someone or something.
- She fought off the mosquitoes all evening
 Figure: an amountnumber; form
- Can you read this figure? Is it a three or an eight?
 Figure out : find the solution or answer to a problem; solve
- Can you figure out the answer to question 5?
- Use the calendar and figire out the best time for our vacation. (=determine)
 Fill in: add information to a form or document
- To get a job these days, you should fill out many applications .
 Fill in (for sb or sth): to substitute for or take the place of sb or sth
- I will have to fill in for Wally until he gets back.
- I don’t mind filling in.

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 Fill sb in (on sb or sth): Give or tell sb important information or details about
sb or sth.
- Please fill me in on what happened last night.
- Please fill in the committee on the details.
 Fill the bill and fit the bill : to be acceptable; to be exactly what is
needed in a particular situation; to be suitable for a particular purpose.
- That box will fill the bill nicely.
- I need cloth to make a shirt. This cotton material ought to fit the bill.
 Fill out : write the necessary information on an official document; to become
full; to gain weight.
- I don't know how to fill out this form.
- The underweight child has begun to fill out after regular exercises.
- The fruit on the trees began to fill out, it was going to ripen soon.
 Filthy: dirty
- This room is filthy.
 Find Out: Learn about, discover
- I did not find out about the accident myself; Ted told me.
 Fine: money paid as punishment
- The maximum penalty for the offence is a $1000 fine.
 Finicky: overly, extremely or excessively particular; difficult to please ;
needing a lot of attention to detail
- My son is a finicky eater.
- Repairing watches must be a very finicky job
 Fire: Discharge
- The manager has decided to fire some of the new employees.
 Firm: Steady, fixed
- The little giri kept a firm grip on her mother's hand.
 First aid: emergency care or treatment
- The wounded soldier was given first aid.

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 First class: Excellent
- John likes to stay in first-class hotels.
 Fit in sth: allow time for sth in your schedule; to find time to do sth or to deal
with sb
- The doctor can fit you in at three o’clock.
 Fix : repair
- They couldn't fix my old computer, so I bought a new one.
 Fix sb up (with sb): to arrange for sb to have a date
- We fixed up Bob with a date.
 Fix sb up (with sth): to supply sb with sth.
- The clerk fixed up the lady with what she needed.
- Larry wanted some film and the clerk fixed him up with the best.

 Fizzle : to fail or end feebly especially after a promising start —often used
with out; to gradually end
- Interest in the project fizzled after the funding was withdrawn.
 Flammable: Burn easily
- Be careful with that chemical! It is very flammable.
 Flare: burn
- The candles on the table began to flare.
 Flat: Smooth
- The land we bought was completely flat.
 Flatter : praise somewhat dishonestly; butter up
- He flattered her with comments about her youthful appearance.
 Flaw: error, fault
- I found a flaw in the new design.
 Flexible: Easily bend
- This metal is flexible.

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 Flee: Disappear; run away
- Do not flee in the face of your foe (enemy).
 Flesh: human skin, meat of animal
- I touched the smooth soft of her arm.
 Flimsy: weak
- Jerry gave me a flimsy excuse so he could leave the early.
 Float: To stay on the surface
- After the ship sank, I found my luggage floating in the water.
 Fluctuate: Vary, change; to shift back and forth uncertainly; to rise and fall
in or as if in waves
- Oil prices fluctuated.
- Temperatures fluctuated.
- The boat fluctuated on the rough sea.
- The patient's pulse is fluctuating.
 Fluffy: soft like feather
- Ann has a very beautiful fluffy hair.
 Flush with: Level with
- The desks in this class are flush with each other.
 Flute : a tube-shaped musical instrument
- She plays the flute in an orchestra.
 Fly the coop : to escape; to get out or get away.
- I couldn’t stand the party, so I f lew the coop.
- The prisoner f lew the coop at the first opportunity.

 Fold: Bend, cause to come smaller


- Fold a five-dollar bill before you put it in your wallet.
 Follow: To do as told
- Everybody must follow the instructions.

81
 foot the bill cost expenses (for sth) : to pay for
something; to pay for a bill; to pay the entire amount even for other people
- My boss took me out for lunch and the company footed the bill.
- You paid for dinner last time. Let me foot the bill for lunch today.
- Mr. Moore said that he would foot the bill if Jack wanted to attend college.
 For good: For ever; permanent; lasting
- Joan left school for good.
 For instance : for example
- Silver, for instance, is a good conductor.
 For sale: Can be purchased
- Our house is for sale.
 For the time being and for the moment : for the present; for
now; temporarily.
- This good feeling will last only for the time being.
 Forbid: Command not to do
- My parents forbade me to see Tim again.
 Force: Press
- She forced herself to speak with him.
 Forecast: Predict
- Fred will be forecasting the weather for channel five.
 Formerly: at an earlier time : PREVIOUSLY: Used to be
- The hotel was formerly a castle.
 Fortunate: lucky
- I am fortunate that I could overcome (defeat) this problem.
 Fowl: domestic bird kept for its eggs or meat
- I saw some fowls on the ranch.
 Fraction: Part of
- For a fraction of a second, I thought the car was going down.

82
 Frag: injure or kill by a fragmentation grenade
- My cousin was fragged in Vietnam in 1969.
 Fragile : easily broken or destroyed
- Be careful with that vase - it's very fragile.
 Frame : a border which surrounds and supports a picture, door or window
- He repaired ‘the wooden frame of the huge bed
 Frankly: Honestly
- Please tell me frankly, what do you think of my idea?
 Frantic : emotionally out of control; marked by fast and nervous,
disordered, or anxiety-driven activity: very worried or frightened.
- They made a frantic search for the lost child
 Frazzle : to put in a state of extreme physical or nervous fatigue; upset ;
very tired in a nervous.
- They finally arrived home, hot and frazzled.
 Free hand sketch: Drawing without scale
- The engineer used a free hand sketch in his design.
 Freezing: very cold
- It is freezing outside.
 Frenzy: anger, the state of being out of control
- The speaker worked the crowd up into a frenzy.
 Frequency: Number of time sth is repeated
- The research shows the frequency of child deaths from cancer.
 Frequently: Often
- we are frequently faced by pitfalls (unexpected dangers) in life.
 French fries: Potatoes; finger chips
- I like to have French fries with my lunch.
 Fresh: Newly gathered, not stale
- I like to eat fresh fruit.

83
 Fresh out (of sth) and clean out (of sth): have just finished, used
up or sold all of it, so that there is no more left.
- Sorry, I can’t serve you scrambled eggs. We are fresh out of eggs.
- We are fresh out of nails. I sold the last box just ten minutes ago.
- Lettuce? Sorry. I’m clean out.
 Fret: to be worried or irritated
- There is no need to fret about such a silly matter.
 Friction: Surface resistance
- Friction happens among the moving parts of an engine.
 Frightened: Afraid, scared, terrified
- Jim was very frightened to drive home alone.
 Frizzle: fail; to fry until crisp and curled; burn; fried for too long making it
burnt and unpleasant to eat; to form (the hair) into tight crisp curls; (n) The
sound or act of frying.
- The department’s project frizzled.
 From dawn to dusk: from daylight to dark
- Bob had to work from daylight to dark.
 Frugal : thrifty ; careful use of money
- She lives a frugal life.
 Fuddy-duddy: old fashion; a person who has old-fashioned ideas
and opinions
- They think I'm an old fuddy-duddy because I don't approve of tattoos.
 Full steam ahead: onward (moving forward ) with
determination; with all one’s energy and enthusiasm
- We started moving full steam ahead on the project.
 Fume: Smoke, gas, vapor
- We saw some fumes in the sky after the fire.

 Function : Operate; work


- Do you know how to function this machine?

84
 Fundamental: Basic, essential
- There will be fundamental changes in the schedule tomorrow.
 Funds: Money
- The project was cancelled because of lack of fund.
 Furious: Very angry
- John became very furious when he was told that he was fired.
 Furnish: Provide, supply, outfit
- The platoons will be supplied with fuel as they arrive.

85
 Gadget: Tool; small mechanical or electronic device
- Our kitchen is filled with lots of gadgets.
 Gain time: to cause sth to be delayed so that more time is available to do
what is needed ; to obtain extra time by a postponement
- His lawyers are delaying the trial to gain time to prepare their defense.
 Galosh: a waterproof overshoe that protects shoes from water or snow.
- It is snowy, you should wear galoshes.
 Gamble: Take chance, bet
- John gambled all his money on horseracing.
 Garbled: not clear and are very difficult to understand, often giving a false
idea of the facts
- He left a rather garbled message on my answer phone.
 Gargantuan : gigantic; very large; of great mass; huge and bulky.
- I ate a gargantuan piece of cake at lunch.
 Gash: a long deep cut, especially in the skin
- She slipped on a rock and gashed her knee.
 Gather: Collect, come together
- The disgruntled ( displeased) employees gathered around.
 Gauge: Indicator
- Do you know the name of this gauge?

86
 Gay: Merry; happily excited; bright ; brilliant in color
- Tim is a very gay person; he has a good sense of humor.
 Genius: Talented
- The new director of the corporation is a real genius.
 Genuine: Real
- Jerry lost the genuine blueprints (drawings) of the project.
 Get a ban g o ut o f: to enjoy (something) very much -
You'll get a bang out of this story.
 Get a word in edgewise and get a word in edgeways: to
manage to say something when other people are talking and ignoring you.
- Mary talks so fast that nobody can get a word in edgeways.
 Get across: Make sth clear to understand; go from one side to the other
- The teacher failed to get his point across.
- lt's impossible to get across the road with all this trafic.
 Get after sb (v): Scold, reprimand
- His parents get after him because he wrecked the car.
 Get ahead of (v): Do better than, progress
- He got a head of the rest of the class because he studied hard.
 Get aid for study (v): Scholarship
- Jerry got aid for his study in university.
 Get along with(v): Be friendly with, deal with (usually successfully)
- It is difficult to get along with every student in the class.
- I wonder how Michael is getting along in his new job?
- Let's learn to get along with each other. (= work and live happily with)
 Get around: to avoid to do sth; move from place to place.
- I know I can find a way to get around the rule.
- She dosen’t have a car. She gets around by bicycle, bus, or taxi.

87
 Get axed: to get fired.
- Betty and two of her friends got axed today
 Get back (v): Return; return sth
- A1 will get back from Italy on Monday.
 Get back (to sb) (on sth) : to find out information and tell it to a person (at a
later time).

- I don’t have the answer to that question right now. Let me find out and get back
to you.
- Okay. Please try to get back early tomorrow.

 Get behind with (v): Fail to keep up with; to be late


- We are getting behind in our last project.
 Get better : to improve
- After the cease-fire, the situation in the capital got better.
 Get by: Manage; to succeed with the least possible effort or accomplishment
- Nowadays it is hard for me to get by on such a low income.
 Get down to business (v): To work seriously
- Joan wanted us to stop laughing and get down to business.
 Get in (v): Arrive; enter small vehicle
- What time does your train get in?
- Carole got in her car and drove away.

 Get in shape: become strong; get in good physical condition


- I need to get in shape. I feel fat and sick.
- Most people get in shape by exercising and eating healthy foods.

 Get in touch with (v): Communicate with, contact


- I need to get in touch with Mr.Willy as soon as possible.

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 Get off : to leave or depart a place or vehicle; to leave work with permission;
make it possible for sb to avoid punishment.
- If we can get off by seven o'eloek, the roads will be clearer.
- How early can you get off this ajternoon?
- Everyone knew he was guilty, but his lawyer was clever and got him off
 Get off the hook: free from responsibilit or obligation
- I will get you off the hook providing that you tell the truth.
 Get on (with): Continue doing something.
- The teacher asked the pupils to get on with some work quietly.
 Get on one’s horse: SL. prepare to leave. (Usually fig.With no
horse present.)
- It’s time to get on my horse and get out ofhere.
 Get on sb’s nerves : annoy sb a lot: to become extremely annoying to sb
- That car alarm is getting on my nerves.
 Get on (sth) : to go onto a bus, train, aircraft or boat.
- I think we get on the wrong bus.
 Get one's hands on: Obtain, quire
- I would like to get my hands on a rifle like that.
 Get out: to leave a closed vehicle, building, etc; [for sb or an animal] to escape;
[for infomation or a secret] to become publicly known.
- When did he get out of jail?
- We don ’t want the secret to get out.

 Get out of hand: Become uncontrollable


- You need to be careful or that job will get out of your hand.
 Get over: Recover froma disease; overcome difficulties
- I almost never got over the shock.
- I need to get over my problems.

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 Get over it! : Forget about it; to accept sth that happened in the past
and move on.
- He was disappointed at not getting the job, but he'll get over it.
 Get one's point across: to make people understand what
one is saying; explain
- Maybe there's a better way to get your point across.
- The commandant was not able no get his point across.
 Get ready : to prepare
- We didn't have much time to get ready before they arrived.
 Get rid of sth : Dispose of ; remove; do away with
- These old clothes are no good. We can get rid of them.
 Get rid of sb : to send away sb; fire sb from a job
- We got rid of our unwelcome guests by saying we had to go to bed.
 Get sb down: make sb unhappy; If sth gets you down, it makes you feel
unhappy or depressed.
- The chaos in his house was starting to get him down.
 Get the hang of it: Understand how it functions; learn how it is
done
- I will be able to operate the machine once I get the hang of it.
 Get the message? and Get the picture? : Do you understand?;
Are you able to figure out what is meant?
- We don’t need lazy people around here. Get the message?
 Get the point : understand the purpose, intention, or central idea
of something.
- I wish he would stop telling jokes and get to the point of his speech.
 Get through with: Complete, finish
- John said he would see me when he gets through with Tim.
 Get sth through sb’s thick skull: to make sb
understand sth
- Can anybody get through, or are you just stubborn?

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 Get to: Arrive at
- I do not know what time we will get to Los Angeles.
 Get to one’s feet : to stand up.
- On a signal from the teacher, the students got to their feet.
 Get together: Meet, confer with
- We get together every other week.
 Get up: Leave the bed
- I got up at 7 o'clock in the morning.
 Get used to: Become familiar or comfortable with sth or sb.
- It took them a long time to get used to their new boss.
 Get your head up: Be alert, look around
- You are alone in this case. So please get your head up.
 Gift: Present
- I bought my little girl a nice gift.
 Gigantic: gargantuan ;extremely large
- The cost has been gigantic.
 Gingerly : in a way that is careful or cautious
- Holding her painful back, she sat down gingerly on the bench.
 (the) Gist: main idea; central theme of a speech or literary work
- Give me the gist of your report.
 Give (someone) a break :give a person another chance: to
stop treating (sb) in a strict or harsh way; to stop criticizing, annoying or
behaving in an unpleasant way to sb; to allow sb some time away from their
work or regular activities
- Don't criticize him so much. He's doing the best he can. Why don't you give
him a break?
- I babysit every Friday to give her a bit of a (= small) break.
- Give her a break - she's only a child and she didn't mean any harm.

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 Give a hand: help someone -
These tax cuts will give industry a helping hand.
 Give a ring (buzz call): Telephone someone - I asked
David to give me a ringbuzz when he gets home.
 Give sth away (to sb): donate to, or bestow sth upon, sb; to tell a secret to sb;
to reveal the answer to a question, or problem to sb
- I gave the old clothing away to Tom.
- Please don’t give the surprise away to anyone.
- Don’t give the answer away to them!
 Give sth a trya go a whirl a shot : to make a try at sth; try sth for
the first time.
- Why don’t you give it a go and see if you like it?
 Give stamp of approval: give the o.k. - The
government gave its stamp of approval to the project.
 Give in : AGREE : to finally agree to what sb wants, after refusing for a
period of time; ADMIT DEFEAT : to accept that you have been defeated and
agree to stop competing or fighting.

- The government cannot be seen to give in to terrorists' demands.


- You'll never guess the answer - do you give in?
 Give off: emit; radiate; send out; produce light, a smell or a gas
- That tiny radiator doesn’I give off much heat.
 Give out: to become exhausted; emit; issue; fail
- After two hours on operation, the old man's heart gave out.
 Give up: Surrender, quit, stop, abandon
- The enemy gave up easily.
- Al gave up smoking.
 Give way: Break, collapse
- I was trying to catch the railing when it suddenly gave way.

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 Given name: First name
- Alica wanted to know what my given name was.
 Glance: Look at briefly or quickly, take a quick look
- I glanced at the little girl and smiled.
 Gleam: Glimmer : Glisten : Glittering : Shimmer:
 Gleam: to produce or reflect a small, bright light
- He polished the table until it gleamed.
 Glimmer : to shine with a weak light or a light that is not continuous
- The sky glimmered with stars.
 Glisten : to shine by reflecting light from a wet, oily surface
- The grass glistened in the early-morning dew. - His eyes glistened with tears.
 Glittering: shining with a lot of small bright flashes of light
- I like the glittering skyline of Manhattan
 Shimmer: to shine with weak or fitful light
- She could see her reflection in the water, shimmering in the moonlight.
 Glee: happiness, excitement or pleasure
- She opened her presents with glee.
 Gloat: show self-satisfaction; look or glance admiringly or amorously
- Lt Smith aced the PT test, so he’ll probably gloat all week.
 Global: worldwide, universal
- Greenhouse phenomenon is a global issue.
 Glow: Shine, give out light
- My cigarette glowed and lit the darkness.
 Go all out (for sb or sth) :to do everything possible for sb or sth
- We went all out for George and threw a big party on his return.
 Go along with: Agree with
- I cannot go along with what all tat he says.

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 Go (a)round in circles : to move over and over on a circular
path; to act in a confused and disoriented manner; to keep going over the
same ideas or repeating the same actions, often resulting in confusion, without
reaching a satisfactory decision or conclusion .
- The model plane went around in circles until it ran out of fuel.
- The children have been going around in circles, waiting for you to arrive.
- We’re just going round in circles discussing the problem. We need to consult
someone else to get a new point of view.

 Go back to square one : to return to the starting point; begin


a task again.
- It’s back to square one. We have to start over.
- It looks like it’s back to square one for you.
 Go by: Pass
- As time went by, Sam got very old.
 Go cold turkey: to suddenly stop or quit addictive or bad
behavior (Originally drug slang. Now concerned with breaking any habit.)
- I had to stop smoking, so I went cold turkey. It’s awful!
 Go fly a kite!: Go chase yourself! and Go climb a tree! ; Go jump in
the lake!: Go away and stop bothering me!
- Bob: Get out of here. Bill! You’re driving me crazy! Go fly a kite!
 Go from bad to worse: to progress from a bad situation to
one that is worse.
- I’m afraid that things are going from bad to worse.
 Go in one ear and out the other: [for something] to
be heard and then soon ignored or forgotten.
- Everything I say to you seems to go in one ear and out the other.
 Go off: Explode, make a sudden noise; stops working; fail
- A bomb has gone off in the city center.
- My alarm went off.
- The electric power went off last night.

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 Go on : Continue; Happen.
- He went on and on talking and I was so bored.
- There are loads of people out in the street; What's going on?
 Go over: Study or review, examine; revise
- I went over the report; it has some controversial points.
 Go through: Endure; search or examine sth; search through sth
- Our family is going through a difficult time.
- She went through his pants pockets, looking for his wallet.
 Go through with: Complete, finish
- I Do not think she will go through with the project
 Go to the dogs: To ruin or become destroyed
- The department went to the dogs after the boss retired.
 Go to town:
1: to work or act rapidly or efficiently
- They went to town on decorating the building.
2: to be markedly successful
- The team really went to town, winning 14-0
3: to indulge oneself excessively, especially by spending a lot of money.
- He went to town on a big platter of beef and potatoes.
- They’v really gone to twon on their wedding.
 Go up [for something] : to go higher.
- Gasoline prices are still going up.
 Go with: look pleasing together; If one thing goes with another, they suit
each other. (Note: for clothes, furniture, etc.)
- I'm not sure that this hat really goes with this dress.
 Go without: to not have (sth): to live or continue without having (sth)
- How long can you go without sleepingsleep?
- If you can't afford a new car, you'll just have to go without.

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 Good deal: bargain ; a large amount; much; a lot
- Take the new assignment; it is a good deal.
- There was a good deal of salt in the food.
 Joe: fellow; guy
- Jack said, “I hope to see you in your country next year Joe”.
 A good Joe: a good fellow or guy.
- Every one says that a new supervisor is a good Joe.
- Frank’s a good Joe. He’ll help us.
 Goof (v) : to make a silly mistake ; to spend time idly or foolishly
- If Tom hadn't goofed and missed that shot, we'd have won the game.
- She goofed her lines (= said the words in the play wrong) .
 Goof (n): a silly or stupid person; mistake
- Don't be such a goof.
- I'll admit it's my goof.
 Goof off: be lazy; do nothing in particular; to avoid doing any work.
- They've goofed of and gone to the ball game.
 Goods: Merchandize; things for sale, or the things that you own
- Vincent bought a lot of goods for his new store.
 goody-goody: a person who behaves extremely well in order to
please a superior or people in authority
- The other kids don't like her because she's a goody-goody.
- You were a goody-goody as a kid, and you haven't changed since.

 Goose bumps: Roughness of skin due to cold or fear


- Staying alone in the dark gave me the goose bumps.
 Govern: rule
- The country was governed by Belgium form many years.
 Grading: ( UK mark ) to give a score to a student's piece of work
- I spent all weekend grading papers.

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 Gradual: Little by little
- The change has been gradual
 Grateful: Thankful
- I am grateful for all the teachers who taught me at school.
 Graze: to (cause animals to) eat grass; to feed
- The cows were grazing.

 Green thumb: A talent for gardening


- My uncle has a green thumb. He can grow anything.
 Grids: system of squares on a map for finding points
- Before we locate our position, we need to know the grids.
 Grin : a wide smile
- I assumed things had gone well for him as he had a big grin on his face.
 Grind: Crush, rub harshly
- We grind wheat to get flour.
 Grip: Hold
- She gripped my hand in fear.
 Gripe: Complain, grumble ; (N) a strong complaint
- Soldiers are always griping.
 Groom: clean or brush an animal
- Ed went to the stable to groom the horses.
 Groove : a long narrow hollow space cut into a surface
- The window slides along a deep metal groove to open and close.
 Grow up: Raise; to become mature
- My father grows up many vegetables in our garden.
 Growth: Increase
- Japan has lately witnessed a slight growth in its industry.

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 Grub: food; chow; something to eat
- The troops need some grub right now.
 Grudge: a strong feeling of anger and dislike for a person
- I don't bear any grudge against you.
 Guard : Protect from
- The sentries are supposed to guard the base.
 Guidance: advice
- The new recruits need some guidance.
 Guideline: Rules
- The government has issued new guidelines on food safety.
 Gust: (N) a sudden strong wind; (V)to blow strongly
- A gust of wind blew his hat off.
 Guts: Bravery, the will to fight
- It takes guts to admit that you are wrong.
 Guy: MAN
- He's a really nice guy.
- What is that guy’s name?

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 Hack: to manage successfully; tolerate ; to cut or sever with repeated
irregular or unskillful blows- usually used in negative statements
- He just couldn't hack the new job
- I can't hack all this noise
 Had better: Should, ought to
- I think you had better not leave now.
 Hail (n+v): Frozen rain, used as a salutation; salute; to call someone in order
to attract their attention
- They greeted the emperor with a hail
- I tried to hail her from across the room.
- The hail melted once the sun came out.
 Hilarious: extremely funny
- Do you know Pete? He is hilarious.
 Hammer into: To drive nails in
- She hammered the nail into the wall
 Hand in: Give in , submit
- She handed in her resignation to the secretary.

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 Hand out: Give, distribute; pass sth out
- Food was handed out to the needy families.
 Handicap: Disadvantage, hinder
- They were handicapped by their lack of education.
 Handle: deal with; to operate or control something; to try or examine with
the hand; manage with the hands; engage in the buying, selling, or
distributing of (a commodity)
- We will handle tag questions next week.
 Handle: Knob
- He turned the handle to open the door.
 Handsome: Pretty, has a beautiful face (for men)
- John is a very handsome guy.
 Hang around: Stay close by, spend time with; loiter
-Tim likes to hang around in the airport.
 the hang of sth: the knowledge of doing something correctly.
( get ~; have ~; teach someone ~.)
- As soon as I get the hang of this computer, I’ll be able to work faster.
 Hang on: to keep hold : hold on to sth; wait for a short time
- Hang on a minute - I'll be with you in a moment!
- Hang on to that rope and don't let go.
 Hang out :spend a lot of time in a place or with someone
- Kids hang out too much these days.
 Hang up: keep delayed, suspended; to place on a hook or hanger; put a
telephone receiver back in its cradle
- Please hang up the phone.
 Hangar: Place where planes are kept
- In the air force, airplanes are kept in hangars.
- On take-off he almost crashed into a hangar.

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 Happen: Occur, take place
- A very terrible accident happened yesterday.
 Harbor: port
- Houston is an important harbor city in Texas.

 Hardship: Suffering, problems


- The new tax is going to cause a lot of hardship.
 A hard time and a bad time; a rough time : trouble [over something];
unnecessary difficulty. (Typically: have ~; give someone ~.)
- Please don’t give me a hard time.
- The clerk got a hard time from the boss, so he quit.
 Hardships: difficulties
- Our trip was full of hardships.

 Hard up: short of money or other necessities


- With two kids and an ili wife to support, Ed is really hard up.
 Harmless: Won't hurt
- These insects are completely harmless.
 Harness: the leather bands used to control a horse or fasten it to a cart; to
control sth, usually in order to use its power; to tie together
- We can harness the power of the wind to make electricity.
- He paid ten dollars for the new harness
 Harp on:mention often; talk or complain about sth many times
- He is always harping on about his problems.
 Harvesting: Picking, gathering
- We will be harvesting wheat next week.
 Hatred : grudge
- Hatred is blind as well as love.
 Haul: transport by a truck, vehicle or a wagon
- Jade had to call a truck to haul the furniture.

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 Have a ball: have an exciting time; enjoy yourself very much
- I plan to have a ball while I’m on vacation
 Have a big mouth: to be a gossiper; to be a person who tells secrets.
- You shouldn’t say things like that about people all the time. Everyone will say
you have a big mouth.
 have a clue (about sth): to know anything about sth; to have
even a hint about sb or sth. (Usually negative.)
- I don’t have a clue about where to start looking for Jim.
- Why do you think I have a clue about Tom’s disappearance?
 Have an obligation: Should help; promise; commitment
- I have an obligation towards my family.
 have a screw loose and have a loose screw; have got a screw
loose : to be silly or to be crazy.
- He’s sort of strange. I think he’s got a loose screw.
- You've got to have a loose screw to think that's a good idea.
- You know :” I think Robert had a screw loose”.

 Have had it (up to here): to have reached the end of one’s endurance or
tolerance. (When used with up to here, can be accompanied by a gesture, such as
the hand held at the neck.)
- I have had it with you. I quit.

- We’ve all had it up to here with you, John. Get out!

 Have in mind: Think of


- The instructor wanted to know what I had in mind.
 Have sth on : wear; If you have clothes or shoes on, you are wearing them.
- I loved that dress you had on last night.

 Have on hand: Have in stock, available


- I have three bags of sugar on hand if you really need them.

102
 HAVE ONE’S HANDS FULL: extremely busy or having too many
jobs andor responsibilities.
- There were many injuries from that train crash. The doctors and nurses had their
hands full.
 Have over: used to say that sb is coming to one's home as a guest
- We're having some friends over for dinner tonight.
 Havehas to: Must
- We have to ask somebody with a car to give us a ride.
 Have sth to burn : to have lots of something, such as money,
power, food, space, cars, etc.; to have more of something than one needs.

- Look at the way Tom buys things. You’d think he had money to burn.

 Have to do with : be about; be associated with or related to sth.


- My illness has to do with my stomach.
 Have words with: to quarrel with someone over someone or something.
- I had words with John over Mary and her friends.
 Hay: dried grass; grass which is cut, dried and used as animal food or as
covering material
- Farmers feed hay to the cows.
 Hazard(ous): Danger(ous), risk(y)
- Driving while sleepy is very hazardous.
 Haze : fine dust, smoke, or light vapor causing lack of transparency of the
air: when the air is not very clear because of sth such as heat or smoke,
making it difficult to see well
- The road through the desert shimmered in the haze.

- I saw her through a haze of cigarette smoke.

 Hazy: Not clear, cloudy


- The fields were hazy in the early morning sun.

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 Headwind: a wind having the opposite general direction to a course of
movement (as of an aircraft)
- The plane arrived late do to headwind.
 Headlines: top stories printed in large type; main sories
- I like to read news headlines before I go to work.
 Heap: pile; put things into a large untidy pile
- The old uniforms were heaped in the center of the floor
 Heir: legal inheritor of sth
- Prince Charles is the next heir to the English throne.
 Hesitate: Pause, hold back, be reluctant (hesitant)
- He hesitated before going into the room.
 Highlight: Emphasize; to mark (text)
- The report highlights the need for more security measures.
 Hike: go for a long walk in the countryside
- They went hiking in Wales for their holiday.
 Help out: Help sb for a short time
- Would you be able to help out in the kitchen?
 Hinder: Obstruct, handicap
- A lot of our work was hindered by red tape.
 Hint: tip; clue; indirect or general suggestion for how to do or solve sth
- The student asked the teacher for a hint.
 Hippie : a usually young person who rejects established social customs (such
as by dressing in an unusual way or living in a commune) and who opposes
violence and war. especially : a young person of this kind in the 1960s and
1970s.
- She used to be a hippie, but she's fairly conservative now.
 Hire: to employ sb., rent
- We should hire another secretary to lighten Barbara's workload.

104
 Hit pay dirt: be profitable, get good result; discover sth of value
- John's business in Japan hit pay dirt.
 Hit the ceiling: become extremely angry or livid
- Dad will hit the ceiling when he finds out I have left school.
 hit the books and pound the books : to study hard.
- I spent the weekend pounding the books.
- I gotta go home and hit the books. I have finals next week.
 Hit the nail on the head: do or say the correct thing or is
exactly right.
- You hit the nail on the head when you said the food here was both delicious and
inexpensive.
 Hit the (hayrack) sack: Go to bed, turn in, retire
- It is time that you hit the sack.
- I've got a busy day tomorrow, so I think I'll hit the sack.
 Hoax : a plan to deceive someone, such as telling the police there is a bomb
somewhere when there is not one, or a trick
- He'd made a hoax call claiming to be the President.
- I was hoaxed into believing their story.
 Hobby: recreation; leisure activity; relaxation, entertainment, amusement
- I know but what is his hobby.
 Hoist: Raise or lift up by ropes
- The captain told us to hoist the sails.
- Let’s hoist the flag now.
 Hold: support
- The branch of the tree was held with a stick.
 Hold back: to hinder the progress or achievement of : to keep from
advancing to the next stage, grade, or level: to refrain from revealing or
parting with
- The boss couldn' t hold back his anger any longer.

105
 Hold down: to keep sth, especially costs, at a low level ; to keep sb or sth in a
particular place and to stop them from moving
- He was struggling so much it took three officers to hold him down.
 Hold on: Wait, pause ;to maintain a condition or position
- Hold on. I will be with you in a minute.
 Hold out (for sb or sth) : to wait for sb or sth; wait for sth better.
- I will hold out for someone who can do the job better than the last person we
interviewed.

- I want to hold out for a better offer.

 Hold up: Delay; rob with violence or threats


- We were held up by heavy traffic.
 Hold your horses: Be patient; Wait a minute.
- Hold your horses! Let me explain first
 Holler : to shout loudly
- He was hollering something about seeing a snake.
 Hood: the cover of an engine
- The car will not start. Let me check under the hood.
 Hook up with: Join with
- We will hook up with the other units as soon as they arrive.
 Hop: to leap; to jump; : to move by a quick springy leap or in a series of
leaps; : to make a quick trip especially by air
- Gazelles often hop when running.
 Horn: Warning device
- John bought a new horn for his car.
 Horizontal: level or parallel to the earth
- The platform is horizontal with the ceiling.

106
 HOT WATER: Be in (get into) hot water : to be in or get into a difficult
situation in which you are in danger of being criticized or punished
- He found himself in hot water over his comments about immigration.
 Household: a group of people, often a family, who live together
- By the 1960s, most households had a TV.
 Hover :Stay in one place in the air
- He hovered outside until he saw that she was free.
 Hull: Body of a ship
- A missile hit the hull of the ship.
 Humid: Damp
- Hong Kong is hot and humid in summer.
 Humidity: Dampness, moisture, water in the air
- I cannot tolerate humidity.
 Humorous: Funny, hilarious
- This book is very humorous.
 Hunky dory: Fine, O.K. quite satisfactory
- Everything is hunky dory with me.
 Hunt for sb or sth: to chase sb or sth for sport; to look for sb or sth.
- Frank likes to hunt for deer.
- I am hunting for a new piano.

 Hurricane: Strong wind of great force


- The south coast was hit by a hurricane last week.
 Hurry up: Make haste, move or do things more quickly
- Because we were late, we had to hurry up.
 Hydraulic: operated or moved by means of water; operated by liquid force
or power
- The brakes are operated by the hydraulic system.

107
 Hypocrite : Double faced ; pretender : a person who acts in contradiction to
his or her stated beliefs or feelings
- I object against him that he is a hypocrite.
Hypocrisy (n) Hypocritical (adj.)
 Hypothetical :supposed; theoretical; suggested assumed
- This is a purely hypothetical situation.
 Hysterical :unable to control your feelings or behavior; very funny
- Calm down, you're getting hysterical.
- His last film was hysterical.

108
 Icy: slippery
- Roads are very icy in the morning.
 Ideal : without fault; perfect, or the best possible
- She's the ideal person (= exactly the right type of person) for the job.
 Identify: Recognize
- The police needed someone to identify the dead body.
 Identification: Papers showing who we are; evidence of identity
- When we travel we should carry some identification with us.
 Idle: inactive
- Jerry is a very idle worker.
 if (the) worst comes to (the) worst : if the worst
possible thing happens
- If worst comes to worst, you can always ask me for help.
 Ignite: Light, give, the spark start
- I asked Jane to ignite the oil furnace (heating device).
 Ignore: Disregard, neglect
- The professor ignored my question and kept on lecturing.
 Illegal: Unlawful!, against regulations
- It is illegal to drive a car that is not taxed and insured.

109
 Illuminated: Lighted
- The targets were illuminated so we could see them at night.
 Imagine: Think, suppose
- I cannot imagine what he felt like.
 Imitate: to act like sb; behave in a similar way to sb or sth else, or to copy the
speech or behavior, etc. of sb or sth
- Children usually imitate their parents.
 Immediately: Right away, at once
- My father asked me to come home immediately after work.
 Immigrant (n) : a person who has come to a different country in order to live
there permanently ; Newcomer
- Illegal immigrants are sent back across the border if they are caught.
- Millions of immigrants came to America from Europe in the 19th century.
 Immigrate (v): to come to live in a different country
- He immigrated with his parents in 1895, and grew up in
- Migrant (n) : a person or animal that travels from one place to another
regularly in order to find work
- These birds are winter migrants from Scandinavia.
- The cities are full of migrants looking for work. migrant workers
 Imminent: impending; coming or likely to happen very soon : to be about to
occur
- The guy on the weather channel said that storms are imminent.
 Impact: Force
- Her speech had a great impact on the audience.
 Impasse : Deadlock; dead end ;a situation in which no progress seems
possible, especially because the people involved cannot agree
- The dispute had reached an impasse, as neither side would compromise.
 At an impasse: in disagreement
- The participants at the meeting were at an impasse.

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 Impediment: barrier, obstruction
- The injury was an impediment to his participation in the match.
 Impersonal: not showing any feelings; without human warmth and interest :
not personal
- My meeting with her was very impersonal.
 Implement (n): instalment, tool : a device
- My grandfather keeps a lot of implements in the storehouse.
 Implement (v): Carry out
- It was difficult for the ministry to implement the new rule.
 Imply: suggest, Indicate
- He did not say that I was lying; but he actually implied that.

 Import: Bring goods into the country


- We import a lot of goods from China.

 Imports: foreign goods

- The country has an excess of imports.


 Impractical : unusable
- The commander thought that the proposed plan was impractical.
 Impression: Effect; an idea or opinion of what something is like -I
think I made a good impression on your parents.

 First impression: first thoughts


- Ronald's first impression of the city was good.
 Improvise: Perform without preparation; do with whatever is at hand
- I hadn't prepared a speech so I suddenly had to improvise.
- To sleep on, we improvised a mattress from a pile of blankets

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 Impulse : a sudden desire; a strong wish to do something ; SIGNAL; a short
electrical, radio or light signal which carries information or instructions
between the parts of a system
- I resisted the impulse to laugh.
- The impulse is conducted along the length of the wire.
 Impulsive : rush; act or move very quickly
- Rosa was impulsive and sometimes regretted things she'd done.
 In accordance with: In agreement with, as stated by
- In accordance with the new regulations, students must be in class before 7 a.m
 In advance: A head of time.ً
- Mr. Roger said thai we had to pay the rent in advance
 In a good shape: Healthy, functioning very well
- Mary is still in a good shape.
 In for ages : for a very long time
- l’ve been waiting for ages.
- I haven 't seen Jay in ages.

 In a hurry: In a rush
- I could not wait for you this morning. I was in a hurry.
 In a nutshell: In a few words
- The manger said he'd try to explain the new law in a nutshell.
 ln a way: In a sense, to some extent
- I agree with him in a way. but I do not think I will try it.
 In all: Altogether
- The building was destroyed in all.
 in any case and in any event : no matter what happens.
- I intend to be home by supper time, but in any case by eight o’clock.
- In any event, I’ll see you this evening.

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 In an instant: Very quickly
- He solved the problem in an instant.
 In bad shape: In a difficult or poor condition
- The car became in a bad shape after the accident.
 In back of: Behind
- Tim waited for me in back of his car.
 Inon behalf of: For; in place of sb; for the benefit of sb
- Rose spoke at the meeting in behalf of the workers.
 In charge of: Having responsibility for
- Jerry is in charge of the shop today.
 Inconsolable: sad beyond comforting; extremely sad and despairing.
- Mrs. Jackson remained inconsolable for a long time after the accident.
 Identical to : the same as ; exactly the same, or very similar
- This book is the same as that one.
 Inequitable: not fair; good for some and bad for others
- For many years the distribution of land in the country was inequitable.
 Independent (ly): not requiring or relying on others; with no assistance
- This student works independently of others.

 In exchange to : ln return to
- Sue got four quarters in exchange for her one-dollar bill.
 in hand : in one's possession or control; in preparation; under
consideration
- He had one hundred dollars in hand.
 In place of: instead of ; as a substitute for
- Tim will be on the team in place of Fred.

- We sent a letter in place of the package.

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 Intended: planned
-Bob intended to write to his girlfriend as soon as he found the time.
 Inset: put in
- Jack had to insert a new sheet of paper.
 In stride: Without stopping
- They took the counter attack in stride.
 In the back of: in the back seat of a car
- Mary put her child in the back of the car.
 in the dark (about sb or sth): uninformed about sb or
sth; ignorant about sb or sth. (Typically: be ~; keep someone ~; stay ~.)
- I’m in the dark about who is in charge around here.

- She’s in the dark about how this machine works.

 In the course of: During


- Ronda got married in the course of her study.
 In the doghouse: in disfavor or disgrace; in trouble; if you are in
the dog house, sb is annoyed with you and shows their disapproval
- Mark was in the doghouse because his wife was mad at him.
 In the event of : In case of
- John will be in charge in the event of the boss absence.
 In the (very) nick of time : just in time; at the last possible
instant; just before it’s too late. (*Typically: arrive ~; get there ~; happen ~; reach
something ~; save someone ~.)
- The doctor arrived in the nick of time. The patient’s life was saved.

- I reached the airport in the very nick of time and made my fight.

 In the pink :In top condition; in very good health


- It is a beautiful morning and I feel in the pink.

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 In time : in due course and in due time: in good time; in the course of
time: in a normal or expected amount of time.
- The roses will bloom in due course.
- Just wait, my dear. All in good time.
- In time, things will improve.
 In tune with :In agreement
- Some of your ideas are not in tune with those of the boss.
 In vain: Futile, without any result
- We tried in vain to reach him before he leaves the office.
 Incandescent: Lighting with heat, shinning
- I bought some incandescent light bulbs.
 Incapacitate: To make sb unable
- We were completely incapacitated by the heat.
 Income: Money earned
- It is sometimes difficult for a family to live on one income.
 Inconclusive: uncertain
- The result of my research was inconclusive.
 Incorporate: Unite together; include
- The report will incorporate all the information you need.
 Incredible: Unbelievable, fascinating
- His story was incredible.
- He earns an incredible salary.
 Incursion: a sudden attack on or act of going into a place, especially across a
border
- They were outraged by our incursion into Cambodia.
 Independently: Alone, with no assistance
- Some scientists Like to work independently.

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 Indicate: Show, Signify
- The report indicates the need for more work..
 Indispensable: absolutely necessary : ESSENTIAL
- Computer is indispensable to modern life.
 individual: One person
- We must stress the importance of the individual in society.
 Indulgence : yield to the desire; Foolish behavior; Demented
- Chocolate is my only indulgence.
 Inexpensive: Cheap
- The boat we bought was inexpensive.
 Inferior: Poor, of poor quality, cheesy
- Cheaper goods are generally of inferior quality.
 Inflammable: flammable, easy burn
- Be careful with that substance; it is inflammable.
The opposite :a noninflammable :nonflammable
 Inflate: Fill, fill with air
- Joan inflated the rubber boat with air.
 Inhabited: Populated, having population
- Are these islands inhabited with people?
 Injure: Hurt, harm
- Al injured his leg in a car accident.
 Iniquity : a very wrong and unfair action or situation; sin
- The writer reflects on human injustice and iniquity.
 Inquire: Ask about
- We need to inquire about hotels in Spain before we leave.
 Inspect: Look at, Examine
- The detective inspected the room for fingerprints.

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 Installation: a military camp, fort, or base
- Being transferred to another installation, Ed left the base.
 Instant: Small amount of time
- At that instance, i realized that I had been tricked.
 Instantaneous: Immediate
- Karl death was instantaneous
 Instantly: Right away, at once
- I asked him a question and he replied instantly.
 Intersect : to cross one another
- The roads intersect near the bridge.
 Intersection: crossroads; crossways ; the place where two or more roads join
or cross each other
- He stopped at the intersection.
 Instructions: Orders, directions
- In the army, senior officers" instructions must be followed.
 Insulated: covered for protection
- You can touch this wire; it is insuiated.
 Integration: consolidation; desegregation; the act or process or an instance
of integrating; the operation of solving a differential equation
- He called for greater integration with Europe.
 Intend: Plan
- I intended to call you but i completely forgot.
 Intense: Strong
- Do not enter the kitchen. The heat is intense.
 Intention: Purpose, aim
- I was joking; I didn't have the intention to mimic (imitate) him.
 Interior: Inside
- I would love to see the interior of the car first.

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 Interpret: Explain, translate verbally
- I could not interpret his behavior.
- I will interpret for you.
 Interval: period between two events
- The interval between major earthquakes might be 200 years.
 Introduce: Present
- The teacher introduced a new student to the class.
 Introduction: Beginning, prologue, preface
- I liked the introduction you wrote in your last book.
 Introverted : a reserved or shy person with an inclination to solitude
- Mike was a lonely, introverted child.
 Invariably: always
- The train is invariably late.
 Invert: Turn upside down
- Some pilots can invert their planes while flying.
 Investigate: Look into
- A murder was reported and police were sent to investigate.
 Invisible: cannot be seen
- The air in this room is invisible.
 Involve :Include ;to engage as a participant; to oblige to take part
- The job involves a lot of traveling.
 Iron out: Remove small problems or differences; to ease a problem; to
smooth out a problem.
- It’s only a little problem. l can iron it out very quickly.
- Though the plan is fixed, few details have to be ironed out.
 Irregular: Not uniform
- His visits to his parents became more and more irregular.

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 Irritated: Angry, annoyed
- The way he speaks irritates me.
 Isolate: Separate
- The island we visited was very isolated.
 Issue: Give out, publish
- The bank will issue a new five dollar- bill.
- My visa will be issued soon.
 It is compulsory: You have to do it
- Learning English is compulsory in our school.
 It’s about time! : It is almost too late!; later than you expected,
finally. I’ve been waiting a long time! (Said with impatience.) - So you finally got
here! It’s about time!

- They finally paid me my money. It’s about time!

 IT’S BEYOND ME: not capable of understanding it ; beyond our


ability to understand. - I can’t help you with that
math problem. Higher mathematics is beyond me.
 It’s no use crying over spilled milk. and Don’t
cry over spilled milk. Prov. Do not be upset about making a mistake, since
you cannot change that now.
- OK, so you broke the drill I lent you. Don’t cry over spilled milk.

 Itch: Scratch or rub; cause an uncomfortable feeling on the skin


- I can't wear wool - it makes me itch.
 Itinerary: route; the route of a journey or tour or the proposed outline of
one; a traveler's guidebook; a travel diary
- Thomas will follow the same itinerary that we did.

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 Jack up: to raise sth up on a mechanical lifting device; to raise the price of sth.
- Please jack up the car.
- The store keeps jacking prices up.
 Jagged : having a sharply uneven edge or surface ; rough and with sharp
points; having a harsh, rough, or irregular quality
- We picked our way carefully over the jagged rocks.
 Jammed up: Crowded
- We could not pass because the traffic was so jammed up.
 Jar: Glass container
- I cannot unscrew the lid of the jar.
 JAW: a talk: a chat
- I met Jane and we had a good jaw over lunch.
 Jettison: throw overboard ; to get rid of something or someone that is not
wanted or needed
- We finally realized that we needed to jettison the cargo.
- to decide not to use an idea or plan
- We've had to jettison our holiday plans because of David's accident.
 Jibe with: Agree with; conform to; similar to; matches
- What you said did not jibe up with what the colonei told us.
 Jinx : bring bad luck to : bad luck, or a person or thing that is believed to
bring bad luck
- That guy is a jinx. - He felt like he'd finally broken the jinx.

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 Jittery: Worried; nervous; shaky and slightly uncontrolled
- He felt all jittery before the interview.
- I get really jittery if I drink too much coffee
 Jockey: pilot ; rider ; driver
- Jim is a jet jockey in the air force.
 Jot down: Write quickly; make a quick note
- Let me jot down your address.
 Jug: Container
- Mary can drink a jug of water.
 Jump all over sb: to scold someone severely.
- If I don’t get home on time, my parents will jump all over me.
 Jump the gun: Begin before the starting time; do sth too soon
- We jumped the gun and left an hour earlier.
 Jump to conclusions: Make a hasty decision; judge or decide
something without having all the facts
- Do not jump to conclusions before you hear from CaptTim.
 Junk: (n) Useless articles; scrap: (v) to get rid of as worthless
- We should get rid of this junk or find a place to put it in.
 Just In time: Exactly
- John arrived just in time.
 Just the same ; all the same ;nevertheless; anyhow; despite what has just been
said; there is no difference
- They were told not to bring presents, but they brought them all the same.
- His parents told him to stay home, but John went out just the same.
 Justice: Fairness
- We are all struggling for justice.

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 Keep a straight face: Remain serious
- I cannot keep a straight face Whenever John speaks.
 Keep a breast of: Be informed; knowing the news about sb or sth
- The report kept the commander abreast of the situation.
 Keep an eye on: watch or monitor sb or sth closel
- I asked the baby-sitter to keep an eye on the children.
 Keep at it! : Keep doing what you are doing!; Keep trying!
(Said as encouragement to keep working at something.)
- The boss told me to keep at it every time he passed my desk.
- Keep at it, Tom! You can do it!
 Away from (sb or sth): avoiding sb or sth (Typ: get ~; keep ~; stay~.)
- Please keep away from me if you have a cold.
 Keep clear of: Avoid ; away from something.
- Minefields are very dangerous. You must keep clear of them.
 keep one’s chin up: to keep one’s spirits high; to act brave and
confident.
- Keep your chin up, John. Things will get better.
- Just keep your chin up and tell the judge exactly what happened.

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 keep one’s fingers crossed (for sb or sth) and
cross one’s fingers: to wish for luck for sb or sth, sometimes by actually
crossing one’s fingers; to hope for a good outcome for sb or sth.
- I hope you win the race Saturday. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.
- I’m trying out for a play. Keep your fingers crossed!
 keep fit : to keep in good physical condition.
- I do everything I can to keep fit.
 Keep bear in mind: Remember
- Keep in mind that you might face a lot of problems in you trip.
 Keep in touch (with sb or sth) and remain in touch (with sb or sth);
stay in touch (with sb or sth): to maintain communications with sb; to
maintain up-to-date knowledge about sb or sth.
- After my neighbor moved, we still remained in touch.
- I want to stay in touch with my office over the weekend.
 Keep in touch. Good-bye. (Sometimes a sarcastic way of saying good-bye to
someone one doesn’t care about.)
- Nice talking to you. Keep in touch.
- Sorry, we can’t use you anymore. Keep in touch.
 Keep sb notified: Keep him posted or abreast; to keep someone informed (of
what is happening); to keep someone up to date.
- If you want to do it, you must keep the caption notified.
 Keep (sbsth) off sth : to not go onto an area, or to stop sb or sth going onto an
area; not step on an area
- There was a notice saying 'Keep off the grass'.
 Keep on : continue
- I'm not ready to stop yet. I think I'll keep on working for a while.
 Keep out : to remain outside ; not allow sb to enter
- You should keep out of the darkroom
 keep something to oneself : to keep something a secret.
- I want you to keep this news to yourself.

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 Keep quiet : stop talking
- The commander told the men to stop talking. He said, “Keep quiet.”
 Keep up with: Maintain or stay at the same level with
- Do not walk so fast. I cannot keep up with you.
 Keep your shirt hair on: Just wait a minute!; stop being
so angry or upset
- Keep your shirt on! Your car isn't badly damaged!

- Keep your shirt on; I am hurrying as fast as I can.

 Kerosene: fuel
- Mary’s husband went out to buy more kerosene for the heater.
 Kettle: a small container used for boiling liquids
- Could you plug in the electric kettle, please?
 Kick off: Begin
- The premier will kick off a discussion on free trade next week.
 Kick out : expel; force someone to leave because of hisher poor performance
or unacceptable behavior.
- Jim's club kicked him out because he didn't pay his dues or come to meetings.
 Kick the bucket: Die
- I heard that the old man finally kicked the bucket.
 Kidding: Joking
- Jeremy was kidding when he said that he was quitting his job.
 Kill off : to drink all of s sth: to destroy sth completely
- We killed off two six-packs watching the game.

- The use of pestieicles is killing of bircls, fish and willdlife.

 Kinfolk :Relatives
- I like to meet with my kinfolks.

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 Kink: a sore or painful muscle, especially in the neck or back ; an unwanted
twist or bend in a wire, rope, pipe, etc. that is usually straight ; A person with
unusual sexual tastes.
- He got a kink in his neck from lying in that awkward position for too long
- There must be a kink in the pipe.
 Kit: A set of tools
- The soldiers must pack their kit before they move.
 Knack: Ability, talent, skill
- Driving is not difficult once you got the knack of it.
 Knob: Nub, handle
- To operate this machine, you need first to turn this knob.
 Knock out : make unconscious.
- That medicine really knocked me out. I slept for 14 hours straight!
 Knock it off: Shut up ; Be quiet!; Stop that noise! Stop doing that!
- The boys were very naughty, so I told them to knock it off.
 Know-how: Ability, knowledge
- We want someone with technical know-how in this field.
 know sb or sth like the palm of one’s hand
and know sb or sth like the back of one’s hand; know sb or sth like a book: to
know sb or sth very well.
- Of course I know John. I know him like the back of my hand.
- I know him like a book.

125
 Lag: move or make progress so slowly; fall behind
- He's lagging behind a bit - I think we'd better wait for him to catch us up.
- Some of the men began to lag as the march wore on.
 Land: Arrive
- The pilot landed his airplane safely.
 Landing time: Arrival time
- Joan asked the flight attendant about the landing time.
 Lap: thighs; the front part of a person between the hips and the knees when
seated
- Mrs. Becker has the baby on her lap.
 Last resort:
- be your last resort : to be the only person or thing that might be able to help
you, when every other person or possibility has failed
- You have to help me - you're my last resort.
- as a last resort (in the last resort ) : if all other methods fail
- British police are supposed to use guns only as a last resort.
 Lately: Recently
- I have not been doing anything lately.
 Latest: Modern
- They have bought the latest in new machinery.

126
 Latter: Opposite of former, second of two; near or towards the end of sth
- Building of the new library should begin in the latter part of next year.
- The options were history or geography. I chose the latter.
 Launch: Start or fire; begin
- The enemy launched their attack at dawn.
 Lawn: an area of smooth cut grass
- I am going to mow the lawn this afternoon.
 Laws: Regulations
- Many drivers do not abide with traffic laws.
 Lay it out: to explain a plan of action or a sequence of events; to
spend some amount of money
- Let me lay it out for you. - She laid out about $24,000 for that car.
 Lay off ((from) sth): to cease doing sth.
- Lay off from your hammering for a minute, will you?
 Lay off ((of ) sb or sth): stop doing sth to sb or sth; stop bothering sb or sth.
- Lay off of me! You’ve said enough.
 Lay off (sb or sth): to leave sb or sth alone.
- Lay off me! I didn’t do anything!
 Lead on: Deceive, mislead
- He will not offer anything, i think he is leading me on.
 Leading: In the front
- Ronaldo has been the leading goal scorer this season.
 Leaf: a thin sheet of paper
- I asked Al to hand me that leaf.
 Lean: to incline, or bend from a vertical position, rest against
- He leaned back in his chair.
 Leap: jump, hop
- The horse leapt over the wall.

127
 Lease : A contract granting use of property during a specified time for a
specified payment; Rent
- He has the flat on a long lease.
- The lease runs expires in two years' time.
 Leather: Skin of animals
- This jacket is made of leather.
 Leave out: neglect; ot include or mention (sb or sth); forget; omit
- They always leave her out of the conversation.
 Leaving soon: Departing in short time
- We will be leaving soon
 Lecture: A formal talk
- Dr. Lane gave us an interesting lecture on biology.
 Leer: look or smile at sb in an unpleasant way
- He leered at me.
 Legacy : money or property that you receive from sb after they die
- An elderly cousin had left her a small legacy.
 Legislation : lawmaking ; law enacted by a legislative body
- The legislation has a fundamental weakness.
 Legislature : lawmaking group
- Laws for the political units in the state are put by legislatures.
 Leisure time: Free time
- What do you do in your leisure time?
 Lemon: Something defective; something that does not work
- Only one of his inventions turned out to be a lemon.
 Lend: Give
- I asked jolin to lend me some money.
 Let down: Disappoint
- He promised to help me, but at the last minute, he let me down.

128
 Let it down: to allow to descend gradually
- This plane is flying too high. We should let it down.
 Let the cat out of the bag :reveal a secret or a surprise
by accident.
- It’s a secret. Try not to let the cat out of the bag.
 Let up: Stop; reduce pressure, intensity, strength or demands
- Do let up. You are getting too upset.
- I do not know when the rain will let up.
 Level (Adj.): even, flat, flush, plane, smooth; horizontal
- The field must be level.
- Danny built his house on level ground.
 Level with: to tell the truth; to speak honestly to (sb)
- He never leveled with his parents about the accident.
 Lie down : a short rest, usually in bed ; to recline.
- I usually have a bit of a lie down after lunch.
- She said she was going for a lie down.
 Lift: Raise
- I took two men to lift the piano.
 like a bat out of hell: very fast
- The boy was running down the street like a bat out of hell.
 Like a fish out of water : appearing to be completely out
of place; in a very awkward manner.
- Whenever I am with your friends, I feel like a fish out of water.
 like a million dollars (bucks) : very good or well.
(Usuallywith verbs such as feel, look, run, etc.)
- Man, I feel like a million.
- Your new hairdo looks like a million dollars.
 (Un) Likely: (im) probable, (im) possible
- John is a likely candidate for the job.

129
 Limitations: restrictions
- Living in a flat is all right, but it has its limitations - for example, you don't have
your own garden.
 Limited: Restricted
- I had a limited number of books in my library.
 Line up with : to form a line
- The corporal asked me to line up with the other soldiers.
 Linear measurement: Measures length like: inch
- The inch is a linear measurement.
 Linger: to remain alive ;stay ; to move slowly; move to and fro.
- Unfortunately the tax will linger on until April.
 Lining: Inner surface
- I have torn the lining of my coat.
 Linkage: connection
- He repaired the connection in the helicopter control.
 Liquid diet: drink juice and soup
- Jamey had to be on a liquid diet while he was sick.

 Liquor: Alcoholic drinks like wine


- Do you care for (like) for some liquor?
 Listen closely: With attention
- Frank listens closely to the message.
 Literal : Exact or basic meaning
- The literal meaning of the word " cat " is an animal.

 Little by little: Gradually


- After the accident, Mary's strength returned little by little.

130
 Live on :Survive
- Some people are very poor; they live on bread and water.
 Live up to sth : be as good as expexted; to fulfill expectations; to satisfy a goal.
(Often with one’s reputation, promise, standards, etc.)
- I hope I can live up to my reputation.

 Loaded with: having or carrying a large amount of (sth); crowded


- Her arms were loaded with books.
- The car was loaded with supplies for the trip.
- Most fast foods that are loaded with fat
- The theater was loaded with people.
 Loan: Lend
- The bank is going to loan me the money.
 Log: written record of a shipan airplane journey
- Everything about the journey is written in the log.
 Logistics: support, transportation and supply in the army
- Maj Kim is our new logistic officer.
 Longevity: long life
- I wish you both health and longevity.
 Look after: Take care of
- I asked Tim to look after the kids if I am out.
 Look around (at sth) : to investigate sth; study sth visually.
- I went in and looked around.
 Look around for sb or sth : to seek sb or sth out.
- Look around for Ted and tell him to come home.
 Look around (in) some place :to investigate some place.
- Look around the kitchen. You will find what you want.
 Look at: Inspect, examine
- The mechanic wanted to look at the car.

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 Look back on: to think about sb or sth in the past; remember
- When I look back, I am amazed at all I have accomplished.
 Look down on: treat as inferior, disrespect, disapprove
- Do not let anyone look down on you.
 Look for : try to find
- I am looking for the address of Bill Wilson.
 Look forward to: anticipate sth with pleasure, eagerly wait for sth.
- We are looking forward to hearing from Jade,
 Look in on: a visit to check sth or sb’s condition
- I plan to look in on some old friends when I'm in town.
 Look into: Investigate; ckeck into; examine the facts
- A committee was set up to look into the cause of the accident.
 Look like : take after: resemble (in appearance).
- Does he look like his father or his mother?
 Look out: watch out; be careful
- Look out ! there is a car coming.
 Look over: Review, examine
- I will look over your paper as soon as I finish mine.
 Look a word up: Find its meaning
- I looked up the meaning of some words in the dictionary.
 Look out upon: Face, overlook
- My apartment looks out upon the park.
 Look up: Search for, locate and visit; find: to cheer up
- We were trying to look up her phone in the phone book.
 Look up to: to respect and admire (someone)
- I've always looked up to my older brother.

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 Loony: crazy; foolish
- Jack is a loony person.
 Lobby: the (large) room into which the main entrance door opens in a hotel or
other large building
- Mary is in the lobby of Asian Hotel.
 Loose :Free ;not rigidly fastened or securely attached
- There is a loose wheel on the right side of the car.
 Lose touch with: Have no more contact with sb
- I hope I don ’t lose Contact with you.
 lose one’s touch (with sb or sth): to lose one’s ability
to handle sb or sth.
- I seem to have lost my touch with my children. They won’t listen to me anymore.
 lose track (of sb or sth): to lose contact with someone; to
forget where something is.
- I lost track of all my friends from high school.
- Tom has lost track of his glasses again.
 Lottery ticket: a gambling game ticket.
- Ryan buys a lottery ticket every day.
 Lousy: very bad; awful
- He gave a lousy speech.
 Lubricant: a substance (such as grease or oil) capable of reducing friction,
heat, and wear when introduced as a film between solid surfaces
- You must use a thick lubricant in the summer.
 Luck out :be unexpectedly lucky; get sth that you want by chance.
- We lucked into tickets for the World Cup fnals.
 Lucky : Fortunate
- You are lucky to have Mr. Nelson as your coach.
 Lumber: Wood
- We used a lot of lumber to build the new cabin.
 Lunar vehicle: Used on the moon
- The vehicles used on the moon are called lunar vehicles.

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 Mad: Insane
- The students in this class are driving me mad.
 made for each other [of two people]: very well suited
romantically.
- Bill and Jane were made for each other.
 Main: Principal
- My main reason for studying English is to get a better job.
 Mainly: Mostly, Primarily
- The students here are mainly from Japan.
 Maintain: Keep machine, building, etc. in good condition; continue to have
- We need to maintain the quality of our work .
- His mother maintains that Jack is innocent. (= insist)
 Major: Important
- We have not faced any major problems in this course.
 Majority: Most of the people
- The majority of the students in this class are Arab.
 Make for : go to or toward; to go in the direction of a place or thing; result in;
cause; to result in or make possible.
- They made for the centre of town.
- Having faster computers wauld make for a more efficient system.

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 Make a fortune: Get rich, gain lots of money
- She mad a fortune (or a killing) out of her late book.
 make a fuss (over sb or sth) : to worry about or make a
bother about sb or sth; to be very helpful toward a person or a pet; to argue
about sb or sth; to give someone a lot of attention and treat them well
- Please don’t make a fuss. Everything will be all right.
- She doesn't see her grandchildren very often so she makes a real fuss of them
when she does.
- Please don’t make a fuss over who gets the last cookie.
 make a living from sth and make a living by doing sth : to
earn enough money to live; to earn a living from sth or by doing sth.
- John makes a living from painting houses.
 make a scene and create a scene: make a public display or
disturbance.
- Oh, John, please don’t make a scene. Just forget about it.
- When John found a fly in his drink, he started to create a scene.
 Make fun of : sb or sth to ridicule sb or sth
- I am makingfun of your hat.
 Make believe: Pretend
- Children make believe they are grown up when they play.
 Make progress: get along; achieve sth ; move forward in one's work or
activity
- Jane is making progress in. her studies.
 Make room for: Provide space for
- Will you make some room for me so I may sit next to you?
 make it (to) : to reach some place; be able to attend an event at a place;
to arrive somewhere (successfully): to achieve one’s goals.
- I couldn ’t make it to the party.
- We are going to have a meeting at noon. Can you make it?
- I can see by looking around this room that you have really made it.

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 Make it snappy: Hurry up; Move quickly and smartly
- We do not have all the day here; we have to make it snappy.
 make someone’s mouth water: to make sb hungry (for
sth); to cause saliva to flow in sb’s mouth.
- Talking about food makes my mouth water.
 Make out: Distinguish, manage to see , hear or understand sth or sb with
difficulty
- I could not make her out in the crowd.
- Ruth's writing is very small. I almost need a magngy glass to make it out.
 make or break sb [of a task, job, career choice] : to bring success to
or improve, or ruin, someone; crucial as far as success or failure
- The army will either make or break him.
- It’s a tough assignment, and it will either make or break her.
- The next few weeks will be make or break for that company.
 make sure (of sth) : to check sth and be certain about it.
- Please make sure of your facts before you write the report.
 Make up (n): Cosmetics
- She does not wear any make up at work.
 Make up: To wear cosmetics
- I will make you up for the party. Liz made up an excuse to leave early.
 Make up : invent create (imaginary) information.
- Judy's story is hard to believe. I'm sure she made it up.
 Make up : compensate for something missed or not done by doing extra or
equivalent work.

- I'm sorry I missed the test. May I make it up?


 Make up (with): re-establish a friendly relationship by admitting guilt.
- Jack and his girlfriend were very angry with each other, but last night they finally
made up with each other.

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 Make up one's mind or Make one's mind up:to decide
- Have you made up your mind about the new apartment?
- Please make your mind up about Ralph. Will you pick him or not?
 Make waves: Cause trouble difficulty
- If you make waves around here, you will be fired soon.
 Malleable: easily trained or adaptable, molded
- Jeremy is a very malleable person.
 Malfunction: Parts are not functioning, defect
- The new machine has a lot of malfunctions.
 Manage: conduct; deal; handle
- Mrs. Croak manages the new hotel downtown.
 Mandatory: Obligatory, required
- Wearing uniforms is mandatory in some schools.
 Manifest: clear; visible; easily noticed or obvious
- The anger he felt is manifest in his paintings.
 Man-made: Not natural, artificial
- Polyester is a man-made kind of fabric.
 Manual: Done by hand
- My car has a manual gearbox.
 Manual: Pamphlet
- All the instruction you want are written in the manual.
 Manufacture: Make
- My car is manufactured in Germany.
 Mark up : increase the price
- Mrs. White's import shop is profitable because she buys things inexpensively and
then marks them up.
 Mark down : reduce the price
- These shoes were really a bargain! The store marked them down by 40%!

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 Mass: Large amount, bulk
- There are masses of clouds in the sky.
- I saw masses of people.

 Mate: friend
- David took his mate with him to the party.
 Maximum: Greatest
- What is the maximum speed on the high way?
 Mean (adj.) : unkind or unpleasant
- Stop being so mean to me!
- She just said it to be mean.

 Melt: thaw, dissolve


- The sun has melted the ice.
 Mend : to repair something that is broken or damaged
- Could you mend this hole in my shirt?
 Mental: Of the mind
- A Child's mental development is first noticed by his parents.
 Menu: List of food
- Ail the kinds of food you like are written in the menu.
 Merchandise: goods, stock
- A lot of merchandise is stored in this room.
 Merchant: Trader
- My father is a merchant.
 Merge : to combine or join together, or to cause things to do this;mix
- They decided to merge the two companies into one.
 Mess: Being dirty and untidy
- The kitchen is in a terrible mess.

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 mess around (with sth) and mess about (with sth); monkey
around (with sth) : play with or fiddle with sth idly and with no good purpose
; to experiment with sth; to use and learn about sth
- Don’t mess around with the ashtray. You’ll break it if you don’t stop messing
about with it.
- We had been messing about with some new video techniques when we
made our discovery.
 Mess up: Ruin, do something wrong
- Jane messed her room up.
 Mercury: A silver-colored poisonous metal
- Mercury is used a lot in thermometers.
 Meteorologist: a weatherman
- My brother is a meteorologist.
 Method: Process, way
- We are being taught new methods in teaching languages
 Meticulous : very careful and with great attention to every detail
- He was so meticulous about everything.
 Mighty: Very; very large, powerful or important
- That is mighty kind of you.
 Mileage: MONEY FOR TRAVEL : an allowance for traveling expenses at a
certain rate per mile: DISTANCE TRAVELLED: the total miles traveled
especially in a given period of time
- Smaller cars have better mileage and so cost less to run.
 Mild: Moderate
- We had a mild winter last year.
 Mind (v): Care, object
- Do you mind opening the door?
 Mingle : to mix , or be combined: to come into contact : BE WITH
- Oil will not mingle with water.
- He mingles only with millionaires

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 Minimize: make smaller
- We shall try to minimize the risks to the public.
 Minimum: Least
- A normal person needs a minimum of seven hours sleep.
 Minor: Unimportant, not serious
- She was admitted into the hospital for a minor operation.
 Mishap : bad luck; an unfortunate accident; MISFORTUNE
- The parade was very well organized and passed without mishap.
 Miss: Not catch, not understand
- I missed the bus this morning.
- They student missed my point.
 Miss lose out (on sth): fail to participate or take part in sth
- I missed out on getting in the class photo because I was sick that day.
 Miss the point: Do not understand
- Mr. Paul told his student that they had missed the point.
 Mission: Assignment
- Our mission was to send reports back to our central command.
 Mixed up: bring sth into disorder or into a state of confusion.
- Don’t mix up the papers on my desk.
- He has been very mixed-up since his parents' divorce.
 Mixture of sth: a combination of several different kinds
- I stood there with a mixture of amazement and horror.
 Mobility: the ability to move freely or be easily moved
- She has limited mobility in her arms.
- In this job, mobility is requirement. (=being able to travel)
 Modernistic: unprecedented (never having happened or existed in the past)
- The new airport has a very modernistic appearance.

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 Modify: Change; alter
- The plan needs to be modified slightly.
 Mohair :a soft wool or cloth made from the outer hair of goats
- Mohair is used in sweaters, scarves and coats.
 Momentarily: For a moment; at any moment : in a moment
- Sometimes I loose concentration momentarily.
 Monitor : Watch or check
- The nurse monitored the patient's temperature.
 Monogram: initials of a name.
- This is not my bag; my bag has a monogram.
 Motion: Movement
- The swaying motion of the ship made us all feel sick.
 Motivated: Interested in doing sth
- Some students in this class are motivated but not ardent.
 Motor: Engine
- I think something is wrong with washing machine motor.
 Mount: Get up on
- Sam mounted the platform.

- Ed mounted his horse.

 Move: Change the place


- Our neighbors sold their house and moved to another place.
 Mural: a large painted picture on the wall of a room or building
- He painted a big mural on the side of the building.

 Multiply: Increase in number


- Our profits have multiplied over the last three years.

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 Mum’s the word: not to reveal a secret or to tell about sth or sb;
used to say that some information is being kept secret or should be kept
secret.
- “Mum’s the word,” said Jane to ease Mary’s mind about her secret.
- We want her birthday party to be a surprise, so mum's the word.
 Murky: not clear, dark and dirty
- The water looked very murky.
 Muslin: a very thin cotton material
- A 19th-century painting of a girl in a muslin dress hung on the wall.

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 Named after sb: To be given his name
- My son was named after his uncle.
 Name (v): Appoint, choose
- Three candidates were named to fill the new position.
 Napkin : a piece of material (such as cloth or paper) used at table to wipe the
lips or fingers and protect the clothes
- Her father cleaned his glasses with a paper napkin.
 Narrate: (v) Tell about: (n) Narration
- The way he narrated the story was fascinating.
- The understanding of the story depends on its narration.
 Narrow: Not wide
- This is a very narrow road.
 Nasty : bad or very unpleasant ; Repulsive
- There's a nasty smell in here.
 Nauseate: sick: to feel as if they are going to vomit
- I feel nauseated by that smell.
 Neat: Clean and tidy, trim
- Please keep your room neat and tidy.

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 Needle :Pin-like device
- The compass has two needles.
 Neglected: not taken care of, deteriorated
- The area we live in is completely neglected.
 Negotiate: to solve disagreement; to discuss something formally in order to
make an agreement or to arrive at the settlement of some matter
- The two parties negotiated their differences.
 Nervous: Little excited, worried
- Mary was very nervous after the exam.
 Neutral: Not saying yes or no; NO OPINION
- We remained neutral during the war.
 news flash : a report on an important piece of news that is given in
the middle of another television or radio show —often used ironically when
one is saying something that is not new or surprising
- News flash! Your brother's late again!
- We interrupt our programmes for a news flash.
 Next to: Beside, near, by
- He sat next to me.
 nine-to-five job: a job with normal daytime hours; regular
work schedule (based on 9:00-5:00) - I used to work
nights, but now I have a nine-to-five job.
 Nip in the bud: : to stop (something) immediately so that it does
not become a worse problem
- If I don't nip it in the bud, he'll keep doing it.
 Nippy: COLD CHILLY; quick; sharp
- It is a little bit nippy outside, i wish we had a stove
 Nitty-gritty: Most important facts; the basic facts of a situation
- Let us get down to the nitty-gritty of the problem.

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 no laughing matter : a serious issue or problem.
- This disease is no laughing matter. It’s quite deadly if not treated immediately.
 no matter what (happens) : in any event; without regard to
what happens (in the future).
- We’ll be there on time, no matter what.
- No matter what happens, we’ll still be friends.
 Nod off : fall sleep (usually unintentionally).
- Jack Father always nods off after Sunday lunch.
 Nook and cranny: every place : everywhere: every part
- We searched every nook and cranny.
- He knows every nook and cranny of that engine.
 Normal: as usual
- It was a normal day.
 not all sth is cracked up to be and not what sth is
cracked up to be: not as good as sth is said to be or expected.
- This isn’t a very good pen. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
 not givebudgemove an inch: refuse to change
your decision or opinion, even though people are trying to persuade you to do this.
- Neither side is prepared to give an inch in the negotiations.
 Not guilty: Innocent
- Some of defendants were found not guilty.
 not lift a finger (to help sb) and not lift a hand (to help
sb) : to do nothing to help someone.
- They wouldn’t lift a finger to help us.
- Can you imagine that they wouldn’t lift a finger?

 Not relevant: Irrelevant ; not related to the subject at hand.


- The examples given in your third paragraph are not relevant.
 Notice (N+V): Announcement, see
- There is a notice on your board. I did not notice him leave

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 Notify: Tell, inform; notify
- I will call Ed to notify him about the situation.
- Did you notify the doctor?
 Novice: Beginner
- I cannot let him do it alone. He is still a novice.
 Nudge: push, move
- She gave me a nudge to tell me to shut up.
 Numb: Can't feel anything; insensible
- My hand is numb.
 Numerous: Very, many
- There are numerous kinds of birds in the cage.

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 Object (n): Aim, goal
- Making money is his sole object in life.
 Object (v) : feel or express opposition to or dislike of sth or sb
- Would anyone object if we started the meeting now?
 Objective: (n) Aim
- Our objective is to finish our work by the end of this year.
 Objective: (adj.) based on real facts and not influenced by personal beliefs or
feelings
- I can't really be objective when I'm judging my daughter's work.
 Objectively: (adv.) Without bias
- News in our channel is given objectively.
 Obligation: Duty, you should do it
- We have a moral obligation to help people who are in need.
 Obscure: hidden
- The view was obscured by fog.
 Observe: watch
- The manager was observing everything I did.

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 Obsolete: Out of date, old
- Do not use this term again. It is obsolete.
 Obstacle: Hindrance
- We had to deal with different obstacles during the exercise.
 Obstinate: stubborn
- Am I the only one who finds Lt Jones to be obstinate?
 Obstruct: Block
- You will obstruct the traffic if you park here.
 Obvious: Easy to see, apparent
- It was obvious that smoking is prohibited (prevented).
 Occasionally: From time to time, sometimes; now and then
- We see each other occasionally.
- Dick drinks a coffee occasionally.
 Occupied: Busy, used
- The game kept the children occupied. - This seat is occupied.
 Occur: Take place, happen
- The accident occurred late last night.
 Odd: Strange, unusual
- It is odd that she did not call to say she could not come.
 odds and ends : various things of different types, usually small and
not important or of little value; miscellaneous articles ‫؛‬
- I've taken most of the big things to the new house, but there are a few odds and
ends left to collect.
 Of no consequence :Of no importance
- What he said was of no consequence to me.
 off duty : not working at one’s job. (The opposite of on duty.)
- I’m sorry, I can’t talk to you until I’m off duty.
- The police officer couldn’t help me because he was off duty.

148
 off the hook : freed from an obligation; have escaped from a
difficult situation (Typically: be ~; get ~; get sb ~; let sb ~.)
- Thanks for getting me off the hook. I didn’t want to attend that meeting.
 Offend :commit a crime
- Obviously if a police officer offends it's a fairly serious matter
 Often: frequently
- We often go to the movies.
 Oil: lubricate, grease
- The engine has to be lubricated regularely.
 Oiliness : covered with oil ; excessively smooth; flattery
- The seeds, however, are oily, and this oiliness preserves them.
 an old hand at doing soth: sb who is experienced at doing sth.
- The maid was an old hand at polishing silver.
- Bob is an old hand at training dogs.
 Omit: Skip
- The editor omitted several lines from my article.
 On account of: Because of, due to
- She resigned on account of poor health.
- Many people are injured every day on account of carelessness.
 on all hands or on every hand: EVERYWHERE
- The patrol got lost and the leader suddenly realized that the enemy were on all
hands.
 On hand: Available
- Did they have the equipment you ordered on hand?
 on (the) staff: working as a member of the group of people
employed by an organization or business.
- We have a full time nurse on staff.
- He's been on the staff for 25 years.
- Colonel Walter is the senior officer on the staff

149
 on one’s own: independently without help; for or by oneself
- He made the decision on his own.
- Our baby can now walk on his own.
 On purpose: Deliberately, intentionally
- You did that on purpose. I think you should apologize.
 On sale: The price is reduced
- I found many items on sale at the close out.
 on second thought: after thinking about something again
- On second thought, let’s not go to a movie.
 on target : on schedule; exactly as predicted; exactly appropriate;
accurate; correct: The opposite (Off target: not valid; inaccurate) - Your
estimate of the cost was right on target.
- My prediction was not on target.
 on the ball : knowledgeable; competent; attentive; to be quick to
understand and react to things
- I didn't sleep well last night and I'm not really on the ball today.
- This guy is really on the ball
- have sth on the ball: to have a particular amount of smartness or cleverness.
- Both John and Mary have a lot on the ball. They should go far.
- I think I’d do better in school if I had more on the ball. I learn slowly.
 On the blink and on the fritz:Out of order, not working correctly;
- This machine is on the blink.
 On (the) condition that : only if
- He taught me the trick on condition that I never tell anyone else how to do it.
 on the go : busy; moving about busily ; constantly or restlessly active
- I’m usually on the go all day long.
- on the good side of sb and on sb’s good side: in sb’s favor.
(Typically: be ~; get ~.)
- I tried to get on the good side of the teacher, but that teacher has no good side.
- First of all, don’t try to get on the boss’s good side.

150
 on the mend : getting better; becoming healthy again.
- I cared for my father while he was on the mend.
- I took a leave of absence from work while I was on the mend.
 On the move : moving from place to place ; progressing; advancing.
- Are the cattle on the move now, or are they still grazing?
- At last, we are on the move!
 on the safe side : taking the risk-free path.
- I think you should stay on the safe side and call the doctor about this fever.
 On the tip of one’s tongue: about to remember a word,
name, or anything else; almost remembered.
- Wait! Don’t tell me the answer. It’s on the tip of my tongue.
 on top of the world: feeling wonderful; glorious; ecstatic.
- Wow, I feel on top of the world.
- Since he got a new job, he’s on top of the world.
 Once and for all : finally; permanently; for the last time
- I'm telling you once and for all that I'm not going.
 Once in a while: From time to time
- I go to visit my grandchildren once in a while.
 Once in a blue moon: rarely
- We see John once in a blue moon.
 Open (adj): Available
- The competition is open to everybody.
 an Open-and-shut case: a simple and straight forward
situation without complications. (Often said of criminal cases where the
evidence is convincing.)
- Bob’s death was an open-andshut case of suicide. He left a suicide note.
 Open post: Spare job
- The oil company has some open posts to fill.

151
 Operate: Run
- I cannot operate this machine.
 Opponent : Someone who offers opposition
- He defeated his political opponent in the election.
 Opportunity: Chance
- Jade will have the opportunity to go to France to study art.
 Oppose :Work against
- Don't oppose his interests.
 Opposite: Across from
- I live opposite the new mall.
 Optional :Voluntary
- Music is an optional subject at school.
 Order: command; instruction
- The commander gave the order.
 Ordinary: Common
- They live in an ordinary sort of house.
 Origin: Beginning, source
- Could you explain to me the origin of this tradition?
 Originally: First, formerly
- Ed is originally from Italy. - Who used the book originally?
 Originate: Start
- The game originated in the nineteenth century.
 Orthodox: conventional; traditional
- His ideas are very orthodox.
- He took an orthodox approach to the problem.
 Oscillate: Swinging or moving back and forth
- The lira oscillated between 840 and 850 lire to the mark.

152
 Oust : to force someone to leave a position of power, job, place or competition;
expel; kick out; throw out.
- Police are trying to oust drug dealers from the city centre.
 Outfit:a group that works as a team: organization, military unit, etc
- This is the best outfit that I have ever served in.
 outfit : CLOTHES: SUIT :a set of clothes worn for a particular
occasion or activity
- I've got a cowboy outfit for the fancy dress party.
- She bought a new outfit for the party.
- Dock selected a brown outfit.
 Outlook: viewpoint; opinion
- Robin has an unusual outlook.
- She has a positive outlook on life.
 Out of : empty
- It is out of sugar !
 out of character : unlike one’s usual behavior; : not in accord
with a person's usual qualities or traits
- Ann’s remark was quite out of character.
- His rudeness was completely out of character
 Out of hand: Uncontrollable, out of control
- Do not let the class get out of your hand.
 out of line : unacceptable behavior; improper ; beyond what is
reasonable or allowable : not right or appropriate
- Bill, that remark was out of line. Please be more respectful.
- Your request is out of line.
 Out of the question: not possible or allowed
- Asking my father for money was completely out of the question.
 Out of shape and out of condition: in poor good physical condition;
not in good physical condition.
- I get out of breath when I run because I’m out of shape.

153
 Out-of-the-way: Far away, hard to get to
- He lives in an out-of-the-way area.
 Out of the blue: suddenly and unexpectedly; withou warning
- The decision came out of the blue.
- Then, out of a clear blue sky, he told me he was leaving.
 out of work : unemployed; having lost one’s job.
- Todd was out of work for almost a year.
 Output : production of a certain amount; final product
- The computer's output is shown on this screen
 the outskirts: the areas that form the edge of a town or city
- The factory is inon the outskirts of New Delhi.
 Outstanding: Very good, superior
- The work you did this semester was outstanding.
 Outwit: to get the better of by superior cleverness; to get an advantage over
someone by acting more cleverly and often by using a trick
- The fox managed to outwit the hunter by hiding in a tree.
- They thought they had outwitted the new teacher.
- It is difficult to anyone to outwit Sue. (= to fool her)

 Over: Finished, reached an end. During


- The meeting will be over soon.
- We will meet over the Christmas holidays.
 OVER ONE’S HEAD: beyond sb’s understanding or too difficult.
- While the teacher explained. Lee stood there confused. It went over his head.
 Overall: General
- Overall, we are pleased with all the results we reached.
 Overcast (adj): Cloudy
- It was overcast for three days.

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 Overcome: Defeat
- She tried hard to overcome her fear of height.
 Overheated: to become very hot.
- The engine of the car overheated
 Overlook: ignore; fail to notice or consider sth; to provide a view of, especially
from above ; forgive or pretend not to notice sth
- I'm prepared to overlook his behaviour this time.
- I think there is one key fact that you have overlooked.
- I do not know why he overlooked my paper.
 Overnight: all night; during the night ; very quickly or suddenly
- Our guests stayed overnight.
- She became a star overnight.
 Overpass : Bridge formed by the upper level of a crossing of two highways
at different levels; to pass across, over, or beyond : CROSS
- The city built a pedestrian overpass over the highway.
- An overpass was built for the troops at Lackland Air Force Base.
 Overturned: Go upside down
- The car run off the road and overturned.
 Owe: to be under obligation to pay or repay in return for something
received : be indebted in the sum of
- I owe Sam five bucks.
- Ralph owes the bank a lot of money. :- Ralph is in debt
 Owing to: bccausc of
- Owing to his help. I could finish my work.
 own up to sb or sth: to confess or admit sth to sb; to admit sth; to
confess to sth
- Finally, he owned up to his mother about breaking the vase.
- I know you broke the window. Come on and own up to it.
 Ox : a bull (= male cow)
- If the ox falls, whet your knife.

155
 Pace: Step
- Take two paces forward and then stop.
 PAINT Sb A PICTURE: is used to express anger or impatience when
you (paint a picture =) have explained sth very clearly to sb and that person does
not understand what you are talking about.
- I’ve told you how to complete this assignment at least three times already. What
do you want me to do, paint you a picture?
- Sgt Olsen already explained to the airmen where they need to report. They still
don ’t seem to understand. Does he need to paint them a picture?
 Pale blue green around the gills : looking sick.
- John is looking a little pale around the gills. What’s wrong?
- Oh, I feel a little green (blue) about the gills.
- The mechanic is feeling little blue today.
 Pan out: develop in successful way; happen as expected (for plans)
- We'll have to see how things pan out.
- Their attempt to start a new business didn't pan out.
 Painful: unpleasant
- I had a very painful experience.
 Parade: show : EXHIBITION: the ceremonial formation of a body of troops
before a superior officer; public procession
- The boys loved watching the soldiers on parade.
 Parallel (lines): Lines never meet
- The railway runs parallel to the road.

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 Pardon: release; to absolve or for give from the consequences of a fault or
crime
- The governor will pardon my cousin next month.
 Parents: Father and mother
- Parents should take care of their children.
 Parity: equality (especially of pay or position)
- Women workers are demanding parity with their male colleagues.
 Part: Divide ; separate; comb (a line on b's head made by brushing the hair in
two different directions) :
- He parts his hair in the middle.
 Part with: Give up, let go. Relinquish
- When we moved to Italy, we had to part with our horses.
 Particle : an extremely small piece of matter; molecular ; a very small
amount of something
- Dust particles must have got into the motor.

- The thing broke into particles.

 Particular : (adj.) NOT EASILY SATISFIED : demanding close attention


should be given to every detail
- She's very particular about what she eats
 Particulars : (n) details or information about a person or an event, especially
when officially recorded
- There's a form for you to note down all your particulars.
 Pass: hand, succeed, approve
- He passed me the salt.

- Al passed the exam.

 Pass away: Die


- My father passed away in a car accident.

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 Pass on: Give; tell; convey; to die (used as a polite way to avoid saying the
word "die")
- Have both your parents passed on?
- Can you pass this message on to Ed?
- I refuse to pass on rumors.
 Pass out: Faint
- Jerry passed out during the game.
 Passionate : having very strong feelings or emotions; ANGRY
- The Italians are said to be the most passionate people in Europe.
 Pastry : a food made from a mixture of flour, fat and water, which is rolled
flat and wrapped round or put over or under other foods and baked ; sweet
baked goods; a type of sweet cake made of special pastry and usually
containing something such as fruit or nuts
- Ann makes delicious pastry - you should try her apple pie.
- She had a pastry and coffee for breakfast.
 Patent: Governmental authority; protected by a trademark or a brand
name; open to public inspection
- David was given a patent on his invention.
 Patient: sick person in a hospital
- The nurse looked after the patient.
 Patio: Courtyard
- We like to keep our patio clean.
 Patronize: Act superior ; to speak to or behave towards sb as if they are stupid
or not important; provide aid or support for; Be a regular customer
- Stop patronizing me - I understand the play as well as you do.
 Pattern: Design, diagram
- I liked the last pattern you did.
 Pay attention to: Listen to
- You should pay attention to your teacher.

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 Pay for: pay out money for sth; suffer punishment for sth
- Did you pay for the magazine, or shall I?
- The criminal will pay for his crimes.
 pay an arm and a leg (for sth) and pay through the nose (for
sth) : to pay too much [money] for sth.
- I hate to have to pay an arm and a leg for a tank of gas.
- I found the perfect dress, but I had to pay through the nose for it.
 Pay lip service to: Agree with but without support or insincerely
- You should pay lip service to your boss; otherwise, you will find yourself
without a job.
 Pay off: Produce good results, pay money
- All their hard work has paid off. He paid off his debt.
 Pedestrians: People walking not driving
- Drivers should pay more attention to pedestrians.
 Pellet : a small rounded hard ball : small bullet
- He packed the pellets of a shotgun cartridge
 Peer: fellow; a person who is the same age or has the same social position or
the same abilities as other people in a group; equal
- The student was rated by his peers.
 Perforate: drill, make holes, punch
- Jade perforated the paper.
 Perform: Do, operate
- Sue performs her duties beautifully. My car performs badly in cold weather.
 Perhaps: Probably; likely; maybe
- I will phone you next week, probably on Monday.
- Perhaps she will come to see us.
 Periodically: Occasionally
- All machines need to be checked periodically.

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 Periodicals: newspapers and magazines; published with a fixed interval
between the issues or numbers
- I like to read some of the periodicals at the library.
 Permanent: Lasting along time, not temporary; forever; for good
- John finally got a permanent job.
 Permit (n): License
- Fred got a permit to reside (live) off base.
 Pensive: Sad ; thinking in a quiet way, often with a serious expression on your
face.
- She became withdrawn and pensive, hardly speaking to anyone.
 Perceptible: noticeable; that can be seen, heard or noticed
- Three hundred miles to the east of Newfoundland, the movement of the Gulf
Stream is hardly perceptible.
 Peripheral (adj.): describes sth that is not as important as sth else; happening
at the edge of sth; of, relating to, or being the outer part of the field of vision
- The book contains a great deal of peripheral detail.
- Joe couldn’t see the car beside him because his peripheral vision.
 Peripheral (n): a piece of equipment, such as a printer, that can be connected
to a computer
 Perplexity: Confusion
- His perplexity during the discussion was evident.
 Perpendicular: At a right angle 90° to sth, upright
- This pole is almost perpendicular to the earth.
 Persistent: determined
- The sergeant made a persistent effort.
 Personal: Close, private
- One should not lei his personal feeling affect his work.

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 Perspire: Sweat
- The children came out of the field perspiring.
 Persuade: Convince, cause to believe
- I persuaded Jim to go back to school.
 Pertinent: relating directly to the subject being considered; relevant
- Chapter One is pertinent to the post-war period.
 Pertain: To have reference or connection to
- The question he asked does not pertain to the subject.
 Pick on : bother; annoy; criticize or make fun of usually unfairly.
- Please stop picking on me! I’m tired of it.
- You shouldn’t pick on the cat.
 Pick out: Select, chose recognize
- I picked out two players. I picked john out in the photo.
 Pick up: lift, collect; buy; take (sb or sth) into a vehicle
- I picked up my hat off the floor!
 Pick up : to learn : to tidy or clean up a place
- Though Ed talked in French, I could pickup some words.
- Let’s pick this room up in a hurry.
 Pick up a message: Hear and understand it
- Did you pick up the colonel's message?
 Pie in the sky:A promise of delayed happiness; a future reward
after death
- The talk of moving to Australia is all just pie in the sky.
 Piece of cake :something easy to do.
- No problem. When you know what you’re doing, it’s a piece of cake.
 Pier: Landing structure of wood for ships
- After the boat stopped at the pier, the men unload the cargo.

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 Pile-up: an accident involving several vehicles
- Three people died in a multiple pile up on the high way.
 Pile sth up: stack : a pile of things arranged one on top of another; make
something into a heap.
- Carl piled all ilze leaves up and Set them afre.
- Please pile up the leaves.
 Pill: Medicine, medication
- Last night I could not sleep, so I took a sleeping pill.
 Pinpoint: Locate accurately
- The captain pinpointed to his soldiers his position on the map.
 Pitch in: to join in and help someone with something ; contribute
- If we all pitch in together, it shouldn't take too long.
 Place: Put
- Susie placed her cup on the table.
 Plant: Factory; machines used in industry
- Jerry works at the new plant.
 Plate: Dish
- Jane put the cake on a plate.
 Play it by ear: act spontaneously and according to the situation;
do something without special preparation
- She didn't know what to expect from her new job, so she played it by ear.
 Play up to: Flatter
- Ann tikes to play up to her boss.
 Pleasure: enjoyment
- Visiting her grandchildren gives her a lot of pleasure.
 Plenty of: Enough, ample
- We finished the work early because we had plenty of time.
 Plot: Plan a course of action
- They were accused of plotting aeainst the government.

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 Plump: chubby
- The baby has a plump face.
 Poignant: shocking; painfully affecting the feelings; deeply affecting
- The sergeant’s paragraph contained a poignant sentence about his grandma’s
death.
 Point of view: Viewpoint, opinion
- You must try to understand your wife's point of view.
 Point out: Tell about, show, call attention to
- The tour guide pointed out to us all the tourist sites in the city.
 Poke fun at: ridicule; make sb seem stupid by making jokes about
them or laughing unkindly at them
- Jamey was poking fun at me.
 Pole : STICK a long thin stick of wood or metal; PLACE either of the two
points at the most northern and most southern ends of the Earth, around
which the Earth turns
- Every morning the flag is raised on its pole.
- The earth's poles are called the North Pole and the South Pole.
 Polarized: separated into opposed groups
- The panel members were polarized over my resignation.
 Polish off: Defeat; finish completely
- We polished the enemy troops off before they advanced.
 Pond: a body of water usually smaller than a lake
- There are a lot of frogs in this pond.
 Pony: small horse
- Jess got a pony for his birthday.
 Pound: an enclosure for animals; a place where pets that are lost or not
wanted are kept
- We got this dog at the pound.
 Pound out: to do sth in a very short period of time; to flatten or smoth
- They pound out a few dents of the car.

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 Pop up: to arise suddenly; to appear without warning.
- New problems keep popping up all the time.
- Billy popped up out of nowhere and scared his mother.
 Port city: City with a harbor
- I live in a port city.
 Portable: Easy to move or carry
- Sam bought a portable television set.
 Possibility of rain :It may rain
- There is a good possibility of rain tonight.
 Post (v): : publish, announce, or advertise by or as if by use of a placard ;
put information or a message where the public can see it, for example on
a wall
- The menu and prices are posted outside the door.
 Postpone: Delay, put off
- My flight to London was postponed.
 Potential: Ability, capacity; existing in possibility
- That boy has great potentials as a pianist.
 Powerful: Strong
- That car has a powerful engine.
 Practical: Useful, pragmatic
- Plastic tablecloths are practical but they are not very elegant.
 Practically: almost or very nearly
- The city center is practically deserted on Sundays.
 Prairie: grasslands; a treeless grassy plain.
- The train tracks extend over miles of prairie.
 Praise: Express approval, commend
- He should be praised for his honesty.

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 Priceless: high value, especially because it is rare; invaluable; precious
- A priceless collection of vases was destroyed.
 Precious: Valuable, cost a lot
- In New York, every piece of land is precious.
 Precipitation: Fall of rain, sleet, and snow or hail
- We have not had any precipitations today.
 Precision: Accuracy
- The maps were drawn with great precision.
 Prefer: Like best
- I prefer eating chicken to meat. I prefer not to go.
 Preserve: Keep
- You can preserve fruit by making it into jam.
 Pressed for time: Have a very little time : not having much time
left to do what one needs to do
- I must hurry. I am really pressed for time.
 Pretty: quite, but not extremely; moderately large ; CONSIDERABLE
- The house has four bedrooms, so it's pretty big.
- I'm pretty sure it was her.
 Prevail : to get control or influence ; Continue to exist
- I am sure that common sense will prevail in the end.
 Primary: Most important
- Smoking is one of the primary causes of lung cancer.
 Preliminary: coming before an important event, especially introducing or
preparing for it
- We've decided to change the design based on our preliminary findings.
 Preppy : preppie : a young person from a rich family who goes to an
expensive school and who wears expensive, tidy clothes.
- She has a gorgeous preppy boyfriend.
- He is a rich preppy.

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 Prime: Main, first in importance
- The prime cause of the firm failure is high interest.
 Primitive: Simple, not developed
- The washing facilities in the camp were very primitive.
 Principal: Main, important
- The principal aim of the talks is to reach a peaceful solution.
 Prior to : before
- I called my wife prior to leaving the office.
 Prize: Award, reward
- She won first prize in the competition
 Probably: Perhaps, likely; maybe
- I will phone you next week, probably on Monday.
 Probe: investigate
- The police probed into the financial affairs of the firm.
 Proceed: move ahead; advance; to move along a course
- The band proceeded the floats in the parade.

 Procedure: System
- The workers are using a new procedure.
 Product: the number obtained by multiplying
- The product of three multiplied by three is nine.
 Professional: Highly trained, skillful
- He is a very professional basketball player.
 Proficient: Capable
- We are looking for someone who is proficient in French.
 Progress (v): Move forward, get along
- Medical knowledge has progressed rapidly.

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 Project (v): Make something appear
- Colored lights were projected on the wall.
 Promptly: right away; quickly, without delay
- Report to Captain Sandoval promptly.
 Propel : to push or move sth somewhere, often with a lot of force
- A rocket propelled through space
 Proper: Suitable; strictly accurate; correct; very good
- If you want to fix this radio, you should use the proper tools.
 Properly: correctly; in a satisfactory way
- I have not done my homework properly.

 Properties: Characteristics; assests


- We learned some of the properties of water.
 Prosperity : the state of being successful and having a lot of money
- The war was followed by a long period of peace and prosperity.
 Protest: Object to
- The student took to the streets to protest against the decision.
 Proponent : advocate, supporter ;defender
- Steinem has always been a strong proponent of women's rights.
 Protrude: Stick out, project
- I think I saw a pencil protruding from his pocket.
 Provide: Supply, furnish
- We will provide you with all the information you need.
 Provided that: on condition that; only if
- I will come, provided that I am invited.
- I will help you, provided that you pay me.
 Publish: Print
- This dictionary was published by Oxford University Press.

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 Puffy : the skin around eyes is slightly swollen
- His eyes were still puffy with sleep.
 Pull apart: Separate with force, tear, and divide
- The mechanic pulled the engine apart. I pulled the paper apart.
 Pull off: manage to accomplish; succeed in doing sth
- Our unit pulled off an attack.
 pull one's leg : to kid; to tease sb: fool or trick sb into believing an
untrue story; to deceive sb playfully : HOAX

- Don't believe him. He's just pulling your leg.


- Pam’s husband was pulling her leg. (= teasing her)
 Pull over: Stop at one side of the road
- The police officer asked me to pull over.
 Pull through: Be back on one's feet again, recover
- I was concerned whether he would pull through or not.
 Pull the wool over someone's eyes : to trick or
deceive someone : to hide the truth from someone
- He was too clever to let them pull the wool over his eyes.
 Pull sbsth to pieces: to criticize someone or something severely; Destroy;
to separate the connected pieces of something

- The moment she left, the rest of the family started to pull her to pieces.
 Punctual: On time
- I admit he is punctual and meticulous (careful with details).
 Pupil : EYE : the circular black area in the centre of your eye, through which
light enters
- Pupils contract in bright light, and dilate in darkness
 Purchase: Buy
- Al wants to purchase a new car.

168
 Pursue: to follow up, chase
- The police pursued the man who stole the woman's purse.
 Put across: explain : to express your ideas and opinions clearly so that people
understand them easily
- It's an interesting idea and I thought he put it across well.
 Put aside: Save, preserve; ignore
- From time to time, I put some money aside.
- Let's put our differences aside and make a fresh Start.
 Put sth away: to put sth in the place or container where it is usually kept ; to
eat a large amount of food
- Put your toys away now.
- He put away a whole box of chocolates in one evening.
 Put back: to return something to where it was before.
- Please put the book back when you finish it.
 Put down to (v): attributed to
- Her success was put down to hard work.
 Put it out: Extinguish a cigarette, tire etc.
- He put out his cigarette before entering the building.
 Put off (v): Delay, postpone
- Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
 Put on (v): Wear
- Mary put on her pajamas and hit the sack.
 Put on weight : to gain weight; to get fat
- He has put on a lot of weight since last year
 Put all one's eggs in one basket: to risk all one has
on the success or failure of one thing; make everything dependent on only
one thing
- Do not put all your eggs in one basket

169
 Put one’s foot down:Take a firm position stand against sth
- Her father put his foot down when she asked for a new car.
 Put out (v): Extinguish, stop
- We tried to put out the fire before the firefighters arrived.
 Put together: assemble sth; join parts to each other; to consider some facts
and arrive at a conclusion
- This model was put together incorrectly.
- When I put together all the facts, I found the answer.
 Put up : return sth to the proper place ; give food and shelter to
- Your toys ure all over the floor, Timmy. Please put them up.
- There's no need for you to check into a hotel. I'll be happy to put you up.
 Put up with (v): to tolerate, endure or to be able to stand sb or sth
- He's so moody - I don't know why she puts up with him.
 Put lay one’s hands on sb, sth, or an animal : to locate and
get hold of sb or sth : to get hold of sb or an animal with punishment or harm
as a goal: to catch
- As soonas I can lay my hands on him, I’ll get him right over here.
- I am trying to put my hands on the book you suggested.
- Just wait till I put my hands on you!
- When I lay my hands on Ken, he will be sorry he ever lied to me.
 Puzzle (v): Confuse, baffle
- What she said puzzled me.
- This sentence looks like a puzzle. (= don't understand it)

170
 Quarrel: bicker
- My kids quarrel all the time.
 Quarrel with: Argue; to find fault
- Many people quarrel with the idea.
- I do not want to quarrel with anybody here
 no quarrel with: no objection to
- I have no quarrel with your plan.
 Quarter pastto seven: 7:156:45
- Joan arrived at quarter past to seven.
 Quell: stop sth unpleasant or violent
- The police were called to quell the disturbance.
 Quitting time: Time to stop working and depart
- I Do not know what the quitting time is at this company.
 Quite : Pretty, WHOLLY, COMPLETELY
- We walked quite a distance to get home.
 Quite a few: Many
- We have received quite a few applications this year.

171
 Radiate: Send out gas, heat or light; give off
- The metal plate behind my head radiated a lot of heat.
- The sun radiate heat and light.
 Raffle: a lottery in which the prizes are goods rather than money
- I won this doll in a raffle.
 Rag: A worn cloth
- The mechanic wiped his hand on a filthy (dirty) rag.
 Rain cats and dogs: Rain heavily
- It was raining cats and dogs last night.
 A rain check (on sth) (Typically: get ~; have ~; take ~; give sb~.)
- a piece of paper allowing one to see an event.
(which has been canceled because of stor or rain etc.at a later time.)
- The game was canceled because of the storm, but we all got rain checks on it.
- a reissuance of an invitation at a later date.
(Said to sb invited you to sth that you cannot attend now, but you like at a later time.)
- Oh, yes. You have a rain check that’s good anytime you can come by and visit.
- a piece of paper that allows one to purchase an item on sale at a later date.
(Stores issue these pieces of paper when they run out of specially priced sale merchandise.)
The store was all out of the shampoo they advertised, but I got a rain check.

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 Raise: hold up
- The teacher told the student to hold up his hand.
 Ranch: large farm for raising horses, beef cattle, or sheep
- He grew up on a ranch in California.
 Rapidly: Fast, quickly
- He was moving rapidly around the room.
- He spoke rapidly, but the students understand him very well.
 Rare: Partly raw, was not cooked enough
- I would like to have my stake rare.
 Rare: Uncommon
- It is very rare to have such a hot weather in April
 Rarely: Not very often
- The queen is rarely seen at a public places.
 Rash : a lot of small red spots on the skin
- I've got an itchy rash all over my chest.
- a rash of sth: a large number of unpleasant events of the same type
- There has been a rash of robberiesaccidentscomplaints in the last two months.
 Rather: Fairly
- Joan did not fail the exam. She did rather well.
 Rather than: In place of, Instead of
- I think I will have a sandwich rather than a full meal.
 Ratio: Proportion
- The ratio of boys to girls in this class is three to one.
 Rattle: to make a rapid succession of short sharp noises
- The windows were rattling all night in the wind.
 Rattling: to an extreme degree : VERY : SPLENDID
- It is a rattling good story

173
 Raunchy: Sloppy (careless in dress or action); dirty; very small
- Some celebrities in the world of art are very raunchy.
 Rave: praise something very much :talk with extreme enthusiasm
- She raved aboutover the clothes she had seen at the Paris fashion shows.
 Razor: Blade for shaving
- This electric razor is dispensable; you may throw it away.
 React: Respond
- Joan did not know how to react to the news.
 Read sb the riot act: Reprimand; to give someone a severe scolding
- The manager read me the riot act for coming in late.
- The sergeant read the soldiers the riot act for behaving badly.
- Tom said, his boss read him the riot act.
 Realize: Notice, become aware of
- When I got home, I realized that I had left my bag at work.
 Reap : to harvest
- We reaped a fine harvest from our cornfields this year.
- She is now reaping the benefits of her hard work.
 Rear: tail; the back part of something
- The hall is in the rear of the building.
 Reasonable: Fair, equitable; practical
- The prices at the new restaurant are very reasonable.
 Recall: Remember (bear in mind)
- I could not recall seeing him before.
 Recap: Summarize, sum up; repeat the main points of an explanation or
description
- Finally, the teacher recapped the main points of the lesson.
- Let me recap what I have said before we leave.

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 Reciprocate: moves backwards and forwards (part of machine)
- The heads on this electric razor reciprocate.
 Reckless: Careless
- Jerry is a very reckless driver.
 Recognize: Identify, know
- I recognized him but I could not remember his name.
 Recommend: Suggest
- I recommended that he get some legal advice.
 Recommendation: Advice
- The decision was made on the recommendation of the Interior Minister.
 Recreation: play activity; refreshment of strength and spirits after work;
hobby
- There are excellent facilities for sport and recreation.
- Playing billiards is my chief recreation.

 Red tape: routine, unnessary official rules or bureaucratic procedures.


- There was a lot of red tape involved in obtaining the contract.
- Because of red tape, Frank took weeks to get a visa.
 Reduce: Lessen; make less
- To be healthy, we need to reduce the amount of fat we eat.
 Refer To: Allude; mention to; send to
- We agreed never to refer to the matter again.
 Reflect on upon: Think deeply
- I really need some time to reflect on what you have said.
 Refrain from: Stop doing; don't do something
- The doctor said that I should refrain from smoking.
 Refreshments: Light food and drinks
- Refreshments will be sold during the interval.

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 Regard: think
- I regard john as my best friend.
 Register (v): Record
- I registered my son at a new school.
 Regularly: At a fixed interval time
- I have my car serviced regularly.
- You should visit your doctor regularly.
 Regulate: Arrange
- This device is used to regulate the temperature in the room.
 Reject: Refuse
- The plan was rejected for being impractical.
 Rehab: the process of helping someone to stop taking drugs or alcohol
- She's just finished four months of rehab in a rehab clinic.
 Rehabilitate : to restore to a former capacity; to restore to good repute;
reestablish the good name of; to restore to a former state (as of efficiency,
good management, or solvency); to restore or bring to a condition of health
or useful and constructive activity
- The clinic rehabilitates drug addicts.
- He's still rehabilitating the knee he injured last summer.
 Rehearsal : practice in order to prepare for a performance
- They didn't have time for (a) rehearsal before the performance.
- He's a producer with three plays in rehearsal
 Relapse: to slip or fall back into a former worse state
- Everyone thought she was well until a sudden relapse sent her back to the hospital.
 Relate: Show the connection between
- The report relates heart disease to high levels of stress.
 Relatively: Comparatively
- Spanish is considered a relatively easy language.

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 Relaxed: At ease
- As soon as I had made my filial decision, I felt more relaxed.
 Release : Let out, set free, stop holding
- Al was released from prison.
- Don not release my hand.
 Relevant: connected with what is happening or being discussed; correct or
suitable for a particular purpose; pertinen.
- Education should be relevant to the child's needs.
- I'm sorry but your personal wishes are not relevant (= important) in this case.
- There are plans to make schooling more relevant to life beyond school
- The examples given in your paragraph are not relevant.
Opposite irrelevant
 Relieve: Lessen, reduce; free from a burden : give aid or help to
- This injection should relieve your pain.
 Relieving: soothing
- Yoga is excellent for relieving stress
 Relinquish: Get rid of , give up; withdraw or retreat from
- Men do not like to relinquish power. I relinquished my plan.
 Remain: to stay in the same place or with the same person or group
especially : to stay behind; to continue unchanged
- Virginia and I will remain in Canada all summer.
- The fact remains that we can't go
 Remainder: The rest; part left
- There are seats for thirty people; the remainder must stand.
 Remedy: cure
- This disease has no remedy.
 Remote: Far away, far off
- He lives in a cottage in a remote area of the village.

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 Remove: Take off or out
- Please remove you shoes before you enter the mosque.
 Render: to cause sb or sth to be in a particular state; to change words into a
different language or form; to give sth such as a service, a personal opinion or
expression, or a performance of a song or poem, etc. to people
- His rudeness rendered me speechless .
- She is rendering the book into English from French.
- The singers rendered the song with enthusiasm.
 Repeat: Say again
- We asked the teacher to repeat what he had said.
 Repel: Drive awy; force back; fight against
- Our troops on the border are ready to repel any attack.
 Replacement: Substitute
- Mary is leaving soon .I think we need a replacement for her.
 Replenish: refill; to fill or build up (sth) again; to make full or complete once
more; Supply again
- Our platoon was replenished with food and fuel.
- After a week in the park the campers had to replenish their supplies.
 Report (v): Go and announce that one has come; give informatiom to sb.
- Jack should report to the captain as soon as he arrives.
 Reprimand: Scold, reproach; Scorn
- The captain reprimanded the whole platoon.
 Repudiate : refuse to accept sth or sb; to divorce formally; disown
- I utterly repudiate those remarks.
 Repulsive: extremely unpleasant or unacceptable ; nasty
- I think rats and snakes are repulsive.
 Request (v): Demand, ask for
- We requested a loan from, the bank.

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 Rescue: Save from risk, bring to safety
- David rescued the little boy from drowning.
 Research: Investigate
- Scientists are searching the possibility of childhood cancer.
 Resemble: Look like, similar to
- Laura resembles her brother Jamie.
 Reservation: Things saved or kept for special use; save a place
- I made a reservation for a table for two in the name of Ed.
- Mr. Kimble wants to make a reservation.

 Reservoir: A place where water is stored


- They are planning to build a huge water reservoir in the town.
 Reside: Live in
- Margaret resides with her mother in London.
 Residential section : Private homes
- The collage is located in the residential section of the capital.
 Residue: What remains behind; remainder
- Using too mush shampoo cause residue to build up on hair.
 Resign: Leave a job
- She is threatening to resign if she does not get a pay increase.
 Respiratory: Breathing system
- I have met so many people with sever respiratory problems.
 Respond: Answer, react
- He responded to my question with a nod.
 Restricted area: prohibited area
- Please return to your car immediately you have left your car in a restricted area.
 Résumé (n) ˈrez.ʊ- meɪ : Summary; CV.
- When I applied for the job, I was asked to send my resume.

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 Resume (v) rɪˈzuːm: Continue; starts again after a pause
- After the birth of the baby, she resumed her career.
- The golf match will resume at five o'clock.
 Resuscitate :Revive; to come or bring something back to life, health, existence, or use
- Unfortunately, all efforts to resuscitate the patient failed
 Retain: Keep
- The village managed to retain much of its original character.
 Retire: Stop working, go to bed
- John will retire next month.
- My wife retired early last night.
 Retract: Takedraw back
- Realizing how angry I was, Jane retracted her statement.
 Reveal: Make known; Unveiled
- He refused to reveal any names to the police.
 Reverberate: send sound back repeatedly, reecho
- Her voice reverberated around the hall
 Revere (v):respect; admire greatly; regard as worthy of great honor
- Everybody in this university reveres professor Jack.
 Reverse: Opposite direction
- A wrong attitude will have exactly a reverse effect.
 Review: Look over, inspect
- Lets review what we've done so far.
 Revise: Change, look over
- The book was revised by a reliable person.
 Re- volve: Move in a circle, rotate
- The earth revolves around the sun.
 Ridicule: make funny
- John always tries to ridicule my work.

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 Rift : a large crack in the ground or in rock; a serious disagreement which
separates two people who have been friends and stops their friendship
continuing -
The stream had cut a deep rift in the rock.
- The marriage caused a rift between the brothers and they didn't speak to each
other for ten years.
 Right now and right away : At once; immediately
- The boss wants the report right now.
 Rigid: Cannot be bent
- For air travel, a rigid suitcase is better than a soft bag.
 Ring (n): Circular shape, telephone call
- She has a ring oo her finger. I will give you a ring tonight
 Ring a bell : to sound familiar; to cause sb to remember sth or for it
to seem familiar.
- The name rang a bell but I couldn't remember where I had heard it before.
 Rip off: steal [sth] from sb; cheat sb.
- That merchant ripped me off!
- She rips off everyone.
 Rip up: Tear into pieces
- He ripped up the letter and threw it in the fire.
- When he jumped from the fence, Peter ripped his trousers.
 Roar: Loud noise
- I do not like the roar of heavy traffic on the highway.
 Rock: moves him from side to side or backwards and forwards
- when the baby cries Jenny rocks him.
 Rocket: Missile
- There has been a rocket attack on the city.
 Robbery: the act of stealing
- John was caught red handed in an armed robbery.

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 Rod: Stick, pole , narrow bar
- The roof was reinforced with steel rods.
 Roll call (call roll): Call of names to check attendance
- Roll call will be at 7 a.m.
- Each day before the class begins the instructor calls roll.

 Roll down
1: to move (something) down especially by turning a handle
- She rolled down the car window.
2: to unfold the edge of shirt sleeve or pants leg to make it longer
- He rolled down his sleeves.

 Roofer : a person whose job is to put new roofs on buildings or to repair


damaged roofs
- The roofers did a good job.
 Room: Space
- I do not know if there is room for you in the car.
 Roommate: two persons share the same apartment, room or house
- She's my roommate.
 Make room: provide space
- This is a sale to make room for new merchandise.
 the root of the problem: an understanding of the causes or
basis of a problem. (Typ: determine ~; figure out ~; find ~; get to ~; get at ~.)
- It will take a little more study to get to the root of the problem.
- Let’s stop avoiding the issue and get at the root of the problem.

 rope sb into doing sth: to persuade or trick sb into doing sth.


- I don’t know who roped me into doing this, but I don’t want to do it.
- See if you can rope somebody into taking this to the post office.

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 the ropes: knowledge of how to do sth; how to work sth.
(Typically: know ~; learn ~; show someone ~; teach someone ~.)
- I’ll be able to do my job very well when I know the ropes.
- John is very slow to learn the ropes

 Rotate: Spin around ; turn


- The earth rotates around the sun.
 Rough: Not smooth, difficult
- It was not easy to walk over such rough ground.
 Rough idea : a general idea or understanding; an estimate.
- I need to get a rough idea of how many people will be there.
 Round off : change from a fraction to the nearest whole number.
- Round all prices off to the closest whole-dollar amounts. For example, rouncl
$33. 73 off to $34.00.
 Round-trip ticket: Go and return ticket
- Round-trip tickets are no more available.
 Rub: to move hard over sth with friction
- The cat rubbed itself against my legs .
 Rub in (rub it in): keep reminding one of one’s failures; nag (bother) sb about
sth.
- I like to rub it in. You deserve it!
- Why do you have to rub in everything I do wrong?
 Rude: Impolite; discourteous
- He is often rude to his mother.
 Rudiments : basics; the simplest and most basic facts about a subject or
activity
- It only took me an hour to learnpick up the rudiments of skiing.
- The drill sergeams are trying to teach the new privates the rudiments of drill
and ceremony.

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 A rule of thumb: a general principle developed through
experiential rather than scientific means; a method of procedure based on
experience and common sense; a practical and approximate way of doing or
measuring something
- As a rule of thumb, I move my houseplants outside in May.
-Those games, as a rule of thumb, last an hour. (=generally)
 Run across: Meet or find unexpectedly
- I ran across a friend of mine at the mall.
 Run away: flee ; leave quickly ; escape
- Please don’t run away from me.
- Jill and Jack ran away with each other.
- Someone ran away with that lady’s purse.
 Run for : travel quickly by running to a place of safety; try to be elected to a
particular office.
- The picnickers ran for the shelter when the rain started to fall.
- Tom and Jane ran for the house as soon as they heard your call.
- Who’s going to run for president?
- I am running for mayor.
 Run-down: detailed report
- They gave us a run-down on the main points of the news.
 Run-down: very tired; exhausted; stop working; poor condition
- My car battery has run down; it needs recharging.
 Run for sth : run fast in order to get or avoid something
- I ran for the bus but it drove off.
 Run into: collide with;hit; find or meet unexpectedly
- My car ran into a tree.
- We ran into Jerry in the corridor.
 Run-of-the-mill: Average; ordinary; not special
- The new product was run-of-the-mill.

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 Run out of sth: use the last of; have none left
- We are running out of water.
- On the way home from work, my car ran out of gas.
 Run out of time: have no time left.
- I ran out of time before I could finish the test.

 Run over: collide with, knock down, and often drive over
- The child was run over by a car as he was crossing the street.
 be running on empty: Continuing to operate with no or very
little enthusiasm, energy, or resources left. A reference to a car that has nearly
run out of fuel; At the end of one's resources, out of money ; If a person or an
organization is running on empty, they have no new ideas or are not as
effective as they were before
- I don't know how much longer we can live this way we're running on empty with
no jobs in sight .
- I get the impression he's been running on empty for months now. A holiday will
do him good.
 Running short of sth: Have little of it
- We are running short of coffee
 Rupture: to (cause to) explode, break or tear; leak
- The mechanic found the ruptured oil line.
 Rush: to (cause to) go or do sth very quickly ; to hurry or move somewhere
quickly
- I rushed up the stairsto the officeto find a phone.
 Rush through : to do sth in hurry; to hurry to get sth finished
- Timmy rushed through dinner so he could go out and play.
 Rusty (adj): covered with a reddish brown material : (v) rust
- This tin is very rusty.

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 Sabotage : to damage or destroy equipment, weapons or buildings in order to
prevent the success of an enemy; to intentionally prevent the success of a plan
or action; destruction of an employer's property (such as tools or materials)
or the hindering of manufacturing by discontented workers
- The rebels had tried to sabotage the oil pipeline.
- Some people tried the sabotage the factory.

 Sack rat: One who likes to sleep a lot, lazy


- Jerry is a sack rat; you should not send him on night patrol.
 Sailing: Travel by water, boat-riding
- I like to go sailing sometime.
 Salary: wage; income
- His starting salary was quite impressive.
 Samples: Specimens
- The doctor wanted to check a sample of my blood.
 Satisfy : blessed with
- Nothing satisfies her so much as doing a good job.
 Saturated: full of moisture; completely wet
- Her clothes were completely saturated.

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 saving grace: the one thing that saves or redeems sb or sth that
would otherwise be a total disaster; a redeeming quality or factor.
- Her saving grace is that she has a lot of money.
- The saving grace for the whole evening was the good music played by the band.
 Scale: Device used for weighing
- I weighed my food on the kitchen scale.
 Scale down: Reduce, shorten; make something smaller than it was or smaller
than it was planned to be
- A shortage of money has forced them to scale down the project.
- The office will scale down its staff from six to only a three.
 Scarce: rare; insufficient; uncommon
- Water is very scarce in some parts of the world.
 Scarcely: Almost never, barely, hardly Scarcely had
- I sat down when the phone rang.
 Scarf : a garment worn around the head or neck or shoulders for warmth or
decoration.
- He tied a scarf around his neck.
 Scatter: Spread out
- The wind scattered the papers all over the room.
 Scenic : a stage setting; beautiful natural scenery
- We took the scenic route home.
 Scheduled: Planned, programmed
- Everything at the party went as scheduled.
 Scoop: a small spoon-shaped instrument; a deep shovel for digging
- Carol wants only one scoop of ice cream on her cone.
 Scout (v): Search;explore an area to obtain information (as about an enemy)
- They stopped scout in the mountainous area. - He has been
on the scout squad for a long time.

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 Scram: leave; Get out; go away at once
- You are not wanted here, so scram.
 scratch the surface : make a modest effort or start; to just
begin to find out about something; to examine only the superficial aspects of
something; learn only a little about sth.
- We don’t know how bad the problem is. We’ve only scratched the surface.
 Sculpt : create solid objects out of a material such as wood, clay or metal
- Johnny sculpted an old man's head out of wood.
 Scurry: to move quickly, with small short steps
- The mouse scurried across the floor.
- The noise of the explosion sent the villagers scurrying back into their homes.

 Seal: to close tightly or completely to prevent anyone or anything from
moving in or out; to put an official mark on
- The envelope was sealed.
 second nature to sb: easy and natural for sb. (Typ: be ~; become ~.)
- Swimming is second nature to Jane.
- Flying a helicopter is no problem for Bob. It’s become second nature to him.
 Secure: Get; obtain something with difficulty, fasten or close: keep safe; put
beyond hazard of losing
- He was disappointed by his failure to secure the top job with the bank.
- Al did all the paper work needed to secure a driving license.
- Al secured all the rooms.

 See about: Make arrangements for, check on; to do what is required for (sth)
; to deal with (sth)
- She is seeing about getting tickets to the concert.
- I should see about dinner soon.
 See eye to eye: Agree with each other; to have a common viewpoin
- Jim and I do not seem to see eye to eye on all matters.

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 See someone off: accompany one to the point of departure for a trip and say
good-bye upon departure.
- We went to the train station to see Andy off.
 Seek: Look or search for
- The Palestinians have been seeking peace for a long time.
 Seep : Pass or move through small openings
- Radioactive water had seeped into underground reservoir.
 Segment: Part, portion
- He divided the circle into three segments.
 Seize: capture; to take sth quickly and keep or hold it
- I seized his arm and made him turn to look at me.
- The woman was seized.
- Seize the opportunity when it comes up.
 Select: choose
- Which house plan will you select?
 Seldom: Not often, never
- I seldom call her on the phone.
 Sell down the river: Betray, betray the faith of
- Jamey sold some of his friends down the river.
 Sell on:Convince; persuade (sb); be interested in (sth)
- often used as (be) sold on
- Although I went on the trip, I was not sold on the whole idea.
 Send for: Summon a person or thing
- I have sent for a doctor.
 Send out: Emit, give off
- Bats send out sound waves in all directions.
 Sense: Feeling
- I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt to see her leave alone

189
 Sensation: Feeling ; the ability to feel something physically,
- The doctor reported that the patient finally has sensation in his arm.
 Sensible: wise; reasonable; rational
- I think that Henry made a sensible decision.
 Serious: Grave, sincere; Severe
- My injury is very serious.
- He was serious in his decision.
 Set: put
- He set a large bowl of soup in front of me
 Set about: Begin a task
- What time will you set about on your trip to Mexico?
 set fire to sb or sth and set sb or sth on fire: to ignite sb or
sth; to put sb or sth to flames; to cause sth or sb to start burning
- The thief set fire to the building.
- The poor man accidentally set himself on fire.

 Set aside: Save


- We must set aside some money or the future.
 Set back: cause a delay in scheduling; cost sb a large amount of money
- A war would inevitably set back the process of reform.
- I wonder bow much Bill’s new car set him back?

 Set in : Change season noticeably.


- Winter has set in; it's started snowing
 Set off: Cause to explode or begin
- The bomb was set off by a remote control.
- Jack will set off on another trip to Europe.
 Set out: Start or begin, embark on, set forth
- When setting out on a long walk, always wear suitable boots.

190
 Set out to do sth: to decide to achieve sth
- She is set out to become a doctor.
 Set up: Establish, put up
- The army is planning to set up new headquarters.
 Settle: Go to a new place and live
- He visited Paris and eventually settled there.
 Settle down :to calm down; settle into a stable way of life
- Now, children, it’s time to settle down and start class.
- Bill and Ann decided to settle down and start a family.
 Shaggy: covered with long, rough and untidy hair ; confused or unclear in
conception or thinking
- This old man shaved his shaggy black beard.
- Shaggy ideas
- A shaggy argument
 Shake a Seg: Speed up, hurry up
- We wil! have to shake a leg if we want to get there on time.
 Shallow: NOT DEEP ; lacking in depth of knowledge or feeling
- Where the water is shallow, no vessel will ride.
 Sham : to pretend; only pretending to be real; false; fake
- He isn't really upset - he's just shamming.
- He was given a sham award.
 Shape (n+v): Form
- Mary draws a round shape on her paper.
 Sharp:able to cut; exactly at the stated time; exact
- The performance will start at 7.30 sharp.
 Shatter: Break into pieces
- I dropped the glass and it shattered on the floor.

191
 Shear :to cut the wool off a sheep
- The farmer taught her how to shear sheep.
 shed : to get rid of sth that is not wanted or is no longer necessary
- shed jobsstaff:
- The company shed a further 250 jobs this month.
- shed weightpounds: lose weight
- You need to shed a few pounds.
 shed crocodile tears and cry crocodile tears: to shed false
tears; to pretend that one is weeping.
- The child wasn’t really hurt, but she shed crocodile tears anyway.
 shed (some) light on sth and throw (some) light on sth: to
reveal sth about sth; to clarify sth.
- This discussion has shed some light on the problem.
 Shield: Protection device
- I used my left hand as a shield against the reflecting sunlight.
 Shift (v): Change
- Life conditions have shifted in recent years.
 Shine: Polish; make sth bright
- Shine your shoes.
 Ship (v): Send off
- All their furniture was shipped to Paris when they emigrated.
 Shocked: Surprised
- We were shocked by his death.
 Shoot the breeze: Talk a bout unimportant things: gossip
- He likes to shoot the breeze with his friends.
 Short fuse : get angry very easily; bad and quick temper that can be
easily aroused.
- Tyler has a short fuse and doesn’t mind letting everyone see it.

192
 Short of: Lacking - We
are a bit short of money at the moment.
 Shoes
- fill someone’s shoes: to take the place of some other person and do
that person’s work satisfactorily. (As if you were wearing the other person’s shoes.)
- It’ll be difficult to fill Jane’s shoes. She did her job very well.
- on a shoestring: with a very small amount of money.
- John traveled to Florida on a shoestring.
- in sb else’s shoes and in sb else’s place: seeing or experiencing
something from someone else’s point of view.
- You might feel different if you were in her shoes.
- put oneself in sb else’s shoes and put oneself in someone else’s
place : to allow oneself to see or experience sth from sb else’s point of view.
- Put yourself in someone else’s place, and see how it feels.
- I put myself in Tom’s shoes and realized that I would have made exactly the
same choice.
- step into one’s shoes: to take over a job or some role from sb.
- There was no one who could step into Alice’s shoes when she left, so everything
came to a stop.
 Shortage: very little; : LACK, DEFICIT
- There is a shortage of food.
 Should: Ought to
- You should keep some soup boiling on the stove for me.
 Shove : to push someone or something forcefully
- Just wait your turn - there's no need to shove.
 Shot: injection
- The doctor gave the patient a shot of penicillin.
 Shove: Push, hit from the back
- The police officer shoved the thief through the door.

193
 Shove off: : to leave a place, go
- It's getting late, so I guess I should shove off.
- We are ready to shove off.
 Show off: Do things to attract the attention
- She is showing off her new bike to everybody.
 Show up: Appear or arrive
- I thought you would never show up.
 Shut down: Close
- Some storekeepers were forced to shut down.
 Sibling :a brother or sister
- I have four siblings: three brothers and a sister.
 Sick as a dog: very sick; sick and vomiting.
- Sally was as sick as a dog and couldn’t go to the party.
 Sick (and tired) of sb or sth: become bored and impataint with sb or sth ;
tired of sb or sth, especially sb or sth that one must deal with repeatedly.
(Typically: be ~; become ~; get ~; grow ~.)
- I am sick and tired of cleaning up after you.
- Mary was sick of being stuck in traffic.
 Sideburns: Hair on the side of the face
- We met a young man at the mall with long sideburns.
 Silly : ridiculous; foolish
- Don't be silly, that insect can't hurt you.
 Simulate: Be made to look like, imitate
- Astronauts train in a machine that simulates condition in space.
 Simultaneously: happening or being done at exactly the same time
- There were several simultaneous explosions in different cities.
- Two children answered the teacher's question simultaneously.
 Since: Because
- Since she obviously forgot to phone me, I will phone her.

194
 Single: Bachelor
- My brother is still single.
 Sink: Go down in the water; dive in
- The boat sank to the bottom of the sea
 Sit tight: Stay put : to remain where you are; not moving
- We sat tight and waited to be rescued.
 Site: Location, place
- The company office will be moved to a new site.
 Skate: to slip or glide
- John is watching while bill is skating by himself
 Skeptical: doubtful; doubting that something is true or useful
- I am skeptical about his chances of winning.
 Skid : to slide along a surface so that you have no control ; to slip sideways
on the road
- Trevor's bus skidded on some ice and hit a tree.
 Skip: Omit, eliminate, leave out
- Mr.Forster skipped the fourth question.
- I usually skip breakfast.
 Skillful: expert
- James is a very skillful worker.
Skull: boney framework of the head
- In a science class, we learn about skulls and skeletons.
 Skyward: toward the sky, in direction of the sky
- The balloons flew in a skyward direction.
 Slam: shut forcibly and noisily; strike or beat hard; criticize harshly
- He slammed the door in my face.
- To slam on the brakes: To stop suddenly
- John slammed on the brakes suddenly,

195
 Sleek: smooth and glossy
- She has a very sleek hair.
 sleep on (it) sth : postpone a decision until one has slept through
the night. (As if one were going to think through the decision while sleeping.)
- It sounds like a good idea, but I’d like to sleep on it before giving you my
response.
- You go home and sleep on it and give me your answer in the morning.
 Sleet: a mixture of rain and snow
- There was some sleet on the runway.
 Slice: Cut
- Mary helped me slice the cake.
 Slip out: Escape or leave
- We had them encircled, but they managed to slip out.
 slip one’s mind [for sth that was to be remembered] : to be
forgotten.
- My birthday slipped my mind. I guess I wanted to forget it.
- I forgot I'd arranged to meet Richard last night - it completely slipped my mind.
 Slip up : make a mistake.
- You slippedu p here. The amount Should be $1 35.28, not $132.58.
 Sloppy: Careless in dress or action
- John is a very sloppy worker.
 Slot : Opening
- Put your money into the slot and take the ticket.
 Slug: bullet
- The poor guy wound up with a slug in his stomach.
 Sly: Tricky
- She is devious, sly and eccentric ( strange).
 Smattering: not very many; a very small amount or number
- During his briefing, he gave us a smattering of details.

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 Smooth: Even, flat, not rough
- This surface is very smooth.
 Snack: Light meal
- We will have a snack at ten.
 Snack bar: A place to eat in
- We were very hungry, so we went to the snack bar to eat.
 Snap it up: Hurry up; used to tell sb to do sth more quickly
- You are working too slowly. Snap it up!

 Sneeze at: indicate one’s disapproval of sth; belittle sb or sth


- At those days, $20 was not a sum to be sneezed at.
 Snail’s pace: very slow
- John's car was moving at a snail's pace
 Snowflakes: Soft ice crystals
- I like to touch snowflakes.
 So far: Until now
- Where have you reached so far?
- What is you favorite song in the show so far?
 So far, so good : used to say that an activity has gone well until now or
without problems up to the present
- I've found a tin of beans. So far so good, but where is the opener?
- We are half finished with our project. So far, so good.
 Solar: sunlight; from the sun
- Tom had a solar water heater in his house.
 Solder: Join with metal
- He cut the pieces and soldered them together.
 Sonar: Detection device
- Wre used a sonar machine to scan the sea ahead.

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 Sophisticated: Highly developed; complex; sb has wide experience; advanced
- I bought a new sophisticated computer.
- Mark is a smart and sophisticated young man.
- Their sonar equipment is not as sophsiticated as ours.
 Sore: Painful or aching
- I have a sore throat.
 Sort: Type, kind
- I do not know what sort of cars does she likes.
 Sort out: study a problem and figure it out ; to arrange according to class or
category.
- Would you please sort out your socks?
- I can’t sort this out without some more time.
 Soundly: completely; deeply
- The committee soundly rejected all of the proposed changes.
- I slept very soundly, thank you - the bed was really comfortable.

 Source: Beginning; sb or sth that supplies information


- Do you know the source of the Nile?
 Spacious: large and with a lot of space
- My friend lives in a very spacious house.
 Speak up: speak louder; raise one's voice.
- Could you speak up? We can't hear at the back.
 Specific: Particular
- Everyone has been given a specific job to do.
 Specify: State in detail
- Will you please specify the dates you are not available?
 Spectacles: Glasses
- He looked at me over the top of his spectacles.

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 Spectators: Fans
- Many spectators watched the final game.
 Speedometer: Speed indicator
- This speedometer is out of order.
 Speed up: Accelerate
- We had to speed up to reach on time.
 Spell out: to explain something in a very clear way with details
- She thinks she has to spell everything out to me.
 spend time in sth: stay in sth or some place for a period of time.
- I spent time in Texa when I was younger.
- He's never tried to hide the fact that he spent time in jail.
 Specimen: sample; a typical example
- The doctor wants another specimen.
 Spick and span: Clean, neat, tidy
- After I cleared away the mess, the room was spick and span.
 Spin around: turn around to face a different direction; rotate
- Jill spun around to face her accuser.
 Splatter: have water ; scatter or fall in or as if in drops.
- Water splattered all over her.
 Splice: Join together, attach, fasten
- The two wires were spliced.
 Splinter: a small sharp broken piece of wood, glass or similar material
- The doctor had to extract the splinter from my finger.
 Split: Divide
- We split the cost of the meal among the six of us.

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 A splitting headache: a severe headache, as if one’s head
were splitting open.
- When he woke up he had a splitting headache and his vision was blurred.
- This splitting headache has been going on for hours.

 Spoil: decay; for food: no longer good enough to eat


- Some food spoils easily.
 Sponge: A material used to clean with it (v) : to cleanse, wipe : to erase or
destroy with with a sponge
- She wiped off the table with a sponge.
 Sporadic: Intermittent; occurring singly, or in irregular
- There have been sporadic gunshots during the night.
 Spot: Discover, locate
- I have spotted a couple of spelling mistakes in your essay.
- On the spot : at once; immediately; at the place of action
 Spread out: Stretch out, unfold
- I told Jamie to spread out the map on the table.
 Sprinkle (n+v): light rain; drizzle; scatter in drops or particles
- It is sprinkling outside.
 Square away: arrange, put in order or in readiness
- I had to square away some paperwork before I left the office.
 Squirrel sth away: to hide sth or store sth in the way that a squirrel stores
nuts for use in the winter.
- I squirreled a little money away for an occasion such as this.
 Stacks : piles of, large number of
- There were stacks of books thrown on the table.
 Stalemate: Impasse, a fight with no victory
- The talks ended in (a) stalemate.

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 Stall: (an engine) stops working suddenly; break down
- The car stalled in the middle of the street.
 Stand: tolerate; endure; bear
- She couldn't stand the frustration of not being able to help.
 stand a chance (of doing sth): to have a chance of doing sth.
- Do you think I stand a chance of winning first place?
- Everyone stands a chance of catching the disease.
 Stand by: Wait, be prepared; to continue to support or help sb who is in a
difficult situation
- Cabin crew, please stand by for takeoff.
- She has vowed to stand by her husband during his trial.
 Stand for: Represent
- What doses U.S.A stand for?
 stand out from the crowd : to be unusual in a good
way; to be distinguishable from others in a group
- As a teacher, he always stood out from the crowd.
- The high quality of these tools makes them stand out from the crowd.
 Stand out (from sb or sth) : be prominent, extraordinary or different when
compared to sb or sth.
- As a programmer, she stands out from all the others.
 Stand sb up: not come; to fail to keep an appointment with; fail to show up
for a meeting or a date.
- I Mr. Green stood us up for dinner.
- He stood her up once too often, so she broke up with him.
 Stab : to injure or hit sb with a knife or dagger
- She was stabbed several times in the chest.
- He was jailed for fifteen years for stabbing his wife to death.
- stab sb in the back : to betray sb who trusts you
- I wish you would not gossip about me. There is no need to stab me in the back.

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 Starboard: Right side of a ship
- A ship was moving on the starboard side of the submarine.
 Stare : to look fixedly often with wide-open eyes; to show oneself obviously
- The error stared from the page.
- It's impolite to stare at a girl.

 Starving: Very hungry


- When will dinner be ready? I am starving.
 Static (n): noise on a radio or television caused by electricity in the air
- There was static on my radio last night.
 Stationary: Static: Fixed, not moving or no changing
- We crashed into the back of a stationary vehicle.
 Stay (n): Visit; live; continue
- I regret to say that we can't stay here any longer.
 Stay put: not to move; to stay where one is.
- We’ve decided to stay put and not to move to Florida.
 Stay over: to sleep at another person's house for the night
- Can she stay over tonight?
 steady as a rock : very steady and unmovable; very stable.
- You must remain as steady as a rock when you are arguing with your boss.
 Steel: Kind of metal
- Steel is used for making manv kitchen utensils.
 Steep: Slope, slant
- The mountain was too steep to climb.
 Steer: Guide; control the direction of a vehicle
- Nick steered the new students into the nearest seats.
- The sailor can steer that small boat.

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 Step: move or go on foot; to move a foot on top of sth
- Jerry stepped on my foot.
- Jim stepped on a nail.
 Step by step: Gradually, little by little
- John is getting better step-bv-step.
 step on one’s toes and tread on one’s toes: to step down onto
one’s toes, causing pain; to offend or insult one, as if causing physical pain.
- Please don’t step on my toes as you walk by.
- You’re sure I won’t be stepping on her toes if I talk directly to her supervisor?

 step on the gas and step on it: hurry up; make a vehicle go faster.
- Step on the gas. We are going to be late!
 Stereotype : a fixed idea , especially an idea that is wrong ; to repeat without
variation
- The characters in the book are just stereotypes.
 Stern: Rear
- Jack is standing at the stern.
 Stethoscope: A device to check the heart beat
- The doctor could not find his stethoscope.
 Stick around: to stay or wait about: linger
- We have to stick around to find out what happened.
 Stick to: Stay with, continue
- We must stick to rules.
- Stick to it: Stay with the job
 stick sth out: to endure sth; to stay with sth.
- I will stick it out as long as I can.
- She stuck out the abuse as long.

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 Stick by or stick with sb or sth : support sb or sth; to continue supporting or
committing to sb or sth when things are bad.
- Don’t worry. I’ll stick by you no matter what.
- I feel as if I have to stick by my brother even if he goes to jail.

 stick to one’s guns : to remain firm in one’s convictions; to


stand up for one’s rights. (Fig. on a soldier remaining in place to fire a gun even when
all appears to be lost.)
- I’ll stick to my guns on this matter. I’m sure I’m right.
- Bob can be persuaded to do it our way. He probably won’t stick to his guns on this point.
 Stiff: rigid; not easily bent or moved; firm or hard
- This hair spray has made my hair stiff.
- The handle on this door is rather stiff.
 Stifle:stop, prevent, suppress, quell; cut off (the voice, the breath,etc.)
- The government could not stifle the unrest.
 Stir: Mix
- She stirred her coffee with a teaspoon.
 Stone: Rock
- Our backyard was full with stones.
 Straddle sth; To be on both sides of
- The village straddles the river. (The river goes through it).
- to be unable to decide which of two opinions about a subject is better and so
partly support both opinions
- Don't straddle on every issue.
 Strain: Tension; pressure
- I am under a lot of strain; I stay up (not sleep) working every night.
 Strange: unfamiliar
- I heard a strange voice in the next room.

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 Straw: the dried yellow stems of crops such as wheat , used as food for
animals or as a layer on the ground for animals to lie on, and for making
traditional objects; : a tube (as of paper, plastic, or glass) for sucking up a
beverage
- The shed was roofed with dried straw.
- Why don't you drink your milkshake through a straw?
 Stray : to travel along a route that was not originally intended, or to move
aimlessly ; Strayed... side track .. deviated; animal that is wandering at large
or is lost.
- A herd of cattle had strayed into the road
 Straighten out: make a confusing situation clear; to solve a problem; to make
something tidy or organized
- Once we these problems straightened out, we should be all right.
- Could you straighten out these cupboards, please?

 Stream: A small river or brook


- There was a small stream at the end of the park.
 Stress: EMPHASIZE
- The minister stressed the need for a peaceful solution.
 Stretch: : to reach out : EXTEND; to extend in length
- She stretched out her arms.
- He stretched his neck to see what was going on.
 Stretch of sth: A spread of an area or land
- This is a beautiful stretch of countryside.
 Strict: Rigid, inflexible, tough; severe in discipline
- Our drill sergeant is very strict.
 Strike: Hit; attack
- He struck me on the face.
- When the snake is coiled, it is ready to strike.

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 Stripe: Line
- Zebras have white and back stripes.
 a stroke of luck: a bit of luck; a lucky happening.
- I had a stroke of luck and found Tom at home when I called.
- Unless I have a stroke of luck, I’m not going to finish this report by tomorrow.
 Stuck: unable to move, or fixed in a particular position, place or way of
thinking
- We were stuck in the heavy traffic.
 Structure: Construction, something built
- The old office had been replaced by a modern structure.

 Stub: short part or piece of sth which is left after the main part has been used
- Give me your ticket stub and I'll give you your money back.
 Stubborn: difficult to change his mind or attitude
- He is too stubborn to admit that he was wrong.

 Stuffed: Eat too much; full


- I was so stuffed; I could not eat anything home.
 Stuffy: Lack fresh air, having no air moving
- This room is very hot and stuffy.
 Subject (n): Citizen; a person who lives in or who has the right to live in a
particular country, especially a country with a king or queen - He is a
British subject.
(n) : topic:
- What is the subject of his speech?
(v) to bring under control; affected by
- The firm is subject to state law.
 Subjective: relating to a subject or personnot objective
- John was very subjective in refusing my offer.

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 Submerge: Go or put under water
- The whole village submerged in the river.
 Subscribe: Order or pay money to an organization in order to receive a
product
- I subscribed to the News Week.
 Substance: Matter or material
- Can you name this substance?
 Substantiate: to show sth to be true, or to support a claim with facts
- We have evidence to substantiate the allegations against him.
 Substitute: Replace with, do sb's job
- You may substitute cheese for butter.
 Suburbs: residential area on the edge of a large town or city; outskirts
- Box Hill is a suburb of Melbourne .
 Succinct: clear and brief
- I want your report about the helicopter repairs to be as succinct as possible.
 Suds: bubbles, soapy water
- There were suds in the washing machine.
 Sufficient: Enough, adequate
- We were given a sufficient a mount of paper.
- Do you have sufficient fuel in the tank?
 Suitable: Proper
- This movie is suitable for children.
 Summit: Peak; an important formal meeting between leaders of governments
from two or more countries; the highest point of a mountain; the highest,
most successful or most important point in something.
- World leaders will meet next week for their annual economic summit.
- They climbed up the mountain and reached the summit.
- I certainly haven't reached the summit of my career.

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 Sure (ly): Certain (ly), confident
- I am sure that Al was absent today.
 Surge (v) : to increase suddenly and strongly ; to move quickly and
powerfully ; to develop strongly and quickly
- The company's profits have surged.
- There was a sudden surge in heat.
 Surge (n) : a sudden and great increase
- An unexpected surge in electrical power caused the computer to crash.
 Surrender: Give up
- The fleet (group of ships) commander was forced to surrender.
 Surveillance: watch; close watch kept over sb or sth (as by a detective)
- The bank robbery was recorded by surveillance video cameras.
- The police put the man under surveillance
 Survive: Remain alive
- John survived a plane crash.
 Suspend: to cause to stop temporarily; to set aside or make temporarily
inoperative; hang
- The shirt was suspended in the closet.
- Bus service was suspended for three weeks.
 Sustain: Keep, maintain; to give support as true, legal
- People need oxygen to sustain life.
 Swanky: very expensive and fashionable; elegant
- Burney is supposed to be a very swanky restaurant, isn’t it?
 Swap: Exchange
- I would swap my job for hers any day.
 Sweet tooth: like eating sweet foods or candy
- Jane has a sweet tooth.

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 Swelling : become larger and rounder than usual; to (cause to) increase in
size or amount
- Her ankle was already starting to swell.
- Small extra costs all swell the total.
 Swerve: to change direction, especially suddenly
- The bus driver swerved to avoid hitting the cyclists.
 Swift: move very fast : happening or done quickly or immediately; smart or
intelligent — usually used in negative statements
- The current in the river is very swift.
- She's a nice kid, but she's not too swift.
 Swing: move forward and backward
- The door swung shot.
 Switch: change ; shift from one to another
- Jack switched the signs.
 Switch on off: Turn on off
- Don't forget to switch the light onoff?
 Swivel: to turn around quickly and face a different direction, or to
make something do this : spin; rotate
- She swiveled in her seat to check the time.
- The ostrich swiveled its head in our direction.
- His chairs can swivel, but they can't move up or down.
 Synthetic: Artificial, man-made
- These boots are made of synthetic material.
 Systematic : Organized
- They perform their business in a very systematic way.

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 Tag : Choose : (n) a piece of hanging or attached material
- She tagged him as a friend.
- Miranda was tagged for this job. (=chosen for).
 Tableware: the knives, forks, spoons, plates, glasses, etc. used for meals
- Sue bought some tableware for the occasion.
 Take: Require or need; hold
- It took two hours to get there.
 Take: Ride
- We will take the bus home.
 take a break and take one’s break: to have a short rest period in
one’s work.
- I don’t usually take my break until 10:30.
 Take aback: : to surprise or shock (sb)
usually used as (be) taken aback
- When I told him my answer, he seemed taken aback.
often + by: He was taken aback by her answer.
 Take advantage of: To use the opportunity
- Let us take advantage of this nice weather and go fishing.

210
 Take apart: Disassemble; separate sth into its different parts
- I took the clock apart to find out what was wrong with it.
 take effect and go into effect [for a law or a rule] ; put sth into effect
and put sth into force: to become effective; to make sth take effect; to begin
using or enforcing a policy or procedure.
- When will the city council put this law into effect?

- We will put it into force tomorrow.

- The new tax laws won’t go into effect until next year.

 Take sb or sth away (from sb or sth) : remove sb or sth to some distance away
from sb or sth else; remove sb or sth from the possession of sb or sth else.
- Take her away from me!
- Take away that horrible food.
 Take sth away : subtract a number from another number
- Four to away two is two.
- If you take 4 away from 12 you get 8.
 Take have a look at sb or sth: observe or examine sb or sth
- I asked the doctor to take a look at my cut.
 Take sth back : to return sth you have bought to a shop
Is it too small? Take it back and get a refund.
 Take sth back: to admit that sth you said was wrong
All right, I take it all back. It wasn't your fault.
 Take down: move sb or sth to a lower position or level; remove sth that is on a
wall ; remove a structure by separating its different parts; make a written
note; write sth that another person has said.
- Let me take the sandwiches down.
- I've taken the pictures down.
- He took down my address and phone number .

211
 Take for granted: to accept without question or objection;
believe sth to be the truth without even thinking about it
- I took for granted that he would always be around.
 take (it) things easy: to live well and comfortably; to relax
and avoid hard work or strain; to stay or become calm and unexcited
(usually used as a command)
- Take it easy, Joe. Everything is going to be just fine.
- I’ll be glad when I can make enough money to take things easy.
- I want you to take it easy until the stitches heal.

 Take somebody in: Deceive


- I was completely taken in by her story.
 Take after: Resemble (used for people)
- Both my sister and I take after our father.
 Take care of: Look after
- Someone should take care of the children.
 Take charge of: Assume responsibility; take control of
- Jack will take charge of the office while the manger is away.
 Take effect: Become operative
- The new law will take effect from Thursday.
 Take in: Make smaller or tighter
- My dress must be taken in..
 Take in: Understand
- There was too much in the museum to take in at one go.
 Take in: Attend: to go to watch a film or performance, or to visit a place such
as a museum
- We like to take in a movie every Thursday.
 Take something back: Return it
- If you do not like it, please take it back.

212
 Take off: Leave, depart, remove; spend time away from your work
- Our plane will take off soon. - Come in and take your hat off
- He took off two weeks in September.
 Take on
- take sth on : to accept a particular job or responsibility
- She took too much on and made herself ill.
- take on sth : to begin to have a particular quality
- Her voice took on a troubled tone.
- take sb on : to employ someone
- She was taken on as a laboratory assistant.
 Take out : to remove sth from somewhere; to date sb; Sl. to kill sb
- I've had a tooth taken out.
- She wanted to take out her guest for the evening.
- I almost got taken out by that falling tree!
 Take over: Be in charge, to assume the role, control, command or job of
someone.
- I do not know who is going to take over when I leave.
- General Adams took over yesterday.
 Take part in : participate
- She doesn't usually take part in any of the class activities.
 Takehave pity (on sb or an animal) : feel sorry for sb or an animal to have
compassion toward sb or an animal.
- We took pity on the hungry people and gave them some hot food.
- She took pity on the little dog and brought it in to get warm.
 Take place: happen
- It took place at 10 o’oclock.
 Take the plane up: To fly the plane
- The pilot was not able to take his plane up.

213
 Take the wheel: drive a vehicle
- I stopped the vehicle and asked Jane to take the wheel.
 Take up: Fill
- The entire memo took up all of two pages.
 Take up: Start doing or studying; begin
- I think I will take up physics this semester.
 Take up (sb's) time: require too much of sb else's time; to waste sb's time; use
a lot of time.
- You're taking up my time. Please go away.

-This problem is taking up too much of my time.

 Take steps: (to prevent sth) to do what is necessary to prevent sth


- The police should take steps to stop crime.
 Take sides: choose or support one side of an argument or war
- My mother always takes my father's side when I argue with him

- They were arguing, but I didn’t want to take sides, so I left.

- We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.
Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.

 Take sth up: to discuss something or deal with something


- I will take the whole issue up with Mr. Johnson.
 Take turns:Alternate doing sth; do sth in sucession; one after another.
- Herb and I took turns driving on the trip.
 Take a turn: to go for a short walk or ride
- They took a turn through the park.
 Taken with: believing sth to be deserving of respect or admiration
- I was taken with her sweet talk.

214
 Talk back: Reply, answer with no respect; speak disrespectfully
- How dare you talk back to me!
 Talk sb into sth: Convince him to do it; to persuade sb to do sth
- I will try to talk him into accepting your offer.
 Talk over: to discuss a problem or situation with sb, often to find out their
opinion or to get advice before making a decision about it
- I want to talk the matter over with the boss before I decide.
 Tardy: Late
- John is always tardy to work.
 Tarnish: discolor; to make or (especially of metal) become less bright or a
different color
- The silver vase is tarnished.
 Task: Job
- Your first task will be to type these letters.
 Taxi (V): (of an aircraft) to move slowly on the ground
- The airplane was taxiing when I arrived at the airport.
 Tear sth up: to rip something to pieces.
- The dog tore up the newspaper.
 Technique :Method, approach, way
- The university adopted new techniques in teaching English.
 Teed off: made sb angry, annoyed, irritated, unhappy
- I was very teed off because we were one hour late.
 Teeny (teeny-weeny): very small ; tiny
- Just a teeny weeny slice of cake for me, please.
 Tell apart: Distinguish : to be able to see the difference between two
very similar things or people
- They look so much alike; it is difficult to tell them apart.

215
 Tell sb off: to scold sb; to attack sb verbally.
- I was so mad at Bob that I told him off.
 Temporary: Not permanent
- This arrangement is temporary.
 Tense: Nervous, tight
- Kris was very tense after the exam.
 Tension: Stress
- I could hear the tension in her voice.
 Tentative: (of a plan or idea) not certain or agreed; hesitant; uncertain
- This is a tentative schedule for the commander's visit.
 Terminal: Station
- Our flight will depart from terminal one at Heathrow.
 Terminate: Bring or come to an end, finalize, finish
- We will terminate our contract soon.
 Terrain: an area of land, when considering its natural features
- We drove through a very tough terrain.
 Terrestrial: of or relating to land as distinct from air or water
- This weapon is for terrestrial use only.
 Terrified: Scared, frightened
- My wife is terrified of spiders.
 Test grades: Results
- Mr. Smith gave us the test grades.
 Textile: Cloth, fabric
- John in vested some of his money in textile industry.
 That’s that! Inf. That is the end of that! Nothing more can be done or said.
- I refuse to go with you and that’s that!
- Tom:Well, that’s that! I can do no more. Sally:That’s the way it goes

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 The elements:[ plural ] the weather, usually bad weather
- A man died because he was exposed to the elements.
 The rest: What is left, remainder
- Two of us are leaving tonight, the rest are leaving tomorrow.
 Thermometer : a device used for measuring temperature
- The thermometer sometimes reads below zero.

 Thermostat: An instrument that controls heat


- I do not know what the thermostat is used for.
 Think aboutof sbsth : to consider doing sth; to remember sb or sth
- I’m thinking of moving to Sydney.
- I was just thinking about you when you called.
 Don't even think about (doing) it : used to tell sb in
a forceful way that sth is not allowed
- It's illegal to park here. Don't even think about it!
 Think highly of: to admiresay admiring things about sb ; respect
- The boss seems to think hi ghly of you.
 Think over: consider a plan or idea carefully before making a decision
- I will think your offer over and let you know soon.
 Think up: Invent or to produce a new idea or plan
- Julian has been thinking up new ways of raising money.
 Thorough (ly): Complete (ly)
- The subject was discussed thoroughly at the meeting.
 Through the grapevine: hear (sth) onthrough the
grapevine : to hear news from someone who heard the news from someone
else or unofficial source.
- I heard about her promotion through the grapevine.(= by rumor)
 Thrifty: Economic, spending money carefully
- John is very thrifty.

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 Thrilled: Excited; extremely pleased
- Ann was thrilled by the movie.
 Throttle (n): a valve which allows more or less fuel to go into an engine and so
changes the power with which the engine operates
- As ever: the gear change and clutch are heavy; the throttle response terrific.
 Throttle(v): to press someone's throat very tightly so that they cannot breathe
; to prevent something from succeeding
- Sometimes he annoys me so much that I could throttle him.
- The reduction in funds is throttling the development of new
 Throttle (sth) backdown : to reduce speed, or to reduce the power and speed
being produced by an engine
- The pilot throttled back (the engines) as he came in to land
 Throughout: In every part
- The match was watched live throughout the world.
 throw a party (for sb): to have a party; to hold a party; to
arrange a party.
- Bill threw a party for his sister before she went away to college.
- Things seem sort of dull. Let’s throw a party.
 Throw away : discard; put in the garbage.
- You shouldn't throw those newspapers away; they're recyclable.
 Throw out: Discard, throw away, get rid of
- He was very annoying; therefore, I threw him out.
 Throw (sth) up: to vomit
- She spent the night throwing up.
 Thunderstorm: storm accompanied by lightning and thunder
- The weather service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning.
 Tick sb off: to make sb angry or upset; to annoy.
- That really ticks me off!
- It really ticks me off when she doesn't keep her promises.

218
 Tie: Fasten
- Kay tied her hair back with a ribbon.
- I just have to tie my shoes. (=to fasten shoelaces)
 Tie in with: to combine with sth ; it is consistent with it or connected
with it

- How does this information tie in with what we know?

 Tie the knot : get married


- Karl and Jane are going to tie the knot soon.

 TIGHT SPOT : difficult situation.


- Ann is in a tight spot because her parents don’t like the man she planes to marry.
 Tighten: Put pressure on; to become tight
- He tightened the screws as far as they would go.
 Timber: Wood
- Some buildings and furniture are made of timber.
 (have)Time to kill: have extra time: to have nothing to do for a particular
period
- Having a lot of time to kill. E G went with Hal on a picnic.
 Timetable: Schedule
- The HQ refused to put a timetable to pull out the troops.
 Tiny: Very small
- The baby has very tiny fingers.
 Tip: a gift, gratuity or a sum of money tendered for a service performed or
anticipated
- He gave the porter a tip.
 Tip off: warning; a secret warning or piece of secret information
- The police were tipped off about the robbery.

219
 To and fro: Back and forth [of movement] toward and away from sth.
- The lion in the cage moved to and fro.
 to death : extremely :a lot ; using to death after an adjective or a
verb to emphasize the action, state, or feeling mentioned. For example,
if you are frightened to death or bored to death, you are extremely
frightened or bored. - He scares
teams to death with his fake pistol.
- bleed to death : to die from the loss of blood.
- I cut my finger. I hope I don’t bleed to death.
- bored to death: bored to tears : very bored;
- I was bored to death at the lecture.
 To be (or get) indebt: : to place (as oneself) under an obligation (as of
returning sth borrowed); grateful because of help given
- Ed could not afford buying a new car because he was in debt.

- We're deeply indebted to you for your help.

 To become of age: To be 18 or 21 years ; legally adult


- John was very happy to become of age.
 To be through: to achieve success in an examination, competition, etc. ; to
finish
- She's through to the next round of interviews.
 To go hiking: To take a long walk
- They went hiking in the country.
 To lose balance: To fall down
- Be careful not to lose balance when you walk on the rope.
 To be in a sound sleep : Deeply asleep and difficult to rouse
- Jen was in a sound sleep and didn't hear her alarm this morning.
 To be sound asleep : completely asleep; in a deep sleep.
- I was sound asleep when the fire broke out.

220
 Toast: bread
- I like cheese on toast.
 Toe the linemark: Meet standers; to do what one is expected to do;
to follow the rules
- Al is a very strict leader; he wants his soldiers to toe the line.
- The new commander made his troops tour the line.
 Token: an outward sign or expression ; symbol ; souvenir ;indication
- His tears were tokens of his grief.
- A white flag is a token of surrender.
- These flowers are token of my appreciation.

 too big for sb’s britches:too haughty for sb’s status or age.
- You’re too big for your britches, young man! You had better be more respectful.
 too good to be true : almost unbelievable; so good as to be
unbelievable. (Typically: be ~; become ~; get ~.)
- The news was too good to be true.
 Topsy-turvy :Messy, in disorder, upside down
- My desk was topsy-turvy.
 Torch: A flaming light
- They lit a torch and went on walking down the alley.
 Tornado: a violent destructive whirling or spinning wind
- A tornado had swept over the whole country.
 Torpedo : Underwater weapon for destroying ships
- About two hundred people died when a torpedo hit our ship.
 Tort: an action that wrongly causes harm to someone but that is not a crime
and that is dealt with in a civil court; (law) any wrongdoing for which an
action for damages may be brought.
- The other forms of the tort require interference by unlawful means.
- Civil and criminal law Civil laws cover contract and liability in tort.

221
 Toss: to throw something carelessly; throw up in the air
- The bull tossed him up into the air.
- Let's toss a coin
-Let's toss up to see who'll go first.
 Toss for Toss up: decide sth by throwing a coin and seeing which side lands
face up.
- Let's toss up to see who'll go first.
 Toss off :write sth quickly without much effort; drink quickly
- He tossed off a few lines of poetry.
- He tossed off a shot of whiskey.
 Total: Sum
- What is the total number of people in your office?
 Totem pole: a tall wooden pole with symbols cut or painted on it, which is
part of the tradition of the Native Americans of the west coast of Canada and
the northern USA
- Totem poles depict Indian legends back centuries.
 Tow: Drag behind ; to pull a car, boat, etc. along, using a rope or a chain tied
to another vehicle or boat
- You shouldn't drive fast when your car is towing a caravan.
- The damaged boat was towed to safety.
 Tow sth away : to lift a vehicle that has been parked illegally onto
an official truck and take it to a place from which you have to pay to collect it
- You're not allowed to park here - your car will be towed away .
 Toxic: Poisonous
- Toxic chemicals have leaked into the water.
 Trace : to follow or study out in detail; to follow the footprints, track, or
trail of; find someone or something that was lost
- We trace the history of the war
- He seems to have vanished without trace.
- No one has yet been able to trace the source of the rumor.

222
 Track: a path or rough road
- The house is at the end of a dirt track.
 Trade: Commerce, business
- Trade is not good at this time of the year.
 Trail: Follow the tail
- Two detectives were tailing me.
 Trailer: a vehicle for transporting something
- A trailer commonly used to haul freight.
 Trait: a distinguishing quality ; an inherited characteristic
- This dog breed has a number of desirable traits.
 Transfer: a ticket which allows a passenger to change routes or to change
from one bus or train to another
- Johan was given a transfer at the end of his line.
 Transfer (v): to move someone or something from one place, vehicle, person
or group to another; to change to a different job, team, place of work, etc., or
to make someone do this
- We must transfer the goods to another place.
- After a year he transferred to University College, Dublin.
 Transform: to change in composition or structure; change the outward form
or appearance of;to change in character or condition : CONVERT
- Electricity has transformed people's life.
 Transparent: clear; can see through object very clearly; obvious
- The lake was very transparent this morning.
- His reasons for going were quite transparent.
 Transport: Carry, move people or goods from one place to another
- They use tankers to Transport oil.
 Trap: Catch
- Locals were encouraged to trap and kill birds.

223
 Treaty : an official written agreement between two parties.
- They signed a nonaggression treaty
 Tremendous: Very large
- That is a tremendous amount of information.
 Trench: Hole, ditch
- The soldier was found hiding in a trench.
 Trespass :BREAK LAW : overstep; to go onto sb's land or enter their building
without permission ;a violation of moral or social ethics; sin

- Never trespass upon another's rights.


 Trial run: test of sth new to discover its effectiveness; practice.
- We're holding a tournament in the new ice-hockey stadium, as a trial run for next
year's Winter Olympics.
 Trigger : to cause the explosion of
- Be careful or you will trigger you rifle by accident
 Trim: Cut; Reduce; Decorate especially around the edges
- To trim a tree successfully requires a sharp saw.
- My hair needs trimming.
- She was wearing a black suit trimmed with white.

 Troubleshooting: discovering why sth does not work effectively and making
suggestions about how to improve it: the process of solving problems, esp.
complicated problems in a system
- He’s very good at troubleshooting because he knows these computers very well.
- Troubleshooters : a person who finds and fixes problems in machinery and
technical equipment (such as computers) : a person who tries to find solutions
to problems or end disagreements
 Throughout: all over; in or to every part of; during the whole course or
period of
- We searched for him throughout the city.

224
 Trousers : pants; slacks
- These pants need to be cleaned.
 Truck: vehicle
- They used a truck to deliver the freight.
 Trunk: Upper part of the body ; the thick main stem of a tree, from which its
branches grow ; a covered space at the back of a car, for storing things in
- Jamie hurt his trunk during the accident.
 Try on: Put on clothes to see if they fit
- Tim wanted to try on a pair of jeans.
 Try out: Test the function of; test sb for a while
- Jerrv refused to buv the car before he tries it out.
 Tumble: Fall, break into pieces ; fall quickly and without control
- The building could tumble any minute.
 Tunnel: Underground passageway
- The train disappeared in a tunnel.
 Turn around turn about : to reverse direction; to face the opposite direction
or turn completely to change for the better.
- The bus turned around and went the other way.
- The new management team turned the company around in six months.
 turn a blind eye (to sb or sth): to ignore sth and pretend you do
not see it.
- The usher turned a blind eye to the little boy who sneaked into the theater.
-How can you turn a blind eye to all those starving children?
 turn a deaf ear (to sb or sth): to ignore what sb says; to ignore a
cry for help.
- Jack turned a deaf ear to our pleading.
 turn a place upside down : to search a place thoroughly.
- The cops turned the whole house upside down but never found the gun.
- I had to turn the place upside down to find my car keys.

225
 Turn back: Return
- She turned back to her work.
 Turn down: Reject; to refuse an offer or request; reduce the volume
- Al turned down a new job offer. - Ed turned down the radio.
 Turn off: Disgust; to stop someone feeling interested or excited
- His behavior at the party really turned me off.
 Turn in: go to bed : return sth to an organization or a person in authority;
submit; deliver
- Thousands of weapons were turned in during the national gun amnesty.
- Please turn in your papers. My wife likes to turn in early.
 Turn into: to change and become someone or something different
- The prince tuned into a frog in the cartoon fairytales.
 Turn onoff: Switch onoff
- Jack turned the lights onoff
 Turn (spin) on one's heel: to turn away from someone in
a very quick or sudden way
- He told us he had nothing more to say, then he turned on his heel and walked
away.
- He entered the room, turned on his heel, and left.
 Turn over: lose possession of ; deliver; surrender
- James turned over some authority to his assistant.
 Turnout : the number of people who go to or participate in something; an
area next to a road where vehicles can stop.
- There was a goodlarge turnout at the town meeting. [=a large number of people
attended the town meeting]
- The opening game of the season brought only a small turnout.
 Turn up : increase the volume; appear; to arrive and attend; happen
- I can barely hear the TV. Can you turn it up a little?
- We’ll send out invitations and see who turns up.
- Something always turns up to prevent their meeting.

226
 Twisted: Not straight
- The two wires were twisted.
 twist sb’s armFig: to pressure sb. (Fig. on the image of hurting sb
until they agree to cooperate.)
- I had to twist her arm a little, but she agreed.
- Do I have to twist your arm, or will you cooperate?
 Two bits: 25 cents
- I gave Mary two bits to buy some candy.
 Typhoon : a hurricane or a violent wind which has a circular movement,
found in the West Pacific Ocean
- In May a typhoon hit the Philippines.
 Typical: normal; common; regular; expected; Having the distinctive qualities
of a particular type of person or thing; usual
- This painting is typical of his early work.
- This kind of weather is tygical for this part of the country.
 Tyrant : A cruel and oppressive dictator
- His boss is a complete tyrant.

227
 Uncanny: Unbelievable, weird; strange or mysterious; difficult or impossible
to explain
- He has uncanny ability to predict the future.
 Unconscious: faint, unaware, in complete comma
- He remained unconscious after the accident.
 Underneath: below; directly beneath
- The tunne1 runs underneath the riverbed.
 under the weather: ill; intoxicated
- I feel sort of under the weather today.
- Daddy’s had a few beers and is under the
 Underwrite: Give financial support; to guarantee financial support of
- The bank has agree to underwrite the new building.
 Unfamiliar: strange
- The voice was unfamiliar to me.
 Uniform (adj): the same; not changing or different in any way
- The price rises will not be uniform across the country.
 Uninhabited: Having no people live in
- The village became uninhabited after the war.

228
 Unite: Join together
- The two parties agreed unanimously to unite under one leader.
 Unless: Except if, if not
- We will not go unless you come with us.
 Unlike: Dissimilar
- My new job is completely unlike the previous one.
 Unlikely: improbable
- It is unlikely that John will be the next president.
 Unsubstantiated: unconfirmed : not proven to be true : not substantiated
- It is an unsubstantiated rumorreport
- There’s an unsubstantiated report t newhat three new officers we arriving
next week.
 up in the air (about sb or sth): undecided about sb or sth; uncertain
about sb or sth.
- The whole future of the project is still up in the air.
- Let’s leave this question up in the air until next week.
 up to doing sth [feeling] able to do something.
- Do you feel up to going back to work today?
- She just isn’t up to staying up so late.
 up to the minute: current. (*Typically: be ~; bring something ~.)
- This report is up to the minute and fresh from the wire services.
 Usher: one who escorts persons to their seats (as in a theater): to conduct to
a place; to make sb go where you want them to go
- She ushered us into her office and offered us a coffee.
 Unsubstantiated: unconfirmed
- There’s an unsubstantiated report that three new officers are arriving next week.
 Unsuitable: inappropriate
- The outfit Lt Smith’s wife wore to the general’s reception was unsuitable.
 Up to date:Current; recent, or containing the latest information
- This is a very up to date piece of equipment.

229
 Upkeep(n):the cost of maintenance; process of keeping sth in good condition
- The upkeep of larger old properties is very expensive.
- Council employees are responsible for the upkeep of the gardens.
 Ups and downs: Changes in fortune ; a mixture of good and bad
things happens.
- Every relationship has its ups and downs.
 Upscale: a superior quality: goods and products of very high quality and to
be bought by rich people; appropriate for rich people .
- A new upscale shopping center is under construction on the west end of town
 Uptight: Worried, irritated; nervous; not able to relax
- He gets uptight before an exam.
 Uneven: Not level or smooth
- This surface is uneven.
 Unveil :to remove a covering ; reveal
- Craig’s statue was unveiled last night
 Use one’s head: Think intelligently
- The teacher wanted the students to use their head.
 use one’s head and use one’s noggin; use one’s noodle: to use one’s
own intelligence. (The words noggin and noodle are slang terms for “head.”)
- You can do better in math if you’ll just use your head.
- Jane uses her noggin and gets things done correctly and on time.
- Yes, she sure knows how to use her noodle.
 Use caution: be attentive
- Drivers should use caution during bad weather.
 Use up: Consume; to finish a supply of something
- The platoon has used up their supplies.
 Utility (n): helpful use; useful
- This tool is of a great utility.
.

230
 Vacillate: change from one opinion to another; hesitate in choice of opinions
or courses
- Her mood vacillated between hope and despair.
 Vacant: not occupied or not filled; available to be used; empty
- The office of the state senior is vacant right now.
 Vacuum: Empty space
- His father’s death left a vacuum in her life.
 Vague: Not clear
- I saw a vague shape in the distance.
 Valuable: Very expensive or important
- This is a valuable piece of furniture.
 Value (n): What something is worth; worth
- Does this vase has any value?
- He wanted to know the value of my watch.
 Valve : a device used to control the flow of liquids or gases
- They turned off the main water valve to the house.
 Vanilla (n): Flavoring
- I ordered some vanilla ice cream.

231
 Vanish: Disappear
- The aircraft vanished without trace.
 Variable: Changeable
- The rate of interest at this bank is variable.
 Variety: Different kinds of
- We have covered a variety of subjects until now (so far).
 Vary: Change
- Intelligence varies from one student to another.
- The meals in this restaurant never vary.
 Vegetarian: a person who does not eat meat
- Our youngest daughter is a vegetarian.
 Velocity :Speed
- We learned today about the velocity of light.
 Vertical: Upright
- Ann drew a vertical line on the paper.
 Vessel: Ship
- The kids wanted to see the fishing vessel.
 Via: By way of
- We fieu from London to Sydney via Bangkok.
 Vibration: slight shaking movement
- Even at full speed, the engine causes very little vibration.
 Vice: ( US USUALLY vise ) a TOOL for holding objects
- We asked Ed to allow us to use the vice in his workshop.
 Vicinity:the immediately surrounding area ; neighborhood
- There are several hotels in the immediate vicinity of the station.
 In the vicinity of: approximately; close to (a place) or (an amount)
- He lives in the generalimmediate vicinity of the school.
- His yearly salary is in the vicinity of one million dollars.

232
 Viewpoint: Opinion, an idea about a subject
- I wanted them to understand my viewpoint.
 Vigilant: watchful; always being careful to notice things, especially possible
danger
- The sentries were told to stay vigilant and report everything
 Violate: to break or act against something, especially a law, agreement,
principle or something that should be treated with respect
- Russia violated the peace treaty.
 Visibility was poor: could not see
- The weather was bad and the visibility was poor.
 Vital: Extremely important; necessary for the success or continued existence
of something
- The heart performs a vital bodily function.
- Police have found a vital clue .

233
 Wait on: Serve
- She has many servants to wait on her.
 Wake up (v): stop sleeping; become awake and conscious after sleeping
- I like to wake up early in the morning.
 Walk away with (v): to win a prize or competition very easily; to take or steal
something
- He walked away with all three gold medals.
- I think somebody just walked away with my purse!
 Walloping: Impressive
- That was a walloping job you did to the boss.
 want ad: a newspaper advertisement stating that something (such as
an employee, employment, or a specified item) is Wanted.
- She checked the want ads to find a new job.
 Warp: a rope for warping or mooring a ship or boat; a twist or curve that
has developed in something originally flat or straight
- There was a warp in the tale of the plane.
 Wary: cautious; marked by keen caution, and watchfulness especially in
detecting and escaping danger
- I would be wary of anything he tells you.

234
 Waste: Trash; unwanted matter or material of any type; or wrong use of
money, substances, time, energy, abilities, etc.
- There was a lot of waste material thrown all over the garden.
 Water under the bridge and water over the dam: used to
say that something happened in the past and is no longer important or
worth arguing about
- There is no need to discuss this. It is water under the bridge.
 Watch out for watch over : be careful of; beware of
- If you take that road, watch out for ice during the winter.
 Watch over sb or sth : to keep guard over or care for sb or sth.
- I will watch over your house while you are away.
 Wax: Polish
- He spent most of his time washing and waxing the car.
 Wear away: to gradually disappear or to cause (sth) to gradually disappear
or become thinner, smaller, etc., because of use
- The paint on the sign had worn away.

 Wear on:[for an event] to continue for a long period of time.


- Some of the men began to lag as the march wore on.
- The lecture seemed to wear on for hours.
- It wore on until I went to sleep.
 wear on : If a period of time wears on, it seems to pass very slowly
- She felt less confident about completing the course as the week wore on.
 Wear out : use something until it can no longer be used; it is damaged and
cannot be used any more.

- I need a new pencil sharpener. I wore this one out.


 Wear out : cause to become exhausted or very tired
- I had four different meetings today. They wore me out.

235
 Wear and tear: Damage in use
- We had a problem of wear and tear on our equipment.
 Weed out: to remove sb or sth unwanted or undesirable from a group or
collection.
- We must weed these files out as soon as possible.
 Weld: Join: unite: repair by melting or heating
- His job is to weld things together.
 Well done: Excellent, rightly or properly performed
- The job was well done.
- I prefer my stake well done.
 Well known: Popular
- King Hussein is a very wall known character.
 Well armed: To have good weapons
- The platoon was well armed.
 Well-to-do: Well off: wealthy, rich
- Only the well to do can afford to own hoses in that area.
 Wet: containing, covered with, or soaked with water or liquid
- The weather will be wet on the next week.
 wet behind the ears and not dry behind the ears; hardly dry
behind the ears: young and inexperienced.
- John’s too young to take on a job like this! He’s still wet behind the ears!
- He may be wet behind the ears, but he’s well-trained and totally competent.
 when it comes to sth as for sth: speaking about sth.
- When it comes to fishing, John is an expert.
- When it comes to trouble, Mary really knows how to cause it.
 Whirlybird: helicopter
- The whirlybird has performed its mission.

236
 Whole: All of the, entire; complete
- The whole bomb squad was unable to locate the wick (fuse).
 Wick: fuse; a piece of string in the centre of a candle, or a similar part of a
light, which supplies fuel to a flame

- We could not light the wick of the dynamite stick because it was soaking wet.

 Windbag: Talkative, chatty


- She is a windbag.
 Wind: verb wound , wound : TURN ; to turn or cause sth to turn
- She wound the handle but nothing happened.
- Once she'd got into the car, she wound the window downup (= caused it to
openclose by turning a handle) .

 Wind up: Finish; end meeting; to conclude; arrive in a place


- You will wind up in jail if you keep doing that.
 Wipe: to clean, dry or to remove by rubbing
- She wiped her eyes with a tissue.
 Wipe off: to remove something from something
1: to clean (sb or sth) by using a towel, one's hand, etc.
- She wiped the counters off.
2: to remove (something) by rubbing
- I wiped the food off the baby's face.
 Withstand:Tolerate; to bear; to to stand up against; to resist
- The troops were too weak to withstand another attack.
 Work as a team: Co-operate
- The boss said that we should work as a team.
 Work on sth: to repair, build, or adjust; spend time reparing sth.
- The carpenter worked on the fence for three hours.

237
 Work out: a practice or exercise to test or improve one's fitness, ability, or
performance; tosolve a problem; resolve a difficult situation (usually by
working togather).
- I work out daily. I cannot work out how to do this.
 Worked up: upset; very excited about something
- I got worked up when I did not find a place to park my car
 Worthless: valueless; useless
- It is worthless. It is only a bit of plastic.
 Would rather :Prefer
- I would rather verify (see if true or accurate) the paper myself.
 Wrap: to cover or surround sth with paper, cloth or other material
- Joy wanted me to wrap the present for her.
 Wrap up : wear enough clothes to keep warm.
- It's really cold today. Be sure you wrap up when you leave the house.
 Wrap up : finish sth successfully; bring sth to a conclusion.
- Let's wrap up the meeting before 5 o'clock.
 Wreck: to destroy or badly damage something
- A fishing boat was wrecked in the storm.
 Wrench : a hand or power tool for holding, twisting, or turning an object
(such as a bolt or nut)
- Hand me that wrench over there. I have to tighten this bolt.
 Write down : record something in writing.
- Could you tell me your e-mail address again? I want to write it down.
 Write up : record; report in writing.
- I have to write up my report before the meeting.

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 Yell: a loud cry, scream ; to shout something or make a loud noise, usually
when you are angry, in pain or excited
- Do not yell at me; I do not know how to xerox (copy).

 Yield : give up and cease resistance; to supply or produce sth positive


- They were forced to yield (up) their land to the occupying forces.
- The investigation yielded some unexpected results.
 Yeoman: A naval petty officer who performs clerical duties - Jason
is a yeoman in the navy.

 Yuppie: : a young college-educated adult who is employed in a well-paying


profession and who lives and works in or near a large city.
Note :"yuppie" basically was a shortened version of "young, urban, professional" YUP. That
is how it became "yuppie."
- They're just a couple of yuppies with more money than sense.
- My friend is a yuppie. He lives in a huge house in Manhattan.

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 Zap: destroy or kill sth or sb, especially intentionally; quikly kill
- We need something to zap those bugs.

 Zapper : a device for controlling a machine from a distance


- Use the zapper to turn off the TV.

 Zone: Area
- The government will set up more free zones in the kingdom.

 Zero hour: critical time; the hour at which a planned military


operation is scheduled to start; a time when a vital decision or decisive
change must be made

- Al is the platoon leader; therefore, he sets the zero hour.

 Zero in: locate accurately; adjust the rifle


- We zeroed in on the enemy site.s Soldiers will zero in their rifle.

 Zero in on : to direct all your attention towards a particular thing

- Scientists are hoping to zero in on a cure.

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 Zenith: highest point; the best or most successful point or time

- My career reached its zenith in the 1990's.

 Zipper : A fastener for locking together two toothed edges by means of a


sliding tab

- The zipper was stuck and we couldn't open the suitcase.

 Zonk out: fall asleep quickly because of exhaustion.


- I intended to go shopping after work, but I was so tired that I zonked out as soon
as I got home.

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