Vocabulary: Batch 2

1. (of a device or attack) designed to cause fires

   Incendiary bombs.

2. (figurative) tending to provoke strong feeling or conflict

   His incendiary remarks sparked outrage online.

• a bomb or device designed to cause a fire

  The building was destroyed by an incendiary.

• to raise to a higher position or level

  He lifted his trophy over his head.

'Lift' (British English) = elevator (American English).

1. (British) an elevator

   We took the lift to the fifth floor.

2. a ride in a vehicle, given as a favor

   Can you give me a lift to the station?

3. (figurative) a boost to one's mood or spirits

   Her kind words gave him a real lift.

• an infectious viral disease that affects the central nervous system and can cause temporary or permanent paralysis

  A polio outbreak.

• wave or flourish (something, especially a weapon) as a threat or in anger or excitement

  A thief brandishing a weapon.

From German Flugabwehrkanone (anti-aircraft gun). 'Flak jacket' = a protective vest.

1. anti-aircraft fire

   The bomber flew through heavy flak.

2. (figurative) strong criticism

   You must be strong enough to take the flak if things go wrong.

• to give a spoken or written account of something observed or investigated

  The representative reported a decline in sales.

• a spoken or written account of something

  She wrote a detailed report on the incident.

• according to what some people say

  He was in El Salvador, reportedly on his way to Texas.

• (of something perceived as hostile, threatening, or negative) become less intense or widespread

  The storm suddenly abated.

Legal and environmental term: noise abatement, tax abatement.

• a reduction in amount, intensity, or cost

  The city offered a tax abatement.

• a public road in a city or town, typically with houses and buildings on one or both sides

  The cobbled streets of the city.

• the primary business street of a city, town, or other settlement

  The high street banks.

• the principal street of a town, where most of the shops and businesses are situated

  Main Street, USA.

• openly disregard (a rule, law or convention)

  These same companies still flout basic ethical practices.

1. to disconnect or remove (a part) from something else

   Detach the coupon and mail it in.

2. leave or separate oneself from (a group or place)

   He detached himself from the crowd.

• the state of being objective or aloof

  He felt a sense of detachment from what was going on.

• feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected

  I always welcomed clover, much to the consternation of the neighbors.

• to assign responsibility for a fault or wrong to someone

  She blamed him for the delay.

• responsibility for a fault or wrong

  His players had to take the blame.

1. the maximum amount that something can contain

   The capacity of the freezer is 1.1 cubic feet.

2. a specified role or position

   He attended the meeting in his capacity as manager.

3. the ability or power to do something

   Children have a great capacity for learning new languages.

1. inability to do something; lack of ability

   His incapacity to deal with stress led to his resignation.

2. a legal disqualification

   The will is invalid due to the testator's incapacity at the time of signing.

• (of laws or their application) excessively harsh and severe

  Draconian measures.

• a number of connected items written one below the other

  Consult the list of drugs.

A different, unrelated homograph: 'list' can also mean (of a ship) to lean to one side.

• to make a list of; to include in a list

  Please list your qualifications on the form.

• remove (a stock, company, or good) from a list or register, particularly a stock exchange

  The firm may have to delist its shares.

• an official order or proclamation issued by a person in authority

  Clovis issued an edict protecting Church property.

• the effective center of an activity, region, or network

  The city has always been the financial hub of the country.

• the killing or wounding of people, typically on a large scale during a conflict

  The political leaders must stop the bloodshed.

1. a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government

   He was overthrown in an army coup.

2. (figurative) an impressive and successful achievement

   Landing that contract was quite a coup for the small firm.

• used between two nouns to form a compound noun, indicating that a person or thing has two functions or roles

  A study-cum-bedroom.

• hand over (a person accused or convicted of a crime) to the jurisdiction of the foreign state in which the crime was committed

  Greece refused to extradite him to Italy.

• angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict

  Strife within the community.

• a vigorous struggle or scuffle

  There was a tussle for the ball.

• to struggle or fight vigorously with someone

  The two dogs tussled over the toy.

• to help someone, typically in a practical way

  The charity aids refugees around the world.

• help, typically of a practical nature

  He saw the pilot slumped in his cockpit and went to his aid.

1. an infective agent that typically consists of a nucleic acid molecule in a protein coat

   A virus infection.

2. (computing) a program that can replicate itself and spread to other computers, usually causing harm

   Her laptop was infected with a virus from a phishing email.

• of the nature of, caused by, or relating to a virus or viruses

  A severe viral infection.

• the period during which adolescents reach sexual maturity and become capable of reproduction

  The onset of puberty.

• a vertical channel or pipe that conducts smoke and combustion gases up from a fire or furnace and typically through the roof of a building

  Smoke poured out of the factory chimneys.

• a dishonest scheme; a fraud

  An insurance scam.

• to swindle or defraud someone

  He was scammed out of his life savings.

1. communication or dealings between individuals or groups

   Everyday social intercourse.

2. (formal) sexual intercourse

   The couple had not had intercourse in months.

• find (something) out for certain; make sure of

  An attempt to ascertain the cause of the accident.

1. free (someone) from a criminal charge by a verdict of not guilty

   She was acquitted on all counts.

2. 'Acquit oneself well/badly' = to perform in a specified way in a difficult situation

   The rookie acquitted himself well in his first game.

• a list of goods or services provided, with the amount due

  Please find the invoice attached.

• to send an invoice to someone

  We'll invoice you at the end of the month.

• dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries

  The resurgence of racism and xenophobia.

• having or showing a dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries

  Xenophobic attitudes.

• a thing given as a reward for a win or outstanding achievement

  The nation's most prestigious prize for contemporary art.

• outstanding of its kind; deserving a prize

  He raises prize bulls on his farm.

• to value highly

  She prized the necklace above all her other jewelry.

1. the strip forming the bottom of a doorway; the entrance to a building or room

   He stepped across the threshold.

2. the level at which something starts to happen or take effect

   Her pain threshold is remarkably high.

• arranged neatly and in order

  His scrupulously tidy apartment.

Often 'tidy up'.

• to make something neat and orderly

  Please tidy your room before dinner.

• complete with regard to every detail; not superficial or partial

  Planners need a thorough understanding of the subject.

• be appropriate, related, or applicable

  Matters pertaining to the organization of government.

• attempt to repair or improve something in a casual or desultory way, often to no useful effect

  He spent hours tinkering with the engine.

• to wash something with clean water to remove soap or dirt

  Always rinse your hair thoroughly.

1. an act of rinsing

   Give the cup a quick rinse.

2. a temporary hair-coloring product

   She used a blue rinse to cover the gray.

1. a revival of interest in or activity in a particular field

   Cinema is experiencing a renaissance in popularity.

2. (capitalized) the revival of European art and literature under classical influence, 14th-16th centuries

   The Renaissance began in Italy.

1. to catch fire, or cause something to catch fire

   Furniture can easily ignite if kept close to a heater.

2. (figurative) to arouse or inflame a strong emotion or situation

   The comment ignited a fierce debate online.

• the action of setting something on fire or starting to burn; the mechanism for bringing about ignition in an internal combustion engine

  He turned the key in the ignition.

• standing out so as to be clearly visible; attracting notice or attention

  He was very conspicuous in his pink tie.

• (of two or more people) fully in agreement

  The doctors were unanimous in their diagnoses.

• a conference or meeting to discuss a particular subject

  An international symposium on environmental issues.

• of the highest quality or degree

  A superlative piece of skill.

Grammar: 'biggest' is the superlative of 'big'; 'more/most' + adjective for longer words.

• (grammar) the form of an adjective or adverb expressing the highest degree

  'Best' is the superlative of 'good'.

• coming after something in time; following

  The theory was developed subsequent to the earthquake of 1906.

• having or showing a lack of common sense or judgment; absurd and foolish

  Another of his silly jokes.

• a building or room where goods or services are sold

  She owns a small shop downtown.

• to visit stores to look at or buy goods

  She went shopping for a new dress.

• the criminal action of stealing goods from a shop while pretending to be a customer

  She was caught shoplifting.

• steal goods from a shop while pretending to be a customer

  She was caught shoplifting a pair of shoes.

• to say something as a comment; to mention

  'It's a beautiful day,' he remarked.

• a comment or observation

  She made a sarcastic remark about his driving.

Literally: "worthy of remark". Stronger than "notable", less than "extraordinary". Common in book/film reviews.

• unusual and worth noticing

  She made a remarkable recovery.

• not particularly interesting or impressive

  It was an unremarkable evening.

• return to a former or less developed state

  They would not regress to pre-technological tribalism.

1. a return to a former or less developed state

   His illness caused a regression to childlike behavior.

2. (statistics) a method for analyzing the relationship between variables

   They used linear regression to predict sales.

• excessive bureaucracy or adherence to rules and formalities, especially in public business

  You have to go through a lot of red tape to get a visa.

• to state again as a summary

  To recap, here are the main points.

• a brief summary of what has just happened or been said

  Let's do a quick recap before we start.

Often shortened to "recap" (informal).

• to summarize and state again the main points

  Let me recapitulate what we've discussed so far.

1. each of four equal or corresponding parts into which something is or can be divided

   A quarter of an hour.

2. (American and Canadian) a 25-cent coin

   He put a quarter in the parking meter.

3. a three-month period of a business or financial year

   Profits rose in the third quarter.

• happening four times a year

  The board holds quarterly meetings.

• a magazine or report published four times a year

  The article appeared in a literary quarterly.

• (of an argument or statement) seeming reasonable or probable

  A plausible explanation.

• a short piece of wood, metal, or plastic used for fastening, hanging, or marking a position

  Hang your coat on the peg.

'Peg someone/something as' (figurative) = to categorize or identify.

1. to fasten or fix something with a peg

   She pegged the clothes to the line.

2. (figurative) to fix or link (a price, rate, or value) to something else

   The currency was pegged to the US dollar.

3. (figurative, informal) to categorize or identify someone as a certain type

   I had him pegged as a troublemaker from the start.

• the amount of money expected or given in payment for something

  Large cars are dropping in price.

• to decide or set the price of something

  The house was priced at $400,000.

• too expensive; costing more than it is worth

  Overpriced restaurants.

1. used to indicate duty or correctness

   They ought to respect the law.

2. used to indicate what is probable or expected

   It's late, so he ought to be home by now.

• a published collection of poems or other pieces of writing

  An anthology of European poetry.

• dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations

  A pragmatic approach to politics.

• a very brief period of time; an exact point in time

  She was silent for a moment.

• lasting for a very short time; brief

  A momentary lapse of concentration.

Two senses with disputed usage: UK strictly = "for a moment"; US often = "in a moment". "The captain will speak momentarily" (AmE = soon; BrE listeners may parse as briefly).

1. for a very short time

   He paused momentarily.

2. (US) very soon

   We will be landing momentarily.

• impossible to understand

  Dolphin sounds are unintelligible to humans.

• an official who examines material and suppresses unacceptable parts

  The film was banned by the censor.

• to examine and suppress unacceptable parts of (a book, film, etc.)

  The letters they received from home were heavily censored.

• the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security

  We have strict censorship of the press.

• present, appearing, or found everywhere

  His ubiquitous influence was felt by all the family.

• forward movement or progress, especially when this is slow or difficult

  They are making headway with the project.

1. to make a liquid thinner or weaker by adding water or another solvent

   Bleach can be diluted with cold water.

2. (figurative) to make something weaker in force, content, or value

   The new amendment diluted the original bill's protections.

• (of a liquid) thinned or weakened by the addition of water or another solvent

  A dilute solution of acid.

1. the act of making a liquid weaker by adding water

   The dilution reduced the chemical's strength.

2. a reduction in strength, value, or ownership share

   New shares caused dilution for investors.

• a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group

  'Gently', 'quite', and 'then' are adverbs.

• a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it

  'Big', 'boring', and 'red' are adjectives.

• a large structure with equipment for drilling an oil well

  They work on an offshore oil rig.

• of, for, or relating to the nose

  A nasal spray.

• to imitate someone's actions or words, especially to entertain or ridicule

  She mimicked his accent perfectly.

• a person or animal skilled at imitating others

  He was a talented mimic who could do a dozen celebrity voices.

• (of a quality or state) existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden; concealed

  Discovering her latent talent for art.

• a large cash prize in a game or lottery, especially one that accumulates until it is won

  They won the jackpot.

• make (someone) extremely angry and impatient

  Her silences infuriated him.

• making one extremely angry and impatient; very annoying

  That is an infuriating habit.

• relating to meaning in language or logic

  Semantic analysis.

• the branch of linguistics and logic concerned with meaning

  Such quibbling over semantics may seem petty.

• perceptible by touch; having physical substance

  A tangible benefit.

• unable to be touched or grasped; not having physical presence

  Intangible assets.

• relating to the sense of hearing

  The auditory nerve.

• a fire or light set up in a high or prominent position as a warning, signal, or celebration

  A beacon of hope.

1. to turn from liquid into vapor

   Water evaporates when heated.

2. (figurative) to cease to exist; to disappear gradually

   His enthusiasm for the project soon evaporated.

• an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word (e.g. NASA)

  'NATO' is an acronym for North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

• understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened or developed

  With hindsight, I should never have gone.

• not according with truth or fact; incorrect

  A false accusation.

• alter (information or evidence) so as to mislead

  She falsified the records.

• the front part of the head, from forehead to chin

  She has a beautiful face.

1. to be positioned with the front toward (something)

   The house faces the ocean.

2. to confront and deal with (a difficult situation)

   We need to face reality.