l   bluff/blʌf/

Definition: to deliberately give a false idea to someone about what you intend to do, or about the facts of a situation, especially in order to gain an advantage

Example: They said they'd had another offer, but we knew they were just bluffing.

l   prickly/ˈprɪkli/

Definition: tending to become angry very quickly

Example: He's always been very prickly about criticism.

l   swoop/swuːp/

Definition1: to move quickly and suddenly downwards through the air, especially in order to attack or catch someone or something

Example: The aircraft swooped down over the fields in search of its target.

Definition2: to make a sudden and unexpected attack on a place

Example: Police swooped on Blake's home yesterday.

l   stiff/stɪf/

Definition1: if you are stiff, or if a part of your body is stiff, you feel pain in your muscles and cannot move easily

Example: Her fingers were getting stiff.

Definition2: if something that should move easily is stiff, it does not move or operate as easily as you expect

Example: The drawer was rather stiff, so I pulled at it.

Definition3: firm and difficult to bend

Example: The washing on the line was frozen and stiff as a board.

Definition4: a mixture that is stiff is very thick and keeps its shape when you stop mixing it

Example: Beat in the icing sugar to make a stiff paste.

Definition5: formal and controlled in a way that is not friendly or relaxed

Example: Her tone was a little stiff, I thought.

Definition6: more severe or difficult than usual

Example: Jarvis is up against some stiff competition in this race.

l   torment/ˈtɔː(r)ment/

Definition: severe physical or mental pain that someone suffers, often caused deliberately by someone else

Example: Her eyes revealed the torment in her mind.

l   aesthetic/iːsˈθetɪk/

Definition: nice to look at

Example: The design isn't particularly aesthetic, but at least it's practical.

l   assault/əˈsɔːlt/

Definition: a physical attack on someone, or the crime of physically attacking someone

Example: He was charged with assault.

l   repudiate/rɪˈpjuːdieɪt/

Definition1: to say formally that something is not true

Example: They repudiated all accusations of unlawful activity.

Definition2: to state that you do not accept or agree with something

Example: Party members appeared on television to repudiate policies they had formerly supported.

l   breach /briːtʃ/

Definition1: a failure to follow a law or rule

Example: Reproduction of the CD constitutes a breach of copyright.

Definition2: a serious disagreement

Example: This could lead to a major breach in our relationship with China.

l   indictment /ɪnˈdaɪtmənt/

Definition: something that shows how bad or wrong something is

Example: This incident is an indictment of the way the health service is being run.

l   occult /əˈkʌlt/

Definition: magic or supernatural forces and events, and related practices

Example: an interest in the occult

l   persecute  /ˈpɜː(r)sɪˌkjuːt/

Definition1: to treat someone extremely badly, or to refuse them equal rights, especially because of their race, religion, or political beliefs

Example: In those days, Christians were persecuted by the government.

Definition2: to frequently annoy or threaten someone

Example: Why are you persecuting me like this?

l   instigate /ˈɪnstɪɡeɪt/

Definition: to make something start, especially an official process

Example: The leaders of the two factions instigated peace talks.

l   egalitarian/ɪˌɡælɪˈteəriən/

Definition: supporting a social system in which everyone has equal status and the same money and opportunities

Example: They were all working towards a society run on egalitarian principles.

l   acquit/əˈkwɪt/

Definition: to state officially that someone is not guilty of the crime they were accused of

Example: He was eventually acquitted of the charges.

l   intellectual /ˌɪnt(ə)lˈektʃuəl/

Definition1: relating the ability to think in intelligent way and to understand things, especially difficult or complicated ideas and subjects

Example: Students were asked which task represented the greatest intellectual challenge.

Definition2: well educated and interested in art, science, literature , etc. at an advanced level

Example: Though not intellectual , my mother was an intelligent woman.

l   fusion /ˈfjuʒ(ə)n/

Definition1: a process in which different styles , ideas, designs ,etc. combine to form something new

Example: Leonardo represents a fusion of art and science.

Definition2: a process in which two substances or pieces of a substance join together to form one thing

Example: The fusion of copper and zinc makes the metal brass.

l   inadequacy /ɪnˈædəkwəsi/

Definition1: the failure to be of the quantity or quality needed for a particular purpose

Example: These statistic show the total inadequacy of the present oil reserves.

Definition2: a lack of confidence that makes someone feel they are good enough to deal with a particular situation or with life in general

Example: He was suffering from a deep sense of  inadequacy.

l   crescent (n) /ˈkrez(ə)nt/

Definition: a curved shape that is wide in the middle and pointed at the ends. The moon sometimes has this shape.

Example: The shape of a crescent symbol of Islam

l   encroach /ɪnˈkroʊtʃ/

Definition1: to gradually take something such as power or authority from something else

Example: The federal government is encroaching on a state issue.

Definition2: to cover more land gradually

Example: Housing developments continue to encroach wildlife habitats.

Definition3: to gradually reduce the amount of time that someone has available to do what they want to do

Example: I didn’t want work to encroach any more on my spare time.

l   cohesion /koʊˈhiʒ(ə)n/

Definition1: a situation in which people or things combine well to form a unit

Example: The common threat of war produces cohesion in a community.

l   disintegrate /dɪsˈɪntɪˌɡreɪt/

Definition: to be completely destroyed by breaking into lots of small pieces , for example as result of explosion

Example: The rocket disintegrated when it re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere.

l   decipher /dɪˈsaɪfər/

Definition1: to succeed in reading messy or careless writing

Example: I always wonder how people manage to decipher my doctor’s handwriting.

Definition2: to understand something mysterious or confusing

Example: The look he gave her was hard to decipher.

l   enlist/ɪnˈlɪst/

Definition1: if someone enlists or is enlisted, they join the armed forces of their country

Example1: In 1942, Louis enlisted as a private.

Example2: Charlie left shortly after he was enlisted in the Army.

Definition2: if you enlist someone or enlist their help, you ask them to help or support you

Example1: We must enlist families as partners in their children's education.

Example2: Your only option is to enlist the services of a good lawyer.

l   distinct /dɪˈstɪŋkt/

Definition1: separate and different in a way that is clear

Example1: They were classified into two distinct groups.

Example2: The region's linguistic and cultural identity is quite distinct from that of the rest of the country.

Definition2: able to be clearly seen, heard, smelled, or tasted

Example1: As dawn broke, the outline of a building became distinct against the sky.

Example2: There was a distinct smell of burning coming from downstairs.

Definition3: definite and obvious

Example1: a distinct change of emphasis

Example2: I had the distinct impression that he did not like me.