Archives

Intermediate+ Word of the Day: coaster

A coaster is a person or thing that coasts, that is, that slides or glides down a hill or slope, and also, in US English, a sled used for coasting. A coaster is also a small dish or mat used under a glass or cup to protect the surface of the table. As a nautical term, a coaster is a ship engaged in trade around the…

Continue Reading

Intermediate+ Word of the Day: tinker

Mainly historical now, as the trade has died out, a tinker is a person who fixes pots and pans and wanders from place to place looking for customers or, in US English, a person skilled in many minor kinds of work, especially mechanical or manual work. It also means ‘a clumsy or unskillfull worker.’ In Scottish and Irish English, it is the standard word for…

Continue Reading

Intermediate+ Word of the Day: mild

Mild means ‘gentle or soft’ and it can refer to feelings or manners. It can also mean ‘not severe, temperate’ or ‘moderate in strength, force, or degree’. When we use it to talk about food, it means ‘not sharp in taste or smell’ and, when we are talking about disease, it means…

Continue Reading

Intermediate+ Word of the Day: blade

The blade is the flat cutting part of a sharp tool or weapon like a knife or a sword and it can actually be used as a synonym for sword too. Part of any mechanism that resembles this and that is used for wiping or scraping is also a blade and, generally, any thin and flat part of something too. In botany, a blade is the leaf of a plant, especially grass or cereal plants, and in sports, the blade is the…

Continue Reading

Basic+ Word of the Day: party

A party is a celebration, usually for a special day, or because something special has happened. At parties, we often eat, drink, or listen to music. Sometimes people dance or play games too….

Continue Reading