4000 Essential English Words 2e 2 (2nd Edition) 영영 Unit 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20

astronomy

n. the study of the stars and planets
Harold loved looking at the stars, so he decided to study astronomy.

chemistry

n. the study of substances and reactions between them
In chemistry class, the professor taught us about chemical reactions.

fame

n. a reputation one has gained among the public
He had fame and fortune, but he was not happy.

super

adj. really good
My dad said I did a super job cleaning the house.

genius

n. a very smart person
Since she was a genius, she easily passed all of her school exams.

lightly

adv. to not push very hard
Draw lightly so you do not tear your paper.

row

n. a line of things
James put all of his toy soldiers into neat rows.

shelf

n. a place on a wall where you put things
I keep my clothes on a shelf in my closet.

spite

n. the desire to be mean
He snuck into his sister’s room and stole her bag out of spite.

wet

adj. water on it
Since my dog was wet, he tried to shake all the water off his body.

despite

prep. a difference from what is expected
We still played the game despite the cold weather.

forecast

n. an idea about what the weather will be like in the future
The forecast says that it will rain all week.

gentle

adj. kind and calm
He is very gentle with the baby.

dinosaur

n. a very big animal that lived millions of years ago
I like to see the dinosaur bones at the museum.

principal

n. a person in charge of a school
My school’s principal can be very strict with the rules.

exhibit

v. to show something so that people can go look at it
My painting will be exhibited at the fair.

interfere

n. to cause problems and keep something from happening
My little sister always interferes when I’m trying to study.

geography

n. the study of the Earth, its land, weather, etc.
I had to draw a map for geography class.

admission

n. the act of allowing to enter a place
The admission ticket to the movie was $5.

blame

n. to blame someone for something bad is to say they did it.
My mom blamed me for something I didn’t do.

debt

n. an amount of money that a person owes
I have not paid my gas bill. I owe a debt to the gas company.

insist

n. to say very firmly that something is true
She insisted on paying for dinner because it was my birthday.

generous

adj. a person likes to give things to people
The generous man donated several new computers to our school.

fault

n. responsibility for a mistake
It is my fault that the cat ran away. I left the door open.

mess

n. a condition that is not clean or neat
Heather’s room was a complete mess.

sue

n. to take someone to court for some harmful action
I sued the company after I slipped on a banana peel in their hallway.

bean

n. a plant seed that is good to eat
There are many different kinds of beans to eat.

ingredient

n. something that is part of a food dish
The main ingredients in cake are eggs, sugar, and flour.

abuse

n. to hurt someone or something on purpose
The mean man abused his dog when it barked too loudly.

decrease

n. to make it less than it was before
Hiring more police officers has decreased crime in the city.

metal

n. a strong material people use to build things
Steel is a common metal that is used to build buildings.

fund

n. an amount of money that people have
We all put money into our club’s fund.

monitor

n. to watch them closely
The teacher monitors the students when they take tests.

afford

v. to have enough money to pay for it
I’ve been saving my money so I can afford to buy a new bike.

bake

n. to cook food in an oven
My sister is a good cook. She bakes delicious cakes.

passive

adj. not to take action to solve problems
Marcie is so passive that she never solves her own problems.

quantity

n. a general amount, a supply
The store did not have the exact quantity of items that I needed.

candle

n. a stick of wax that is lit on fire for light or heat
When the lights went out, we lit some candles.

convert

v. to change it into something else
The man converted his messy field into a garden of flowers.

oppose

n. to dislike it or act against it
I want to be a police officer because I oppose crime.

lend

n. to give it to someone for a short time
My sister lost her pen, so I will lend her mine.

spin

v. to turn around in circles
The boy kept spinning until he fell down.

tutor

n. someone who gives lessons to one student
My sister is bad at math. So my mother hired a tutor to help her.

carve

n. to cut into something
My father usually carves the turkey for Thanksgiving.

army

n. a large group of people who fight in wars
The army protects all the people in the country.

initial

adj. something is first
The initial step when writing a paper is to find a good topic.

intense

adj. very strong
The skunk made an intense odor that filled the air.

tiny

adj. very small
A baby’s hand is tiny.

billion

n. a very large number: 1,000,000,000
There are billions of stars in outer space.

consult

n. to ask someone for help
I will consult my accountant to find a way to pay my bills.

anxiety

n. a feeling of worry and fear
When I have to climb to high places, I’m filled with anxiety.

quit

n. to stop doing it
I quit running because I got tired.

emergency

n. a time when someone needs help right away
There is a huge fire in my house! This is an emergency!

guarantee

n. to promise whether something happens or not happens
I guarantee that the sun will come up in the morning.

adequate

adj. good enough
This is adequate for my needs.

potential

adj. capable of being but not yet actual or real
I’ve thought of some potential problems with your idea.

proof

n. a fact that shows something is real
They used his fingerprint for proof that he committed the crime.

pride

n. a feeling of happiness about oneself or one's things
I take pride in getting good grades.

fortune

n. the things that happen but are not controlled by a person
I have good fortune when I play cards.

peak

n. the very top of a mountain
There is snow on the peaks of those mountains.

calculate

n. to find an answer using math
I calculated how much money I would need to buy the car.

commit

v. to something is to promise to do it
Seth wanted to go home, but he had committed to finishing the job.

dormitory

n. a school building where students live
I will move into the dormitory at the beginning of the school year.

greenhouse

n. a small glass building that is used to grow plants
We have a small greenhouse in our backyard where we grow plants.

obvious

adj. clear or easy to see
It was obvious that he was tired. He kept falling asleep.

uniform

n. a piece of clothing worn by people of the same group
All the members of our marching band wear matching uniforms.

compose

v. to make it from smaller parts
Tony composed his report using many sources of information.

remind

v. to tell someone to remember to do something
Nick’s dad reminded him to do his homework.

talent

n. a natural ability to do something well
Maria has a talent for playing the piano.

thesis

n. an idea that needs to be proved
She did not support her thesis very well.

chat

n. to talk with someone
Even though they were far apart, the couple chatted every day.

exhaust

n. to make that person tired
John exhausted himself by swimming all day.

physics

n. a science that deals with energy and how it affects things
In physics class, we used Newton’s Cradle to learn about energy.

secretary

n. a person who works in an office
Rebecca asked her secretary to type a report.

blind

adj. cannot see
The blind man didn’t see the hole and almost fell in.

apparent

adj. clear or easy to see
Her happiness was apparent from the smile on her face.

severe

adj. very bad or serious
After hitting his hand with the hammer, Sam was in severe pain.

vision

n. the ability to see
The eye doctor tested my vision.

portion

n. a part of it
I only ate a small portion of the pizza.

ignore

n. to act like you do not see or hear it
I ignored the message he was making and kept studying.

absorb

n. to take it inside
He used a sponge to absorb the water on the floor.

dine

n. to eat dinner
The young couple dined at their home.

charitable

adj. aims to help people
I give money each year to a charitable foundation.

flavor

n. the taste of food or drinks
The flavor of the ice cream was very good.

crew

n. a group of workers
My father has a crew that helps him build houses.

mud

n. soft, wet dirt
My brother played rugby in the mud. Now, he’s dirty.

double

adj. twice as much or twice as many
I paid almost double the amount for that shirt.

unique

adj. not like others
Her dog is unique. I’ve never seen one quite like it.

generation

n. a group of people who live at the same time
My grandparents are from a different generation than me.

committee

n. a group of people who meet together to make decisions
The school’s committee agreed on a new dress code for students.

boss

n. a person in charge of other people at work
My boss is a nice person.

foundation

n. a group that provides money for research
The foundation raised money to give scholarships to students.

handle

n. the part of an object people hold while using it
The pot is very hot, so pick it up by the handle.

layer

n. one of several pieces lying on top of each other
There was a layer of snow on the tops of the houses this morning.

soil

n. the top layer of land on the Earth
The boy planted flowers in the soil and watered them every day.

dig

n. to make a hole in the ground
My dog digs in the yard so he can hide his bones.

contract

n. a written agreement between two people
The woman signed a contract when she bought the house.

donate

v. to give something to a charity or organization
We donate money to charities every year.

devote

n. to something means to spend a lot of time doing it
She devotes two hours a day to playing the piano.

smooth

adj. no bumps or rough parts
The baby’s skin felt very smooth.

ancient

adj. very old
I want to see the ancient buildings in Rome.

hidden

adj. not easily noticed or too hard to find
The hidden camera recorded everything in the parking lot.

exist

n. to be real
Do you really think that unicorns ever existed?

process

n. the steps to take to do something
Making a cake is a long process.

maybe

adv. something is possible or may be true
If I focus hard enough, maybe I can come up with the right answer.

concert

n. an event where you listen to people play music
I enjoyed the concert last night. The band was very good.

officer

n. a leader in the army
The soldiers followed the orders of the officer.

original

adj. it is the first one of that thing
This is the original painting of the Mona Lisa.

publish

n. a book is to get it printed and ready to sell
That company publishes daily newspapers.

century

n. one hundred years
Our company is celebrating a century of business in London.

theater

n. a building where you watch plays, shows, and movies
We went to the theater to see a play.

clue

n. a fact or object that helps solve a mystery or crime
The detective found some clues on the sidewalk.

board

n. a flat piece of wood
The sign was made of a few wooden boards.

dictionary

n. a book that tells you what words mean
I use the dictionary to learn new words.

wealth

n. the total of one's possessions
One of the most important things for some people is wealth.

academy

n. a special type of school
There are many courses taught at the academy that I go to.

pound

n. to hit it many times with a lot of force
He pounded the nail with the hammer.

flat

adj. that is level and smooth with no curved parts
My parents bought a new flat-screen TV on the weekend.

gentleman

n. a nice man
My grandfather is a kind and helpful gentleman.

county

n. the largest division of a state in a country
He wanted to represent the citizens of his county.

attach

n. to put two things together
I attached the socks to the clothesline to dry.

labor

n. the act of doing or making something
Building the house took a lot of labor.

confirm

n. to make sure something is correct
Winning the game confirmed that James was a good player.

differ

n. to not be the same as another person or thing
I differ from my brother: he is short, while I am tall.

signal

n. a sound or action that tells someone to do something
The coach blew his whistle as a signal to begin the game.

carriage

n. a vehicle pulled by a horse
We took a carriage ride in the park.

sincere

adj. honest, especially about emotions or opinions
He sounded sincere when he apologized to me.

classic

adj. that is common from the past
The athlete made a classic mistake-he started running too soon.

height

n. how tall someone or something is
My height is 168 centimeters.

prime

adj. something is the most important one
Dirty air is a prime cause of illness.

commute

n. to travel a long distance to get to work
I usually commute to work on the train.

bet

n. to risk money on the result of a game or a business
How much will you bet that your horse will win?

aim

n. a goal someone wants to make happen
My aim is to become a helicopter pilot.

shift

n. to move into a different place or direction
He shifted to the other side of the table to eat his breakfast.

invent

n. to create something that never existed before
My grandfather has invented some interesting things.

junior

adj. younger or less experienced
When she started at the company, she was only a junior manager.

formal

adj. official or serious
It was a formal dinner, so we wore our best clothes.

mechanic

n. someone who fixes vehicles or machines
We took the car to the mechanic to be fixed.

criticize

n. to say bad things about someone or something
He criticized his wife for spending too much money.

expense

n. the money that people spend on something
She wrote down all the expenses for her trip.

joy

n. a feeling of great happiness
I love baseball. I feel joy when I play.

diary

n. a book in which people write their personal experiences
I do not let anybody read my diary.

label

n. a tag that tells about something
The label on the back of your shirt will tell you what size it is.

ceiling

n. the top of a room
He painted the ceiling with a special roller.

monk

n. a religious person who lives a simple life
The monks knew a lot about religion.

ability

n. the quality of a person being able to do something well
His swimming abilities let him cross the entire lake.

odd

adj. different from what is usual or expected; strange
Lewis’s choice of hair color is quite odd.

investigate

n. to search for something or learn about it
The detective went to investigate the crime.

profession

n. a person's job
He loved sailing, so he chose to work on ships as a profession.

element

n. a particular part of it
Tackling an opponent is Johnny’s favorite element of American football.

cartoon

n. a funny drawing
Sometimes, people draw cartoons for the newspaper.

delay

n. to wait to do something
I was delayed at the airport for over two hours.

agriculture

n. the growing of plants and raising of animals for food
The farmer studied agriculture in college.

grain

n. a food crop such as wheat, corn, rice, or oats
The farmer planted two fields of grain this year.

greet

n. to meet and welcome that person
When my friend came over, I greeted him at the door.

priest

n. a person trained to perform religious duties
The priest taught us about God.

curious

adj. to want to know about something
I opened up the clock because I was curious about how it worked.

faith

n. trust or belief without proof
The sick girl had faith in doctors. She knew they would make her better.

pause

n. to stop doing something for a while
Since she was so hungry, she paused to make a snack.

convince

n. to make that person sure of something
She convinced me to buy the house.

drink

n. to take liquid into the body through the mouth
The woman likes to drink water after she exercises.

stand

n. to use the legs and feet to hold the body upright
Allan prefers to stand and work at his desk.

very

adv. to emphasize an adjective or adverb
An elephant is a very big animal.

pet

n. an animal such as a cat or dog that people keep and care for
Tyler likes to spend time with his pet dog.

tea

n. a drink made by pouring boiling water onto dried leaves
Many people drink green tea because it has many health benefits.

wait

n. to stay in a place until an expected event happens
She has to wait for the airplane to arrive.

strange

adj. unusual or surprising
They are wearing strange masks.

they

pron. two or more people or things
They are playing a fun game.

sell

n. to give something to someone in exchange for money
This man’s job is to sell houses.

line

n. a row of people or things
This is the longest line I have ever seen.

bottom

n. the lowest part, point, or level of something
Sarah is so tall that her feet can touch the bottom of the swimming pool.

type

n. a particular kind or group of things or people
Tulips are a type of flower.

test

n. to examine something to see if its quality is good
His job is to test the electricity to make sure it works correctly.

ball

n. a round object that is thrown, kicked, or hit in a game or sport
Seth bought a new soccer ball.

few

adj. a small number of them
I have only a few coins.

snake

n. an animal with a long, thin body and no legs
Be careful of the snake in the tree.

company

n. a business or organization that makes or sells goods or services
I want to work for a small software company.

product

n. something grown or made in a factory in order to be sold
There’s no room for even one more product in Melissa’s bag.

responsible

adj. in charge of someone or something
Peter is responsible for leading his department.

tongue

n. the movable muscle inside the mouth that is used to speak, eat, and drink
The cat uses its tongue to drink water.

statistic

n. we did just as well this year as last year
The statistics showed that we did just as well this year as last year.

elementary

adj. the first or most simple thing
Children go to elementary school before high school.

detect

n. to notice or find something
The boy ran to the kitchen when he detected the smell of cookies.

rank

n. a person's place in an order of people
The man got to the rank of captain in the navy.

approve

v. you like or agree with that thing
Her co-workers approved her new plan.

failure

n. when something is not done right
My cooking ended in failure because I burned the food.

instant

n. a very short amount of time
A microwave oven cooks food in an instant.

pretend

n. to make believe something is real
The boy liked to pretend he was a king.

refrigerate

n. to make it cold
Supermarkets refrigerate fruit to make it last long.

accomplish

n. to finish it
He accomplished his goal of running ten miles.

gradual

adj. happens slowly
Children learn to read at a gradual pace. They do not learn right away.

immigrant

n. a person who moves to a different country
My parents were immigrants. They came from Poland.

poverty

n. the state of being poor
Poverty is a problem in many countries around the world.

barrier

n. blocks a path or way
The Great Wall was a barrier between China and its enemies.

recognition

n. the act of getting praise from other people
The hero got recognition for his brave deed.

approximate

adj. to an exact amount, number, or time
My approximate height is two meters.

duty

n. a person has to do
It is parents’ duty to take care of their children.

rent

n. the money people pay to live in a certain place
To live in this house, I have to pay rent at the start of each month.

retire

n. to leave a job, usually because of old age
My father is sixty-five years old. He is about to retire from work.

insert

n. to put it in something else
He inserted an extra sentence into the story.