100 Words with Uncommon Meaning

They are 100 common words with uncommon meaning; we select example sentences from recent English media, like Economics and BBC, most of them are for academic reading. The list is updated weekly to help readers refresh hot usage of common words.
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 100 Common Words with Uncommon Meaning and Sentence
bot  Speak
n.
an autonomous program on the internet that can interact with systems or users
The code aims to prevent profiteering from disinformation and fake news and curb the spread of bots and fake accounts. BBC News
order  Speak
n.
a society of monks, priests, nuns, etc., living according to certain religious and social regulations
It was a hiding place for the Knights Templar, that enigmatic order of warrior monks who achieved vast wealth before being violently suppressed in 1307. BBC News
lend  Speak
v.
contribute or add (something, especially a quality) to
A prominent carving in the cave depicting Saint Christopher lends credence to the theory that the cave served as this kind of hermitage. BBC News
chalk  Speak
n.
a soft white limestone formed from the skeletal remains of sea creatures
The cave lies directly beneath the intersection of two highly significant ancient roads: a historical trackway along southern England's chalk escarpment. BBC News
martyr  Speak
v.
to kill someone because of their beliefs
There's Saint Catherine with her breaking wheel, who was only 18 when she was martyred, and Saint Lawrence, who was burnt to death on a griddle. BBC News
willpower  Speak
n.
the control exerted to do something or restrain impulses
You would have relied on your willpower, which psychologists define as avoiding short-term temptations and overriding unwanted thoughts or impulses. BBC News
backstreet  Speak
n.
a minor street remote from a main road
We wandered into Njmegen's cobbled backstreets for lunch, a vegetarian fine-dining restaurant with two Michelin stars. BBC News
reframe  Speak
v.
express words, concept, or plan differently
For now, given its pervasiveness, Pang believes the narrative surrounding burnout needs reframing. BBC News
perk  Speak
n.
money, goods, or other benefits to which one is entitled as an employee
Conversations around burnout have increased, and companies seem more willing to offer employees perks such as gym memberships and home-office expenses. BBC News
odyssey  Speak
n.
a long and eventful or adventurous journey or experience
There, they would languish, untouched, until the 1980s when a pair of amateur sleuths began an odyssey almost as colossal as The Ten Commandments itself. BBC News
prohibition  Speak
n.
the prevention by law of the manufacture and sale of alcohol
As filming took place during prohibition, some actors borrowed camels to hop a ride into town, where they frequented the local speakeasies. BBC News
hop  Speak
v.
to ride surreptitiously and without authorization
As filming took place during prohibition, some actors borrowed camels to hop a ride into town, where they frequented the local speakeasies. BBC News
buff  Speak
n.
a person who is enthusiastically interested in and very knowledgeable about a particular subject
It is the remnants of this first iteration that have come to captivate the imaginations of archaeologists, film buffs, and the just plain curious. BBC News
inter  Speak
v.
place (a corpse) in a grave or tomb, typically with funeral rites
She looked in the direction of an ornate stone effigy in the graveyard; depicted on the flat gravestone was a man referencing the interred person's charitable nature. BBC News
soul  Speak
n.
person, a member of the human race
We had barely seen a soul except for a group of semi-nomadic yak herders who had recently come down to lower elevations for the winter. BBC News
weather  Speak
v.
wear away or change the appearance or texture of something by long exposure to the air
They are the use of specially treated charcoal that locks in carbon and enhanced rock weathering - loosely based on the carbon removal that occurs with natural erosion. BBC News
battery  Speak
n.
a fortified emplacement for heavy guns
The new Patriot missile battery will be a critical asset to defend the Ukrainian people against barbaric attacks on infrastructure. BBC News
might  Speak
n.
great and impressive power or strength, especially of a nation, large organization, or natural force
He appealed to their vanity, ‘the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.’ New Yorker
compelling  Speak
a.
interesting or exciting enough to keep your attention completely
What makes Zelensky compelling as a political leader is the comic’s talent for exposing the crux of the matter. New Yorker
cast  Speak
v.
look at someone/something
Zelensky’s trajectory - from comedian to media manager to President to wartime President - is often cast as surprising. New Yorker
pressing  Speak
a.
urgently important
He embarked on an odyssey of jobs in the nonprofit sector and graduate work in multiple academic disciplines, touching on pressing social topics. MIT News
supercharge  Speak
v.
to make something more powerful or impressive
By retrofitting existing hydropower plants, the founders believe they can supercharge the hydropower industry that is by far the largest source of renewable electricity. MIT News
harness  Speak
v.
control and make use of (natural resources), especially to produce energy
Companies looking to harness their potential do have to address some hurdles before the solar cells can be commercially competitive. MIT News
primer  Speak
n.
a small introductory book on a subject
He penned a book for general audiences, in addition to a widely-read primer on climate change and risk assessment designed to influence business leaders. MIT News
avenue  Speak
n.
a way of approaching a problem or making progress toward something
She also recognized that staying with a company driven by profits would not be the best avenue to fulfill her personal career aspirations. MIT News
words  Speak
n.
pl. something that is said, talk
The acoustics are perfect for amplifying her words and her innate passion for geology. MIT News
reception  Speak
n.
a social gathering often for the purpose of extending a formal welcome
At the reception, they toasted the long-lived partnership; a professor emeritus of linguistics described the affection Chomsky and Halle had for each other. MIT News
strip  Speak
v.
remove all coverings from; leave bare of accessories or fittings
The recycled pulsar then starts reradiating energy that further strips the star and eventually destroys it. MIT News
model  Speak
v.
use something as an example to follow or imitate
If you don't model wave breaking right, it would have tremendous implications for how structures behave. MIT News
rung  Speak
n.
horizontal support on a ladder for a person's foot
They are referred to as ladder polymers because they are formed from double strands connected by rung-like bonds, and these linkages provide a high degree of rigidity. MIT News
dent  Speak
n.
a weakening or lessening effect
Despite concerted efforts worldwide to develop more efficient solar panels, a mundane problem like dust can actually put a serious dent in the whole thing. MIT News
frame  Speak
v.
give expression to; express something choosing your words carefully
He has realized the importance of making data accessible and discovered the power of framing data to control a storyline. MIT News
glitch  Speak
n.
a false or spurious electronic signal
The datasets had been identified by humans, so the researchers were able to compare the anomalies their model identified with real glitches in each system. MIT News
overhead  Speak
n.
business expenses not chargeable to a particular part of the work or product
Existing secure computation methods like homomorphic encryption offer strong security guarantees, but they incur huge overheads in area and power. MIT News
regimen  Speak
n.
a prescribed course of medical treatment, way of life, or diet for the promotion or restoration of health
Many conventional studios require commitments that can be daunting if you’re still figuring out what your ideal fitness regimen is. MIT News
promote  Speak
v.
help bring something into being; launch
There are many questions left to answer, such as the roles of intermediaries, how to promote access securely, and how to design for those without smartphones. MIT News
clock  Speak
v.
to time with a stopwatch or by an electric timing device
Rosado tells the story of when she clocked her best time yet at a swim meet. MIT News
perspective  Speak
n.
the appearance to the eye of objects in respect to their relative distance and positions
The team imaged the cloud with a camera, capturing a perspective similar to a child’s when facing towards the center on a playground carousel. MIT News
tweak  Speak
v.
improve a mechanism or system by making fine adjustments to it
Because they can study so many populations in parallel, they can tweak factors such as the mutation rate, size of the original population, and environmental conditions. MIT News
inferior  Speak
n.
a person lower than another in rank, status, or ability
Even the inferior need to respond to the changing opportunities to pivot more effectively to new things when the old one starts looking shaky. MIT News
pronounced  Speak
a.
very noticeable or marked; conspicuous
These findings suggest that many people are mired in a poverty trap, unable to improve their circumstances because of their pronounced lack of resources in the first place. MIT News