Intermediate+ Word of the Day: tie

To tie means ‘to bind something with a cord’ or ‘to fasten something by making a knot.’ Figuratively, it can mean ‘to join firmly’ and, with negative connotations, ‘to restrict.’ In games, sports, or contests, when you tie, it means that you get the same score as your opponent. As a noun, a tie is a cord or string used for tying, a knot or bow, and broadly…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: clutch

To clutch means ‘to seize or hold tightly.’ As a slang term, in US English, usually followed by “up,” it means ‘to panic and become tense.’ This use was more common a few decades ago. A clutch, as a noun, is a tight grip or hold and, often in the plural form clutches, it means…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: pad

A pad is a piece of soft material used for comfort, protection, applying ointments or creams or cleaning, or for stuffing. It is also the soft cushion of flesh under the end of each finger and toe, in humans, or on the underside of an animal’s paw. A number of sheets of…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: mop

A mop is a device used for cleaning floors, consisting of an absorbent material, such as a sponge, fastened to a handle. A thick mass of hair is also called a mop. To mop, as a verb, means ‘to clean or wipe with a mop,’ or ‘to clean as if with a mop,’ even if you don’t actually use one. Unrelatedly, to mop means…

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Intermediate+ Word of the Day: bucket

A bucket is a round container with a flat bottom, an open top, and a handle, usually used for carrying liquids or other things. Anything with that shape can also be called a bucket, as well as the amount held by one. Informally, usually in the plural, large amounts of something (usually rain or tears) can be referred to as buckets. As a verb, often followed by…

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