Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

adornment noun [C or U]
something decorative, or the act of decorating something or someone

alleviate verb [T ] FORMAL

to make something bad such as pain or problems less severe
The drugs did nothing to alleviate her pain/suffering.

amusing adjective
entertaining
an amusing story/person/situation

ancestor noun [C ]
1. a person related to you who lived a long time ago
There were portraits of his ancestors on the walls of the room.
2. a plant, animal or object that is related to one existing at a later point in time
This wooden instrument is the ancestor of the modern metal flute.

auxiliary adjective
giving help or support, especially to a more important person or thing
auxiliary staff/nurses

buzzword noun [C ]
a word or expression from a particular subject area, that has become fashionable by being used a lot,
especially on television and in the newspapers
'Diversity' is the new buzzword in education.

clumsy adjective
1. awkward in movement or manner
The first mobile phones were heavy and clumsy to use, but nowadays they are much easier to
handle.
My attempts to apologize were very clumsy (= not said well).
2. describes someone who often has accidents because they do not behave in a careful, controlled
way
That's the third glass you've smashed this week - you're so clumsy!

comprehensible adjective
able to be understood
It's written in clear, comprehensible English.
Her writing is barely comprehensible to me.

continuous adjective
without a pause or interruption
continuous pain
My computer makes a continuous low buzzing noise.
A continuous white line (= line without spaces) in the middle of the road means no overtaking.

culprit noun [C ]
1. someone who has done something wrong

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 Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

Police hope the public will help them to find the culprits.
2. a fact or situation that is the reason for something bad happening
Children in this country are getting much too fat, and sugar and sweets are the main culprits.

deprecate verb FORMAL NOT APPROVE

1. [T not continuous] to not approve of something or say that you do not approve of something
We deprecate this use of company funds for political purposes.

descent noun RELATION

1. [U] the state or fact of being related to a particular person or group of people who lived in the past
She's a woman of mixed/French descent.
They trace their line of descent back to a French duke.
He claims direct descent from Mohammed.

determiner noun [C ] SPECIALIZED

in grammar, a word which is used before a noun to show which particular example of the noun you
are referring to
In the phrases 'my first boyfriend' and 'that strange woman', the words 'my' and 'that' are
determiners.

disdain noun [U ] FORMAL

when you dislike someone or something and think that they do not deserve your interest or respect
He regards the political process with disdain.

disdain verb [T ] FORMAL

1. to feel disdain for someone or something
The older musicians disdain the new, rock-influenced music.
2. disdain to do sth
to refuse to do something because you feel too important to do it

disregard noun [U ]
when someone shows no care or respect for something
What amazes me is her complete disregard for anyone else's opinion.

dissect verb [T ]
1. to cut open something, especially a dead body or a plant, and study its structure
In biology classes at school we used to dissect rats.
2. to examine or consider something in detail
He's the sort of person who watches a film and then dissects it for hours.

dissolve verb END

2. [T often passive] to end an official organization or a legal arrangement
Parliament has been dissolved.
Their marriage was dissolved in 1968.
3. [I] to disappear
The tension in the office just dissolves when she walks out.

dowry noun [C ]
in some societies, an amount of money or property which a woman's parents give to the man she

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 Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

marries

entrenched adjective MAINLY DISAPPROVING

Entrenched ideas are so fixed or have existed for so long that they cannot be changed
It's very difficult to change attitudes that have become so deeply entrenched over the years.
The organization was often criticized for being too entrenched in its views.

excerpt noun [C ]
a short part taken from a speech, book, film, etc
An excerpt from her new thriller will appear in this weekend's magazine.

first and foremost

more than anything else
In spite of being elected to office, she remains first and foremost a writer.

flaw noun [C ]
a fault, mistake or weakness, especially one that happens while something is being planned or made,
or which causes something not to be perfect
I returned the material because it had a flaw in it.
There's a fatal flaw in your reasoning.
This report is full of flaws.
a character flaw

fly in the ointment INFORMAL

a single thing or person that is spoiling a situation which could have been very positive or enjoyable
I'm looking forward to Sunday, the only fly in the ointment being the fact that I shall have to sit next
to my mother-in-law.

foremost adjective
most important or best; leading
This is one of the country's foremost arts centres.
She's one of the foremost experts on child psychology.

glamorous , UK ALSO glamourous adjective (MAINLY UK INFORMAL glam)

attractive in an exciting and special way
a glamorous woman/outfit
a glamorous job
She was looking very glam.

glance verb LOOK

1. [I usually + adverb or preposition] to give a quick short look
She glanced around/round the room to see who was there.
He glanced up from his book as I passed.
Could you glance over/through this letter and see if it's alright?

grief noun [C or U ]
1. very great sadness, especially at the death of someone
Her grief at her son's death was terrible.
Newspapers should not intrude on people's private grief.
newspaper pictures of grief-stricken relatives
2. come to grief

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 Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

to suddenly fail in what you are doing, often because you have an accident
The Italian champion was in second position when he came to grief on the third lap.
3. give sb grief INFORMAL
to criticize someone angrily
4. get grief INFORMAL
to be criticized angrily
I got a load of grief off Esther because I was ten minutes late.

hallmark noun [C ] CHARACTERISTIC

2. a typical characteristic or feature of a person or thing
Simplicity is a hallmark of this design.
This explosion bears/has all the hallmarks of (= is extremely likely to have been) a terrorist
attack.

hindsight noun [U ]
the ability to understand an event or situation only after it has happened
With (the benefit/wisdom of) hindsight, I should have taken the job.
In hindsight, it would have been better to wait.

lure noun
1. [C usually singular] the quality or power that something or someone has that makes them
attractive
the lure of fame/power/money
2. [C] an artificial insect or other small animal which is put on the end of a fishing line to attract fish

muddle verb

muddled adjective THINGS

1. Things that are muddled are badly organized
He left his clothes in a muddled pile in the corner.

nonetheless adverb (ALSO nevertheless)

despite what has just been said or done
There are serious problems in our country. Nonetheless, we feel this is a good time to return.

ointment noun [U ]
a thick oily substance, usually containing medicine, which is put on the skin where it is sore or where
there is an injury, in order to cure it
eye ointment

proprietary adjective [before noun ]

1. relating to ownership, or relating to or like an owner
I just assumed he owned the place - he had a proprietary air about him.
2. describes goods which are made and sent out by a particular company whose name is on the
product
proprietary medicines

reminiscent adjective FORMAL

reminiscent of sb/sth

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 Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

making you remember a particular person, event or thing

That song is so reminiscent of my adolescence.

resemblance noun [C or U ]
when two people or things look like each other or are similar in some other way
There was a clear family resemblance between all the brothers.
These prices bear no resemblance to (= are completely different from) the ones I saw printed in
the newspaper.

rule of thumb
a practical and approximate way of doing or measuring something
A good rule of thumb is that a portion of rice is two and a half handfuls.

sociable adjective APPROVING

describes someone who likes to meet and spend time with other people
Rob's very sociable - he likes his parties.
I had a headache and I wasn't feeling very sociable.

solicitor noun [C ]
a type of lawyer in Britain and Australia who is trained to prepare cases and give advice on legal
subjects and can represent people in lower courts
a firm of solicitors

stall verb DELAY

2. [I] to delay taking action or avoid giving an answer in order to have more time to make a decision
or get an advantage
She says she'll give me the money next week but I think she's just stalling (for time).
3. [T] If you stall a person, you delay them or prevent them from doing something for a period of
time
I managed to stall him for a few days until I'd got enough money to pay back the loan.
MAINLY US The thief broke into the office while his accomplice stalled off the security guard.
4. [T] If you stall an event, you delay it or prevent it from happening for a period of time
Commandoes stalled the enemy attack by destroying three bridges.
Fears are growing that a tax increase may stall economic recovery.

subterfuge noun [C or U ]
a trick or a dishonest way of achieving something
It was clear that they must have obtained the information by subterfuge.

tenet noun [C ] FORMAL

one of the principles on which a belief or theory is based
It is a tenet of contemporary psychology that an individual's mental health is supported by having
good social networks.

traverse verb [T ] FORMAL

to move or travel through an area
Stanley traversed the continent from west to east.
Bounded on the east by Lake Winnebago, the county is traversed by the Wolf and Fox rivers.

undertaking noun [C ] JOB

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 Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

1. a job, business or piece of work

The construction of the tunnel is a large and complex undertaking.

weigh verb HEAVINESS

1. [L only + noun T] to have a heaviness of a stated amount, or to measure the heaviness of an
object
Yesterday a satellite weighing 15 tonnes was successfully placed in orbit.
[R] She weighs herself every week on the scales in the bathroom.
Your luggage must be weighed before it is put on the aircraft.

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