a building or group of buildings where soldiers live.

''The soldiers concerned were confined to barracks''

to have things or people as parts or members; to consist of

''The house comprises seven rooms.''

a small group of about ten or twelve soldiers, with a lieutenant in charge of it

''They dispatched platoons of soldiers and trucks.''

talking a lot

"she's a very talkative child"

ground near a lake, a river, or the sea that often floods and is always wet:

''At the mouth of the river is a large area of marsh.''

to clean something, especially a floor by using a brush to collect the dirt into one place from which it can be removed:

''sweep the floor''

to stay in one place in the air, usually by moving the wings quickly:

''I heard the noise of a helicopter hovering overhead.''

a round root of some plants from which the plant grows:

''I planted some spring bulbs which should be coming up soon.''

very surprising:

''It's astonishing to think that only a few years ago he was a completely unknown actor.''

(of people) showing too much confidence and too little respect:

"with his brash manner, he doesn't have a lot of friends at work"

in a way that is loud, high, and unpleasant or painful to listen to:

''Inside a child's bedroom a smoke alarm beeps shrilly''

showing no interest or mental activity:

''She stared vacantly into space.''

to comfort someone and stop them from worrying:

''I was nervous on my first day at college, but I was reassured to see some friendly faces.''

in an attractive, careful way, especially used about something small or having small movements:

''he brings out a small bottle of water and starts drinking daintily.''

(too much) speed:

''In her haste to get up from the table, she knocked over a cup.''

in a way that involves laughing at someone unkindly:

"You're not afraid of me, are you?" he asked mockingly.''

in a way that makes you believe something that is not true:

''The dessert looked deceivingly simple, but its rich flavors surprised everyone.''

without knowing any of the unpleasant facts about something:

''John sat in the cozy cafe, sipping his coffee blissfully, completely ignorant of the storm brewing outside.''

to throw something or someone suddenly and with a lot of force:

''He crumpled up the letter and flung it into the fire.''

the young of an animal:

''In the case of the guinea pig, the number of offspring varies between two and five.''

a person's children:

''Nurturing and guiding offspring is a crucial aspect of parenting.''

a small amount of money that you have to pay to use a road, cross a bridge, etc.

''Paying tolls helps maintain and improve roadways, ensuring smoother journeys for all drivers.''

complaining too much about things that are not important:

''Stop complaining, Don't be so petty!''

the thick hair that covers the bodies of some animals, or the hair-covered skin(s) of animals, removed from their bodies:

''She was wearing a fur coat and black leather boots.''

not friendly or willing to take part in things:

''She seemed rather aloof when in fact she was just shy.''

a building where monks or nuns live or used to live. Some abbeys are now used as churches:

''The abbey was recently restored after decades of disuse.''

a public meeting of a large group of people, especially supporters of a particular opinion:

''5,000 people held an election rally''

When you flush, you become red in the face, especially as a result of strong emotions, heat, or alcohol:

''The champagne had caused her face to flush.''

a large boat or a ship:

''a naval vessel''

''His vessel went down off the coast of Australia.''

''The company has five oceangoing vessels.''

When people or animals shiver, they shake slightly because they feel cold, ill, or frightened:

''He shivered with cold in his thin cotton shirt.''

at the back of something:

''There's a sticker on the rear door/window.''

''There's a person on the rear window.''

-the activity or skill of making clay objects by hand.

-objects that are made out of clay by hand:

''They sell pottery and other handmade goods.''

''She's doing a pottery night class.''

a substance that is used to provide heat or power, usually by being burned:

''Wood, coal, oil, petrol, and gas are all different kinds of fuel.''

''Plutonium is a fuel used to produce nuclear energy.''

a device that can be moved forwards, backwards, and sideways to control a machine or computer game:

''It was one of those old-fashioned arcade games with two joysticks and big buttons.''

''strong cloth made from the fibres of the flax plant:''

''a linen jacket''

to mix a liquid or other substance by moving an object such as a spoon in a circular pattern:

''She paused to stir some milk into her coffee.''

''Slowly add the flour, stirring until completely blended.''

something on sale at a lower price than its true value:

''This coat was half-price - a real bargain''.

''The airline regularly offers last-minute bookings at bargain prices.''

to spend a lot of money on buying goods, especially expensive goods:

''I feel like splurging on a new dress.''

''I can happily splurge 3,000 pounds in one day''

doing something dangerous and not worrying about the risks and the possible results:

''He was found guilty of reckless driving.''

to move or climb quickly but with difficulty, often using your hands to help you:

''She scrambled up the steep hillside and over the rocks. ''

''He scrambled into his clothes (= put them on quickly) and raced to get help.''

''As the burning plane landed, the terrified passengers scrambled for the door.''

to make a public statement of your approval or support for something or someone:

''The Council is expected to endorse the committee's recommendations.''

to make an expression of pain, strong dislike, etc. in which the face twists in an ugly way:

''Helen made a grimace of disgust when she saw the raw meat.''

the act of directing someone to a different place or person for information, help, or action, often to a person or group with more knowledge or power:

''The doctor gave him a referral to (= arranged for him to see) the consultant.''

a substance that becomes hard as it dries and is used especially for spreading on walls and ceilings in order to give a smooth surface:

''The plaster on the walls was cracked and flaking.''

the fact that someone is legally responsible for something:

''He denies any liability for the damage caused.''

a person that you have met but do not know well:

''He exchanged a few words with the proprietor, an old acquaintance of his.''

a person who pays rent for the use of land or a building

''For years, they were tenants on my father’s property.''

to tell someone that you will kill or hurt them or cause problems if they do not do what you want:

If something bad threatens to happen, it is likely to happen:

''They threatened the shopkeeper with a gun.''

''Look at those clouds! There's a storm threatening.''

an early, unintentional end to a pregnancy:

''I had two miscarriages before I gave birth to my daughter.''

a system or occasion of secret voting:

a piece of paper on which you write your vote:

''Representatives were elected by ballot''

''OK, this seems to be an area of disagreement, so let's put it to the ballot.''

seeming to be everywhere:

''The mobile phone, that most ubiquitous of consumer-electronic appliances, is about to enter a new age''

''Leather is very much in fashion this season, as is the ubiquitous denim.''

the fact of finding interesting or valuable things by chance

''The space in which serendipity, future memory and future pigeons might find a home.''

having a pleasant and flowing sound:

''a deep mellifluous voice''

having a very harmful effect or influence:

''The book focuses on the pernicious effects of slavery.''

having the habit of talking a lot, especially about things that are not important

''I had talked too much about myself and felt like a garrulous old fool.''

lasting for only a short time:

''ephemeral fame''.

an unpleasant mixture of loud sounds:

''As we entered the farmyard we were met with a cacophony of animal sounds.''

different in every way:

''The two cultures were so utterly disparate that she found it hard to adapt from one to the other.''

having intentions or ideas that are admirable but not practical:

''Many think these attempts to make lawyers behave are quixotic.''

quick in noticing, understanding, or judging things accurately:

''His perspicacious grandfather had bought the land as an investment, guessing that there might be gold underground.''

not seriously meaning what you say, usually in an attempt to be humorous or to trick someone

''I make so much money that we never have to worry – I’m being facetious.''

causing so much emotion, especially pleasure, that it cannot be described:

''They do not happen every day and have been for me both unpredictable and ineffable.''

very careful and with great attention to every detail:

''Many hours of meticulous preparation have gone into writing the book.''

too obviously showing your money, possessions, or power, in an attempt to make other people notice and admire you:

''They criticized the ostentatious lifestyle of their leaders.''

experienced as a result of watching, listening to, or reading about the activities of other people, rather than by doing the activities yourself:

''She took vicarious pleasure in her friend's achievements.''

someone who praises powerful or rich people in a way that is not sincere, usually in order to get some advantage from them:

''The prime minister is surrounded by sycophants.''

giving too much attention to formal rules or small details:

''Professor Harris had a narrow, pedantic approach to history that put us to sleep.''

to put things that are not similar next to each other:

''The exhibition juxtaposes Picasso's early drawings with some of his later works.''

to make something very wet, or (of liquid) to be absorbed in large amounts:

''The wind had blown the rain in and soaked the carpet.''

to break the surface of the skin by rubbing against something rough:

''He was lucky, the bullet just grazed his leg.''

to close an entrance or container so that nothing can enter or leave it

''She merely filled the containers, sealed them with a cork, and pasted on labels.''

UK /ˈæm.pəl/ US /ˈæm.pəl/

more than enough:

''There's ample evidence that the lawyer knew exactly what she was doing.''

a piece of paper that gives you information or advertises something:

''A leaflet about the new bus services came through the door today.''

(of a liquid or gas) to escape from a hole or crack in a pipe or container...ETC; to allow liquid or gas to escape:

''Oil leaked out of the car.''

''The car leaked oil all over the drive.''

to move or come together in large numbers:

''Hundreds of people flocked to the football match.''

a hand with the fingers and thumb held tightly in:

''Protestors were shaking their fists at the soldiers.''

someone who does skilled work with their hands

''an artisan baker''

a flat, circular device that is used for storing information:

''Put the disk into the drive.''

''I saved the photos onto a disk for you.''

a political division of the UK or Ireland, forming the largest unit of local government, or the largest political division of a state in the US:

''A county usually consists of several towns and the rural areas that surround them.''

a box-shaped container, without a top, that is part of a piece of furniture. It slides in and out to open and close and is used for keeping things in:

''I keep my socks in the bottom drawer.''

the most important facts, ideas, etc. from which something is developed:

''This document will form the basis for our discussion.''

''Decisions were often made on the basis of (= using) incorrect information.''

a state of not being able to decidewhat to do about a situation in which you are involved

“I've had two job offers, and I'm in a real quandary about which one to accept.”

the act of making something less clear and less easy to understand, especially intentionally, or an instance of this

“The politician's obfuscations during the debate left the audience bewildered, unsure of his actual stance on the critical issues.”

“Myths, obfuscations, and lies have long enshrouded the disgraced leader.”

a person or thing that is perfect or has an extremely large amount of a particular good characteristic

“In the novel, Constanza is a paragon of virtue.”

“A small amount of platinum catalyst triggers a reaction that splits hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen”

a difference between two completely opposite ideas or things

“There is often a dichotomy between what politicians say and what they do.”

an important connection between the parts of a system or a group of things

“Times Square is the nexus of the New York subway.”

a cloud of gas or dust in space, appearing either bright or dark

''The Orion Nebula is visible to the naked eye under dark skies.''

confidence and style:

''Rosalind conducted the meeting with characteristic aplomb/with her usual aplomb.''

the fact of being important to or connected with what is happening or being discussed:

''The salience of these facts was questioned by several speakers.''

Changes that happen at different times during the life or development of

someone or something, especially those that result in conditions being worse:

''Losing your job is just one of the vicissitudes of life''

a problem that is difficult to deal with:

''Arranging childcare over the school holidays can be a real conundrum for working parents.''

the quality of not wanting to do something:

''her unwillingness to help ''

''Many politicians have expressed unwillingness to support the prime minister.''

an unwillingness to do something or talk about something, for example because you are nervous or being careful:

''His reticence about his past made them very suspicious.''

''I think my dad had a certain reticence about showing love as he was afraid that people would leave if he did.''

a very bad or unfair society in which there is a lot of suffering, especially an imaginary society in the future, after something terrible has happened; a description of such a society:

''The film is set in 2700 on an uninhabitable Earth, a dystopia covered in towers of garbage.''

''Most of the novels are dystopias in the tradition of Brave New World.''

the highest point reached by a heavenly body (= any object existing in space, especially a planet, or the sun) as it travels around, or appears to travel around, another body:

''The summer sun was at its zenith in a cloudless sky.''

a piece of music that is an introduction to a longer piece, especially an opera:

''the overture to "The Magic Flute"

a very steep side of a cliff or a mountain:

''The film opens with a shot of a climber dangling from a precipice.''

the highest point or top of a shape or object:

''the apex of a pyramid''

to make a bad or unpleasant situation better:

''In their letters, older people vividly describe their adoption of different coping strategies and how they help to ameliorate their poverty.''

to make something that is already bad even worse:

''This attack will exacerbate the already tense relations between the two communities.''

to make people have a particular feeling or make a situation start to exist:

''Her latest book has engendered a lot of controversy.''

to make someone feel weak and without energy

''The shock of the king's death had enervated the royalist cause.''

to spread or give out something, especially news, information, ideas, etc., to a lot of people:

''One of the organization's aims is to disseminate information about the disease.''

UK /ˌsɜː.kəmˈvent/ US /ˌsɝː.kəmˈvent/

to avoid something, especially cleverly or illegally:

''Young people still want to circumvent their parents’ control.''

to remove something or set something free with difficulty:

''It took hours to extricate the car from the sand.''

to persuade someone to do something in a clever and dishonest way, when they do not want to do it:

''Her son tried to inveigle her into giving him the money for a car.''

to describe or mark the edge of something:

''The boundary of the car park is delineated by a low brick wall.''

to make someone less angry or upset:

''I tried to mollify her by giving her flowers.''

to say that you do not think something is true, or that it might not be true:

''Many people oppugned his opinion.''

to avoid telling the truth or saying exactly what you think:

''He accused the minister of prevaricating.''

to not allow something:

''The Athletics Federation has banned the runner from future races for using proscribed drugs.''

a spirit that looks exactly like a living person, or someone who looks exactly like someone else but who is not related to that person:

''They say that everyone has a doppelganger in the world somewhere that looks exactly like them.  ''

UK /ˈaɪ.lɪd/ US /ˈaɪ.lɪd/

either of the two pieces of skin that can close over each eye

''Ordinary image recognition techniques are applied to the video frames to find the eye, the position of eyelids and the centre of the pupil.''

a person, especially a man, who is very clever and interested only in studying and other mental activities:

''He said that he was fundamentally an egghead.''

connected with or found in sea water or water containing salt:

''saltwater fish''

''saltwater crocodiles''

the dust and small pieces of wood that are produced when you cut wood with a saw:

''Sawdust covered the floors of the stalls in both stables.''

a small, round hat that fits closely on the top of the head, worn especially by religious Jewish men or Roman Catholic priests of high rank

''Then she sees a Jewish guy with skullcap and two corgis resting against a wall''

a boat with a powerful engine which can change direction easily and is used to pull large ships into and out of port:

''That team succeeded in planting charges on two tugboats moored in the basin.''

to secretly listen to people by connecting a listening device to their telephone, or to attach a listening device to a telephone for this purpose:

''The police chief was accused of illegally wiretapping politicians, government officials, and journalists.''

''We have laws to protect us from people wiretapping our phones.''

a person employed to take care of a large building, such as a school, and who deals with the cleaning, repairs, etc.

''He lived on the ground floor of the apartment block, where he worked as a caretaker.''

the part in the middle of the arm where it bends, or the part of a piece of clothing that covers this area:

''Her arm was bandaged from the elbow to the fingers.''

a structure of metal poles and wooden boards put against a building for workers to stand on when they want to reach the higher parts of the building:

''Scaffolding has been erected around the tower and repair work will start next week.''

trees that are grown so that the wood from them can be used for building:

''a timber forest''

''These trees are being grown for timber.''

a type of fungus that is used in making alcoholic drinks such as beer and wine, and for making bread swell and become light:

''dried/fresh yeast''

''yeast extract''

a heavy vehicle with a large blade in front, used for pushing earth and stones away and for making areas of ground flat at the same time:

''The work proceeded with bulldozers and manual labour.''

''She stood with her backbone rigid.''

an act of taking in something, especially breath:

''I heard a sharp intake of breath behind me.''

to walk somewhere quickly and confidently, often in a way that annoys other people:

''You can't just waltz into my bedroom without knocking - it's private!''

UK /traʊt/ US /traʊt/

a fish that lives in rivers and lakes, or lives in the sea but returns to rivers to produce its eggs, that is a popular food:

''Thousands of young salmon and trout have been killed by pollution.''