西洋文學概論～單字筆記（week8)

1.  herald (n.)

   -Something that is a herald of a future event or situation is a sign that

   it is going to happen or appear

   Ex: For her, it was the herald of summer.

2.   flutter (v.)

    -If you say that someone flutters somewhere, you mean that they

    walk there with quick, light movements, often in a silly way or in a

    way which suggests that they are nervous.  

    Ex: She'd been fluttering about in the kitchen.

3.   ransack (v.)

    -If people ransack a building, they damage things in it or make it

    very untidy, often because they are looking for something in a quick

    and careless way. 

    Ex: He began to ransack his mother's workbox for a piece of thread.

4.   defend (v.)

    - If you defend someone or something, you take action in order to

    protect them.  

    Ex: This is my native land and I'll defend it with my life!

5.  spear (v.)

    - If you spear something, you push or throw a pointed object into it.

    ex: A police officer was speared to death.

6.  doom (v.)

    - If a fact or event dooms someone or something to a particular fate,

    it makes certain that they are going to suffer in some way.  

    Ex: That argument doomed their marriage to failure.

7.  drain (v.)

    - If you drain a liquid from a place or object, you remove the liquid

    by causing it to flow somewhere else. If a liquid drains somewhere,

    it flows there.  

    Ex: Miners built the tunnel to drain water out of the mines.

8.  overpower (v.)

    - If you overpower someone, you manage to take hold of and keep

    hold of them, although they struggle a lot.  

    Ex: The rebels were overpowered and arrested.

9.   withdrawing (v.)   

    - If you withdraw something from a place, you remove it or take it

    away. 

    Ex: The enemy was withdrawing as our army moved forward.

10.  spearhead (n.)

     - The spearhead of a campaign is the person or group that leads it. 

     Ex: You will spearhead the sales campaign.

11.  rammed (v.)

     - If a vehicle rams something such as another vehicle, it crashes into

     it with a lot of force, usually deliberately.

     Ex: A truck rammed a motorbike.

12. wince (v.)

     - If you wince, the muscles of your face tighten suddenly because

     you have felt a pain or because you have just seen, heard, or

     remembered something unpleasant.  

     Ex: He winced at the thought of dining with Lily.

13.  comrade (n.)

     - Your comrades are your friends, especially friends that you share a

     difficult or dangerous situation with.

     Ex: Unlike so many of his comrades he survived the war.

14.  shriek (v.)

     -If you shriek something, you shout it in a loud, high-pitched voice. 

     Ex: Suddenly he began to shriek loudly.

15.  tent (n.)

     - A tent is a shelter made of canvas or nylon which is held up by

     poles and ropes, and is used mainly by people who are camping. 

     Ex: The tent began to sag under the weight of the rain.

16. enemy (n.)

     - The enemy is an army or other force that is opposed to you in a

     war, or a country with which your country is at war.  

     Ex: He searched the skies for enemy bombers.

17.  stamped (adj.)

     - marked with the impression of a seal.

        Ex: His words are still stamped upon the minds of people.

18. prophesy (n.)

     - If you prophesy that something will happen, you say that you

     strongly believe that it will happen.  

     Ex: She prophesied a bad ending for the expedition.

19. stagger(v.)

     - If you stagger, you walk very unsteadily, for example because you

     are ill or drunk.  

     Ex: He was staggering and had to lean on the bar.

20. chariot (n.)

     - In ancient times, chariots were fast-moving vehicles with two

     wheels that were pulled by horses. 

     Ex: The bronze chariot proved to be a valuable find.

21. astound (v.)

     -If something astounds you, you are very surprised by it. 

     Ex: His practical grasp of affairs and his energy still astound me.

22. splinter (v.)

     - If something splinters or is splintered, it breaks into thin, sharp

     pieces.  

     Ex: The mirror cracked but did not splinter.

23.  plume (n.)

     - A plume is a large, soft bird's feather.

     Ex:Amy’s hat was adorned with a plume.

24.  breastplate (n.)

     - A breastplate is a piece of amour that covers and protects the

     chest. 

        Ex: Get out the breastplate and body-cover, and come together to the

        fight.

25.  premonition(n.)

      - If you have a premonition, you have a feeling that something is

      going to happen, often something unpleasant. 

      Ex: I have a premonition that there will be a storm.