1.

craving noun an extremely strong desire for something [↪ longing]

craving for
• She had a craving for some chocolate.

2. spinster Noun an unmarried woman, usually one who is no longer young and seems
unlikely to marry

3. bachelor noun 1 a man who has never been married:

• Gerald was 38, and a confirmed bachelor (=a man who has
decided that he will never marry).
• The Crown Prince was Japan's most eligible bachelor (=a rich
young man who has not yet married).
4. gullible too ready to believe what other people tell you, so that you are easily
tricked:
• Plastic replicas of the Greek pottery are sold to gullible tourists.
5. crowbar noun a heavy iron bar used to lift something or force it open

6. quiver verb to shake slightly because you are cold, or because you feel very afraid,
angry, excited etc [= tremble]:
• The child was quivering in her arms.
quiver with indignation/anger etc
• I lay there quivering with fear.
• His voice was quivering with rage.
7. pitcher noun 1 the player in baseball who throws the ball
2 American English a container for holding and pouring a liquid, with a
handle and a shaped part to help the liquid flow out [= jug British English]
• a pitcher of water
3 British English a large clay container with two handles, used in the past
for holding and pouring a liquid
8. crate noun 1 a large box made of wood or plastic that is used for carrying fruit,
bottles etc
crate of
• a crate of beer
2 old-fashioned a very old car or plane that does not work very well
9. barrel noun 1 a large curved container with a flat top and bottom, made of wood or
metal, and used for storing beer, wine etc:
• The wine is aged in oak barrels.
barrel of
• barrels of beer
2 a unit of measurement for oil, equal to 159 litres
barrel of
• two million barrels of oil
 3 the part of a gun that the bullets are fired through

10. hamper noun 1 British English a basket with a lid, which is used for carrying food or
sending it to someone as a present:
• a picnic hamper
• They sent us a lovely Christmas hamper.

11. hamper verb to make it difficult for someone to do

something:
• She tried to run, but was hampered by her heavy suitcase.
• An attempt to rescue the men has been hampered by bad
weather.

12. punnet noun British English a small square box used to hold soft fruits such as
STRAWBERRIES
13. flask noun 1 British English a special type of bottle that you use to keep liquids
either hot or cold, for example when travelling [= Thermos]

14. cluster noun 1 a group of things of the same kind that are very close together
cluster of
• a cluster of low farm buildings
• a cluster of red berries
• a diamond cluster ring
2 a group of people all in the same place
cluster of
• A cluster of children stood around the ice cream van.

15. cluster verb cluster [intransitive,transitive always + adverb/preposition]

if a group of people or things cluster somewhere, or are clustered
somewhere, they form a small group in that place
cluster around/together etc
• Reporters clustered around the palace gates for news.
• Industries in Britain tend to be clustered together.

16. heap noun heap [countable]

1 a large untidy pile of things:
• a rubbish heap
heap of

There was a heap of stones where the building used to be.

in a heap
• The envelopes for posting lay in a heap on her desk.
• We piled the branches into heaps for burning.
2 heaps
informal a lot of something
heaps of
• The children have heaps of energy.

17. crank Noun crank [countable]

1 a handle on a piece of equipment, that you can turn in order to move
something

18. hurdle noun 1 [countable] a problem or difficulty that you must deal with before you
 can achieve something [= obstacle]:
• Finding enough money for the project was the first hurdle.
overcome/clear/get over etc a hurdle (=deal successfully with a
problem)
2 [countable] one of a series of small fences that a person or horse has to
jump over during a race
clear a hurdle (=successfully jump over a hurdle)
3

the 100 metres/400 metres hurdles

a race in which the runners have to jump over hurdles

19. sampan Noun a small boat used in China and Southeast Asia
20. Oar Noun 1 a long pole with a wide flat blade at one end, used for rowing a
boat [↪ paddle]

21. Eyrie Noun 1 the NEST of a large bird, especially an EAGLE, that is usually built high up
in rocks or trees
22. Lair noun 1 the place where a wild animal hides and sleeps [= den]
2 a place where you go to hide or to be alone [= den]:

a smuggler's lair

23. Valiant adjective val‧i‧ant

very brave, especially in a difficult situation [= courageous]:

Tarr threw himself in front of a train in a valiant effort to save the

child.

24. Havoc noun a situation in which there is a lot of damage or a lack of order, especially
so that it is difficult for something to continue in the normal way
cause/create havoc
• A strike will cause havoc for commuters.
• policies that would wreak havoc on the country's economy
• Rain has continued to play havoc with sporting events.

25. cellar noun 1 a room under a house or other building, often used for storing
things[= basement]:
• a coal cellar
2 a store of wine belonging to a person, restaurant etc

26. Aviary Noun a large CAGE where birds are kept

27. boutique noun a small shop that sells fashionable clothes or other objects
28. Sightseeing Noun when you visit famous or interesting places, especially as tourists:

She swam and sunbathed, went sightseeing and relaxed.

29. Confectionery noun sweets, chocolates etc

30. sermon Noun 1 a talk given as part of a Christian church service, usually on a religious
or moral subject
give/preach/deliver a sermon (on something)

The vicar gave a sermon on charity.

31. monastery Noun a place where MONKs live

32. incinerator noun a machine designed to burn things in order to destroy them
33. hangar Noun a very large building in which aircraft are kept
34. hanger Noun a curved piece of wood or metal with a hook on top, used for hanging
clothes on:
• She took off her jacket and hung it on a hanger.

35. dockyard noun a place where ships are repaired or built

36. mint 1 [uncountable] a small plant with green leaves that have a fresh smell
and taste and are used in cooking:
• new potatoes sprinkled with chopped mint
• roast lamb with mint sauce
• Decorate with a sprig of mint.
2 [countable] a sweet that tastes of PEPPERMINT (=a type of mint with a
strong fresh taste):
• We sat in the back row, sucking mints.
• Would you like a mint?

3 [ countable] a place where coins are officially made:

• coins issued by the Royal Mint

37. abattoir noun a place where animals are killed for their meat
38. Barracks noun a building or group of buildings in which soldiers live
39. Swivel chair noun a chair whose seat part can be turned while the legs remain in the same
position
40. tweezers noun a small tool that has two narrow pieces of metal joined at one end, used
to pull or move very small objects:
• She was plucking her eyebrows with a pair of tweezers.

41. razor noun 1 a tool with a sharp blade, used to remove hair from your
skin [↪ shaver]:
• an electric razor
• a disposable razor

42. Telephone noun a book containing a list of the names, addresses, and telephone numbers
directory of all the people in a particular area [= phone book]
43. invigilate verb to watch people who are taking an examination and make sure that they
do not cheat [= proctor American English]
—invigilator noun
44. porter noun 1 [countable] someone whose job is to carry people's bags at railway
stations, airports etc

45. optometrist noun American English

someone who tests people's eyes and orders GLASSes for them

46. orthodontist noun a DENTIST whose job is to help teeth to grow straight when they have not
been growing correctly

47. salesman Noun a man whose job is to persuade people to buy his company's products

48. motorist Noun someone who drives a car

49. chauffeur Noun someone whose job is to drive a car for someone else

50. chauffeur verb 1 to drive a car for someone as your job

2 also chauffeur somebody ↔ around to drive someone in your car,
especially when you do not want to:
• I spent most of the day chauffeuring the kids around.

51. veterinarian noun American English someone who is trained to give medical care and
treatment to sick animals [= vetBritish English]

52. surgeon Noun a doctor who does operations in a hospital

53. optician Noun 1 British English someone who tests people's eyes and sells GLASSes in a
shop [= optometristAmerican English]
2 American English someone who makes LENSes forGLASSes

54. grocer Noun 1 someone who owns or works in a shop that sells food and other things
used in the home

55. blacksmith noun someone who makes and repairs things made of iron, especially
HORSESHOEs

56. Plumber Noun someone whose job is to repair water pipes, baths, toilets etc

57. stewardess Noun a woman whose job is to serve food and drinks to passengers on a plane
or ship

58. butler Noun the main male servant of a house

59. mechanic Noun 1 [countable] someone who is skilled at repairing motor vehicles and
machinery:
• a garage mechanic

60. goldsmith Noun someone who makes or sells things made from gold
61. ringmaster noun the person who introduces the performers and animals in a CIRCUS

62. pediatrician noun the American spelling of PAEDIATRICIAN

63. paediatrician noun a doctor who deals with children and their illnesses
64. tremendous Adjective 1 very big, fast, powerful etc:
• Suddenly, there was a tremendous bang, and the whole station
shook.
• She was making a tremendous effort to appear calm.
• She praised her husband for the tremendous support he had
given her.
• Sales have been tremendous so far this year.
• This plan could save us a tremendous amount of money.
2 excellent:
• She's got a tremendous voice, hasn't she?
65. defendant noun the person in a court of law who has been ACCUSED of doing something
illegal [↪ plaintiff; = prisoner AmE]
• We find the defendant not guilty.
66. prosecutor noun a lawyer who is trying to prove in a court of law that someone is guilty of
a crime
67. holster noun a leather object for carrying a small gun, that is worn on a belt

68. hoe Noun a garden tool with a long handle, used for removing WEEDs (=unwanted
plants) from the surface of the soil
69. perspiration Noun liquid that appears on your skin when you are hot or nervous [= sweat;
↪ antiperspirant]:
• He wiped the beads of perspiration (=drops) from his brow.

70. succeed verb to do what you tried or wanted to do:

• She wanted to be the first woman to climb Mount Everest, and
she almost succeeded.
succeed in doing something
• Scientists claim they have succeeded in finding a cure for cancer.
• Very few people succeed in losing weight and keeping it off.
! Do not say 'succeed to do'. Say 'succeed in doing': She succeeded in
persuading me (NOT succeeded to persuade me).
71. convince verb 1 to make someone feel certain that something is true:
• Her arguments didn't convince everyone, but changes were
made.
convince somebody (that)
• Baker had to convince jurors that his client had been nowhere
near the scene of the murder.
convince somebody of something
• The officials were eager to convince us of the safety of the
nuclear reactors.
2 to persuade someone to do something [= persuade]
convince somebody to do something
• I've been trying to convince Jean to come with me.

72. perseverance noun determination to keep trying to achieve something in spite of difficulties -
use this to show approval:
• It took perseverance to overcome his reading problems.

73. conceited Adjective someone who is conceited thinks they are very clever, skilful, beautiful
etc - used to show disapproval:
• You're the most conceited, selfish person I've ever known.

74. doubt noun a feeling of being not sure whether something is true or right
 • Ally was confident that we would be ready on time, but I had my
doubts.
doubt about
• Elizabeth had no doubts at all about his ability to do the job.
• The incident raises doubts about the safety of nuclear power.

75. doubt verb 1 to think that something may not be true or that it is unlikely:
• Kim never doubted his story.
doubt (that)
• I doubt we'll ever see him again.
doubt if/whether
• You can complain, but I doubt if it'll make any difference.
• 'Do you think there'll be any tickets left?' ' I doubt it (=I don't
think so).'
2 to not trust or have confidence in someone:
• I never doubted myself. I always knew I could play tennis at this
level.
• She loved him, and had never doubted him.
• I have no reason to doubt his word (=think that he is lying).

76. virtue noun 1 [uncountable] formal moral goodness of character and

behaviour [≠ vice]:
• Women have often been used as symbols of virtue.
2 [countable] a particular good quality in someone's character [≠ vice]:
• Among her many virtues are loyalty, courage, and truthfulness.

77. mute adjective 1 someone who is mute does not speak, or refuses to speak[= silent]:
• Billy continued to stand there, mute and defiant.

78. mute noun 1 a small piece of metal, rubber etc that you place over or into a musical
instrument to make it sound softer
2 old-fashioned someone who cannot speak

79. mute verb 1 formal to make the sound of something quieter, or make it disappear
completely:
• Excess noise can be reduced by muting alarms and telephones.
2 to make a musical instrument sound softer
3 formal to reduce the level of criticism, protest, discussion etc that is
happening:
• The incident so shocked all the students that it muted further
protest.

80. dumb adjective 1 informal stupid:

• What a dumb question.
• a bunch of dumb kids
• 'What is it?' I asked, playing dumb (=pretending to be stupid).
• She's no dumb blonde (=a pretty woman with blonde hair who
seems stupid).
2 unable to speak, because you are angry, surprised, shocked etc:
• He stared at the burnt-out car in dumb disbelief.
• She was struck dumb with terror.
3 old-fashioned someone who is dumb is not able to speak at all. Many
 people think that this use is offensive [↪ mute]

➔ deaf and dumb

atDEAF (1)

81. scald verb to burn your skin with hot liquid or steam:
• Don't scald yourself with that kettle!

82. Scald noun a burn on your skin caused by hot liquid or steam
83. Strain Noun 1WORRY
[uncountable and countable] worry that is caused by having to deal with
a problem or work too hard over a long period of time [↪ stress]:
• I couldn't look after him any more; the strain was too much for
me.
• Did you find the job a strain?
• the stresses and strains of police life
strain for
• The trial has been a terrible strain for both of us.
strain on
• It's quite a strain on me when he's drinking heavily.
put/place a strain on somebody
• The long working hours put a severe strain on employees.
under (a) strain
• I know you've been under a lot of strain lately.
crack/collapse/buckle etc under the strain (=become unable to deal with
a problem or work)
• I could see that she was beginning to crack under the strain.
2DIFFICULTY
[uncountable and countable] a difficulty or problem that is caused when
a person, relationship, organization, or system has too much to do or too
many problems to deal with
strain on
• The dry summer has further increased the strain on water
resources.
put/place (a) strain on something
• The flu epidemic has put a huge strain on the health service.
strain in
• The attack has led to strains in the relationship between the two
countries.
under (a) strain
• His marriage was under strain.
break/crack/collapse etc under the strain
• The party split under the strain.
3FORCE
[uncountable] a situation in which something is being pulled or pushed,
or is holding weight, and so might break or become damaged
strain on
• The strain on the cables supporting the bridge is enormous.
put/place (a) strain on something
• Some of these exercises put too much strain on the back
muscles.
• These four posts take the strain of the whole structure.
 break/snap/collapse etc under the strain
• The rope snapped under the strain.
4INJURY
[uncountable and countable] an injury to a muscle or part of your body
that is caused by using it too much:
• Long hours working at a computer can cause eye strain.
• The goalkeeper is still out of action with a knee strain.
5PLANT/ANIMAL
[countable] a type of animal, plant, or disease
strain of
• different strains of wheat
• a new strain of the flu virus

84. seize verb 1 to take hold of something suddenly and violently [= grab]:
Suddenly he seized my hand.
seize something from somebody
• Maggie seized the letter from her.
2 to take control of a place suddenly and quickly, using military force
seize power/control (of something)
• The rebels have seized power.
• A group of soldiers seized the airport.
3 if the police or government officers seize something, for example illegal
drugs, they take legal possession of it:
• 160,000 CDs were seized from illegal factories.
• All of my assets were seized, including my home.
4 to suddenly catch someone and make sure they cannot get away:
• The gunmen were seized at 1 a.m.

85. agile Adjective 1 able to move quickly and easily:

• Dogs are surprisingly agile.
2 someone who has an agile mind is able to think very quickly and
intelligently:
• He was physically strong and mentally agile.
—agility noun [uncountable]
• With surprising agility, Karl darted across the road.

86. Amble verb am‧ble [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]

to walk slowly in a relaxed way [= saunter]:
• An old man came out and ambled over for a chat.
—amble noun [singular]
• a pleasant amble by the river

87. Entrust verb to make someone responsible for doing something important, or for
taking care of someone
entrust something/somebody to somebody
• She entrusted her son's education to a private tutor.
be entrusted with something/somebody
• I was entrusted with the task of looking after the money.

88. dismount verb 1 [intransitive + from] to get off a horse, bicycle, or MOTORCYCLE [≠ mount]
2 [transitive] to take something, especially a gun, out of its base or
 support

89. descend verb 1 [intransitive and transitive] formal to move from a higher level to a
lower one [≠ ascend]:
• Our plane started to descend.
• I heard his footsteps descending the stairs.
descend to/from/into etc
• The path continues for some way before descending to Garsdale
Head.
! It is more usual to say go down or come down.
2 [intransitive] literary if darkness, silence, a feeling etc descends, it
becomes dark etc or you start to feel something, especially suddenly
descend on/upon/over
• Total silence descended on the room.
• An air of gloom descended over the party headquarters.
3 in descending order (of something)
numbers, choices etc that are in descending order are arranged from the
highest or most important to the lowest or least important:
• The hotels are listed in descending order of price.

90. ascend verb 1 [intransitive] formal to move up through the air [≠ descend]:
• The plane ascended rapidly.
2 [transitive] written to climb something or move to a higher
position[≠ descend]:
• Without a word, he began to ascend the stairs.
3 [intransitive] written to lead up to a higher position [≠ descend]:
• The road ascends steeply from the harbour.
4 [intransitive and transitive] formal to move to a more important or
powerful job.:
• The number of women decreases as you ascend the professional
hierarchy.

91. despite preposition 1 used to say that something happens or is true even though something
else might have prevented it [= in spite of]:
• Despite all our efforts to save the school, the authorities decided
to close it.
despite the fact (that)
• She went to Spain despite the fact that her doctor had told her to
rest.

92. Tang noun tang [singular]

a taste or smell that is pleasantly strong or sharp:
• The beer had a sharp, bitter tang.
tang of
• the salty tang of the sea
• the tang of fresh lemons
—tangy adjective:
• tangy orange cake

93. alpine noun relating to the Alps (=a mountain range in central Europe) or to
mountains in general:
 • breathtaking alpine scenery
• alpine flowers
• alpine skiing

94. Wretched adjective 1 someone who is wretched is very unhappy or ill, and you feel sorry for
them:
• the poor, wretched girl
2 if you feel wretched, you feel guilty and unhappy because of something
bad that you have done:
• Guy felt wretched about it now.
3 [only before noun] making you feel annoyed or angry:
• Where is that wretched boy?
4 literary extremely bad or unpleasant [= miserable]:
• I was shocked to see their wretched living conditions.

95. intrigued adjective very interested in something because it seems strange or mysterious
intrigued by/with
• He was intrigued by her reaction.
intrigued to know/learn etc
• She was intrigued to know what he planned to do next.

96. intrigue verb 1 [transitive] if something intrigues you, it interests you a lot because it
seems strange or mysterious:
• Other people's houses always intrigued her.

97. distress verb 1 a feeling of extreme unhappiness:

• Luke's behaviour caused his parents great distress.
in distress
• The girl was crying and clearly in distress.
2 suffering and problems caused by a lack of money, food etc:
• acute financial distress
in distress
• charities that aid families in distress

98. distress verb to make someone feel very upset:

• The dream had distressed her greatly.

99. conclude verb 1 [transitive] to decide that something is true after considering all the
information you have [↪ conclusion]
conclude that
• The report concluded that the school should be closed
immediately.
conclude from something that
ichardson concluded from his studies that equality between the sexes is
still a long way off.
2 [transitive] formal to complete something you have been doing,
especially for a long time:
• When the investigation is concluded, the results will be sent to
the US Attorney's office.
• Francis, having concluded his business with James, left for
Miami.
3 [intransitive and transitive] to end something such as a meeting, book,
 event, or speech by doing or saying one final thing
conclude with
• Each chapter concludes with a short summary.

100. Confess verb 1 to admit, especially to the police, that you have done something wrong
or illegal [↪ confession]
confess to (doing) something
• Edwards confessed to being a spy for the KGB.
• Occasionally people confess to crimes they haven't committed
just to get attention.
confess (that)
• My husband confessed he'd been having an affair with a woman
in his office.
• Torture was used and Fian confessed.
2 to admit something that you feel embarrassed about [↪ confession]
confess (that)
• Marsha confessed that she didn't really know how to work the
computer.
confess to (doing) something
• He confessed to having a secret admiration for his opponent.
I (have to/must) confess (=used when admitting something you feel
slightly embarrassed about)
• I must confess I don't visit my parents as often as I should.
3 to tell a priest or God about the wrong things you have done so that
you can be forgiven [↪ confession]:
• He knelt and confessed his sin.

101. clasp verb 1 to hold someone or something tightly, closing your fingers or arms
around them [= grip]:
• A baby monkey clasps its mother's fur tightly.
clasp your hands/arms around/behind something
• Fenella leaned forward, clasping her hands around her knees.
• She stood with her hands clasped tightly together.
clasp somebody/something in your hands/arms
• She clasped the photograph in her hands.
clasp somebody to your chest/bosom (=hold someone tightly with your
arms)
2 to fasten something with a clasp

102. repentant Adjec tive sorry for something wrong that you have done [≠ unrepentant]
103. astounded Adjec tive very surprised or shocked [= astonished]
astounded by/at
• She was astounded by his arrogance.

104. spectacular 1 very impressive:

• a mountainous area with spectacular scenery
• a spectacular success
2 very sudden, unexpected, or extreme:
• The news caused a spectacular fall in the stock market.
—spectacularly adverb
105. thrive thrive past tense thrived or throve past
participle thrived [intransitive]formal
to become very successful or very strong and healthy:
• plants that thrive in tropical rainforests
• a business which managed to thrive during a recession

thrive on something

phrasal verb
to enjoy or be successful in a particular situation, especially one that
other people find difficult or unpleasant:

I wouldn't want that much pressure, but she seems to thrive on it.

106. inquire in‧quire , enquire [intransitive and transitive] formal

to ask someone for information:
• 'Why are you doing that?' the boy inquired.
inquire about
• I am writing to inquire about your advertisement in The Times.
inquire whether/why/how etc
• The waiter inquired whether we would like to sit near the
window.
inquire something of somebody
• 'Where's the station?' she inquired of a passer-by.
• Toby would have liked to inquire further (=ask more questions).

107. Conversation noun an informal talk in which people exchange news, feelings, and thoughts
108. defiant adjective clearly refusing to do what someone tells you to do:
• Mark smashed a fist on the desk in a defiant gesture.
—defiantly adverb
109. companion noun 1 someone you spend a lot of time with, especially a friend:
• For ten years he had been her constant companion.
• His dog became his closest companion.
• a travelling companion
dinner/drinking companion

110. invalid Adjective 1 a contract, ticket, claim etc that is invalid is not legally or officially
acceptable [≠ valid]:
• Without the right date stamped on it, your ticket will be invalid.
2 an argument, reason etc that is invalid is not based on true facts or
clear ideas, and lacks good judgment [≠ valid]

111. Invalid Noun someone who cannot look after themselves because of illness, old age, or
injury:
• I resented being treated as an invalid.
—invalid adjective [only before noun]

112. amaze verb to surprise someone very much [= astonish]:

• Dave amazed his friends by suddenly getting married.
it amazes somebody how/what etc
• It still amazes me how much she has improved.
amaze that
• It never ceased to amaze him that women were attracted to
Sam.
113. amazed adjective very surprised:
amazed, astonished, astounded, dumbfounded,staggered, flabbergaste
d, gobsmacked
114. phantom Noun 1 the image of a dead person or strange thing that someone thinks they
see [= ghost]
2 something that exists only in your imagination

115. Summon verb 1 to order someone to come to a place:

• Robert summoned the waiter for the bill.
summon somebody to something
• The president summoned Taylor to Washington.
summon somebody to do something

He was summoned to attend an emergency meeting.

2 to officially order someone to come to a court of law:
• Hugh was summoned to appear before the magistrate.

116. radiant adjective ra‧di‧ant

1 full of happiness and love, in a way that shows in your face and makes
you look attractive:
• She looked radiant in a white silk dress.
• a radiant smile
radiant with
• They were both radiant with happiness.
2 [only before noun] literary very bright:
• a lovely day with clear blue skies and radiant sun
3 [only before noun] technical radiant heat or energy is sent out in the
form of waves
—radiantly adverb:
• She looked radiantly beautiful.

117. urge verb 1 to strongly suggest that someone does something

urge somebody to do something
• I got a note from Moira urging me to get in touch.
urge that
• He urged that a referendum should be held by December.
urge something on/upon somebody
• I have urged upon him the need for extreme secrecy.
• The charity urged quick action.
2 [always + adverb/preposition] formal to make someone or something
move by shouting, pushing them etc
urge somebody/something forward
• He urged her forward, his hand under her elbow.
urge somebody into/towards something
• She began urging him towards the front door.

urge somebody ↔ on

phrasal verb
to encourage a person or animal to work harder, go faster etc:
 • Urged on by the crowd, the Italian team scored two more goals

118. Urge noun a strong wish or need [= desire]

urge to do something
• He could no longer resist the urge to go and see Amanda.
• Suddenly she had an overwhelming urge to be with her son.

119. Speechless Noun unable to speak because you feel very angry, upset etc
speechless with
• His comments left me speechless with rage.

120. announce Verb 1 to officially tell people about something, especially about a plan or a
decision:
• They announced their engagement in 'The Times'.
announce a decision/intention/plan
• The government has announced plans to create 10,000 new jobs.
announce that
• A government spokesman announced that the hostages had
been released.
• At the end of their meeting, it was announced that an
agreement had been reached.
announce something to somebody
• Cordon announced his resignation to staff members on
Wednesday.

121. exclaim Verb to say something suddenly and loudly because you are surprised, angry,
or excited:
• 'No!' she exclaimed in shock.

122. rapture noun 1 literary great excitement and happiness:

• The boys gazed up at him in rapture.
2 be in raptures/go into raptures
British English formal to express or feel great pleasure and happiness
about something
be in raptures/go into raptures over/about/at
• She went into raptures about the climate, the food, the spring
flowers.

123. Miracle noun 1 something very lucky or very good that happens which you did not
expect to happen or did not think was possible:
• It's a miracle you weren't killed!
• By some miracle, we managed to catch the plane.
• the economic miracle of the 1950s.
• She's our miracle baby.
small/minor miracle (=something lucky but not very important)
• The fence's survival in these winds seems like a minor miracle.
2 an action or event believed to be caused by God, which is impossible
according to the ordinary laws of nature:
• Do you believe in miracles?

124. enchanted adjective 1 someone who is enchanted with someone or something likes them very
much
enchanted with
• She was enchanted with the flowers you sent her.
 2 an enchanted object or place has been changed by magic so that it has
special powers [↪ bewitched]:
• an enchanted castle

125. enchant verb 1 formal if something that you see or hear enchants you, you like it very
much:
• I was enchanted by the way she smiled.
• The garden enchanted her.

126. truant noun 1 a student who stays away from school without permission:
• persistent truants
2 play truant British English to stay away from school without
permission [= skive BrE; = play hooky AmE]
—truant verb [intransitive]
—truant adjective American English
• Nick was truant seven days this month.

127. mock verb 1 [intransitive and transitive] formal to laugh at someone or something
and try to make them look stupid by saying unkind things about them or
by copying them [= make fun of]:
• Opposition MPs mocked the government's decision.
• 'Running away?' he mocked.
• It's easy for you to mock, but we put a lot of work into this play.

128. dedicated verb 1 to give all your attention and effort to one particular thing
dedicate yourself/your life to something
• The actress now dedicates herself to children's charity work.
2 to say at the beginning of a book or film, or before a piece of music,
that it has been written, made, or performed for someone that you love
or respect
dedicate something to somebody
• The book was dedicated to her husband.
3 to state in an official ceremony that a building will be given someone's
name in order to show respect for them
4 to use a place, time, money etc only for a particular purpose
dedicate something to/for something
• The company dedicated $50,000 for the study.

129. sympathetic adjective 1 caring and feeling sorry about someone's problems:
• a sympathetic friend
• a sympathetic attitude
sympathetic to/towards
• I'm sympathetic to parents who are worried about what their
children see on television.
• We hope always to provide a friendly sympathetic
ear (=someone willing to listen to someone else's problems).

130. Meticulous adjective very careful about small details, and always making sure that everything
is done correctly:
• He kept meticulous accounts.
• Their planning and preparation were meticulous.
• He cleaned the tools with meticulous care.
• The book describes his journey in meticulous detail.

131. attentive adjective at‧ten‧tive

1 listening to or watching someone carefully because you are
 interested[≠ inattentive]:
• an attentive audience
2 making sure someone has everything they need
attentive to
• Customers want companies that are attentive to their needs.
—attentively adverb
—attentiveness noun [uncountable]

132. accompany verb ac‧com‧pa‧ny past tense and past participle accompanied, present
participle accompanying, third person singular accompanies [transitive]
1 to go somewhere with someone:
• Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
• Wherever her husband went, she would accompany him.
! In spoken English, it is more usual to use go/come with He came with
me to the airport.
2 to play a musical instrument while someone sings a song or plays the
main tune:

Daniel wanted Liz to accompany him on violin.

133. pastures noun 1 land or a field that is covered with grass and is used for cattle, sheep
etc to feed on:
• large areas of rough upland pasture
• the lush pastures of the southern counties
3 pastures new/greener pastures
a new and exciting or better job, place, or activity - used humorously:
• I'd like to say goodbye to Paul who leaves us for pastures new.

134. hamlet Noun a very small village

135. recluse Noun someone who chooses to live alone, and does not like seeing or talking to
other people:
• She became a recluse after her two sons were murdered.

136. swelter verb to feel extremely hot and uncomfortable:

• Crowds of shoppers sweltered in the summer heat.

137. insist verb 1 to say firmly and often that something is true, especially when other
people think it may not be true
insist (that)
• Mike insisted that he was right.
His friends insisted he had no connection with drugs.
insist on
• She kept insisting on her innocence.
2 to demand that something should happen:
• Stay for supper - I insist!
insist (that)
• They insisted that everyone should come to the party.
• He insisted I should take a taxi.
• We insist on the highest standards of cleanliness in the hotel.

138. magnificent adjective very good or beautiful, and very impressive:

• a magnificent performance
• The twelve-mile coastline has magnificent scenery.
• She looked magnificent in a long red dress.

139. brusque adjective using very few words in a way that seems rude [= abrupt]:
 • a brusque manner

—brusquely adverb
—brusqueness noun [uncountable]

140. contented adjective happy and satisfied because your life is good [≠ discontented]:
• I felt warm, cosy and contented.
• They lapsed into a contented silence
—contentedly adverb:
• He smiled contentedly.

141. luxury noun 1 [uncountable] very great comfort and pleasure, such as you get from
expensive food, beautiful houses, cars etc
in luxury
• She stole to keep her boyfriend in luxury.
• He was leading a life of luxury in Australia.
luxury hotel/car/home etc (=expensive and large)
• We stayed in a five-star luxury hotel.
• The dress is lambswool - pure luxury.

142. sophisticated
1 having a lot of experience of life, and good judgment about socially
important things such as art, fashion etc:
• a sophisticated, witty American
• Clarissa's hair was swept up into a sophisticated style.
2 a sophisticated machine, system, method etc is very well designed and
very advanced, and often works in a complicated way:
• sophisticated software
• a highly sophisticated weapons system
3 having a lot of knowledge and experience of difficult or complicated
subjects and therefore able to understand them well:
• British voters have become much more sophisticated.

143. amusing adjective funny and entertaining:

• I don't find his jokes at all amusing.
• a highly amusing (=very amusing) film

144. listless adjective feeling tired and not interested in things:

• The heat was making me listless.

145. protestation Noun a strong statement saying that something is true or not true, when other
people believe the opposite
protestation of
• protestations of innocence

146. incessant adjective in‧ces‧sant [usually before noun]

continuing without stopping [= constant]:
• The child's incessant talking started to irritate her.
• incessant rain
—incessantly adverb:
• They quarreled incessantly.

147. sensible Adjective 1 reasonable, practical, and showing good judgment:

• She seems very sensible.
• sensible advice
• It's sensible to keep a note of your passport number.
 • Moving house seemed like the sensible thing to do.
! A sensible person is reasonable and shows good judgement. A sensitive
person is easily upset, or understands other people's feelings when they
are upset.
148. widower noun a man whose wife has died and who has not married again
149. Widow noun a woman whose husband has died and who has not married again:
• an elderly widow who was attacked and robbed last month
• a wealthy widow

150. miser noun someone who is not generous and does not like spending money
151. spendthrift noun someone who spends money carelessly, even when they do not have a
lot of it
152. Absent- Adjective likely to forget things, especially because you are thinking about
minded something else [= forgetful]:
• Grandad's been getting rather absent-minded lately.

153. restless adjective 1 unwilling to keep still or stay where you are, especially because you are
nervous or bored [= fidgety]
become/grow/get restless
• The children had been indoors all day, and were getting restless.
2 unwilling to stay in one place, and always wanting new experiences:
• After a few weeks in Marseille, I grew restless and decided to
move on.

154. Wise Adjective 1DECISION/IDEA ETC

wise decisions and actions are sensible and based on good
judgment [= sensible]
it is wise to do something
• It's wise to check whether the flight times have changed before
you leave for the airport.
be wise to do something
• I think you were wise to leave when you did.
• a wise precaution
• I don't think that would be a very wise move (=not be a sensible
thing to do).
2PERSON
someone who is wise makes good decisions, gives good advice etc,
especially because they have a lot of experience of life:
• a wise old man
• At the time I thought he was wonderful, but I'm older and wiser
now.
• As a manager, Sanford was wise in the ways of (=knew a lot
about)company politics.

155. comedian Noun 1 someone whose job is to tell jokes and make people laugh:
• He started as a stand-up comedian (=someone who tells jokes
to an audience).
2 someone who is amusing:
• You'll like Matt. He's a real comedian.

156. childish Adjective 1 [usually before noun] relating to or typical of a child [≠ adult]:
• a high childish laugh
• her childish excitement
2 behaving in a silly way that makes you seem much younger than you
 really are - used to show disapproval [= immature; ≠ mature]:
• Don't be so childish!
• I wish politicians would stop this childish name-calling.
! This word is generally used to suggest someone's behaviour is silly or
immature. To talk about positive qualities connected with children, use
childlike.
—childishly adverb
—childishness noun [uncountable]

157. mature adjective 1SENSIBLE

someone, especially a child or young person, who is mature behaves in a
sensible and reasonable way, as you would expect an adult to
behave [≠ immature]:
• Laura is very mature for her age.
• We're mature enough to disagree on this issue but still respect
each other.
2FULLY GROWN
fully grown and developed:
• Mature apple trees are typically 20 feet tall.
• The new leader wants his country to be seen as a mature
democracy.
• The human brain isn't fully mature until about age 25.
physically/emotionally/sexually mature
• Most girls are sexually mature by about 14 years of age.

158. obedient Adjective 1 always doing what you are told to do, or what the law, a rule etc says
you must do [≠ disobedient]:
• an obedient child
obedient to
• citizens who are obedient to the law

159. capable adjective 1 capable of (doing) something

having the qualities or ability needed to do something:
• I don't think he's capable of murder.
• The company isn't capable of handling an order that large.
• I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself, thank you!
2 able to do things well:
• a strong, capable woman
3 capable hands
someone who is able to do something well:
• Helen was put in the capable hands of hair stylist Daniel Herson.
—capably adverb

160. trustworthy adjective someone who is trustworthy can be trusted and depended
on[= dependable]
161. arrogant adjective behaving in an unpleasant or rude way because you think you are more
important than other people:
• He was unbearably arrogant.
• an arrogant attitude

162. frail adjective 1 someone who is frail is weak and thin because they are old or ill:
• frail elderly people
 • her frail health
frail body/physique
mentally/physically frail
2 something that is frail is easily damaged or broken [= fragile]:
• It seemed impossible that these frail boats could survive in such
a storm.
• the country's frail economy

163. approachable adjective friendly and easy to talk to [≠ unapproachable]:

• The head teacher is very approachable.

164. bland adjective 1 without any excitement, strong opinions, or special character [= dull]:
• a few bland comments
2 food that is bland has very little taste:
• a bland diet
—blandly adverb
—blandness noun [uncountable]

165. cumbersome adjective 1 a process or system that is cumbersome is slow and difficult:
• Doctors are complaining that the system is cumbersome and
bureaucratic.
• cumbersome procedures
2 heavy and difficult to move:
• a large cumbersome machine
3 words or phrases that are cumbersome are long or complicated

166. boisterous adjective someone, especially a child, who is boisterous makes a lot of noise and
has a lot of energy:
• a class of boisterous five year olds

167. counsellor noun someone whose job is to help and support people with problems:
• Are you seeing a counsellor?

168. blush Verb 1 to become red in the face, usually because you are embarrassed:

Wilson saw she was watching him and blushed.

Joan blushed at the unexpected compliment.

Kate blushed scarlet.

2 to feel ashamed or embarrassed about something
blush to do something

I blush to admit that I haven't read it.

169. Sole noun sole

1 [countable] the bottom surface of your foot, especially the part you
walk or stand on:

The soles of his feet were caked in mud.

2 [countable] flat bottom part of a shoe, not including the heel:

the soles of her shoes

 thick-soled/leather-soled etc (=having soles that are thick, made of
leather etc)

170. attempt noun 1 an act of trying to do something, especially something difficult

attempt to do something

All attempts to control inflation have failed.

The protesters made no attempt to resist arrest.

his first unsuccessful attempt to become an MP

In an attempt to diffuse the tension I suggested that we break off

for lunch.
attempt at (doing) something

her feeble attempt at humour

at the first/second etc attempt

She passed her driving test at the first attempt.

assassination/suicide/murder attempt

171. Attempt Verb 1 to try to do something, especially something difficult

attempt to do something
• In this chapter I will attempt to explain what led up to the
revolution.
• Weather conditions prevented them from attempting the jump.
2 attempted murder/suicide/rape etc
an act of trying to kill or harm someone, kill yourself etc:
• He pleaded guilty to attempted murder.

172. shrug verb shrug past tense and past participle shrugged, present
participleshrugging [intransitive and transitive]
to raise and then lower your shoulders in order to show that you do not
know something or do not care about something:
• I just shrugged my shoulders and ignored him.
• Melanie shrugged and walked away.

173. glimpse noun 1 a quick look at someone or something that does not allow you to see
them clearly
glimpse of
• They caught a glimpse of a dark green car.
brief/fleeting/quick glimpse (=a very short look)
• We only had a fleeting glimpse of the river.
2 a short experience of something that helps you begin to understand it
glimpse of/into/at
• a glimpse of what life might be like in the future

174. idol noun 1 someone or something that you love or admire very much [= hero]
idol of
• She is the idol of countless teenagers.
• She had made an idol of her husband.

a pop idol
 2 a picture or STATUE that is worshipped as a god

175. elbow verb to push someone with your elbows, especially in order to move past
them
elbow your way through/past/into etc something (=move through a
group of people by pushing past them)
• He elbowed his way to the bar and ordered a beer.
• She pushed through the crowd, elbowing people out of the way.

176. nominate verb 1 to officially suggest someone or something for an important position,
duty, or prize
nominate somebody/something for something
• Ferraro was the first woman to be nominated for the job of vice
president.
nominate somebody/something as something
• She has been nominated as Best Actress for her part in the film
'Forever Together'.
nominate somebody to do something
• I nominate John to represent us at the meeting.
2 to give someone a particular job
nominate somebody as something
• Next year Mr Jenks will retire and Mr Broadbent will be
nominated as his replacement.
nominate somebody to something
• She was nominated to the legislative council.

177. Trim verb 1CUT

to make something look neater by cutting small pieces off it:
• Pete was trimming the lawn around the roses.
• I have my hair trimmed every six weeks.
trim something away/off
• Trim away any excess glue with a knife.
2REDUCE
to reduce a number, amount, or the size of something:
• We need to trim costs by £500m.
• The bill would trim the number of immigrants to the US.
trim something from/off something
• The company trimmed £46,000 from its advertising budget.

178. uneasy adjective 1 worried or slightly afraid because you think that something bad might
happen
uneasy about
• 90% of those questioned felt uneasy about nuclear power.
2 used to describe a period of time when people have agreed to stop
fighting or arguing, but which is not really calm
uneasy peace/truce/alliance/compromise
• The treaty restored an uneasy peace to the country.
3 not comfortable, peaceful, or relaxed:
• She eventually fell into an uneasy sleep.

179. pinafore noun 1 also pinafore dress British English a dress that does not cover your
arms and under which you wear a shirt or BLOUSE [= jumper American
 English]
180. glum noun if someone is glum, they feel unhappy and do not talk a lot [= gloomy]:
• Anna looked glum.
• After dinner, Kate lapsed into a glum silence.
—glumly adverb:
• She stared glumly at her plate.
—glumness noun [uncountable]

181. gloomy adjective 1 making you feel that things will not improve [= depressing]:
• The report paints a gloomy picture of the economy.
2 sad because you think the situation will not improve [= depressed]:
• Anne dismissed these gloomy thoughts from her mind.
3 dark, especially in a way that makes you feel sad:
• It was a gloomy room with one small window.
—gloomily adverb

182. relieve verb 1PAIN

to reduce someone's pain or unpleasant feelings [↪ relief]:
• Drugs helped to relieve the pain.
relieve tension/pressure/stress etc
• Some people eat for comfort, to relieve their anxieties.
2PROBLEM
to make a problem less difficult or serious:
• programs aimed at relieving unemployment
3REPLACE SOMEBODY
to replace someone when they have completed their duty or when they
need a rest:
• The guard will be relieved at midnight.

183. relieved adjective feeling happy because you are no longer worried about
something[↪ relief]
greatly/immensely/extremely etc relieved
• She looked immensely relieved when she heard the news.
relieved to see/hear/know something
• His mother was relieved to see him happy again.
relieved (that)
• I felt relieved that Ben would be there.
• A relieved smile spread over his face.

184. snorkel noun a tube that allows someone who is swimming to breathe air under water:

185. elderly adjective 1 used as a polite way of saying that someone is old or becoming old:
• a well-dressed elderly woman
2 the elderly
people who are old:
• a retirement village for the elderly

186. litterbug noun someone who drops paper, cans etc on the ground in public places
187. rascal noun ras‧cal [countable]
1 a child who behaves badly but whom you still like
2 old-fashioned a dishonest man [= scoundrel]

188. Vow Verb 1 to make a serious promise to yourself or someone else [= promise]
vow to do something
• Supporters have vowed to continue the protest until Adams is
released.
vow (that)
• I vowed that I would never drink again.
2 formal to make a religious promise that you will do something for God,
the church etc

189. Courageous adjective brave:

• He was wrong, and courageous enough to admit it.
• a courageous decision
—courageously adverb

190. groom verb 1 [transitive] to clean and brush an animal, especially a horse
2 [transitive] to prepare someone for an important job or position in
society by training them over a long period
groom somebody for something
• Tim was being groomed for a managerial position.
groom somebody to do something
• Clare's been groomed to take her father's place when he retires.
3 [transitive] to take care of your own appearance by keeping your hair
and clothes clean and tidy:
• Her hair is always perfectly groomed.
➔ WELL-GROOMED

191. hazard noun 1 something that may be dangerous, or cause accidents or problems
hazard to/for
• Polluted water sources are a hazard to wildlife.
• That pile of rubbish is a fire hazard (=something that is likely to
cause a fire).
health/safety hazard
• the health hazard posed by lead in petrol

192. task noun 1 a piece of work that must be done, especially one that is difficult or
unpleasant or that must be done regularly [= job]
193. therapy noun 1 [uncountable and countable] the treatment of an illness or injury over a
fairly long period of time:
• new drug therapies
• radiation therapy for cancer treatment
2 [uncountable] the treatment or examination of someone's mental
problems by talking to them for a long time about their
feelings[= psychotherapy]
in therapy
• Rob was in therapy for several years.
• a therapy group

194. Consume verb 1 to use time, energy, goods etc [↪ consumption]:

 Only 27% of the paper we consume is recycled.
• A smaller vehicle will consume less fuel.
2 formal to eat or drink something [↪ consumer, consumption]:
• Alcohol may not be consumed on the premises.
3 literary if a feeling or idea consumes you, it affects you very strongly, so
that you cannot think about anything else:
• She was scared by the depression which threatened to consume
her.
be consumed with something
• He was consumed with guilt after the accident.

195. dairy noun 1 a place on a farm where milk is kept and butter and cheese are made
2 a company which sells milk and sometimes makes other things from
milk, such as cheese
3 dairy products/produce
milk, butter, cheese etc

196. domesticated adjective 1 domesticated animals are able to work for people or live with them as
pets
2 someone who is domesticated enjoys spending time at home and doing
work in the home:
• Ray's very domesticated and even likes baking cakes.

197. Shrewd adjective 1 good at judging what people or situations are really like:
• Malcolm is a shrewd businessman.
• She was shrewd enough to guess who was responsible.
• Capra looked at her with shrewd eyes.
2 well judged and likely to be right:
• a shrewd decision
• Bridget has a shrewd idea of what will sell.
—shrewdly adverb:
• 'Something tells me you've already decided,' he said shrewdly.
—shrewdness noun [uncountable]

198. clarification noun clar‧i‧fi‧ca‧tion [uncountable and countable] formal

the act of making something clearer or easier to understand, or an
explanation that makes something clearer:
• There have been a number of official changes and clarifications.
clarification on/of
• Email us if you require further clarification on how to order.

199. hesitate verb 1 [intransitive] to pause before saying or doing something because you
are nervous or not sure:
• Kay hesitated for a moment and then said 'yes'.
hesitate about/over
• He was still hesitating over whether to leave or not.
2 don't hesitate to do something
used to tell someone that it is correct or right for them to do something
and they do not have to worry about offending anyone:
• Don't hesitate to contact me if you need any more information.
—hesitatingly adverb
200. adapt verb 1 [intransitive and transitive] to gradually change your behaviour and
attitudes in order to be successful in a new situation
adapt to
• The children are finding it hard to adapt to the new school.
• flowers which are well adapted to harsh winters
• The ability to adapt is a definite asset in this job.
adapt yourself/itself etc (to something)
• How do these insects adapt themselves to new environments?

201. Annual adjective 1 happening once a year:

• The school trip has become an annual event.
annual report/meeting/conference
2 based on or calculated over a period of one year
annual budget/income/cost etc
• a household with an annual income of $60,000
—annually adverb:
• The jazz festival is held annually in July.

202. climate noun 1 [uncountable and countable] the typical weather conditions in a
particular area:
• Los Angeles' warm, dry climate
climate change (=a permanent change in weather conditions)
2 [countable] an area with particular weather conditions:
• These flowers will not grow in cold climates.

203. current noun 1 a continuous movement of water in a river, lake, or sea [↪ tide]
ocean/sea/tidal etc current
• Strong currents can be very dangerous for swimmers.
2 a continuous movement of air:
• Some birds use warm air currents to help them fly.
current of
• currents of warm air rising from the plain
3 a flow of electricity through a wire:
• an electrical current

204. current noun happening or existing now:

• the current President
• In its current state, the car is worth £1,000.

205. nutrients Noun a chemical or food that provides what is needed for plants or animals to
live and grow:
• The plant absorbs nutrients from the soil.

206. detergent noun a liquid or powder used for washing clothes, dishes etc
207. Fortnight noun two weeks:
• a fortnight's holiday
• in a fortnight's time
• a fortnight ago

208. illustration noun 1 [countable] a picture in a book, article etc, especially one that helps you
to understand it:
• The book contains 62 pages of illustrations.

209. roam verb 1 [intransitive and transitive] to walk or travel, usually for a long time,
 with no clear purpose or direction [↪ wander]
roam over/around/about etc
• The dogs are allowed to roam around.
• Chickens and geese roam freely in the back yard.
• You shouldn't let your children roam the streets.
roam the countryside/desert/forests etc
• Wild sheep roam the hills.
2 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] if your eyes roam
over something, you look slowly at all parts of it:
• Her eyes roamed the room.
roam over
• His eyes roamed over the bookshelves.

210. Sociable Adjective someone who is sociable is friendly and enjoys being with other
people[≠ unsociable]:
• a pleasant, sociable couple

211. locate verb 1 [transitive] to find the exact position of something:

• We couldn't locate the source of the radio signal.
2 be located in/near etc something
to be in a particular position or place [= be situated]:
• The business is located right in the center of town.

212. gorgeous adjective 1 extremely beautiful or attractive:

• 'What do you think of my new flatmate?' 'He's absolutely
gorgeous!'
• You look gorgeous, Maria.
➔ see usage note BEAUTIFUL
2 extremely pleasant or enjoyable [= lovely]:
• a gorgeous cake
• The hotel room had a gorgeous view.
Gorgeous is used mostly in spoken English
213. studious adjective spending a lot of time studying and reading:
• a quiet, studious young man

214. vacant Adjective 1 a vacant seat, building, room or piece of land is empty and available for
someone to use:
• Only a few apartments were still vacant.
• There was only a vacant lot (=empty unused area of land in a
city)where her house used to be.
2 formal a job or position in an organization that is vacant is available for
someone to start doing
fall vacant British English (=become vacant)
• He was offered the position of headmaster when it fell vacant.
situations vacant British English (=the part of a newspaper where jobs
are advertised)

215. Hit verb 1TOUCH SOMEBODY/SOMETHING HARD

[transitive] to touch someone or something quickly and hard with your
hand, a stick etc:
• He raised the hammer and hit the bell.
hit somebody/something with something
• The robbers hit him over the head with a baseball bat.
2CRASH INTO SOMETHING
[transitive] to move into something or someone quickly and with force:
• The tanks exploded as the plane hit the ground.
• He was hit by a car.
3HURT YOURSELF
[transitive] to move a part of your body quickly against something
accidentally, causing pain [= bang]:
• The ceiling's low, so be careful you don't hit your head.
hit something on/against something
• She slipped and hit her head on the sidewalk.
4SPORT
[transitive]
a) if you hit a ball or other object, you make it move forward quickly by
hitting it with a BAT, stick etc [= strike]:
• Hit the ball as hard as you can.
b) to get points by hitting a ball in a game such as BASEBALL orCRICKET:
• Last year, Griffey hit 49 home runs.
5PRESS
[transitive] informal to press a part in a machine, car, etc to make it
work:
• Maria hit the brakes just in time.
6ATTACK
[transitive] to attack something or wound someone with a bomb, bullet
etc:
• Our ship was badly hit and sank within minutes.
• A second shot hit her in the back.
• The bomb failed to hit its target.
7AFFECT BADLY
[intransitive and transitive] if something bad hits a place or a person, it
suddenly happens and affects people badly:
• The village has been hit by a devastating drought.
• Hurricane Louis is expected to hit at the weekend.
be badly/severely/hard hit
• The company has been hard hit by the drop in consumer
confidence.
• The south of the country is the worst hit by the recession.
8HAVE PROBLEMS
[transitive] to experience trouble, problems etc
hit a snag/problems/a bad patch etc
• My father hit a bad patch, he had to sell the house.
9REACH A LEVEL/NUMBER
[transitive] to reach a particular level or number:
• Sales have hit the 1 million mark.
hit a peak/an all-time high etc
• Earnings hit a peak in the early 1980s.
hit rock-bottom/an all-time low etc
• Oil prices have hit rock-bottom.
10REALIZE
[transitive] if a fact hits you, you suddenly realize its importance and feel
surprised or shocked:
• It's impossible to pinpoint a moment when it hit me that I was 'a
 success'.
• He was gone before they knew what had hit them (=realized
what had happened).
11SMELL/SIGHT ETC
[transitive] if a smell or sight hits you, you suddenly smell or see it:
• The smell of stale smoke hit him as he entered.

216. origins noun 1 also origins [plural] the place or situation in which something begins to
exist
origin of
• a new theory to explain the origins of the universe
in origin
• Most coughs are viral in origin.
• The word is French in origin.
• The tradition has its origins in the Middle Ages.
• old folk tales of unknown origin
country/place of origin (=where something came from)
• All meat should be clearly labelled with its country of origin.
2 also origins [plural] the country, race, or type of family which someone
comes from [↪ extraction]
of French/German/Asian etc origin
• Two thirds of the pupils are of Asian origin.
• The form asks for information about the person's ethnic origin.
• Immigrants rarely return to their country of origin.
• She never forgot her humble origins (=low class or social
position).

217. Usher Verb to help someone to get from one place to another, especially by showing
them the way
usher somebody into/to something
• He ushered her into the room.
usher somebody in
• She stood back and ushered him in.

usher in ↔ something

phrasal verb
to cause something new to start, or to be at the start of something new:
• The discovery of oil ushered in an era of employment and
prosperity.

218. Usher noun 1 someone who shows people to their seats at a theatre, cinema,
wedding etc
2 British English someone who works in a law court whose job is to guide
people in and out of the court rooms

219. activate verb to make an electrical system or chemical process start

working[≠ deactivate]:
• Cooking fumes may activate the alarm.
• The yeast's growth is activated by sugar and warmth.

220. highlight verb 1 to make a problem or subject easy to notice so that people pay
 attention to it:
• Your resume should highlight your skills and achievements.
2 to mark written words with a special coloured pen, or in a different
colour on a computer:
• Use the cursor to highlight the name of the document you want
to print.
3 to make some parts of your hair a lighter colour than the rest

221. Highlight Noun 1 [countable] the most important, interesting, or enjoyable part of
something such as a holiday, performance, or sports competition
highlight of
• That weekend in Venice was definitely the highlight of our trip.
highlight from
• At 11.30 we'll be showing highlights from the Third Round of the
FA Cup.
2 highlights
[plural] areas of hair that have been made a lighter colour than the rest

222. Advise verb 1 [intransitive and transitive] to tell someone what you think they should
do, especially when you know more than they do about something:
• She needed someone to advise her.
• 'Make sure that you keep the documents in a safe place,' Otley
advised him.
advise somebody to do something
• Evans advised him to leave London.
• You are strongly advised to take out medical insurance when
visiting China.
advise somebody against (doing) something
• I'd advise you against saying anything to the press.
advise that
• Experts advise that sunscreen be reapplied every one to two
hours.
advise caution/patience/restraint etc (=advise people to be careful,
patient etc)
• The makers advise extreme caution when handling this material.

223. rash verb if you are rash, you do things too quickly, without thinking carefully
about whether they are sensible or not [↪ foolish]:
• Please Jessie, don't do anything rash.
• Don't go making any rash decisions about your future!
It was rather rash of you to lend them your car.
—rashly adverb:
• I rashly agreed to look after the children.
—rashness noun [uncountable]

224. Rash Noun 1 a lot of red spots on someone's skin, caused by an illness:
• She had a nasty rash on her arm.
come/break out in a rash (=get a rash)
• My mother comes out in a rash if she eats seafood.
nappy British English /diaper AmE rash
• Most babies get nappy rash at some stage.
• a heat rash (=a rash caused by heat)
225. Breakdown noun 1 [uncountable and countable] the failure of a relationship or system
breakdown of
• He moved away after the breakdown of his marriage.
• A sudden rise in oil prices could lead to a breakdown of the
economy.
breakdown in
• There has been a serious breakdown in relations between the
two countries.
marriage/marital/family breakdown
• Family breakdown can lead to behavioural problems in children.
2 [countable] a serious medical condition in which someone becomes
mentally ill and is unable to work or deal with ordinary situations in life:
• I was worried he might have a breakdown if he carried on
working so hard.
• Two years ago he suffered a mental breakdown.
• She had already had one nervous breakdown.
3 [countable] an occasion when a car or a piece of machinery breaks and
stops working:
• Always carry a phone with you in case you have a breakdown on
the motorway.
breakdown in
• a breakdown in the cooling system
4 [countable] a list of all the separate parts of something
breakdown of
• Can you give us a breakdown of the figures?
5 [singular] the changing of a substance into other substances:
• the breakdown of glucose in the body to release energy

226. occasion noun 1TIME

a) [countable] a time when something happens
on ... occasion
• I've seen Jana with them on several occasions.
• On this occasion we were sitting in a park in Madrid.
• She had met Zahid on two separate occasions.
b) [singular] a suitable or favourable time
occasion for
• This was the occasion for expressions of friendship by the two
presidents.
! Do not use occasion when you mean 'a time when it is possible for you
to do what you want to do'. Use opportunity or chance: Do not waste
this opportunity (NOT this occasion).
2SPECIAL EVENT
[countable] an important social event or ceremony:
• I'm saving this bottle of champagne for a special occasion.
• They presented him with a gift to mark the occasion (=celebrate
it).

227. decent adjective 1 [usually before noun] of a good enough standard or quality:
• a decent salary
• Don't you have a decent jacket?
• a house with a decent-sized yard
 • Their in-flight magazine is halfway decent (=quite good).
2 following moral standards that are acceptable to society [↪ decency]
decent citizens/people/folk etc
• The majority of residents here are decent citizens.
• a decent burial
• Paul visited the local bars more frequently than was decent for a
senior lecturer.
• The chairman did the decent thing (=did what people thought
he ought to) and resigned.
3 [usually before noun] treating people in a fair and kind way:
• I decided her father was a decent guy after all.
• It was decent of you to show up today.
4 wearing enough clothes so that you do not show too much of your
body - used humorously:
• Are you decent? Can I come in?

228. muddled confused:

• muddled thinking
• The situation today is very muddled.

229. Disapprove verb 1 [intransitive] to think that someone or their behaviour, ideas etc are
bad or wrong [≠ approve]:
• I knew my parents would disapprove, but I went anyway.
disapprove of
• I disapprove of diets; it's better to eat sensibly.
• Her family strongly disapproved of her behaviour.
2 [transitive] formal to not agree to something that has been
suggested[≠ approve]:
• The board of directors disapproved the sale.

230. exaggerate verb to make something seem better, larger, worse etc than it really is:
• I couldn't sleep for three days - I'm not exaggerating.
it's easy/difficult/impossible to exaggerate something
• It's difficult to exaggerate the importance of sleep.

231. Conclusion noun something you decide after considering all the information you
have [↪ conclude]
conclusion (that)
• I soon came to the conclusion that she was lying.
• It is still too early to reach a conclusion on this point.
• There are perhaps two main conclusions to be drawn from the
above discussion.
• All the evidence pointed to the conclusion that he was guilty.
• It's important not to jump to conclusions.
• The police came to the inescapable conclusion that the children
had been murdered.

232. immensely adverb very much [= extremely]:

• Champagne wines became immensely popular in the 18th
century.

233. slit verb slit past tense and past participle slit, present participle slitting[transitive]
to make a straight narrow cut in cloth, paper, skin etc:
• Guy slit open the envelope.
slit somebody's throat (=kill someone by cutting their throat)
 slit your wrists (=try to kill yourself by cutting your wrists)

234. Slit noun a long straight narrow cut or hole:

• light shining through a slit in the door
• a skirt with a slit up the side

235. rig Noun 1 a large structure that is used for getting oil from the ground under the
sea
2 American English informal a large truck:
• We drove the rig down to Baltimore.
3 the way in which a ship's sails are arranged

236. vortex Noun 1 a mass of wind or water that spins quickly and pulls things into its
centre
2 [usually singular] written a situation that has a powerful effect on
people's lives and that influences their behaviour, even if they do not
want it to
vortex of
• the vortex of emotions surrounding the case

237. fascinated verb extremely interested by something or someone:

• I was fascinated by her voice.
fascinated to see/hear/learn etc
• Ed was fascinated to see gorillas in the wild.

238. squint verb 1 to look at something with your eyes partly closed in order to see better:
• Anna squinted in the sudden bright sunlight.
squint at
• Stop squinting at the screen - put your glasses on.
2 [not in progressive] British English to have each eye looking in a slightly
different direction

239. obstruct verb 1 to block a road, passage etc [= block]:

• A small aircraft was obstructing the runway.
• The column obstructed our view of the stage.
2 to prevent someone from doing something or something from
happening, by making it difficult [= block]:
• The group is trying to obstruct the peace process.
• He was fined for obstructing the work of the police.

240. suspend verb 1STOP

to officially stop something from continuing, especially for a short time:
• Sales of the drug will be suspended until more tests are
completed.
• Talks between the two countries have now been suspended.
2LEAVE A JOB/SCHOOL
to make someone leave their school or job for a short time, especially
because they have broken the rules:
• The two police officers have been suspended until an enquiry is
carried out.
suspend somebody from something
 • Dave was suspended from school for a week.
3HANG
formal to attach something to a high place so that it hangs down
suspend something from something
• A large light was suspended from the ceiling.

241. Crave verb to have an extremely strong desire for something:

• an insecure child who craves attention

242. flimsy Adjective 1 flimsy cloth or clothing is light and thin:

• a flimsy cotton dress
2 something that is flimsy is not strong or well-made, and will break
easily:
• a flimsy wooden building
3 a flimsy agreement is weak and can easily be damaged or broken:
• a flimsy alliance between the two tribal groups
4 a flimsy argument or excuse does not seem very likely and people do
not believe it [≠ convincing]:
• The evidence against him is extremely flimsy.
• a flimsy excuse

243. engulf verb 1 if an unpleasant feeling engulfs you, you feel it very strongly:
• despair so great it threatened to engulf him
2 to completely surround or cover something:
• The building was engulfed in flames.

244. reassure verb to make someone feel calmer and less worried or frightened about a
problem or situation:
• Teachers reassured anxious parents.
reassure somebody (that)
• He tried to reassure me that my mother would be okay.

245. jabber verb to talk quickly in an excited and unclear way - used to show disapproval:
• The tourists were jabbering away on the bus.
—jabber noun [singular, uncountable]

246. frantic adjective 1 extremely worried and frightened about a situation, so that you cannot
control your feelings
get/become frantic
• There was still no news of Jill, and her parents were getting
frantic.
frantic with
• Your mother's been frantic with worry wondering where you've
been.
2 extremely hurried and using a lot of energy, but not very
organized[= hectic]:
• I spent three frantic days trying to get everything ready.

247. interject verb to interrupt what someone else is saying with a sudden remark:
• 'That's absolute rubbish!' he interjected.
248. emphasize verb 1 to say something in a strong way:
• The report emphasizes the importance of improving safety
standards.
• Logan made a speech emphasizing the need for more
volunteers.
emphasize that/how
• The Prime Minister emphasized that there are no plans to raise
taxes.
2 to say a word or phrase louder or higher than others to give it more
importance
3 to make something more noticeable:
• The dress emphasized the shape of her body.

249. proclaim verb 1 to say publicly or officially that something important is true or
exists[↪ proclamation]:
• The President proclaimed the republic's independence.
proclaim that
• Protesters proclaimed that the girl was innocent.
proclaim somebody something
• His son was immediately proclaimed king.
2 to show something clearly or be a sign of something:
• The stripes on her uniform proclaimed her seniority.

250. Inspire verb 1 to encourage someone by making them feel confident and eager to do
something:
• We need someone who can inspire the team.
inspire somebody to do something
• He inspired many young people to take up the sport.
inspire somebody to something
• I hope this success will inspire you to greater efforts.
• Inspired by the sunny weather, I decided to explore the woods.
2 to make someone have a particular feeling or react in a particular way:
• Gandhi's quiet dignity inspired great respect.
inspire confidence (=make people feel confident because they trust your
ability)
• His driving hardly inspires confidence.
• The hospital's record does not inspire confidence.
3 to give someone the idea for something, especially a story, painting,
poem etc:
• The story was inspired by a chance meeting with an old Russian
duke.
• a range of designs inspired by wild flowers

251. Impertinence adjective rude and not respectful, especially to someone who is older or more
important [= cheeky]:
• He was always asking impertinent questions.
• You are an impertinent young woman.
—impertinently adverb
—impertinence noun [uncountable]
252. menacing adjective making you expect something unpleasant [= threatening]:
• dark menacing clouds
• a low menacing laugh
• His tone grew more menacing.
—menacingly adverb:
• He moved towards her menacingly.

253. accuse verb to say that you believe someone is guilty of a crime or of doing
something bad
accuse somebody of (doing) something
• He was accused of murder.
• Smith accused her of lying.
• The professor stands accused of (=has been accused of) stealing
his student's ideas and publishing them.
—accuser noun [countable]

254.
255. errand noun a short journey in order to do something for someone, for example
delivering or collecting something for them:
• I seemed to spend my life running errands for people.
• She was always sending me on errands.
on an errand
• I couldn't stop because I was on an errand.
• He quickly set out on his errand of mercy (=journey to help
someone in danger).

256. truant noun 1 a student who stays away from school without permission:
• persistent truants
2 play truant
British English to stay away from school without permission [= skive BrE;
= play hooky AmE]
—truant verb [intransitive]
—truant adjective American English
• Nick was truant seven days this month.

257. faulty Adjective 1 not working properly, or not made correctly:

• Customers may ask for a refund if the goods are faulty.
• a faulty gene that causes breast cancer
2 a faulty way of thinking about something contains a mistake, so that
you make a wrong decision:
• an idea based on a faulty understanding of biology

258. vex verb vex [transitive] old-fashioned

to make someone feel annoyed or worried
—vexing adjective:
• a vexing problem

259. identical adjective exactly the same, or very similar:

• four identical houses
identical to/with
• Nutritionally, infant formulas are almost identical to breast milk.
• The ingredients are identical with those of competing products.
identical in
 • The sisters were identical in appearance and character.
—identically adverb

260. infant noun 1 [countable] formal a baby or very young child:

• An infant's skin is very sensitive.
➔ SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME
2 infants
[plural] children in school in Britain between the ages of four and eight

261. employer Noun a person, company, or organization that employs people:

• The shoe factory is the largest employer in this area.

262. employee noun someone who is paid to work for someone else [= worker]:
• a government employee

263. Humorous adjective funny and enjoyable:

• humorous stories
• The film has some mildly humorous moments.

264. generous Adjective 1 someone who is generous is willing to give money, spend time etc, in
order to help people or give them pleasure [≠ mean]
generous to
• She's always very generous to the kids.
generous with
• Jim is very generous with his time.
it/that is generous (of somebody)
• It was generous of them to ask Anna along.
generous offer/support/donation etc
• my employer's generous offer to pay the bill
2 larger or more than the usual size or amount [≠ measly]:
• a generous glass of wine
generous amount/helping/measure etc
• a generous helping of pasta
• He had a well-shaped, generous mouth.
3 sympathetic in the way you deal with people, and tending to see the
good qualities in someone or something [≠ mean]:
• She was generous enough to overlook my little mistake.

265. thoughtful Adjective 1 always thinking of the things you can do to make people happy or
comfortable [≠ thoughtless]:
• Paul is very thoughtful.
it is thoughtful of somebody to do something
• It was really thoughtful of you to remember my birthday.
2 serious and quiet because you are thinking a lot:
• a thoughtful look
• a thoughtful silence
3 well planned and carefully thought about:
• a thoughtful analysis
—thoughtfully adverb
—thoughtfulness noun [uncountable]

266. considerate adjective always thinking of what other people need or want and being careful not
to upset them [≠ inconsiderate]:
 • He was always kind and considerate.
it is considerate of somebody (to do something)
• It was very considerate of you to let us know you were going to
be late.
considerate towards
• As a motorist, I try to be considerate towards cyclists.
—considerately adverb

267. offend verb 1 [intransitive and transitive] to make someone angry or upset by doing
or saying something that they think is rude, unkind etc:
• His remarks deeply offended many Scottish people.
be offended by/at something
• Liddy was offended by such a personal question.
• The careful language is designed not to offend.
2 [transitive] to seem bad or unacceptable to someone:
• A solution must be found that doesn't offend too many people.
• Some of these new buildings really offend the eye (=look very
ugly).
3 [intransitive] formal to commit a crime or crimes:
• Many of the young men here are likely to offend again.
268. compact adjective 1 small, but arranged so that everything fits neatly into the space
available - used to show approval:
• The compact design of the machine allows it to be stored easily.
• The students' rooms were compact, with a desk, bed, and closet
built in.
2 packed or put together firmly and closely:
• The bushes grew in a compact mass.
3 small, but solid and strong:
• a short compact-looking man
—compactly adverb
—compactness noun [uncountable]

269. trot verb trot past tense and past participle trotted, present participle trotting
1 [intransitive] if a horse trots, it moves fairly quickly with each front leg
moving at the same time as the opposite back leg [↪ canter, gallop]
2 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if a person or animal trots,
they run fairly slowly, taking short regular steps:
• She came trotting down the steps from the library.
3 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] informal to walk or go
somewhere, especially fairly quickly:
• He trotted off and came back a couple of minutes later, holding
a parcel.

270. trudge verb to walk with slow heavy steps, especially because you are tired or it is
difficult to walk:
• We trudged home through the snow.
—trudge noun [singular]
• the long trudge back up the hill

271. tread verb

tread past tense trod , past participle trodden
 1STEP IN/ON
[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] British English to put your foot
on or in something while you are walking [= step]
tread in/on
• Sorry, did I tread on your foot?
• She trod barefoot on the soft grass.
2 tread carefully/warily/cautiously etc
to be very careful about what you say or do in a difficult situation:
• If I wanted to keep my job, I knew I'd have to tread lightly.
3CRUSH
a) [transitive] British English to press or crush something into the floor or
ground with your feet [= track American English]
tread something into/onto/over something
• Stop treading mud all over my clean kitchen floor!
• Bits of the broken vase got trodden into the carpet.
b) tread grapes
to crush GRAPEs with your feet in order to produce juice for making wine
4 tread a path
British English written to take a particular action or series of actions:
• Getting the right balance between home and work is a difficult
path to tread.
5 tread water
past tense and past participle treaded
a) to stay floating upright in deep water by moving your legs as if you are
riding a bicycle
b) to make no progress in a particular situation, especially because you
are waiting for something to happen:
• All I could do was tread water until the contracts arrived.
6WALK
[intransitive,transitive always + adverb/preposition] literary to walk:
• David trod wearily along behind the others.

272. trundle verb to move slowly along on wheels, or to make something do this by
pushing or pulling it:
• Two large wagons trundled by.

273. whiff noun whiff [countable]

1 a very slight smell of something
whiff of
• a whiff of tobacco
get/catch a whiff of something
• As she walked past, I caught a whiff of her perfume.

274. obese adjective very fat in a way that is unhealthy

275. crutches Noun 1 [usually plural] one of a pair of long sticks that you put under your arms
to help you walk when you have hurt your leg
on crutches (=use crutches)
• I was on crutches for three months after the operation.

276. Selfish adjective caring only about yourself and not about other people - used to show
disapproval:
• How can you be so selfish?
 • selfish behaviour
—selfishly adverb:
• a small child behaving selfishly
—selfishness noun [uncountable]
• a lack of greed and selfishness

277. rude adjective 1 speaking or behaving in a way that is not polite and is likely to offend or
annoy people [= impolite; ≠ polite]:
• a rude remark
• I didn't mean to be rude, but I had to leave early.
rude to
• Why are you so rude to her?
it is rude to do something
• It's rude to stare.

278. filthy adjective 1 very dirty:

• The house was filthy, with clothes and newspapers strewn
everywhere.
279. stubborn adjective 1 determined not to change your mind, even when people think you are
being unreasonable:
• Why are you so stubborn?
• I've got a very stubborn streak (=a tendency to be stubborn).
• Paul can be as stubborn as a mule (=very stubborn).

280. macho adjective informal

behaving in a way that is traditionally typical of men, for example being
strong or brave, or not showing your feelings - used humorously or in
order to show disapproval:
• He's sick of being cast as the hard macho man in films.
• a car with a macho image

281. wealthy Adjective 1 having a lot of money, possessions etc [= rich]

very/extremely/immensely/fabulously etc wealthy
• He left as a poor, working class boy and returned as a wealthy
man.
• the wealthy nations of the world
➔ see usage note RICH
2 the wealthy
[plural] people who have a lot of money, possessions etc

282. drapes noun long heavy curtains

283. Chocker Noun a piece of jewellery that fits very tightly around a woman's neck:
• a diamond choker

284. stench noun 1 a very strong bad smell [= stink]:

• the stench of urine
2 something unpleasant that makes you believe that something very bad
and dishonest is happening
stench of
• a government filled with the stench of corruption

285. odour noun a smell, especially an unpleasant one

odour of
• the faint odour of damp
strong/unpleasant/pungent/offensive etc odour
 • obnoxious odours from a factory

286. Spanner noun 1 a metal tool that fits over a NUT, used for turning the nut to make it
tight or to undo it [= wrench American English]
287. pliers noun a small tool made of two crossed pieces of metal, used to hold small
things or to bend and cut wire:
• a pair of pliers

288. technician noun 1 someone whose job is to check equipment or machines and make sure
that they are working properly:
• a laboratory technician
• a hospital technician

289. grasp verb 1 to take and hold something firmly [= grip]:

• I grasped his arm firmly and led him away.
• Alan grasped the handle and pulled it.
2 [not in progressive] to completely understand a fact or an idea,
especially a complicated one:
• At that time, we did not fully grasp the significance of what had
happened.
• Some people find the idea of relativity difficult to grasp.
grasp what/how etc
• A short opening paragraph enables the reader to quickly grasp
what the article is about.
grasp that
• Nick had grasped that something was wrong.

290. clench verb 1 clench your fists/teeth/jaw etc

to hold your hands, teeth etc together tightly, usually because you feel
angry or determined:
• Jody was pacing the sidelines, her fists clenched.

291. clutches verb 1 [transitive] to hold something tightly because you do not want to lose
it[= grip, grasp]:
• She was clutching a bottle of champagne.
2 [intransitive and transitive] also clutch at somebody/something
a) to suddenly take hold of someone or something because you are
frightened, in pain or in danger [= grab]:
• He clutched at a pillar for support.
• Tom fell to the ground clutching his stomach.
b) clutch at somebody's heart
if something clutches at your heart, you suddenly feel fear or
nervousness

292. alley Noun 1 a narrow street between or behind buildings, not usually used by cars:
• The alley led to the railway bridge.
• She found the side alley where the stage door was located.

293. plague verb 1 [usually passive] to cause pain, suffering, or trouble to someone,
especially for a long period of time
be plagued by/with something
• He was plagued by eye troubles.
 • Financial problems continued to plague the company.
2 to annoy someone, especially by asking for something many times or
asking them many questions
plague somebody with something
• The kids have been plaguing me with questions.

294. campaign verb campaign [intransitive]

to lead or take part in a series of actions intended to achieve a particular
social or political result
campaign for/against
• a group campaigning against the destruction of the rainforests
—campaigner noun [countable]

295. campaign noun 1 a series of actions intended to achieve a particular result relating to
politics or business, or a social improvement:
• Florida was a key state in his campaign for re-election.
• an anti-bullying campaign
• an advertising campaign
campaign for/against
• a campaign for equal rights
• Jones ran a good campaign.
campaign funds/money/financing
• He raised nearly $30 million in campaign funds.
launch/mount a campaign (=plan, organize, and begin a campaign)
• Police have launched a campaign to crack down on drug dealers

296. lobby noun lob‧by plural lobbies [countable]

1 a wide passage or large hall just inside the entrance to a public
building[= foyer]:
• a hotel lobby
• I'll meet you in the entrance lobby.

297. lobby verb lobby past tense and past participle lobbied, present participlelobbying,
third person singular lobbies [intransitive and transitive]
to try to persuade the government or someone with political power that
a law or situation should be changed
lobby for/against
• The group is lobbying for a reduction in defence spending.
lobby somebody to do something
• We've been lobbying our state representative to support the new
health plan.

298. Lawn mower a machine that you use to cut grass

299. aloof 1 unfriendly and deliberately not talking to other people

remain/stay aloof (from somebody)
• They worked hard, but tended to stay aloof from the local
inhabitants.
keep/hold yourself aloof (from somebody)
• She had always kept herself aloof from the boys in class.
• Beneath that aloof exterior, Gayle is a warm, sympathetic
 person.
2 deliberately not becoming involved in something
remain/stand aloof (from something)
• Initially, the President remained aloof from the campaign.
hold/keep (yourself) aloof from something
• The doctor held himself somewhat aloof from the rest of the
ship's crew.

300. pawn verb to leave something valuable with a pawnbroker in order to borrow
money from them
301. gulp verb 1 also gulp down [transitive] to swallow large quantities of food or drink
quickly [= bolt]:
• She gulped down her breakfast and ran for the bus.
2 [intransitive] to swallow suddenly because you are surprised or
nervous:
• I gulped when I saw the bill.

302. Gulp Noun 1 a large amount of something that you swallow quickly, or the action of
swallowing
gulp of
• He took a huge gulp of brandy.
in one gulp/at a gulp
• Charlie drank the whisky in one gulp.
2 a large amount of air that you breathe in quickly
• gulps of fresh air

303. gurgle verb 1 if water gurgles, it flows along gently with a pleasant low
sound[= burble]:
• We could hear the stream gurgling down in the valley.
2 if a baby gurgles, it makes a happy low sound in its throat

304. swerve verb 1 to make a sudden sideways movement while moving forwards, usually
in order to avoid hitting something
swerve violently/sharply
• The car swerved sharply to avoid the dog.
swerve across/off/into etc
• The bus swerved off the road.

305. veer 1 to change direction

veer off
• A tanker driver died when his lorry veered off the motorway.
• The plane veered off course.
• Follow the path and veer left after 400m.
• The wind was veering north.

306. tailor noun someone whose job is to make men's clothes, that are measured to fit
each customer perfectly [↪ dressmaker]
307. janitor noun especially American English someone whose job is to look after a school
or other large building [= caretaker British English]

308. garment noun formal a piece of clothing:

• She pulled the garment on and zipped it up.

309. pullovers noun a piece of WOOLLEN clothing without buttons that you wear on the top half
of your body [= sweater]
310. slurp verb to drink a liquid while making a noisy sucking sound
311. slur verb slur past tense and past participle slurred, present participle slurring
1 [intransitive and transitive] to speak unclearly without separating your
words or sounds correctly
slur your words/speech
• She was slurring her words as if she was drunk.
• His voice sounded slurred.

312. aroma noun a strong pleasant smell:

• the aroma of fresh coffee

313. antique noun a piece of furniture, jewellery etc that was made a very long time ago and
is therefore valuable:
• The palace is full of priceless antiques.
• They bought the clock at an antique shop in Bath.

314. cast noun 1ACTORS

all the people who perform in a play, film etc
cast of
• Films like 'Ben Hur' have a cast of thousands.
• the entire cast of 'Les Miserables'
• an all-star cast
• a strong supporting cast (=everyone except the main actors)
• a member of the cast
2ON ARM/LEG
also plaster cast a hard protective case that is put over your arm, leg etc
because the bone is broken:
• Murray has his leg in a cast.

315. porch noun 1 British English an entrance covered by a roof outside the front door of a
house or church
316. manicurist noun someone whose job is to cut and polish people's nails

317. priceless adjective 1 extremely valuable:

• priceless antiques
2 a quality or skill that is priceless is extremely important or useful:
• The ability to motivate people is a priceless asset.
318. gorge noun 1 a deep narrow valley with steep sides
319. gorge verb 1 gorge yourself (on something)
to eat until you are too full to eat any more [= stuff yourself]:
• We gorged ourselves on ripe plums.
2 be gorged with something
to be completely full of something:
• The insect sucks until it is gorged with blood.

320. blot verb blot past tense and past participle blotted, present
participle blotting[transitive]
1 to make a wet surface become dry by pressing soft paper or cloth on it

321. blot noun 1 a mark or dirty spot on something, especially made by ink:
• ink blots

322. quadruplet noun one of four babies born at the same time to the same mother [= quad]
323. triplet noun one of three children born at the same time to the same mother [↪ twin]
324. hail verb 1 [transitive] to describe someone or something as being very good
hail somebody/something as something
• Lang's first film was immediately hailed as a masterpiece.
be hailed something
• The new service has been hailed a success.
• A young man is being hailed a hero tonight after rescuing two
children.
2 [transitive] to call to someone in order to greet them or try to attract
their attention:
• She leaned out of the window and hailed a passerby.
hail a cab/taxi
• The hotel doorman will hail a cab for you.

325. hail noun 1 [uncountable] frozen rain drops which fall as hard balls of ice:
• heavy showers of rain and hail

326. pickpocket noun someone who steals things from people's pockets, especially in a crowd
327. prompt Verb to make someone decide to do something
prompt somebody to do something
• What prompted you to buy that suit?
2 [transitive] to make people say or do something as a reaction:
• The decision prompted an outcry among prominent US
campaigners.
3 [transitive] to help a speaker who pauses, by suggesting how to
continue:
• 'I can't decide.' said Beatrice. 'Decide what?' prompted Marlon.

328. postpone verb to change the date or time of a planned event or action to a later
one[= put back; ≠ bring forward]:
• The match had to be postponed until next week.
postpone doing something
• They've decided to postpone having a family for a while.
• His trial has been postponed indefinitely (=no one knows when
it will happen).
329. snobbish adjective behaving in a way that shows you think you are better than other people
because you are from a higher social class or know more than they do:
• Her family seems snobbish.
—snobbishly adverb
—snobbishness noun [uncountable]

330. function noun 1 [uncountable and countable] the purpose that something has, or the
job that someone or something does
perform/fulfil a function
• In your new job you will perform a variety of functions.
• The church fulfils a valuable social function.
• The nervous system regulates our bodily functions (=eating,
breathing, going to the toilet etc).
• Bauhaus architects thought that function was more important
than form.
2 [countable] a large party or official event:
• This room may be hired for weddings and other functions.

331. simmer verb 1 [intransitive and transitive] to boil gently, or to cook something slowly
by boiling it gently:
• Bring the soup to the boil and allow it to simmer gently for
about half an hour.

332. brew verb 1 [transitive] to make beer:

• Every beer on the menu was brewed locally.
2 [intransitive] if a drink of tea or coffee is brewing, the taste is getting
into the hot water:
• He read the paper while the tea brewed.
3 [transitive] to make a drink of tea or coffee:
• freshly brewed coffee

333. airy adjective 1 an airy room or building has plenty of fresh air because it is large or has
a lot of windows:
• All the hotel's bedrooms are light and airy.
2 done in a happy and confident way, even when you should be serious
or worried:
• He dismissed her concerns with an airy wave of the hand.

334. swift adjective 1 happening or done quickly and immediately:

• My letter received a swift reply.
• She shot a swift glance at Paul.
swift to do something
• They were swift to deny the accusations.
2 [only before noun] moving, or able to move, very fast:
• a swift runner
• She wiped her tears away in one swift movement.

335. slogan noun a short phrase that is easy to remember and is used in advertisements, or
by politicians, organizations etc [↪ catchphrase]:
• an advertising slogan
• demonstrators shouting political slogans
• the Democrats' campaign slogan
336. fiction noun 1 [uncountable] books and stories about imaginary people and
events[≠ non-fiction]:
• romantic fiction
• historical fiction
2 [countable] something that people want you to believe is true but
which is not true:
• preserving the fiction of his happy childhood

337. pledge verb 1PROMISE

to make a formal, usually public, promise that you will do something
pledge something to something/somebody
• Moore pledged $100,000 to the orchestra at the fund-raising dinner.
pledge to do something
• The new governor pledged to reduce crime.
pledge that
• Herrera pledged that his company will give aid to schools.
pledge (your) support/loyalty/solidarity etc
• He pledged his cooperation.
pledge yourself to (do) something
• Trade unions pledged themselves to resist the government plans.
2MAKE SOMEBODY PROMISE
to make someone formally promise something:
• Employees were pledged to secrecy.

338. Pledge noun 1PROMISE

formal a serious promise or agreement, especially one made publicly or
officially
pledge of
• a pledge of support for the plan
pledge to do something
• the government's pledge to make no deals with terrorists
make/take/give a pledge
• Parents make a pledge to take their children to rehearsals.
keep/fulfil/honour a pledge
• Eisenhower fulfilled his election pledge to end the war in Korea.

339. ache verb 1 if part of your body aches, you feel a continuous, but not very sharp
pain there [= hurt]:
• His feet were aching from standing so long.

340. ache noun 1 a continuous pain that is not sharp or very strong:
• a stomach ache
• A dull ache throbbed at the back of David's head.
aches and pains (=slight feelings of pain that are not considered to be
serious)
• Apart from the usual aches and pains, she felt all right.

341. monastery noun mon‧as‧tery plural monasteries [countable]

a place where MONKs live
342. convent noun a building or set of buildings where NUNs live
343. receptionist noun someone whose job is to welcome and deal with people arriving in a
hotel or office building, visiting a doctor etc

344. violent adjective 1 involving actions that are intended to injure or kill people, by hitting
them, shooting them etc:
• the increase in violent crime
• violent clashes between the police and demonstrators
• 31 people have been injured in violent incidents throughout the day.
• The riots ended in the violent deaths of three teenagers.
2 someone who is violent is likely to attack, hurt, or kill other
people[= aggressive]:
• My father was a violent and dangerous man.
• He had a reputation for turning violent (=suddenly attacking people).
7 a violent storm/earthquake/explosion etc
a storm etc that happens with a lot of force
345. hideous adjective extremely unpleasant or ugly:
• a hideous dress
• hideous crimes
• Dinnertime that day was hideous.
—hideously adverb:
• Her face was hideously scarred.
—hideousness noun [uncountable]

346. screech verb 1 [intransitive and transitive] to shout loudly in an unpleasant high voice
because you are angry, afraid, or excited [= shriek, scream]:
• 'Look out!' she screeched.
• They screeched with laughter.
screech at
• She screeched at me to take off my muddy shoes.

2 [intransitive] if a vehicle screeches, its wheels make a high

unpleasant noise as it moves along or stops:
• A van screeched onto the road in front of me.
• The car screeched to a halt.
—screech noun [countable]
• a screech of laughter
• a screech of tyres

347. creak verb if something such as a door, wooden floor, old bed, or stair creaks, it
makes a long high noise when someone opens it, walks on it, sits on it
etc:
• The floorboards creaked as she walked across the room.
• The door creaked open.
—creak noun [countable]

348. lame adjective 1a) unable to walk properly because your leg or foot is injured or weak:
• a lame dog
go lame (=become lame)
b) the lame
[plural] people who are lame
 2 a lame explanation or excuse is weak and difficult to believe
lame excuse/explanation
• She gave some lame excuse about missing the bus.
• a lame attempt to deflect criticism
➔ LAMELY

349. dart verb 1 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move suddenly and

quickly in a particular direction:
• Jill darted forward and pulled him away from the fire.
2 [intransitive and transitive] literary to look at someone or something
very quickly:
• Tom darted a terrified glance over his shoulder at his pursuers.

350. Dart noun 1 [countable] a small pointed object that is thrown or shot as a weapon,
or one that is thrown in the game of darts:
• a poisoned dart
2 darts
[uncountable] a game in which darts are thrown at a round board with
numbers on it
3 [singular] a sudden quick movement in a particular direction:
• The prisoner made a dart for the door.

351. dash Verb 1 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to go or run somewhere very

quickly:
• Olive dashed into the room, grabbed her bag, and ran out again.
2 dash somebody's hopes
to disappoint someone by telling them that what they want is not
possible:
• Hopkins' hopes were dashed when his appeal was denied.

352. dash noun 1SMALL AMOUNT

[singular]
a) a small amount of a substance that is added to something else
dash of
• Add salt, pepper and a dash of vinegar.
b) a small amount of a quality that is added to something else
dash of
• Add a dash of romance to your life with a trip to Paris.
2RUN QUICKLY
[countable usually singular] an occasion when someone runs somewhere
very quickly in order to get away from something or someone, or in order
to reach them
make a dash for something
• He made a dash for the door.
• The prisoners made a dash for freedom.
• It's pouring with rain - we'll have to make a dash for it.
• When the alarm went there was a mad dash for the exit.
3LINE
[countable] a line [ - ] used in writing to separate two closely related
parts of a sentence, as for example, in the sentence 'Go home - they're
waiting for you.'
353. crept verb
creep past tense and past participle crept [intransitive always
+ adverb/preposition]
1 to move in a quiet, careful way, especially to avoid attracting attention
creep into/over/around etc
• Johann would creep into the gallery to listen to the singers.
• He crept back up the stairs, trying to avoid the ones that creaked.
2 if something such as an insect, small animal, or car creeps, it moves
slowly and quietly [↪ crawl]
creep down/along/away etc
• a caterpillar creeping down my arm

354. stroll verb to walk somewhere in a slow relaxed way

stroll down/over/along
• We were strolling along, laughing and joking.
—stroll noun [countable]
• They went for a stroll in the park.

355. alert verb 1 to officially warn someone about a problem or danger so that they are
ready to deal with it:
• The school immediately alerted the police.
2 to make someone realize something important or dangerous
alert somebody to something
• campaigns to alert the public to the dangers of HIV

356. alert Adjective 1 giving all your attention to what is happening, being said etc:
• The animal raised its head, suddenly alert.
• Taking notes is one of the best ways to stay alert in lectures.
2 able to think quickly and clearly:
• Jack was as mentally alert as a man half his age.

357. alert noun 1 [countable] a warning to be ready for possible danger

a bomb/fire/terrorist etc alert
• a full-scale flood alert
• The bomb alert was raised soon after midnight.
➔ RED ALERT
2 on (the) alert (for something/somebody)
ready to notice and deal with a situation or problem:
• Be on the alert for anyone acting suspiciously.
• Troops in the vicinity were put on alert.

358. smarten Verb smarten something ↔ up

phrasal verb
1 smarten yourself up
to make yourself look neat and tidy:
• You'd better smarten yourself up.
2 to make something look neater:
• We need to smarten the place up a bit.

359. Diligent verb someone who is diligent works hard and is careful and thorough:
 • a diligent student
—diligently adverb:
• They worked diligently all morning.
—diligence noun [uncountable]

360. Big-hearted adjective very kind and generous

361. reprimand verb to tell someone officially that something they have done is very
wrong[↪ scold, tell off]
reprimand somebody for (doing) something
• The military court reprimanded him for failing to do his duty.
—reprimand noun [countable]
• a severe reprimand

362. reckless adjective not caring or worrying about the possible bad or dangerous results of
your actions:
• He was accused of causing death by reckless driving.
• a reckless disregard for safety
• He ran into the burning house with reckless abandon (=without
caring about the danger).
—recklessly adverb
—recklessness noun [uncountable]

363. settle verb 1END ARGUMENT

[intransitive and transitive] to end an argument or solve a disagreement
settle a dispute/lawsuit/conflict/argument etc
• Rodman met with Kreeger to try and settle the dispute over his
contract.
• We hope the factions will be able to settle their differences (=agree
to stop arguing) by peaceful means.
• Forensic tests should settle the question of whether Bates was
actually present at the scene of the crime.
settle with
• She finally settled with her former employers for an undisclosed sum.
• They might be willing to settle out of court (=come to an agreement
without going to a court of law).
2DECIDE
[transitive usually passive] to decide what you are going to do, especially
so that you can make definite arrangements:
• Nothing's settled yet.
• It's settled then. I'll go back to the States in June.
• 'She's only 15.' ' That settles it! (=that is enough information for a
definite decision to be made) We're not taking her with us!'
3START LIVING IN A PLACE
a) [intransitive,transitive usually passive] to go to a place where no
people have lived permanently before and start to live there:
• This territory was settled in the mid-1850s by German immigrants.
b) [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to go to live in a new place,
and stay there for a long time
settle in
• Many Jewish people settled in the Lower East Side.
4COMFORTABLE
[intransitive,transitive always + adverb/preposition] to put yourself or
 someone else in a comfortable position
settle yourself in/on etc something
• Donna did not dare settle herself too comfortably into her seat, in
case she fell asleep.
• The dog settled on the grass to enjoy its bone.
• A nurse settled the old man into a chair.
➔ SETTLE BACK
5QUIET/CALM
also settle down [intransitive and transitive] to become quiet and calm,
or to make someone quiet and calm:
• When the children had settled, Miss Brown gave out the new reading
books.
• She breathed deeply to settle her nerves (=stop herself from feeling
worried or frightened).
6MOVE DOWN
[intransitive]
a) if dust, snow etc settles, it comes down and stays in one place
settle on
• Snow settled on the roofs.
b) if a bird, insect etc settles, it flies down and rests on something
settle on
• A fly kept trying to settle on his face.
c) if something such as a building or the ground settles, it sinks slowly to
a lower level:
• The crack in the wall is caused by the ground settling.
7PAY MONEY
[transitive] to pay money that is owed
settle a bill/account/claim
• I always settle my account in full each month.
• These insurance companies take forever to settle a claim.
settle with
• He was able to settle with his creditors, and avoid going to jail.

364. spectator noun someone who is watching an event or game [↪ audience]:

• The match attracted over 40,000 spectators.

365. audience 1 [countable also + plural verb] British English a group of people who
come to watch and listen to someone speaking or performing in public:
• The audience began clapping and cheering.
audience of
• an audience of 250 business people
• One member of the audience described the opera as 'boring'.
2 [countable also + plural verb] British English the people who watch or
listen to a particular programme, or who see or hear a particular artist's,
writer's etc work:
• The show attracts a regular audience of about 20 million.
target audience (=the type of people that a programme, advertisement
etc is supposed to attract)
• Goya was one of the first painters to look for a wider audience for his
work.
• The book is not intended for a purely academic audience.
 3 [countable] a formal meeting with a very important person
audience with
• He was granted an audience with the Pope.

366. convict noun someone who has been proved to be guilty of a crime and sent to prison:
• an escaped convict

367. adoring adjective liking and admiring someone very much:

• his adoring fans
—adoringly adverb

368. adorable adjective someone or something that is adorable is so attractive that they fill you
with feelings of love:
• Oh what an adorable little baby!

369. ravenous adjective very hungry [↪ starving]:

• I'm absolutely ravenous.
• a ravenous appetite

370. braces noun 1 [countable] something that is used to strengthen or support something,
or to make it stiff:
• The miners used special braces to keep the walls from collapsing.
neck/back/knee brace (=a brace which supports the neck etc)
• He was being fitted for a back brace.
• She had to wear a brace after the accident.
2 [countable] braces American English a system of metal wires that
people, usually children, wear on their teeth to make them grow straight
3 [countable usually plural] American English a metal support that
someone with weak legs wears to help them walk [= callipers British
English]

371. goatee noun a small pointed BEARD on the end of a man's chin
372. sideburns hair grown down the sides of a man's face in front of his ears
373. lobe noun 1 the soft piece of flesh at the bottom of your ear [= earlobe]
374. elbow Verb to push someone with your elbows, especially in order to move past
them
elbow your way through/past/into etc something (=move through a
group of people by pushing past them)
• He elbowed his way to the bar and ordered a beer.
• She pushed through the crowd, elbowing people out of the way.

375. perm verb 1 to make straight hair curly by using chemicals:

• I'm going to have my hair permed.
• her blonde permed hair

376. curse verb 1 [intransitive] to swear:

• Gilbert was cursing under his breath.
2 [transitive] to say or think bad things about someone or something
because they have made you angry:
• He cursed his bad luck in arriving just after she'd left.
curse somebody/something for (doing) something
• Elsa cursed herself for believing his lies.
3 [transitive] to ask God or a magical power to harm someone

curse somebody ↔ out

 phrasal verb
to swear at someone who has made you angry

377. Curse noun 1 a swear word or words that you say because you are very angry:
• He muttered a curse under his breath.
2 a word or sentence used to ask God or a magical power to do
something bad to someone or something:
• He believed that someone had put a curse on the house.

378. tense adjective 1 a tense situation is one in which you feel very anxious and worried
because of something bad that might happen [↪ tension]
tense situation/atmosphere/moment etc
• Marion spoke, eager to break the tense silence.
2 feeling worried, uncomfortable, and unable to relax:
• Is anything wrong? You look a little tense.
3 unable to relax your body or part of your body because your muscles
feel tight [↪ tension]:
• Massage is great if your neck and back are tense.
• She tried to relax her tense muscles.
—tensely adverb
—tenseness noun [uncountable]

379. numb adjective 1 a part of your body that is numb is unable to feel anything, for example
because you are very cold:
• My fingers were so numb I could hardly write.
• The anaesthetic made his whole face go numb.
2 unable to think, feel, or react in a normal way
numb with shock/fear/terror etc
• I just sat there, numb with fear.
—numbly adverb:
• She watched numbly as Matt walked away.
—numbness noun [uncountable]
• It caused some numbness in my hand.

380. warn verb 1 to tell someone that something bad or dangerous may happen, so that
they can avoid it or prevent it:
• 'Be careful, the rocks are slippery,' Alex warned.
warn somebody about something
• Travellers to Africa are being warned about the danger of HIV
infection.
warn (somebody) of something
• Salmon farmers are warning of the severe crisis facing the industry.
warn somebody (not) to do something
• I warned you not to walk home alone.
• Motorists are being warned to avoid the centre of London this
weekend.
warn somebody (that)
• We warned them that there was a bull in the field.

381. Genuine adjective 1 a genuine feeling, desire etc is one that you really feel, not one you
pretend to feel [= sincere]
genuine interest/concern/desire etc
• The reforms are motivated by a genuine concern for the disabled.
 • a genuine fear of invasion
• 'Did he really?' Her surprise seemed genuine.
2 something genuine really is what it seems to be [= real]:
• We need laws that will protect genuine refugees.
• The strap is genuine leather.
3 someone who is genuine is honest and friendly and you feel you can
trust them [≠ false]:
• She is the most genuine person I've ever met.
4 the genuine article
a) informal a person or thing that is a true example of their type:
• If you want to meet a real Southerner, Jake is the genuine article.
b) something that is real and is not a copy intended to deceive people:
• Some fake designer clothes are so good that people have no idea
they're not buying the genuine article.
—genuinely adverb:
• The boy seemed genuinely interested.
—genuineness noun [uncountable]

382. deafening adjective 1 very loud:

• a deafening roar
2 deafening silence
a complete silence, when it is uncomfortable or you are expecting
someone to say something

383. editor Noun 1 the person who is in charge of a newspaper or magazine, or part of a
newspaper or magazine, and decides what should be included in it
editor of
• the editor of the Daily Telegraph
economics/sports/political etc editor
2 someone who prepares a book or article for printing by deciding what
to include and checking for any mistakes
3 someone who chooses what to include in a book on a particular
subject:
• the editor of a book of essays on modern poetry
4 someone who prepares a film, television programme, or sound
recording for broadcasting by deciding what to include and checking for
any mistakes:
• a TV script editor

384. riot verb riot [intransitive]

if a crowd of people riot, they behave in a violent and uncontrolled way,
for example by fighting the police and damaging cars or buildings:
• University students rioted in protest at tuition fees.
—rioting noun [uncountable]
—rioter noun [countable]

385. Riot noun 1 [countable] a situation in which a large crowd of people are behaving in
a violent and uncontrolled way, especially when they are protesting
about something:
• urban riots
• prison riots
• His murder triggered vicious race riots (=caused by a problem
 between different races).
• police wearing riot gear (=the special clothing and equipment worn
by police officers during a riot)
• police in bullet-proof vests and carrying riot shields (=a piece of very
hard plastic which police officers stand behind to protect them)

386. mob Noun 1 a large noisy crowd, especially one that is angry and violent
mob of
• a mob of a few hundred demonstrators
• They were immediately surrounded by the mob.
• The leadership had been criticized for giving in to mob rule (=when a
mob controls the situation rather than the government or the law).
2 informal a group of people of the same type [= gang]
mob of
• The usual mob of teenagers were standing on the corner.
the heavy mob British English (=group of strong violent men)
• What happens if they send the heavy mob round to find him?
3 the Mob
the MAFIA (=a powerful organization of criminals)

387. exhaustive adjective ex‧haus‧tive

extremely thorough and complete:
• an exhaustive investigation
• The list is by no means exhaustive.
—exhaustively adverb

388. exhausted adjective 1 extremely tired [= worn out]:

• You look absolutely exhausted.
exhausted from/by
• I was exhausted by the journey.
2 having or containing no more of a particular thing or substance:
• an exhausted coal mine

389. rapid adjective happening or done very quickly and in a very short time [↪ fast, quick]:
• The patient made a rapid recovery.
rapid growth/expansion/development/increase
• rapid population growth
• a period of rapid decline
• He fired three times in rapid succession (=one after another).
—rapidity noun [uncountable]
• Their debts mounted with alarming rapidity.

390. excessive adjective much more than is reasonable or necessary:

• his excessive drinking
• $15 for two beers seems a little excessive.
—excessively adverb:

excessively high taxes

391. hostel Noun 1 a place where people can stay and eat fairly cheaply
2 a YOUTH HOSTEL
3 a place where people who have no homes can stay
392. fashionable adjective 1 popular, especially for a short period of time [≠ unfashionable]:
• Strong colours are very fashionable at the moment.
it is fashionable (for somebody) to do something
• It suddenly became fashionable for politicians to talk about green
issues.
2 popular with, or used by, rich people [≠ unfashionable]
a fashionable resort/area/address etc
• He runs a fashionable restaurant near the Harbor.
—fashionably adverb:
• fashionably dressed women

393. gaily adverb 1 in a happy way [= cheerfully]:

• 'Morning, Albert,' she called gaily.
2 in a way that shows you do not care about, or do not realize, the effects
of your actions:
• They gaily went on talking after the film had started.
3 gaily coloured/painted/decorated etc
having bright cheerful colours:
• gaily coloured tropical birds

394. shabby Adjective 1 shabby clothes, places, or objects are untidy and in bad condition
because they have been used for a long time:
• Hugh's jacket was old and shabby.
• a shabby little restaurant
2 wearing clothes that are old and worn:
• a shabby tramp
3 old-fashioned unfair and unkind:
• a shabby trick
—shabbily adverb
—shabbiness noun [uncountable]

395. faithfully adverb 1 in a loyal way:

• He had served the family faithfully for 40 years.
• Ann faithfully promised never to tell my secret.
2 in a regular way:
• She wrote faithfully in her journal every day.
• Every year, we faithfully make a trip up there to see him.
3 Yours faithfully
British English the usual polite way of ending a formal letter, which you
have begun with Dear Sir or Dear Madam

➔ Yours sincerely

at SINCERELY

396. sulk verb to be silently angry and refuse to be friendly or discuss what is annoying
or upsetting you - used to show disapproval:
• Nicola sulked all morning.

397. awkward 1 making you feel embarrassed so that you are not sure what to do or
say[= difficult]:
 • I hoped he would stop asking awkward questions.
• There was an awkward moment when she didn't know whether to
shake his hand or kiss his cheek.
an awkward silence
• A laugh can help people over an awkward situation.
• Philip's remarks put her in an awkward position (=made it difficult
for her to know what to do).
2 not relaxed or comfortable:
• She liked to dance but felt awkward if someone was watching her.
• Geoff looked uneasy and awkward.
• Make sure that the baby is not sleeping in an awkward position.
3 difficult to do, use, or deal with:
• It'll be awkward getting cars in and out.
• The new financial arrangements were awkward to manage.
• A good carpenter can make a cupboard to fit the most awkward
space.
• She was afraid he was going to ask an awkward question.

398. comical Adjective behaviour or situations that are comical are funny in a strange or
unexpected way:
• The note of pure panic in his voice was almost comical.
—comically adverb

399. dejected adjective unhappy, disappointed, or sad:

• The unemployed stood at street corners, dejected.
—dejectedly adverb
—dejection noun [uncountable]

400. queasy Adjec tive 1 feeling that you are going to VOMIT:
• The sea got rougher, and I began to feel queasy.

401. thrilling Adjec tive interesting and exciting:

• a thrilling 3 -2 victory
—thrillingly adverb

402. sloppy Adjec tive 1 not done carefully or thoroughly [= careless]:

• sloppy work
• His written reports are incredibly sloppy.
2 sloppy clothes are loose-fitting, untidy, or dirty:
• Ann was dressed in a sloppy brown sweater.
3 expressing feelings of love too strongly and in a silly way [= slushy]:
• The film is a sloppy romance.
4 not solid enough:
• sloppy jelly
—sloppily adverb
—sloppiness noun [uncountable]

403. journalist noun someone who writes news reports for newspapers, magazines,
television, or radio [↪ reporter]:
• a well-known journalist and broadcaster
—journalistic adjective [only before noun]
• journalistic skills
404. publisher noun a person or company whose business is to arrange the writing,
production, and sale of books, newspapers etc
405. prohibited verb 1 [usually passive] to say that an action is illegal or not
allowed [= ban,forbid]:
• Smoking is strictly prohibited inside the factory.
prohibit somebody from doing something
• They are prohibited from revealing details about the candidates.
2 formal to make something impossible or prevent it from happening

406. promote verb 1ENCOURAGE

to help something to develop or increase:
• a meeting to promote trade between Taiwan and the U.K.
• Fertilizer promotes leaf growth.
2BETTER JOB
[usually passive] to give someone a better, more responsible job in a
company [≠ demote]
promote somebody to something
• Helen was promoted to senior manager.
3SELL
to help sell a new product, film etc by offering it at a reduced price or by
advertising it:
• She's in London to promote her new book.
4SPORT
[usually passive] British English if a sports team is promoted, they play in
a better group of teams the next year [≠ relegate]
promote somebody to something
• They have been promoted to the First Division.
5PERSUADE
to try to persuade people to support or use something:
• John Major promoted the idea of a classless society.
6ARRANGE
to be responsible for arranging a large public event such as a concert or a
sports game

407. restrict verb 1 to limit or control the size, amount, or range of something:
• The new law restricts the sale of hand guns.
• You may need to restrict access to certain files (=limit the number of
people who can read them).
• The agreement will restrict competition.
restrict something to something
• In future we will restrict class sizes to 20 students.
2 to limit someone's actions or movements:
• The cramped living conditions severely restricted the children's
freedom to play.
3 restrict yourself/somebody to (doing) something
to allow yourself to have or do only a particular thing or amount of
something:
• I'm restricting myself to two cigarettes a day.

408. artificial adjective 1 not real or not made of natural things but made to be like something
 that is real or natural [≠ natural; = false]:
• artificial flowers
• artificial light
• artificial fertilizers
2 an artificial situation or quality exists because someone has made it
exist, and not because it is really necessary:
• artificial distinctions
• artificial barriers of gender and race
3 artificial behaviour is not sincere - used to show disapproval[≠ genuine]:
• an artificial smile
—artificially adverb:
• Food prices are being kept artificially low.
—artificiality noun [uncountable]

409. counterfeit adjective made to look exactly like something else, in order to deceive
people[= fake]
counterfeit currency/money etc
• counterfeit £10 notes
counterfeit goods/software etc

410.
411.

hang your head to look ashamed and

embarrassed:

She hung her head, not

sure how to reply.

Daphne had hung her

head in shame.

Break down to be unable to stop yourself

crying, especially in public:

He broke down and cried.

She broke down in tears

when she heard the news.

(just) around/round the corner a) near:

There's a bus stop just

around the corner.
b) likely to happen soon:

Economic recovery is just

around the corner.

Break camp To pack up equipment and

leave a camp site
Feeling blue
Face turn red