a. difficult to handle or manage
E.g. John Kerry recently spoke of his faith, but he's more awkward about it than the born again President Bush.
n. background; setting
E.g. It's set against a backdrop of intrigue within the oil industry.
n. being in equilibrium; equilibrium; symmetry; stability
E.g. Many here see the ruling against US cotton subsidies as just the first step in tipping the balance of future world trade talks in favour of developing countries.
n. a sort of theatrical representation by dancers
E.g. That school strives to be an international leader in ballet training.
n. conductor of a band
E.g. The bandmaster pointed this boy out as one of those who would have no difficulty in getting into a band outside.
n. a vigorous blow; a conspicuous success
E.g. But there are fears that if the Egyptian side doesn't play well, the crowds will stay away and the African Cup may go off with a whimper rather than a bang.
v. cause to become financially ruin; ruin
E.g. The only company that did not bankrupt is Ford, the one who did not take Federal money.
n. a counter where you can obtain food or drink; cafe; strip; stick
E.g. For low paid male workers - many from South Asia - the cafeterias are a social focus - the equivalent of a bar or pub in non-Muslim countries, a place to meet friends and workmates.
n. a rack to hold meat for cooking over hot charcoal usually out of doors
E.g. The authorities believe it could have been started by a barbecue which had not been put out properly and have announced that they will be questioning suspects in the morning.
n. an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals
E.g. You start--did you hear a noise? I daresay it is only a rat scrambling along the rafters of the adjoining schoolroom: it was a barn before I had it repaired and altered, and they are generally haunted by rats.
a. complex or bizarre, especially in ornamentation; irregular in shape
E.g. Accustomed to the severe lines of contemporary buildings, the architecture students found the flamboyance of baroque architecture amusing.
a. desolate; fruitless and unproductive; lacking
E.g. Looking out at the trackless, barren desert, Indiana Jones feared that his search for the missing expedition would prove fruitless.
n. cellar; storage room
E.g. There are so many things of India which are either lying in the basement of the Victoria and Albert Museum or in the India Office Library.
n. bowl-shaped vessel, usually used for holding food or liquids
E.g. The marble basin was removed; in its place, stood a deal table and a kitchen chair: these objects were visible by a very dim light proceeding from a horn lantern, the wax candles being all extinguished.
a. covered with beads of liquid
E.g. Beaded jewelry making is a fun and rewarding activity for people of all ages.
n. conduct; manner
E.g. Did this attorney mean to throw away his client's life without an effort? Several witnesses deposed concerning Potter's guilty behavior when brought to the scene of the murder.
v. besiege or attack; harass; surround with troops
E.g. The babysitter is surrounded by a crowd of unmanageable brats who relentlessly beleaguer her.
v. contradict; give a false impression
E.g. His coarse, hard-bitten exterior does belie his inner sensitivity.
n. a mechanical device that blows air onto a fire to make it burn more fiercely
E.g. A bellows is a device for delivering pressurized air in a controlled quantity to a controlled location.
n. advantage; something that aids or promotes well-being ; welfare; gain
E.g. Another benefit for business is the elimination of currency risk in the Euro area - the possibility that you might lose money in cross border trade because of exchange rate movements.
v. be unfaithful; reveal unconsciously or unwillingly
E.g. The two spies betray their country by selling military secrets to the enemy.
a. composed of or based on two legislative chambers or branches
E.g. The United States Congress is a bicameral body.
n. an account of the series of events making up a person's life; accounts of people's life
E.g. The usual custom in biography is to begin with the brightest side and to leave the faults to be discovered afterwards.
n. any of several large shaggy-manned humped bovid having large heads and short horns
E.g. Nobody knows how many bison inhabited North America before the coming of the Europeans.
v. condemn; rebuke; find fault with; censure
E.g. Dr David Viner from the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in Britain says that natural variability in the weather is probably to blame but human influence can't be ruled out.
n. brilliant burst of fire; destructive fire; flame
E.g. The blaze, which is not yet under control, has destroyed five thousand hectares of pine woodland and forced hundreds of villagers to leave their homes.
a. cold or cheerless; unlikely to be favorable
E.g. The frigid, inhospitable Aleutian Islands are bleak military outposts.
n. combination; mixture; forming uniform mixture
E.g. This unique herbal tea blend is a safe, all-natural designed to gently cleanse the digestive tract and detoxify the body.
v. blast; prevent the growth and fertility of; destroy the happiness of; ruin; frustrate
E.g. I wish to foster, not to blight -- to earn gratitude, not to wring tears of blood -- no, nor of brine: my harvest must be in smiles, in endearments, in sweet -- That will do.
a. direct and outspoken but good-natured
E.g. Jack had a bluff and hearty manner that belied his actual sensitivity; he never let people know how thin-skinned he really was.
v. become rosy or reddish; turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
E.g. We all saw the girl blush when a young man whistled as she walked by.
n. a committee having supervisory powers; a flat piece of material designed for a special purpose
E.g. Instruments on board include the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer which will analyse the chemical composition of the comet nucleus - the icy core in the head of the comet.
a. brave; daring; intrepid; impudent
E.g. The release of the bold young newspaper editor-in-chief after five months detention without trial marks a significant victory for those who mounted a vigorous campaign against the injustice he faced.
n. boom; rich mine, vein, or pocket of ore; sudden opportunity to make money
E.g. Google's AdSense is a bonanza for some Web sites.
n. bonanza; prosperity; prosper; expand; flourish
E.g. It is a hi-tech boom town, the centre for dozens of successful biotech and IT firms and the home to an ever-expanding middle class, many of whom have studied in the US or worked for US companies.
n. blessing; benefit bestowed, especially in response to a request
E.g. The recent rains that filled our empty reservoirs were a boon to the whole community.
a. being without boundaries or limits; infinite; vast
E.g. Mike's energy was boundless: the greater the challenge, the more vigorously he tackled the job.
n. small cluster or arrangement of flowers; an arrangement of flowers that is usually given as a present
E.g. They are usually created with flowers that have definite form and add character to a bouquet.
n. breaking of contract or duty
E.g. Jill sued Jack for breach of promise, claiming he had broken his promise to marry her.
n. breaking of waves or surf; fissure or gap
E.g. No swimers have been found in breach of the huge waves.