fa cile

BrE / ˈfæsaɪl /
NAmE / ˈfæsl /
adjective
WORD ORIGIN
( disapproving )
1 produced without effort or careful thought
glib
a facile remark/generalization
It seems too facile to blame everything on his mishandling of the crisis.
2 [ only before noun ] ( formal ) obtained too easily and having little value
a facile victory

reti cent •

BrE / ˈretɪsnt /
NAmE / ˈretɪsnt /
adjective
WORD ORIGIN
( formal ) unwilling to tell people about things
reserved , uncommunicative
She was shy and reticent.
~ about sth He was extremely reticent about his personal life.
reti cence / BrE ˈretɪsns ; NAmE ˈretɪsns / noun [ uncountable ]
•

That night she had overcome her natural reticence and talked about their married life.

an neal •

BrE / əˈniːl /
NAmE / əˈniːl /
verb
VERB FORMS
WORD ORIGIN
~ sth ( technical )
to heat metal or glass and allow it to cool slowly, in order to make it stronger or softer

strut verb, noun

BrE / strʌt /
NAmE / strʌt /
verb
VERB FORMS
WORD ORIGIN
( -tt- ) [ intransitive ]
 to walk proudly with your head up and chest out to show that you think you are
important
The players strutted and posed for the cameras.
ˌstrut your ˈstuff ( informal ) to proudly show your ability, especially at dancing or
performing
strutting your stuff to the latest chart hits
noun
WORD ORIGIN
1 a long thin piece of wood or metal used to support or make part of a vehicle or
building stronger
wheel struts
The roof was supported on oak struts.
2 [ singular ] ( disapproving ) an act of walking in a proud and confident way
She recognized his arrogant strut.

welt
BrE / welt /
NAmE / welt /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
a raised mark on the skin where sth has hit or rubbed you
weal

amen ity •

BrE / əˈmiːnəti /
NAmE / əˈmenəti /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
EXAMPLE BANK
[ usually plural ] ( pl. amen ities )
•

a feature that makes a place pleasant, comfortable or easy to live in

The campsite is close to all local amenities .
Many of the houses lacked even basic amenities (= baths, showers, hot water, etc.) .

as suage
•

BrE / əˈsweɪdʒ /
NAmE / əˈsweɪdʒ /
verb
VERB FORMS
WORD ORIGIN
~ sth ( formal )
to make an unpleasant feeling less severe
 His reply did little to assuage my suspicions.
to assuage your guilt/fears

apos tate •

BrE / əˈpɒsteɪt /
NAmE / əˈpɑːsteɪt /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
( formal )
a person who has rejected their religious or political beliefs
apos tasy / BrE əˈpɒstəsi ; NAmE əˈpɑːstəsi / noun [ uncountable ]
•

rep ro bate
• •

BrE / ˈreprəbeɪt /
NAmE / ˈreprəbeɪt /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
( formal or humorous )
a person who behaves in a way that society thinks is immoral
rep ro bate adjective [ only before noun ]
• •

reprobate behaviour

crease noun, verb

BrE / kriːs /
NAmE / kriːs /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
EXAMPLE BANK
1 an untidy line that is made in cloth or paper when it is pressed or crushed
She smoothed the creases out of her skirt.
a shirt made of crease-resistant material
2 a neat line that you make in sth, for example when you fold it
trousers with a sharp crease in the legs
3 a line in the skin, especially on the face
creases around the eyes
4 ( in cricket ) a white line on the ground near each wicket that marks the position of
the bowler and the batsman
He spent six hours at the crease (= he was batting for six hours) .
verb
VERB FORMS
 WORD ORIGIN
EXAMPLE BANK
EXAMPLE BANK
1 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] ~ (sth) to make lines on cloth or paper by folding or
crushing it; to develop lines in this way
Pack your suit carefully so that you don't crease it.
2 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] ~ (sth) to make lines in the skin; to develop lines in
the skin
A frown creased her forehead.
Her face creased into a smile.
creased / BrE ; NAmE / adjective
I can't wear this blouse. It's creased.
ˌcrease ˈup | ˌcrease sb ˈup ( BrE , informal ) to start laughing or make sb start
laughing
crack (sb) up
Ed creased up laughing.
Her jokes really creased me up.

trill noun, verb

BrE / trɪl /
NAmE / trɪl /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
1 a repeated short high sound made, for example, by sb's voice or by a bird
2 ( music ) the sound made when two notes next to each other in the musical scale are
played or sung quickly several times one after the other
3 ( also roll ) ( phonetics ) a sound, usually an / r / , produced by making the tongue
vibrate against a part of the mouth
verb
VERB FORMS
WORD ORIGIN
1 [ intransitive ] to make repeated short high sounds
warble
A phone trilled on the desk.
The canary was trilling away happily.
2 [ transitive ] + speech to say sth in a high cheerful voice
warble
‘How wonderful!’ she trilled.
3 [ transitive ] ~ sth ( phonetics ) to pronounce an ‘r’ sound by making a trill  ( 3 )
compare roll  ( 10 )

ver acity
•
 BrE / vəˈræsəti /
NAmE / vəˈræsəti /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
EXAMPLE BANK
[ uncountable ] ( formal )
the quality of being true; the habit of telling the truth
truth , truthfulness
They questioned the veracity of her story.

con fetti •

BrE / kənˈfeti /
NAmE / kənˈfeti /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
EXAMPLE BANK
[ uncountable ]
small pieces of coloured paper that people often throw at weddings over people who
have just been married, or (in the US) at other special events

hal cyon
•

BrE / ˈhælsiən /
NAmE / ˈhælsiən /
adjective
WORD ORIGIN
[ usually before noun ] ( literary )
peaceful and happy
the halcyon days of her youth

wreath
BrE / riːθ /
NAmE / riːθ /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
EXAMPLE BANK
( pl. wreaths / BrE riːðz ; NAmE riːðz / )
1 an arrangement of flowers and leaves, especially in the shape of a circle, placed on
graves, etc. as a sign of respect for sb who has died
The Queen laid a wreath at the war memorial.
2 an arrangement of flowers and/or leaves in the shape of a circle, traditionally hung on
doors as a decoration at Christmas
a holly wreath
 3 a circle of flowers or leaves worn on the head, and used in the past as a sign of honour
a laurel wreath
4 ( literary ) a circle of smoke, cloud, etc
wreaths of mist

co eval
•

BrE / kəʊˈiːvl /
NAmE / koʊˈiːvl /
adjective
WORD ORIGIN
( formal ) ~ (with sth)
( of two or more things ) having the same age or date of origin
The industry is coeval with the construction of the first railways.

ran cour •

( US ran cor )•

BrE / ˈræŋkə(r) /
NAmE / ˈræŋkər /
noun
[ uncountable ] ( formal )
feelings of hatred and a desire to hurt other people, especially because you think that sb
has done sth unfair to you
bitterness
There was rancour in his voice.
They divorced with remarkably little rancour.
She learned to accept criticism without rancour .
ran cor ous / BrE ˈræŋkərəs ; NAmE ˈræŋkərəs / adjective
• •

a rancorous legal battle

The talks became increasingly bitter and rancorous.

ran cid •

BrE / ˈrænsɪd /
NAmE / ˈrænsɪd /
adjective

if food containing fat is rancid , it tastes or smells unpleasant because it is no longer

fresh
rancid butter
Butter soon goes/turns (= becomes) rancid in this heat.
There was a rancid smell coming from the kitchen.

Definition of DEFENESTRATION
 noun de·fen·es·tra·tion \(ˌ)dē-ˌfe-nə-ˈstrā-shən\
1 a throwing of a person or thing out of a window
2 a usually swift dismissal or expulsion (as from a political party or office)

cav al cade• •

BrE / ˌkævlˈkeɪd /
NAmE / ˌkævlˈkeɪd /
noun
a line of people on horses or in vehicles forming part of a ceremony

smor gas bord • •

BrE / ˈsmɔːɡəsbɔːd /
NAmE / ˈsmɔːrɡəsbɔːrd /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
[ uncountable ,  singular ] ( from Swedish )
a meal at which you serve yourself from a large range of hot and cold dishes

re splen dent
• •

BrE / rɪˈsplendənt /
NAmE / rɪˈsplendənt /
adjective
WORD ORIGIN
EXAMPLE BANK
~ (in sth) ( formal or literary )
brightly coloured in an impressive way
He glimpsed Sonia, resplendent in a red dress.
re splen dent ly / BrE rɪˈsplendəntli ; NAmE rɪˈsplendəntli / adverb
• • •

styp tic •

BrE / ˈstɪptɪk /
NAmE / ˈstɪptɪk /
adjective
WORD ORIGIN
( medical )
able to stop the loss of blood from a wound
I use a styptic pencil on shaving cuts.

pau city •

BrE / ˈpɔːsəti /
NAmE / ˈpɔːsəti /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
[ singular ] ~ (of sth) ( formal )
a small amount of sth; less than enough of sth
a paucity of information

wast rel •

BrE / ˈweɪstrəl /
NAmE / ˈweɪstrəl /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
( literary )
a lazy person who spends their time and/or money in a careless and stupid way

clem ency •

BrE / ˈklemənsi /
NAmE / ˈklemənsi /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
EXAMPLE BANK
[ uncountable ] ( formal )
kindness shown to sb when they are being punished; willingness not to punish sb so
severely
mercy
a plea for clemency

co di cil
• •

BrE / ˈkəʊdɪsɪl /
NAmE / ˈkɑːdəsl /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
( law )
an instruction that is added later to a will , usually to change a part of it
In the codicil she left the house and its contents to her nephew.

in effable
•

BrE / ɪnˈefəbl /
NAmE / ɪnˈefəbl /
adjective
WORD ORIGIN
( formal )
 too great or beautiful to describe in words
ineffable joy

con va lesce
• •

BrE / ˌkɒnvəˈles /
NAmE / ˌkɑːnvəˈles /
verb
VERB FORMS
WORD ORIGIN
[ intransitive ]
( formal ) to spend time getting your health and strength back after an illness
recuperate
She is convalescing at home after her operation.

ac quit
•

BrE / əˈkwɪt /
NAmE / əˈkwɪt /
verb
VERB FORMS
WORD ORIGIN
THESAURUS
( -tt- )
1 ~ sb (of sth) to decide and state officially in court that sb is not guilty of a crime
The jury acquitted him of murder.
Both defendants were acquitted.
She was acquitted on all charges.
He was acquitted on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
convict
2 ~ yourself well, badly, etc. ( formal ) to perform or behave well, badly, etc
He acquitted himself brilliantly in the exams.

pros elyt ize• • ( BrE also -ise )

BrE / ˈprɒsələtaɪz /
NAmE / ˈprɑːsələtaɪz /
verb
VERB FORMS
[ intransitive ] ( formal , often disapproving )
to try to persuade other people to accept your beliefs, especially about religion or politics

rebut
BrE / rɪˈbʌt /
 NAmE / rɪˈbʌt /
verb
VERB FORMS
WORD ORIGIN
EXAMPLE BANK
( -tt- ) ~ sth ( formal )
to say or prove that a statement or criticism is false
refute
an attempt to publicly rebut rumours of a divorce
re but tal / BrE rɪˈbʌtl ; NAmE rɪˈbʌtl / noun [ countable ,  uncountable ]
• •

The accusations met with a firm rebuttal.

ve nial•

BrE / ˈviːniəl /
NAmE / ˈviːniəl /
adjective
WORD ORIGIN
[ usually before noun ] ( formal )
( of a sin or mistake ) not very serious and therefore able to be forgiven

per diem 2 adverb American English formal

for each day or on each day :
workers who are paid per diem

af‧fi‧da‧vit / ˌæfəˈdeɪvət, ˌæfɪˈdeɪvət / noun [ countable ] law

a written statement that you swear is true, for use as proof in a court of
law

sty‧mie / ˈstaɪmi / verb [ transitive ]

informal to prevent someone from doing what they have planned or want
to do SYN thwart :
Investigators have been stymied by uncooperative witnesses.

ar‧bi‧ter / ˈɑːbətə, ˈɑːbɪtə $ ˈɑːrbətər / noun [ countable ]

1 someone who influences society’s opinions about what is STYLISH ,
socially acceptable etc :
The designer has received rave reviews from such arbiters of taste as ‘Elle’
magazine.
2 someone or something that settles an argument between two opposing
sides SYN judge :
The European Court of Justice will be the final arbiter (= make the final
decision ) in the dispute.

o‧nus / ˈəʊnəs $ ˈoʊ- / noun [ singular ] formal

the responsibility for something
the onus is on somebody to do something
The onus is on the prosecution to provide proof of guilt.

trope / trəʊp $ troʊp / noun [ countable ]

technical words, phrases, images etc that are used for an unusual or
interesting effect :
cinematic tropes

en‧nui / ɒnˈwiː $ ɑːn- / noun [ uncountable ]

formal a feeling of being tired, bored, and unsatisfied with your life

au fait / əʊ ˈfeɪ $ oʊ- / adjective

be au fait with something to be familiar with a system or way of doing
something :
I’m not really au fait with the computer system yet.

sav‧oir-faire / ˌsævwɑː ˈfeə $ -wɑːr ˈfer / noun [ uncountable ] formal

the ability to do and say the right things in social situations

ˈsaviour ˌsibling noun [ countable ]

a child that is born so that cells from its body can be used to treat a sick
brother or sister

in‧un‧date / ˈɪnəndeɪt / verb [ transitive ]

1 be inundated (with/by something) to receive so much of
something that you cannot easily deal with it all SYN swamp :
After the broadcast, we were inundated with requests for more information.
2 formal to cover an area with a large amount of water SYN flood :
 The tidal wave inundated vast areas of cropland.
— inundation / ˌɪnənˈdeɪʃ ə n / noun [ uncountable and countable ]

rec‧ti‧tude / ˈrektətjuːd, ˈrektɪtjuːd $ -tuːd / noun [ uncountable ] formal

behaviour that is honest and morally correct

es‧chew / ɪsˈtʃuː / verb [ transitive ] formal

to deliberately avoid doing or using something :
I had eschewed politics in favour of a life practising law.

im‧pe‧tus / ˈɪmpətəs, ˈɪmpɪtəs / noun [ uncountable ]

1 an influence that makes something happen or makes it happen more
quickly
impetus for
The report may provide further impetus for reform.
The discovery gave fresh impetus to the research.
2 technical the force that makes an object start moving, or keeps it
moving

ob‧la‧tion / əˈbleɪʃ ə n / noun [ uncountable and countable ] formal

a gift that is offered to God or a god, or the act of offering the gift

fer‧vour British English , fervor American English / ˈfɜːvə $ ˈfɜːrvər / noun [

uncountable ]
very strong belief or feeling :

ano dyne •

BrE / ˈænədaɪn /
NAmE / ˈænədaɪn /
adjective
( formal )
unlikely to cause disagreement or offend anyone; not expressing strong opinions
bland

vin di cate
• •

BrE / ˈvɪndɪkeɪt /
NAmE / ˈvɪndɪkeɪt /
verb
( formal )
1 ~ sth to prove that sth is true or that you were right to do sth, especially when other people had a different opinion
justify
I have every confidence that this decision will be fully vindicated.
2 ~ sb to prove that sb is not guilty when they have been accused of doing sth wrong or illegal
 New evidence emerged, vindicating him completely.
vin di ca tion / BrE ˌvɪndɪˈkeɪʃn ; NAmE ˌvɪndɪˈkeɪʃn / noun [ uncountable ,  singular ]
• • •

Anti-nuclear protesters regarded the Chernobyl accident as a clear vindication of their campaign.

dur ess •

BrE / djuˈres /
NAmE / duˈres /
noun
[ uncountable ] ( formal )
threats or force that are used to make sb do sth
He signed the confession under duress .
The promise was obtained by duress on the part of her husband.

os ten sible
• •

BrE / ɒˈstensəbl /
NAmE / ɑːˈstensəbl /
adjective
[ only before noun ] ( formal )
seeming or stated to be real or true, when this is perhaps not the case
apparent
The ostensible reason for his absence was illness.
os ten sibly / BrE ɒˈstensəbli ; NAmE ɑːˈstensəbli / adverb
• •

Troops were sent in, ostensibly to protect the civilian population.

prof fer •

BrE / ˈprɒfə(r) /
NAmE / ˈprɑːfər /
verb
( formal )
1 ~ sth (to sb) | ~ sb sth to offer sth to sb, by holding it out to them
‘Try this,’ she said, proffering a plate.
2 to offer sth such as advice or an explanation
~ sth (to sb) What advice would you proffer to someone starting up in business?
~ sb sth What advice would you proffer her?
~ itself A solution proffered itself.

rote
BrE / rəʊt /
NAmE / roʊt /
noun
( often used as an adjective ) the process of learning sth by repeating it until you remember it rather than by understanding the meaning of it
to learn by rote
rote learning

the oso phy • •

BrE / θiˈɒsəfi /
NAmE / θiˈɑːsəfi /
noun
1 [ uncountable ,  countable ] a religious system of thought that tries to know God by means of meditation , prayer, etc.
2 Theosophy [ uncountable ] the belief of a religious group, the Theosophical Society, started in New York in 1875

at av is tic
• • •

BrE / ˌætəˈvɪstɪk /
NAmE / ˌætəˈvɪstɪk /
adjective
( formal )
related to the attitudes and behaviour of the first humans
an atavistic urge/instinct/fear

cul-de-sac
BrE / ˈkʌl də sæk /
NAmE / ˈkʌl də sæk /
noun
( pl. cul-de-sacs or culs-de-sac ) ( from French )
a street that is closed at one end
We live in a quiet cul-de-sac.
( figurative ) This particular brand of socialism had entered a cul-de-sac (= could make no further progress) .

ela tion •

BrE / iˈleɪʃn /
NAmE / iˈleɪʃn /
noun
[ uncountable ]
a feeling of great happiness and excitement
She felt a great sense of elation as she started on the journey.

in fatu ation
• •

BrE / ɪnˌfætʃuˈeɪʃn /
 NAmE / ɪnˌfætʃuˈeɪʃn /
noun
[ countable ,  uncountable ] ~ (with/for sb/sth)
very strong feelings of love or attraction for sb/sth, especially when these are unreasonable and do not last long
It isn't love, it's just a passing infatuation.

su zer ainty
• •

BrE / ˈsuːzəreɪnti /
NAmE / ˈsuːzəreɪnti /
BrE / ˈsuːzərənti /
NAmE / ˈsuːzərənti /
noun
[ uncountable ] ( formal )
the right of a country to rule over another country

par ity •

BrE / ˈpærəti /
NAmE / ˈpærəti /
noun
( pl. par ities ) •

1 [ uncountable ] ~ (with sb/sth) | ~ (between A and B) ( formal ) the state of being equal, especially the state of having equal pay or status
Prison officers are demanding pay parity with the police force.
In many professions women have yet to achieve anything like parity at the higher levels.
2 [ uncountable ,  countable ] ( finance ) the fact of the units of money of two different countries being equal
to achieve parity with the dollar

fluke
BrE / fluːk /
NAmE / fluːk /
noun
[ usually singular ] ( informal )
a lucky or unusual thing that happens by accident, not because of planning or skill
They are determined to show that their last win was no fluke.
It was a sheer fluke that no one was hurt in the bomb blast.
a fluke goal
fluky ( also flukey ) / BrE ˈfluːki ; NAmE ˈfluːki / adjective

in trepid
•

BrE / ɪnˈtrepɪd /
NAmE / ɪnˈtrepɪd /
adjective
( formal , often humorous )
very brave; not afraid of danger or difficulties
fearless
an intrepid explorer

bel liger ent

• • adjective, noun
BrE / bəˈlɪdʒərənt /
NAmE / bəˈlɪdʒərənt /
adjective
1 unfriendly and aggressive
hostile
a belligerent attitude
He is always very belligerent towards me.
2 [ only before noun ] ( formal ) ( of a country ) fighting a war
the belligerent countries/states/nations
bel liger ence / BrE bəˈlɪdʒərəns ; NAmE bəˈlɪdʒərəns / noun [ uncountable ]
• •

bel liger ent ly / BrE bəˈlɪdʒərəntli ; NAmE bəˈlɪdʒərəntli / adverb

• • •

noun
WORD ORIGIN
( formal )
a country or group that is fighting a war

men di cant • •

BrE / ˈmendɪkənt /
NAmE / ˈmendɪkənt /
adjective
WORD ORIGIN
( formal )
( especially of members of religious groups ) living by asking people for money and food
men di cant noun
• •

jubi la tion • •

BrE / ˌdʒuːbɪˈleɪʃn /
NAmE / ˌdʒuːbɪˈleɪʃn /
noun
[ uncountable ]
a feeling of great happiness because of a success
There were scenes of jubilation among her supporters.
 pon der •

BrE / ˈpɒndə(r) /
NAmE / ˈpɑːndər /
verb
[ intransitive ,  transitive ] ( formal )
to think about sth carefully for a period of time
consider
~ (about/on/over sth) She pondered over his words.
They were left to ponder on the implications of the announcement.
~ sth The senator pondered the question for a moment.
We intend to ponder all the alternatives before acting.
~ whether, what, etc… They are pondering whether the money could be better used elsewhere.
+ speech ‘I wonder why,’ she pondered aloud.

con vene •

BrE / kənˈviːn /
NAmE / kənˈviːn /
verb
( formal )
1 [ transitive ] ~ sth to arrange for people to come together for a formal meeting
to convene a meeting
A Board of Inquiry was convened immediately after the accident.
2 [ intransitive ] to come together for a formal meeting
The committee will convene at 11.30 next Thursday.

wean
BrE / wiːn /
NAmE / wiːn /
verb
~ sb/sth (off/from sth)
to gradually stop feeding a baby or young animal with its mother's milk and start feeding it with solid food
Leopard cubs are weaned at three months.
ˈwean sb off/from sth to make sb gradually stop doing or using sth
The doctor tried to wean her off sleeping pills.
ˈwean sb on sth [ usually passive ] to make sb experience sth regularly, especially from an early age
He was weaned on a diet of rigid discipline and duty.

pal in drome
• •

BrE / ˈpælɪndrəʊm /
NAmE / ˈpælɪndroʊm /
noun
a word or phrase that reads the same backwards as forwards, for example madam or nurses run

con un drum• •

BrE / kəˈnʌndrəm /
NAmE / kəˈnʌndrəm /
noun
1 a confusing problem or question that is very difficult to solve
2 a question, usually involving a trick with words, that you ask for fun
riddle

bête noire
BrE / ˌbet ˈnwɑː(r) /
NAmE / ˌbet ˈnwɑːr /
noun
( pl. bêtes noires / BrE ˌbet ˈnwɑː(r) ; NAmE ˌbet ˈnwɑːr ; ˌbet ˈnwɑːrz / ) ( from French )
a person or thing that particularly annoys you and that you do not like

dap per •

BrE / ˈdæpə(r) /
NAmE / ˈdæpər /
adjective
( of a man ) small with a neat appearance and nice clothes

allay
BrE / əˈleɪ /
NAmE / əˈleɪ /
verb
~ sth ( formal )
to make sth, especially a feeling, less strong
to allay fears/concern/suspicion
 ven eer• noun, verb
BrE / vəˈnɪə(r) /
NAmE / vəˈnɪr /
noun
1 [ countable ,  uncountable ] a thin layer of wood or plastic that is glued to the surface of cheaper wood, especially on a piece of furniture
pine, with a walnut veneer
The chest is solid oak, not veneer.
2 [ singular ] ~ (of sth) ( formal ) an outer appearance of a particular quality that hides the true nature of sb/sth
Her veneer of politeness began to crack.
verb
~ sth (with/in sth)
to cover the surface of sth with a veneer of wood, etc.

ad am ant
• •

BrE / ˈædəmənt /
NAmE / ˈædəmənt /
adjective
determined not to change your mind or to be persuaded about sth
Eva was adamant that she would not come.
ad am ant ly / BrE ˈædəməntli ; NAmE ˈædəməntli / adverb
• • •

His family were adamantly opposed to the marriage.

lib er tine
• •

BrE / ˈlɪbətiːn /
NAmE / ˈlɪbərtiːn /
noun
( formal , disapproving )
a person, usually a man, who leads an immoral life and is interested in pleasure, especially sexual pleasure

gaudy
BrE / ˈɡɔːdi /
NAmE / ˈɡɔːdi /
adjective
( gaud ier , gaudi est ) ( disapproving )
• •

too brightly coloured in a way that lacks taste

garish
gaudy clothes/colours
gaud ily / BrE ˈɡɔːdɪli ; NAmE ˈɡɔːdɪli / adverb
•

gaudily dressed/painted
gaudi ness / BrE ˈɡɔːdinəs ; NAmE ˈɡɔːdinəs / noun [ uncountable ]
•

grouch
noun
/ BrE ɡraʊtʃ ; NAmE ɡraʊtʃ / ( informal )
1 a person who complains a lot
2 a complaint about sth unimportant
grouch verb [ intransitive ]

hoarse
BrE / hɔːs /
NAmE / hɔːrs /
adjective
( of a person or voice ) sounding rough and unpleasant, especially because of a sore throat
He shouted himself hoarse.
a hoarse cough/cry/scream
His voice was hoarse with exhaustion.
hoarse ly / BrE hɔːsli ; NAmE hɔːrsli / adverb
•

hoarse ness / BrE hɔːsnəs ; NAmE hɔːrsnəs / noun [ uncountable ]

•

eke
BrE / iːk /
NAmE / iːk /
verb
ˌeke sth ˈout
1 to make a small supply of sth such as food or money last longer by using only small amounts of it
She managed to eke out her student loan till the end of the year.
2 ~ a living, etc. to manage to live with very little money
For years he eked out a miserable existence in a dreary bedsit in Bristol.

con ceit •

BrE / kənˈsiːt /
NAmE / kənˈsiːt /
noun
1 [ uncountable ] ( disapproving ) too much pride in yourself and what you do
2 [ countable ] ( formal ) an artistic effect or device, especially one that is very clever or tries to be very clever but does not succeed
The ill-advised conceit of the guardian angel dooms the film from the start.
The director's brilliant conceit was to film this tale in black and white.
3 ( technical ) a clever expression in writing or speech that involves a comparison between two things
metaphor
The idea of the wind singing is a romantic conceit.
 cabal
BrE / kəˈbæl /
NAmE / kəˈbæl /
NAmE / kəˈbɑːl /
noun
( formal , usually disapproving )
a small group of people who are involved in secret plans to get political power

leg ume •

BrE / ˈleɡjuːm /
NAmE / ˈleɡjuːm /
BrE / lɪˈɡjuːm /
NAmE / lɪˈɡjuːm /
noun
( technical )
any plant that has seeds in long pods . Peas and beans are legumes .

al lege•

BrE / əˈledʒ /
NAmE / əˈledʒ /
verb
[ often passive ] ( formal )
to state sth as a fact but without giving proof
~ (that)… The prosecution alleges (that) she was driving carelessly.
it is alleged (that)… It is alleged that he mistreated the prisoners.
be alleged to be, have, etc. sth He is alleged to have mistreated the prisoners.
~ sth This procedure should be followed in cases where dishonesty has been alleged.
al leged / BrE əˈledʒd ; NAmE əˈledʒd / adjective [ only before noun ] : ( formal ) the alleged attacker/victim/killer (= that sb says is one)
•

the alleged attack/offence/incident (= that sb says has happened)

The girl gave evidence in court against her alleged attacker.
al leged ly / BrE əˈledʒɪdli ; NAmE əˈledʒɪdli / adverb
• •

crimes allegedly committed during the war

wan ton •

BrE / ˈwɒntən /
NAmE / ˈwɑːntən /
adjective
( formal )
1 [ usually before noun ] causing harm or damage deliberately and for no acceptable reason
wanton destruction
a wanton disregard for human life
the wanton killing of innocent creatures
2 ( old-fashioned , disapproving ) ( usually of a woman ) behaving in a very immoral way; having many sexual partners
wan ton ly / BrE ˈwɒntənli ; NAmE ˈwɑːntənli / adverb
• •

wan ton ness / BrE ; NAmE / noun [ uncountable ]

• •

cloy ing •

BrE / ˈklɔɪɪŋ /
NAmE / ˈklɔɪɪŋ /
adjective
1 ( of food, a smell, etc. ) so sweet that it is unpleasant
2 using emotion in a very obvious way, so that the result is unpleasant
the cloying sentimentality of her novels
His acting was passionate, but never cloying or sentimental.
cloy ing ly / BrE ˈklɔɪɪŋli ; NAmE ˈklɔɪɪŋli / adverb
• •

con trite •

BrE / kənˈtraɪt /
BrE / ˈkɒntraɪt /
NAmE / kənˈtraɪt /
adjective
( formal )
very sorry for sth bad that you have done
Her expression was contrite.
He looked so contrite that for a moment she nearly believed he really was sorry about what he had said.
con trite ly / BrE ; NAmE / adverb
• •

con tri tion / BrE kənˈtrɪʃn ; NAmE kənˈtrɪʃn / noun [ uncountable ]

• •

a look of contrition

in fatu ation
• •

BrE / ɪnˌfætʃuˈeɪʃn /
NAmE / ɪnˌfætʃuˈeɪʃn /
noun
[ countable ,  uncountable ] ~ (with/for sb/sth)
very strong feelings of love or attraction for sb/sth, especially when these are unreasonable and do not last long
It isn't love, it's just a passing infatuation.

tryst
BrE / trɪst /
NAmE / trɪst /
noun
( literary or humorous )
a secret meeting between lovers
 dé col le tage
• • •

BrE / ˌdeɪkɒlˈtɑːʒ /
NAmE / ˌdeɪkɑːləˈtɑːʒ /
( also dé col leté / BrE deɪˈkɒlteɪ ; NAmE ˌdeɪkɑːlˈteɪ / )
• •

noun
( from French )
the top edge of a woman's dress, etc. that is designed to be very low in order to show her shoulders and the top part of her breasts
dé col leté / BrE deɪˈkɒlteɪ ; NAmE ˌdeɪkɑːlˈteɪ / adjective
• •

lan guor •

BrE / ˈlæŋɡə(r) /
NAmE / ˈlæŋɡər /
noun
[ uncountable ,  singular ] ( literary )
the pleasant state of feeling lazy and without energy
A delicious languor was stealing over him.
lan guor ous / BrE ˈlæŋɡərəs ; NAmE ˈlæŋɡərəs / adjective
• •

a languorous pace of life

lan guor ous ly / BrE ; NAmE / adverb
• • •

gam ine •

BrE / ɡæˈmiːn /
NAmE / ɡæˈmiːn /
adjective
( formal )
( of a young woman ) thin and attractive; looking like a boy
gam ine noun •

co quette
•

BrE / kɒˈket /
NAmE / koʊˈket /
noun
( literary , often disapproving )
a woman who behaves in a way that is intended to attract men
flirt
co quet tish / BrE kɒˈketɪʃ ; NAmE koʊˈketɪʃ / adjective
• •

a coquettish smile
co quet tish ly / BrE ; NAmE / adverb
• • •

tyro
BrE / ˈtaɪrəʊ /
NAmE / ˈtaɪroʊ /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
( pl. tyros )
a person who has little or no experience of sth or is beginning to learn sth
novice

avar ice •

BrE / ˈævərɪs /
NAmE / ˈævərɪs /
noun
[ uncountable ] ( formal )
extreme desire for wealth
greed
avar icious / BrE ˌævəˈrɪʃəs ; NAmE ˌævəˈrɪʃəs / adjective
•

cull verb, noun

BrE / kʌl /
NAmE / kʌl /
verb
~ sth
to kill a particular number of animals of a group in order to prevent the group from getting too large
ˈcull sth from sth to choose or collect sth from a source or several different sources
an exhibition of paintings culled from regional art galleries
noun
WORD ORIGIN
the act of killing some animals (usually the weakest ones) of a group in order to prevent the group from getting too large
the annual seal cull

de clen sion• •

BrE / dɪˈklenʃn /
NAmE / dɪˈklenʃn /
noun
( grammar )
1 [ countable ] a set of nouns, adjectives or pronouns that change in the same way to show case , number and gender
2 [ uncountable ] the way in which some sets of nouns, adjectives and pronouns change their form or endings to show case , number or gender

re pose
• noun, verb
BrE / rɪˈpəʊz /
NAmE / rɪˈpoʊz /
noun
[ uncountable ] ( literary )
a state of rest, sleep or feeling calm
She went outside seeking a few moments of repose.
In repose, his face was sad.
The first rays of morning sun disturbed their repose.
verb
( literary )
1 [ intransitive ] + adv./prep. ( of an object ) to be or be kept in a particular place
She stared at the empty cabinet where once the vase had reposed.
2 [ intransitive ] + adv./prep. ( of a person ) to lie or rest in a particular place
We left her reposing on the sofa.

boll
BrE / bəʊl /
NAmE / boʊl /
noun
the part of the cotton plant that contains the seeds

pro cras tin ate

• • •

BrE / prəʊˈkræstɪneɪt /
NAmE / proʊˈkræstɪneɪt /
verb
[ intransitive ] ( formal , disapproving )
to delay doing sth that you should do, usually because you do not want to do it
People were dying of starvation while governments procrastinated.
pro cras tin ation / BrE prəʊˌkræstɪˈneɪʃn ; NAmE proʊˌkræstɪˈneɪʃn / noun [ uncountable ]
• • •

caulk
BrE / kɔːk /
NAmE / kɔːk /
verb
~ sth
to fill the holes or cracks in sth, especially a ship, with a substance that keeps out water

primp
BrE / prɪmp /
NAmE / prɪmp /
verb
[ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (sth/yourself) ( often disapproving )
to make yourself look attractive by arranging your hair, putting on make-up, etc.

pal in drome
• •

BrE / ˈpælɪndrəʊm /
NAmE / ˈpælɪndroʊm /
noun
a word or phrase that reads the same backwards as forwards, for example madam or nurses run

proc tor •

BrE / ˈprɒktə(r) /
NAmE / ˈprɑːktər /
( NAmE )
( BrE in vigi la tor )
• • •

noun
a person who watches people while they are taking an exam to make sure that they have everything they need, that they keep to the rules, etc.
proc tor ( NAmE ) ( BrE in vigi late ) verb [ transitive ,  intransitive ] ~ (sth)
• • •

brine
BrE / braɪn /
NAmE / braɪn /
noun
[ uncountable ]
very salty water, used especially for preserving food
a can of tuna in brine

gai • ety
BrE / ˈɡeɪəti /
NAmE / ˈɡeɪəti /
noun
[ uncountable ] ( old-fashioned )
the state of being cheerful and full of fun
The colourful flags added to the gaiety of the occasion.
compare gayness
see also gaily , gay
 ca pri cious
• •

BrE / kəˈprɪʃəs /
NAmE / kəˈprɪʃəs /
adjective
( formal )
1 showing sudden changes in attitude or behaviour
unpredictable
a movie star who was capricious and difficult to please
2 changing suddenly and quickly
changeable
a capricious climate
ca pri cious ly / BrE kəˈprɪʃəsli ; NAmE kəˈprɪʃəsli / adverb
• • •

ca pri cious ness / BrE kəˈprɪʃəsnəs ; NAmE kəˈprɪʃəsnəs / noun [ uncountable ]

• • •

curb verb, noun

BrE / kɜːb /
NAmE / kɜːrb /
verb
~ sth
to control or limit sth, especially sth bad
check
He needs to learn to curb his temper.
A range of policies have been introduced aimed at curbing inflation.
noun
1 ~ (on sth) something that controls and puts limits on sth
curbs on government spending
2 ( NAmE )
( BrE kerb )
the edge of the raised path at the side of a road, usually made of long pieces of stone
The bus mounted the curb (= went onto the sidewalk / pavement ) and hit a tree.

con des cend ing

• • •

BrE / ˌkɒndɪˈsendɪŋ /
NAmE / ˌkɑːndɪˈsendɪŋ /
adjective
behaving as though you are more important and more intelligent than other people
He has a condescending attitude towards women.
Her tone of voice was always so condescending.
con des cend ing ly / BrE ˌkɒndɪˈsendɪŋli ; NAmE ˌkɑːndɪˈsendɪŋli / adverb
• • • •

per use •

BrE / pəˈruːz /
NAmE / pəˈruːz /
verb
~ sth ( formal or humorous )
to read sth, especially in a careful way
 A copy of the report is available for you to peruse at your leisure.
per usal / BrE pəˈruːzl ; NAmE pəˈruːzl / noun [ uncountable ,  singular ]
•

The agreement was signed after careful perusal.

hob ble •

BrE / ˈhɒbl /
NAmE / ˈhɑːbl /
verb
1 [ intransitive ] (+ adv./prep.) to walk with difficulty, especially because your feet or legs
hurt
limp
The old man hobbled across the road.
She was hobbling around on crutches.
2 [ transitive ] ~ sth to tie together two legs of a horse or other animal in order to stop it
from running away
The horse's hind legs had been hobbled.
3 [ transitive ] ~ sth to make it more difficult for sb to do sth or for sth to happen
Our work is hobbled by the amount of bureaucracy involved.

livid
BrE / ˈlɪvɪd /
NAmE / ˈlɪvɪd /
adjective
1 extremely angry
furious
Dad will be livid when he finds out.
2 dark bluish-grey in colour
a livid bruise

fidu ciary
• adjective, noun
BrE / fɪˈdjuːʃəri /
NAmE / fɪˈdjuːʃəri /
NAmE / fɪˈduːʃieri /
( law )
adjective
involving trust, especially in a situation where a person or company controls money or property
belonging to others
the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders
noun
( pl. fidu ciaries )•

a person or company that is in a position of trust, especially when it involves controlling money
or property belonging to others

it in er ant
• • •

BrE / aɪˈtɪnərənt /
 NAmE / aɪˈtɪnərənt /
adjective
[ usually before noun ] ( formal )
travelling from place to place, especially to find work
itinerant workers/musicians
to lead an itinerant life
it in er ant noun
• • •

homeless itinerants

pious
BrE / ˈpaɪəs /
NAmE / ˈpaɪəs /
adjective
1 having or showing a deep respect for God and religion
devout
pious acts
impious
see also piety
2 ( disapproving ) pretending to be religious, moral or good in order to impress other people
sanctimonious
pious sentiments
He dismissed his critics as pious do-gooders.
3 ~ hope something that you want to happen but is unlikely to be achieved
Such reforms seem likely to remain little more than pious hopes.
pi ous ly / BrE ˈpaɪəsli ; NAmE ˈpaɪəsli / adverb
• •

'There's no need for bad language,' said Edward piously.

elu ci date• •

BrE / iˈluːsɪdeɪt /
NAmE / iˈluːsɪdeɪt /
verb
[ transitive ,  intransitive ] ( formal )
to make sth clearer by explaining it more fully
explain
~ (sth) He elucidated a point of grammar.
The aim of the report is to elucidate the main points of the new regulations.
Let me elucidate.
~ what, how, etc… I will try to elucidate what I think the problems are.
elu ci da tion / BrE iˌluːsɪˈdeɪʃn ; NAmE iˌluːsɪˈdeɪʃn / noun [ uncountable , 
• • •

countable ]
Their objectives and methods require further elucidation.

pen chant •

BrE / ˈpɒ̃ʃɒ̃ /
NAmE / ˈpentʃənt /
noun
 ~ for sth
a special liking for sth
fondness
She has a penchant for champagne.

con jec ture

• • noun, verb
BrE / kənˈdʒektʃə(r) /
NAmE / kənˈdʒektʃər /
noun
( formal )
1 [ countable ] an opinion or idea that is not based on definite knowledge and is formed by
guessing
guess
The truth of his conjecture was confirmed by the newspaper report.
2 [ uncountable ] the forming of an opinion or idea that is not based on definite knowledge
What was going through the killer's mind is a matter for conjecture.
see also guesswork
con jec tural / BrE kənˈdʒektʃərəl ; NAmE kənˈdʒektʃərəl / adjective
• •

Some of the stages of the Earth's development are purely conjectural.

verb
[ intransitive ,  transitive ] ( formal )
to form an opinion about sth even though you do not have much information on it
guess
~ (about sth) We can only conjecture about what was in the killer's mind.
~ what/how, etc… We can only conjecture what was in the killer's mind
~ that… He conjectured that the population might double in ten years.
~ sth She conjectured the existence of a completely new species.
~ sth to do sth The remains are conjectured to be thousands of years old.

aplomb
BrE / əˈplɒm /
NAmE / əˈplɑːm /
noun
[ uncountable ] ( formal )
if sb does sth with aplomb , they do it in a confident and successful way, often in a difficult
situation
with considerable/great/remarkable aplomb
He delivered the speech with his usual aplomb .

Pauldron; Plackarts; Gisarme; Poleyn

Faulds are a piece of plate armour worn below a breastplate to protect the waist and hips. They take the
form of bands of metal surrounding both legs, potentially surrounding the entire hips in a form similar to
a skirt.
vict uals •

[ plural ] ( old-fashioned )
food and drink

rouse
1 ( formal ) to wake sb up, especially when they are sleeping deeply ~ sb from
sleep/bed
~ sb Nicky roused her with a gentle nudge.
2 to make sb want to start doing sth when they were not active or interested in doing it
~ sb/yourself (to sth) A lot of people were roused to action by the appeal.
~ sb/yourself to do sth Richard couldn't rouse himself to say anything in reply.
3 ~ sth ( formal ) to make sb feel a particular emotion
to rouse sb's anger
What roused your suspicions (= what made you suspicious) ?
4 [ usually passive ] ~ sb to make sb angry, excited or full of emotion

aloft
( formal )
high in the air

un fath om able
• • •

( formal )
1 too strange or difficult to be understood
2 if sb has an unfathomable expression, it is impossible to know what they are
thinking

in sipid
•

( disapproving )
1 having almost no taste or flavour
flavourless
2 not interesting or exciting
dull

com men sur ate • • •

~ (with sth) ( formal )

matching sth in size, importance, quality, etc
incommensurate
com men sur ate ly / BrE kəˈmenʃərətli ; NAmE kəˈmenʃərətli / adverb
• • • •

aqui fer •

( geology )
a layer of rock or soil that can absorb and hold water

be queath
•

( formal )
1 to say in a will that you want sb to have your property, money, etc. after you die
leave
~ sth (to sb) He bequeathed his entire estate (= all his money and property) to his
daughter.
~ sb sth He bequeathed his daughter his entire estate.
2 ~ sth (to sb) | ~ sb sth to leave the results of your work, knowledge, etc. for other
people to use or deal with, especially after you have died
The previous government had bequeathed a legacy of problems.

flaunt
( disapproving )
1 [ transitive ] ~ sth to show sth you are proud of to other people, in order to
impress them
He did not believe in flaunting his wealth.
She openly flaunted her affair with the senator.
2 [ transitive ] ~ yourself to behave in a confident and sexual way to attract
attention
if you've ˌgot it, ˈflaunt it ( humorous , saying ) used to tell sb that they should
not be afraid of allowing other people to see their qualities and abilities

louse noun, verb

1 ( pl. lice / BrE laɪs ; NAmE laɪs / ) a small insect that lives on the bodies of humans
and animals
head lice
2 ( pl. louses ) ( informal , disapproving ) a very unpleasant person
Steve had let her down; she should never have trusted the louse.
ˌlouse sth ˈup ( informal ) to spoil sth or do it very badly
Don't louse up our chance of winning!
im pedi ment
• •

1 ~ (to sth) ( formal ) something that delays or stops the progress of sth
obstacle
The level of inflation is a serious impediment to economic recovery.
2 a physical problem that makes it difficult to speak normally
a speech impediment

crud
[ uncountable ] ( informal )
any dirty or unpleasant substance

deft
1 ( of a person's movements ) skilful and quick
deft hands/fingers/footwork
He finished off the painting with a few deft strokes of the brush.
In one, deft movement, he had her hand locked behind her back.
2 skilful
her deft command of the language
deft ly / BrE deftli ; NAmE deftli / adverb
•

I threw her a towel which she deftly caught.

They deftly avoided answering my questions.
deft ness / BrE deftnəs ; NAmE deftnəs / noun [ uncountable ]
•

proc tor •

( BrE in vigi la tor )

• • •

a person who watches people while they are taking an exam to make sure that they have
everything they need, that they keep to the rules, etc.
proc tor ( NAmE ) ( BrE in vigi late ) verb [ transitive ,  intransitive ] ~
• • •

(sth)

cess pit •

BrE / ˈsespɪt /
NAmE / ˈsespɪt /
( also cess pool / BrE ˈsespuːl ; NAmE ˈsespuːl / )
•

1 a covered hole or container in the ground for collecting waste from a building,
especially from the toilets
2 a place where dishonest or immoral people gather
a cesspit of corruption
 lynch
BrE / lɪntʃ /
NAmE / lɪntʃ /
~ sb
if a crowd of people lynch sb whom they consider guilty of a crime, they capture them,
do not allow them to have a trial in court, and kill them illegally, usually by hanging
lynch ing / BrE lɪntʃɪŋ ; NAmE lɪntʃɪŋ / noun [ countable ,  uncountable ]
•

posse
BrE / ˈpɒsi /
NAmE / ˈpɑːsi /
1 ( informal ) a group of people who are similar in some way, or who spend time
together
a little posse of helpers
2 (in the US in the past) a group of people who were brought together by a sheriff (=
an officer of the law) in order to help him catch a criminal
3 ( informal ) a group of young men involved in crime connected with drugs

slouch verb, noun

BrE / slaʊtʃ /
NAmE / slaʊtʃ /
verb
[ intransitive ] (+ adv./prep.)
to stand, sit or move in a lazy way, often with your shoulders and head bent forward
Several students were slouching against the wall.
Sit up straight. Don't slouch.
He slouched across the room and collapsed in a chair.
noun
[ usually singular ]
a way of standing or sitting in which your shoulders are not straight, so that you look
tired or lazy
be no ˈslouch ( informal ) to be very good at sth or quick to do sth
She's no slouch on the guitar.

bonk ers •

BrE / ˈbɒŋkəz /
NAmE / ˈbɑːŋkərz /
adjective
[ not before noun ] ( informal )
completely crazy and silly
I'll go bonkers if I have to wait any longer.
He thought I was stark raving bonkers to give up my job.
 ru min ate
• •

BrE / ˈruːmɪneɪt /
NAmE / ˈruːmɪneɪt /
verb
[ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (on/over/about sth) | + speech ( formal )
to think deeply about sth
ponder
ru min ation / BrE ˌruːmɪˈneɪʃn ; NAmE ˌruːmɪˈneɪʃn / noun [ countable , 
• •

uncountable ]

faux
BrE / fəʊ /
NAmE / foʊ /
adjective
artificial, but intended to look or seem real
The chairs were covered in faux animal skin.
His accent was so faux.

faux pas
BrE / ˌfəʊ ˈpɑː /
NAmE / ˌfoʊ ˈpɑː /
noun
( pl. faux pas / BrE ˌfəʊ ˈpɑːz ; NAmE ˌfoʊ ˈpɑːz / ) ( from French )
an action or a remark that causes embarrassment because it is not socially correct

prong
BrE / prɒŋ /
NAmE / prɔːŋ /
noun
1 each of the two or more long pointed parts of a fork
2 each of the separate parts of an attack, argument, etc, that move towards a place,
subject, etc. from different positions
3 -pronged ( in adjectives ) having the number or type of prongs mentioned
a two-pronged fork
a three-pronged attack

sauer kraut •

BrE / ˈsaʊəkraʊt /
NAmE / ˈsaʊərkraʊt /
noun
[ uncountable ] ( from German )
cabbage (= a type of green vegetable) that is preserved in salt water and then cooked
 snoop verb, noun
BrE / snuːp /
NAmE / snuːp /
verb
VERB FORMS
WORD ORIGIN
[ intransitive ] ( informal , disapproving )
to find out private things about sb, especially by looking secretly around a place
~ (around/round sth) Someone's been snooping around my apartment.
~ (on sb) journalists snooping on politicians
noun
1 ( also snoop er / BrE ; NAmE / ) a person who looks around a place secretly to find
•

out private things about sb

2 [ singular ] a secret look around a place
He had a snoop around her office.

chum
BrE / tʃʌm /
NAmE / tʃʌm /
noun
( old-fashioned , informal )
a friend
an old school chum

chump
BrE / tʃʌmp /
NAmE / tʃʌmp /
noun
( old-fashioned , informal )
a stupid person
Don't be such a chump!

jig noun, verb

BrE / dʒɪɡ /
NAmE / dʒɪɡ /
noun
1 a quick lively dance; the music for this dance
an Irish jig
2 a device that holds sth in position and guides the tools that are working on it
verb

( -gg- ) [ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (sb/sth) (+ adv./prep.)

to move or to make sb/sth move up and down with short quick movements
 He jigged up and down with excitement.

cripes
BrE / kraɪps /
NAmE / kraɪps /
exclamation
( BrE , old-fashioned , informal )
used to show that sb is surprised or annoyed

tot noun, verb

BrE / tɒt /
NAmE / tɑːt /
noun
1 ( informal ) a very young child
TV programmes for tiny tots
2 ( especially BrE ) a small amount of a strong alcoholic drink in a glass
a tot of whisky
verb
( -tt- )
ˌtot sth ˈup ( informal , especially BrE ) to add together several numbers or
amounts in order to calculate the total
add up
The trip isn't really that cheap when you tot everything up.

rack et eer
• •

BrE / ˌrækəˈtɪə(r) /
NAmE / ˌrækəˈtɪr /
noun
( disapproving )
a person who makes money through dishonest or illegal activities
rack et eer ing / BrE ; NAmE / noun [ uncountable ]
• • •

He was charged with fraud and racketeering.

dope noun, verb

BrE / dəʊp /
NAmE / doʊp /
noun
1 [ uncountable ] ( informal ) a drug that is taken illegally for pleasure, especially
cannabis or, in the US, heroin
to peddle/smoke dope
2 [ uncountable ] a drug that is taken by a person or given to an animal to affect
their performance in a race or sport
The athlete failed a dope test (= a medical test showed that he had taken such drugs) .
 3 [ countable ] ( informal ) a stupid person
idiot
4 [ uncountable ] the ~ (on sb/sth) ( informal ) information on sb/sth, especially
details that are not generally known
Give me the dope on the new boss.
verb
1 ~ sb/sth to give a drug to a person or an animal in order to affect their performance
in a race or sport
2 ~ sb/sth to give sb a drug, often in their food or drink, in order to make them
unconscious; to put a drug in food, etc
Thieves doped a guard dog and stole $10 000 worth of goods.
The wine was doped.
3 [ usually passive ] ~ sb (up) ( informal ) if sb is doped or doped up , they
cannot think clearly or act normally because they are under the influence of drugs

comp
BrE / kɒmp /
NAmE / kɑːmp /
noun
( informal )
1 [ countable ] ( BrE ) = comprehensive   n.
Her children go to the local comp.
2 [ countable ] ( BrE ) = competition
To enter our comp answer this question.
3 [ countable ] ( NAmE ) a complimentary ticket, meal, etc. (= one that you do not
have to pay for)
4 [ uncountable ] ( NAmE ) = compensation
comp time (= time off work given for working extra hours)

shin dig•

BrE / ˈʃɪndɪɡ /
NAmE / ˈʃɪndɪɡ /
noun
( informal )
a big noisy party

loco noun, adjective

BrE / ˈləʊkəʊ /
NAmE / ˈloʊkoʊ /
noun
( pl. locos ) ( informal ) = locomotive
see also in loco parentis
adjective
[ not before noun ] ( slang , especially NAmE )
crazy

ˈcotton gin
BrE
NAmE
( also gin )
noun
a machine for separating the seeds of a cotton plant from the cotton

har bin ger • •

BrE / ˈhɑːbɪndʒə(r) /
NAmE / ˈhɑːrbɪndʒər /
noun
~ (of sth) ( formal or literary )
a sign that shows that sth is going to happen soon, often sth bad

egre gious •

BrE / ɪˈɡriːdʒiəs /
NAmE / ɪˈɡriːdʒiəs /
adjective
( formal )
extremely bad
egregious behaviour
an egregious error

col lo quial
• •

BrE / kəˈləʊkwiəl /
NAmE / kəˈloʊkwiəl /
adjective
( of words and language ) used in conversation but not in formal speech or writing
syn: informal
col lo qui al ly / BrE kəˈləʊkwiəli ; NAmE kəˈloʊkwiəli / adverb
• • • •

giz zard•

BrE / ˈɡɪzəd /
NAmE / ˈɡɪzərd /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
the part of a bird's stomach in which food is broken up into smaller pieces before being
digested
 vo lu min ous
• • •

BrE / vəˈluːmɪnəs /
NAmE / vəˈluːmɪnəs /
adjective
( formal )
1 ( of clothing ) very large; having a lot of cloth
syn: ample
a voluminous skirt
2 ( of a piece of writing, a book, etc. ) very long and detailed
There is voluminous literature on modernism and post-modernism.
3 ( of a container, piece of furniture, etc. ) very large
I sank down into a voluminous armchair.
From one of his voluminous pockets he produced a bottle of whisky.
vo lu min ous ly / BrE vəˈluːmɪnəsli ; NAmE vəˈluːmɪnəsli / adverb
• • • •

Har le quin • •

BrE / ˈhɑːləkwɪn /
NAmE / ˈhɑːrləkwɪn /
noun
an amusing character in some traditional plays, who wears special brightly coloured
clothes with a diamond pattern

bou doir •

BrE / ˈbuːdwɑː(r) /
NAmE / ˈbuːdwɑːr /
noun
( old-fashioned )
a woman's small private room or bedroom

per pet rate• •

BrE / ˈpɜːpətreɪt /
NAmE / ˈpɜːrpətreɪt /
verb
( formal )
to commit a crime or do sth wrong or evil
~ sth to perpetrate a crime/fraud/massacre
security breaches perpetrated by people working for the company
~ sth against/upon/on sb violence perpetrated against women and children
per pet ra tion / BrE ˌpɜːpəˈtreɪʃn ; NAmE ˌpɜːrpəˈtreɪʃn / noun [uncountable]
• • •

skit
BrE / skɪt /
NAmE / skɪt /
noun
~ (on sth)
a short piece of humorous writing or a performance that makes fun of sb/sth by copying
them
a skit on daytime TV programmes

smock
BrE / smɒk /
NAmE / smɑːk /
noun
1 a loose comfortable piece of clothing like a long shirt, worn especially by women
a shapeless cotton smock
2 a long loose piece of clothing worn over other clothes to protect them from dirt, etc
an artist's smock
Smocks were formerly worn by farm workers.

gal ore•

BrE / ɡəˈlɔː(r) /
NAmE / ɡəˈlɔːr /
adjective
[ after noun ] ( informal )
in large quantities
There will be games and prizes galore.

cor ru gated
• •

BrE / ˈkɒrəɡeɪtɪd /
NAmE / ˈkɔːrəɡeɪtɪd /
NAmE / ˈkɑːrəɡeɪtɪd /
adjective
shaped into a series of regular folds that look like waves
a corrugated iron roof
corrugated cardboard

crib noun, verb

BrE / krɪb /
NAmE / krɪb /
noun
1 ( NAmE )
( BrE cot )
a small bed with high sides for a baby or young child
2 a long open box that horses and cows can eat from
manger
3 ( BrE )
 ( NAmE crèche )
a model of the scene of Jesus Christ's birth, placed in churches and homes at Christmas
4 ( informal ) written information such as answers to questions, often used
dishonestly by students in tests
a crib sheet
5 = cribbage
6 ( NAmE , informal ) the house, flat/apartment, etc. where sb lives
verb
( -bb- ) [ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (sth) (from sb) ( old-fashioned )
to dishonestly copy work from another student or from a book

stifle
BrE / ˈstaɪfl /
NAmE / ˈstaɪfl /
verb
1 [ transitive ] ~ sth to prevent sth from happening; to prevent a feeling from being
expressed
syn: suppress
She managed to stifle a yawn.
They hope the new rules will not stifle creativity.
The government failed to stifle the unrest.
2 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to feel unable to breathe, or to make sb unable to
breathe, because it is too hot and/or there is no fresh air
syn: suffocate
I felt I was stifling in the airless room.
~ sb Most of the victims were stifled by the fumes.
stif ling / BrE ˈstaɪflɪŋ ; NAmE ˈstaɪflɪŋ / adjective
•

a stifling room
‘ It's stifling in here—can we open a window?’
At 25, she found family life stifling.
stif ling ly / BrE ˈstaɪflɪŋli ; NAmE ˈstaɪflɪŋli / adverb
• •

The room was stiflingly hot.

parch
BrE / pɑːtʃ /
NAmE / pɑːrtʃ /
verb
~ sth
( especially of hot weather ) to make an area of land very dry
A drought is parching much of the country.

de lect able
• •

BrE / dɪˈlektəbl /
 NAmE / dɪˈlektəbl /
adjective
1 ( of food and drink ) extremely pleasant to taste, smell or look at
syn: delicious
the delectable smell of freshly baked bread
delectable chocolate truffles
2 ( humorous ) ( of a person ) very attractive
his delectable body
Steve's latest girlfriend, the delectable Tara.

scrump tious •

BrE / ˈskrʌmpʃəs /
NAmE / ˈskrʌmpʃəs /
adjective
( informal )
tasting very good
syn: delicious

plump adjective, verb

BrE / plʌmp /
NAmE / plʌmp /
adjective
( plump er , plump est )
• •

1 having a soft, round body; slightly fat

a short, plump woman
a plump face
2 looking soft, full and attractive to use or eat
plump cushions
plump tomatoes
plump ness / BrE plʌmpnəs ; NAmE plʌmpnəs / noun [ uncountable ]
•

verb
~ sth (up)
to make sth larger, softer and rounder
He leaned forward while the nurse plumped up his pillows.
ˈplump for sb/sth ( informal ) to choose sb/sth from a number of people or things,
especially after thinking carefully

welt
BrE / welt /
NAmE / welt /
noun
a raised mark on the skin where sth has hit or rubbed you
syn: weal
 tit ter•

BrE / ˈtɪtə(r) /
NAmE / ˈtɪtər /
verb
[ intransitive ]
to laugh quietly, especially in a nervous or embarrassed way
syn: giggle
There was an embarrassing pause on stage and the audience began to titter.
tit ter noun
•

His comments raised a titter.

feud noun, verb

BrE / fjuːd /
NAmE / fjuːd /
noun
an angry and bitter argument between two people or groups of people that continues
over a long period of time
~ (between A and B) a long-running feud between the two artists
~ (with sb) a feud with the neighbours
a family feud (= within a family or between two families)
~ (over sb/sth) a feud over money
verb
[ intransitive ] ~ (with sb)
to have an angry and bitter argument with sb over a long period of time
He has been feuding with his brother for years.
feuding families/gangs
feud ing / BrE fjuːdɪŋ ; NAmE fjuːdɪŋ / noun [ uncountable ]
•

stories of bitter feuding between rival drug dealers

rut
BrE / rʌt /
NAmE / rʌt /
noun
1 [ countable ] a deep track that a wheel makes in soft ground
It was difficult to walk in the muddy ruts left by the tractor.
2 [ countable ] a boring way of life that does not change
I gave up my job because I felt I was stuck in a rut .
If you don't go out and meet new people, it's easy to get into a rut .
3 [ uncountable ] ( also the rut ) the time of year when male animals, especially
deer , become sexually active
stags fighting during the rut
see also rutted , rutting
 yokel
BrE / ˈjəʊkl /
NAmE / ˈjoʊkl /
noun
( often humorous )
if you call a person a yokel , you are saying that they do not have much education or
understanding of modern life, because they come from the countryside

mar in ade• •

BrE / ˌmærɪˈneɪd /
NAmE / ˌmærɪˈneɪd /
noun
[ countable ,  uncountable ]
a mixture of oil, wine, spices, etc, in which meat or fish is left before it is cooked in order
to make it softer or to give it a particular flavour

gravy
BrE / ˈɡreɪvi /
NAmE / ˈɡreɪvi /
noun
[ uncountable ]
1 a brown sauce made by adding flour to the juices that come out of meat while it is
cooking
2 ( NAmE , informal ) something, especially money, that is obtained when you do not
expect it
Anything on top of eight percent profit is just gravy for the industry.

chig ger •

BrE / ˈtʃɪɡə(r) /
NAmE / ˈtʃɪɡər /
( also jig ger )
•

noun
a small flea that lives in tropical regions and lays eggs under a person's or animal's skin,
causing painful areas on the skin

de mean our
• •

( especially US de meanor )•

BrE / dɪˈmiːnə(r) /
NAmE / dɪˈmiːnər /
noun
[ uncountable ] ( formal )
the way that sb looks or behaves
He maintained a professional demeanour throughout.
 boot leg • adjective, verb
BrE / ˈbuːtleɡ /
NAmE / ˈbuːtleɡ /
adjective
only before noun ]
made and sold illegally
a bootleg CD (= for example, one recorded illegally at a concert)
see also pirate
boot leg noun
•

a bootleg of the concert

verb
( -gg- ) ~ sth
to make or sell goods, especially alcohol, illegally
boot leg ger / BrE ˈbuːtleɡə(r) ; NAmE ˈbuːtleɡər / noun
• •

boot leg ging / BrE ˈbuːtleɡɪŋ ; NAmE ˈbuːtleɡɪŋ / noun [ uncountable ]

• •

sod noun, verb

BrE / sɒd /
NAmE / sɑːd /
noun
1 ( BrE , taboo , slang ) used to refer to a person, especially a man, that you are
annoyed with or think is unpleasant
You stupid sod!
2 ( BrE , taboo , slang ) used with an adjective to refer to a person, especially a man
The poor old sod got the sack yesterday.
You lucky sod!
You can use words like man , boy , devil or thing instead.
3 ( BrE , taboo , slang ) a thing that is difficult or causes problems
It was a real sod of a job.
4 [ usually singular ] ( formal or literary ) a layer of earth with grass growing on
it; a piece of this that has been removed
under the sod (= in your grave)
verb
( -dd- ) ~ sth ( BrE , taboo , slang ) ( only used in orders )
a swear word that many people find offensive, used when sb is annoyed about sth or to
show that they do not care about sth
Sod this car! It's always breaking down.
Oh, sod it! I'm not doing any more.
We're going on holiday and sod the expense.
see blow/sod that for a lark at lark   n.
ˌsod ˈoff ( BrE , taboo , slang ) ( usually used in orders ) to go away
Sod off, the pair of you!
 libel noun, verb
BrE / ˈlaɪbl /
NAmE / ˈlaɪbl /
noun
[ uncountable ,  countable ]
the act of printing a statement about sb that is not true and that gives people a bad
opinion of them
He sued the newspaper for libel.
a libel action (= a case in a court of law)
compare slander
verb
( -ll- , especially US -l- ) ~ sb
to publish a written statement about sb that is not true
He claimed he had been libelled in an article the magazine had published.
compare slander

slan der • noun, verb

BrE / ˈslɑːndə(r) /
NAmE / ˈslændər /
noun
[ countable ,  uncountable ]
a false spoken statement intended to damage the good opinion people have of sb; the
legal offence of making this kind of statement
a vicious slander on the company's good name
He's suing them for slander.
compare libel
slan der ous / BrE ˈslɑːndərəs ; NAmE ˈslændərəs / adjective
• •

a slanderous remark
verb
~ sb/sth
to make a false spoken statement about sb that is intended to damage the good opinion
that people have of them
He angrily accused the investigators of slandering both him and his family.
compare libel

ob scene
•

BrE / əbˈsiːn /
NAmE / əbˈsiːn /
adjective
1 connected with sex in a way that most people find offensive
obscene gestures/language/books
an obscene phone call (= in which sb says obscene things)
2 extremely large in size or amount in a way that most people find unacceptable and
offensive
 syn: outrageous
He earns an obscene amount of money.
It's obscene to spend so much on food when millions are starving.
ob scene ly / BrE əbˈsiːnli ; NAmE əbˈsiːnli / adverb
• •

to behave obscenely
obscenely rich

con sen su al
• • •

BrE / kənˈsenʃuəl /
NAmE / kənˈsenʃuəl /
adjective
( formal )
1 which people in general agree with
a consensual approach
2 ( of an activity ) which the people taking part have agreed to
consensual sex

liti ga tion
• •

BrE / ˌlɪtɪˈɡeɪʃn /
NAmE / ˌlɪtɪˈɡeɪʃn /
noun
[ uncountable ] ( law )
the process of making or defending a claim in court
The company has been in litigation with its previous auditors for a full year.
to run the risk of litigation

bosom
BrE / ˈbʊzəm /
NAmE / ˈbʊzəm /
noun
1 [ countable ] a woman's chest or breasts
her ample bosom
She pressed him to her bosom.
2 [ countable ] the part of a piece of clothing that covers a woman's bosom
a rose pinned to her bosom
3 the ~ of sth [ singular ] a situation in which you are with people who love and
protect you
to live in the bosom of your family
They were welcomed into the bosom of the Church.

def am ation• •

BrE / ˌdefəˈmeɪʃn /
NAmE / ˌdefəˈmeɪʃn /
noun
[ uncountable ,  countable ] ( formal )
the act of damaging sb's reputation by saying or writing bad or false things about them
The company sued for defamation.
He brought a legal action against the magazine for defamation of character.

avar ice •

BrE / ˈævərɪs /
NAmE / ˈævərɪs /
noun
[ uncountable ] ( formal )
extreme desire for wealth
syn: greed
avar icious / BrE ˌævəˈrɪʃəs ; NAmE ˌævəˈrɪʃəs / adjective
•

ennui
BrE / ɒnˈwiː /
NAmE / ɑːnˈwiː /
noun
[ uncountable ] ( from French , literary )
feelings of being bored and not satisfied because nothing interesting is happening

shoddy
BrE / ˈʃɒdi /
NAmE / ˈʃɑːdi /
adjective
( shod dier , shod di est )
• • •

1 ( of goods, work, etc. ) made or done badly and with not enough care
syn: second-rate
shoddy goods
shoddy workmanship
2 dishonest or unfair
shoddy treatment
shod dily / BrE ; NAmE / adverb
•

shod di ness / BrE ˈʃɒdinəs ; NAmE ˈʃɑːdinəs / noun [ uncountable ]

• •

chives
BrE / tʃaɪvz /
NAmE / tʃaɪvz /
noun
[ plural ]
 the long thin leaves of a plant with purple flowers. Chives taste like onions and are used
to give flavour to food.
chive / BrE tʃaɪv ; NAmE tʃaɪv / adjective [ only before noun ]
a chive and garlic dressing

acu men •

BrE / ˈækjəmən /
NAmE / ˈækjəmən /
BrE / əˈkjuːmən /
NAmE / əˈkjuːmən /
noun
[ uncountable ]
the ability to understand and decide things quickly and well
business/commercial/financial acumen

val ance •

BrE / ˈvæləns /
NAmE / ˈvæləns /
noun
1 a narrow piece of cloth like a short curtain that hangs around the frame of a bed,
under a shelf, etc.
2 ( especially NAmE ) = pelmet

tri age
•

BrE / ˈtriːɑːʒ /
NAmE / triːˈɑːʒ /
noun
[ uncountable ]
( in a hospital ) the process of deciding how seriously ill/sick or injured a person is, so
that the most serious cases can be treated first

croak verb, noun

BrE / krəʊk /
NAmE / kroʊk /
verb
1 [ intransitive ] to make a rough low sound, like the sound a frog makes
A frog croaked by the water.
2 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to speak or say sth with a rough low voice
I had a sore throat and could only croak.
~ sth He managed to croak a greeting.
+ speech ‘I'm fine,’ she croaked.
3 [ intransitive ] ( slang ) to die
She married a millionaire just about to croak.
noun
a rough low sound made in the throat, like the sound made by a frog

snag noun, verb

BrE / snæɡ /
NAmE / snæɡ /
noun
1 ( informal ) a problem or difficulty, especially one that is small, hidden or
unexpected
difficulty
There is just one small snag—where is the money coming from?
Let me know if you run into any snags.
2 an object or a part of an object that is rough or sharp and may cut sth
Check all surfaces for snags and rough edges.
3 ( AustralE , NZE , informal ) a sausage
verb
( -gg- )
1 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] to catch or tear sth on sth rough or sharp; to become
caught or torn in this way
~ sth on/in sth I snagged my sweater on the wire fence.
~ sth The fence snagged my sweater.
~ (on/in sth) The nets snagged on some rocks.
2 [ transitive ] ~ sth (from sb) ( NAmE , informal ) to succeed in getting sth
quickly, often before other people
I snagged a ride from Joe.

li abil ity
• •

BrE / ˌlaɪəˈbɪləti /
NAmE / ˌlaɪəˈbɪləti /
noun
( pl. li abil ities )
• •

1 [ uncountable ] ~ (for sth) | ~ (to do sth) the state of being legally responsible
for sth
The company cannot accept liability for any damage caused by natural disasters.
2 [ countable ,  usually singular ] ( informal ) a person or thing that causes you
a lot of problems
Since his injury, Jones has become more of a liability than an asset to the team.
The debate on Europe is proving to be something of a liability for the Prime Minister.
3 [ countable ,  usually plural ] the amount of money that a person or company
owes
The company is reported to have liabilities of nearly $90 000.
Our financial advisers will concentrate on minimizing your tax liabilities and
maximizing your income.
 compare asset

rib ald ry
• •

BrE / ˈrɪbldri /
NAmE / ˈrɪbldri /
BrE / ˈraɪbldri /
NAmE / ˈraɪbldri /
noun
[ uncountable ]
language or behaviour that refers to sex in a rude but humorous way

as sent
• noun, verb
BrE / əˈsent /
NAmE / əˈsent /
noun
[ uncountable ] ~ (to sth) ( formal )
official agreement to or approval of sth
The director has given her assent to the proposals.
He nodded (his) assent.
There were murmurs of both assent and dissent from the crowd.
The bill passed in Parliament has now received (the) Royal Assent (= been
approved by the king/queen) .
She is by common assent, the best person for the job.
verb
[ intransitive ] ~ (to sth) | (+ speech) ( formal )
to agree to a request, an idea or a suggestion
Nobody would assent to the terms they proposed.

con cede •

BrE / kənˈsiːd /
NAmE / kənˈsiːd /
verb
1 [ transitive ] to admit that sth is true, logical, etc
+ speech ‘Not bad,’ she conceded grudgingly.
~ (that)… He was forced to concede (that) there might be difficulties.
~ sth I had to concede the logic of this.
~ sth to sb He reluctantly conceded the point to me.
~ sb sth He reluctantly conceded me the point.
it is conceded that… It must be conceded that different judges have different
approaches to these cases.
2 [ transitive ] to give sth away, especially unwillingly; to allow sb to have sth
~ sth (to sb) The President was obliged to concede power to the army.
England conceded a goal immediately after half-time.
~ sb sth Women were only conceded full voting rights in the 1950s.
 3 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (defeat) to admit that you have lost a game, an
election, etc
After losing this decisive battle, the general was forced to concede.
Injury forced Hicks to concede defeat.
see also concession

im pugn
•

BrE / ɪmˈpjuːn /
NAmE / ɪmˈpjuːn /
verb
~ sth ( formal )
to express doubts about whether sth is right, honest, etc.
challenge
There were no real grounds for impugning the decision.

trite
BrE / traɪt /
NAmE / traɪt /
adjective
( of a remark, an opinion, etc. ) dull and boring because it has been expressed so many
times before; not original
syn: banal
trite ly / BrE traɪtli ; NAmE traɪtli / adverb
•

trite ness / BrE traɪtnəs ; NAmE traɪtnəs / noun [ uncountable ]

•

mar quee
• noun, adjective
BrE / mɑːˈkiː /
NAmE / mɑːrˈkiː /
noun
1 a large tent used at social events
2 ( NAmE ) a covered entrance to a theatre, hotel, etc. often with a sign on or above it
adjective
[ only before noun ] ( especially NAmE ) ( especially in sport )
most important or most popular
He is one of the marquee names in men's tennis.
The men's and women's 200m are the marquee events.

dul cet •

BrE / ˈdʌlsɪt /
NAmE / ˈdʌlsɪt /
adjective
[ only before noun ] ( humorous or ironic )
sounding sweet and pleasant
 I thought I recognized your dulcet tones (= the sound of your voice) .

droit de seigneur
BrE / ˌdrwʌ də senˈjɜː(r) /
NAmE / ˌdrwʌ də senˈjɜːr /
noun
[ uncountable ] ( from French )
the right of a lord to have sex with a woman of lower social rank on her wedding night,
said to exist in the Middle Ages

adage
BrE / ˈædɪdʒ /
NAmE / ˈædɪdʒ /
noun
a well-known phrase expressing a general truth about people or the world
syn: saying
According to the old adage, a picture is worth a thousand words.

val ance •

BrE / ˈvæləns /
NAmE / ˈvæləns /
noun
1 a narrow piece of cloth like a short curtain that hangs around the frame of a bed,
under a shelf, etc.
2 ( especially NAmE ) = pelmet

toke
BrE / təʊk /
NAmE / toʊk /
noun
( informal )
an act of breathing in smoke from a cigarette containing marijuana
He took a long toke on the joint.
toke verb [ intransitive ]

ex tort
•

BrE / ɪkˈstɔːt /
NAmE / ɪkˈstɔːrt /
verb
~ sth (from sb)
to make sb give you sth by threatening them
 The gang extorted money from over 30 local businesses.
ex tor tion / BrE ɪkˈstɔːʃn ; NAmE ɪkˈstɔːrʃn / noun [ uncountable , 
• •

countable ]
He was arrested and charged with extortion.

regi cide •

BrE / ˈredʒɪsaɪd /
NAmE / ˈredʒɪsaɪd /
noun
[ uncountable ,  countable ] ( formal )
the crime of killing a king or queen; a person who is guilty of this crime

opu lent •

BrE / ˈɒpjələnt /
NAmE / ˈɑːpjələnt /
adjective
( formal )
1 made or decorated using expensive materials
syn: luxurious
opulent fabrics/surroundings
2 ( of people ) extremely rich
syn: wealthy
the opulent elite of Europe
opu lence / BrE ˈɒpjələns ; NAmE ˈɑːpjələns / noun [ uncountable ]
•

opu lent ly / BrE ˈɒpjələntli ; NAmE ˈɑːpjələntli / adverb

• •

vale
BrE / veɪl /
NAmE / veɪl /
noun
WORD ORIGIN
( old use or literary )
( also used in modern place names ) a valley
a wooded vale
the Vale of the White Horse

svelte
BrE / svelt /
NAmE / svelt /
BrE / sfelt /
NAmE / sfelt /
adjective
 ( approving )
( of a person, especially a woman ) thin and attractive

scrunch
BrE / skrʌntʃ /
NAmE / skrʌntʃ /
verb
1 [ intransitive ] to make a loud sound like the one that is made when you walk on
gravel (= small stones)
syn: crunch
The snow scrunched underfoot.
2 [ transitive ] ~ sth (up) to squeeze sth into a small round shape in your hands
He scrunched up the note and threw it on the fire.
3 [ transitive ] ~ sth (up) to make sth become smaller
The hedgehog scrunched itself up into a ball.
4 [ transitive ] ~ sth to create a hairstyle with loose curls by squeezing the hair with
the hands
scrunch noun [ singular ]
the scrunch of tyres on the gravel

thaw verb, noun

BrE / θɔː /
NAmE / θɔː /
verb
1 [ intransitive ] ~ (out) ( of ice and snow ) to turn back into water after being
frozen
syn: melt
The country was slowly thawing out after the long cold winter.
syn: freeze
2 [ intransitive ] when it thaws or is thawing , the weather becomes warm enough
to melt snow and ice
It's starting to thaw.
3 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (sth) (out) to become, or to let frozen food
become, soft or liquid ready for cooking
compare defrost , de-ice , unfreeze
Leave the meat to thaw completely before cooking.
4 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (sth) (out) to become, or make sth become, a
normal temperature after being very cold
I could feel my ears and toes start to thaw out.
5 [ intransitive ] ~ (out) to become more friendly and less formal
Relations between the two countries thawed a little after the talks.
The atmosphere slowly began to thaw.
noun
1 [ countable ,  usually singular ] a period of warmer weather following one of
cold weather, causing snow and ice to melt
The river doubles in size during the spring thaw.
2 [ singular ] ~ (in sth) a situation in which the relations between two enemy
countries become more friendly
a thaw in relations with China

nub
BrE / nʌb /
NAmE / nʌb /
noun
[ singular ] the ~ (of sth)
the central or essential point of a situation, problem, etc
The nub of the matter is that business is declining.
She's too selfish to help. That's the nub.

des ti tute
• •

BrE / ˈdestɪtjuːt /
NAmE / ˈdestɪtuːt /
adjective
1 without money, food and the other things necessary for life
When he died, his family was left completely destitute.
2 the destitute noun [ plural ] people who are destitute
3 ~ of sth ( formal ) lacking sth
They seem destitute of ordinary human feelings.
des ti tu tion / BrE ˌdestɪˈtjuːʃn ; NAmE ˌdestɪˈtuːʃn / noun [ uncountable ]
• • •

homelessness and destitution

im pinge
•

BrE / ɪmˈpɪndʒ /
NAmE / ɪmˈpɪndʒ /
verb
[ intransitive ] ~ (on/upon sth/sb) ( formal )
to have a noticeable effect on sth/sb, especially a bad one
encroach
He never allowed his work to impinge on his private life.
The preparations for war were beginning to impinge.

dimple verb, noun

BrE / ˈdɪmpl /
NAmE / ˈdɪmpl /
verb
 [ intransitive ]
to make a hollow place appear on each of your cheeks, especially by smiling
noun
1 a small hollow place in the skin, especially in the cheek or chin
She had a dimple which appeared when she smiled.
2 any small hollow place in a surface
a pane of glass with a dimple pattern
dimpled / BrE ˈdɪmpld ; NAmE ˈdɪmpld / adjective
a dimpled chin

rep ri mand • •

BrE / ˈreprɪmɑːnd /
NAmE / ˈreprɪmænd /
verb
~ sb (for sth) | + speech ( formal )
to tell sb officially that you do not approve of them or their actions
rebuke
The officers were severely reprimanded for their unprofessional behaviour.
rep ri mand noun [ countable ,  uncountable ]
• •

He received a severe reprimand for his behaviour.

flunk
BrE / flʌŋk /
NAmE / flʌŋk /
verb
( informal , especially NAmE )
1 [ transitive ,  intransitive ] ~ (sth) to fail an exam, a test or a course
I flunked math in second grade.
2 [ transitive ] ~ sb to make sb fail an exam, a test, or a course by giving them a low
mark/grade
She's flunked 13 of the 18 students.
ˌflunk ˈout (of sth) ( NAmE , informal ) to have to leave a school or college because
your marks/grades are not good enough
He flunked out of college after four semesters.

flun key•

( also flunky )
BrE / ˈflʌŋki /
NAmE / ˈflʌŋki /
noun
( pl. flun • keys or flun • kies )
1 ( disapproving ) a person who tries to please sb who is important and powerful by doing
small jobs for them
The minister arrived, surrounded by the usual subservient flunkeys.
2 ( old-fashioned ) a servant in uniform
a team of hired flunkeys
 exult
BrE / ɪɡˈzʌlt /
NAmE / ɪɡˈzʌlt /
verb

[ intransitive ,  transitive ] ( formal )

to feel and show that you are very excited and happy because of sth that has happened
~ (at/in sth) He leaned back, exulting at the success of his plan.
+ speech ‘We won!’ she exulted.

re • scind
BrE / rɪˈsɪnd /
NAmE / rɪˈsɪnd /
verb
~ sth ( formal )
to officially state that a law, contract, decision, etc. is no longer valid
syn: revoke

dere • lict adjective, noun

BrE / ˈderəlɪkt /
NAmE / ˈderəlɪkt /
adjective
( especially of land or buildings )
not used or cared for and in bad condition
derelict land/buildings/sites
The canal has been derelict for many years.
noun
( formal )
a person without a home, a job or property
syn: vagrant
derelicts living on the streets

fru • gal
BrE / ˈfruːɡl /
NAmE / ˈfruːɡl /
adjective

1 using only as much money or food as is necessary

a frugal existence/life
He has always been hard-working and frugal.
extravagant
a frugal Methodist background
2 ( of meals ) small, plain and not costing very much
meagre
a frugal lunch of bread and cheese
fru • gal • ity / BrE fruˈɡæləti ; NAmE fruˈɡæləti / noun [ uncountable ]
fru • gal • ly / BrE fruˈɡəli ; NAmE fruˈɡəli / adverb
to live/eat frugally
 flatu • lence
BrE / ˈflætjʊləns /
NAmE / ˈflætʃələns /
noun
an uncomfortable feeling caused by having too much gas in the stomach
Symptoms may also include flatulence and nausea.

per • en • nial adjective, noun

BrE / pəˈreniəl /
NAmE / pəˈreniəl /
adjective
1 continuing for a very long time; happening again and again
the perennial problem of water shortage
that perennial favourite, hamburgers
Colonialism in different forms is a perennial theme of history.
2 ( of plants ) living for two years or more
per • en • ni • al • ly / BrE pəˈreniəli ; NAmE pəˈreniəli / adverb
a perennially popular subject
noun
any plant that lives for more than two years
compare annual , biennial

wal • low verb, noun

BrE / ˈwɒləʊ /
NAmE / ˈwɑːloʊ /
verb
1 [ intransitive ] ~ (in sth) ( of large animals or people ) to lie and roll about in water or
mud, to keep cool or for pleasure
hippos wallowing in the river
He loves to wallow in a hot bath after a game.
2 [ intransitive ] ~ in sth ( often disapproving ) to enjoy sth that causes you pleasure
She wallowed in the luxury of the hotel.
to wallow in despair/self-pity (= to think about your unhappy feelings all the time and
seem to be enjoying them)
noun
[ singular ]
an act of wallowing
pigs having a wallow in the mud

it • in • er • ary
BrE / aɪˈtɪnərəri /
NAmE / aɪˈtɪnəreri /
noun

( pl. it • in • er • aries )
a plan of a journey, including the route and the places that you visit
a detailed itinerary
Visits to four different countries are included in your itinerary.

pos ter ity

• •
 BrE / pɒˈsterəti /
NAmE / pɑːˈsterəti /
noun
[ uncountable ] ( formal )
all the people who will live in the future
Their music has been preserved for posterity .
Posterity will remember him as a great man.

flop verb, noun

BrE / flɒp /
NAmE / flɑːp /
verb

( -pp- )
1 [ intransitive ] ~ into/on sth | ~ (down/back) to sit or lie down in a heavy and sudden way because you are very tired
Exhausted, he flopped down into a chair.
2 [ intransitive ] + adv./prep. to fall, move or hang in a heavy or awkward way, without control
Her hair flopped over her eyes.
The young man flopped back, unconscious.
The fish were flopping around in the bottom of the boat.
3 [ intransitive ] ( informal ) to be a complete failure
The play flopped on Broadway.
England flopped in the European Championship.
noun
( informal )
a film/movie, play, party, etc. that is not successful
hit
a box-office flop
The share sale has been a flop with investors.
see also bellyflop

queer adjective, noun, verb

BrE / kwɪə(r) /
NAmE / kwɪr /
adjective
( queer er , queer est )
• •

1 ( old-fashioned ) strange or unusual

odd
His face was a queer pink colour.
She had a queer feeling that she was being watched.
2 ( taboo , slang ) an offensive way of describing a homosexual , especially a man, which is, however, also used by some homosexuals about themselves
see an odd/a queer fish at fish   n.
noun
( taboo , slang )
an offensive word for a homosexual , especially a man, which is, however, also used by some homosexuals about themselves
verb
queer sb's ˈpitch | queer the ˈpitch (for sb) ( BrE , informal ) to spoil sb's plans or their chances of getting sth

sleuth
BrE / sluːθ /
NAmE / sluːθ /
noun
( old-fashioned or humorous )
a person who investigates crimes
detective
an amateur sleuth
Agatha Christie's super sleuth, Hercule Poirot

dither verb, noun

BrE / ˈdɪðə(r) /
NAmE / ˈdɪðər /
verb
[ intransitive ]
to hesitate about what to do because you are unable to decide
Stop dithering and get on with it.
~ over sth She was dithering over what to wear.
noun
[ singular ] ( informal )
1 a state of not being able to decide what you should do
I'm in a dither about who to invite.
2 a state of excitement or worry
Don't get yourself in a dither over everything.

steeple
BrE / ˈstiːpl /
NAmE / ˈstiːpl /
noun
a tall pointed tower on the roof of a church, often with a spire on it

con triv ance

• •

BrE / kənˈtraɪvəns /
NAmE / kənˈtraɪvəns /
noun
( formal )
1 [ countable ,  uncountable ] ( usually disapproving ) something that sb has done or written that does not seem natural; the fact of seeming artificial
The film is spoilt by unrealistic contrivances of plot.
The story is told with a complete absence of contrivance.
Examinations are a contrivance to see how a student tackles new problems.
2 [ countable ] a clever or complicated device or tool made for a particular purpose
His workshop was full of mechanical contrivances.
3 [ countable ,  uncountable ] a clever plan or trick; the act of using a clever plan or trick
an ingenious contrivance to get her to sign the document without reading it

rile
BrE / raɪl /
NAmE / raɪl /
verb
~ sb | it riles sb that…
to annoy sb or make them angry
anger
Nothing ever seemed to rile him.
be/get (all) ˌriled ˈup ( informal , especially NAmE ) to be or get very annoyed

nix verb, noun

BrE / nɪks /
NAmE / nɪks /
verb
~ sth ( NAmE , informal )
to prevent sth from happening by saying ‘no’ to it
We quickly nixed the idea of going to the museum.
noun
[ uncountable ] ( NAmE , informal )
nothing
The team has won nix this season.

ˈbarrage balloon
noun
a large balloon that floats in the air and is held in place by cables, used in the past to make the progress of enemy aircraft more difficult

fete
( also fête )
noun, verb
BrE / feɪt /
NAmE / feɪt /
noun
1 ( also fair ) ( both BrE )
( NAmE car ni val )
• •

an outdoor entertainment at which people can play games to win prizes, buy food and drink, etc, usually arranged to make money for a special purpose
the school/village/church fete
2 ( NAmE ) a special occasion held to celebrate sth
a charity fete
verb
[ usually passive ] ~ sb ( formal )
to welcome, praise or entertain sb publicly

stoop verb, noun

BrE / stuːp /
NAmE / stuːp /
verb
1 [ intransitive ] ~ (down) to bend your body forwards and downwards
She stooped down to pick up the child.
The doorway was so low that he had to stoop.
2 [ intransitive ] to stand or walk with your head and shoulders bent forwards
He tends to stoop because he's so tall.
stoop so ˈlow (as to do sth) ( formal ) to drop your moral standards far enough to do sth bad or unpleasant
She was unwilling to believe anyone would stoop so low as to steal a ring from a dead woman's finger.
ˈstoop to sth to drop your moral standards to do sth bad or unpleasant
You surely don't think I'd stoop to that!
~ doing sth I didn't think he'd stoop to cheating.
noun
1 [ singular ] if sb has a stoop , their shoulders are always bent forward
2 [ countable ] ( NAmE ) a raised area outside the door of a house with steps leading up to it
the front stoop
We sat talking on the stoop until midnight.

conc ierge•

BrE / ˈkɒnsieəʒ /
NAmE / kɔːnˈsjerʒ /
NAmE / kɑːnˈsjerʒ /
noun
( from French )
1 a person, especially in France, who takes care of a building containing flats/apartments and checks people entering and leaving the building
2 ( especially NAmE ) a person in a hotel whose job is to help guests by giving them information, arranging theatre tickets, etc.
 lar ceny
•

BrE / ˈlɑːsəni /
NAmE / ˈlɑːrsəni /
noun
[ uncountable ,  countable ] ( pl. lar cenies ) ( law ) ( NAmE or old-fashioned , BrE )
•

the crime of stealing sth from sb; an occasion when this takes place
theft
The couple were charged with grand/petty larceny (= stealing things that are valuable/not very valuable) .

ledger
BrE / ˈledʒə(r) /
NAmE / ˈledʒər /
noun
a book in which a bank, a business, etc. records the money it has paid and received
to enter figures in the purchase/sales ledger

junc ture •

BrE / ˈdʒʌŋktʃə(r) /
NAmE / ˈdʒʌŋktʃər /
noun
( formal )
a particular point or stage in an activity or a series of events
The battle had reached a crucial juncture.
At this juncture , I would like to make an important announcement.

pre nup tial agreement

• •

BrE / priːˌnʌpʃl əˈɡriːmənt /

NAmE / priːˌnʌpʃl əˈɡriːmənt /
( also informal pre nup / BrE ˈpriːnʌp ; NAmE ˈpriːnʌp / )
•

noun
an agreement made by a couple before they get married in which they say how their money and property is to be divided if they get divorced

lug verb, noun

BrE / lʌɡ /
NAmE / lʌɡ /
verb
( -gg- ) ~ sth + adv./prep. ( informal )
to carry or drag sth heavy with a lot of effort
I had to lug my bags up to the fourth floor.
noun
1 ( technical ) a part of sth that sticks out, used as a handle or support
2 ( also lug hole ) ( both BrE , humorous ) an ear
•

gim let •

BrE / ˈɡɪmlət /
NAmE / ˈɡɪmlət /
noun
a small tool for making holes in wood to put screws in
: ( figurative ) eyes like gimlets (= looking very hard at things and noticing every detail)

tween
BrE / twiːn /
NAmE / twiːn /
( also tween er / BrE ; NAmE / especially BrE tween ager / BrE ˈtwiːneɪdʒə(r) ; NAmE ˈtwiːneɪdʒər / )
• •

noun
a child between the ages of about 10 and 12
pre-teen