4000 FCE Vocabulary List

a. enormously large or extensive; relating to astronomy
The government seems willing to spend astronomical sums on weapons development.

n. branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole
The brightened comet in the constellation Virgo may even be visible to the naked eye, allowing members of the public worldwide to join in this historic moment in astronomy.

n. place of refuge or shelter; protection
The refugees sought asylum from religious persecution in a new land.

n. nonbeliever; one who denies the existence of god
The view that children are born atheist is relatively recent.

n. a sportsman; one who contended for a prize in public games
Our goal is to help the athlete get the best performance.

n. a bound volume of maps, charts, or tables
Embarrassed at being unable to distinguish Slovenia from Slovakia, George W. finally consulted an atlas.

n. air; a mixture of gases that surrounds any planet
The shuttle burned up while re-entering the earth's atmosphere on Saturday, and any debris will be important in finding out why.

n. a tiny piece of anything; the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element
If any one of them can explain it, I'll give him sixpence. I don't believe there's an atom of meaning in it.

a. of or relating to or comprising atoms; immeasurably small
Iran was never pursuing an atomic bomb, Iran's Oil Minister said in a press conference here.

v. fasten; annex; be in contact with
The anti-nuclear campaigners used concrete blocks and chains to attach themselves to the rails.

n. a bond, as of affection or loyalty; fond regard; supplementary part; accessory
Her simplicity, gay prattle, and efforts to please inspired me, in return, with a degree of attachment sufficient to make us both content in each other's society.

n. offensive move; expression of strong criticism; hostile comment
A national newspaper received an anonymous phone call warning about the attack just minutes before the first device exploded.

n. something, such as an accomplishment or achievement; achievement
The end of all scholarly attainment is to live nobly.

n. act of being present
In some countries, taking lots of days off work sick would get you fired, and the idea of offering prizes for good attendance would be little more than a joke.

n. aide; servant; accompanying; a person who participates in a meeting
The FBI has published an affidavit that describes how a flight attendant first smelled smoke from a match.

n. act or state of attending or heeding; application of the mind to any object of sense, representation, or thought
Ladies and gentlemen, could I have your attention, please?

a. alert and watchful; considerate; thoughtful
Spellbound, the attentive audience watched the final game of the tennis match, never taking their eyes from the ball.

n. story or room directly below the roof of a building, especially a house;
Of the various things you mentioned, the attic is a likely source of heat loss.

n. lawyer; one who is appointed by another to act in his place or stead; proxy
Did this attorney mean to throw away his client's life without an effort?

v. draw to, or cause to tend to; engage or fix, as the mind, attention; invite or allure
The government is trying to attract more investment into the shipbuilding industry.