English Vocabulary

Front 1

Spite

Back 1

[uncountable] a feeling of wanting to hurt or upset somebody
SYNONYM malice
I'm sure he only said it out of spite.
IDIOMS
in spite of something
if you say that somebody did something in spite of a fact, you mean it is surprising that that fact did not prevent them from doing it
SYNONYM despite
In spite of his age, he still leads an active life.
They went swimming in spite of all the danger signs.
English became the official language for business in spite of the fact that the population was largely Chinese.

Front 2

Scoff

Back 2

1 [intransitive, transitive] scoff (at somebody/something)| + speech
to talk about somebody/something in a way that makes it clear that you think they are stupid or ridiculous
SYNONYM mock
He scoffed at our amateurish attempts.
Don't scoff—she's absolutely right.
2 (British English) (North American English scarf) [transitive] scoff (something) (informal)
to eat a lot of something quickly
Who scoffed all the grapes?

Front 3

drab

Back 3

without interest or colour; dull and boring
a cold drab little office
drab women, dressed in browns and greys
drab city

Front 4

dissipate

Back 4

1 [intransitive, transitive]
to gradually become or make something become weaker until it disappears
Eventually, his anger dissipated.
dissipate something Her laughter soon dissipated the tension in the air.
2 [transitive] dissipate something
to waste something, such as time or money, especially by not planning the best way of using it

Front 5

picket

Back 5

The church picketed his funeral
1 a person or group of people who stand outside the entrance to a building in order to protest about something, especially in order to stop people from entering a factory, etc. during a strike; an occasion at which this happens
Five pickets were arrested by police.
I was on picket duty at the time.
a mass picket of the factory
see also flying picket, picketer
2 a soldier or group of soldiers guarding a military base
3 a pointed piece of wood that is fixed in the ground, especially as part of a fence
a picket fence

Front 6

giddy

Back 6

feel gid
1 [not usually before noun]
feeling that everything is moving and that you are going to fall
SYNONYM dizzy
When I looked down from the top floor, I felt giddy.
2 [not usually before noun] giddy (with something)
so happy and excited that you cannot behave normally
She was giddy with happiness.
3 [usually before noun]
making you feel as if you were about to fall
The kids were pushing the roundabout at a giddy speed.
(figurative) the giddy heights of success
4 (old-fashioned) (of people)
not serious

Front 7

aspersions

Back 7

critical or unpleasant remarks or judgements
I wouldn't want to cast aspersions on your honesty.
cast aspersions upon someone

Front 8

Accost: accosted by girls

Back 8

to go up to somebody and speak to them, especially in a way that is rude or threatening
She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger.

Front 9

disparage: disparage someone's character

Back 9

disparage somebody/something (formal)
to suggest that somebody/something is not important or valuable
SYNONYM belittle
I don't mean to disparage your achievements.
disparagement
dɪˈspærɪdʒmənt ; dɪˈspærɪdʒmənt
NOUN [uncountable]
disparaging
dɪˈspærɪdʒɪŋ ; dɪˈspærɪdʒɪŋ
ADJECTIVE
disparaging remarks
disparagingly
dɪˈspærɪdʒɪŋli ; dɪˈspærɪdʒɪŋli
ADVERB
He spoke disparagingly of his colleagues.

Front 10

Amicus Curiae

Back 10

An amicus curiae (also amicus curiæ; plural amici curiae, literally "friend of the court") is someone who is not a party to a case who offers information that bears on the case but who has not been solicited by any of the parties to assist a court. This may take the form of legal opinion, testimony or learned treatise (the amicus brief) and is a way to introduce concerns ensuring that the possibly broad legal effects of a court decision will not depend solely on the parties directly involved in the case. The decision on whether to admit the information lies at the discretion of the court. The phrase amicus curiae is legal Latin.

Front 11

Cloture

Back 11

Cloture (/ˈkloʊtʃər/ kloh-chər) is a motion or process in parliamentary procedure aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. It is also called closure or, informally, a guillotine.[1] The cloture procedure originated in the French National Assembly, from which the name is taken. Clôture is French for "ending" or "conclusion". It was introduced into the Parliament of the United Kingdom by William Ewart Gladstone to overcome the obstruction of the Irish nationalist party and was made permanent in 1887. It was subsequently adopted by the United States Senate and other legislatures.

Front 12

Trepidation

Back 12

great worry or fear about something unpleasant that may happen
He knocked on the door with some trepidation.

Front 13

gnarly: gnarly nazi group

Back 13

very good; excellent
Wow, man! That's totally gnarly!
not very good

Front 14

Exhortation: Exhortation to immediate action

Back 14

to try hard to persuade somebody to do something
SYNONYM urge
exhort somebody to do something The party leader exhorted his members to start preparing for government.
exhort somebody to something They had been exhorted to action.
exhort (somebody) + speech ‘Come on!’ he exhorted (them).

Front 15

Surreptitious

Back 15

done secretly or quickly, in the hope that other people will not notice
SYNONYM furtive
She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch.

Front 16

Cannon Fodder

Back 16

Cannon fodder is an informal, derogatory term for combatants who are regarded or treated as expendable in the face of enemy fire. The term is generally used in situations where combatants are forced to deliberately fight against hopeless odds (with the foreknowledge that they will suffer extremely high casualties) in an effort to achieve a strategic goal; an example is the trench warfare of World War I. The term may also be used (somewhat pejoratively) to differentiate infantry from other forces (such as artillery, air force or the navy), or to distinguish expendable low-grade or inexperienced combatants from supposedly more-valuable veterans.
The term derives from fodder, as food for livestock. Soldiers are the metaphorical food for enemy cannon fire.[1]

Front 17

Ploy: ploy to mislead suspect

Back 17

a clever marketing ploy
Words or actions that are carefully planned to get an advantage over somebody else

Front 18

Straddle: Both cars were straddling the line

Back 18

1 straddle something/somebody
to sit or stand with one of your legs on either side of somebody/something
He swung his leg over the motorcycle, straddling it easily.
2 straddle something
to cross, or exist on both sides of, a river, a road or an area of land
The mountains straddle the French-Swiss border.
3 straddle something
to exist within, or include, different periods of time, activities or groups of people
a writer who straddles two cultures

Front 19

Crafty: Dean is crafty

Back 19

clever at getting what you want, especially by indirect or dishonest methods
SYNONYM cunning, wily
He's a crafty old devil.
one of the party's craftiest political strategists
There are times when the only way to win is by a crafty reinterpretation of the rules.

Front 20

Stash House

Back 20

a house where weapons and supplies are hidden; "attacks on stash houses is the most frequently used method of counterterrorism"

Front 21

Credence

Back 21

1 a quality that an idea or a story has that makes you believe it is true
Historical evidence lends credence to his theory.
2 belief in something as true
They could give no credence to the findings of the survey.
Alternative medicine has been gaining credence(= becoming more widely accepted) recently.

Front 22

Spurious: his name was used is spurious

Back 22

1 false, although seeming to be genuine
He had managed to create the entirely spurious impression that the company was thriving.
2 based on false ideas or ways of thinking
a spurious argument

Front 23

Aspire

Back 23

to have a strong desire to achieve or to become something
aspire (to something)
She aspired to a scientific career.
aspire to be/do something
He aspired to be their next leader.

Front 24

Limelight

Back 24

the centre of public attention
to be in the limelight
to stay out of the limelight
to steal/hog the limelight(= take attention away from other people)

Front 25

Mire

Back 25

an area of deep mud
synonym bog
The wheels sank deeper into the mire.
(figurative) My name had been dragged through the mire (= my reputation was ruined).
(figurative) The government was sinking deeper and deeper into the mire(= getting further into a difficult situation).

Front 26

Sharecropper

Back 26

a farmer who gives part of his or her crop as rent to the owner of the land

Front 27

Titillate

Back 27

to interest or excite somebody, especially in a sexual way
titillating pictures
titillate something
a story intended to titillate the imagination of the public
a selection of dishes to titillate your palate
titillation
ˌtɪtɪˈleɪʃn ; ˌtɪtɪˈleɪʃn noun [uncountable]
newspaper stories that are intended for titillation, not information

Front 28

decorous

Back 28

polite and appropriate in a particular social situation; not shocking
synonym proper
a decorous kiss
decorously
ˈdekərəsli ; ˈdekərəsli adverb
They sipped their drinks decorously.

Front 29

Prosaic

Back 29

1 ordinary and not showing any imagination
synonym unimaginative
a prosaic style
2 dull; not romantic
synonym mundane
the prosaic side of life

Front 30

Prurient

Back 30

having or showing too much interest in things connected with sex
a prurient interest in the details of a rape case

Front 31

Expose

Back 31

1 to show something that is usually hidden
synonym reveal
expose something
He smiled suddenly, exposing a set of amazingly white teeth.
Miles of sand are exposed at low tide.
My job as a journalist is to expose the truth.
expose something to somebody
He did not want to expose his fears and insecurity to anyone.

Front 32

Extricate

Back 32

extricate somebody/something/yourself (from something)
to escape or enable somebody to escape from a difficult situation
He had managed to extricate himself from most of his official duties.
2
extricate somebody/something/yourself (from something)
to free somebody/something or yourself from a place where they/it or you are trapped
They managed to extricate the pilot from the tangled control panel.

Front 33

rough up

Back 33

treat violently; "The police strong-armed the suspect"

Front 34

Concomitant: Concomitant of life in a civilized community

Back 34

treat violently; "The police strong-armed the suspect"

Front 35

Cut Slack: Cut me some slack

Back 35

to give someone additional freedom I'm going to cut you some slack. Because it's the last day of classes, we don't have to talk anything serious today. If you and your kids don't agree about their futures, cut them some slack - explain your views, but don't try to force them to agree.

Front 36

Flounder

Back 36

1 [intransitive, transitive]
(+ speech)
to struggle to know what to say or do or how to continue with something
His abrupt change of subject left her floundering helplessly.
2 [intransitive] to have a lot of problems and to be in danger of failing completely
At that time the industry was floundering.
The new democracy there continues to flounder.

Front 37

Meander: Meandering annexation

Back 37

1 [intransitive]
(+ adverb/preposition)
(of a river, road, etc.) to curve a lot rather than being in a straight line
The stream meanders slowly down to the sea.
2 [intransitive]
(+ adverb/preposition)
to walk slowly and change direction often, especially without a particular aim
synonym wander
They meandered around the old town admiring the architecture.
3 [intransitive]
(+ adverb/preposition)
(of a conversation, discussion, etc.) to develop slowly and change subject often, in a way that makes it boring or difficult to understand
meander noun
the meanders of a river

Front 38

Supine: A supine west/ The supine attitude of some of our politicians

Back 38

1 lying flat on your back
a supine position
Clare remained supine, her eyes closed.
compare prone
2 (disapproving) not willing to act or disagree with somebody because you are lazy or morally weak
the supine attitude of some of our politicians

Front 39

Disgorge: Disgorge the profit

Back 39

1
disgorge something
to pour something out in large quantities
The pipe disgorges sewage into the sea.
2
disgorge somebody/something
if a vehicle or building disgorges people, they come out of it in large numbers
The bus disgorged a crowd of noisy children.

Front 40

Tenet

Back 40

one of the principles or beliefs that a theory or larger set of beliefs is based on
one of the basic/central tenets of Christianity

Front 41

Sundry: Sundry damages

Back 41

various; not important enough to be named separately
a watch, a diary and sundry other items
IDIOMS
all and sundry (informal)
everyone, not just a few special people
She was known to all and sundry as Bella.
The club is open to all and sundry.

Front 42

Nibble

Back 42

1 [transitive, intransitive] to take small bites of something, especially food
nibble something
We sat drinking wine and nibbling olives.
He nibbled her ear playfully.
nibble (at/on something)
She took some cake from the tray and nibbled at it.
2 [intransitive]
nibble (at something)
to show a slight interest in an offer, idea, etc
He nibbled at the idea, but would not make a definite decision.

Front 43

adduce: Adduce evidence

Back 43

[often passive]
adduce something
(formal)
to provide evidence, reasons, facts, etc. in order to explain something or to show that something is true
synonym cite
Several factors have been adduced to explain the fall in the birth rate.
The defending lawyer was able to adduce evidence of his client's innocence.

Front 44

Snowball going down the mountain
keeping someone on his/her tow
Blue ribbon jury
the flip side of that

Back 44

m

Front 45

Dawdle: The plaintiff may dawdle

Back 45

to take a long time to do something or go somewhere
Stop dawdling! We're going to be late!
+ adverb/preposition
They dawdled along by the river, laughing and talking.

Front 46

Groom: grooming habits

Back 46

3 to prepare or train somebody for an important job or position
groom somebody (for/as something)
Our junior employees are being groomed for more senior roles.
groom somebody to do something
The eldest son is being groomed to take over when his father dies.
4
groom somebody
(of a person who is sexually attracted to children) to prepare a child for a meeting, especially using an Internet chat room, with the intention of performing an illegal sexual act

Front 47

desecration: flag desecration

Back 47

desecrate something
to damage a holy thing or place or treat it without respect
desecrated graves
desecration
ˌdesɪˈkreɪʃn ; ˌdesɪˈkreɪʃn noun [uncountable]
the desecration of a cemetery
(figurative) the desecration of the countryside by new roads

Front 48

Ferret out: Ferret out corruption

Back 48

ferret somebody/something out (informal) to discover information or to find somebody/something by searching thoroughly, asking a lot of questions, etc
He is determined to ferret out the truth about what happened.

Front 49

Lent

Back 49

Lent (Latin: Quadragesima - English: Fortieth) is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar of many Christian denominations that begins on Ash Wednesday and covers a period of approximately six weeks before Easter Day. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, penance, repentance of sins, almsgiving, atonement and self-denial. This event, along with its pious customs are observed by Christians in the Anglican, Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist, and Roman Catholic traditions.[1][2][3] Today, some Anabaptist and evangelical churches also observe the Lenten season.[4][5]

Front 50

Renegade

Back 50

1 (often used as an adjective) a person who leaves one political, religious, etc. group to join another that has very different views
a renegade priest
2 a person who opposes and lives outside a group or society that they used to belong to
synonym outlaw