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my vocabulary 14

Terms

undefined, object
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go out of your way (to do sth)
to make a special effort to do sth: He would always go out of his way to be friendly towards her.
blister
a swelling on the surface of the skin that is filled with liquid and is caused, for example, by rubbing or burning: These shoes have given me blisters on my heels.
work your way up
to move regularly to a more senior position in a company: He worked his way up from messenger boy to account executive.
clammy
damp and sticky in an unpleasant way: His skin felt cold and clammy. clammy hands
berate
to criticize or speak angrily to sb because you do not approve of sth they have done: She berated herself for being a bad mother.
blow-out
an occasion when a tyre suddenly bursts on a motor vehicle while it is moving: to have a blow-out
clamp ~ A to B| ~ A and B (together)
to hold sth tightly, or fasten two things together, with a clamp: Clamp one end of the plank to the edge of the table. Clamp the two halves together until the glue dries.
pinkie (also pinky)
the smallest finger of the hand: a pinkie ring (= worn on the smallest finger)
disheveled
(of hair, clothes or sb's general appearance) very untidy: He looked tired, dishevelled and very pale.
swerve (especially of a vehicle)
to change direction suddenly, especially in order to avoid hitting sb/sth: She swerved sharply to avoid a cyclist. The bus suddenly swerved into his path. The ball swerved into the net.
thrash 2 ~ (sth) (about / around)
1 to hit a person or an animal many times with a stick, etc. as a punishment
2 to move or make sth move in a violent or uncontrolled way: Someone was thrashing around in the water, obviously in trouble. The animal thrashed about in pain. A whale was thrashing the water with its tail. She thrashed her head from side to side.
cuddle
to hold sb/sth close in your arms to show love or affection: A couple of teenagers were kissing and cuddling on the doorstep. The little boy cuddled the teddy bear close.
baton
a thin light stick used by the person (called a conductor) who is in control of an orchestra, etc: The orchestra played brilliantly under Previn's baton.
slack off (on sth)
to do sth more slowly or with less energy than before: He's gone from success to success in his movie career, and there's no sign of him slacking off.
aviary
a large cage or building for keeping birds in, for example in a zoo
claw
1 one of the sharp curved nails on the end of an animal's or a bird's foot: The cat lashed out with its claws.
2 a long, sharp curved part of the body of some types of shellfish, used for catching and holding things: the claws of a crab
mutton
meat from a fully grown sheep
far-fetched
very difficult to believe: The whole story sounds very far-fetched.
stab
1 to push a sharp, pointed object, especially a knife, into sb, killing or injuring them: He was stabbed to death in a racist attack. She stabbed him in the arm with a screwdriver.
2 a sudden sharp pain or unpleasant feeling: She felt a sudden stab of pain in the chest. a stab of guilt / fear / pity / jealousy

light-hearted
1 intended to be amusing or easily enjoyable rather than too serious: a light-hearted speech
2 cheerful and without problems: She felt light-hearted and optimistic.
ledge
1 a narrow flat piece of rock that sticks out from a cliff: seabirds nesting on rocky ledges
2 a narrow flat shelf fixed to a wall, especially one below a window: She put the vase of flowers on the window ledge.
surreptitious
done secretly or quickly, in the hope that other people will not notice: She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch.
bedraggled
made wet, dirty or untidy by rain, mud, etc: bedraggled hair / clothes I barely recognized the bedraggled figure who staggered in from the storm.
first-hand
obtained or experienced yourself: to have first-hand experience of poverty
padlock
a type of lock that is used to fasten two things together or to fasten one thing to another. Padlocks are used with chains on gates, bicycles, etc.
far and wide

over a large area: They searched far and wide for the missing child.
patch
1 a small piece of material that is used to cover a hole in sth or to strengthen a weak area: I sewed patches on the knees of my jeans.
2 a piece of material that you wear over an eye, usually because the eye is damaged: He had a black patch over one eye.
gaunt
very thin, usually because of illness, hunger or worry: a gaunt face She looked gaunt and exhausted.
loft
1 a space just below the roof of a house, often used for storing things and sometimes made into a room: a loft conversion (= one that has been made into a room or rooms for living in)
2 an upper level in a church, or a farm or factory building: the organ loft
3 a part of a room that is on a higher level than the rest: The children slept in a loft in the upstairs bedroom.
anguish
severe pain, mental suffering or unhappiness: He groaned in anguish. Tears of anguish filled her eyes.
timber
1 trees that are grown to be used in building or for making things: the timber industry
2 wood that is prepared for use in building, etc: houses built of timber
3 a wooden beam used in building a house or ship: roof timbers
residue
a small amount of sth that remains at the end of a process: pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables
haul
to pull sth/sb with a lot of effort: The wagons were hauled by horses. He reached down and hauled Liz up onto the wall. The car was hauled out of the river. fishermen hauling in their nets
stub your toe (against / on sth)
to hurt your toe by accidentally hitting it against sth hard: She stubbed her toe on the step.
aghast ~ (at sth)
filled with horror and surprise when you see or hear sth: Erica looked at him aghast. He stood aghast at the sight of so much blood.
jiggle
to move or make sth move up and down or from side to side with short quick movements: Stop jiggling around! She jiggled with the lock. He stood jiggling his car keys in his hand.
under way (also underway)
having started: Preparations are well under way for a week of special events in May.
ward
a separate room or area in a hospital for people with the same type of medical condition: a maternity / surgical / psychiatric / children's ward
long-standing
that has existed or lasted for a long time: a long-standing relationship
swarthy (especially of a person or their face)
having dark skin: a swarthy complexion / face / man
soar
1 if the value, amount or level of sth soars, it rises very quickly: soaring costs / prices / temperatures Air pollution will soon soar above safety levels. Unemployment has soared to 18%.
2 to fly very high in the air or remain high in the air: an eagle soaring high above the cliffs
parole
permission that is given to a prisoner to leave prison before the end of their sentence on condition that they behave well: to be eligible for parole She was released on parole. She was paroled after two years.
ambient
relating to the surrounding area; on all sides: ambient temperature / light / conditions
not far off
almost correct: Your guess wasn't far out at all.
doorstop
a thing that is used to stop a door from closing or to prevent it from hitting and damaging a wall when it is opened
indelible
1 impossible to forget or remove: The experience made an indelible impression on me. Her unhappy childhood left an indelible mark.
2 (of ink, pens, etc.) leaving a mark that cannot be removed: an indelible marker / stain
strap
a strip of leather, fabric or other material that is used to fasten sth, keep sth in place, carry sth or hold onto sth: the shoulder straps of her dress a watch with a leather strap
huddle (of people or animals)
to gather closely together, usually because of cold or fear: We huddled together for warmth. They all huddled around the fire. People huddled up close to each other.
stub
1 a short piece of a cigarette, pencil, etc. that is left when the rest of it has been used
2 the small part of a ticket, cheque, etc. that you keep as a record when you have given the main part to sb
on hold
1 delayed until a later time or date: She put her career on hold to have a baby. The project is on hold until more money is available. The department has placed its plans on hold pending the results of the elections.
2 if a person on the telephone is put on hold, they have to wait until the person that they want to talk to is free
contentious
1 likely to cause disagreement between people: a contentious issue / topic / subject Both views are highly contentious. Try to avoid any contentious wording.
2 liking to argue; involving a lot of arguing: a contentious meeting
incorrigible
having bad habits which cannot be changed or improved: Her husband is an incorrigible flirt. You're incorrigible!
spoke
one of the thin bars or rods that connect the centre of a wheel to its outer edge, for example on a bicycle
emaciated
thin and weak, usually because of illness or lack of food: He was thirty, but looked fifty, with pale skin, hopeless eyes and an emaciated body, covered in sores.
till
to prepare and use land for growing crops
exorbitant
(of a price) much too high: exorbitant costs / fares / fees / prices / rents It's a good hotel but the prices are exorbitant.
condiment
1 a substance such as salt or pepper that is used to give flavour to food
2 a sauce, etc. that is used to give flavour to food, or that is eaten with food: hot condiments made from a variety of chili peppers
plaque
a flat piece of stone, metal, etc., usually with a name and dates on, attached to a wall in memory of a person or an event: A bronze plaque marks the house where the poet was born.
get hold of sb
to contact or find sb: Where have you been? I've been trying to get hold of you all day. Eventually, we got hold of Dan in New York. Do you know where I can get hold of a good plumber?

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