1. cardiac |ˈkärdēˌak|
adjective
1 relating to the heart: a cardiac arrest.
2 relating to the part of the stomach nearest the esophagus.
nounMedicine, informal
a person with heart disease.
ORIGIN
late Middle English (as a noun denoting heart disease): from French cardiaque or Latin cardiacus, from Greek kardiakos, from kardia ‘heart or upper opening of the stomach.’ The adjective dates from the early 17th century.
cardiac arrest
noun
a sudden, sometimes temporary, cessation of function of the heart.
2. resuscitate |rəˈsəsəˌtāt|
verb [with object]
revive (someone) from unconsciousness or apparent death: an ambulance crew tried to resuscitate him.
• make (something such as an idea or enterprise) active or vigorous again: measures to resuscitate the ailing Japanese economy.
DERIVATIVES
resuscitative |rəˈsəsəˌtādiv| adjective.
resuscitator |rəˈsəsəˌtādər| noun
ORIGIN
early 16th century: from Latin resuscitat- ‘raised again,’ from the verb resuscitare, from re- ‘back’ + suscitare ‘raise.’
resuscitation |rəˌsəsəˈtāSH(ə)n|
noun
the action or process of reviving someone from unconsciousness or apparent death: paramedics were called and aggressive resuscitation was performed | mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
• the action of making something active or vigorous again: resuscitation of bygone artistic styles.
3. grub |ɡrəb|
noun
1 the larva of an insect, especially a beetle.
• a maggot or small caterpillar.
2 informal food: a popular bar serving excellent grub.
verb (grubs, grubbing, grubbed) [no object]
1 dig or poke superficially at the earth; dig shallowly in soil: the damage done to pastures by badgers grubbing for worms.
• [with object] remove (something) from the earth by digging it up: all the vines are grubbed up and the land left fallow for a few years | (as noun grubbing) : construction operations including clearing and grubbing.
2 search for something in a clumsy and unmethodical manner; rummage: I began grubbing about in the wastepaper basket to find the envelope.
• do demeaning or humiliating work in order to achieve something: she has achieved material independence without having to grub for it.
• [with object] achieve or acquire (something) by doing demeaning work: they were grubbing a living from garbage pails.
ORIGIN
Middle English: perhaps related to Dutch grobbelen, also to grave1.
grubby |ˈɡrəbē|
adjective (grubbier, grubbiest)
dirty; grimy: the grubby face of a young boy.
• disreputable; sordid: grubby little moneylenders.
DERIVATIVES
grubbily |-bəlē| adverb.
grubbiness |ˈɡrəbēnəs| noun
4. sift |sift|
verb [with object]
1 put (a fine, loose, or powdery substance) through a sieve so as to remove lumps or large particles: sift the flour into a large bowl.
• cause to flow or pass as through a sieve: Melanie sifted the warm sand through her fingers.
• [no object] (of snow, ash, etc.) descend or float down lightly or sparsely as if sprinkled from a sieve: ash began to sift down around them.
2 examine (something) thoroughly so as to isolate that which is most important or useful: until we sift the evidence ourselves, we can't comment objectively | [no object] : the fourth stage involves sifting through the data and evaluating it.
• (sift something out) separate something, especially something to be discarded, from something else: he asked for streamlined procedures to sift out frivolous applications.
noun [usually in singular]
an act of sifting something, especially so as to isolate that which is most important or useful: a careful archaeological sift must be made through the debris.
• an amount of sifted material: the floor was dusted with a fine sift of flour.
DERIVATIVES
sifter |ˈsiftər| noun
ORIGIN
Old English siftan; related to Dutch ziften, also to sieve.
5. incumbent |inˈkəmbənt|
adjective
1 [predicative] (incumbent on/upon) necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility: it is incumbent on all decent people to concentrate on destroying this evil.
2 [attributive] (of an official or regime) currently holding office: the incumbent president had been defeated.
noun
the holder of an office or post.
• Christian Church the holder of an ecclesiastical benefice.
ORIGIN
late Middle English (as a noun): from Anglo-Latin incumbens, incumbent-, from Latin incumbere ‘lie or lean on,’ from in- ‘upon’ + a verb related to cubare ‘lie.’
6. incumbent |inˈkəmbənt|
adjective
1 [predicative] (incumbent on/upon) necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility: it is incumbent on all decent people to concentrate on destroying this evil.
2 [attributive] (of an official or regime) currently holding office: the incumbent president had been defeated.
noun
the holder of an office or post.
• Christian Church the holder of an ecclesiastical benefice.
ORIGIN
late Middle English (as a noun): from Anglo-Latin incumbens, incumbent-, from Latin incumbere ‘lie or lean on,’ from in- ‘upon’ + a verb related to cubare ‘lie.’
reimbursement |ˌrēimˈbərsmənt|
noun
the action of repaying a person who has spent or lost money: reimbursement of everyday medical costs.
• a sum paid to cover money that has been spent or lost: the family received insurance reimbursements.
7. deride |dəˈrīd|
verb [with object]
express contempt for; ridicule: critics derided the proposals as clumsy attempts to find a solution.
DERIVATIVES
derider |dəˈrīdər| noun
ORIGIN
mid 16th century: from Latin deridere ‘scoff at.’
8. backdrop |ˈbakˌdräp|
noun
a painted cloth hung at the back of a theater stage as part of the scenery.
• the setting or background for a scene, event, or situation: the conference took place against a backdrop of increasing diplomatic activity.
verb (backdrops, backdropping, backdropped)
provide a background or setting for: an ornate fountain, and at its center, backdropped with golden spray, a statue of a young girl.
9. hedge |hej|
noun
a fence or boundary formed by closely growing bushes or shrubs: she was standing barefoot in a corner of the lawn, trimming the hedge.
• a contract entered into or asset held as a protection against possible financial loss: inflation hedges such as real estate and gold.
• a word or phrase used to allow for additional possibilities or to avoid commitment, for example, etc., often, usually, or sometimes.
verb [with object]
1 surround or bound with a hedge: a garden hedged with yews.
• (hedge something in) enclose.
2 limit or qualify (something) by conditions or exceptions: experts usually hedge their predictions, just in case.
• [no object] avoid making a definite decision, statement, or commitment: she hedged around the one question she wanted to ask.
3 protect oneself against loss on (a bet or investment) by making balancing or compensating transactions: the company hedged its investment position on the futures market.
PHRASES
hedge one's bets
avoid committing oneself when faced with a difficult choice.
DERIVATIVES
hedger |ˈhejər| noun
ORIGIN
Old English hegg, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch heg and German Hecke .
10. insulin |ˈinsələn|
nounBiochemistry
a hormone produced in the pancreas by the islets of Langerhans that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. The lack of insulin causes a form of diabetes.
• an animal-derived or synthetic form of insulin used to treat diabetes.
ORIGIN
early 20th century: from Latin insula ‘island’ + -in1.
11. lucrative |ˈlo͞okrədiv|
adjective
producing a great deal of profit: a lucrative career as a stand-up comedian.
DERIVATIVES
lucratively |ˈlo͞okrədivlē| adverb.
lucrativeness noun
ORIGIN
late Middle English: from Latin lucrativus, from lucrat- ‘gained,’ from the verb lucrari, from lucrum (see lucre) .
12. devise |dəˈvīz|
verb [with object]
1 plan or invent (a complex procedure, system, or mechanism) by careful thought: a training program should be devised | a complicated game of his own devising.
2 Law leave (real estate) to someone by the terms of a will.
nounLaw
a clause in a will leaving real estate to someone.
DERIVATIVES
devisable |dəˈvīzəb(ə)l| adjective.
devisee |dəˌvīˈzē| noundevise ( sense 2 of the verb).
deviser |dəˈvīzərdēˈvīzər| noun.
devisor |dəˈvīzər| noundevise ( sense 2 of the verb)
ORIGIN
Middle English: the verb from Old French deviser, from Latin divis- ‘divided,’ from the verb dividere (this sense being reflected in the original English sense of the verb); the noun is a variant of device (in the early sense ‘will, desire’).
13. intriguing |ˌinˈtrēɡiNG|
adjective
arousing one's curiosity or interest; fascinating: an intriguing story | it's an intriguing possibility | the food is an intriguing combination of German and French.
intrigue
verb |inˈtrēɡ| (intrigues, intriguing, intrigued)
1 [with object] arouse the curiosity or interest of; fascinate: I was intrigued by your question.
2 [no object] make secret plans to do something illicit or detrimental to someone: the delegates were intriguing for their own gains.
noun |ˈinˌtrēɡinˈtrēɡ|
1 the secret planning of something illicit or detrimental to someone: the cabinet was a nest of intrigue | the intrigues of local government officials.
• a secret love affair.
2 a mysterious or fascinating quality: within the region's borders is a wealth of interest and intrigue.
DERIVATIVES
intriguer |inˈtrēɡər| noun
ORIGIN
early 17th century (in the sense ‘deceive, cheat’): from French intrigue ‘plot,’ intriguer ‘to tangle, to plot,’ via Italian from Latin intricare (see intricate). Sense 1 of the verb, which was influenced by a later French sense ‘to puzzle, make curious,’ arose in the late 19th century.
14. mole 1 |mōl|
noun
1 a small burrowing insectivorous mammal with dark velvety fur, a long muzzle, and very small eyes.eastern mole
eastern mole
[Family Talpidae: several genera and species, including the eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus) of North America.]
2 a spy who achieves over a long period an important position within the security defenses of a country.
• someone within an organization who anonymously betrays confidential information.
ORIGIN
late Middle English: from the Germanic base of Middle Dutch and Middle Low German mol .
mole 2 |mōl|
noun
a small, often slightly raised blemish on the skin made dark by a high concentration of melanin.
ORIGIN
Old English māl ‘discolored spot,’ of Germanic origin.
mole 3 |mōl|
noun
a large solid structure on a shore serving as a pier, breakwater, or causeway.
• a harbor formed or protected by a mole.
ORIGIN
mid 16th century: from French môle, from Latin moles ‘mass.’
mole 4 |mōl| (abbreviation mol)
nounChemistry
the SI unit of amount of substance, equal to the quantity containing as many elementary units as there are atoms in 0.012 kg of carbon-12.
ORIGIN
early 20th century: from German Mol, from Molekul, from Latin (see molecule) .
mole 5 |mōl|
nounMedicine
an abnormal mass of tissue in the uterus. See also hydatidiform mole.
ORIGIN
late Middle English: from French môle, from Latin mola in the sense ‘false conception.’
mole 6 |ˈmōlā|
noun
a highly spiced Mexican sauce made chiefly from chili peppers and chocolate, served with meat.
ORIGIN
Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl molli ‘sauce, stew.’
15. onerous |ˈōnərəsˈänərəs|
adjective
(of a task, duty, or responsibility) involving an amount of effort and difficulty that is oppressively burdensome: he found his duties increasingly onerous.
• Law involving heavy obligations: an onerous lease.
DERIVATIVES
onerously |ˈōnərəslēˈänərəslē| adverb.
onerousness |ˈōnərəsnəsˈänərəsnəs| noun
ORIGIN
late Middle English: from Old French onereus, from Latin onerosus, from onus, oner- ‘burden.’
16. array |əˈrā|
noun
1 an impressive display or range of a particular type of thing: there is a vast array of literature on the topic | a bewildering array of choices.
2 an ordered series or arrangement: several arrays of solar panels will help provide power | the lens focuses light onto an array of pixels.
• an arrangement of troops: I shall have my men drawn up here in battle array ready to come to your help.
• Mathematics an arrangement of quantities or symbols in rows and columns; a matrix.
• Computing an indexed set of related elements.
3 literary elaborate or beautiful clothing: he was clothed in fine array.
4 Law a list of jurors empaneled.
verb [with object]
1 display or arrange (things) in a particular way: arrayed across the table was a buffet | the forces arrayed against him.
2 (usually be arrayed in) dress someone in (the clothes specified): they were arrayed in Hungarian national dress.
3 Law empanel (a jury).
ORIGIN
Middle English (in the senses ‘preparedness’ and ‘place in readiness’): from Old French arei (noun), areer (verb), based on Latin ad- ‘toward’ + a Germanic base meaning ‘prepare.’
17. upheaval |ˌəpˈhēvəl|
noun
a violent or sudden change or disruption to something: major upheavals in the financial markets | times of political upheaval.
• an upward displacement of part of the earth's crust.
18. stalk 1 |stôk|
noun
the main stem of a herbaceous plant: he chewed a stalk of grass.
• the slender attachment or support of a leaf, flower, or fruit: the acorns grow on stalks.
• a stalklike support for a sessile animal, or for an organ in an animal.
• a slender support or stem of something: drinking glasses with long stalks.
DERIVATIVES
stalkless adjective.
stalklike |-ˌlīk| adjective.
stalky |ˈstôkē| adjective
ORIGIN
Middle English: probably a diminutive of dialect stale ‘rung of a ladder, long handle.’
stalk 2 |stôk|
verb
1 [with object] pursue or approach stealthily: a cat stalking a bird.
• harass or persecute (someone) with unwanted and obsessive attention: for five years she was stalked by a man who would taunt and threaten her.
• chiefly literary move silently or threateningly through (a place): the tiger stalks the jungle | figurative : fear stalked the camp.
2 [no object] stride somewhere in a proud, stiff, or angry manner: without another word she turned and stalked out.
noun
1 a stealthy pursuit of someone or something.
2 a stiff, striding gait.
ORIGIN
late Old English -stealcian (in bistealcian ‘walk cautiously or stealthily’), of Germanic origin; related to steal.
19. exacerbate |iɡˈzasərˌbāt|
verb [with object]
make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse: the exorbitant cost of land in urban areas only exacerbated the problem | the forest fire was exacerbated by the lack of rain.
DERIVATIVES
exacerbation |iɡˌzasərˈbāSHəneɡˌzasərˈbāSHən| noun
ORIGIN
mid 17th century: from Latin exacerbat- ‘made harsh,’ from the verb exacerbare, from ex- (expressing inducement of a state) + acerbus ‘harsh, bitter.’ The noun exacerbation (late Middle English) originally meant ‘provocation to anger.’
usage: On the difference between exacerbate and exasperate, see usage at exasperate.
20. cavalier |ˌkavəˈlir|
noun
1 (Cavalier) historical a supporter of King Charles I in the English Civil War.
• archaic or literary a courtly gentleman, especially one acting as a lady's escort.
• archaic a horseman, especially a cavalryman.
2 (also Cavalier King Charles) a small spaniel of a breed with a moderately long, noncurly, silky coat.
adjective
showing a lack of proper concern; offhand: Anne was irritated by his cavalier attitude.
DERIVATIVES
cavalierly |ˌkavəˈlirlē| adverb
ORIGIN
mid 16th century: from French, from Italian cavaliere, based on Latin caballus ‘horse.’ Compare with caballero and chevalier.
