Monthly Archives

December 2023

Intermediate+ Word of the Day: prey

Prey, which is an uncountable noun, is an animal or animals hunted for food by other meat-eating animals. A thing or person that is victim to an enemy, affliction, or disease is also prey. As a verb, to prey, always followed by on or upon, means ‘to hunt animals for food,’ ‘to attack in order to destroy or steal,’ or ‘to trouble…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: heat

Heat is the condition or quality of being hot, the sensation of warmth, a period of hot weather, or the degree of hotness of something. It is also a source of warmth and, when we’re talking about food, the spiciness. Figuratively, heat can mean ‘passion’ or ‘the point of greatest intensity.’ Informally, heat means a pursuit or investigation run by the police, intense pressure, or…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: trap

As you might already know, a trap is a device used for catching animals or birds or, figuratively, any trick for catching someone by surprise. A situation that’s hard to escape from is also a trap. And did you know that, as a slang term, trap means ‘mouth?’ Traps, always in the plural, are the…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: bland

Bland is an adjective that is most often used about food to mean ‘non irritating’ or ‘mild and not highly flavored.’ More generally, it means ‘not lively or lacking special interest’ and it can also mean ‘unemotional or indifferent.’ It can also be used to describe something…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: spear

A spear is a long wooden shaft with a sharp pointed head, usually made of metal or stone. It can be used as a weapon or as a fishing tool. Usually in a military context, a spear can also mean ‘a person armed with a spear.’ As a verb, to spear means ‘to stab or pierce with, or as though with, a spear’ and it can also be used figuratively…

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