| Term | Definition |
|---|
| abase | v. ~ oneself/sb lower oneself/sb in dignity; degrade oneself/sb ; |
| abash | to destroy the self-possession or self-confidence of:disconcert |
| abate | v. make or become less |
| abbreviate | v. ~ sth shorten (a word, phrase, etc), esp by omitting letters |
| abdicate | v. resign from or formally renounce the throne |
| aberrant | adj. not following the normal or correct way |
| aberration | n. deviation from what is accepted as normal or right |
| abet | v. ~ sb (in sth) help or encourage sb to commit an offence or do sth wrong |
| abeyance | n. be in abeyance; fall/go into abeyance (of a right, rule, problem, etc) be suspended temporarily; not be in force or use for a time |
| abhor | v. feel hatred and disgust for (sb/sth); detest |
| abide | v. (esp with can/could, in negative sentences or questions can/could) tolerate (sb/sth); endure; bear |
| abject | adj. wretched; hopeless |
| abjure | v. promise or swear to give up (a claim, an opinion, a belief, etc); renounce formally |
| ablution | n. (fml or joc ) ceremonial washing of the body, hands, sacred vessels, etc |
| abnegation | n. denial or renunciation (of a doctrine) |
| abode | n. house; home |
| abolish | v. end the existence of |
| abominable | adj. ~(fml ) causing disgust; detestable |
| abominate | v. feel hatred or disgust for (sth/sb); detest; loathe |
| aboriginal | adj. inhabiting a land from a very early period, esp before the arrival of colonists |
| abortive | adj. coming to nothing; unsuccessful |
| abrasive | adj. that scrapes or rubs sth away; rough |
| abridge | v. make shorter, esp by using fewer words; condense |
| abrogate | v. cancel, repeal or annul (sth) |
| abscission | The act of cutting off, as in a surgical operation. |
| abscond | v. ~go away suddenly and secretly, esp in order to avoid arrest |
| absolute | adj. complete; total |
| absolve | v. ~ sb (fml esp law , ) clear sb (of guilt); declare sb free (from blame, a promise, a duty, etc) |
| abstain | v. ~ keep oneself from doing or enjoying sth, esp from taking alcoholic drinks; refrain ; |
| abstemious | adj. not taking much food or drink; not self-indulgent; moderate |
| abstinence | n. ~ abstaining, esp from food or alcoholic drinks |
| abstract | adj. existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or practical existence |
| abstruse | adj. difficult to understand |
| abusive | adj. criticizing harshly and rudely; insulting |
| abut | v. ~ on/against sth (of land or a building) have a common boundary or side with sth; adjoin sth |
| abysmal | adj. extremely bad |
| abyss | n. hole so deep that it seems to have no bottom |
| academic | adj. of schools, colleges, etc |
| accede | v. ~ (fml ) take office |
| accelerate | v. make move faster or happen earlier; increase the speed of |
| accessible | adj. ~ that can be reached, used, etc |
| accessory | n. thing that is a useful or decorative extra but that is not essential; minor fitting or attachment |
| acclaim | v. welcome (sb/sth) with shouts of approval; applaud loudly |
| acclimate | to adapt to a new temperature, altitude, climate, environment, or situation |
| acclivity | n. upward slope |
| accolade | n. praise; approval |
| accommodate | v. provide lodging or room for |
| accomplice | n. person who helps another to do sth wicked or illegal |
| accord | n. peace treaty; agreement |
| accost | v. approach and speak to (sb) boldly |
| accoutre | equip |
| accretion | n. growth or increase by means of gradual additions |
| accrue | v. ~ (from sth) come as a natural increase or advantage, esp financial; accumulate |
| acerbity | Sourness of taste, character, or tone. |
| acetic | adj. of, containing, producing, or derived from acetic acid or vinegar |
| acidulous | adj. rather sharp or bitter in taste or manner |
| acknowledge | v. accept the truth of admit (sth) |
| acme | n. highest stage of development; point of perfection |
| acne | n. inflammation of the oil-glands of the skin, producing red pimples on the face and neck |
| acoustics | n. qualities of a room, hall, etc that make it good or bad for carrying sound |
| acquiesce | v. ~ (fml ) accept sth without protest; offer no opposition (to a plan, conclusion, etc) |
| acquittal | n. judgement that a person is not guilty of the crime with which he has been charged |
| acrid | adj. having a strongly bitter smell or taste |
| acrimonious | adj. bitter |
| acrophobia | "acro'phobic adjectiv |
| actuarial | calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics |
| actuary | n. expert who calculates insurance risks and premiums |
| actuate | v. make (a machine, an electrical device, etc) move or work; make (a process) begin , ; |
| acuity | n. (esp of thought or the senses) sharpness; acuteness |
| acumen | n. ability to understand and judge things quickly and clearly; shrewdness |
| acute | adj. very great; severe |
| adage | n. traditional saying; proverb ; |
| adamant | adj. firmly or stubbornly determined; unwilling to be persuaded |
| adapt | v. ~ sth (for sth) make sth suitable for a new use, situation, etc; modify sth |
| addendum | n. thing that is to be added |
| addiction | n. ~ condition of taking drugs, etc habitually and being unable to stop doing so without suffering adverse effects |
| addle | v. confuse (sth/sb); muddle |
| address | n. details of where a person lives, works or can be found, and where letters, etc may be delivered |
| adept | adj. ~ ~ (at/in doing sth) expert or skilful in (doing) sth |
| adhere | v. ~ (to sth) remain attached (to sth); stick (as if) by means of glue or suction |
| adherent | n. supporter of a party or doctrine |
| adjacent | having a common endpoint or border also immediately preceding or following |
| adjoin | v. be next or nearest to and joined with |
| adjourn | v. stop (a meeting, etc) for a time; postpone |
| adjunct | n. ~ thing that is added or attached to sth else but is less important and not essential |
| adjuration | solemn urging |
| adjutant | n. army officer responsible for administrative work in a battalion |
| admonish | to express warning or disapproval to especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner |
| adore | v. love deeply and respect (sb) highly |
| adorn | v. ~ sth/sb/oneself add beauty or ornament to sth/sb/oneself |
| adroit | adj. ~ skilful; clever |
| adulation | n. excessive admiration or praise; flattery |
| adulterate | v. make poorer in quality by adding another substance |
| Advent | n. the ~ of sth/sb the approach or arrival of |
| adventitious | adj. not planned; accidental |
| adversary | n. opponent in a contest; enemy |
| adverse | adj. not favourable; contrary |
| adversity | n. unfavourable conditions; trouble |
| advert | n. = advertisement |
| advocacy | n. ~ giving of support (to a cause, etc) |
| advocate | v. speak publicly in favour of (sth); recommend; support |
| aegis | n. under the aegis of sb/sth with the protection or support of sb/sth, esp a public institution |
| aerie | #NAME? |
| aesthetic | adj. concerned with beauty and the appreciation of beauty |
| affable | adj. polite and friendly |
| affected | adj. not natural or genuine; pretended; artificial |
| affidavit | n. written statement that can be used as evidence in court, made by sb who swears that it is true |
| affiliation | n. affiliating or being affiliated |
| affinity | n. ~ ~ (between A and B) structural resemblance or similarity of character; relationship |
| affirmation | n. affirming |
| affix | v. ~ sth (fml ) stick, fasten or attach sth |
| affliction | n. pain; suffering; distress |
| affluence | n. abundance of money, goods or property; wealth |
| affront | n. ~ (to sb/sth) deliberately insulting or disrespectful remark, action, etc, esp in public |
| afterlife | n. existence that is thought by some to follow death |
| agape | adj. ~ (of the mouth) wide open, esp with wonder |
| agenda | n. matters of business to be discussed at a meeting, etc |
| agglomeration | n. action of agglomerating |
| aggrandize | to make appear great or greater:praise highly |
| aggregate | v. ~ sb (fml ) be formed or bring sb into an assembled group or amount |
| aghast | adj. ~ filled with horror or amazement |
| agility | nimbleness |
| agitate | v. cause anxiety to (a person, his feelings, etc); disturb; excite |
| agnostic | n. person who believes that nothing can be known about the existence of God or of anything except material things |
| agog | adj. eager; excited |
| agrarian | adj. of land |
| airy | adj. having plenty of fresh air moving about; well-ventilated |
| alacrity | n. prompt and eager readiness |
| alchemy | n. medieval form of chemistry, the chief aim of which was to discover how to turn ordinary metals into gold , |
| alcove | n. small space in a room, etc formed by part of the wall being set back; recess |
| alias | n. name by which a person is called at other times or in other places; false name |
| alienate | v. ~ sb cause sb to become unfriendly or indifferent; estrange sb |
| alimentary | adj. of food and digestion |
| alimony | n. allowance that a court may order a man to pay to his wife or former wife before or after a legal separation or divorce |
| allay | v. make (sth) less; relieve |
| allege | v. state (sth) as a fact but without proof; give as an argument or excuse |
| allegiance | n. ~ (to sb/sth) support of or loyalty to a government, ruler, cause, etc |
| allegory | n. story, painting or description in which the characters and events are meant as symbols of purity, truth, patience, etc , |
| alleviate | v. make less severe; ease |
| alliteration | n. occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of two or more words in succession, as in sing a song of sixpence or as thick as thieves , sing a song of sixpence as thick as thieves |
| allocate | v. ~ sth allot or assign sth (to sb/sth) for a special purpose |
| alloy | n. metal formed of a mixture of metals or of metal and another substance |
| allude | v. ~ to sb/sth (fml ) mention sb/sth briefly or indirectly |
| allure | v. tempt or attract (sb) by the expectation of gaining sth |
| allusion | n. ~ indirect reference |
| alluvial | adj. made of sand, earth, etc left by rivers or floods, esp in a delta |
| alms | n. money, clothes, food, etc given to poor people |
| aloft | adv. up in the air; overhead |
| aloof | adj. ~ cool and remote in character; unconcerned |
| altercation | n. (act of) quarrelling or arguing noisily |
| altruistic | (adj.) unselfish |
| amalgam | n. alloy of mercury with another metal |
| amalgamate | v. ~ (with sb/sth) (cause people or things to) combine or unite |
| amass | v. gather together or collect (sth), esp in large quantities |
| amazon | n. tall strong athletic woman |
| ambidextrous | adj. able to use the left hand or the right hand equally well |
| ambience | n. environment; atmosphere of a place |
| ambiguous | adj. having more than one possible meaning |
| ambivalence | the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes |
| amble | v. ride or walk at a slow, leisurely pace |
| ambrosia | n. food of the gods |
| ambulatory | walking |
| ambush | n. waiting in a hidden position to make a surprise attack |
| ameliorate | v. (cause sth to) become better |
| amenable | adj. ~ (of people) willing to be influenced or controlled (by sth) |
| amend | v. correct an error in (sth); make minor improvements in; change slightly |
| amenities | [ amenity: ] [often pl] a useful or pleasant facility or service |
| amiable | adj. showing and inspiring friendliness; pleasant and good-tempered |
| amicable | adj. showing friendliness; without hostility |
| amiss | adj. , adv wrong(ly); inappropriate(ly) |
| amity | n. friendly relationship between people or countries |
| amnesia | n. partial or total loss of memory |
| amnesty | n. general pardon, esp for offences against the State |
| amok | adv. run amok rush about in a wild and angry frenzy |
| amoral | adj. not based on moral standards; not following any moral rules ; |
| amorous | adj. readily showing or feeling love; relating to love |
| amorphous | adj. having no definite shape or form; not organized |
| amphibian | n. animal able to live both on land and in water |
| amphitheater | oval building with tiers of seats |
| ample | adj. enough |
| amplify | v. increase (sth) in size or strength |
| amputate | v. cut off by surgical operation |
| amulet | n. piece of jewellery, etc worn as a charm1( |
| anachronism | n. mistake of placing sth in the wrong historical period |
| analgesia | n. loss of ability to feel pain while still conscious |
| analgesic | adj. n substance that relieves pain |
| analogous | adj. ~ partially similar or parallel; offering an analogy |
| analogy | n. ~ partial similarity between two things that are compared |
| anarchist | n. person who believes in anarchism |
| anarchy | n. absence of government or control in society; lawlessness |
| anathema | n. detested person or thing |
| anathematize | declare to be evil or anathema |
| ancestry | n. line of ancestors |
| anchor | n. heavy metal device attached to a rope, chain, etc and used to moor a ship or boat to the sea-bottom or a balloon to the ground |
| ancillary | adj. ~ helping in a subsidiary way |
| anecdote | n. short, interesting or amusing story about a real person or event , |
| anemia | condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles |
| anesthetic | #NAME? |
| anguish | n. severe physical or mental pain |
| angular | adj. having angles or sharp corners |
| animadversion | n. criticism |
| animated | adj. lively |
| animosity | n. ~ ~ (between A and B) (instance of) strong dislike or of hostility |
| animus | n. animosity shown in speech or action |
| annals | n. story of events year by year; historical records |
| anneal | v. make tough by cooling slowly after heating |
| annex | v. take possession of |
| annihilate | v. destroy completely |
| annotate | v. add notes to giving explanation or comment |
| annuity | n. fixed sum of money paid to sb yearly, usu for the remaining part of his lifetime |
| annul | v. declare (sth) no longer valid; abolish; cancel |
| anodyne | n, adj that can relieve pain |
| anoint | v. ~ sb apply oil or ointment to sb (esp as a religious ceremony) |
| anomalous | adj. different from what is normal; irregular |
| anomaly | n. anomalous thing; irregularity |
| anonymity | n. state of being anonymous |
| antagonism | n~ ~ (between A and B) (instance of) active opposition or hostility, esp between two people |
| antagonistic | adj. ~ showing or feeling antagonism; hostile |
| antecede | be earlier in time; go back further |
| antecedents | ancestr |
| antediluvian | adj. of the time before Noah's Flood |
| anthem | n. short musical composition, usu for a choir and an organ, to be sung in religious services, often with words taken from the Bible , |
| anthology | n. collection of poems or pieces of prose on the same subject or by the same writer |
| anthropoid | adj. man-like in form |
| anthropologist | n. student of or expert in anthropology |
| anthropomorphic | adj. treating gods, animals, etc as human in form and personality , |
| anticlimax | n. disappointing end to a series of events which had seemed likely to become more interesting, exciting or impressive |
| antidote | n. ~ substance that acts against the effects of a poison or disease |
| antipathy | settled aversion or dislike:DISTASTE |
| antiquated | adj. (of things) out of date, obsolete , |
| antique | adj. belonging to the distant past |
| antiquity | n. ancient times, esp before the Middle Ages |
| antiseptic | n. substance that prevents a wound, etc from becoming septic, esp by destroying bacteria |
| antithesis | n. ~ (of/to sth/sb) direct opposite |
| antler | n. branched horn of a stag or of some other deer |
| anvil | n. iron block on which a smith shapes heated metal by hammering it |
| apathetic | adj. showing or feeling apathy |
| apathy | n. ~ lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern; indifference |
| ape | n. any of the four primates (gorilla, chimpanzee, orang-utan, gibbon) most closely related to man . |
| aperture | n. narrow opening |
| apex | n. top or highest point |
| aphasia | n. partial or total loss of ability to speak or understand spoken language, caused by damage to the brain |
| aphorism | n. short wise saying; maxim ; |
| apiarist | n. person who keeps bees |
| apiary | n. place with a number of hives where bees are kept |
| apiculture | the cultivation of bees on a commercial scale for the production of honey |
| aplomb | n. confidence and self-control; poise |
| apocalyptic | adj. prophesying great and dramatic events like those in the Apocalypse |
| apocryphal | adj. not likely to be genuine; untrue or invented |
| apogee | n. position in the orbit of the moon, a planet or a satellite when it is at its greatest distance from the earth , |
| apolitical | adj. not interested or involved in politics |
| apologist | n. person who defends a doctrine by logical argument |
| apoplexy | n. sudden inability to feel or move, caused by the blockage or rupture of an artery in the brain , |
| apostate | n. person who renounces his former beliefs, etc |
| apothecary | n. person who prepares and sells medicines and medical goods |
| apothegm | pithy compact saying |
| apotheosis | n. (of a human being) making or becoming a god or a sain |
| appall | to overcome with consternation, shock, or dismay |
| apparent | adj. clearly seen or understood; obvious |
| apparition | n. appearance, esp of sth startling, strange or unexpected , |
| appease | v. make quiet or calm, usu by making concessions or by satisfying demands |
| appellation | n. name or title; system of naming ; |
| append | v. ~ sth (fml ) attach or add sth (esp in writing) |
| application | n. ~ (to sb) (for sth) formal request |
| apposite | adj. ~ (of a remark, etc) very appropriate (for a purpose or an occasion) |
| appraise | v. assess the value or quality of |
| appreciate | v. understand and enjoy (sth); value highly |
| apprehend | v. seize (sb); arrest |
| apprehensive | adj. ~ ~ (that.../for sb/sth) feeling anxiety; fearful; uneasy |
| apprise | v. ~ sb of sth inform sb of sth |
| approbation | n. approval; consent |
| appropriate | adj. ~ suitable; right and proper |
| appurtenances | [ appurtenance: ] a secondary or less significant thing or part |
| apropos | adv, adj appropriate or relevant to what is being said or done |
| aptitude | n. ~ natural ability or skill |
| aquiline | adj. of or like an eagle |
| arable | n. , adj suitable for ploughing and for growing crops |
| arbiter | n. ~ person who has power to decide what will be done, accepted, etc with regard to sth |
| arbitrary | adj. based on personal opinion or impulse, not on reason |
| arbitrate | v. ~ (between A and B) make a judgement about or settle (a dispute) between two parties (usu when asked by them to do so) |
| arboreal | adj. of or living in trees |
| arboretum | n. place where trees are grown for scientific study or for display |
| arcade | n. covered passage or area, esp one with an arched roof and shops along one or both sides |
| arcane | requiring secret or mysterious knowledge |
| arch- | comb form chief; most important |
| archaeology | n. study of ancient civilizations by scientific analysis of physical remains found in the ground |
| archaic | adj. of a much earlier or an ancient period in history |
| archetype | n. original or ideal model from which others are copied; prototype ; |
| archipelago | n. (sea surrounding a) group of many islands |
| archives | n. historical documents or records of a government, town, etc |
| ardor | extreme vigor or energy:INTENSITY |
| arduous | adj. needing much effort or energy; laborious |
| argot | n. words and phrases used by a particular group and not intended to be understood by others; cant ; |
| aria | n. song for one voice, esp in an opera or oratorio |
| arid | adj. having little or no rainfall; dry |
| aristocracy | n. highest social class; the nobility |
| armada | n. large fleet of ships |
| aromatic | adj. having a pleasant, distinctive smell; fragrant |
| arraign | v. ~ sb (law ) bring a criminal charge against sb; bring sb to court for trial |
| array | v. place (esp armed forces, troops, etc) in battle order |
| arrears | n. money that is owed and should have been paid earlier |
| arrhythmic | lacking rhythm or regularity |
| arrogance | a feeling or an impression of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or presumptuous claims |
| arroyo | a brook; a creek a water-carved gully or channel |
| arsenal | n. place where weapons and ammunition are made or stored |
| artery | n. any of the tubes carrying blood from the heart to all parts of the body |
| artful | adj. cunningly clever at getting what one wants; crafty |
| articulate | adj. able to express one's ideas clearly in words |
| artifacts | something created by humans usually for a practical purpose; especially :an object remaining from a particular period |
| artifice | n. clever trickery; deception |
| artisan | a manually skilled worker |
| artless | adj. simple and natural; without deceit |
| ascendancy | n. ~ (position of) having dominant power or control |
| ascertain | v. discover (sth) so that one is certain; get to know |
| ascetic | adj. not allowing oneself pleasures and comforts; having or involving a very austere life |
| ascribe | v. ~ sth to sb/sth consider sth to be caused by, written by or belonging to sb/sth |
| aseptic | adj. free from bacteria that cause a thing to become septic; surgically clean |
| ashen | adj. like ashes in colour; very pale |
| asinine | adj. stupid or stubborn |
| askance | adv. look |
| askew | adj. , adv not in a straight or level position; crooked |
| asperity | n. harshness or severity, esp of manner |
| aspersion | slanderous remark |
| aspirant | n. ~ (fml ) person who is ambitious (for fame, promotion, success, etc) |
| aspiration | n. ~ ~ (to do sth) strong desire or ambition |
| aspire | v. ~ after/to sth desire strongly to achieve sth; have ambition for sth |
| assail | v. ~ sb (fml ) attack sb violently or repeatedly |
| assay | n. testing of esp metals for quality |
| assent | n. ~ (fml ) agreement; approval |
| assert | v. make others recognize (sth) by behaving firmly and confidently |
| assessment | n. action of assessing |
| assiduous | adj. showing constant and careful attention |
| assimilate | v. (cause sth to) become absorbed into the body after digestion |
| assuage | v. make (sth) less severe; soothe |
| assumption | n. thing accepted as true or as sure to happen, but not proved |
| assurance | n. confident belief in one's own abilities and powers |
| asteroid | n. any of many small planets revolving round the sun, esp between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter |
| astigmatism | n. defect in an eye or a lens that prevents correct focusing |
| astral | adj. of or from the stars |
| astringent | n. substance, used medically or in cosmetics, that makes skin or body tissue contract and so stops bleeding |
| astronomical | adj. of astronomy |
| astute | adj. clever and quick at seeing how to gain an advantage; shrewd |
| asunder | adv. into pieces; apart |
| asylum | n. safety; refuge |
| asymmetric | adj. not having parts that correspond to each other in size, shape, etc; lacking symmetry |
| atavism | n. reappearance in a person of a characteristic or quality that has not been seen in his family for many generations |
| atheistic | adj. |
| atone | v. ~ (fml ) act in a way that compensates for a previous wrong, error, etc |
| atrocity | n. great wickedness or cruelty |
| atrophy | n. wasting away of the body or part of it through lack of nourishment or use |
| attentive | adj. ~ giving attention (to sb/sth); alert and watchful |
| attenuate | v. make (sth/sb) thin or slender |
| attest | v. ~ (to) sth be or give clear proof of sth |
| attire | n. clothes; dress |
| attribute | v. ~ sth to sb/sth regard sth as belonging to, caused by or produced by sb/sth |
| attrition | n. process of gradually weakening sb's strength and confidence by continuous harassment |
| atypical | adj. not representative or characteristic of its type; not typical |
| audacious | adj. showing a willingness to take risks; daring; fearless |
| audit | n. official examination of accounts to see that they are in order |
| augment | v. make (sth) larger in number or size; increase |
| augury | omen; prophecy |
| august | majestic, venerable |
| aureole | sun's corona; halo |
| auroral | [ aurora: ] an atmospheric phenomenon consisting of bands, curtains, or streamers of light, usually green, red, or yellow, that move across the sky in polar regions. |
| auspicious | adj. showing signs of future success; favourable; promising |
| austere | adj. severely and strictly moral; having no pleasures or comforts |
| austerity | n. quality of being austere |
| authenticate | Rractical experience of sth |
| authoritarian | adj. favouring complete obedience to authority before personal freedom |
| authoritative | adj. having authority; that can be trusted; reliable |
| autocrat | n. ruler of an autocracy |
| autocratic | adj. |
| automaton | n. = robot 1 |
| autonomous | adj. self-governing; acting independently |
| autopsy | n. examination of a dead body to learn the cause of death; post-mortem () |
| auxiliary | adj. giving help or support; additional |
| avalanche | n. mass of snow, ice and rock that slides rapidly down the side of a mountain |
| avarice | n. greed for wealth or gain |
| avenge | v. take or get revenge for |
| aver | v. (fml ) state (sth) firmly and positively; assert ; |
| averse | adj. ~ to sth not liking sth; opposed to sth |
| aversion | n. ~ strong dislike |
| avert | v. ~ sth turn sth away |
| aviary | n. large cage or building for keeping birds in, eg in a zoo , |
| avid | adj. ~ eager; greedy |
| avocation | secondary or minor occupation |
| avow | v. declare (sth) openly; admit |
| avuncular | adj. of or like an uncle, esp in manner |
| awe | n. feeling of respect combined with fear or wonder |
| awful | adj. extremely bad or unpleasant; terrible |
| awl | n. small pointed tool for making holes, esp in leather or wood |
| awry | adv. crookedly; out of position; askew ; |
| axiom | n. statement that is accepted as true without further proof or argument |
| azure | n. , adj bright blue, as of the sky |
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