Glossary

Accelerate - go faster

Accelerator - pedal to make car go faster

Amazement – great surprise, when you not expect something to happen.

Assault – a physical attack on someone.

Anniversary - the day on which something happened in a previous year

At risk - in danger

Blame - accuse someone of doing something bad.

Bridge - where captain stands on a ship

Campsite - place for camping in tents.

Cliff - high, steep side of hill or rock.

Coffin - box for dead person

Compensation - something given to replace something lost.

Complain/complaint - tell somebody something isn't right.

Combination - set of numbers to open a safe or lock.

Congregation - people who come to a church service

Co-worker - (US) Colleague (UK).

Crew - team of workers

Curious - to want to know about something

Dealer - someone who buys and sells something (here drugs)

Deck - floor of ship or other external wooden floor.

Dialled - to put a number into a phone to make a call

Driver's cab - area of lorry (UK) or truck (US) where driver sits.

Economise (UK) Economize (US) - save money

Elevator (US) Lift (UK) Used to travel up and down the floors of a building. In British English this a lift and an elevator is a moving stairs

Employees – the people working for an employer.

Endangered - (animal) in danger of becoming extinct (e.g dodo)

Express - a faster service (e.g post, train or elevator)

Fake - false not real

Flea - small insect. Bites humans and animals

Fog/foggy - low cloud obscures vision, winter weather

Formality - not difficult, make something official

Furry - covered in animal fur (e.g cat)

Gas station - place where you can fill a car with gas (US) or petrol (UK)

Guaranteed - a promise or agreement to do something

Hesitate - to stop because unable to make decision

Highway - motorway (UK) or major road connecting cities

Hire (US) - to pay for the use of something for a temporary period (e.g car)

Iguana - south American lizard

Impersonator - someone who pretends to be someone else.

Insurance/Insure - you insure something against possible loss or damage (e.g insure a house or car)

Interview - a meeting with someone to find out something about them.

Jerk - sudden movement.

Kitten - young cat

Legend - famous story that may or may not be true

Lieutenant - a military or naval title. First lieutenant on a ship is second in command

Litter tray - indoor toilet for cats

Lookout tower - a tall structure or building. At the top you can look out over a large area of land.

Master - boss, person in charge

Muscular dystrophy - a disease where the muscles waste.

Pall-bearer - person who carries a coffin (see above) at funeral.

Pants - informal word for trousers (US). Also used in UK English for underwear and (slang adjective) poor quality.

Park Ranger - patrol the the very large US national parks

Passenger - non driver

Peck - how a bird bites with its beak

Plain-clothes – not in uniform.

Ponytail - hair tied behind head with a 'tail' hanging down

Rocky - full of rocks or stones e.g around mountains.

Rumours - a story which is perhaps not true.

Smuggled - hide something to take it somewhere forbidden.

Stage-manage - to manage or manipulate to create an effect.

Stare - look intensely at someone or something

Scary - something that scares or frightens you (conversational)

Striped - with lines or bars going down.

Sucked - opposite of blow e.g suck milk through straw

Suit - trousers and jacket in same colour, style and material

Tense – nervous, uncomfortable. When something bad is expected.

Trapped - where you cannot get free or escape

Tournament - competition held over a short period of time (e.g. Wimbledon)

Unconscious - not awake but not asleep

Wound – to injure by force e.g gun or knife