西洋文學概論～單字筆記（week13)

1.  oblivion(n.)

   - Oblivion is the state of having been forgotten or of no longer being

   considered important.  

   Ex: Many ancient cities have long since passed into oblivion.

2.  loitering(v.)

   - If you loiter somewhere, you remain there or walk up and down

   without any real purpose.  

   Ex: Tony was loitering around the street.

3.   timbered(adj.)

   -A timbered building has a wooden frame or wooden beams showing

   on the outside.  

   Ex: Timbered cottages stood around a triangular green.

4. snatch(v.)

   - If something is snatched from you, it is stolen, usually using force.

   If a person is snatched, they are taken away by force. 

   Ex: She clutched her purse tightly, fearing that a thief might snatch it.

5.  demolish(v.)

   -To demolish something such as a building means to destroy it

   completely.  

   Ex: The building is now being demolished to make way for a

   motorway.

6.  charioteer(n.)

   -In ancient times, a charioteer was a chariot driver. 

   Ex: The Charioteer of York will soothe the people.

7.  headstrong(adj.)

    - If you refer to someone as headstrong, you are slightly critical of the

    fact that they are determined to do what they want. 

    Ex: He's young, very headstrong, but he's a good man underneath.

8.       raid(v.)

   -When soldiers raid a place, they make a sudden armed attack against

   it, with the aim of causing damage rather than occupying any of the

   enemy's land.  

   Ex: The guerrillas raided banks and destroyed a police barracks and

   an electricity substation.

9.  fray(v.)

   -If something such as cloth or rope frays, or if something frays it, its

   threads or fibers start to come apart from each other and spoil its

   appearance.  

   Ex: Her washing machine tends to fray edges on intricate designs.

10. patience(n.)

     - If you have patience, you are able to stay calm and not get annoyed,

     for example when something takes a long time, or when someone is

     not doing what you want them to do. 

     Ex: When you're studying a language, the keyword is patience.

11. counsel(v.)

     - If you counsel people, you give them advice about their problems. 

     Ex: Linda counsels her on all aspects of her career.

12. tactic(n.)

     -Tactics are the methods that you choose to use in order to achieve

     what you want in a particular situation.

     Ex: The new tactic was put into operation early in 1939.

13. muster(v.)

     -If you muster something such as support, strength, or energy, you

     gather as much of it as you can in order to do something.

     Ex: Mustering all her strength, Nancy pulled hard on both oars.

14. council(n.)

     -A council is a group of people who are elected to govern a local area

     such as a city or, in Britain, a county. 

     Ex: The city council has voted almost unanimously in favor.

15. horrendous(adj.)

     -Something that is horrendous is very unpleasant or shocking. 

     Ex: Jack described it as the most horrendous experience of his life

16. uproar(n.)

     -If there is uproar, there is a lot of shouting and noise because people

     are very angry or upset about something.  

     Ex: The announcement caused uproar in the crowd.

17.  contingent(n.)

      - A contingent is a group of people representing a country or

     organization at a meeting or other event.  

     Ex: The largest contingent was from the United States.

18. trough(n.)

     - A trough is a low area between two big waves on the sea. 

     Ex: The boat rolled heavily in the troughs between the waves.

19. veering(v.)

     -If something veers in a certain direction, it suddenly moves in that

     direction.  

     Ex: The little boat kept veering from its course in such a turbulent

     river.

20. mischief(n.)

     - Mischief is playing harmless tricks on people or doing things you are

     not supposed to do. It can also refer to the desire to do this. 

     Ex: Those children are always getting into mischief.

21. catastrophe(n.)

     -A catastrophe is an unexpected event that causes great suffering or

     damage. 

     Ex: This is a catastrophe beyond human control.

22.  shrill(adj.)

     - A shrill sound is high-pitched and unpleasant.

     Ex: His voice was shrill, but very clear and articulate.

23. rife(adj.)

     -If you say that something, usually something bad, is rife in a place or

    that the place is rife with it, you mean that it is very common.  

    Ex: Disease is rife in the area.

24. hearsay(n.)

     -Hearsay is information, which you have been told but do not know to

     be true. 

     Ex: Hearsay definitely can't be regarded as accurate information.

25. reckless(adj.)

     -If you say that someone is reckless, you mean that they act in a way,

     which shows that they do not care about danger or the effect their

     behavior will have on other people. 

     Ex: He showed a reckless disregard for his own safety.