Doing things
39 English words (level C1) with a simple English definition and an example sentence. In the app you can hear every word and practise with flashcards, a quiz, spelling and listening.
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| English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| adjoin | to be next to and connected with | The kitchen adjoins the dining room. |
| anchor | to fix a boat with an anchor; also to fix firmly | The ship anchored in the bay. |
| apt to | be apt to: to tend to do something | He is apt to forget names. |
| batter | to hit hard many times | Waves battered the coast. |
| bulk up | to become bigger and more muscular | He bulked up for the role. |
| chauffer | to drive someone as a job (usually spelled 'chauffeur') | She was chauffered to the airport. |
| churn | to move liquid around violently; also to feel sick with worry | My stomach was churning. |
| clench | to close your hands or teeth tightly | He clenched his fists. |
| clutch | to hold tightly | She clutched her bag. |
| degrade | to make worse; also to treat without respect | Pollution degrades the soil. |
| dislodge | to move something from a fixed position | The wind dislodged some tiles. |
| dissect | to cut up a body to study it; also to examine in detail | We dissected a frog in biology. |
| drill | to make a hole with a drill; also to train by repetition | Drill a hole in the wall. |
| frost | to cover a cake with icing (American English); also to cover with frost | She frosted the cake. |
| glean | to collect information slowly | We gleaned some facts from the report. |
| gnaw | to bite something again and again | The dog gnawed a bone. |
| graft | to join a piece of skin or plant onto another | Skin was grafted onto his arm. |
| ground | to stop a plane from flying; also to keep a child at home as punishment | All flights were grounded. |
| hack | to cut roughly; also to get into a computer system illegally | Someone hacked my email account. |
| harvest | to collect crops | They harvest the grapes in autumn. |
| malfunction | to fail to work properly | The computer malfunctioned. |
| mingle | to mix; also to talk to many people at a party | We mingled with the guests. |
| misplace | to put something somewhere and forget where | I've misplaced my glasses. |
| pertain to | to be about or connected with | These rules pertain to all staff. |
| plaster | to cover a wall with plaster; also to cover thickly | The walls were plastered with posters. |
| plunge | to fall suddenly; also to jump or push into water | He plunged into the river. |
| prop | to support something by leaning it | He propped the door open. |
| rally | to come together to support something; also to recover | Fans rallied behind the team. |
| reap | to cut and collect crops; also to get a result from your actions | You reap what you sow. |
| recharge | to fill a battery with power again; also to rest to get energy back | I need to recharge my phone. |
| repel | to push away; also to cause disgust | This spray repels mosquitoes. |
| shed | to get rid of; also to let fall (leaves, tears, skin) | Trees shed their leaves in autumn. |
| splatter | to cover with drops of liquid | Mud splattered my trousers. |
| sprawl | to lie or sit with arms and legs spread out; also to spread widely | He sprawled on the sofa. |
| strap | to fasten with a strap | She strapped the baby into the seat. |
| tinker | to make small changes to try to fix or improve something | He likes to tinker with old cars. |
| unplug | to disconnect from electricity | Unplug the TV before you leave. |
| untangle | to separate twisted things; also to solve something complicated | She untangled the wires. |
| wrench | to pull or twist suddenly and strongly | He wrenched the door open. |