Vocabulary: Batch 32

Formal/legal. "Privy to" + information = aware of (often secret information). From Old French "privé" (private).

• sharing knowledge of something secret

  Only a few were privy to the decision.

In UK: formal body advising the monarch, mostly ceremonial today. Historical equivalents in many monarchies.

• a body of advisers to the British monarch

  The bill was approved by the Privy Council.

Originally engineering term. Now common in business/tech: "a test bed for new ideas". Sometimes hyphenated.

• a place or environment used for testing

  The lab serves as a test bed for new aircraft engines.

"Inner circle" = closest associates. "Inner ear": hearing/balance organ. "Inner city": central, often economically disadvantaged area of a city.

• located inside; private or hidden

  He kept his inner thoughts to himself.

• furthest inside; most private

  She revealed her innermost feelings.

"Outer space": beyond Earth's atmosphere. "The Outer Limits": classic sci-fi TV series.

• on the outside; further from the center

  The outer walls are stone.

• furthest from the center

  Pluto was once considered the outermost planet.

Older than "hotel": implies country setting and food/drink. "Holiday Inn": large hotel chain that retains the word.

• a small hotel, especially in the country

  They stayed at a small inn in the village.

"Keep someone informed" - common phrase. "Well-informed" - knowledgeable.

• to give someone facts or knowledge

  Please inform me of any changes.

Always uncountable in English: "informations" is wrong. "Information age": modern era. Often shortened to "info".

• facts or details about something

  He gave me lots of useful information.

Common compliment for educational content: "Thanks, that was very informative." Distinct from "informational" (which is more neutral, descriptive).

• providing useful information

  It was a very informative lecture.

• to give false or inaccurate information to, usually unintentionally

  The report misinformed readers about the vaccine's side effects.

Distinct from disinformation: misinformation is false regardless of intent to deceive, while disinformation is deliberately false and meant to mislead.

• false or inaccurate information, especially when spread without intent to deceive

  Social media platforms struggle to combat health misinformation.

Often associated with deliberate propaganda campaigns, especially by governments or organized groups.

• false information deliberately spread to deceive people

  The agency ran a disinformation campaign to confuse its rivals.

"Indoor pool", "indoor plant". Adjective form, used before noun. Antonym: outdoor.

• situated or done inside a building

  They have an indoor pool.

With "-s" used adverbially. "Stay indoors": adverb. Antonym: outdoors.

• inside a building

  It's raining, so let's stay indoors.

From Latin "imprimere" (to press into). "Impress upon" = make someone realize something. "Impressive": adjective form.

• to make someone admire something

  He tried to impress his date.

"First impression": initial reaction. "Make an impression": leave a lasting effect. "Do an impression": imitate someone (mimicry).

• a feeling or opinion about something

  He made a good first impression.

• deserving admiration because of size, quality, or skill

  The building's architecture is impressive.

Verb-noun stress shift: verb /ɪmˈpɔːrt/, noun /ˈɪmpɔːrt/. Antonym: export. Computing: import a file/module.

• to bring goods or data from elsewhere

  They import wine from France.

• a product brought in from another country

  Cheap imports flooded the market.

"Public image": how one is perceived. "Spitting image": exact resemblance. "Image search": common tech feature.

• a representation, picture, or impression

  The image was blurred.

"Imagine": John Lennon's 1971 song. "Just imagine": common conversational opener.

• to form a mental picture

  Imagine a world without war.

"Use your imagination": common encouragement. "Captures the imagination": engages strongly.

• the ability to form mental images

  Children have vivid imaginations.

• not readily using or demonstrating the use of the imagination; stolid and somewhat dull

  An unimaginative response.

"Imaginary friend": common childhood phenomenon. "Imaginary numbers" (i = √-1): fundamental in mathematics despite the misleading name.

• existing only in the imagination

  He has an imaginary friend.

• having or showing creativity

  She's an imaginative writer.

"Hunger strike": political protest by refusing food. "Hunger pangs": physical discomfort. "The Hunger Games": popular YA series.

• the feeling of needing food

  The children cried with hunger.

"Hungry for success/power": figurative, craving something other than food.

• feeling a need or desire to eat

  I'm hungry - let's get lunch.

American spelling. From medieval medicine: the four "humors" (blood, phlegm, etc.) supposedly determined personality. "Sense of humor": common phrase.

• the quality of being amusing

  He has a great sense of humor.

British spelling. Same meaning and pronunciation as "humor". The British -our endings are kept in colour, favour, neighbour, honour, etc.

• the quality of being amusing

  British humour is famously dry.

Note: only one "u" after the "o", even in British English (not "humourous"). A common spelling mistake.

• causing laughter; amusing

  He gave a humorous speech.

"Hum a tune": sing without words. "The city hums": figurative for activity. Also onomatopoeic for low continuous sounds (bees, machinery).

• to make a continuous low sound

  She hummed her favorite song.

Different from "maid" (more general cleaner): housekeeper often runs the household. Hotels: housekeeping = cleaning service.

• a person employed to manage a household

  The housekeeper has been with the family for years.

"Good Housekeeping": long-running US magazine title. In business: "basic housekeeping" = routine maintenance tasks.

• the management of a household or its routine tasks

  She took care of all the housekeeping.

"H" silent.

• a period of sixty minutes; one of the 24 divisions of a day

  The meeting lasted about an hour.

"H" silent. Both adjective and adverb. "Hourly wage": paid by the hour (vs. salaried).

• happening every hour or per hour

  The news updates hourly.

Highest-ranking diplomat. "Brand ambassador": celebrity who represents a product. Female form "ambassadress" is dated; "ambassador" now gender-neutral.

• a country's senior diplomat in another country

  She served as ambassador to France.

• relating to an ambassador

  He played an ambassadorial role at the conference.

Strong: implies repulsive ugliness. "Hideous laughter": also used for sounds. Also figurative: "hideous crime".

• extremely ugly or unpleasant

  That wallpaper is hideous.

• in a very ugly or unpleasant way

  He was hideously injured.

Form of motion sickness. Common in children. Mitigated by sitting in front, looking at horizon, fresh air, certain medications (dramamine).

• feeling sick because of car travel

  She gets carsick on long drives.

"Eye twitch": common stress/fatigue symptom. "Twitch": popular game streaming platform (now Amazon-owned).

• to make a sudden small movement

  His eye twitched nervously.

Often used for nervous people, suspicious behavior. Physical twitches can be anxiety symptoms.

• nervous and anxious

  He gets twitchy in crowds.

Onomatopoeic. Wings, leaves, flags, eyelashes flutter. "Heart flutter": irregular heartbeat. Modern: "Flutter", Google's UI framework.

• to move with quick light movements

  The flag fluttered in the wind.

Also "outsized". Often figurative: "outsize influence", "outsize personality", disproportionately large for the situation.

• larger than the standard size

  She has an outsize personality.

From Jerez, Spain (the place name was anglicized to "sherry"). Types: fino, manzanilla, oloroso, cream. Often associated with elderly British women.

• a fortified wine from Spain

  She poured them each a glass of sherry.

From "grub" (insect larva, or food). Less serious than "filthy": implies casual dirtiness. "Grubby hands": common children's-book description.

• rather dirty

  His shirt was grubby.

"Cook the books" = falsify financial records. "Cook up" = invent (a story, plan). "What's cooking?": informal greeting.

• to prepare food by heating

  She cooked dinner for the family.

• a person who cooks

  He's an excellent cook.

"Take part in" = participate. "For the most part" = mostly. "Spare part": replacement piece. "Part-time": less than full hours.

• a piece or section of something

  This is part of the problem.

• to separate or divide

  They parted at the station.

Variant spelling of "vial". From Greek "phiale" (cup). "Vial" is more common in modern usage; "phial" feels old-fashioned/literary.

• a small bottle, especially for medicine

  He drank from the small phial.

More common modern spelling than "phial", especially in American English and pharmacology/lab contexts.

• a small bottle, especially for medicine or samples

  The nurse filled a vial with blood for testing.

Religious origin (the Transfiguration of Jesus). In Harry Potter, "Transfiguration" is a magical subject. Formal/literary.

• to transform into something more beautiful

  Her face was transfigured by joy.

"T" silent. "Fasten your seatbelt": airline safety phrase. Root of both "fastener" (device) and "fastening" (device/act).

• to close or attach something securely

  Please fasten your seatbelt.

"T" silent. "Hook-and-loop fastener" = Velcro (trademark). Buttons, zippers, snaps are all fasteners.

• a device for fastening things together

  The dress had a velcro fastener.

• a device that closes something

  The bag has a magnetic fastening.

Dogs pant to cool down. "Pant for breath": gasp. Also: "pants" (always plural, trousers).

• to breathe quickly and shallowly

  The dog panted after running.

"Pin your hopes on": rely heavily on. "Hope springs eternal": proverb about persistent optimism.

• a feeling of expectation and desire for a good outcome

  She never lost hope.

"I hope so" / "I hope not": common short responses.

• to want something to happen or be true

  I hope you feel better soon.

"Hopeful", both adjective and noun (a candidate or contestant: "presidential hopefuls"). "Hopeful for X" or "hopeful that...".

• feeling or showing hope

  She was hopeful about the future.

"H" silent (like "hour", "honor"). "To be honest...": common conversational opener. "Honest mistake" = unintentional.

• truthful and not deceitful

  She gave an honest answer.

"Honesty is the best policy": proverb. "In all honesty": formal way to introduce candid statement.

• the quality of being truthful

  She values honesty above all.

More specific than "home". "Hometown hero": local person who became famous.

• the town where one was born or grew up

  His hometown is in Ohio.

Common with international students and immigrants. "Homesickness": noun. Often peaks during first weeks/months away.

• missing one's home

  He felt homesick at college.

"Holy cow!", "Holy mackerel!": mild expressions of surprise. "Holy Grail": figurative for ultimate goal.

• sacred; dedicated to a god

  They visited the holy city.

• the quality of being holy or spiritually pure

  The ritual emphasized the holiness of the place.

"Hollow victory": won at too great a cost. "Sleepy Hollow": Washington Irving story. "Hollow Earth": pseudoscientific theory.

• having an empty space inside

  The tree was hollow.

Archaic-feeling. "Hallowed be Thy name": Lord's Prayer. "Halloween" = "All Hallows' Eve": same root. "Hallowed ground": sacred place.

• holy or honored

  They walked on the hallowed ground.

"Tear gas canister": common in news of protests. Often metal or plastic with airtight lid.

• a round container, usually metal

  He kept coffee in a canister.

"The rest is history": idiom for a well-known outcome. "History repeats itself": proverb.

• the study of past events, especially human affairs

  She studied ancient history at university.

"Historic" = important in history. Often confused with "historical" (merely about history). "A historic moment" = momentous. Article: "a historic" or "an historic" both used.

• famous or important in history

  It was a historic moment for the country.

"Historical": merely from or about the past. "Historical novel": fiction set in past, not necessarily famous. Distinct from "historic".

• relating to history or the past

  She writes historical fiction.

From Greek "historia" (inquiry). "Revisionist historian": challenges accepted views. "Court historian": pejorative for biased apologist.

• a person who studies or writes about history

  The historian published a new biography.

US "hire" = take on for paid work or rent ("hire a car" = US "rent a car"). UK distinguishes: "hire" (rent), "employ" (workers). "For hire" sign.

• to employ for wages; to rent

  They hired a new manager.

"Don't hesitate to call": formal invitation. "He who hesitates is lost": proverb about taking action.

• to pause before acting

  He hesitated before answering.

• slow to act or speak because of uncertainty

  She seemed hesitant to agree.

"Without hesitation": common set phrase for immediate action.

• a pause caused by uncertainty before saying or doing something

  He answered without hesitation.

"Heaps of" (informal) = lots of. "Heap" (computing): type of dynamic memory allocation.

• a pile of things

  There was a heap of clothes on the floor.

Homophone of "heel". "Time heals all wounds": proverb. "Faith healer": religious figure claiming to cure illness.

• to become healthy again

  The wound is healing nicely.

"Headlines": main news. "Make the headlines" = become newsworthy. "Clickbait": sensational headlines designed to drive clicks.

• the title of a newspaper article

  The story made headlines around the world.

"Hate crime", "hate speech": legal/social terms. "Hate mail": abusive letters/messages.

• intense dislike or hostility

  There was hate in his eyes.

"Hate crimes": major modern legal category. Note: "hatred" not "hatridge" (common mispronunciation).

• intense dislike or ill will

  He felt no hatred for his enemies.

Often softened in casual speech ("I hate mornings" = strong dislike, not literal hatred).

• to feel intense dislike for

  I hate getting up early.

"The Hateful Eight": Tarantino film. "Hateful conduct": common policy language banning bigoted speech online.

• full of hate; deserving hate

  That was a hateful remark.

"Harvest moon": full moon nearest the autumn equinox. "Harvest festival": traditional thanksgiving for crops.

• the gathering of crops

  It was a good harvest this year.

"D" often silent in casual speech: /ˈhæŋkɚtʃɪf/. Largely replaced by disposable tissues. Pocket squares are decorative versions in jackets.

• a square of fabric carried for wiping the nose

  He pulled out a handkerchief.

Synonym: corridor. "Hallway" more common in US homes; "corridor" in public buildings.

• a corridor in a house or building

  He walked down the long hallway.

"Grasp at straws" = try desperate measures. "Grasp the meaning" = understand. Stronger and more deliberate than "grab".

1. to seize firmly; to understand

   She grasped his hand tightly.

2. to understand fully

   He couldn't grasp the concept.

Noun stress: /ˈɡrædʒu-ət/. Verb stress: /ˈɡrædʒu-eɪt/. US "graduate school" = UK "postgraduate study".

• a person who has completed a degree

  He's a graduate of Harvard.

• to receive an academic degree or diploma

  She graduated from college last year.

In US, typically a 4-year program. Often shortened to "undergrad". Contrast: graduate student (postgraduate in British English).

• a university student studying for a first degree

  She is an undergraduate at Harvard.

Includes both mollusks (clams, oysters) and crustaceans (crabs, lobsters). Common allergen. Same form for singular and plural.

• sea creatures with a shell, eaten as food

  He's allergic to shellfish.

Statue of Liberty's green color is copper patina (oxidation). Often valued in antiques as evidence of age. Figurative: "a patina of respectability".

• a green coating on bronze; a surface appearance from age

  The bronze had a beautiful patina.

Implies awkward, undignified climbing: using hands and feet. Often into vehicles, over rocks, up trees.

• to climb awkwardly using hands and feet

  The children clambered over the rocks.

"Rain pelted down": common weather phrase. "Pelt with insults": figurative. Different from "pelt" as noun (animal skin): unrelated origins.

• to throw repeatedly at someone

  They pelted the car with snowballs.

• the skin of an animal with the fur

  Hunters traded beaver pelts.

From French "enchanter": to put under a spell. "Enchanté" (French) = pleased to meet you. Often used in fairy tales.

• to fill with great delight; to put under a magic spell

  The garden enchanted everyone who saw it.

• delightfully charming

  She has an enchanting smile.

• a feeling of delight, or a magic spell

  The forest was full of enchantment.

• to add punctuation marks to writing

  Remember to punctuate each sentence correctly.

"Eats, Shoots & Leaves": popular book on punctuation. The Oxford comma is famously debated. Different languages: Spanish uses inverted ¿ and ¡.

• the marks used in writing

  Her punctuation is excellent.

Common marks: . , ; : ? ! ' " ( ) -: / ...

• a symbol used in writing such as a period or comma

  The semicolon is a useful punctuation mark.

"Bah! Humbug!": Scrooge's catchphrase in A Christmas Carol. Also: a UK striped mint hard candy. Origin obscure (mid-18th century slang).

• deceptive or false talk

  He dismissed the claim as humbug.

"Pellet gun": air gun. Pet food often comes as pellets. Owls regurgitate "owl pellets" of indigestible bones and fur.

• a small rounded mass

  He fed the rabbit pellets of food.

Two main senses: a sharp knock, or rhythmic spoken-word music (now a major genre). "Bad rap" = undeservedly bad reputation.

1. to hit sharply

   He rapped on the door.

2. to perform rap music

   She raps about her hometown.

"Grab a bite" = eat quickly. "How does that grab you?": what do you think? "Up for grabs" = available to take.

• to take hold of suddenly

  She grabbed the keys and ran.

• to control and direct the public affairs of a state or organization

  The council governs the city.

In US: elected head of a state. UK: appointed head of a colony (historic) or institution (e.g., prison governor, board of governors).

• the elected head of a state or appointed leader of an institution

  The governor signed the bill.

From Latin gubernator ("governor"). American political term.

• relating to a governor or the office of governor

  He's running in the gubernatorial election.

"Glory days": peak years. "Bask in the glory": enjoy admiration. Religious: "Glory to God" (Doxology).

• high renown or honor

  They achieved glory on the battlefield.

Often negative: "glorify violence", "glorify war" = make seem more admirable than it is. Religious sense: praise (God).

• to praise or make seem more important

  The movie glorifies violence.

Often dismissive: "glorified secretary" = essentially a secretary despite a fancy title. Suggests overrated.

• made to seem more important than it is

  It's just a glorified spreadsheet.

"At first glance": initial impression. "Glance off" = strike at an angle and deflect.

• to take a brief look

  She glanced at her watch.

"Gamble away" = lose by gambling. "It's a gamble": figurative for risky decision. Same root as "game".

• to play games for money; to take a risk

  He gambled away his savings.

Fur industry has been controversial since the 1980s anti-fur movement. "Faux fur": synthetic alternative. Mink, sable, fox, chinchilla are valuable fur sources.

• the soft thick hair of certain animals

  She wore a fur coat.

In modern internet subculture, a "furry" (noun) is a person interested in anthropomorphic animal characters.

• covered with fur

  She petted the furry cat.

"Mutual fund", "hedge fund", "pension fund", "slush fund". "Trust fund baby" : pejorative for wealthy young adults.

• a sum of money saved for a particular purpose

  The college fund grew over time.

• to provide money for

  The government funds the project.

• not provided with enough money

  Public schools in the district are chronically underfunded.

"Fossil fuels": oil, coal, natural gas. "Fuel injection": engine design. "Add fuel to the fire": make a conflict worse.

• a substance burned to produce energy

  They ran out of fuel on the highway.

• to provide with fuel; to stimulate

  His comments fueled the controversy.

Strong, brief fear. "Stage fright": performance anxiety. "Take fright" = become alarmed.

• a sudden intense feeling of fear

  She gave him a fright.

• to make afraid

  The dog frightened the children.

• feeling fear

  She was frightened of the dark.

• causing fear

  It was a frightening experience.

Old-fashioned, especially British. Often hyperbolic: "a frightful mess". Less strong than "frightening" in modern usage.

• very unpleasant or shocking

  What a frightful noise!

Adjective stress: /ˈfree-kwənt/. Verb stress shift: /frɪˈkwent/. "Frequent flyer": loyalty program for airlines.

• happening often

  He's a frequent visitor.

• to visit often

  He frequents that café.

Past tense: froze. Past participle: frozen.

• to become or make solid due to extreme cold

  The lake froze over in winter.

"Freezer burn": surface drying on frozen food. "Deep freezer" / "chest freezer": large standalone unit.

• a device for storing food at low temperatures

  Put the ice cream in the freezer.

From the Franks (Germanic tribe). Implies honest openness. "Frank discussion" = candid talk. "Frankly speaking": common conversational marker.

• open and honest in expression

  To be frank, I disagree.

• in an open, honest, and direct manner

  He talked frankly about his past.

"Forever 21": clothing brand. "Diamonds are forever": De Beers slogan (1947). "Live forever": Oasis song.

• for all future time

  They promised to love each other forever.

"Return to the fold": rejoin a group (originally about sheep). "Fold" in poker = quit the hand. "Fold up" = collapse (a business or a body).

• to bend something so one part lies on another

  She folded the letter neatly.

"Flesh and blood": one's relatives. "In the flesh": in person. "Flesh out" = add details. "Flesh-eating bacteria": necrotizing infection.

• the soft tissue of the body

  The knife cut into his flesh.

British spelling. American: flavor. "Flavour of the month": currently popular. Physics quirk: quark "flavors" (up, down, charm, strange, top, bottom).

• the taste of food

  Her ice cream comes in many flavours.

• having a particular flavor

  He bought lemon-flavoured water.

American spelling of flavour.

• the taste of food

  This soup has a rich flavor.

Despite the "in-" prefix, "inflammable" means the SAME as flammable. Both = burns easily. "Non-flammable" = does not burn. "Inflammable" was deemed confusing, so "flammable" became preferred.

• easily set on fire

  Gasoline is highly flammable.

Means flammable, not the opposite. For safety labels, flammable is clearer.

• easily set on fire

  Keep inflammable liquids away from heat.

"Old flame" = former lover. "Flame war": heated online argument. "Add fuel to the flames": make a conflict worse.

• a hot glowing gas from burning material

  The candle's flame flickered.

"Fist bump": modern greeting. "Iron fist": harsh authoritarian rule. "Fist pump": celebratory gesture.

• a tightly closed hand

  He clenched his fist in anger.

Past tense: fought.

• to take part in a violent struggle or contest

  The two dogs fought over the bone.

"Freedom fighter" / "terrorist": same person, different framing. "Fighter jet": military aircraft. "Foo Fighters": rock band.

• a person or aircraft that fights

  He was a champion fighter.

"Bus fare", "taxi fare", "airfare". Also: "bill of fare", old-fashioned for menu. Verb: "fare" = manage ("how did you fare?").

• the money paid for transport

  The bus fare went up again.

• a person who regularly travels by sea; a sailor

  The intrepid seafarers.

• traveling by sea, especially regularly

  A seafaring nation.

Homophone of "feint" (a deceptive move). "Faint of heart": easily frightened ("not for the faint of heart"). Common when blood is drawn or in extreme heat.

• to lose consciousness briefly

  She fainted from the heat.

• very pale, weak, or unclear

  There was a faint smell of smoke.

• to convey a thought or feeling in words or actions

  She struggled to express her gratitude.

"Expressive face": easily reads emotions. "Expressive language disorder": speech development issue.

• effectively showing feelings or thoughts

  She has expressive eyes.

Plural: dormice. From Latin "dormire" (to sleep): known for long hibernation. Famous character in Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatter's tea party.

• a small rodent that hibernates

  A sleeping dormouse appeared in the teapot.

"Lady Chatterley's Lover": famous novel about an affair with the gamekeeper. "Game" here means wild birds/animals hunted as food.

• a person employed to protect game birds and animals

  The gamekeeper patrolled the estate.

"Wave a magic wand": common figurative phrase for wishing for an easy solution. Harry Potter and fairy tale staple.

• a stick used in magic; a quick easy solution

  There's no magic wand to fix the problem.

Formal or literary.

• to bitterly regret something

  He would rue the day he made that decision.

From "rue" (to regret). "Rueful smile", common collocation: a smile tinged with regret or self-deprecation.

• expressing regret in a slightly humorous way

  He gave a rueful smile.

Pigs squeal. Children squeal with delight. "Squeal on someone" (slang) = inform police about them. "Tire-squealing" stop: dramatic braking.

• to make a long high-pitched sound

  The kids squealed with delight.

"Give it a whirl" = try it (informal). "Whirlwind": fast circular wind, or fast romance/tour. "Whirling dervish": Sufi religious dancer.

• to move in a fast circular motion

  The dancers whirled across the floor.