Ice's Top 25 Words

Front 1

Cruise (n)

Back 1

To ​travel at a ​continuous ​speed

Ex.The ​plane is cruising at 240 ​knots.

Front 2

Flounder (v)

Back 2

To ​experience ​great difficulties or be ​completely ​unable to ​decide what to do or say next.

Ex.He ​lost the next ​page of his ​speech and floundered around/about for a few ​seconds.Although his ​business was a ​success, his ​marriage was floundering.

Front 3

Curio (n)

Back 3

a ​small and ​unusual ​object ​considered to be of ​special ​interest or ​value

Ex.a curio ​shop

Front 4

Gnaw (v)

Back 4

To ​bite or ​chew something ​repeatedly

Ex.The ​cat ​began to gnaw at the ​towel beneath him.

Front 5

Scarce (adj)

Back 5

Not ​available in ​necessary ​amounts, or ​rare

Ex.Jobs are scarce.

Front 6

Provocative (adj)

Back 6

Intended to ​cause a ​reaction, esp. ​anger or ​annoyance, or to ​force you to ​think more ​carefully about something

Ex. a provocative ​speech

Front 7

Bewilder (v)

Back 7

To ​confuse someone

Ex.The ​instructions ​completely bewildered me

Front 8

Pliable (adj)

Back 8

(of a ​substance) ​easily ​bent without ​breakingor ​cracking, or (of a ​person) ​easily ​influencedor ​controlled by ​others

Ex.pliable ​materials

Front 9

Hue (n)

Back 9

A ​color, or the ​particular ​degree of ​light or ​dark of a ​color

Ex.In the ​waters of the ​Caribbean there are ​fish of every hue.

Front 10

Compensate (v)

Back 10

To ​pay someone ​money in ​exchange for ​work done, for something ​lost or ​damaged, or for some ​inconvenience

Ex.Our ​company ​tries to ​keep ​salaries ​low, and they compensate employees more with ​bonuses.

Front 11

Itch (v)

Back 11

To have an ​uncomfortable ​feeling on the ​skinthat makes you ​want to ​rub it with something hard

Ex.My ​insect ​bites are itching.

Front 12

Stiff (adj)

Back 12

Firm or hard and not bending or ​moving ​easily

Ex.He had stiff ​leather ​shoes on.

Front 13

Masquerade (n)

Back 13

A ​party or ​dance in which ​people ​wear ​masks (= coverings for the ​face)

Ex.There were dozens of masquerade ​balls, ​parades, ​street ​dances, and ​fancy ​dress ​parties.

Front 14

Adobe (n)

Back 14

A ​mixture of ​wet ​earth and ​grass made into ​bricks and ​dried in the ​sun, used to ​build ​houses

Ex.Adobe ​houses were ​common in the Southwest.

Front 15

Urge (v)

Back 15

To ​encourage someone ​strongly to do something or to ​ask that something be done

Ex.​Party ​leaders urged her to ​run for ​Congress.

Front 16

Reckon (v)

Back 16

To ​calculate an ​amount ​based on ​facts or on ​your​expectations

Ex.Do you reckon this ​watch has a little ​value?

Front 17

Celery (n)

Back 17

A ​vegetable with ​long, ​green ​stems that can be ​eaten ​raw or ​cooked

Ex. A ​stick of celery

Front 18

Wound (n)

Back 18

A hurt or ​injury to the ​body, such as a ​cut or ​tear in the ​skin or ​flesh

Ex.a ​puncture wound

Front 19

Fuss (n)

Back 19

A show of ​anger, ​worry, or ​excitement that is ​unnecessary or ​greater than the ​situation ​deserves.

Ex.It's all a fuss about nothing.

Front 20

Binge (n)

Back 20

To go on a binge is to do a lot of something

Ex.He’s on a binge, ​eating everything in ​sight.

Front 21

Grief (n)

Back 21

very ​great ​sadness, esp. at the ​death of someone

Ex.It took her ​years to get over her grief at the ​death of her ​mother.

Front 22

Shame ()

Back 22

An ​uncomfortable ​feeling of ​guilt or of being ​ashamed because of ​your own or someone else’s ​bad ​behavior

Ex.He ​pointed out that ​society ​needed to ​restore a ​sense of shame about ​certain things.

Front 23

Fugitive (n)

Back 23

A ​person who is ​running away, esp. from the ​police

Ex.Three men ​escaped from the ​prison and were being ​sought as fugitives.

Front 24

Obligate (v)

Back 24

To make someone ​feel ​morally or ​legally ​forced to do something

Ex.I’m in ​favor of obligating ​welfare ​recipients to do more.

Front 25

Anesthetic (n)

Back 25

A ​drug that makes the ​body ​unable to ​feel ​pain

Ex.With a ​local anesthetic, a ​patient is ​awake during ​surgery.