Intermediate+ Word of the Day: heap

A heap is a group of things thrown or placed one on top of one another, forming an untidy pile. Informally, any great or large number of anything can be called a heap. As a verb, to heap means ‘to gather in a heap’ or ‘to put in a heap.’ To heap also means ‘to accumulate’ and, if you give something in great amounts or supply something or someone with great deal of something, that’s also to heap and, in this sense, the verb is often used with…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: coarse

Coarse is an adjective that refers to textures. It means ‘made up of large or relatively large parts or particles’ and also ‘having no delicacy or smoothness to the touch.’ Figuratively, it means ‘lacking refinement or taste’ and it can be used to refer to people or actions. It also means ‘common,’ ‘of…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: spit

To spit means ‘to expel saliva from the mouth’ and also ‘to expel anything from the mouth.’ ‘To throw out or emit something, as if it was saliva’ can also be to spit and, figuratively, so can ‘to express hatred or to speak angrily.’ Spit also means ‘to make explosive sounds.’ As a noun, spit means both the act of spitting and saliva. Unrelatedly, a spit is a bar for thrusting through meat…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: pan

A pan is a metal container, usually shallow, used for cooking things on the stove top or, in US English a shallow metal container for baking (in UK English, these are called “tins”). It is also a dish-shaped container, like you find on kitchen scales or the container in which gold is separated from gravel. As a verb, to pan means ‘to separate gold from gravel’ and informally, ‘to criticize harshly.’ In show business, to pan means ‘to move the camera…

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