Collections on 30 Oct. 2018
acquisition
noun /ˌæk.wɪˈzɪʃ.ən/
[ U ] the process of getting something:
The acquisition of huge amounts of data has helped our research enormously.
Language acquisition (= learning a language without being taught) starts at a very young age.
[ C ] something that someone buys, often to add to a collection of things:
The museum’s latest acquisition is a four-million-dollar sculpture.
I like your earrings – are they a recent acquisition? (= Did you get them recently?)
[ C or U ] something such as a building, another company, or a piece of land that is bought by a company, or the act of buying it
The company said the debt was accumulated during its acquisition of nine individual businesses.
soot 煤灰
noun [ U ] /sʊt/
a black powder composed mainly of carbon, produced when coal, wood, etc. is burned:
It can be dangerous to let too much soot accumulate inside a chimney.
the bench
a seat or area of seats where players sit during a game when they are not playing:
He was injured, and spent the last few weeks of the season on the bench.
the judge or magistrate in a law court, or the place where he or she sits:
Please address your remarks to the bench, Mr Smith.
remark
noun [ C ] /rɪˈmɑːk/
something that you say, giving your opinion about something or stating a fact:
He addressed a few introductory remarks to the audience.
Her remarks on the employment question led to a heated discussion.
The children made rude remarks about the old man.
hushed
adjective /hʌʃt/
quiet:
She stood up to address a hushed courtroom.
People still speak in hushed tones (= very quietly) of the murders.
the multitude/multitudes
a large crowd of people:
He stepped out onto the balcony to address the multitude below.
the multitudes
[ plural ] large numbers of people:
the multitudes using the internet
the multitude
the ordinary people who form the largest group in a society
cowardly
adjective /ˈkaʊ.əd.li/
This was a particularly brutal and cowardly attack.
They are guilty of a cowardly failure to address the problem.
lacking courage.
(of an action) carried out against a person who is unable to retaliate.
“a cowardly attack on a helpless victim”
retaliate
verb [ I ] /rɪˈtæl.i.eɪt/
to hurt someone or do something harmful to someone because they have done or said something harmful to you:
If someone insults you, don’t retaliate as it only makes the situation worse.
The demonstrators threw rocks at the police, who retaliated by firing blanks into the crowd.
The terrorists retaliated against the government with a bomb attack.
spillover
noun [ C ] /ˈspɪlˌəʊ.vər/
an amount of liquid that has become too much for the object that contains it and flows or spreads out:
The spillover from the adjacent river flooded the lower fields.
the effects of an activity that have spread further than was originally intended:
We are now witnessing a spillover of the war into neighbouring regions.
detente
noun [ U ] /deɪˈtɒnt/ formal
an improvement in the relationship between two countries that in the past were not friendly and did not trust each other:
The talks are aimed at furthering détente between the two countries.
menace
noun /ˈmen.ɪs/
[ C usually singular ] something that is likely to cause harm:
Drunk drivers are a menace to everyone.
Dogs running loose are a public menace.
the menace of industrial pollution
[ U ] a dangerous quality that makes you think someone is going to do something bad:
He had a slight air of menace which made me uneasy.
He spoke with a hint of menace.
proprietary
adjective [ before noun ] /prəˈpraɪə.tər.i/
relating to owning something, or relating to or like an owner:
I just assumed he owned the place – he had a proprietary air about him.
Proprietary goods are made and sent out by a particular company whose name is on the product:
proprietary medicines
wording
noun [ U ] /ˈwɜː.dɪŋ/
the choice and meaning of the words used when you say or write something:
Norman agreed that the wording of the advertisement was unnecessarily offensive and it was changed.
We don’t yet know the exact/precise wording of the agreement.
adrift
adjective [ after verb ] /əˈdrɪft/
If a boat is adrift, it is moving on the water but is not controlled by anyone because of a problem:
He spent three days adrift on his yacht.
If a person is adrift, they do not have a clear purpose in life or know what they want to do:
Da Silva plays a bright, lonely student from New York, adrift in small-town Arizona.
postpone
verb [ T ] /pəʊstˈpəʊn/
to delay an event and plan or decide that it should happen at a later date or time:
They decided to postpone their holiday until next year.
[ + -ing verb ] We’ve had to postpone going to France because the children are ill.
The negotiations have been postponed indefinitely.
I was really angry when she asked me to postpone my trip to help her move house.
There’s no point postponing the event just because the weather forecast is bad.
We decided to postpone the party until my parents had returned from America.
The exams have been postponed until next month.
postponement
noun [ C or U ] /pəʊstˈpəʊn.mənt/
a delay to an event because someone plans or decides that it should happen at a later date or time:
We were disappointed by yet another postponement of our trip.
Fog forced a postponement of the planned 9 am takeoff.
His lawyers requested a postponement of his trial.
Professional sports announced mass postponements and cancellations.
An indefinite postponement was ordered by the judge because of the danger posed by a violent protest taking place outside the courthouse.
sequel
noun [ C ] /ˈsiː.kwəl/
a book, film, or play that continues the story of a previous book, etc.:
I’m reading the sequel to “Gone with the Wind”.
cinemagoer
noun [ C ] /ˈsɪn.ə.məˌɡəʊ.ər/ mainly uk us usually moviegoer
a person who regularly goes to watch films at the cinema
insatiable
adjective /ɪnˈseɪ.ʃə.bəl/
(especially of a desire or need) too great to be satisfied:
Like so many politicians, he had an insatiable appetite/desire/hunger for power.
Nothing, it seemed, would satisfy his insatiable curiosity.
whet sb’s appetite
to increase someone’s interest in and wish for something, usually by giving them a small experience of it:
I’ve read an excerpt of the book on the Web and it’s whetted my appetite.
That one kiss had whetted his appetite.
train
verb /treɪn/
[ T ] to direct the growth of a plant in a particular direction by cutting it and tying it:
The vines were trained over an arch, providing shade as well as fruit.
conspicuous
adjective /kənˈspɪk.ju.əs/
very noticeable or attracting attention, often in a way that is not wanted:
In China, her blonde hair was conspicuous.
He tried not to look conspicuous and moved slowly along the back of the room.
conspicuously
adverb /kənˈspɪk.ju.əs.li/
in a way that is conspicuous (= noticeable):
The temple’s grand white arches rose conspicuously over the dirty decaying city.
Ms Andrews was conspicuously absent from the event.
Police cars were conspicuously parked inside and outside the grounds.
His grin reveals a conspicuously missing tooth.
Escaping from prisons was one of his specialities, but this time he had conspicuously failed.
be conspicuous by your absence
mainly humorous
to be absent when you should be present, in a way that other people notice:
Why wasn’t Stephen at the meeting? He was conspicuous by his absence.
decay
verb /dɪˈkeɪ/
[ I or T ] to become gradually damaged, worse, or less; to cause something to do this:
Sugar makes your teeth decay.
The role of the extended family has been decaying for some time.
Pollution has decayed the surface of the stonework on the front of the cathedral.
the smell of decaying meat
abbey
noun [ C ] /ˈæb.i/
a building where monks or nuns live or used to live. Some abbeys are now used as churches:
Westminster Abbey
We glimpsed the ruined abbey from the windows of the train.
The abbey was completely rebuilt in 1503 after it had been destroyed by fire.
The town’s fame rests on its beautiful 14th-century abbey.
The abbey was recently restored after decades of disuse.
We walked through the ruins of the abbey.
viaduct
noun [ C ] /ˈvaɪə.dʌkt/
a long, high bridge, usually held up by many arches, that carries a railway or a road over a valley:
a railway viaduct
hold sb/sth in contempt
to feel contempt for someone or something
Her eyebrows arched in contempt.
Many officials, it must be conceded, held creoles in contempt.
muffle
verb [ T ] /ˈmʌf.əl/
to make a sound quieter and less clear:
The house has double-glazed windows to muffle the noise of aircraft.
to make something less strong or clear:
The report concluded that business pressure on the government had muffled the impact of the legislation.
a good/great deal
a large amount:
She spends a good deal of her time in China.
A great deal of effort has gone into making the software reliable.
They still need a great deal more money to finish the project.
strained
adjective /streɪnd/
If a relationship is strained, problems are spoiling it:
Relations between the two countries have become strained (= difficult) recently.
showing that someone is nervous or worried:
She was looking strained and had dark circles beneath her eyes.
Jean felt uncomfortable but managed to force a strained smile.
makeover
noun [ C ] /ˈmeɪkˌəʊ.vər/
a set of changes that are intended to make a person or place more attractive:
One of the prizes was a makeover at a top beauty salon.
Do these house and garden makeover shows really reflect the aspirations of the average British family?
indecent
adjective /ɪnˈdiː.sənt/
morally offensive, especially in a sexual way:
an indecent act/photograph
She accused him of making indecent suggestions to her.
gaze
verb [ I usually + adv/prep ] /ɡeɪz/
to look at something or someone for a long time, especially in surprise or admiration, or because you are thinking about something else:
Annette gazed admiringly at Warren as he spoke.
He spends hours gazing out of the window when he should be working.
He gazed out over the emptiness of the moors.
He gazed at her, his eyes full of longing.
She gazed in admiration at his broad, muscular shoulders.
She was gazing out the window, rocking rhythmically to and fro.
The women sitting opposite us were gazing admiringly at baby Joe.
boss
verb [ T usually + adv/prep ] /bɒs/ informal disapproving
to tell someone what to do all the time:
I wish he’d stop bossing me around/about.
put up with sth/sb
phrasal verb
to accept or continue to accept an unpleasant situation or experience, or someone who behaves unpleasantly:
I can put up with the house being messy, but I hate it if it’s not clean.
He’s so moody – I don’t know why she puts up with him.
They have a lot to put up with (= they have a lot of difficulties).
I don’t know how he puts up with their constant complaining.
I can’t put up with a leaky freezer.
I put up with her tantrums for 30 years.
steep sth/sb in sth
phrasal verb
If something or someone is steeped in something, they are completely surrounded by or involved in it, or know a lot about it:
The college is steeped in history/tradition.
These ancient scholars were steeped in poetry and painting, as well as maths and astronomy.
bush
noun /bʊʃ/
[ C ] a plant with many small branches growing either directly from the ground or from a hard stem, giving the plant a rounded shape:
a rose bush
a rhododendron bush (杜鹃花)
a lavender bush (熏衣草)
She pulled the bush out of the ground with a sharp jerk.
She saw him coming and crouched down behind a bush.
Cutting the bush back in the autumn will help promote vigorous growth in the spring.
aphid
noun [ C ] /ˈeɪ.fɪd/
any of various small insects, such as the greenfly, that suck the juices of plants for food
scathing
adjective /ˈskeɪ.ðɪŋ/
criticizing someone or something in a severe and unkind way:
scathing criticism
a scathing attack on the president
He was very scathing about the report, saying it was inaccurate.