4000 Essential English Words 2e 4 (2nd Edition) 영영 Unit 11,12,13,14,15

precise

adj. exact and careful about their work
The builder was very precise about where he placed the nails.

publicity

n. public attention given to someone or something by the media
She received a lot of publicity after her performance in the film.

essence

n. its important qualities or basic characteristics
The essence of the argument was that both sides felt they had lost money.

subsequent

adj. then it comes after something else in time
The flood and the subsequent rescue of those caught in the flood were on TV.

commence

v. to begin it
His speech commenced with a “thank you” to all who had helped him succeed.

fabulous

adj. extremely good
This strawberry is the best I’ve ever had. It’s fabulous.

molecule

n. the smallest basic unit that makes up a physical substance
A tiny drop of water is made up of many billions of molecules of water.

terminal

adj. then it causes or results in death
Since his condition was not terminal, he felt a great sense of relief.

haste

n. speed in movement or action
In order to get to the meeting in time, he proceeded with haste.

astonish

v. to greatly surprise them
The number of people that came to her party astonished her.

extract

v. to remove it
The dentist extracted the woman’s damaged tooth and put in a fake one.

assess

v. to judge the structure, purpose, or quality of it
She assessed the condition of the toy car before buying it.

impulse

n. a sudden thoughtless urge to do something
Because of the scary noise, she had an impulse to run somewhere and hide.

latter

adj. describes something last in a series or the second choice of two things
In the latter minutes of the game, the visitors scored the winning goal.

ongoing

adj. then it is still happening or still growing
The development of plants is ongoing because it takes time for them to mature.

significance

n. the quality that makes it important
The significance of the snowy weather was that we didn’t have to go to school.

inhibit

v. you stop it from developing
Poor reading skills will inhibit learning in a wide range of subject areas.

proximity

n. closeness in time, space, or relationships
All the trees in the proximity of the beach had been cut down.

remedy

n. a cure for a disease, argument, or problem
A good remedy for a headache is an aspirin and a glass of water.

synthetic

adj. then it is made to be like something natural
Clothing made out of synthetic fabrics is very effective at keeping people warm.

spontaneous

adj. not planned
My wife made a spontaneous decision to buy a new sofa while I was at work.

gorgeous

adj. very pleasing and attractive
The girl picked out a gorgeous dress to wear to the dance.

narrate

v. to write about it or read it aloud
This story was written by John, but Aaron is narrating it to the crowd.

partiality

n. a tendency to prefer one thing to another
She has a partiality for walking to school instead of driving.

acute

adj. very severe and intense
When she fell out of the tree, the girl felt an acute pain in her arm.

overall

adv. the whole thing is considered
Overall, the party was a huge success.

biography

n. an account of someone's life that is written by someone else
We read a biography about Charles Darwin in science class.

legacy

n. an effect that exists because of a person or thing in the past
The legacy of the ancient Egyptians can be seen in their monuments.

classical

adj. more formal and serious than popular music
Beethoven is a composer of classical music.

clap

n. to hit one's hands together to express pleasure or get attention
After the speech, everyone in the crowd clapped their hands for the speaker.

dominance

n. a person is their state of being more powerful than others
Large gorillas hit their chests to express their dominance over others.

compel

v. to force them to do it
Traffic signs compel drivers to drive safely.

multiple

adj. many of them
When the stunt went wrong, the man suffered multiple injuries.

aggression

n. behavior that is mean or violent to others
The problem was only made worse by Mark’s aggression.

boost

v. to increase or improve it
Lowering prices boosts customers’ interest in shopping.

notorious

adj. it is well known because of something bad
This area of town is notorious for gang activity.

creation

n. something original that is made
We saw the creation of a new political party.

inevitable

adj. certain to happen or cannot be avoided.
It is inevitable that the days will get longer in the summer.

virtue

n. a good quality or way of behaving
My best virtue is forgiveness.

masterpiece

n. a very good painting, novel, movie, or other work of art
The Arc de Triomphe is considered a masterpiece in the world of architecture.

credit

n. money available for a client to borrow
His bank account is in credit, so he has money he can spend.

spatial

adj. it relates to the position and size of things
He was asked where the books were located to test his spatial awareness.

asset

n. a skill or quality that is useful or valuable
The coach realized the boy’s speed was an asset to the team.

assignment

n. task that is given to you to do
He was given a difficult assignment but he felt he could succeed in doing it.

disprove

n. to show that it is not true
The scientist disproved the theory that the sun moved around the Earth.

premise

n. an idea on which something is based
The premise of the movie that Bobbi and I watched was unrealistic.

aspect

n. one part or feature of something.
I thought about the different aspects of owning two dogs.

coordinate

n. to make different parts work together
Each skating team had to coordinate their movements for the show.

informative

adj. it provides a lot of information
The travel guide had a lot of informative facts about the region.

tie

v. two things together, you fasten them with rope, string, etc.
The dog is used to being tied up.

awareness

n. knowledge or perception
She has little awareness of what needs to be done.

bud

n. a part of a plant that turns into a flower or a leaf
Two weeks after planting the seed, a small bud appeared.

humanitarian

adj. it is connected to helping people's lives
After the flood, several humanitarian organizations offered help.

optic

adj. When something is optic, it relates to the eyes or light.
Her blindness was caused by a problem with her optic nerve.

undertake

v. to take on the responsibility of doing it
We undertook to make sure everybody was well informed of current progress.

hypothesis

n. an idea about something that has not been proved yet.
The teacher did an experiment to prove whether his hypothesis was right.

wax

n. a substance that is slightly shiny and melts when heated
The candles are made of wax.

rack

n. an object with shelves that holds things
He stored his tools on a rack.

Renaissance

n. a period between the 14th and 17th centuries
Leonardo da Vinci was a popular artist of the Renaissance.

specify

n. to describe something clearly
The poster didn’t specify where the concert was taking place.

archeological

adj. it relates to archeology
They found archeological evidence of an ancient species of man.

parachute

n. a device that helps people and things fall to the ground safely.
They used parachutes dropped from airplanes to send supplies to the civilians.

cite

v. to mention it as an example or as proof of something
She cited six reasons that the school needed to build new classrooms.

hydrogen

n. a gas that has no taste, color, or smell
Airships used to be filled with hydrogen, but it exploded easily.

estate

n. a large area of land owned by a family or organization
He lived on his father’s estate in the country.

archeology

n. the study of ancient people through their artifacts
He studied archeology to learn more about ancient Egyptian culture.

correspond

n. to match or to be similar to something
The boy’s story didn’t correspond with his mother’s version.

refine

n. to make it better by making changes
The principal refined his method of controlling students over the years.

chaotic

adj. crazy, confused, and hectic
The first day of school can be chaotic for a new student.

budget

n. the amount of money available to spend on something
His budget for food was very tight.

prehistoric

adj. from a time before written history
The scientists found prehistoric pots used by the people in the area.

restrict

v. to limit it and prevent it from getting bigger
The club restricted the amount of members.

outlook

n. a person's opinion or way of thinking about something
He changed his outlook about rats after he read a book about them.

addict

n. a person who cannot stop doing something
She was a coffee addict. She had more than three cups each day.

proponent

n. a person who supports an idea or a plan
He was a proponent of using environmentally-friendly products.

brainstorm

v. to have a lot of ideas about a certain topic
The students met after school to brainstorm ideas for their assignments.

fraud

n. the crime of gaining money by lying or by tricking people
Experts say that credit card fraud increases around the holidays.

team

n. a group of people who work closely together
The All Blacks are my favorite sports team.

courtyard

n. an outdoor area that is surrounded by the walls of a building
During the summer, the courtyard is a nice place to have lunch.

integrity

n. honesty and good morals
The principal had a lot of integrity.

aggregate

adj. it is made up of smaller amounts added together
The company totaled its aggregate sales for the entire year.

circuit

n. a piece of an electronic device that allows electricity to flow
Be very careful not to shock yourself when fixing an electrical circuit.

equivalent

n. an amount or value that is the same as another amount or value
I worked the equivalent of sixty hours this week.

magnet

n. a piece of iron or other material
I used a magnet to pick up the nails that were scattered on the floor.

viral

adj. it is a disease or infection that is caused by a virus
The girl was in bed for a week when she had a viral infection.

spiral

n. a shape which winds round and round as if around a cylinder
A strand of DNA looks like two interlocking spirals.

intimate

adj. the two things are very closely connected
I only tell my secrets to my most intimate friends.

prevalent

adj. common
Growing a beard is more prevalent in some countries than in others.

compress

v. to press or squeeze it so that it takes up less space
I compressed my clothes to fit into a single suitcase.

ratio

n. a relationship between two things expressed in numbers or amounts
The boy-to-girl ratio is one to three.

quantum

n. it relates to the behavior of atomic particles
The physics student studied quantum mechanics.

microchip

n. a small device in a computer that holds information
I can put more data on my computer if I buy a more powerful microchip.

database

n. a collection of data
The company has a database of all the names and accounts of their customers.

input

n. information that is put into a computer
Type the input into the computer program.

complement

v. to make them better
The wool scarf complemented her lovely eyes.

phase

n. a stage in a process or the gradual development of something
The first phase in the recycling project involves finding volunteers to help out.

pinch

n. to take a piece of skin between one's fingers and squeeze
I pinched my nose so I couldn’t smell the odor from the garbage.

metabolism

n. the way chemical processes in their body use energy
If you exercise every day, your metabolism speeds up.

antibiotic

n. a medical drug used to kill bacteria and treat infections
The doctor gave me a shot of an antibiotic when I got the flu.

immune

adj. they cannot be affected by it
Children usually get shots to make them immune to certain diseases.