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…
A pin is a small piece of metal used as a fastener or support, as well as many different forms of fasteners, badges, or ornaments made with sharp wires. It is also a short metal, wooden, or plastic rod driven through holes in adjacent parts of something, like the hub of a wheel and its axle, in order to hold those parts together. Informally, legs can be called pins, although this is now rather dated. As a verb, to pin means…
A scale is one of the very thin plates that form the covering of fish or lizards, or any thin and flat thing that peels off any surface. As an uncountable noun, scale can be a coating that builds up on the inside of something, like a kettle or boiler, due to salts in the water. As a verb, to scale means…
To creep means ‘to move slowly with the body close to the ground,’ ‘to approach slowly and without getting noticed’ or ‘to become noticed slowly over time.’ A creep is of course the act of creeping, but, as a slang term it is also a word for someone you find very strange or unpleasant. This slang sense is more common in the US, where it can also describe a person who makes us uncomfortable, or…
A flick is a light, sudden tap, as with a finger or a whip, and also the sound made by that tap. It is also a rapid movement. As a verb, to flick means ‘to strike with a light and sharp stroke,’ ‘to cause to move with such a stroke,’ or ‘to operate with such a stroke.’ If you flick through something, like pages, it means that you turn them quickly or idly. Unrelatedly, flick is a colloquial word for movie, although this sense is…
We’re pretty sure you know that a word is a unit of language. However, it has many other meanings, like a ‘short talk,’ ‘a reprimand,’ ‘a promise or pledge,’ or any expression or utterance. News or rumor can also be word, and so can a password and an order or command. Informally, it can be combined with the first letter of…
If something is tight it means that it is secure and not easily moved, tense, firm, or that it fits too closely. Figuratively, it can also mean ‘something difficult to deal with’ and ‘that allows little time or space in between things.’ If we say some part of our bodies feels tight, that means it feels tense or painful. Informally, if someone is tight, it means that they are not generous with money. As a slang term, it means that…
