v. soak; make thoroughly wet
E.g. Be sure to steep the fabric in the dye bath for the full time prescribed.
v. stop flow of a liquid; make headway against
E.g. They all hoped that he managed to stem the rebellion in two weeks.
v. arise; have or take origin or descent
E.g. Milton's problems in school stem from his poor study habits.
n. stereophonic sound-reproduction system
E.g. Two boxes of stereo equipment were stolen from a residence.
n. fixed and unvarying representation; conventional and oversimplified conception
E.g. As a parent of two sons with Tourette syndrome, I have spent 10 years fighting this kind of stereotype while watching my children struggle for acceptance.
n. any English coin of standard value; coined money
E.g. Available in sterling silver and 10-karat gold, the pendant retails for $115 and $420, respectively, at the online store.
a. hard, harsh, or severe in manner or character; firm or unyielding
E.g. The Commission's report is meant to fire a stern warning at the payments card industry.
v. sew; knit; fasten or join with or as if with thread
E.g. Three hours she gave to stitch, with gold thread, the border of a square crimson cloth, almost large enough for a carpet.
v. bend forward and down from the waist or the middle of the back
E.g. She found her head pressing against the ceiling, and had to stoop to save her neck from being broken.
a. proceeding in a straight course or manner; not deviating; honest; frank.
E.g. But a simple and straightforward apology would have been better.
n. belt; band that goes over the shoulder and supports a garment or bag
E.g. The strap was broke off of it, but, barring that, it was a good enough leg, though it was too long for me and not long enough for Jim, and we couldn't find the other one, though we hunted all around.
a. important or essential in relation to a plan of action; essential to the effective conduct of war; highly important to an intended objective
E.g. The document laid out a long-term strategic plan to dismantle Social Security.
n. step; pace; significant progress
E.g. Some people find retiring difficult; but he has taken it all in his stride.
a. dramatic; outstanding; arresting attention and producing a vivid impression
E.g. What's most striking is that the world as a whole has made remarkable progress against hunger, poverty and disease.
n. a kind or category; band; ribbon
E.g. Businessmen of every stripe joined in opposition to the proposal.
n. material used for filling cushion, mattress, or others
E.g. If the stuffing isn't to be dry, you need some sort of soft vegetable or melting cheese.
v. miss a step and fall or nearly fall; walk unsteadily
E.g. They crowded together and didn't care to sob or stumble: the confusion was inextricable.
n. submersible warship; move forward or under in a sliding motion; underwater
E.g. Without British help it's clear the Russian submarine would have perished at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
v. refer for judgment or consideration; hand in; present
E.g. What I submit is a dialogue that respects the humanity of both parties.
a. fairly large; in essentials; material; true or real; not imaginary; solidly built
E.g. Both the north and south are hoping for substantial progress at that meeting which starts on Tuesday.
a. adequate; enough; being as much as is needed
E.g. Then the scanty supply of food was distressing: with the keen appetites of growing children, we had scarcely sufficient to keep alive a delicate invalid.
n. mount or whole of any number of individuals or particulars added together; amount
E.g. Individual accomplishments are important, but the sum is always greater in value than the individual parts.
n. brief statement that presents the main points
E.g. He gave a summary of the conclusions.
v. call, bid, or cite; notify to come to appear; call upon to surrender
E.g. The shareholders summon to a general meeting.
a. of unusually high quality; excellent; wonderful
E.g. Miami head coach Eric says all three of his star players showed up to training camp in superb shape.
a. trivial; of little substance; involving a surface only
E.g. We give higher ratings to job applicants who are like us in superficial and irrelevant ways: as went to same school or share same religion.
n. excessive reverence for, or fear of, that which is unknown or mysterious; worship of a false god; false religion
E.g. It's a common superstition that black cats are unlucky.
v. administer; direct
E.g. Always supervise children near water; always keep watch when children are in and around any water.
v. put down by force or authority; overwhelm; keep from being revealed
E.g. What they suppress is far more important than what they report.
n. outburst; roll or be tossed about on waves, as a boat
E.g. Provided the mission concludes successfully though, the state media are likely to fuel a surge of triumphant patriotism.
a. remainder; more than is needed; quantity much larger than is needed; remaining
E.g. Bush said the surplus is the people's money not the government.
n. poll; detailed critical inspection
E.g. A Bank of Israel survey has now shown that the number of families living below the poverty line in Israel tripled between 1988 and 2001.
a. easily influenced; having little resistance, as to a disease; receptive to
E.g. We don't really know how our current immunization schedule might affect certain susceptible populations.
v. hang freely; postpone; delay
E.g. As the warning of earthquake, a number of train and subway lines had to suspend services.
n. uncertain cognitive state; uncertainty
E.g. He covered his head with the bedclothes and waited in a horror of suspense for his doom.
n. temporary delay, interruption, or cessation
E.g. The headmaster has made a decision of suspension of a pupil from school.
v. admit as valid; keep in existence; lengthen or extend in duration or space
E.g. How can a country like Spain sustain the millions of migrants who were losing their jobs in 2009 and provide them with the same welfare state Spaniards can access in times of economic crisis?
v. swing; move back and forth or sideways; win approval or support for; convince
E.g. At this moment the crowd began to sway and struggle, and voices shouted, "It's him! it's him! he's coming himself!"
a. quick; moving or capable of moving with great speed
E.g. Commission says it supports the swift progress on the reform agenda.
a. expressing compassion or friendly fellow feelings; approving; having similar disposition and tastes
E.g. With their many similar tastes, he found her a most sympathetic companion.