Words and images for Exercise 1, chapter 1
bump
bump |bəmp|
noun
1 a light blow or a jolting collision: a nasty bump on the head.
• the dull sound of such a blow or collision.
• Aeronautics a rising air current causing an irregularity in an aircraft's motion.
2 a protuberance on a level surface: bumps in the road.
• a swelling on the skin, esp. one caused by illness or injury.
• dated or humorous a prominence on a person's skull, formerly thought to indicate
a particular mental faculty; such a faculty: he was making the most of his bump of
direction.
3 informal an increase: a slight bump in sales.
4 a loosely woven fleeced cotton fabric used in upholstery and as lining material.
verb
1 [ no obj. ] knock or run into someone or something, typically with a jolt: I almost
bumped into him | [ with obj. ] : she bumped the girl with her hip.
• (bump into) meet by chance: we might just bump into each other.
• [ with obj. ] hurt or damage (something) by striking or knocking it against
something else: she bumped her head on the sink.
• [ with obj. ] cause to collide with something: she went through the door, bumping
the bag against it.
2 [ no obj. ] move or travel with much jolting and jarring: the car bumped along the
rutted track.
• [ with obj. ] push (something) jerkily in a specified direction: she had to bump the
wheelchair down the steps.
3 [ with obj. ] refuse (a passenger) a reserved place on an airline flight, typically
because of deliberate overbooking.
• cause to move from a job or position, typically in favor of someone else; displace:
she was bumped for a youthful model.
PHRASES
a bump in the road informal a problem or setback: their relationship has hit
another bump in the road .
PHRASAL VERBS
bump someone off informal murder someone.
bump someone up informal move someone to a higher level or status; promote: he
was a writer for nine years before he was bumped up to editor.
bump something up informal 1 make larger, greater, or more numerous; increase:
they finally agreed to bump up her salary. 2 make, complete, or release earlier than
planned or expected: the date of publication was bumped up.
ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (as a verb): imitative, perhaps of Scandinavian origin.
broom
crack
reel
spool
buffer |ˈbəfər|
noun
1 a person or thing that prevents incompatible or antagonistic people or things
from coming into contact with or harming each other: family and friends can
provide a buffer against stress.
2 (also buffer solution )Chemistry a solution that resists changes in pH when acid
or alkali is added to it. Buffers typically involve a weak acid or alkali together with
one of its salts.
3 Computing a temporary memory area or queue used when transferring data
between devices or programs operating at different speeds.
bridge
buzz (no image, a sound)
beep (no image, a sound)
screech (no image, a sound)
bruise
drain
drainage
shade |SHād|
noun
1 comparative darkness and coolness caused by shelter from direct sunlight:
sitting in the shade | this area will be in shade for much of the day.
• the darker part of a picture.
• a position of relative inferiority or obscurity: her elegant pink and black
ensemble would put most outfits in the shade .
• (usu. shades) literary a shadow or area of darkness: the shades of evening drew
on.
• historical a portrait in silhouette.
2 a color, esp. with regard to how light or dark it is or as distinguished from one
nearly like it: various shades of blue | Maria's eyes darkened in shade .
• Art a slight degree of difference between colors.
• a slightly differing variety of something: politicians of all shades of opinion.
• [ in sing. ] a slight amount of something: there is a shade of wistfulness in his
rejection.
3 a lampshade.
• (often shades) a screen or blind on a window.
• an eyeshade.
• (shades) informal sunglasses.
4 literary a ghost.
• ( the Shades )the underworld; Hades.
Also note the noun “shadow” which is slightly different in meaning than
“shade”:
shadow |ˈSHadō|
noun
1 a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a
surface: trees cast long shadows.
• partial or complete darkness, esp. as produced in this way: the north side of the
cathedral was deep in shadow | (shadows) : a stranger slowly approached from the
shadows.
• the shaded part of a picture.
• a dark patch or area on a surface: there are dark shadows beneath your eyes.
• a region of opacity on a radiograph: shadows on his lungs.
• short for eyeshadow.
2 used in reference to proximity, ominous oppressiveness, or sadness and gloom:
the shadow of war fell across Europe | only one shadow lay over Sally's life.
• used in reference to something insubstantial or fleeting: a freedom that was
more shadow than substance.
• used in reference to a position of relative inferiority or obscurity: he lived in the
shadow of his father.
• [ with negative ] the slightest trace of something: she knew without a shadow of
a doubt that he was lying.
• a weak or inferior remnant or version of something: this fine-looking,
commanding man had become a shadow of his former self.
• an expression of perplexity or sadness: a shadow crossed Maria's face.
3 an inseparable attendant or companion: her faithful shadow, a Yorkshire terrier
called Heathcliffe.
• a person secretly following and observing another.
• a person who accompanies someone in their daily activities at work in order to
gain experience at or insight into a job.
• [ usu. as modifier ] Brit.the opposition counterpart of a government minister: the
shadow Chancellor.
fumes
lump
lamp
sheath
grain
wire
pillow
prairie
|ˈpre(ə)rē|
noun
1 a large open area of grassland, esp. in the Mississippi River valley.
pathway
fog
|fôg, fäg|
noun
a thick cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or
near the earth's surface that obscures or restricts visibility (to a greater
extent than mist; strictly, reducing visibility to below 1 km): the collision
occurred in thick fog.
• [ in sing. ] an opaque mass of something in the atmosphere: a whirling
fog of dust.
• Photography cloudiness that obscures the image on a developed
negative or print.
2 [ in sing. ] something that obscures and confuses a situation or
someone's thought processes: the origins of local government are lost in a
fog of detail.
hunt
brush
lightning
rug
scar
socket
Herd
|hərd|
noun
a large group of animals, esp. hoofed mammals, that live, feed, or migrate together or are
kept together as livestock: a herd of elephants | large farms with big dairy herds.
• derogatory a large group of people, typically with a shared characteristic: I dodged herds of
joggers and cyclists | he is not of the common herd .
herb
trail
sponge
lock
sieve
tanker
weed
drill
wedge |wej|
noun
a piece of wood, metal, or some other material having one thick end and tapering to
a thin edge, that is driven between two objects or parts of an object to secure or
separate them.
• an object or piece of something having such a shape: a wedge of cheese.
crutch
capsule
wave
tablet
scissors
needle
cabinet
scale
speck
oven
flock
screen
roof
chip
pile
loop |lo͞op|
noun
a shape produced by a curve that bends around and crosses itself.
paste
|pāst|
noun
a thick, soft, moist substance, usually produced by mixing dry ingredients with a
liquid: blend onions, sugar, and oil to a paste.
• a substance such as this that is used as an adhesive, esp. for sticking paper and
other light materials: wallpaper paste.
• a mixture consisting mainly of clay and water that is used in making ceramic ware,
esp. a mixture of low plasticity based on kaolin for making porcelain.
• a hard vitreous composition used in making imitation gems: [ as modifier ] : paste
brooches.
Fur
freezer
skyscraper
spring
noun
a resilient device, typically a helical metal coil, that can be pressed or pulled but
returns to its former shape when released, used chiefly to exert constant tension or
absorb movement.
ash
wax
forest
wrinkle
stain
wrench
spark 1 |spärk|noun
1 a small fiery particle thrown off from a fire, alight in ashes, or produced by striking
together two hard surfaces such as stone or metal.
• a light produced by a sudden disruptive electrical discharge through the air.
• a discharge such as this serving to ignite the explosive mixture in an internal
combustion engine
• a small bright object or point: there was a spark of light.
peasant