English Literature

Front 1

supplicant

/ˈsʌp.lɪ.kənt/



derived from this word:
supplication

/ˌsʌp.lɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/

[U]
-> Inside the temple, worshippers were kneeling in supplication.

Back 1

[C] formal
a person who asks a god or someone who is in a position of power for something in a nervous way that shows that they do not think of themselves as very important

Front 2

mortification

/ˌmɔː.tɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/

Back 2

[U]
a feeling of being very embarrassed
-> To the ~ of the show's organizers, the top performer withdrew at the last minute.

Front 3

indispensable

/ˌɪn.dɪˈspent .sə.bl ̩/

noun: indispensability

/ˌɪn.dɪ.spent .sɪˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/

Back 3

Something or someone that is ~ is so good or important that you could not manage without them
-> This book is an ~ resource for researchers.
-> His long experience at the United Nations makes him ~ to the talks.

Front 4

to confine

/kənˈfaɪn/

Back 4

[T] to limit an activity, person or problem in some way
-> Let's ~ our discussion to the matter in question, please!
-> Please ~ your use of the telephone to business calls.
-> By closing the infected farms we're hoping to ~ the disease to the north of the region (= stop it from spreading to other areas).

[T usually passive] to keep someone closed in a place, often by force
->The hostages had been ~ed for so long that they couldn't cope with the outside world.

Front 5

to be confined to somewhere/sth

Back 5

to exist only in a particular area or group of people

-> We know that the illness is not ~ to any one group in society.
-> This attitude seems to be ~ to the upper classes.

Front 6

penetration

/ˌpen.ɪˈtreɪ.ʃən/

Back 6

[U]
formal someone's ability to understand quickly and well

Front 7

penetration

/ˌpen.ɪˈtreɪ.ʃən/

Back 7

a movement into or through something or someone
-> Sunscreens can help reduce the ~ of ultraviolet rays into the skin.
-> The company is trying to increase its ~ of the market.

the act of a man putting his penis into his sexual partner's vagina or anus during sexual activity

Front 8

mortifying

/ˈmɔː.tɪ.faɪ.ɪŋ/

Back 8

very embarrassing
-> Catching headlice from your kids is a ~ experience.

Front 9

allied

/ˈæl.aɪd/, /əˈlaɪd/

Back 9

[before noun] connected by a political or military agreement
-> an ~ offensive
-> ~ bombers/forces

formal similar or related in some way
Computer science and ~ subjects are not taught here.

combined
It takes a lot of enthusiasm, ~ with/to a love of children to make a good teacher.

Front 10

incongruous
/ɪnˈkɒŋ.gru.əs/


noun: incongruity
/ˌɪn.kəŋˈgruː.ə.ti/

Back 10

unusual or different from what is around or from what is generally happening
->The new computer looked ~ in the dark book-filled library.
-> It seems ~ to have a woman as the editor of a men's magazine.

Front 11

complaisance

/kəmˈpleɪ.zənt s/

adjective: complaisant
/kəmˈpleɪ.zənt/

Back 11

[U] formal
a willingness to please others by being polite and fitting in with plans

Front 12

pert

/pɜːt/

Back 12

attractively small and firm, as a description of a part of the body
-> a ~ bottom/nose

describes behaviour or qualities, especially in a young woman, that are humorous because they do not show much respect
-> a ~ answer/glance/smile

Front 13

relapse

/ˈriː.læps/

Back 13

[C] formal
If someone who is getting better after an illness has a ~, they become ill again
-> She was looking quite healthy on Friday, but she had/suffered a ~ over the weekend and was taken back into hospital.

Front 14

to cogitate

/ˈkɒdʒ.ɪ.teɪt/

noun: cogitation
/kɒdʒ.ɪˈteɪ.ʃən/

Back 14

[I] formal
to spend time thinking very carefully about a subject

Front 15

blunder

/ˈblʌn.dər /

Back 15

n [C]
a big mistake, usually caused by not taking care or thinking
-> He said that the tax was a major political ~.
-> I made a bit of a ~ by getting his name wrong.

Front 16

to blunder

/ˈblʌn.dər /

Back 16

[I] to make a big mistake, usually because of not taking care or thinking
-> Police ~ed by not releasing more details about the case to focus public interest.

Front 17

to blunder

/ˈblʌn.dər /

Back 17

[I usually + adverb or preposition] to move in an awkward way
-> I could hear him ~ing around in the darkness.

Front 18

to alleviate

/əˈliː.vi.eɪt/

noun: alleviation
/əˌliː.viˈeɪ.ʃən/

Back 18

[T] formal
to make something bad such as pain or problems less severe
-> The drugs did nothing to ~ her pain/suffering.

Front 19

retentive

/rɪˈten.tɪv/

Back 19

adj slightly formal
If you have a ~ memory or brain, you can remember things easily.

Front 20

asunder

/əˈsʌn.dər /

Back 20

[literary]
into forcefully separated pieces; apart
-> Their lives were torn ~ by the tragedy.

Front 21

penance

/ˈpen.ənt s/

Back 21

[C or U]
an act which shows that you feel sorry about something that you have done, sometimes for religious reasons
-> As a ~, she said she would buy them all a box of chocolates.
-> They are doing ~ for their sins.

Front 22

to exert

/ɪgˈzɜːt/

Back 22

[T] to use something such as authority, power, influence, etc. in order to make something happen
-> If you were to ~ your influence they might change their decision.
-> Some managers ~ considerable pressure on their staff to work extra hours without being paid.

Front 23

to exert yourself

Back 23

[R] to make a mental or physical effort
I was too tired to ~ myself.

Front 24

nought

/nɔːt/

Back 24

nothing

Front 25

deficiency
/dɪˈfɪʃ.ənt .si/

Back 25

C or U]
(a) state of not having, or not having enough, of something that is needed
-> Pregnant women often suffer from iron ~.
-> ~ies in the education system have been much in the news.

Front 26

insidious

/ɪnˈsɪd.i.əs/

Back 26

(of something unpleasant or dangerous) gradually and secretly causing harm
-> High-blood pressure is an ~ condition which has few symptoms.

Front 27

to detain

/dɪˈteɪn/

Back 27

[T often passive]
to force someone officially to stay in a place
-> A suspect has been ~ed by the police for further questioning.
-> Several of the injured were ~ed overnight in hospital.

to delay someone for a short length of time
-> I'm sorry I'm late - I was unavoidably ~ed.