Vocabulary: Batch 77

British English term. Used in tea/coffee, also fed to horses as treats. 'A Spoonful of Sugar' - Mary Poppins song.

• a cube of sugar

  She added two sugar lumps to her tea.

The standard American English term. British English prefers 'sugar lump'.

• a small cube of compressed sugar, used to sweeten drinks

  He dropped a sugar cube into his coffee.

"Happy as a clam" (idiom) = very happy. "Clam up" (informal) = to become silent.

• a marine bivalve mollusk with a shell of two equal halves

  They dug for clams on the beach.

Shell shape inspired the Shell Oil logo. "Scalloped edge" is a decorative wavy border. "Coquilles Saint-Jacques" is a French scallop dish.

• an edible shellfish with a fan-shaped shell

  They had grilled scallops for dinner.

Common collocations: scalloped edge, scalloped potatoes.

1. having a wavy edge like a scallop shell

   The invitation had a scalloped border.

2. baked in a creamy sauce, often with breadcrumbs

   She served ham with scalloped potatoes.

• a dish with a light browned crust of breadcrumbs or melted cheese

  Potato gratin.

In British English, biscuit often means what Americans call a cookie. In American English, a biscuit is soft bread.

• a small baked food, either crisp and sweet or soft and breadlike

  She served tea with chocolate biscuits.

• a small sweet baked food

  He ate a cookie before dinner.

In computing, cookie also means a small piece of browser data stored by a website.

• a small data file stored by a website in a browser

  The site asks permission to use cookies.

Many idiomatic uses: "crack a joke", "crack a code", "crack open a beer", "crack down on". "Crack" is also a slang term for the highly addictive form of cocaine.

1. to break or cause to break, with or without complete separation

   The cup cracked when she dropped it.

2. to make a sudden sharp sound

   Thunder cracked overhead.

1. a line where something has split

   There's a crack in the wall.

2. a sharp loud sound

   The crack of a gunshot echoed through the woods.

What Americans call "crackers" the British call "biscuits" (savory ones); what Americans call "cookies" the British call "biscuits" too: confusing! "Christmas cracker" (British) is a paper tube with a small toy inside.

• a thin dry baked food, often eaten with cheese

  He nibbled on a cracker.

Usually 'crack down on' something. The noun form is 'crackdown' (one word).

• to take severe or firm action against something, especially rule-breaking

  Police are cracking down on speeding.

Often used by authorities: "crackdown on drugs", "crackdown on speeding", "crackdown on dissent".

• a severe enforcement of regulations

  There was a police crackdown on illegal parking.

• damaged by having a crack or cracks

  The screen was cracked after she dropped her phone.

"The pill" = oral contraceptive. "Bitter pill to swallow" = unpleasant fact to accept. "Take a chill pill": relax (slang).

• a small round mass of medicine to be swallowed

  Take two pills with water.

American: dresser = chest of drawers for clothes. British: dresser = a kitchen sideboard. Also: "sharp dresser" = a person who dresses fashionably.

1. (American) a chest of drawers for clothes

   He put his socks in the top drawer of the dresser.

2. (British) a piece of furniture with shelves for displaying crockery, and drawers below

   The kitchen dresser was lined with blue-and-white china.

US closet = UK wardrobe (built-in). "Skeletons in the closet": hidden shameful secrets. "Come out of the closet": reveal homosexuality.

• a small room or cupboard for storage

  She hung her coats in the closet.

Differs from a carpet: rugs are smaller and movable; carpets are typically wall-to-wall. "Pull the rug out from under" = remove crucial support suddenly. "Rug" is also slang for a toupee.

• a thick piece of fabric used as a floor covering, usually smaller than a carpet

  They bought a Persian rug for the living room.

• a thick fabric covering for a floor

  The bedroom has a blue carpet.

• to cover something thickly or completely

  Fallen leaves carpeted the path.

"P" silent. UK usage common; US: "closet" or "cabinet". "Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard": nursery rhyme.

• a cabinet for storing dishes, food, or clothes

  She got a plate from the cupboard.

• a fragrant ointment or preparation used to heal or soothe the skin

  Lip balm.

• (figurative) something that soothes or comforts

  Music was a balm for her grief.

The "l" is silent in American English.

• (of weather) pleasantly warm and mild

  We enjoyed a balmy evening on the terrace.

Multiple senses. Also: a "strain" of virus (variant). "Eye strain" / "muscle strain": common physical conditions.

1. physical or mental tension

   The job put a great strain on her health.

2. an injury caused by overuse

   He suffered a back strain.

1. to make an intense effort

   She strained to hear what he was saying.

2. to pour through a sieve

   Strain the pasta before serving.

"Strained relationship" / "strained smile": common collocations indicating tension.

• showing signs of stress or tension

  Their relationship has become strained.

"Tea strainer": catches loose tea. "Colander": larger mesh strainer for pasta. Verb: strain (separate liquid from solids).

• a device with holes for separating liquids

  She poured the pasta through the strainer.

• a utensil consisting of a wire or plastic mesh held in a frame, used for straining solids from liquids or separating coarser from finer particles

  Pass the flour through a sieve to remove lumps.

"Ladle": also a verb. "Big Dipper", constellation shaped like a ladle (alternative name in UK: "the Plough").

• a deep long-handled spoon

  She used a ladle to serve the soup.

• to serve food or liquid with a ladle

  He ladled soup into each bowl.

"Born with a silver spoon in one's mouth" - born into wealth.

• a utensil with a shallow bowl-shaped end and a handle, used for eating, stirring, or serving

  She stirred her coffee with a spoon.

Informal; to lie close together, front-to-back, in a nested position like stacked spoons.

• to lie close together, nested front-to-back

  They fell asleep spooning on the couch.

"Cabin fever" = the irritability that comes from being confined in a small space too long.

1. a small wooden shelter or house

   They stayed in a cabin in the woods.

2. a compartment in an aircraft or ship for passengers or crew

   Please return to your cabin for landing.

• the staff who attend to passengers on an aircraft

  The cabin crew prepared the cabin for landing.

Originally a small room (a small "cabin"); the political sense comes from the small room where ministers met.

1. a cupboard with shelves or drawers for storing objects

   She put the dishes in the cabinet.

2. (government) the most senior committee of a government

   The Prime Minister appointed a new cabinet.

A cocoon spun by a silkworm is specifically called a silk cocoon - the raw material that is processed into silk thread.

• a silky case spun by insect larvae for protection during the pupal stage

  The caterpillar spun a cocoon.

• to envelop or surround someone in a protective or comforting way

  We were warm and safe, cocooned in our sleeping bags.

From the literal cocoon that wraps a butterfly larva.

• enveloped in a protective or comforting layer

  She was cocooned in warm blankets on the couch.

Mostly nocturnal, unlike butterflies. "Moths to a flame": attracted to light/danger. Clothes moths eat wool. "The Moth": popular storytelling event.

• 1a winged insect similar to a butterfly

  A moth flew toward the light.

Often figurative: "moth-eaten ideas", outdated. Literally: clothes with holes chewed by moth larvae.

• damaged by moths; old and shabby

  He pulled out a moth-eaten sweater.

The species Bombyx mori, domesticated for so long (thousands of years) for silk production that it can no longer fly or survive in the wild. Its caterpillar stage is the silkworm.

• 2a moth whose caterpillar (the silkworm) is raised commercially to spin silk cocoons

  Silk moths have been bred by humans for so long that they can no longer survive without help.

The larval stage of a butterfly or moth; later undergoes metamorphosis inside a cocoon or chrysalis to emerge as an adult. "Caterpillar" (capitalized) is also a well-known heavy-machinery brand.

• the wormlike, often brightly colored or hairy larva of a butterfly or moth

  A caterpillar crawled slowly along the leaf.

Can be freestanding (a coat tree/coat stand) or wall-mounted (a row of hooks).

• a stand or wall fixture with hooks or pegs for hanging coats and hats

  He hung his jacket on the coat rack by the door.

1. a narrow shelf-like bed, typically one of two or more arranged one on top of the other

   He slept in the top bunk.

2. (informal) nonsense

   That's a load of old bunk.

• a piece of furniture consisting of two beds, one above the other, that form a unit

  The kids sleep in a bunk bed.

"Turn the tables" - reverse a situation to one's advantage.

• 1a piece of furniture with a flat top and one or more legs, used for eating, working, or placing things on

  They gathered around the kitchen table for dinner.

A classic AmE/BrE opposite: in American English, to table a motion means to postpone or shelve it; in British and most Commonwealth usage, it means the opposite - to formally put it forward for discussion.

1. (American English) to postpone consideration of; to shelve

   The committee voted to table the proposal until next month.

2. (British English) to formally present something for discussion or consideration

   The minister tabled the amendment before Parliament.

Low table placed in front of a sofa. "Coffee table book" - a large, decorative book meant for display rather than deep reading.

• 2a low table placed near a sofa, used to hold drinks, magazines, or decorative items

  They put their feet up on the coffee table.

More common in American English; bedside table is the more widely understood term outside the US.

• a small table placed beside a bed, used to hold a lamp, clock, or other items

  He kept a glass of water on his nightstand.

The more widely used term outside the US for the same piece of furniture as a nightstand.

• a small table placed beside a bed, used to hold a lamp, clock, or other items

  She left her phone charging on the bedside table.

Pronounced the same as "draw" - the final "er" is a schwa, not a separate syllable. A "chest of drawers" is a piece of furniture made mostly of drawers, used for clothes storage.

• a sliding storage box built into a piece of furniture, opened by pulling it toward you

  She kept her socks in the top drawer.

"Front desk" - hotel or office reception. "Desk job" - office work, often contrasted with manual or field work.

• a piece of furniture with a flat or sloped surface, typically with drawers, used for writing, reading, or working

  She sat at her desk grading papers.

• a surface, usually of glass with a metallic coating, that reflects light

  She checked her hair in the mirror.

1. to show a reflection of

   The still lake mirrored the mountains.

2. to correspond to or match

   Her career mirrors her father's.

British: cushion = American throw pillow. "Cushion the blow": soften the impact of bad news.

• a soft pad used to make a seat more comfortable

  She put a cushion behind her back.

• to soften the effect of an impact

  The grass cushioned his fall.

Common sizes: twin/single, full/double, queen, king. Types: innerspring, memory foam, latex, hybrid. "Mattress in a box": modern direct-to-consumer model.

• a large pad for sleeping on

  They bought a new memory foam mattress.

• the front part of the body between the neck and waist

  He had pain in his chest.

"Chest of drawers": bedroom furniture. "Treasure chest": pirate trove. "Get something off one's chest" = unburden by confessing.

• a large box for storing things

  The treasure was in an old chest.

• a long seat for two or more people

  We sat on a bench near the lake.

• the seat or office of a judge

  The judge returned to the bench after lunch.

• a standard used to compare or judge something

  The test score became a benchmark for future classes.

• to measure performance against a standard

  We benchmarked the new model against last year's system.

Short for "kiwifruit". Fuzzy brown skin covers bright green (sometimes gold) flesh with tiny black edible seeds.

• a small oval fruit with fuzzy brown skin, green flesh, and tiny black seeds

  She sliced a kiwi into her fruit salad.

New Zealand's national bird - flightless, nocturnal, and endangered. Both the fruit and the informal demonym for New Zealanders are named after the bird, not the other way around.

• a small flightless nocturnal bird native to New Zealand, with hair-like feathers and a long bill

  The kiwi is New Zealand's national symbol.

Informal, almost always capitalized. Comes from the bird, New Zealand's national symbol.

• (informal) a New Zealander

  Half the crew were Kiwis.

Distinct types: sultanas (from green grapes, golden color), currants (small dark raisins). "Raisin in the Sun": 1959 Lorraine Hansberry play.

• a dried grape

  She added raisins to the oatmeal.

Homophone of 'current'. Either a tiny dried grape or a small soft berry (blackcurrant, redcurrant).

1. a small dried grape used in baking

   The scones were dotted with currants.

2. a small round soft berry such as a blackcurrant or redcurrant

   She picked redcurrants from the bush.

"L" is silent: homophone of "yoke" (harness for oxen). Color depends on hen's diet; deeper orange = more carotenoids.

• the yellow part of an egg

  Separate the yolk from the white.

• a membrane sac that supplies nutrients to an embryo

  The ultrasound showed the yolk sac.

• an oval or round object laid by a female bird, reptile, fish, or invertebrate, usually containing a developing embryo

  A boiled egg.

• to urge or encourage someone to do something, especially risky or unwise

  His friends egged him on to jump off the bridge.

More formally called albumen. Turns opaque white when cooked (hence the name); whipped for meringues, macarons, and souffles.

• the clear liquid part of an egg surrounding the yolk, mostly protein

  Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

French meringue-based sandwich cookie with a ganache, buttercream, or jam filling. Not to be confused with macaroon, a denser coconut- or almond-based cookie - both come from the same French root, which is why the spelling and pronunciation are so often mixed up.

• a light, colorful sandwich cookie made from almond meringue with a filling between two shells

  The bakery displayed rows of pastel macarons.

Fast-growing and often planted in rows as a windbreak or property line. The narrow, columnar Lombardy poplar is a common ornamental variety.

• a tall, fast-growing deciduous tree with a slender trunk, often planted in rows

  A row of poplars lined the driveway.

The shell often naturally splits open when ripe, a trait used in marketing ("the smiling nut"). Also loosely used for the nut's pale yellow-green color.

1. the edible green seed of a small tree native to the Middle East and Central Asia, eaten roasted and salted or used in desserts

   She ordered pistachio ice cream.

2. the tree that produces this seed

   Pistachio trees thrive in hot, dry climates.

Notorious mid-20th century treatment for mental illness; later largely abandoned as inhumane. Now mostly used figuratively or historically.

• a surgical operation involving the cutting or removal of part of the brain's frontal lobe, formerly used to treat severe mental disorders

  In the 1950s, doctors performed thousands of lobotomies on patients with depression.

• to perform a lobotomy on someone

  The doctor was criticized for lobotomizing his patients.

Often used figuratively for someone who appears emotionally flat or unresponsive.

• having undergone a lobotomy; figuratively, dazed or emotionally numb

  He stared at the screen with a lobotomized expression.

More formal than "make up" or "be". "This constitutes...": common formal writing.

• to be (a part) of a whole

  Women constitute half the workforce.

Two senses: a voter, and a component part.

• a member of a constituency (a voter); a component part of something

  The senator met with her constituents. Hydrogen is a constituent of water.

• the body of voters who elect a representative, or the district they live in

  He represents a rural constituency.

• a body elected to draw up or amend a constitution

  A constituent assembly drafted the new constitution.

"The Constitution" (US): fundamental legal document, oldest written national constitution still in use (1787). UK has an "uncodified" constitution: no single document.

1. a body of fundamental principles by which a state is governed

   The US Constitution was written in 1787.

2. a person's physical state with regard to health

   He has a strong constitution.

"Constitutional monarchy": monarch as head of state with limited powers (UK, Japan, Sweden). "Constitutional rights": rights guaranteed by the constitution.

• relating to a constitution

  Free speech is a constitutional right.

• the quality of being in accordance with a constitution

  The court ruled on the constitutionality of the law.

• not in accordance with a political constitution, especially the US Constitution, or with procedural rules

  The court ruled the law unconstitutional.

Ten-pin (US), candlepin (New England), duckpin variants. Lawn bowling: different sport. "Bowling for Columbine": Michael Moore film.

• a game of rolling a ball at pins

  They went bowling on Saturday.

"Mixing bowl", "cereal bowl". "Super Bowl": NFL championship game. "Punch bowl": for serving punch (drinks).

• a deep round dish

  She poured cereal into a bowl.

Long, narrow venue. Modern alleys often part of entertainment complexes with arcades, food, bars.

• a building where people go bowling

  There's a bowling alley downtown.

• a member of a Semitic people originating in the Arabian Peninsula

  He is an Arab from Jordan.

• the Semitic language used across much of the Arab world

  She is learning Arabic in college.

• relating to the Arabic language or Arab culture

  The manuscript was written in Arabic script.

Geographic name for the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding region; not a single country. "Saudi Arabia" is the largest country occupying it.

• the peninsula of southwestern Asia between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf

  Trade routes once crossed Arabia toward the Mediterranean.

Also a noun for a native of Arabia, and the name of a horse breed ("Arabian horse") prized for endurance and a distinctive high tail carriage.

• relating to Arabia or its people

  The Arabian horse is known for its speed and stamina.

• a liquid medicine applied to the eyes from a dropper

  The doctor prescribed eye drops for her allergies.

"Drop off" = deliver; doze off. "Drop out" = leave (school). "A drop in the bucket": tiny portion of a need. "Drop the ball": fail.

• to fall or let fall

  He dropped the glass.

• a small amount of liquid

  A drop of water fell on the floor.

• a very small drop of a liquid

  Water droplets.

• a large warm cloth used as a bed cover

  She wrapped the baby in a soft blanket.

• covering all cases without exception

  The company issued a blanket ban on smoking.

"B" silent. "Lamb of God": Christian title for Jesus. "Like a lamb to slaughter" = naive victim. "Lamb": also tender mutton meat.

• a young sheep

  The lamb was bleating for its mother.

• a pin with a guard that covers the point and a spring to hold it closed

  She fixed the hem with a safety pin.

American pronunciation /luːˈtenənt/. British pronunciation is famously /lefˈtenənt/ ("leftenant"): same spelling, very different sound. The spelling comes from French "lieu tenant" (place holder, i.e., deputy).

1. a military officer of relatively low rank (above sergeant, below captain), or a police officer of similar rank

   Lieutenant Smith led the patrol into enemy territory.

2. a deputy or chief assistant to a leader

   He is the mayor's most trusted lieutenant.

A US state government position (and similarly in Canadian provinces). Equivalent role exists in many countries under different names.

• in the US, the second-highest executive officer of a state government, who serves under and may succeed the governor

  She served as lieutenant governor of Texas for eight years.

1. a mass of snow, ice, and rocks falling rapidly down a mountainside

   He was swept to his death by an avalanche.

2. a sudden arrival or occurrence of something in overwhelming quantities

   We have had an avalanche of inquiries.

"Spread like wildfire" = spread extremely fast.

• a large, destructive fire that spreads rapidly through vegetation or forest

  The wildfire destroyed hundreds of homes before firefighters could contain it.

• a mass of wet earth that slides down a slope

  The storm triggered a mudslide above the village.