Verbal (GRE)

This page is temporarily used for GRE vocabularies.

If phonetic symbols cannot be correctly displayed, switch the webpage font to type B in the control panel floating in the bottom-right corner. 若音标字符不能正常显示,请在右下角控制面板中切换页面字体至字体B。

This is a PAGE created by @Alex for learning and sharing. The idea is to write down words that I failed to recognize and define during the reading or watching of all kinds of English materials. Here you'll see lists of words that I've recorded with detailed English definition and Chinese translation.

If you wish to add new words, please email me or reach me through messages. Make sure your submission includes the following content:

  • The words you want to add in lower case and singular form (not applicable for special terms, abbreviation and always-plural)
  • The ENGLISH definition of each word (you should copy the definitions from authoritative English dictionaries or other sources you can trust with confidence)
  • The Chinese translation of each word (recommend to lookup to a Chinese-English dictionary for precise results)

And remember to organize your content in the order above.

Now we shall begin. You should come here for a look frequently.

2023

October

19 Thursday

specious

pervasive

trivial

September

13 Wednesday

usher /ˈʌʃər/ 引导 + adv./prep. to take or show somebody where they should go

sycophantic /ˌsɪkəˈfæntɪk/ 谄媚的 (formal, disapproving) praising important or powerful people too much and in a way that is not sincere, especially in order to get something from them

censorious /senˈsɔːriəs/ 挑剔、严厉的 tending to criticize people or things a lot

pedantic /pɪˈdæntɪk/ 迂腐的 (disapproving) too worried about small details or rules

wing 厢房、侧厅 a part of a large building that sticks out from the main part

the wherewithal /ðə ˈwerwɪðɔːl/ 必备的资金、技术等 [singular](to do something) the money, things or skill that you need in order to be able to do something

solemnity /səˈlemnəti/ 严肃、冷峻的 [uncountable] the quality of being solemn;仪式 [plural] (formal) formal things that people do at a serious event or occasion

panache /pəˈnæʃ/ 神气、潇洒 [uncountable] the quality of being able to do things in a lively and confident way that other people find attractive

concur /kənˈkɜːr/ 同意 to agree

erudite /ˈerjədaɪt/ 博学的 (formal, approving) having or showing great knowledge that is gained from academic study

contentious 有争议的 likely to cause people to disagree;充满争吵、容易引起争议的 liking to argue; involving a lot of arguing

methodical /məˈθɑːdɪkl/ 有条理的 done in a careful and logical way;(人)有条理的 (of a person) doing things in a careful and logical way

dome 圆顶 a round roof with a circular base

columnar /kəˈlʌmnə/ 柱状的 having the form of a column

elephantine /ˌelɪˈfæntiːn/ 厚重的、象形的 very large and clumsy; like an elephant

terrestrial /təˈrestriəl/ 陆生的 (specialist) (of animals and plants) living on the land or on the ground, rather than in water, in trees or in the air;地球的 connected with the planet Earth

quixotic /kwɪkˈsɑːtɪk/ 不切实际的 having or involving ideas or plans that show imagination but are usually not practical

banal /bəˈnɑːl/ 平庸的 very ordinary and containing nothing that is interesting or important

viable 可行的 that can be done; that will be successful;能独立生存的 (biology) capable of developing and surviving independently

mawkishness /ˈmɔːkɪʃnəs/ 伤感的 [uncountable] (disapproving) the expression or sharing of emotion in a way that is exaggerated or embarrassing

austerity /ɔːˈsterəti/ (政)紧缩 [uncountable] difficult economic conditions created by government policies aimed at cutting public spending;朴素 [uncountable] the quality of being simple and plain in appearance

ostentatious /ˌɑːstenˈteɪʃəs/ 炫耀的 (disapproving) showing your wealth or status in a way that is intended to impress people

emotive 情绪化的 of or relating to emotion

melodramatic /ˌmelədrəˈmætɪk/ 戏剧性、夸张的(often disapproving) full of exciting and extreme emotions or events; behaving or reacting to something in an exaggerated way

tractable /ˈtræktəbl/ 听话、可控的 easy to deal with or control

sluggish /ˈslʌɡɪʃ/ 迟缓 moving, reacting or working more slowly than normal

manifest /ˈmænɪfest/ 展现 manifest something (in something) to show something clearly, especially a feeling, an attitude or a quality

reinvigorate /ˌriːɪnˈvɪɡəreɪt/ 重振活力 to give new energy or strength to something/somebody

utilitarian /ˌjuːtɪlɪˈteriən/ 实用主义的 (formal) designed to be useful and practical rather than attractive

perfunctory /pərˈfʌŋktəri/ 敷衍的 (of an action) done as a duty or habit, without real interest, attention or feeling

egregious /ɪˈɡriːdʒiəs/ 过分的 extremely bad

inductive /ɪnˈdʌktɪv/ 归纳的 (specialist) using particular facts and examples to form general rules and principles

grievance /ˈɡriːvəns/ 冤屈、委屈 something that you think is unfair and that you complain or protest about; a feeling that you have been badly treated

indisputable /ˌɪndɪˈspjuːtəbl/ 毋庸置疑的 that is true and cannot be disagreed with or denied

plausible /ˈplɔːzəbl/ (看似)有道理的 (of an excuse or explanation) reasonable and likely to be true

uncontested 无争议的 without any opposition or argument

hominid /ˈhɑːmɪnɪd/ 原始人类 (specialist) any member of the family that includes modern humans and great apes, as well as earlier creatures that no longer exist from which modern humans evolved (= developed)

extraneous /ɪkˈstreɪniəs/ 无关的 not directly connected with the particular situation you are in or the subject you are dealing with

conjectural /kənˈdʒektʃərəl/ 推测的 (of an opinion or idea) not based on definite knowledge; formed by guessing

demonstrable /dɪˈmɑːnstrəbl/ 可证明的 that can be shown or proved

overt /əʊˈvɜːrt/ 公开的 [usually before noun] (formal) done in an open way and not secretly

exacting /ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ/ 要求严格的 needing or demanding a lot of effort and care about details

histrionic /ˌhɪstriˈɑːnɪk/ 戏剧性的 histrionic behaviour is very emotional and is intended to attract attention in a way that does not seem sincere

megalomaniac /ˌmeɡələˈmeɪniæk/ 夸大狂的人 (disapproving or psychology) a person affected by or showing megalomania

egalitarian /iˌɡælɪˈteriən/ 平等主义的 based on, or holding, the belief that everyone is equal and should have the same rights and opportunities

indolent /ˈɪndələnt/ 懒惰、不愿工作的 not wanting to work

charismatic /ˌkærɪzˈmætɪk/ 有魅力的 having charisma

08 Friday

consecutive /kənˈsekjətɪv/ 连续的 [usually before noun] following one after another in a continuous series

units digit 个位 the digit in the one's place of the number

inscribe /ɪnˈskraɪb/ 刻、在...上写 to write or cut words, your name, etc. onto something

deviation /ˌdiːviˈeɪʃn/ 偏离 [uncountable, countable] deviation (from something) the act of moving away from what most people consider normal or acceptable; a difference from what is expected or acceptable;偏差 [countable] deviation (from something) (specialist) the amount by which a single measurement is different from the average

perimeter /pəˈrɪmɪtər/ 周长 (mathematics) the total length of the outside edge of an area or a shape;边界 the outside edge of an area of land

quadrilateral /ˌkwɑːdrɪˈlætərəl/ 四边形 a flat shape with four straight sides

imperturbable /ˌɪmpərˈtɜːrbəbl/ 镇静的 not easily upset or worried by a difficult situation; calm

volatile /ˈvɑːlətl/ 变化无常的 (often disapproving) (of a person or their moods) changing easily from one mood to another;动荡的 (of a situation) likely to change suddenly; easily becoming dangerous;易挥发的 (specialist) (of a substance) that changes easily into a gas

duplicitous /duːˈplɪsɪtəs/ 两面派 dishonest in a way that is intended to make somebody believe something that is not true

apathetic /ˌæpəˈθetɪk/ 冷漠的 showing no interest or enthusiasm

cunning 狡猾 (disapproving) able to get what you want in a clever way, especially by tricking or cheating somebody;机智的 clever and showing skill

blithe /blaɪð/ 不在意的 (disapproving) showing you do not care or are not anxious about what you are doing;无忧无虑的 (literary) happy; not anxious

07 Thursday

impenetrable /ɪmˈpenɪtrəbl/ 坚不可摧的 that cannot be entered, passed through or seen through;费解的 impossible to understand

immutable /ɪˈmjuːtəbl/ 不变的 (formal) that cannot be changed; that will never change

proprietary 专属的 [usually before noun] (of goods) made and sold by a particular company and protected by a registered trademark自有的 relating to an owner or to the fact of owning something

didactic (formal) /daɪˈdæktɪk/ 说教的 designed to teach people something, especially a moral lesson;说教式的 (usually disapproving) telling people things rather than letting them find out for themselves

perpetuate (formal) /pərˈpetʃueɪt/ 延续、维护 to make something such as a bad situation, a belief, etc. continue for a long time

plasticity [uncountable] (specialist) /plæˈstɪsəti/ 可塑性 the quality of being easily made into different shapes

lopsided /ˌlɑːpˈsaɪdɪd/ 不平衡、不一致的 having one side lower, smaller, etc. than the other;片面的 lacking balance; with a lot more attention, points, votes, etc. on one side than the other

feeble /ˈfiːbl/ 微弱 very weak;无力、不有效的 not effective; not showing energy or effort

swift 立即的 happening or done quickly and immediately; doing something quickly;快速的 moving very quickly; able to move very quickly

robust 健壮的 strong and healthy;结实的 strong; able to survive being used a lot and not likely to break;强健的 (of a system or an organization) strong and not likely to fail or become weak;坚定的 strong and determined; showing that you are sure about what you are doing or saying

turbulent 动荡的 in which there is a lot of sudden change, trouble, argument and sometimes violence;湍流的 (of air or water) changing direction suddenly and violently

occupant 居住者 a person who lives or works in a particular house, room, building, etc.;乘客 a person who is in a vehicle, seat, etc. at a particular time

lavishly /ˈlævɪʃli/ 奢侈的 in a way that is impressive and usually costs a lot of money;丰富的 in a way that involves large or generous amounts of something

unimpeded (formal) /ˌʌnɪmˈpiːdɪd/ 畅通的 with nothing blocking or stopping somebody/something

repertoire /ˈrepərtwɑːr/ 剧目 (also formal repertory) all the plays, songs, pieces of music, etc. that a performer knows and can perform;全部才能 all the things that a person is able to do

oversight 疏忽 [countable, uncountable] the fact of making a mistake because you forget to do something or you do not notice something;监管 [uncountable] (formal) the state of being in charge of somebody/something

augment /ɔːɡˈment/ 增加、增强 to increase the amount, value, size, etc. of something

ameliorate /əˈmiːliəreɪt/ 改善 to make better something that was bad or not good enough

honorific (formal) /ˌɑːnəˈrɪfɪk/ 尊敬的 showing respect for the person you are speaking to

malign (formal) /məˈlaɪn/ 污蔑 to say bad things about somebody/something publicly

dispute /dɪˈspjuːt/ 质疑 [transitive] to question whether something is true or legally or officially acceptable;争执 [transitive, intransitive] to argue or disagree strongly with somebody about something, especially about who owns something

disclose /dɪsˈkləʊz/ 透露 to give somebody information about something, especially something that was previously secret;揭露 to allow something that was hidden to be seen

brook (not brook something/not brook somebody doing something/brook no…) 不容许  to not allow something

repudiate /rɪˈpjuːdieɪt/ 拒绝接受 to refuse to accept something;(宣布)否认 to say officially and/or publicly that something is not true

regurgitate /rɪˈɡɜːrdʒɪteɪt/ 反刍 (formal) to bring food that has been swallowed back up into the mouth again;(不经思考)重复 (disapproving) to repeat something you have heard or read without really thinking about it or understanding it

beneficence /bɪˈnefɪsns/ 行善 [uncountable] (formal) the quality of giving help or being kind

altruism /ˈæltruɪzəm/ 利他主义 [uncountable] (formal) the fact of caring about the needs and happiness of other people and being willing to do things to help them, even if it brings no advantage to yourself

fecundity /fɪˈkʌndəti/ [uncountable] (formal) /fɪˈkʌndəti/ 丰产力 the ability to produce children, crops, etc.;(想法)产出力 the ability to produce new and useful things, especially ideas

fertility [uncountable] 丰产力 the quality in land or soil of making plants grow well;生产能力 the ability to produce babies, young animals, fruit or new plants

sanguine /ˈsæŋ gwɪn/ 乐天的 cheerfully optimistic, sometimes to the point of seeming complacent, oblivious, or naive

verisimilitude /ˌverɪsɪˈmɪlɪtuːd/ 真实性 [uncountable] (formal) the quality of seeming to be true or real

cordiality /ˌkɔːrdʒiˈæləti/ 亲切的 [uncountable] (formal) the quality of being pleasant and friendly

irascibility /ɪˌræsəˈbɪləti/ 易怒 [uncountable] (formal) the fact of tending to become angry very easily

conviviality /kənˌvɪviˈæləti/ 活泼 [uncountable] the quality of being cheerful and friendly in atmosphere or character

diffidence /ˈdɪfɪdəns/ 不自信 [uncountable] a lack of confidence in yourself; being unwilling to talk about yourself

exasperation /ɪɡˌzæspəˈreɪʃn/ (无力改变现状)恼怒 [uncountable] the feeling of being extremely annoyed, especially because you cannot do anything to improve a situation

06 Wedensday

capricious /kəˈprɪʃəs/ 变化无常的(showing sudden changes in attitude or behaviour);任性的(changing suddenly and quickly)
insular /ˈɪnsələr/ 狭隘的(disapproving) only interested in your own country, ideas, etc. and not in those from outside);保守的(usually disapproving) having little contact with other people)
mercenary /ˈmɜːrsəneri/ 图利的(only interested in making or getting money)
intransigent /ɪnˈtrænzɪdʒənt/ 固执的(of people) unwilling to change their opinions or behaviour in a way that would be helpful to others)
cosmopolitan /ˌkɑːzməˈpɑːlɪtən/ 世界性的(containing people of different types or from different countries, and influenced by their culture)

clamorous /ˈklæmərəs/ 吵闹的((especially of a lot of people or animals) making a loud noise);(众多人)要求的((of a lot of people) making demands for something)
invidious /ɪnˈvɪdiəs/ 令人反感的(unpleasant and unfair; likely to offend somebody or make them)
numinous /ˈnuːmɪnəs/ 超自然的(having a strong religious and spiritual quality that makes you feel that God is present)
empirical /ɪmˈpɪrɪkl/ 实证的、基于经验的(based on experiments or experience rather than ideas or theories)
sonorous /ˈsɑːnərəs/ 响亮的(having a pleasant full deep sound)

dearth /dɜːrθ/ 缺乏((of something) a lack of something; the fact of there not being enough of something)
presumption 推定[countable] something that is thought to be true or likely);傲慢(formal) behaviour that is too confident and shows a lack of respect for other people)

sterling reputation 完好的名声(a flawless, immaculate reputation)
ad hoc existence 特别的存在(happening or existing only for a particular purpose and not previously planned)
superficial 肤浅的(often disapproving) not studying or looking at something carefully or completely; seeing only what is obvious);表面上的(appearing to be true, real or important until you look at it more carefully)
spontaneous 自发的(not planned but done because you suddenly want to do it)
exhaustive 详尽的(including everything possible; very careful or complete)
gainsay /ˌɡeɪnˈseɪ/ 否定的(to say that something is not true; to disagree with or deny something)

fickle 善变的(changing often and suddenly);薄情的((of a person) often changing their mind in an unreasonable way so that you cannot rely on them)

antiquarian /ˌæntɪˈkweriən/ 古玩研究的(connected with the study, collection or sale of valuable old objects, especially books)

deviate /ˈdiːvieɪt/ 偏离、背离((from something) to be different from something; to do something in a different way from what is usual or expected)

succumb /səˈkʌm/ 屈服([intransitive] to not be able to fight an attack, a temptation, etc.)

recoil /rɪˈkɔɪl/ 畏缩([intransitive] to move your body quickly away from somebody/something because you find them or it frightening or unpleasant);畏避([intransitive] to react to an idea or a situation with strong dislike or fear)

yield (to) 屈服([intransitive] (formal) to stop resisting);yield to something 被替代(formal) to be replaced by something)

shrink from 退缩((used especially in negative sentences)to be unwilling to do something that is difficult or unpleasant)

singular 非凡的(formal) very great or obvious)

counterfeit /ˈkaʊntərfɪt/ 伪造(formal)(of money and goods for sale) made to look exactly like something in order to trick people into thinking that they are getting the real thing)

pessimism /ˈpesɪmɪzəm/ 悲观主义((about/over something) a feeling that bad things will happen and that something will not be successful)

imprecision /ˌɪmprɪˈsɪʒn/ 不精确([uncountable] a lack of exact details)

hyperbole /haɪˈpɜːrbəli/ 夸张([uncountable, countable, usually singular] a way of speaking or writing that makes something sound better, more exciting, more dangerous, etc. than it really is)

overstatement 夸大其词([countable, uncountable] a statement that you say in a way that makes it seem more important than it really is; the act of saying something in this way)

understatement 轻描淡写([countable] a statement/practice that makes something seem less important, impressive, serious, etc. than it really is)

incline /ɪnˈklaɪn/ 倾向[intransitive, transitive] to tend to think or behave in a particular way; to make somebody do this);incline your head 点头(to bend your head forward, especially as a sign of agreement, welcome, etc.);倾斜((something) (to/towards something) to lean or slope in a particular direction; to make something lean or slope)

upheaval /ʌpˈhiːvl/ 动荡(a big change that causes a lot of worry and problems)

imminent /ˈɪmɪnənt/ 迫在眉睫的((especially of something unpleasant) likely to happen very soon)

stern /stɜːrn/ 严厉的(serious and often showing that you do not approve of somebody/something; expecting somebody to obey you)

prescient /ˈpreʃnt/ 有先见之明的(formal) knowing or appearing to know about things before they happen)

prophetic (formal) 预言的(correctly stating or showing what will happen in the future);先知的(like or connected with a prophet or prophets

indifferent 冷漠的([not usually before noun] indifferent (to somebody/something) having or showing no interest in somebody/something);一般的(not very good)

mediocre /ˌmiːdiˈəʊkər/ 平庸的(disapproving) not very good; of only average standard)

apathetic /ˌæpəˈθetɪk/ 漠不关心的(showing no interest or enthusiasm)

July

26 Wednesday

1. tec'tonic adj.

  • [only before noun] (geology) relating to the structure of the earth’s surface

2. ridge n.

  • a narrow area of high land along the top of a line of hills; a high pointed area near the top of a mountain

3. uneventful adj.

  • in which nothing interesting, unusual or exciting happens
    • an uneventful life
    • The pregnancy itself was relatively uneventful.

4. plume n. /pluːm/

  • a cloud of something that rises and curves upwards in the air
    • a plume of smoke
    • A great plume of dust and ash rose from the volcano.
  • a large feather
    • a black hat with an ostrich plume
  • a group of feathers or long thin pieces of material tied together and often used as a decoration
    • The red plume on the horse’s head was nodding to the rhythm of its steps.

5. 'bivalve n.

6. crude adj.

  • [usually before noun] (of oil and other natural substances) in its natural state, before it has been processed or refined
    • crude oil/metal
  • (statistics) (of figures) not changed or corrected
    • the crude mortality rate

April

20 Thursday

1. camouflage v. /ˈkæməflɑːʒ/

  • ~ something/yourself (with something) to hide somebody/something/yourself by making them/it/yourself look like the things around, or like something else
    • The soldiers camouflaged themselves with leaves.
    • Her size was camouflaged by the long loose dress she wore.

2. 'penetrate v.

  • [transitive, intransitive] to go into or through something
    • The cold seemed to penetrate his bones.
    • These fine particles penetrate deep into the lungs.
  • [transitive, intransitive] to succeed in entering or joining an organization, a group, etc. especially when this is difficult to do
    • This year the company has been trying to penetrate new markets (= to start selling their products there).
  • [transitive] penetrate something to see or show a way into or through something
    • Our eyes could not penetrate the darkness.
  • [transitive] penetrate something to understand or discover something that is difficult to understand or is hidden
    • Science can penetrate many of nature's mysteries.
  • [intransitive, transitive] to be understood or realized by somebody
    • None of my advice seems to have penetrated his thick skull (= he has not listened to any of it).
  • [transitive] penetrate somebody/something See #6

17 Monday

1. 'transient (formal)

  • adj. continuing for only a short time (SYNONYM fleetingtemporary) 短暫的
    • the transient nature of speech
  • adj. staying or working in a place for only a short time, before moving on 暂留的
  • n. a person who stays or works in a place for only a short time, before moving on 暂住某地的人
    • Most of the farm workers are transients.
  • n. a momentary variation in current, voltage, or frequency (电路或信号)暂态

2. glacier n. BrE /ˈɡlæsiə(r)/ NAmE /ˈɡleɪʃər/

  • a slow-moving mass or river of ice, formed from snow on mountains or near the North Pole or South Pole 冰川

3. 'termite n.

  • an insect that lives in organized groups, mainly in hot countries. Termites do a lot of damage by eating the wood of trees and buildings. 白蟻
    • a termite colony

4. helix n. /ˈhiːlɪks/ (plural helices /ˈhiːlɪsiːz/)

  • a shape like a spiral or a line curved around a cylinder or cone 螺旋
  • double helix the structure of DNA, consisting of two connected long thin pieces that form a spiral shape (DNA)双螺旋结构

5. 'improvise v.

  • [intransitive, transitive] to make or do something using whatever is available, usually because you do not have what you really need 湊合
    • There isn't much equipment. We're going to have to improvise.
  • to invent music, the words in a play, a statement, etc. while you are playing or speaking, instead of planning it in advance 即兴演奏

6. extemporaneous adj. /ɪkˌstempəˈreɪniəs/

  • spoken or done without planning or preparation 即兴的 (SYNONYM im'promptu)
    • extemporaneous speaking

7. re'press v.

  • repress something to try not to have or show an emotion, a feeling, etc. 抑制 (SYNONYM control)
    • He burst in, making no effort to repress his fury.
  • [often passive] repress somebody/something to use political and/or military force to control a group of people and limit their freedom 壓迫
    • The government was quick to repress any opposition.

8. de'mise n.

  • the end or failure of an institution, an idea, a company, etc. 消亡
    • the demise of the USSR
  • (formal or humorous) death 死亡
    • his imminent/sudden/sad demise

9. 'pollen n.

  • [uncountable] fine powder, usually yellow, that is formed in flowers and carried to other flowers of the same kind by the wind or by insects, to make those flowers produce seeds 花粉
    • bees gathering pollen

10. foothill n.

  • [usually plural] a hill or low mountain at the base of a higher mountain or range of mountains 山麓
    • the foothills of the Himalayas

11. en'compass v.

  • encompass something to include a large number or range of things 包含
    • The job encompasses a wide range of responsibilities.
  • encompass something to surround or cover something completely 環繞
    • The fog soon encompassed the whole valley.

12. onwards adv.

  1. from… onwards continuing from a particular time 从某时一直
    • They lived there from the 1980s onwards.
    • The pool is open from 7 a.m. onwards.
  2. forward 向前,前往
    • We drove onwards towards the coast.

13. sub'ject v.

  • subject something (to something) to bring a country or group of people under your control, especially by using force 使屈服
    • The Roman Empire subjected most of Europe to its rule.
  • (phrasal verb) subject to [often passive] to make somebody/something experience, suffer or be affected by something, usually something unpleasant 遭受
    • The city was subjected to heavy bombing.

14. 'ridicule n.

  • unkind comments that make fun of somebody/something or make them look silly 嘲笑,讥笑 (SYNONYM mockery)
    • She is an object of ridicule in the tabloid newspapers.

15. ˌmiti'gation n.

  • a reduction in how unpleasant, serious, etc. something is 減輕,緩和
  • (law) in mitigation with the aim of making a crime seem less serious or easier to forgive 旨在减轻罪行
    • In mitigation, the defence lawyer said his client was seriously depressed at the time of the assault.

16. dispute v.

  •  to question whether something is true or legally or officially acceptable 提出质询
    • No one is disputing that there is a problem.

17. 'partisan adj.

  • showing too much support for one person, group or idea, especially without considering it carefully 偏护的,盲目拥护的 (SYNONYM one-sided)
    • Most newspapers are politically partisan.

18. ˌdispro'portionate adj.

  • ~ (to something) too large or too small when compared with something else 不相称的,不成比例的
    • The area contains a disproportionate number of young middle-class families.

19. 'deputy n.

  • a person who is the next most important person below a business manager, a head of a school, a political leader, etc. and who does that person’s job when they are away 副手,副职
    • I'm acting as deputy till the manager returns.

20. swathe n. /sweɪð/ (also swath)

  • a long piece of land, especially one on which the plants or crops have been cut (尤指割了庄稼的)一长条田地

21. coalition n. /ˌkəʊəˈlɪʃn/

  • a government formed by two or more political parties working together (多党)联合政府
    • The two parties have formed a coalition.
  • a group formed by people from several different groups, especially political ones, agreeing to work together for a particular purpose 联盟
    • The network is a global coalition of environmental and consumer groups.

22. 'realtor n. (also real estate agent (all NAmE), BrE estate agent)

  • a person whose job is to sell houses and land for people 不动产经纪人

See American “realtor” versus UK estate agent

23. crux n. /krʌks/

  • the crux (of something) the most important or difficult part of a problem or an issue (难题或问题的)关键 (SYNONYM nub)
    • Now we come to the crux of the matter.

24. curb v.

  • curb something to control or limit something, especially something bad 遏制 (SYNONYM check)
    • He needs to learn to curb his temper.

25. 'Waterstones

  • a chain of bookshops in Britain which opened its first shop in London in 1982 and now has shops in the UK, Ireland and Europe (英国)水石书店

26. 'stand-off n.

  • stand-off (between A and B) a situation in which no agreement can be reached (双方)僵持局面 (SYNONYM deadlock)
    • a stand-off between the union and the management

27. prominent adj.

  • important or well known 重要的,著名的
    • He played a prominent part in the campaign.
  • easily seen 显眼的 (SYNONYM noticeable)
    • The church tower was a prominent feature in the landscape.
  • sticking out from something 突出的
    • a prominent nose

28. normality n. /nɔːrˈmæləti/ (also normalcy /ˈnɔːrmlsi/ especially in NAmE)

  • a situation where everything is normal or as you would expect it to be 常态
    • They are hoping for a return to normality now that the war is over.

29. semblance n.

  • semblance of something a situation in which something seems to exist although this may not, in fact, be the case 表象(可能不为真)
    • The ceasefire brought about a semblance of order.
    • Life at last returned to some semblance of normality.

30. clout n.

  • [uncountable] power and influence 势力,影响力
    • political/financial clout
  • [countable, usually singular] (especially BrE, informal) a hard hit with the hand or a hard object (尤指用手)猛击
    • You’re not too big for a clout round the ear!

31. plu'rality n.

  • [countable, usually singular] (formal) a large number 大量
    • a plurality of influences
  • [countable, usually singular] (US English, politics) the number of votes given to one person, political party, etc. when this number is less than 50% but more than any other single person, etc. receives
    In order to be elected, a candidate needs only a plurality of the votes cast. (未超过半数的)最多数票
    COMPARE majority (3):
    • [countable] (NAmE) the difference between the number of votes given to the candidate who wins the election and the total number of votes of all the other candidates 多数票(超出其余各方票数总和的票数)

32. pre'vail v.

  • [intransitive] to exist or be very common at a particular time or in a particular place 盛行
    • We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons.
    • Those beliefs still prevail among certain social groups.
  • [intransitive] prevail (against/over something) (of ideas, opinions, etc.) to be accepted, especially after a struggle or an argument 被接受
    • Fortunately, common sense prevailed.
  • [intransitive] prevail (against/over somebody) to defeat an opponent, especially after a long struggle (尤指长时间斗争后)战胜
    • In a one-sided final, Spain prevailed against title-holder Croatia 40–34.

33. 'stargazer n. (informal)

34. entrant n.

  • (to something) a person or group that has recently joined a profession, university, business, etc. 新成员
    • The book is a useful guide for university entrants.
  • (to something) a person or an animal that enters a race or a competition; a person that enters an exam 參賽者
    • The average score for all A-level entrants was 5.4.

35. gelatin n. /ˈdʒelətɪn/

  • [uncountable] a clear substance without any taste that is made from boiling animal bones and is used to make jelly, film for cameras, etc. 明胶

36. searing adj. [usually before noun]

  • so strong that it seems to burn you 灼热的
    • the searing heat of a tropical summer
  • (of words or speech) powerful and critical 猛烈批评的
    • a searing attack on the government

37. veritable adj. /ˈverɪtəbl/ [only before noun] (formal or humorous)

  • a word used to emphasize that somebody/something can be compared to somebody/something else that is more exciting, more impressive, etc. 名副其实的 (SYNONYM positive)
    • The meal that followed was a veritable banquet.

14 Friday

1. ˌincli'nation n.

  • [uncountable, countable] a feeling that makes you want to do something 倾向,志趣
    • inclination (to do something) He did not show the slightest inclination to leave.
    • My natural inclination is to find a compromise.
  • [countable] inclination to do something a new way of doing something that is starting to develop 倾向
    • There is an inclination to treat geography as a less important subject.
  • [countable, usually singular, uncountable] (specialist) a degree of sloping 斜度,倾角