j09083的部落格

Obscure(a.)

1.      not known about, or not well known

Details of this period of Shakespeare’s life remain obscure.

The report had been published in an obscure German journal.

2.      not clearly expressed, or not easy to understand

somewhat/relatively obscure: The rules for the competition are somewhat obscure.

Medieval(a.)

1.      relating to the period of European history between about the year 1000 a.d. and the year 1500

a medieval church/castle/building

medieval times

She has a degree in medieval history.

2.      INFORMAL very old-fashioned

His ideas about women are positively medieval!

Pastoral(a.)

1.      LITERARY relating to life in the countryside

a pastoral scene/poem

2.      relating to the work that a priest or other religious leader does to help and advise people

pastoral duties

a pastoral visit

3.pastoral work or activities involve giving help and advice to other people, especially about personal problems

Warring(a.)

arguing or fighting with each other

*warring factions/parties/sides

Faction(n.)

1.[COUNTABLE] a small group within a larger group, consisting of people with different opinions from the rest

The warring factions are nearing agreement on a peace plan.

*faction of: a faction of the ruling party

a. [UNCOUNTABLE] FORMAL disagreement or fighting between small groups within a larger group

2.[COUNTABLE/UNCOUNTABLE] CINEMA INFORMAL a story, movie, or television program that is a mixture of real and imaginary events or people

Melancholy(n.)

a feeling of sadness and of being without hope

Exile(n.)

1.      [UNCOUNTABLE] a situation in which you are forced to live in a foreign country because you cannot live in your own country, usually for political reasons

poems written by Victor Hugo during his exile in the Channel Islands

*in exile: The country’s former leader has been living in exile for two years.

*force/send/drive someone into exile: After a decade of civil war, the losers are being forced into exile.

*self-imposed exile: Wanted in Rome on corruption charges, he now lives in self-imposed exile in Tunisia.

a. MAINLY JOURNALISM a period of time in which you live or work away from home or the place that you prefer

He returned to California after a brief exile in Texas.

2.      [COUNTABLE] someone who has been forced to live in a foreign country because they cannot live in their own country, usually for political reasons

a.      MAINLY JOURNALISM someone who is living or working away from home or the place that they prefer

a team of Irish exiles in London

Formative(a.)

strongly influencing the development of someone’s character and beliefs

Her first year at college was a formative experience.

I spent my formative years in the Middle East.

Prophet(n.)

1.      [COUNTABLE] according to some religions, a man sent by God to lead people and teach them their religious beliefs

a.      the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam

2.      [COUNTABLE] someone who supports an idea or principle and tries to persuade others to support it

*prophet of: He has been described as the new prophet of monetarism.

3. the Prophets [PLURAL] the parts of the Bible that tell about future events

a. the Jewish holy men who wrote about these events

Canonical(a.)

1.      following the generally accepted rules of something

2.      based on the laws of a Christian church

Legacy(n.)

1.      money or property that you arrange for someone to have after you die

My grandmother died and left me a small legacy.

2.      something such as a tradition or problem that exists as a result of something that happened in the past

*legacy of: The war left an enduring legacy of bitterness and suspicion.

a.nsomething that someone has achieved that continues to exists after they stop working or die

Perhaps her most important legacy was her program of educational reform.

Codify(v.)

to make something part of an organized system, especially an official system of laws

Encroachment(v.)

1.      to gradually take something such as power or authority from someone else

*encroach on/upon: The federal government is encroaching on a state issue.

2. to cover more land gradually

*encroach on/upon: Housing developments continue to encroach on wildlife habitats.

3. to gradually reduce the amount of time that someone has available to do what they want to do

*encroach on/upon: I didn’t want work to encroach any more on my spare time.

Menorah(n.)

an object that holds seven or more candles, used in the Jewish religion

Scattering(n.)

a small number of people or things that are spread over a large area

The village was just a scattering of houses along the river.

Legionaries(a.)

relating to a legion of soldiers

a legionary fortress

Cohesion(n.)

1.      a situation in which people or things combine well to form a unit

The common threat of war produces cohesion in a community.

2.LINGUISTICS a relationship between sentences or parts of a piece of writing that is shown by particular words or phrases

Solidarity(n.)

the support that people in a group give each other because they have the same opinions or goals

a need to create solidarity among the president’s top economic advisers

Termination(n.)

1.      [COUNTABLE/UNCOUNTABLE] the end of an agreement, job, or situation

*termination of: The board may order the termination of all research activities.

2.[COUNTABLE] MEDICAL a medical operation in which a baby is removed from a woman’s body before it is completely developed, so that it is not born alive. The more usual word for this is an abortion.

Presumably(a.)

used for saying that you think something is true based on what you know, although you are not really certain

They are students, so presumably they won’t have a lot of money.

Two sales executives are quitting this week, presumably to get higher paid jobs elsewhere.

blend (v.)

1.      [TRANSITIVE] to mix different foods or other substances together

Blend the butter and the sugar together.

*blend something with something: biofuel blended with standard diesel

*blend something into something: Blend three drops of rosemary oil into the mixture.

a. [INTRANSITIVE] to join with another substance to form a mixture

The ingredients had blended into a sticky mess.

2.      [TRANSITIVE] to combine different tastes, styles, qualities, etc. in a way that is attractive or effective

Their music blends jazz and pop in a stylish contemporary sound.

a.      [INTRANSITIVE] to be combined with other things in an attractive or effective way

*blend with: The sweetness of the yogurt blends nicely with the sharpness of the lemons.

Millennium(n.)

a period of 1,000 years