Vocabulary: Batch 87

1. to cook food (especially eggs or fish) gently in simmering water or other liquid

   She poached the eggs for eggs Benedict.

2. to hunt or fish illegally, especially on someone else's land or for protected species

   Poachers killed the rhino for its horn.

3. to take or recruit (someone), especially employees, from another company

   The startup poached three engineers from Google.

• a person who hunts or fishes illegally

  Rangers arrested the poacher near the reserve.

A savory custard; the Japanese dish chawanmushi (茶碗蒸) is closely related.

• beaten egg mixed with water or stock and steamed into a smooth, silky custard (Chinese 蒸蛋)

  Chinese steamed egg is seasoned simply with soy sauce and sesame oil.

Common at Taiwanese lu-wei (滷味) stalls; the Japanese ramen version is ajitama.

• a shelled boiled egg simmered in soy sauce and spices until browned and savory (Chinese 滷蛋, ludan)

  A bowl of braised pork rice often comes with a braised egg.

Much denser and chewier than regular tofu; often braised in soy sauce and five-spice. Also written 豆干.

• firm tofu pressed and dried into a dense, chewy slab, often seasoned (Chinese 豆乾, dougan)

  She sliced the dried tofu and tossed it with soy sauce and chili.

The most common type for cooking; mainland usage also calls a denser grade 老豆腐 (lao doufu).

• tofu pressed to remove water, giving a dense, sliceable texture (Chinese 板豆腐, ban doufu)

  Firm tofu holds its shape when stir-fried or grilled.

Often used negatively in political contexts to mean "biased" rather than "loyal".

• strongly supporting one party, cause, or group, often without considering other views fairly

  The vote was strictly along partisan lines.

1. a strong supporter of a party, group, or cause

   He is a fierce partisan of free-market economics.

2. (historical) a member of an armed resistance group fighting against an occupying army (e.g., WWII partisans)

   Yugoslav partisans waged guerilla warfare against the Nazi occupation.

Bi- means two; in US politics, bipartisan usually means supported by both major parties.

• involving or supported by two political parties

  The bill passed with bipartisan support.

"Bipartisan" / "nonpartisan": opposite ideals. Increasing partisanship in US politics often blamed for governmental dysfunction.

• strong support for one party

  Partisanship has paralyzed Congress.

• not biased or affiliated with a particular political party or group

  The commission is meant to be a nonpartisan body.

• something pledged as security for repayment of a loan, to be forfeited in the event of a default

  She put her house up as collateral for the bank loan.

• any death, injury, or other damage inflicted that is an unintended result of military operations

  The bombs caused significant collateral damage.

• additional but subordinate; secondary

  The study found no collateral evidence to support the claim.

"Ace up your sleeve" = a hidden advantage. A fighter pilot with many kills is also called an ace.

1. a playing card with a single symbol, usually the highest card

   He drew the ace of spades.

2. a person who is highly skilled at something

   She's an ace at chemistry.

3. (tennis) a serve the opponent fails to touch, winning the point outright

   He finished the match with twenty aces.

Informal. "Ace a test" = do extremely well on it.

1. (informal) to do extremely well on (a test or task)

   She aced the final exam.

2. (tennis) to serve an ace against (an opponent)

   He aced his opponent on match point.

"Segment" of an orange/grapefruit = a natural division. In marketing: "market segment" = a particular group of customers.

• each of the parts into which something is divided

  Cut the orange into segments.

"Market segmentation": dividing customers into groups by characteristics. In tech: "image segmentation" (computer vision) = dividing images into meaningful regions.

• division into segments

  Market segmentation helps target ads more effectively.

• divided into segments

  Caterpillars have segmented bodies.

Noun stress on first syllable /ˈseɡmənt/; verb stress on second /seɡˈment/.

• to divide into segments

  The company segments its customers by age group.

In sports: a sustained exchange of shots (tennis). In finance: a stock-price recovery. In politics: a public gathering.

• a large public meeting in support of a cause

  They held a rally outside the courthouse.

• to come together to support a cause

  The team rallied around their injured captain.

Two senses: walk leisurely (especially in countryside, UK "rambling clubs"), or talk at length. "Rambling speech" often pejorative.

• to walk for pleasure; to talk in a long disorganized way

  They rambled through the hills.

"Rambling house": large, irregularly built. "Rambling story": going off on tangents.

• unfocused and lengthy; sprawling

  He gave a rambling speech.

Chiefly British: a member of a rambling club or someone who walks in the countryside for pleasure.

• a person who walks in the countryside for pleasure (chiefly British)

  The rambler followed the marked trail through the hills.

1. a small waterfall, especially one of several falling in stages down a steep rocky slope

   A series of cascades tumbled down the mountainside.

2. a large or impressive quantity of something falling, hanging, or arranged in a flowing way

   Her hair fell in a cascade of curls down her back.

3. a process in which something, especially information or events, is passed on in succession

   The error caused a cascade of system failures.

• to fall or flow in or as if in a cascade

  Water cascaded over the rocks.

• arranged in or occurring as a flowing, tiered succession; (of a process) each step triggering the next

  A cascading series of failures took the whole network offline.

From the 1944 film "Gaslight," in which a husband manipulates his wife into doubting her sanity.

• to manipulate someone psychologically over time so that they begin to doubt their own memory, perception, or sanity

  He gaslit her for years, insisting that events she clearly remembered had never happened.

• a lamp that produces light by burning gas, common in the 19th century

  The street was lit by old gaslights.

• one's opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute

  He defeated his old adversary in the tournament.

• involving two people or sides who oppose each other; characterized by conflict rather than cooperation

  The negotiations became increasingly adversarial.

Don't confuse with "averse" (= unwilling). "Adverse conditions" = unfavorable. "Adverse reaction" = side effect (medication).

• preventing success; unfavorable

  They faced adverse weather conditions.

• able to move quickly and easily; able to think and understand quickly

  Ruth was as agile as a cat.

• the ability to move quickly and easily, or to think and understand quickly

  The gymnast displayed remarkable agility on the balance beam.

Past tense: ripped. "R.I.P." = Rest In Peace. "Ripped" (informal) can also mean very muscular.

• to tear quickly and forcibly

  He ripped the letter into pieces.

"That's a rip-off!": common complaint about high prices. "Rip off" (verb) = to defraud or overcharge.

• (informal) something that is too expensive or fraudulent

  That hotel is a total rip-off.

• (informal) to defraud or overcharge someone

  The mechanic ripped him off for the repair.

• to take someone away illegally by force

  The child was abducted outside the school.

• the crime of taking someone away illegally by force

  Police investigated the abduction.

• a person who abducts someone

  The victim escaped from her abductor.

From colon + -oscopy (Greek skopein, "to look"). A common screening test for colon cancer, usually done under sedation or light anesthesia.

• a medical examination of the inner lining of the colon with a flexible camera

  He is scheduled for a colonoscopy to screen for cancer.

British spelling; American: anesthesia. From Greek anaisthesia ("without sensation"). Two types: general (unconscious) and local (numb a specific area).

• insensitivity to pain, especially as induced before a surgical operation

  The patient was put under general anaesthesia.

American spelling of anaesthesia.

• American spelling of anaesthesia

  The anesthesia wore off after a few hours.

British spelling.

• a drug or agent that causes loss of sensation

  The dentist gave him a local anaesthetic.

American spelling of anaesthetic.

• American spelling of anaesthetic

  The patient was given a general anesthetic.

American term; British: anaesthetist (a different scope of practice).

• (American) a physician specializing in anesthesiology

  The anesthesiologist monitored the patient during surgery.

In Britain, an "anaesthetist" is the physician (equivalent to American "anesthesiologist"). In the US, a "nurse anesthetist" is a nurse specialist.

• a person trained to administer anesthetics

  The anesthetist explained the procedure.

American spelling; British: anaesthetise.

• to administer an anesthetic to (a person or animal)

  The veterinarian anesthetized the dog before surgery.

From Latin in- (not) + advertere (to turn to). Modern equivalent: "unintentional" or "accidental".

• not done deliberately; accidental

  It was an inadvertent mistake.

"Hit the sack" = go to bed. "Get the sack" (British) = get fired.

• a large bag made of strong material, used for storing goods

  He carried a sack of potatoes.

1. (British, informal) to fire someone from a job

   He was sacked for stealing from the company.

2. (historical) to plunder and destroy a captured town

   Rome was sacked by the Visigoths in 410 AD.

"In the zone": psychological flow state. "Time zone", "war zone", "comfort zone", "end zone" (football) are common collocations.

• an area distinct from surrounding parts

  This is a no-parking zone.

"Zone out" = to stop paying attention and drift mentally; "zone in (on)" = to focus sharply.

1. (urban planning) to designate (an area) for a particular land use

   The council zoned the waterfront for residential development.

2. ("zone out") to stop paying attention; to become mentally absent

   I zoned out halfway through the long meeting.

• to assign a new use category to a piece of land in urban planning

  The lot was rezoned from residential to commercial.

• to scrape (a shoe or other object) against something

  He scuffed his new shoes on the gravel.

• a mark made by scuffing

  The floor had scuff marks from years of foot traffic.

"Vanity Fair" is both a novel by Thackeray (1848) and a magazine. "In vain" = without success; etymologically related.

1. (uncountable) excessive pride in one's appearance or qualities

   His vanity was wounded when he wasn't invited.

2. (countable, American) a dressing table

   She sat at her vanity to do her makeup.

In vain means without success. Vain is a homophone of vein and vane, but the three words have different meanings.

1. excessively proud of one's appearance, abilities, or achievements

   He was vain enough to assume that every compliment was sincere.

2. producing no result or having no chance of success

   After several vain attempts to restart the engine, they called for help.

1. to stir (cream or milk) vigorously to make butter

   They churned cream into butter at the dairy.

2. to move or cause to move with violent unsteady motion

   The stormy sea churned against the rocks.

3. (of stomach or feelings) to feel sick or upset from anxiety

   My stomach churned as the plane took off.

4. ("churn out") to produce something rapidly and in large quantities

   The factory churns out 10,000 units a day.

"Customer churn" is a key metric for subscription businesses.

• (business) the rate at which customers or employees leave and are replaced

  The company has a high customer churn rate.

In linguistics, inflection refers to grammatical changes like verb conjugation or noun declension.

1. (linguistics) to change the form of (a word) to express grammatical features such as tense or number

   In English, "go" inflects to "went" in the past tense.

2. to vary the pitch or tone of (one's voice)

   She inflected the question with surprise.

"Inflection point" (math/business) = a moment of significant change.

1. (linguistics) the modification of a word to express different grammatical categories

   German has more complex inflection than English.

2. a change in pitch or tone of voice

   There was no inflection in his monotone speech.

"Tax evasion" (illegal) vs "tax avoidance" (legal): an important distinction.

• to escape or avoid, especially through cunning or deceit

  The fugitive evaded capture for years.

• the act of evading something, especially a duty or obligation

  He was convicted of tax evasion.

• tending to avoid commitment or direct answers

  She gave an evasive answer when asked about her plans.

Often pejorative in modern political contexts.

1. the art of effective speaking or writing

   He studied classical rhetoric at university.

2. language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect, often regarded as lacking in sincerity

   The speech was full of empty rhetoric.

"Rhetorical question" = a question asked for effect, not expecting an answer.

1. relating to or concerned with rhetoric

   His rhetorical skills made him a successful lawyer.

2. asked in order to produce an effect rather than to get an answer

   Are you crazy? That was a rhetorical question.

American: also called "drugstore". British: also called "chemist's".

• a place where medicines are prepared and sold

  She picked up her prescription at the pharmacy.

• the branch of medicine concerned with the uses, effects, and modes of action of drugs

  She earned a PhD in pharmacology.

American synonym: druggist (older).

• a person professionally qualified to prepare and dispense medicines

  The pharmacist explained the side effects.

"Pharmaceuticals" (plural noun) = medicinal drugs as a class.

• relating to medicinal drugs

  He works in the pharmaceutical industry.

Also called nearsightedness or shortsightedness. The opposite is hyperopia (farsightedness).

1. nearsightedness; an inability to see distant objects clearly

   He developed myopia in childhood.

2. (figurative) lack of foresight or long-term thinking

   The plan suffers from political myopia.

1. nearsighted

   She's been myopic since she was twelve.

2. (figurative) lacking foresight

   His decisions have been criticized as myopic.

A combination of two cooking methods (searing + slow stewing). Result: tender, flavorful meat.

• to cook food slowly in a covered pot with a small amount of liquid, after first browning it

  She braised the short ribs in red wine for three hours.

1. to be able to do something

   She can speak three languages.

2. to be allowed to do something

   You can leave early today.

3. used to ask, request, or offer politely

   Can I help you with the bags?

• a sealed cylindrical metal container, especially for food or drink

  He opened a can of soup for dinner.

1. to preserve food by sealing it in airtight metal or glass containers

   She cans tomatoes from her garden every August.

2. (informal) to dismiss someone from a job; to fire

   He got canned after the merger.

Informal shortening of "hyperactive". Often used for children after sugar.

• excessively energetic (informal)

  The kids got hyper after the cake.

Greek-origin prefix. Antonym: hypo- (under). Both common in medicine and scientific terms.

• prefix meaning over, beyond, or excessive

  hyperactive, hypertension, hyperbole

Note pronunciation: 4 syllables /haɪ-PER-bə-li/, not like the geometric term "hyperbola" (3 syllables). Common in rhetoric.

• exaggeration not meant literally

  "I'm starving" is just hyperbole.

Two senses: exaggerated speech, or relating to geometric hyperbolas. Math: "hyperbolic function" (sinh, cosh).

• using exaggeration for effect

  His claims were hyperbolic.

• unusually sensitive

  She's hypersensitive to criticism.

Medical term for high blood pressure. Major risk factor for stroke and heart disease.

• abnormally high blood pressure

  He's on medication for hypertension.

hyper- (over) + glyc- (sugar) + -emia (blood). Opposite: hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

• an abnormally high level of glucose in the blood, as in uncontrolled diabetes

  Skipping insulin can trigger dangerous hyperglycemia.

As a verb, "skin" = to strip the skin/hide off. See the peel vs. skin comparison.

1. the thin layer of tissue covering the body of a person or animal

   Sunscreen protects your skin from UV light.

2. the thin outer layer of a fruit or vegetable

   He bit into the apple without peeling the skin.

1. (of a photo) given too much light, so it looks washed out and too bright

   The sky is overexposed and almost pure white.

2. given too much public exposure

   The band felt overexposed after a year of nonstop press.

• not sharp or clear; out of focus

  Every photo I took of the stage came out blurry.

Also written "drug store". British: chemist.

• (American) a shop selling medicines along with toiletries, snacks, and other sundries

  I grabbed aspirin and a magazine at the drugstore.

British also: cough mixture / linctus.

• a thick, sweet liquid medicine taken to relieve coughing

  Take a spoonful of cough syrup before bed.

Also a noun: "a photobomb".

• to spoil or jump into someone's photo unexpectedly, usually as a joke

  A grinning stranger photobombed our wedding shot.

A photography/lighting term; contrast front-lit.

• lit from behind, so the subject appears dark against a bright background

  The backlit portrait hid her face in shadow.

Different from skydiving (with chute opening) and hang gliding (rigid wing). Developed 1980s.

• to fly using a flexible parachute-like wing

  They paraglided off the cliff.

• the wing used for paragliding, or a person who paraglides

  The paraglider drifted over the valley.

"Better dead than red": Cold War-era US anti-communist slogan. "McCarthyism" (1950s): period of widespread anti-communist persecution.

• a person who supports the political ideology of communism

  He was a committed communist his whole life.

• a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned

  The country abandoned communism in 1989.

Informal and usually derogatory.

• (informal, derogatory) a communist

  Cold War propaganda warned of commies everywhere.

1. a small, dark, often slightly raised mark on the skin

   She has a small mole above her lip.

2. a small burrowing mammal with dark fur and very poor eyesight

   Moles left small mounds of dirt across the lawn.

3. a spy who works from within an organization to secretly pass on information

   The agency suspected there was a mole.

Pronounced MOH-lay (two syllables), unlike the animal/spot "mole" /moʊl/. From Nahuatl via Mexican Spanish.

• a rich, complex Mexican sauce made from chilies, spices, and sometimes chocolate

  She simmered the chicken in a dark mole sauce.

1. to manage or arrange something fraudulently for one's own advantage

   The results of the election had been rigged.

2. to set up or assemble (equipment), especially quickly or improvised

   They rigged up a shelter from tarps and branches.

(American, informal) 'rig' can also mean a large truck (an 18-wheeler).

1. equipment or apparatus for a particular purpose

   A drilling rig.

2. (American, informal) a large truck

   The rig jackknifed on the icy highway.

3. (sailing) the arrangement of masts, sails, and rigging on a boat

   The boat has a sloop rig, with a single mast and two sails.

A professional who assembles or maintains rigging - on ships, in theater, at construction sites, or on wind turbines.

1. a person whose job is to set up or maintain rigging or equipment

   The riggers checked every line before the boat left the dock.

2. a long, thin, pointed paintbrush used for fine detail work

   She used a rigger to paint the ship's rigging lines.

Often implies a quick, improvised job rather than a proper installation.

• to put together or set up quickly, improvising with whatever is available

  They rigged up a shower from a bucket and a garden hose.

Often appears in compounds like fishmonger, warmonger, and fearmonger.

• a dealer in a particular goods or a promoter of something unpleasant

  The headline called him a fearmonger.

Almost always in compounds naming a bad thing being stirred up: fear-mongering, rumor-mongering, war-mongering.

• the act of stirring up or spreading something undesirable

  The article was dismissed as pure fear-mongering.

• a person who tries to start or encourage war

  Critics branded the senator a warmonger.

British informal: a clot can also mean a foolish person.

• a thick, coagulated lump, especially of blood

  A blood clot in the leg can be dangerous.

• to thicken into clots

  The blood had begun to clot around the wound.

1. in ancient Greece, a shrine or priest through which a god was believed to answer questions

   They traveled to consult the oracle at Delphi.

2. a person or source regarded as giving wise or authoritative guidance

   She's the team's oracle on anything tax-related.

Idioms: "drag someone's name through the mud" (to slander); "(as) clear as mud" (not clear at all).

• soft, wet earth

  Her boots were caked in mud.

British: cotton bud. Common brand name: Q-tip.

• a short stick tipped with cotton at one or both ends, used for cleaning or applying substances

  Clean the wound gently with a cotton swab.

• a small, extremely sharp knife used in surgery and dissection

  The surgeon held out a hand for the scalpel.

• the blocking of the Sun's light when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth

  People wore special glasses to watch the solar eclipse.

• the darkening of the Moon when Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon and casts its shadow on it

  A total lunar eclipse can turn the Moon deep red.

• an event in which many meteors seem to streak from one part of the sky as Earth passes through a comet's debris

  The Perseid meteor shower peaks in mid-August.

• a spinning column of water and spray formed when a tornado or whirlwind occurs over water

  A waterspout spun briefly across the bay.

• tortilla chips topped with melted cheese and other toppings, served as a snack

  We shared a plate of loaded nachos.

From Nahuatl via Mexican Spanish.

• a smoke-dried ripe jalapeno chili, or a smoky sauce made from it

  Chipotle gives the salsa a deep, smoky heat.