colored liquid used for writing or printing
Blue ink stained his fingers.
to sign or mark with ink
The teams inked a new contract.
dark like ink; very dark
The inky sky was full of stars.
stained or marked with ink
The student handed in an inky exam paper.
a band mainly made up of brass instruments
A brass band played during the parade.
In linguistics, Turkish and Japanese are often described as agglutinative languages.
forming words by stringing morphemes together
The language has an agglutinative structure.
Common phrase: I digress = I have gone off topic.
to move away from the main topic
The lecturer digressed into a story about Paris.
a temporary departure from the main subject
His speech was full of amusing digressions.
a sudden loss of power, success, or status
Pride was his downfall.
American spelling. British English often writes fully fledged.
completely developed or qualified
The pilot became a full-fledged instructor.
British-preferred form of full-fledged.
fully developed or trained
The idea became a fully fledged business.
fully developed, often in a serious form
The argument turned into a full-blown crisis.
French loanword; used for official diplomatic statements.
an official public statement
The summit ended with a joint communiqué.
to go up or over something using hands and feet
They climbed the steep hill to the summit.
Common in British political reporting; American English often says retreat or backdown.
a retreat from a stated position
The minister's apology was seen as a climb-down.
More formal or polite than sweat.
to produce sweat
She began to perspire during the interview.
sweat produced by the body
Perspiration soaked his shirt.
Originally the other side of a vinyl record.
the opposite or less obvious side of something
The flip side of freedom is responsibility.
to collapse inward or fail suddenly
The old stadium imploded in seconds.
Opposite of "explosion" (outward). Buildings: "controlled implosion" demolition. Submarine Titan (2023) suffered catastrophic implosion. Also figurative: "market implosion".
a violent collapse inward
The building's implosion was carefully planned.
an animal that can live both in water and on land
Frogs and salamanders are amphibians.
able to operate on both land and water
The army tested an amphibious vehicle.
a comfortable chair with side supports for the arms
He fell asleep in the armchair.
Armchair critic/expert = someone judging without direct experience.
theoretical and lacking practical experience
Armchair analysts criticized the rescue plan.
not attractive, exciting, or prestigious
Data cleaning is unglamorous but important.
the quality of holding together as a whole
The essay lacks cohesion.
forming a united and connected whole
The coach built a cohesive team.
fine layered sedimentary rock
The cliff was made of dark shale.
natural gas trapped in shale rock
Shale gas changed the energy market.
economic policy that protects domestic industry from foreign competition
Tariffs are a form of protectionism.
a supporter of protectionism
Protectionists argued for higher tariffs.
supporting protectionism
The party adopted a protectionist trade policy.
From the fairy tale: not too much and not too little.
just right between two extremes
The team found a goldilocks price for the product.
a portable anti-tank rocket launcher
The old photo shows a soldier carrying a bazooka.
Associated with Archimedes and a sudden discovery.
used when suddenly finding or discovering something
Eureka, I found the bug.
boring and ordinary
She wanted to escape her humdrum routine.
American legal term; UK often says competition law.
designed to prevent monopolies and unfair business practices
The company faced an antitrust investigation.
Most associated with South Africa's former system of racial segregation.
a system of racial segregation and discrimination
Apartheid ended in South Africa in the 1990s.
The UK government's senior finance minister.
the British minister in charge of public finance
The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the budget.
a court, office, or division connected with equity law
The case was heard in Chancery.
to worry or be upset about something
Don't fret about one bad grade.
worried, restless, or easily upset
The baby was fretful all afternoon.
a serious disagreement or split
The scandal caused a rift in the party.
a long crack or opening
Lava rose through a rift in the ground.
Catholic Church term: one step below canonizing someone as a saint.
to declare a dead person blessed
The pope beatified the missionary.
showing calm happiness or holy bliss
She gave a beatific smile.
to obtain something by threats or force
The gang tried to extort money from shop owners.
the crime of getting something by threats
He was charged with extortion.
much too expensive or unfairly high
The hotel charged extortionate prices.
a person who commits extortion
The extortionist sent another threat.
a person who prepares and serves coffee drinks
The barista made a perfect cappuccino.
to write a language in the Roman alphabet
The database Romanizes Japanese names.
to make something Roman in style or culture
The empire Romanized many local institutions.
an engineer who designs chemical processes and plants
A chemical engineer improved the refinery process.
An exclave is separated from the main territory; an enclave is surrounded by another territory.
part of a country separated from its main territory
Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave.
a paved airport surface for aircraft
The plane waited on the tarmac.
a road-surfacing material
Workers laid fresh tarmac.
to select and remove, often by killing animals
Officials planned to cull infected birds.
to choose from a large group
The editor culled the best essays.
a selective removal of animals or items
The herd was reduced in a controlled cull.
difficult to control or manage
The teacher calmed the unruly class.
a person or thing after which something is named
The city's founder is the eponym of its main street.
An eponymous hero gives their name to the book or film title.
giving a name to something, or named after someone
The eponymous character appears in chapter one.
a person or animal that eats its own kind
The story describes a tribe of cannibals.
the practice of eating one's own kind
Cannibalism occurs in some animal species.
involving or resembling cannibalism
The species shows cannibalistic behavior.
to take parts from one thing to use in another
The mechanics cannibalized an old engine for parts.
a mammal of the group that includes monkeys, apes, and humans
Lemurs are primates.
a boat or aircraft designed to skim or land on water
A hydroplane raced across the lake.
to slide uncontrollably on wet pavement
The car began to hydroplane in the rain.
located or done at the place where work happens
The company provides on-site childcare.
at the place where work happens
The technician repaired the server on-site.
minor or not central
That issue is peripheral to the main debate.
relating to the outer edge
Peripheral vision helps you notice movement.
a custard dessert with caramel, or an open pastry tart
We shared a caramel flan.
a final demand backed by a threat
The union issued an ultimatum.
a small fluid-filled swelling on the skin
New boots gave her a blister.
to form blisters
The paint blistered in the heat.
extremely hot, fast, or harsh
The runner set a blistering pace.
a list of things to discuss or do
Budget cuts are first on the agenda.
a hidden goal or motive
He clearly had a political agenda.
American English; trash can is also common.
a small container for paper and other trash
He tossed the draft into the wastebasket.
British English term for a small trash container.
a basket for discarded paper and small trash
The letter landed in the wastepaper basket.
to describe something as larger or more important than it is
The article overstated the risk.
a statement that exaggerates something
Calling it a disaster is an overstatement.
an area where mobile homes or trailers are parked
She grew up in a trailer park outside town.
Often used figuratively in business and software.
to include something as a built-in part
The fee is baked into the ticket price.
A raptor is a bird of prey, such as a hawk, eagle, or owl.
a bird that hunts other animals
The raptor circled above the field.
to injure the brain by a blow to the head
The fall concussed the cyclist.
a brain injury caused by a blow or shock
He missed two games with a concussion.
having suffered a concussion
The concussed player left the field.
The b is silent.
a structure or chamber for a dead body
The archaeologists entered the ancient tomb.
a place where trains, buses, or services operate
Meet me at the train station.
a person's assigned place or role
The guard returned to his station.
to put someone in a particular place for duty
Two officers were stationed at the gate.
an electrical installation where high-voltage power from the grid is transformed to lower voltage for local distribution
The blackout was caused by a fire at the local substation.
a subordinate branch of a police station
The reporter visited the substation to interview the desk sergeant.
the study of citizens' rights and government
Civics classes explain how elections work.
impossible to deny or dispute
The video was incontrovertible evidence.
to improve or make richer
Travel can enrich your understanding of history.
to increase the concentration of a substance
The plant enriches uranium.
the act of improving or increasing value
The school offers enrichment programs.
a heavy radioactive metallic element
Uranium is used as nuclear fuel.
uranium with less fissile isotope content than natural uranium
The report discussed depleted uranium ammunition.
to cut apart a body or plant for study
Students dissected a frog in biology class.
to analyze something in detail
The article dissects the budget plan.
the act of cutting apart a body or plant for study; a detailed analysis
The class began with a frog dissection.
the deliberate killing of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group
The court investigated charges of genocide.
relating to or intending genocide
The leader used genocidal rhetoric.
1a line of vehicles blocked or moving very slowly
We were stuck in a traffic jam.
2a signal light that controls road traffic
Turn left at the traffic light.
Usually used negatively: no spring chicken = not young anymore.
a young person
At seventy, he admits he is no spring chicken.
Informal word for official-sounding nonsense.
language that is confusing or meaningless
The contract was full of legal gobbledygook.
to remember something
I don't recollect seeing that email.
a memory of something
Her recollection of the meeting was clear.
a brief smell or trace of something
I caught a whiff of garlic.
to swing and miss in baseball
The batter whiffed at the curveball.
mixing happiness with sadness
Graduation was a bittersweet day.
Informal; common phrase: a tad too much.
a small amount
The soup needs a tad more salt.
money lent and expected to be repaid
She took out a loan to buy a car.
to lend something temporarily
The museum loaned the painting to another gallery.
Usually illegal or predatory.
a person who lends money at extremely high interest
He borrowed from a loan shark.
to cross a street illegally or carelessly
Tourists were warned not to jaywalk.
American term. "Jay" was old slang for a foolish person. The act is "jaywalk" (verb).
the action of crossing or walking in the street unlawfully, especially without regard for approaching traffic
He got a ticket for jaywalking.
Formal/legal word for very poor.
extremely poor; lacking basic resources
The clinic provides care for indigent patients.
Also spelled ghostwriter.
a person who writes for someone else under that person's name
A ghost writer helped finish the memoir.
Also spelled ghostwrite.
to write for someone whose name will appear as author
She was hired to ghost-write the memoir.
Informal word for a rehearsed sales pitch or speech.
a long, practiced speech meant to persuade
The salesman launched into his usual spiel.
used to emphasize something surprising
Even experts make mistakes.
flat, equal, or divisible by two
Cut the cake into even pieces.
not level or smooth
The path was uneven and hard to walk on.
not uniform, equal, or consistent
The quality of his work has been uneven.
Informal and dismissive.
too small or unimportant to matter
They offered a measly five-dollar discount.
to get something by searching or borrowing
We scrounged enough chairs for everyone.
temporary and made from whatever is available
They slept in a makeshift shelter.
a temporary substitute
A cardboard box served as a makeshift.
too great to overcome or connect
The talks revealed an unbridgeable gap.
A bridle controls a horse; unbridled means not restrained.
not controlled or restrained
The fans showed unbridled enthusiasm.
to gather a large amount over time
She amassed a huge collection of maps.
a father or mother
Both parents attended the school meeting.
relating to parents
The school needs parental consent.
time off work to care for a new child
The company expanded paid parental leave.
Latin phrase meaning from the beginning.
from the beginning; anew
The court reviewed the case de novo.
Formal word for very varied.
many and varied
The project has multifarious requirements.
a break, tear, or burst
The pipe rupture flooded the basement.
to break, tear, or burst
The pressure caused the tank to rupture.
extreme joy or delight
The audience listened in rapture.
Often in the phrase go into raptures.
expressions of great delight
Critics went into raptures over the film.
Common phrase: unsung hero.
not praised or recognized enough
Nurses were the unsung heroes of the crisis.
to approve or allow a project to proceed
The board greenlit the expansion.
having no living mother
The novel follows a motherless child.
one's native country or ancestral homeland
He returned to the motherland after decades abroad.
Poetic word for a sphere, globe, or eye.
a sphere or round object
The moon hung like a silver orb.
crossing or extending across a continent
The railroad became a transcontinental route.
to come out from somewhere or come into view
The submarine emerged from the depths.
newly appearing or developing
The study tracks emergent political movements.
to remove a priest or minister from office
The church defrocked the priest after the inquiry.
British English for a Chinese-style spring roll in some contexts.
a fried roll of thin pastry filled with vegetables or meat
We ordered pancake rolls with the noodles.
a delay or postponement
He requested a deferment of his student loan payments.
the act of delaying something until later
The board approved a tax deferral.
put off (an action or event) to a later time; postpone
They deferred the decision until February.
submit to or acknowledge the merit of
He deferred to Tim's superior knowledge.
humble submission and respect
He addressed her with the deference due to age.
showing respectful submission
The aide was deferential to the judge.
a covered walkway around a monastery courtyard
Monks walked quietly through the cloister.
secluded from ordinary life
She led a cloistered childhood.
an entrance hall in a building
Guests waited in the foyer.
the clear fluid part of blood after clotting
The lab tested the patient's serum.
a light liquid used in skin care
She applied vitamin C serum.
the scientific study or diagnostic examination of blood serum
Serology tests can detect antibodies.
to mark or set the boundary of something
A fence demarcates the property line.
the setting or marking of a boundary
The river forms a clear line of demarcation.
using digital documents instead of paper
The office moved to paperless billing.
Short for gymnasium.
a place for exercise or indoor sports
She goes to the gym before work.
a room equipped for physical exercise
The school has a large gymnasium.
a neurological condition involving repeated motor and vocal tics
Tourette's syndrome often begins in childhood.
Informal word for potato.
a potato
The diner serves crispy tater tots.