accelerate = v. to go faster
crack = n. a narrow (sometimes hair-thin)
break in a surface; a sound like the noise made when dry wood breaks
syn. fissure, fracture; snap
v. crack
A giant crack has recently been discovered in
the ice covering of Antarctica.
The intolerable pressure of work finally caused him to crack,
and he committed suicide by jumping out the window of his office.
create = v. to bring into being, to
cause to exist
syn. make, produce, give rise to, engender
adj. creative
adv. creatively
n. creation
n. creator
n. creativity
n. creativeness
The government has promised to create many new
jobs, but the unemployment level rose again last month to a new post-War high.
There is an ongoing debate in America between religious and secular people whether mankind
is the product of creation or evolution.
creep = v. to move or occur slowly,
gradually and/or quietly, also often with the connotation "close to the
ground"
syn. crawl
adj. creeping
n. creep (colloquial - a mild insult, similar to "a
jerk", "a nerd")
His work was always flawless, but recently some mistakes have begun to creep in.
A: I think the teacher's a creep.
B: A creep? I think he's an absolute idiot.
crush = v. to break something into very
small pieces by applying pressure (physical or psychological); to destroy something
violently
syn. mash, grind; shatter
n. crush = a large group of people moving in one direction
adj. crushing
Note: in colloquial English "to have a crush
on someone" means "to be infatuated with someone" (Please look
up "infatuated" in your dictionary.)
Some governments resort to ruthless oppression to crush
the aspirations of their populations for democracy and liberty. Others rely on more subtle
means, such as the dissemination of trivial TV programs and banal films, but they
basically achieve the same thing.
Congress's rejection of the legislation was a crushing
blow to the President's plan for a national health-care program, but Monica Lewinsky is
rumored to have done her best to make him feel better.
cultivate = v. to plant and raise a
crop; to try to improve a relationship or friendship
syn. grow, raise
adj. cultivated (also, in regard to a person, having a good education, good
manors, etc.)
n. cultivation
In many parts of the world, the people who actually cultivate
the crops earn only a pittance for their labor. The large local or transnational firms who
purchase and re-sell their produce reap the real profits.
Although the defendant in the case had a very cultivated
appearance and demeanor, the evidence soon proved that he was a brutal criminal.
dictate = v. to issue commands with the
power to enforce their execution; to read or say something out loud for someone to transcribe or record
syn. enjoin, order
adj. dictatorial
n. dictator
n. dictatorship
n. dictation
Microsoft's commanding position in the computer market allows the company to dictate conditions to their would-be customers.
Even though a dictation is an old-fashioned type
of language exercise, it can be helpful in focusing attention on both spelling and
listening problems.
distinguish = v. perceive as being
different
syn. differentiate, discriminate
adj. distinguishable
adj. distinguished
adj. distinguishing
n. distinction
adj. distinct
adj. distinctive
Although government policy should not distinguish
among citizens on the basis of wealth, tax laws in many countries continue to show a bias
in favor of the more prosperous.
The planet Mars's distinctive red color makes it
relatively easy to recognize through a telescope.
flaw = n. an imperfect or defective part
or aspect
syn. defect
adj. flawed
v. flaw
Modern physics indicates there may be a flaw in
Einstein's theory of relativity.
They noticed that, despite all their efforts, the contract was still flawed. Therefore, they decided to go to a Chinese
restaurant for lunch and work on it later.
harvest = v. to collect a crop
syn. gather
adj. harvested
n. harvest
They farmers were able to harvest the crop
before the rain, but it was later destroyed in shipment.
This year's coffee harvest was damaged by the
cold weather, so next year's retail prices can be expected to rise.
mirror = v. to indicate, to show (as in a
mirror).
syn. reflect
n. mirror
The living standards of the people in a country do not necessarily mirror what is indicated by its economic statistics.
The results of the poll proved not to have been an accurate mirror of public opinion.
obtain = v. to get or procure something
syn. acquire
adj. obtainable
The university needed computers for the research project, but its football team's uniforms
were old, so the president decided to obtain new
ones instead of purchasing the computers.
Our library doesn't have the book, but it is obtainable through
the inter-library loan system.
particular = adj. related to a
specific person, thing, or category; hard-to-please
syn. specific; fussy
n. particular
n. particularity
v. particularize
adv. particularly
I'd like to buy a birthday present for my wife, but I don't have anything particular in mind. Can you give me any ideas?
On the surface, he looked like a good candidate for the job, but the particulars of his c.v. revealed that he hadn't had any
experience in the field.
settle = v. to establish a residence; to
colonize; to resolve a dispute
syn. reside, locate; resolve, conclude, agree upon
adj. settled
n. settlement
n. settler
The behavior of many of the people who settled
in Palestine both before and after the Second World War might lead one to believe that
they have forgotten some of their reasons for having left their countries of origin.
The settlement of the class-action lawsuits
against the tobacco companies will probably cost them several billion dollars.
transaction = n. performance or
carrying out an activity (usually in business, but also in psychology)
syn. deal, operation; interaction
v. transact
adj. transactional
I recently discovered that my bank overcharged me for a transaction
I had made.
You are require to have a license to transact
business in every country in the world.