English For Uni

Front 1

witty

/ˈwɪt.i/

Back 1

using words in a clever and funny way
 a ...comment/remark
 He was ... and very charming

Front 2

comprehensive

/ˌkɒm.prɪˈhent .sɪv/

Back 2

complete and including everything that is necessary
 We offer you a ... training in all aspects of the business.
 Is this list ... or are there some names missing?
 He has written a fully .. guide to Rome

Front 3

compute

/kəmˈpjuːt/

Back 3

[T] formal
to calculate an answer or amount by using a machine
 ... the ratio of the object's height to its weight

Front 4

computation

/ˌkɒm.pjʊˈteɪ.ʃən/

Back 4

Berechnung

-> to compute

Front 5

fiat

/ˈfiː.æt/

Back 5

[C or U] formal
an order given by a person in authority
 No company can set industry standards by ...
n.
1. An arbitrary order or decree.
2. Authorization or sanction: government ...

Front 6

covert

/ˈkəʊ.vɜːt/

Back 6

hidden or secret

-> ... actions
-> The government was accused of ... military operations against the regime.

Front 7

vindicate

/ˈvɪn.dɪ.keɪt/

Back 7

[T]
•
to prove that what someone said or did was right or true, after other people thought it was wrong
-> The decision to include Morris in the team was completely ~ed when he scored three goals.
-> The investigation ~ed her complaint about the newspaper.
•
to prove that someone is not guilty or is free from blame, after other people blamed them
-> [R] They said they welcomed the trial as a chance to ~ themselves

Front 8

lest

/lest/

Back 8

literary
in order to prevent any possibility that something will happen
They were afraid to complain about the noise ~ they annoyed the neighbours.

conj.
For fear that: tiptoed ~ the guard should hear her; anxious ~ he become ill

Front 9

orthogonal

Back 9

adj.
1. Relating to or composed of right angles.
2. Mathematics.
a. Of or relating to a matrix whose transpose equals its inverse.
b. Of or relating to a linear transformation that preserves the length of vectors.

Front 10

mating

Back 10

v.tr.
1. To join closely; pair.
2. To unite in marriage.
3. To pair (animals) for breeding.
v.intr.
1. To become joined in marriage.
2.
a. To be paired for reproducing; breed.
b. To copulate

Front 11

enhance

/ɪnˈhɑːnt s/

Back 11

[T]
to improve the quality, amount or strength of something
-> These scandals will not ~ the organization's reputation.

1. To make greater, as in value, beauty, or effectiveness; augment.
2. To provide with improved, advanced, or sophisticated features: computer software ~d with cutting-edge functionalities.

Front 12

convergent evolution

Back 12

A kind of evolution wherein organisms evolve structures that have similar (analogous) structures or functions in spite of their evolutionary ancestors being very dissimilar or unrelated

Front 13

phylogeny

Back 13

1. The evolutionary development and history of a species or higher taxonomic grouping of organisms.
2. The evolutionary development of an organ or other part of an organism: the phylogeny of the amphibian intestinal tract.
3. The historical development of a tribe or racial group

Front 14

discern

/dɪˈsɜːn/

Back 14

[T] formal
to see, recognize or understand something that is not clear
-> I could just ~ a figure in the darkness.
-> It is difficult to ~ any pattern in these figures

Front 15

parsimonious

/ˌpɑː.sɪˈməʊ.ni.əs/

Back 15

[formal; disapproving ]
not willing to spend money or give something
She's too ~ to heat the house properly.
figurative: I think that politicians are often rather ~ with the (= do not tell the complete) truth

Front 16

substantiate

/səbˈstæn.ʃi.eɪt/

Back 16

[T] [formal ]
to show something to be true, or to support a claim with facts
-> We have evidence to ~ the allegations against him.
-> Reports that children had been hurt have not been ~d

Front 17

square (verb)

/skweər/

Back 17

[T] to multiply a number by itself
-> 10 ~d equals a hundred.
-> 4² means four ~d, and equals 16.

Front 18

To square your shoulders

Back 18

to pull your shoulders up and back because you feel determined to do something
-> He ~d his shoulders and took a deep breath before diving into the pool.

Front 19

to truncate

/trʌŋˈkeɪt/

Back 19

to make something shorter or quicker, especially by removing the end of it
-> Television coverage of the match was ~d by a technical fault

Front 20

idiosyncrasy

/ˌɪd.i.əˈsɪŋ.krə.si/

Back 20

[C usually plural]
a strange or unusual habit, way of behaving or feature that someone or something has
-> She often cracks her knuckles when she's speaking - it's one of her little ~ies.
-> One of the ~ies of this printer is that you can't stop it once it has started to print.

Front 21

painstaking

/ˈpeɪnzˌteɪ.kɪŋ/

Back 21

extremely careful and correct, and using a lot of effort
-> It took months of ~ research to write the book.
-> He was described by his colleagues as a ~ journalist.

Front 22

gale

/geɪl/

Back 22

[C]
a very strong wind
-> Hundreds of old trees were blown down in the ~s

Front 23

spurious

/ˈspjʊə.ri.əs/

Back 23

false and not what it appears to be, or (of reasons and judgments) based on something that has not been correctly understood and therefore false
-> Some of the arguments in favour of shutting the factory are questionable and others downright ~

Front 24

genuine

/ˈdʒen.ju.ɪn/

Back 24

If something is ~, it is real and exactly what it appears to be
-> ~ leather
-> If it is a ~ Michelangelo drawing, it will sell for millions.
•
If people or emotions are ~, they are honest and sincere
-> He's a very ~ person.
-> Machiko looked at me in ~ surprise - "Are you really going?" she said

Front 25

amalgamate

/əˈmæl.gə.meɪt/

Back 25

[I or T]
to join or unite to form a larger organization or group, or to make separate organizations do this
-> The electricians' union is planning to ~ with the technicians' union.
-> The different offices will be ~d as/into employment advice centres

Front 26

amendment

/əˈmend .mənt/

Back 26

[C or U] a change made to the words of a text
-> He insisted that the book did not need ~.
-> I've made a few last-minute ~s to the article.
-> Presidential power was reduced by a constitutional ~ in 1991.
•
[C] a change to a law that is not yet in operation and is still being discussed
-> An ~ to the bill was agreed without a vote.

Front 27

kerchief

/ˈkɜː.tʃɪf/

Back 27

a square piece of cloth worn around the neck or on the head

Front 28

subservient

/səbˈsɜː.vi.ənt/

Back 28

[disapproving ]
willing to do what other people want, or considering your wishes as less important than those of other people
-> to adopt a ~subser role/position
-> The government was accused of being ~ to the interests of the pro-Europe campaigners

Front 29

conversely

/kənˈvɜː.sli/

Back 29

In an opposite way

Front 30

cue

/kjuː/

Back 30

a word or action in a play or film, which is used as a signal by a performer to begin saying or doing something
•
a signal for someone to do something
-> [+ to infinitive] They started washing up, so that was our ~ to leave the party

Front 31

to prime

/praɪm/

Back 31

•
to tell someone something that will prepare them for a particular situation
-> I'd been ~d so I knew not to mention her son.
•
to cover the surface of wood with a special paint before the main paint is put on
•
to make a bomb or gun ready to explode or fire

Front 32

salient

/ˈseɪ.li.ənt/

Back 32

[formal ]
The ~ facts about something or qualities of something are the most important things about them
-> She began to summarize the ~ features/points of the proposal.
-> The article presented the ~ facts of the dispute clearly and concisely

Front 33

detrimental

/ˌdet.rɪˈmen.təl/

Back 33

[formal ]
causing harm or damage
-> These chemicals have a ~ effect/impact on the environment.
-> Their decision could be ~ to the future of the company

Front 34

latent

/ˈleɪ.tənt/

Back 34

present but needing particular conditions to become active, obvious or completely developed
-> Recent developments in the area have brought ~ ethnic tension out into the open.
-> We're trying to bring out the ~ artistic talents that many people possess without realising it

Front 35

gaze

/geɪz/

Back 35

[S]
a long look, usually of a particular kind
-> a steady ~
-> an innocent/admiring ~
-> [literary:] As I looked out, my ~ fell on a small child by the road

Front 36

bias

/ˈbaɪ.əs/

Back 36

[C usually singular U]
often supporting or opposing a particular person or thing in an unfair way by allowing personal opinions to influence your judgment
-> The government has accused the media of bias.
-> Reporters must be impartial and not show political ~.
-> There was clear evidence of a strong ~ against her.
-> There has always been a slight ~ in favour of/towards employing arts graduates in the company.
•
[C usually singular] a preference towards a particular subject or thing
-> She showed a scientific ~ at an early age.

Front 37

elusive

/ɪˈluː.sɪv/

Back 37

difficult to describe, find, achieve or remember
-> The answers to these questions remain as ~ as ever.
- Success, however, remained ~ for her.
-> ~ memories

Front 38

invigorate

/ɪnˈvɪg.ər.eɪt/

Back 38

to make someone feel fresher, healthier and more energetic
-> We were ~d by our walk.

Front 39

truism

/ˈtruː.ɪ.zəm/

Back 39

n [C]
a statement which is so obviously true that it is almost not worth saying
 As far as health is concerned, it's a ~ that prevention is better than cure

Front 40

endowment

/ɪnˈdaʊ.mənt/

Back 40

[C or U] money that is given to a college or hospital, etc. in order to provide it with an income, or the giving of this money
-> The school has received an ~ of £50 000 to buy new books for the library.
•
[C] something that you have from birth, often a quality
-> There are tests which can establish a baby's genetic ~

Front 41

disparity

/dɪˈspær.ə.ti/

Back 41

[C or U] [slightly formal ]
a state in which there is no equality and similarity, especially in a way that is not fair; difference
-> the growing ~ dispbetween rich and poor

Front 42

to stem

Back 42

[T] (-mm-)
•
to stop something unwanted from spreading or increasing
-> These measures are designed to ~ the rise of violent crime.
-> We must take action to ~ the tide of resignations.
•
to stop the flow of a liquid such as blood
-> She tied a handkerchief around the wound to ~ the flow of blood

Front 43

to stem from

Back 43

(phrasal verb)
to start or develop as the result of something
Her problems ~ from her difficult childhood.
Their disagreement ~med from a misunderstanding
to

Front 44

to garner

/ˈgɑː.nər /

Back 44

to collect something, usually after much work or with difficulty
-> Coppola ~ed several Oscar awards for 'The Godfather'

Front 45

to implement

/ˈɪm.plɪ.ment/

Back 45

v [T]
to put a plan or system into operation
-> The changes to the national health system will be ~ed next year

Front 46

dive [place]

/daɪv/

Back 46

[C] [informal]
a restaurant, hotel, bar or place for entertainment or social activities that is unpleasant because of the condition of the building or the type of people that go there
-> I know this place is a bit of a ~, but the drink's cheap and the food's great

Front 47

intestine

/ɪnˈtes.tɪn/

Back 47

n [C usually plural]
(either of the two parts of) a long tube through which food travels from the stomach and out of the body while it is being digested
->Antibodies from the mother's milk line the baby's ~s and prevent infection.

Front 48

to gloat

/gləʊt/

Back 48

to feel or express great pleasure or satisfaction because of your own success or good luck, or someone else's failure or bad luck
She's continually ~ing over/about her new job.
I know I shouldn't, but it really serves him right.
His enemies were quick to ~ at his humiliation.
[+ speech] "This is our fourth victory in a row, " he ~ed.

Front 49

concatenation

/kənˈkæt.ə.neɪ.ʃən/

Back 49

[C] [formal]
a series of events, ideas or things that are connected
a ~ of circumstances/events

Front 50

interim

/ˈɪn.tər.ɪm/

Back 50

temporary and intended to be used or accepted until something permanent exists
-> an ~ solution
-> An ~ government was set up for the period before the country's first free election

Front 51

to yield

/jiːld/

Back 51

[T]
to supply or produce something positive such as a profit, an amount of food or information
-> an attempt to ~ increased profits
-> The investigation ~ed some unexpected results.
-> Favourable weather ~ed a good crop

Front 52

versatile

/ˈvɜː.sə.taɪl/

Back 52

[approving ]
able to change easily from one activity to another or able to be used for many different purposes
-> He's a very ~ young actor who's as happy in horror films as he is in TV comedies.
-> A leather jacket is a timeless and ~ garment that can be worn in all seasons

Front 53

to generate

/ˈdʒen.ər.eɪt/

Back 53

to cause something to exist
-> Her latest film has ~d a lot of interest/excitement.
-> The new development will ~ 1500 new jobs.
-> These measures will increase the club's ability to ~ revenue/income.

Front 54

deviant

/ˈdiː.vi.ənt/

Back 54

describes a person or behaviour that is not usual and is generally considered to be unacceptable

Front 55

erroneous

/ɪˈrəʊ.ni.əs/

Back 55

wrong or false
-> an ~ belief/impression

Front 56

to dispel

/dɪˈspel/

Back 56

v [T] (-ll-)
to remove fears, doubts and false ideas, usually by proving them wrong or unnecessary
-> I'd like to start the speech by ~ling a few rumours that have been spreading recently

Front 57

to deviate

/ˈdiː.vi.eɪt/

Back 57

to do something which is different from the usual or common way of behaving
 The recent pattern of weather ~s from the norm for this time of year

Front 58

to salvage

/ˈsæl.vɪdʒ/

Back 58

[T]
•
to save goods from damage or destruction, especially from a ship that has sunk or been damaged or a building that has been damaged by fire or a flood
-> gold coins ~ed from a shipwreck
-> After the fire, there wasn't much furniture left worth ~ing.
•
to try to make a bad situation better
-> It was a desperate attempt to ~ the situation.
-> After the fraud scandal he had to make great efforts to ~ his reputation

Front 59

adjacent

/əˈdʒeɪ.sənt/

Back 59

[formal ]
very near, next to, or touching
-> They work in ~ buildings.
-> They lived in a house ~ to the railway

Front 60

to intersect

/ˌɪn.təˈsekt/

Back 60

[I or T] (of lines, roads, etc.)
to cross one another
-> The roads ~ near the bridge.
•
[T] to divide an area into smaller parts by crossing it with straight lines
-> The gardens are ~ed by gravel paths

Front 61

to pester

/ˈpes.tər/

Back 61

to behave in an annoying manner towards someone by doing or asking for something repeatedly
-> At the frontier, there were people ~ing tourists for cigarettes, food or alcohol.
-> [+ to infinitive] John has been ~ing her to go out with him all month

Front 62

To bunch sth up/together

Back 62

[Phrasal verb]
to move close together to form a tight group
-> The monkeys ~ed together in their cage.
-> We were all ~ed up at the back of the room

Front 63

aberrant

/əˈber.ənt/, /ˈæb.ə.rənt/

Back 63

[adj formal ]
different from what is typical or usual, especially in an unacceptable way
-> ~ behaviour/sexuality

Front 64

interlocutor

/ˌɪn.təˈlɒk.jʊ.tər/

Back 64

[C] formal
•
someone who is involved in a conversation
•
someone who is involved in a conversation and who is representing someone else
Abraham was able to act as interpreter and ~ for our group

Front 65

intelligible

/ɪnˈtel.ɪ.dʒɪ.bl ̩/

Back 65

(of speech and writing)
clear enough to be understood
-> She was so upset when she spoke that she was hardly ~

Front 66

concomitant (adjective)

/kənˈkɒm.ɪ.tənt/

Back 66

[formal ]
happening and connected with another thing
-> Any increase in students meant a ~ increase in funding

Front 67

concomitant (noun)

/kənˈkɒm.ɪ.tənt/

Back 67

n [C] formal
something that happens with something else and is connected with it
-> Loss of memory is a natural ~ of old age

Front 68

to distort

/dɪˈstɔːt/

Back 68

v [T]
to change something from its usual, original, natural or intended meaning, condition or shape
-> My original statement has been completely ~ed by the media

Front 69

to float

/fləʊt/

Back 69

[I or T usually + adverb or preposition] to (cause to) move easily through, or along the surface of a liquid, or to (cause to) move easily through air
-> We spent a lazy afternoon ~ing down/along the river.
-> He tossed the bottle into the waves and watched it ~ out to sea.
-> The children enjoy ~ing their boats on the pond in the park.
-> Fluffy white clouds were ~ing across the sky.

[Figurative:] The sound of piano-playing ~ed out through the open window.
•
[I usually + adverb or preposition] literary to move smoothly and attractively
-> She sort of ~s around, like a ballet dancer.
•
[I usually + adverb or preposition] to move or act without purpose
-> Since he lost his job, he's just ~ed around/about doing nothing

Front 70

entity

/ˈen.tɪ.ti/

Back 70

[C] formal
something which exists apart from other things, having its own independent existence
The museums work closely together, but are separate legal ~ies.
-> He regarded the north of the country as a separate cultural ~.

Front 71

to knead

/niːd/

Back 71

[T]
to press something, especially a mixture for making bread, firmly and repeatedly with the hands and fingers
-> ~ the dough until smooth.

Front 72

caveat

/ˈkæv.i.æt/

Back 72

a warning to consider something before acting further, or a statement which limits a more general statement;
-> He agreed to the interview, with the ~ that he could approve the final article.

Front 73

token

/ˈtəʊ.kən/

Back 73

a thing that you give or an action that you take which expresses your feelings or intentions, although it might have little practical effect
-> As a ~ of our gratitude for all that you have done, we would like you to accept this small gift.
-> It doesn't have to be a big present - it's just a ~.

Front 74

by the same token

Back 74

used to mean that something you are about to say is also true, for the same reasons as what has just been said
-> I don't think that prices will go up but, ~, I don't see them going down either.

Front 75

to mesh

/meʃ/

Back 75

When different things or people ~, they suit each other or work well together
The members of the team just didn't ~.
-> Whether the new personal pension works will depend much on how well it ~es with employers' schemes.

Front 76

to saturate

/ˈsæt.jʊ.reɪt/

noun: saturation
/ˌsæt.jʊˈreɪ.ʃən/

Back 76

[T] to fill a thing or place completely so that no more can be added
-> The police ~ed (= A large number of police officers were sent into) the area in an attempt to find the missing child.

Front 77

to saturate the market

Back 77

to provide too much of a product so that there is more of this product available than there are people who want to buy it
-> Since the US market has now been ~ed, drug dealers are looking to Europe.

Front 78

to saturate

/ˈsæt.jʊ.reɪt/

noun: saturation
/ˌsæt.jʊˈreɪ.ʃən/

Back 78

[T often passive] to make something or someone completely wet
-> The grass had been ~ed by overnight rain.
-> He had cut his leg badly, and his trousers were ~ed with/in blood.

Front 79

feat

/fiːt/

Back 79

[C]
something difficult needing a lot of skill, strength, bravery, etc. to achieve it
-> The Eiffel Tower is a remarkable ~ of engineering.
-> She's performed remarkable ~s of organization for the office.

Front 80

notorious

/nəʊ ˈtɔː.ri.əs/

Back 80

famous for something bad
-> one of Britain's most ~ criminals
-> The company is ~ for paying its bills late.

Front 81

to dispense

/dɪˈspent s/

Back 81

to give out things, especially products, services or amounts of money, to people

-> There is a vending machine on the platform that ~es snacks.

to prepare and give out medicine
-> UK a ~ing chemist

Front 82

to dispense with sth/sb

Back 82

to get rid of something or someone or stop using them because you do not need them
-> They've had to dispense with a lot of luxuries since Mike lost his job.

Front 83

ontology

Back 83

The branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being.

Front 84

to retrieve

/rɪˈtriːv/

Back 84

[T]
to find and bring back something
-> We taught our dog to ~ a ball.
-> Computers are used to store and ~ information efficiently.

Front 85

coercion

/kəʊˈɜː.ʃən/

Back 85

[U] formal
the use of force to persuade someone to do something which they are unwilling to do
-> He claimed the police had used ~, threats and promises to illegally obtain the statement.

Front 86

opaque

/əʊ ˈpeɪk/

Back 86

[formal]
describes writing or speech that is difficult to understand
-> I find her poetry rather ~.

Front 87

opaque

/əʊ ˈpeɪk/

Back 87

preventing light from travelling through, and therefore not transparent or translucent
-> ~ glass/tights

Front 88

lean

/liːn/

Back 88

describes meat that has little fat

thin and healthy

-> ~ and fit

Front 89

lean

/liːn/

Back 89

If a period of time is ~, there is not enough of something, especially money or food, at that time
-> It has been a particularly ~ year for the education department.

Front 90

lean

/liːn/

Back 90

[approving] A lean company or organization uses only a small number of people and a small amount of money etc. so that there is no waste
Nowadays even efficient, ~, well-run industries are failing.

Front 91

vicinity

/vɪˈsɪn.ɪ.ti/

Back 91

the immediately surrounding area
-> There are several hotels in the immediate ~ of the station.

Front 92

in the vicinity of

Back 92

approximately

-> The team is believed to have paid ~ £3 million for Domingo.

Front 93

to instigate

/ˈɪn.stɪ.geɪt/

Back 93

[T] formal
to cause an event or situation to happen by making a set of actions or a formal process begin
-> The government will ~ new measures to combat terrorism.
-> The revolt in the north is believed to have been ~ed by a high-ranking general.

Front 94

to depict

/dɪˈpɪkt/

Back 94

[T]
to represent or show something in a picture or story
-> Her paintings ~ the lives of ordinary people in the last century.
-> In the book, he ~s his father as a tyrant.
-> [+ -ing verb] People were shocked by the advertisement which ~ed a woman beating her husband.

Front 95

to emanate

/ˈem.ə.neɪt/

Back 95

[T] formal
to express a quality or feeling through the way that you look and behave
-> Her face ~ed sadness.

Front 96

to emanate from/through sb/sth

Back 96

to come out of or be produced by something or someone
-> Angry voices ~ed from the room.

Front 97

fledged

/fledʒd/

Back 97

(of young birds) able to fly

Front 98

fully-fledged

/ˌfʊ.liˈfledʒd/

Back 98

completely developed or trained
-> What started as a small business is now a fully-fledged company.
-> After years of study, Tim is now a ~ architect.

Front 99

primordial

/praɪˈmɔː.di.əl/

Back 99

basic and connected with an early stage of development

Front 100

primordial

/praɪˈmɔː.di.əl/

Back 100

existing at or since the beginning of the world or the universe
-> The planet Jupiter contains large amounts of the ~ gas and dust out of which the solar system was formed.

Front 101

to thrive

/θraɪv/

Back 101

to grow, develop or be successful

-> His business ~ed in the years before the war.
-> She seems to ~ on stress.

Front 102

to impart

/ɪmˈpɑːt/

Back 102

[T] formal

to communicate information to someone
-> to ~ the bad news
-> I was rather quiet as I didn't feel I had much wisdom to ~ on the subject.

to give something a particular feeling, quality or taste
-> Preservatives can ~ colour and flavour to a product.

Front 103

earlobe

/ˈɪə.ləʊb/

Back 103

the soft round part at the bottom of the ear

Front 104

to consolidate

/kənˈsɒl.ɪ.deɪt/

Back 104

to become, or cause something to become, stronger and more certain
-> The success of their major product ~ed the firm's position in the market.
-> She hoped that marriage would ~ their relationship.
-> The party ~ed its hold on power during its term of office.
-> The company has been expanding rapidly and I feel it's now time to ~ (= stop growing and make our present position stronger).

Front 105

to foster

/ˈfɒs.tər /

Back 105

[T] to encourage the development or growth of ideas or feelings
-> I'm trying to ~ an interest in classical music in my children.
-> They were discussing the best way to ~ democracy and prosperity in the former communist countries.

Front 106

to foster

/ˈfɒs.tər /

Back 106

[I or T] to take care of a child, usually for a limited time, without being the child's legal parent
-> Would you consider ~ing (a child)?

Front 107

tacit

/ˈtæs.ɪt/

adverb: tacitly

Back 107

understood without being expressed directly
-> tacit agreement/approval/support

Front 108

to dissociate

/dɪˈsəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/

Back 108

to consider as separate and not related
-> I can't ~ the man from his political opinions - they're one and the same thing.

Front 109

to dissociate yourself from sth.
(phrasal verb)

Back 109

to make it publicly known that you are not in any way connected to, or responsible for someone or something, often to avoid blame or embarrassment
-> Most party members are keen to ~ themselves from the extremists.

Front 110

hybrid

/ˈhaɪ.brɪd/

Back 110

[C]
•
a plant or animal that has been produced from two different types of plant or animal, especially to get better characteristics, or anything that is a mixture of two very different things
-> The garden strawberry is a large-fruited ~.

Front 111

wry

/raɪ/

Back 111

[before noun]
showing that you find a bad or difficult situation slightly funny
-> a ~ smile/comment

Front 112

trope

[trəʊp]

Back 112

(Literature / Rhetoric) Rhetoric a word or expression used in a figurative sense

Front 113

hyperbole

/haɪˈpɜː.bəl.i/

Back 113

n [U] formal
a way of speaking or writing that makes someone or something sound bigger, better, more, etc. than they are
-> The blurb on the back of the book was full of the usual ~ - 'enthralling', 'fascinating' and so on.

Front 114

meiosis

/maɪˈəʊ.sɪs/

Back 114

n [U] specialized
the type of cell division that happens in the reproductive organs, in which one cell divides into four gametes (= reproductive cells), each with a different mixture of chromosomes and half the number contained in the original cell

Front 115

meiosis

Back 115

Rhetorical understatement

Front 116

to purport

/pəˈpɔːt/

Back 116

[T + to infinitive] formal
to pretend to be or to do something, especially in a way that is not easy to believe
-> They ~ to represent the wishes of the majority of parents at the school.
-> The study ~s to show an increase in the incidence of the disease.
-> The tape recording ~s to be of a conversation between the princess and a secret admirer.

Front 117

derogatory

/dɪˈrɒg.ə.tər.i/

Back 117

showing strong disapproval and not showing respect
-> He made some ~ comment/remark about her appearance.

Front 118

to denote

/dɪˈnəʊt/

Back 118

to represent something

-> The colour red is used to denote passion or danger.

Front 119

impervious

/ɪmˈpɜː.vi.əs/

Back 119

[specialized]
not allowing liquid to go through
-> How does glue bond with ~ substances like glass and metal?

Front 120

impervious

/ɪmˈpɜː.vi.əs/

Back 120

describes a person who is not influenced or affected by something
-> He is ~ to criticism and rational argument.

Front 121

preliminary

/prɪˈlɪm.ɪ.nər.i/

Back 121

[C usually plural]
an event or action that introduces or prepares for something else
-> After a few polite ~s (= introductions), we stated our main ideas and intentions.
-> The French team finished first in the competition ~s (= the first part of the competition).

Front 122

to underpin, -nn-

/ˌʌn.dəˈpɪn/

Back 122

to give support, strength or a basic structure to something
-> He presented the figures to ~ his argument.
-> Gradually the laws that ~ed (= formed part of the basic structure of) apartheid were abolished.
-> [specialized] When restoring the building, the first priority was to ~ the exterior walls by adding wooden supports along the foundations.

Front 123

calibrated

/ˈkæl.ɪ.breɪ.tɪd/

Back 123

[specialized]
describes tools or other devices that are moved slightly or have marks for making accurate measurements
-> a ~ stick for measuring the amount of oil in an engine

Front 124

to dither

/ˈdɪð.ər /

Back 124

[I] [disapproving]
to be unable to make a decision about doing something
-> Stop ~ing and choose which one you want!
-> She's still ~ing over whether to accept the job she's just been offered.

Front 125

to hinge on/upon sth.
(phrasal verb)

Back 125

If one thing ~s on another, the first thing depends on the second thing or is very influenced by it
-> The prosecution's case ~d on the evidence of a witness who died before the trial.

If a story or situation ~s on an idea or subject, it develops from that idea or that is the most important subject in it
-> The film's plot ~s on a case of mistaken identity.

Front 126

reminiscent of sth/sb

/ˌrem.ɪˈnɪs.ənt/

Back 126

[formal]

making you remember a particular person, event or thing
-> That song is so ~ of my adolescence.

Front 127

entrenched

/ɪnˈtrent ʃt/

Back 127

[mainly disapproving]
~ ideas are so fixed or have existed for so long that they cannot be changed
-> It's very difficult to change attitudes that have become so deeply ~ over the years.
-> The organization was often criticized for being too ~ in its views.

Front 128

infatuation

/ɪnˌfæt.juˈeɪ.ʃən/

Back 128

strong but not usually lasting feelings of love or attraction
-> It's just an . She'll get over it.
-> No one expected their ~ with each other to last.

Front 129

trajectory

/trəˈdʒek.tər.i/

Back 129

[C] [specialized]
the curved path that an object follows after it has been thrown or shot into the air
-> the ~ of a bullet/missile

Front 130

trough

/trɒf/

Back 130

a low point in a regular series of high and low points
-> Investing small amounts regularly is a good way of smoothing out the peaks and ~ of the stock market.

Front 131

promiscuous

/prəˈmɪs.kju.əs/

Back 131

[disapproving]
(of a person) having a lot of different sexual partners or sexual relationships, or (of sexual habits) involving a lot of different partners
-> I suppose I was quite ~ in my youth.
-> It's an often repeated fallacy that homosexual men have more ~ lifestyles than heterosexuals.

Front 132

derogatory

/dɪˈrɒg.ə.tər.i/

Back 132

showing strong disapproval and not showing respect
-> He made some ~ comment/remark about her appearance.

Front 133

epithet

/ˈep.ɪ.θet/

Back 133

[C] formal
an adjective added to a person's name or a phrase used instead of it, usually to criticize or praise them
-> The opera-singer's 104-kilo frame has earned him the ~ of 'Man Mountain' in the press.

Front 134

creed

/kriːd/

Back 134

a set of beliefs which expresses a particular opinion and influences the way you live

Front 135

to emulate

/ˈem.jʊ.leɪt/

Back 135

to copy something achieved by someone else and try to do it as well as they have

->They hope to ~ the success of other software companies.

-> Fitzgerald is keen to ~ Martin's record of three successive world titles.

Front 136

to flinch

/flɪntʃ/

Back 136

to make a sudden small movement because of pain or fear
-> He didn't even ~ when the nurse cleaned the wound.

Front 137

to relish

/ˈrel.ɪʃ/

Back 137

to like or enjoy something
-> I always ~ a challenge.
-> [+ -ing verb] I don't ~ telling her that her son has been arrested.
•
If you ~ the idea or thought of something, you feel pleasure that it is going to happen
-> She's ~ing the prospect of studying in Bologna for six months.