precipice

noun

precipice /"presps/ [countable]

1DN a very steep side of a high rock, mountain or cliff:
A loose rock tumbled over the precipice.
2
a dangerous situation in which something very bad could happen:
The stock market is
on the edge of a precipice.amidst
preposition

amidst /"mdst/ literary

x-ref amid:
a light that shines amidst the darkness

hoard2

verb

hoard2
also hoard up [transitive]
to collect and save large amounts of food, money etc, especially when it is not
necessary to do so:
families who hoarded food during the strike
hoarder
noun [countable]
I'm a hoarder when it comes to clothes.

impervious

adjective

impervious /m"p:vis $ -:r-/ [not before noun]

1
formalnot affected or influenced by something and seeming not to notice
it
impervious to
His ego was impervious to self-doubt.
2
technical
not allowing anything to enter or pass through:
impervious volcanic rock
impervious to
materials that are impervious to water

perish verb
perish /"per/
1 [intransitive]
formalor
literaryMX to die, especially in a terrible or
sudden way:
Hundreds perished when the ship went down.

2 [intransitive and transitive]

especially British English if rubber or leather
perishes, it decays
3 perish the thought!
spoken
old-fashioned
used to say that you
hope what someone has suggested will never happen:
If we lose, perish the thought, Watford will take first place.

scotchverb
scotch /skt $ sk:t/ [transitive]
to stop something happening by firmly doing something to prevent it:
He issued an announcement to scotch rumours of his death.

futile adjective
futile /"fju:tal $ -tl/
actions that are futile are useless because they have no chance of being
successful [= pointless]
a futile attempt/effort
a futile attempt to save the paintings from the flames
My efforts to go back to sleep proved futile.
it is futile to do something
It was futile to continue the negotiations.
futility /fju:"tlti/
noun [uncountable]
This sums up Owen's thoughts on the futility of war.

intercede

verb

intercede /;nt"si:d $ -r-/ [intransitive]

formal
to speak in support of someone, especially in order to try to prevent them from
being punished [ intercession]
intercede with
My good friend, Senator Bowie, interceded with the authorities on my behalf.

hostile

adjective

hostile /"hstal $ "h:stl, "h:stal/

1
angry and deliberately unfriendly towards someone and ready to argue
with them:
Southampton fans gave their former coach a hostile reception.
Carr wouldn't meet Feng's stare, which was openly hostile.
his hostile attitude
hostile to/towards
The boy feels hostile towards his father.
2
opposing a plan or idea very strongly
hostile to/towards
Senator Lydon was hostile to our proposals.
3
belonging to an enemy:
hostile territory
4
used to describe conditions that are difficult to live in, or that make it
difficult to achieve something
hostile environment/climate/terrain etc
a guide to surviving in even the most hostile terrain
Sales increased last year despite the hostile economic environment.
5 hostile takeover/bid
a situation in which a company tries to buy another
company which does not want to be bought

tribulation

noun

tribulation /;trbj"len/ [uncountable and countable] formal

serious trouble or a serious problem:
Even close friends were unaware of the tribulations she faced.

rapture

noun

rapture /"rpt $ -r/ [uncountable]

1
literary
great excitement and happiness:
The boys gazed up at him in rapture.
2 be in raptures/go into rapturesBritish English
formalto express or feel
great pleasure and happiness about something
be in raptures/go into raptures over/about/at
She went into raptures about the climate, the food, the spring flowers.

vigil

noun

vigil /"vdl/ [uncountable and countable]

1
a period of time, especially during the night, when you stay awake in order
to pray, remain with someone who is ill, or watch for danger:

Eva and Paul kept a constant vigil by their daughter's hospital bedside.
2
a silent political protest in which people wait outside a building, especially
during the night
silent/candlelit vigil
2000 demonstrators
held a candlelit vigil outside the embassy.

drone1

verb

drone1 /dr|n $ dro|n/ [intransitive]

C
to make a continuous low dull sound:
An airplane droned overhead.
drone on phrasal verb
to speak in a boring way, usually for a long time
drone on about
Tom was droning on about work.

convict1

verb

convict1 /kn"vkt/ [transitive]

SCL to prove or officially announce that someone is guilty of a crime after a
trial in a law court [ acquit]
convict somebody of something
She was convicted of shoplifting.
convict somebody on something
He was
convicted on fraud charges.
a convicted murderer

automaton

noun

automaton /:"tmtn $ :"t:-/ plural automata /-t/ or

automatons
[countable]
1
a machine, especially one in the shape of a human, that moves without
anyone controlling it [= robot]
2
someone who seems unable to feel emotions or to think about what they
are doing

exterminate verb

exterminate /k"st:mnet $ -:r-/ [transitive]

to kill large numbers of people or animals of a particular type so that they no
longer exist:
Staff use the poison to exterminate moles and rabbits.
exterminator
noun [countable]
extermination /k;st:m"nen $ -:r-/
noun [uncountable and countable]
the extermination of the indigenous peoples

consent1

noun

consent1
W3 /kn"sent/ [uncountable]
1
permission to do somethingCOLLOCATIONS COLLOCATIONS
with/without somebody's consent give/grant (your) consent refuse/withhold
(your) consent obtain (somebody's) consent prior consent (=consent before
something can happen) written consent verbal consent (=spoken consent)
parental consent (=consent from someone's parents) informed consent
(=consent based on full information about what will happen) tacit consent
(=consent given without being actually spoken)
He took the car without the owner's consent.
Her parents gave their consent to the marriage.
A patient can
refuse consent
for a particular treatment at any time.
Most owners are happy to have their names used for publicity if this is done with
their prior consent.
Informed consent was obtained from all participants before the study began.

age of consent
2
agreement about something [ dissent]:
The chairman was elected
by common consent (=with most people
agreeing).
divorce
by mutual consent (=by agreement between both the people
involved)

resemble

verb

resemble /r"zembl/ [transitive not in progressive or passive]

to look like or be similar to someone or something:
It's amazing how closely
Brian and Steve
resemble
each other.
He grew up to resemble his father.

nascent

adjective

nascent /"nsnt/ [usually before noun]

formal
coming into existence or starting to develop:
the country's nascent democracy
their nascent industries

vanguard

noun

vanguard /"vng:d $ -g:rd/

1 in/at the vanguard (of something)
in the most advanced position of
development:
The shop has always been in the vanguard of London fashion trends.
2 the vanguardPM the leading position at the front of an army or group of ships
moving into battle, or the soldiers who are in this position

impending

adjective

impending /m"pend/
an impending event or situation, especially an unpleasant one, is going to
happen very soon
impending danger/doom/death/disaster etc
She had a sense of impending disaster.
impending changes
in government legislation

aback adverb
aback /"bk/
be taken aback (by something) to be very surprised or shocked by something:
For a moment, I was completely taken aback by her request.

blubber 1 verb
Date: 1600-1700
Origin:
blubber 'bubble, foam' (14-19 centuries), probably from the sound
of bubbling; perhaps because the inside parts of fish, whales, etc. seem to
bubble when they are cut open

blubber2

noun

blubber2 [uncountable]
HBA the fat of sea animals, especially

akin

whales

adjective

akin /"kn/ formal

akin to something very similar to something:
Something akin to panic overwhelmed him.

fallback

noun

fallback /"f:lbk $ "f:l-/ [countable]

something that can be used or done if a supply, method etc fails:
It's wise to have an extra video player as a fallback.
Do you have a fallback option?

aftermath

noun

aftermath /":ftm $ "ftr-/ [singular]

the period of time after something such as a war, storm, or accident when people
are still dealing with the results
aftermath of
the danger of disease
in the aftermath
of the earthquake

notable

adjective

notable /"n|tbl $ "no|-/ [usually before noun]

important, interesting, excellent, or unusual enough to be noticed or mentioned
notable feature/example
A notable feature of the church is its unusual bell tower.
notable achievement/success/victory
Every country in the world signed the treaty, with one
notable exception the United States.

notable for
The town is notable for its busy open-air market.

en route

adverb

en route /;n "ru:t $ ;:n-/

TT
on the way
en route from/to
a flight en route from Tokyo to Sydney
en route for British English
We stayed there en route for London.
Why don't we stop for lunch en route?