西洋文學概論～單字筆記（week15)

1.   vicious(adj.)

-A vicious person or a vicious blow is violent and cruel. 

     Ex: He was a cruel and vicious man.

2.   rinse(v.)

   -When you rinse something, you wash it in clean water in order to

   remove dirt or soap from it.  

   Ex: After shampooing, always rinse the hair several times in clear

   water.

3.  amassing(v.)

   -If you amass something such as money or information, you gradually

   get a lot of it.  

   Ex: Teresa is amassing a lot of data for her thesis.  

4.  hoard(v.)

   -If you hoard things such as food or money, you save or store them,

   often in secret, because they are valuable or important to you.  

   Ex: The tea was sweetened with a hoarded tin of condensed milk.

5.  staid(adj.)

   -If you say that someone or something is staid, you mean that they are

   serious, dull, and rather old-fashioned. 

   Ex: The locals were a very staid lot.

6.   usher(v.)

    -If you usher someone somewhere, you show them where they should go, often

     by going with them

Ex: The usher seated them in the front row.

7. rove(v.)

    -If someone roves about an area or roves an area, they wander around it.  

    Ex: She became a photographer, roving the world with her camera in her hand.

8. appetizer(n.)

   -An appetizer is the first course of a meal. It consists of a small amount of food. 

   Ex: Seafood soup is a good appetizer.

9. veteran(n.)

   -A veteran is someone who has served in the armed forces of their country,                especially during a war.

   Ex: His grandfather is a veteran of the Second World War.

10. defenseless(adj.)

     -lacking weapons for self-defense

     Ex: The bandits descended upon the defenseless village.

11. gracious(adj.)

     -If you describe the behavior of someone in a position of authority

      as gracious, you mean that they behave in a polite and considerate way. 

      Ex: She closed with a gracious speech of thanks.

12. regal(adj.)

     -If you describe something as regal, you mean that it is suitable for a king or               queen, because it is very impressive or beautiful. 

      Ex: Never has she looked more regal.

13. scepter(n.)

     -A scepter is an ornamental rod that a king or queen carries on

     ceremonial occasions as a symbol of his or her power. 

     Ex: The scepter is an attribute of kingly power.

14. chamber(n.)

     -You can refer to a country's parliament or to one section of it as a chamber. 

     Ex: More than 80 parties are contesting seats in the two-chamber parliament.

15. clustered(adj.)

     -If people or things are clustered somewhere, there is a group of them close                 together there.  

      Ex: We pass villages clustered around wet rice fields.

16. hovering(v.)

     - If you hover, you stay in one place and move slightly in a nervous way, for             example because you cannot decide what to do.

      Ex: I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight.

 

17. heifer(n.)

      -A heifer is a young cow that has not yet had a calf. 

      Ex: The heifer is only six months old.

18. sheathe(v.)

     -If something is sheathed in a material or other covering, it is closely 

     covered with it.  

     Ex: The television was sheathed in a snug coverlet.

19. sumptuous(adj.)

     - Something that is sumptuous is grand and obviously very expensive. 

     Ex: The king gave a sumptuous banquet.

20. dazzle(v.)

    -If someone or something dazzles you, you are extremely impressed by their skill,     qualities, or beauty.  

    Ex: The movie's special effects fail to dazzle.

21. aplenty(adv.)

     -If you have something aplenty, you have a lot of it.  

      Ex: There were problems aplenty at work.

22. ardent(adj.)

     -Ardent is used to describe someone who has extremely strong feelings about            something or someone.  

     Ex: He's been one of the most ardent supporters of the administration's policy.

23. tuft(n.)

     -A tuft of something such as hair or grass is a small amount of it, which is                  growing together in one place or is held together at the bottom.

     Ex: He had a small tuft of hair on his chin.

24. fling(v.)

      - If you fling something somewhere, you throw it there using a lot of force. 

      Ex: He once seized my knitting, flinging it across the room.

25. impetuous(adj.)

     - If you describe someone as impetuous, you mean that they are likely to act             quickly and suddenly without thinking or being careful. 

    Ex: He tended to react in a heated and impetuous way.