Monthly Archives

August 2021

Intermediate+ Word of the Day: plug

You probably know what a plug is. But did you know that to plug is something you might do to a leaking pipe or a bathtub? How about something an actor might do on a talk show? There are many more meanings to it…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: slat

A slat is a long, narrow strip of wood, metal, or the like used as a support for a bed, or the horizontal strips Venetian blinds have, for example. Colloquially, in US English, always in the plural form, slats are ribs. The verb to slat means…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: dangle

To dangle means ‘to hang or swing loosely’ and also ‘to cause something to hang loosely.’ If you dangle after someone, it means that you hang around them or follow them as if looking for favor or attention…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: bundle

A bundle is a package, an item wrapped for carrying, or various items bound together. Figuratively, a large amount of something can be called a bundle and, as a slang term, a bundle means ‘a lot of money.’ As a verb, to bundle means…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: sloth

A sloth is a slow-moving, tree-dwelling tropical American animal. They have long, coarse, brown or grayish fur and big claws for gripping tree branches while hanging upside down, as they usually do. And do you know why they’re called that?

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: whirl

To whirl means ‘to spin quickly, turning around or aside very fast.’ To travel or to be carried along very quickly is also to whirl and, if your head whirls, it means that you’re feeling dizzy. As a noun, a whirl is the…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: clobber

Clobber is a very colloquial word. As a verb, it means ‘to hit or beat severely’ and, figuratively, in games or competitions, it means ‘to defeat completely.’ Also very colloquially, to clobber means ‘to criticize harshly.’ As a noun, in UK and Australian English, clobber means…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: dazzle

Literally, to dazzle means ‘to blind temporarily with a very bright light’ and, of lights or anything that sparkles, ‘to shine brightly.’ Figuratively, to dazzle means ‘to impress deeply’ or ‘to excite admiration.’ As a noun, dazzle is something that…

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