Rainfall made so acidic by atmospheric pollution that it causes environmental harm, chiefly to forests and lakes. The main cause is the industrial burning of coal and other fossil fuels, the waste gases from which contain sulphur and nitrogen oxides which combine with atmospheric water to form acids.
example - Power generated from fossil fuels causes smog, mercury pollution, acid rain and global warming.
The second largest continent, a southward projection of the Old World land mass divided roughly in two by the equator and surrounded by sea except where the Isthmus of Suez joins it to Asia.
A continent round the South Pole, situated mainly within the Antarctic Circle and almost entirely covered by ice sheets. Its exploitation is governed by an international treaty of 1959, which was renewed in 1991.
The largest of the world"s continents, constituting nearly one third of the land mass, lying entirely north of the equator except for some SE Asian islands. It is connected to Africa by the Isthmus of Suez, and borders Europe (part of the same land mass) along the Ural Mountains and across the Caspian Sea.
Relating to or denoting the third climatic stage of the postglacial period in northern Europe, between the Boreal and Sub-Boreal stages (about 7,500 to 5,000 years ago), marked by a moist oceanic climate.
example - This book challenges our views on the nature of the former natural landscape of Britain during the Atlantic period.
An island country and continent in the southern hemisphere, in the south-western Pacific Ocean, a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations; population 28,500,000 (estimated 2015); capital, Canberra; official language, English.
The southernmost part of North America, linking the continent to South America and consisting of the countries of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.
Cloud forming wispy filamentous tufted streaks or ‘mare"s tails’ at high altitude (usually 5 to 13 km, 16,500 to 45,000 ft)
example - long strands of high cirrus stretched across the eastern sky
A slender tendril or hairlike filament, such as the appendage of a barnacle, the barbel of a fish, or the intromittent organ of an earthworm.
example - Once the barnacles extended their cirri (fanlike, food-gathering appendages) and started waving them about to collect nutritious particles in the water, the researchers cast a shadow over them with a piece of cardboard.
(of the scent or trail of a hunted person or animal) no longer fresh and easy to follow.
example - the trail went cold
Without preparation or rehearsal.
example - they went into the test cold
synonyms - unprepared, unready, inattentive, unwary, unwatchful, with one"s defences down, by surprise, cold, unsuspecting
noun
A low temperature; cold weather; a cold environment.
example - my teeth chattered with the cold
A common infection in which the mucous membrane of the nose and throat becomes inflamed, typically causing running at the nose, sneezing, and a sore throat.
example - Suzie"s got a cold
synonyms - cold, dose of flu, dose of influenza, respiratory infection, viral infection, virus
adverb
Completely; entirely.
synonyms - by surprise, unexpectedly, without warning, suddenly, abruptly, unprepared, off-guard, cold
An irregularly occurring and complex series of climatic changes affecting the equatorial Pacific region and beyond every few years, characterized by the appearance of unusually warm, nutrient-poor water off northern Peru and Ecuador, typically in late December. The effects of El Niño include reversal of wind patterns across the Pacific, drought in Australasia, and unseasonal heavy rain in South America.
example - The El Niño drought over eastern Australia in 1982 led to tinder dry conditions throughout the grasslands and forests of southeastern Australia.
A continent of the northern hemisphere, separated from Africa to the south by the Mediterranean Sea and from Asia to the east roughly by the Bosporus, the Caucasus Mountains, and the Ural Mountains. Europe contains approximately 20 per cent of the world"s population.
A thick cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth"s surface which obscures or restricts visibility (to a greater extent than mist; strictly, reducing visibility to below 1 km)
(of a vowel sound) formed by raising the tongue, excluding the blade and tip, towards the hard palate.
verb
(of a building or piece of land) have the front facing or directed towards.
example - the flats which fronted Crow Road
synonyms - overlook, look on to, look out on, look out over, look towards, face, face towards, lie opposite, lie opposite to
Provide (something) with a front or facing of a particular type or material.
example - a metal box fronted by an alloy panel
Lead or be the most prominent member in (an organization, group, or activity)
example - the group is fronted by two girl singers
synonyms - lead, head, front, be the driving force behind
Act as a front or cover for illegal or secret activity.
example - he fronted for them in illegal property deals
Make an appearance; turn up.
example - parents get a bit worried if you don"t front up now and then
Articulate (a vowel sound) with the tongue further forward.
example - the three velar consonants are normally fronted to some degree
Place (a sentence element) at the beginning of a sentence instead of in its usual position, typically for emphasis or as a feature of some dialects, as in horrible it was.
example - The quoted event can be a linguistic utterance; moreover, as this example shows, the quoted element can be fronted.
A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth"s atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other pollutants.
example - The company is deeply concerned by the effects of global warming caused by the greenhouse effect.
A large island lying to the north-east of North America and mostly within the Arctic Circle; population 56,000 (estimated 2015); capital, Nuuk (Godthåb).
A warm ocean current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico parallel with the US coast toward Newfoundland, Canada, and then continues across the Atlantic Ocean toward north-western Europe as the North Atlantic Drift.
(especially of food) unpleasantly strong-smelling because beginning to go bad.
example - it"s a type of preserved butter, used for cooking, smells a little high
synonyms - gamy, smelly, strong-smelling
(of a vowel) produced with the tongue relatively near the palate.
example - The symbol ‘i’ in IPA (as in most orthographies) denotes a high front vowel.
noun
A high point, level, or figure.
example - commodity prices were at a rare high
synonyms - high level, high point, record level, peak, record, high water mark
A notably happy or successful moment.
example - the highs and lows of life
synonyms - ecstatic, euphoric, delirious, elated, thrilled, overjoyed, beside oneself, walking on air, on cloud nine, on cloud seven, in seventh heaven, jumping for joy, in transports of delight, carried away, transported, rapturous, in raptures, exultant, jubilant, in a frenzy of delight
High school.
adverb
At or to a considerable or specified height.
example - the sculpture stood about five feet high
synonyms - at great height, high up, far up, way up, at altitude
Highly.
example - he ranked high among the pioneers of chemical technology
A country in southern Asia occupying the greater part of the Indian subcontinent; population 1,311,000,000 (estimated 2015); official languages, Hindi and English (fourteen other languages are recognized as official in certain regions; of these, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu have most first-language speakers); capital, New Delhi.
Relating to India or its people, customs, or languages.
example - The city"s large Asian population makes it is easier to integrate refugees from the Indian sub-continent including Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Relating to or denoting indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South America, especially those of North America.
example - The top link of the food chain in this region belongs to the polar bears and the Inuit Indian people who are indigenous to this world of ice and cold.
noun
A native or inhabitant of India, or a person of Indian descent.
example - Native Indians and nationalism, the subjects of these two books, are both topics highly relevant to globalisation.
A member of any of the indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South America, especially those of North America.
example - Yet again Hollywood exploits another massacre, that of the Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee.
An expression in someone"s eyes indicating a particular emotion or mood.
example - a shrewd light entered his eyes
Understanding of a problem or mystery; enlightenment.
example - she saw light dawn on the woman"s face
synonyms - aspect, angle, slant, approach, interpretation, viewpoint, standpoint, context, point of view, vantage point
An area of something that is brighter or paler than its surroundings.
example - sunshine will brighten the natural lights in your hair
A device used to produce a flame or spark.
example - he asked me for a light
synonyms - match, lighter, cigarette lighter, flame, spark, source of fire
A window or opening to let light in.
example - the bedroom has a wide bay with leaded lights
A person eminent in a particular sphere of activity.
example - such lights of Liberalism as the historian Goldwin Smith
synonyms - expert, authority, master, leader, guru
(in a crossword puzzle) a blank space to be filled by a letter.
verb
Provide with light or lighting; illuminate.
example - the room was lit by a number of small lamps
Make (something) start burning; ignite.
example - Allen gathered sticks and lit a fire
synonyms - set alight, set light to, set burning, set on fire, set fire to, put a match to, set a match to, ignite, kindle, burn, spark, spark off, fire, touch off, start, torch
adjective
Having a considerable or sufficient amount of natural light; not dark.
example - the bedrooms are light and airy
synonyms - bright, full of light, well lit, well lighted, well illuminated, sunny, sunshiny, undimmed, brilliant
The occurrence of a natural electrical discharge of very short duration and high voltage between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud, accompanied by a bright flash and typically also thunder.
An island country in the Indian Ocean, off the east coast of Africa; population 24,200,000 (estimated 2015); official languages, Malagasy and French; capital, Antananarivo.
A cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth"s surface that limits visibility (to a lesser extent than fog; strictly, with visibility remaining above 1 km)
A seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and SE Asia, blowing from the south-west between May and September and bringing rain (the wet monsoon), or from the north-east between October and April (the dry monsoon).
example - This creates winds that generally blow from the southwest during the summer monsoon and from the northeast from October to April.
A continent comprising the northern half of the American land mass, connected to South America by the Isthmus of Panama. It contains Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the countries of Central America.
A process by which the cold front of a rotating low-pressure system catches up the warm front, so that the warm air between them is forced upwards off the earth"s surface between wedges of cold air.
example - In a cold occlusion, the reverse occurs and the occlusion resembles a cold front.
The position of the teeth when the jaws are closed.
example - The initial jaw position was obtained with the teeth in centric occlusion.
synonyms - pour, pour down, pelt down, tip down, teem down, beat down, lash down, sheet down, come down, come down in sheets, come down in torrents, rain cats and dogs
Give a spoken or written account of something that one has observed, heard, done, or investigated.
example - the minister reported a decline in milk production
synonyms - announce, describe, give an account of, tell of, detail, delineate, outline
Present oneself formally as having arrived at a particular place or as ready to do something.
example - Stewart is to report to a probation office on Monday
synonyms - present oneself, arrive, appear, turn up, clock in, sign in
Be responsible to (a superior or supervisor)
noun
An account given of a particular matter, especially in the form of an official document, after thorough investigation or consideration by an appointed person or body.
A continent comprising the southern half of the American land mass, connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama. It includes the Falkland Islands, the Galapagos Islands, and Tierra del Fuego.
An island country off the south-eastern coast of India; population 20,700,000 (estimated 2015); languages, Sinhalese (official), Tamil; capital, Colombo.
(of troops) suddenly attack and capture (a building or other place) by means of force.
example - commandos stormed a hijacked plane early today
synonyms - attack, charge, rush, conduct an offensive on, make an onslaught on, make a foray on, make a raid on, make a sortie on, descend on, take by storm, attempt to capture
(of the weather) be violent, with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow.
example - It was practically dark as we prepared to put the sign onto the posts when a strong wind stormed through bringing an icy rain and hail with it.
A loud rumbling or crashing noise heard after a lightning flash due to the expansion of rapidly heated air.
example - there was a crash of thunder
synonyms - thunderclap, thunder crack, thunder roll, roll of thunder, peal of thunder, rumble of thunder, crack of thunder, crash of thunder, rumbling, crashing, roar
verb
Thunder sounds.
example - it began to thunder
Speak loudly and forcefully or angrily, especially to denounce or criticize.
example - he thundered against the evils of the age
synonyms - protest strongly at, make a protest against, fulminate against, inveigh against, rail against, rage against, declaim against, remonstrate about, expostulate about, make a fuss about, speak out against, express disapproval of
example - The subtropical highs move from west to east across southern Australia in winter, and further south in summer, usually separated by low pressure troughs or cold fronts.
A point of low activity or achievement.
example - seasonal peaks and troughs in the demand for goods and services
(of a colour) containing red, yellow, or orange tones.
example - her fair colouring suited soft, warm shades
(of a scent or trail) fresh; strong.
example - Try orange or clove to get a rich, warm scent and lavender for a light, fresh, spring-like aroma.
verb
Make or become warm.
example - I stamped my feet to warm them up
synonyms - heat, heat up, become warm, make warm, become hot, make hot, raise the temperature of, increase in temperature, thaw, thaw out, melt, take the chill off
noun
A warm place or area.
example - stay in the warm, I"ve made up the fire for you
The perceptible natural movement of the air, especially in the form of a current of air blowing from a particular direction.
example - the wind howled about the building
synonyms - breeze
Breath as needed in physical exertion, speech, etc., or the power of breathing without difficulty in such situations.
example - he waited while Jez got his wind back
synonyms - breath
Air swallowed while eating or gas generated in the stomach and intestines by digestion.
example - The fruit, its oils and the kernel were traditionally used to treat severe acid stomach, excess wind, fatigue after menstruation and the common cold.
synonyms - flatulence, flatus, gas
Wind instruments, or specifically woodwind instruments, forming a band or a section of an orchestra.
example - these passages are most suitable for wind alone
synonyms - wind instruments.
verb
Cause (someone) to have difficulty breathing because of exertion or a blow to the stomach.
example - the fall nearly winded him
synonyms - out of breath, breathless, gasping for breath, panting, puffing, huffing and puffing, puffing and blowing
Make (a baby) bring up wind after feeding by patting its back.
example - Paddy"s wife handed him their six-month-old daughter to be winded
Detect the presence of (a person or animal) by scent.