Vice(n.)
1.the British spelling of vise
2.[COUNTABLE] a bad habit or personal quality
He has the occasional cigarette but that’s his only real vice.
3.[UNCOUNTABLE] FORMAL extremely bad and immoral behavior
a. [UNCOUNTABLE] crimes relating to sex, for example prostitution and pornography
Notorious(a.)
famous for something bad
a notorious criminal
*notorious for: The city is notorious for its bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Commentary(n.)
1. [COUNTABLE] a spoken description of an event or sports competition that is given as the event is happening, especially on radio or television
2.[COUNTABLE/UNCOUNTABLE] a discussion of something such as an event or theory
political commentary
a commentary on aspects of seventh-century English life
Hostile(a.)
1.behaving in a very unfriendly or threatening way toward someone
The mayor found himself in the middle of a hostile crowd.
*hostile to/toward: She was openly hostile to him.
*a hostile reception/reaction/response: The appearance of more police provoked a hostile reaction from the protesters.
2.opposing something
Public reaction to the war was generally hostile.
*hostile to/toward: The local community was hostile to plans for a new highway.
3.belonging to an enemy in a war
The northern half of the island was controlled by hostile forces.
Their plane was now flying over hostile territory.
4.a hostile place or situation is difficult or dangerous to be in
species that live in the most hostile environments on the planet
a hostile economic climate
5.BUSINESS done by one company to another that opposes its action
a hostile takeover bid
assessment(n.)
1. [UNCOUNTABLE] the process of making a judgment or forming an opinion, after considering something or someone carefully
The investigation was reopened after careful assessment of new evidence.
a. [COUNTABLE] a judgment or opinion that is the result of this process.
2. [COUNTABLE/UNCOUNTABLE] calculation of the cost or value of something, or the amount of the cost or value
the assessment of property taxes
Execution(n.)
1. [COUNTABLE/UNCOUNTABLE] the act of killing a person as a punishment for a crime
Convicted drug traffickers may face execution.
There have been no executions in this state for almost 15 years.
2. [UNCOUNTABLE] FORMAL the act of completing something that you have agreed or planned to do
*execution of: He has failed in the execution of his duties.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of execution
a. the act of performing a difficult action or movement
b. the act of creating a work of art
3. [UNCOUNTABLE] FORMAL the process of making a computer use a program or carry out an instruction
incentive (n.) something which encourages a person to do something
Tax incentives have been very effective in encouraging people to save and invest more of their income.
There is little incentive for people to leave their cars at home when public transport remains so expensive.
Bonus payments provide an incentive to work harder.
incision (n.) an opening that is made in something with a sharp tool, especially in someone's body during an operation
The surgeon makes a small incision into which a tube is inserted.
reimburse (v.) to pay back money to someone who has spent it for you or lost it because of you
The airline reimbursed me for the amount they had overcharged me.
She was reimbursed by the gas company for the damage to her house.
hands-on: a. Someone with a hands-on way of doing things becomes closely involved in managing and organizing things and in making decisions
She's very much a hands-on manager.
b. Someone who has hands-on experience of something has done or used it rather than just read or learned about it
Many employers consider hands-on experience to be as useful as academic qualifications.
comply (v.) to act according to an order, set of rules or request
He's been ordered to have the dog destroyed because it's dangerous, but he refuses to comply.
There are serious penalties for failure to comply with the regulations.
fusion (n.) when two or more things join or are combined
Their music is described as 'an explosive fusion of Latin American and modern jazz rhythms'.
assimilate (v.) to take in, fit into, or become similar
The European Union should remain flexible enough to assimilate more countries quickly.
You shouldn't expect immigrants to assimilate into an alien culture immediately.
It's hard to assimilate (= learn and understand) so much information.
In this form vitamins can be easily assimilated by the body.
assimilable (a.)
A textbook needs to be assimilable (= able to be understood) to sell a lot of copies.
assimilation (n.)
The assimilation of ethnic Germans in the US was accelerated by the two world wars.
coy (a.) a. intentionally keeping something secret
She's very coy about her age.
b. (especially of women) being or pretending to be shy, modest or childish, or to have no confidence
She gave me a coy look from under her schoolgirl's fringe.
plunge (v.) to (cause someone or something to) move or fall suddenly and often a long way forward, down or into something
We ran down to the beach and plunged into the sea.
The car went out of control and plunged over the cliff.
The fall in demand caused share prices to plunge.
Our income has plunged dramatically.
(n.) a. a sudden movement or fall forward, down or into something
I really enjoyed my plunge (= jumping in and swimming) in the pool.
b. a sudden and large fall in value or level
We are expecting a plunge in profits this year.
take the plunge: to make a decision to do something, especially after thinking about it for a long time
They're finally taking the plunge and getting married.
denizen (n.) an animal, plant or person that lives in or is often in a particular place
Deer, foxes and squirrels are among the denizens of the forest.
ultraviolet (n.) describes light that has a wavelength which is after the violet (= light purple) end of the range of colours that can be seen by humans. Light of this type causes the skin to become darker in the sun.
peddle (v.) a. to sell things, especially by taking them to different places
These products are generally peddled (from) door to door.
He travels around, peddling his wares.
b. If you peddle stories or information, you spread them by telling different people
The organization has peddled the myth that they are supporting the local population.
whiz (n.) a person with a very high level of skill or knowledge in a particular subject
He's a whizz at poker.
swipe (v.) to hit or try to hit something, especially with a sideways movement
She opened the window and swiped at the flies with a rolled-up newspaper to make them go out.
She swiped him round the head.
asylum (n.) protection or safety, especially that given by a government to foreigners who have been forced to leave their own countries for political reasons
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American Literature (2)
