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Atlas
/ˈætləs/
noun
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in Greek mythology, one of the Titans (=the first gods who ruled the universe). After the Titans were defeated by Zeus, Atlas was forced to hold the sky on his shoulders forever. In art, however, Atlas is usually shown holding the world on his shoulders, not the sky.
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one who bears a great burden
Origin: late 16th cent. (originally denoting a person who supported a great burden): via Latin from Greek Atlas, the name of one of the Titans who was made to support the heavens as punishment for his part in the revolt against the god Zeus. His picture appeared at the front of early atlases. -
in Greek mythology, one of the Titans (=the first gods who ruled the universe). After the Titans were defeated by Zeus, Atlas was forced to hold the sky on his shoulders forever. In art, however, Atlas is usually shown holding the world on his shoulders, not the sky.
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abruptly
/əˈbrʌptli/
adjective
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suddenly; without continuity; steeply
- The interview ended abruptly.
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in a way that seems rude and unfriendly, without taking time to say more than is necessary
- ‘Come here!’ she said abruptly.
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suddenly; without continuity; steeply
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admonitory
/ədˈmɑːnɪtɔːri/
adjective
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that is a warning to somebody about their behaviour
- The sergeant lifted an admonitory finger at us.
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that is a warning to somebody about their behaviour
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auditorium
/ˌɔːdɪˈtɔːriəm/
noun
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the part of a theatre, concert hall, etc. in which the audience sits
- The auditorium seats over a thousand people.
- You will be taken on a guided tour of the theatre, including the stage, auditorium and backstage areas.
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(especially North American English) a large building or room in which public meetings, concerts, etc. are held
- He stood at the back of the packed auditorium.
- The new building will include an exhibition hall, auditorium, bookshop and restaurant.
Origin: late 16th cent. (originally denoting a person who supported a great burden): via Latin from Greek Atlas, the name of one of the Titans who was made to support the heavens as punishment for his part in the revolt against the god Zeus. His picture appeared at the front of early atlases. -
the part of a theatre, concert hall, etc. in which the audience sits
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beckon
verb
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[intransitive and transitive] to make a signal to someone with your hand, to show that you want them to come towards you or to follow you
- I could see my husband beckoning me.
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[intransitive and transitive] to make a signal to someone with your hand, to show that you want them to come towards you or to follow you
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clout
/klaʊt/
noun
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[C, usually sing.] (informal) a blow with the hand or a hard object
- You're not too big for a clout round the ear!
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[C, usually sing.] (informal) a blow with the hand or a hard object
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coincide
/ˌkəʊɪnˈsaɪd/
verb
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[intransitive] (of two or more events) to take place at the same time
- It's a pity our trips to New York don't coincide.
- coincide with something The strike was timed to coincide with the party conference.
- The singer's arrival was timed to coincide with the opening of the festival.
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[intransitive] (formal) (of ideas, opinions, etc.) to be the same or very similar
- The interests of employers and employees do not always coincide.
- coincide with something Her story coincided exactly with her brother's.
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[intransitive] (formal) (of objects or places) to meet; to share the same space
- At this point the two paths coincide briefly.
- coincide with something The present position of the house coincides with that of an earlier dwelling.
Origin: early 18th cent. (in the sense ‘occupy the same space’): from medieval Latin coincidere, from co- ‘together with’ + incidere ‘fall upon or into’. -
[intransitive] (of two or more events) to take place at the same time
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conspicuous
/kənˈspɪkjuəs/
adjective
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very easy to notice OPP inconspicuous
- I felt very conspicuous in my red coat.
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conspicuous success, courage etc is very great and impressive
- He had represented Italy with conspicuous success.
- The award is given for notable or conspicuous achievement in science.
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very easy to notice OPP inconspicuous
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cunningly
adverb
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in a clever way, especially when this involves tricking somebody
[SYNONYM cleverly, craftily, ingeniously]- The microphone was cunningly concealed in the bookcase.
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in a clever way, especially when this involves tricking somebody
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dainty
/ˈdeɪnti/
adjective
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(of people and things) small and delicate in a way that people find attractive
- dainty feet
- a dainty porcelain cup
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(of movements) careful, often in a way that suggests good manners
- She took a dainty little bite of the apple.
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(of people and things) small and delicate in a way that people find attractive
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devotee
/ˌdevəˈtiː/
noun
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devotee (of somebody/something) a person who admires and is very enthusiastic about somebody/something
- a devotee of 1930s films
- He’s been a golf devotee for 25 years.
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devotee (of somebody/something) a very religious person who belongs to a particular group
- a Sikh devotee
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devotee (of somebody/something) a person who admires and is very enthusiastic about somebody/something
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entreat
verb
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to ask somebody to do something in a serious and often emotional way
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to ask somebody to do something in a serious and often emotional way
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exhort
verb
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to try hard to persuade somebody to do something
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to try hard to persuade somebody to do something
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extricate
/ˈekstrɪkeɪt/
verb
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extricate somebody/something/yourself (from something) to escape or enable somebody to escape from a difficult situation
- He had managed to extricate himself from most of his official duties.
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Extricate somebody/something/yourself (from something) to free somebody/something or yourself from a place where they/it or you have been stuck and unable to move
- They managed to extricate the pilot from the tangled control panel
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extricate somebody/something/yourself (from something) to escape or enable somebody to escape from a difficult situation
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fervent
adjective
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[usually before noun] having or showing very strong and sincere feelings about sth
- a fervent admirer / believer / supporter
- a fervent belief / hope / desire
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[usually before noun] having or showing very strong and sincere feelings about sth
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glisten
/ˈɡlɪsn/
verb
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to shine and look wet or oily
- glistening black hair
- The boy’s back was glistening with sweat.
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to shine and look wet or oily
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grimace
/ˈɡrɪməs/
noun
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an ugly expression made by twisting your face, used to show pain, dislike, etc. or to make somebody laugh
- to make/give a grimace of pain
- ‘What's that?’ she asked with a grimace.
- He acknowledged his mistake with a wry grimace.
- His face twisted into a grimace.
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an ugly expression made by twisting your face, used to show pain, dislike, etc. or to make somebody laugh
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grimace
/ˈɡrɪməs/
verb
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grimace (at somebody/something) to make an ugly expression with your face to show pain, dislike, etc.
- He grimaced at the bitter taste.
- She grimaced as the needle went in.
Origin: mid 17th cent.: from French, from Spanish grimazo ‘caricature’, from grima ‘fright’. -
grimace (at somebody/something) to make an ugly expression with your face to show pain, dislike, etc.
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imperative
/ɪmˈperətɪv/
adjective
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extremely important and needing to be done or dealt with immediately
- It is imperative that politicians should be good communicators
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(technical) an imperative verb is one that expresses an order, such as ‘stand up’
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extremely important and needing to be done or dealt with immediately
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ledge
/ledʒ/
noun
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a narrow, flat piece of rock that sticks out from a cliff seabirds nesting on rocky ledges
- The climbers were clinging to a ledge hundreds of feet above the sea.
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a narrow flat shelf fixed to a wall, especially one below a window
- She put the vase of flowers on the window ledge.
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a narrow, flat piece of rock that sticks out from a cliff seabirds nesting on rocky ledges
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monumental
/ˌmɑːnjuˈmentl/
adjective
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[only before noun] extremely large, bad, good, impressive etc.
- Banks and building societies were yesterday accused of monumental incompetence.
- a monumental task
- There was a monumental traffic jam on the freeway.
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[only before noun] extremely large, bad, good, impressive etc.
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obstreperous
/əbˈstrepərəs/
adjective
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noisy and refusing to do what someone asks ⇒ awkward
Origin: late 16th cent. (in the sense ‘clamorous, loud’): from Latin obstreperus (from obstrepere, from ob- ‘against’ + strepere ‘make a noise’) + -ous. -
noisy and refusing to do what someone asks ⇒ awkward
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padrone
noun
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Italian owner or manager; (USA) employer who hires Italian immigrants; innkeeper, person who owns an inn
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Italian owner or manager; (USA) employer who hires Italian immigrants; innkeeper, person who owns an inn
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perilous
/ˈperələs/
adjective
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very dangerous
[SYNONYM hazardous]- a perilous adventure/journey
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very dangerous
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procession
/prəˈseʃn/
noun
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[uncountable and countable] a line of people or vehicles moving slowly as part of a ceremony ⇒ parade
* funeral/wedding/carnival etc procession- They marched in procession to the Capitol building
- a funeral procession
- The procession made its way down the hill.
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[uncountable and countable] a line of people or vehicles moving slowly as part of a ceremony ⇒ parade
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protuberant
/prəʊˈtuːbərənt/
adjective
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(formal) curving or swelling out from a surface
- protuberant eyes
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(formal) curving or swelling out from a surface
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quaver
/ˈkweɪvər/
verb
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(+ speech) if somebody’s voice quavers, it is unsteady, usually because the person is nervous or afraid
- ‘I'm not safe here, am I?’ she asked in a quavering voice.
Origin: late Middle English (as a verb in the general sense ‘tremble’): from dialect quave ‘quake, tremble’, probably from an Old English word related to quake. The noun is first recorded (mid 16th cent.) as a musical term. -
(+ speech) if somebody’s voice quavers, it is unsteady, usually because the person is nervous or afraid
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quell
/kwel/
verb
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(in literary) to reduce or stop unpleasant feelings such as fear, doubt, or worry => calm
- ‘Jerry?’ she called, trying to quell the panic inside her.
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quell something/somebody to stop something such as violent behaviour or protests
- Extra police were called in to quell the disturbances.
- (figurative) She started to giggle, but Bob quelled her with a look.
- As the looting intensified, the president vowed to quell the violence by any means necessary.
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(in literary) to reduce or stop unpleasant feelings such as fear, doubt, or worry => calm
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rostrum
/ˈrɑːstrəm/
noun
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a small raised platform that a person stands on to make a speech, conduct music, receive a prize, etc. => podium
- He climbed on to the winner’s rostrum.
Origin: mid 16th cent.: from Latin, literally ‘beak’ (from rodere ‘gnaw’). The word was originally used (at first in the plural rostra) to denote part of the Forum in Rome, which was decorated with the beaks of captured galleys, and was used as a platform for public speakers. -
a small raised platform that a person stands on to make a speech, conduct music, receive a prize, etc. => podium
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sober
adjective
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(of colours or clothes) plain and not bright
- a sober grey suit
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(of colours or clothes) plain and not bright
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thicket
noun
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a group of bushes or small trees growing closely together
- a dense thicket of bamboo
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a large number of things that are not easy to understand or separate
- He spent the morning trying to work his way through a thicket of statistics.
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a group of bushes or small trees growing closely together
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tumbler
/ˈtʌmblər/
noun
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a glass for drinking out of, with a flat bottom, straight sides and no handle or stem
- a cut-glass whisky tumbler
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a glass for drinking out of, with a flat bottom, straight sides and no handle or stem
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waver
verb
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[intransitive] to be or become weak or unsteady
- His voice wavered with emotion.
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[intransitive] to be or become weak or unsteady
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whack
verb
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whack somebody/something (+ adv./prep.) (informal) to hit somebody/something very hard
- She whacked him with her handbag.
- James whacked the ball over the net.
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whack something + adv./prep. (informal) to put something somewhere without much care
- Just whack your bags in the corner.
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whack somebody (North American English, slang) to murder somebody
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whack somebody/something (+ adv./prep.) (informal) to hit somebody/something very hard
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wryness
noun
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the quality of finding something funny but also disappointing or annoying
- She couldn't help but smile at the wryness in his voice.
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the quality of finding something funny but also disappointing or annoying