my vocabulary 14
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
-
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?