Unit Twenty Six
impossible adj.
1not possible; that cannot occur, exist, or be done (such a thing is
impossible; it is impossible to alter them).
2(loosely) not easy; not convenient; not easily believable.
3colloq. (of a person or thing) outrageous, intolerable.
impossibly adv.
substance n.
1a the essential material, esp. solid, forming a thing (the
substance was transparent). b a particular kind of material having
uniform properties (this substance is salt).
2a reality; solidity (ghosts have no substance). b
seriousness or steadiness of character (there is no substance in him).
3the theme or subject of esp. a work of art, argument, etc. (prefer
the substance to the style).
4the real meaning or essence of a thing.
5wealth and possessions (a woman of substance).
6Philos. the essential nature underlying phenomena, which is
subject to changes and accidents.
in substance generally; apart from details.
without prep. & adv.
- prep.
1not having, feeling, or showing (came without any money; without
hesitation; without any emotion).
2with freedom from (without fear; without embarrassment).
3in the absence of (cannot live without you; the train left
without us).
4with neglect or avoidance of (do not leave without telling me). Usage Use as a conj., as in do
not leave without you tell me, is non-standard.
5archaic outside (without the city wall).
- adv. archaic
or literary
1outside (seen from without).
2out of doors (remained shivering without).
3in outward appearance (rough without but kind within).
4outside the city walls (Bishopsgate without).
without end infinite, eternal.
sea n.
1the expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface and
surrounds its land masses.
2any part of this as opposed to land or fresh water.
3a particular (usu. named) tract of salt water partly or wholly enclosed
by land (the North Sea; the Dead Sea).
4a large inland lake (the Sea of Galilee).
5the waves of the sea, esp. with reference to their local motion or
state (a choppy sea).
6(foll. by of) a vast quantity or expanse (a sea of troubles;
a sea of faces).
7(attrib.) living or used in, on, or near the sea (often prefixed
to the name of a marine animal, plant, etc., having a superficial resemblance
to what it is named after) (sea lettuce).
at sea 1 in a ship on the sea. 2 (also all at sea)
perplexed, confused.
by sea in a ship or
ships.
go to sea become a
sailor.
on the sea 1
in a ship at sea. 2 situated on the coast.
put (or put out)
to sea leave land or port.
sea anchor a device
such as a heavy bag dragged in the water to retard the drifting of a ship.
sea anemone any of
various coelenterates of the order Actiniaria having a polypoid body bearing a
ring of tentacles around the mouth.
sea-angel an
angel-fish.
sea bass any of
various marine fishes like the bass, esp. Centropristis striatus.
sea bird a bird
frequenting the sea or the land near the sea.
sea bream = porgy.
sea breeze a breeze
blowing towards the land from the sea, esp. during the day (cf. land breeze).
sea buckthorn a
maritime shrub, Hippophaë rhamnoides with orange berries.
sea change a notable
or unexpected transformation (with ref. to Shakesp. Tempest I.
ii. 403).
sea-chest a sailor's
storage-chest.
sea coal archaic
mineral coal, as distinct from charcoal etc.
sea cow 1 a
sirenian. 2 a walrus.
sea cucumber a
holothurian, esp. a bêche-de-mer.
sea dog an old or
experienced sailor.
sea eagle any
fish-eating eagle esp. of the genus Haliaëtus.
sea-ear = ormer.
sea elephant any
large seal of the genus Mirounga, the male of which has a proboscis:
also called elephant seal.
sea fan any colonial
coral of the order Gorgonacea supported by a fanlike horny skeleton.
sea front the part
of a coastal town directly facing the sea.
sea-girt literary
surrounded by sea.
sea gooseberry any
marine animal of the phylum Ctenophora, with an ovoid body bearing numerous
cilia.
sea-green
bluish-green (as of the sea).
sea hare any of
various marine molluscs of the order Anaspidea, having an internal shell and
long extensions from its foot.
sea holly a
spiny-leaved blue-flowered evergreen plant, Eryngium maritimum.
sea horse 1 any
of various small upright marine fish of the family Syngnathidae, esp. Hippocampus
hippocampus, having a body suggestive of the head and neck of a horse. 2
a mythical creature with a horse's head and fish's tail.
sea-island cotton a
fine-quality long-stapled cotton grown on islands off the southern US.
sea lavender any
maritime plant of the genus Limonium, with small brightly-coloured
funnel-shaped flowers.
sea legs the ability
to keep one's balance and avoid seasickness when at sea.
sea level the mean
level of the sea's surface, used in reckoning the height of hills etc. and as a
barometric standard.
sea lily any of
various sessile echinoderms, esp. of the class Crinoidea, with long jointed
stalks and feather-like arms for trapping food.
sea lion any large,
eared seal of the Pacific, esp. of the genus Zalophus or Otaria.
sea loch = loch 2.
Sea Lord (in the UK)
a naval member of the Admiralty Board.
sea mile = nautical
mile.
sea mouse any
iridescent marine annelid of the genus Aphrodite.
sea onion = squill
2.
sea otter a Pacific
otter, Enhydra lutris, using a stone balanced on its abdomen to crack
bivalve molluscs.
sea pink a maritime
plant, Armeria maritima, with bright pink flowers: also called thrift.
sea purse the
egg-case of a skate or shark.
sea room clear space
at sea for a ship to turn or manœuvre in.
sea salt salt
produced by evaporating sea water.
Sea Scout a member
of the maritime branch of the Scout Association.
sea serpent (or snake)
1 a snake of the family Hydrophidae, living in the sea. 2 an
enormous legendary serpent-like sea monster.
sea shell the shell
of a salt-water mollusc.
sea snail 1 a
small slimy fish of the family Liparididae, with a ventral sucker. 2 any
spiral-shelled mollusc, e.g. a whelk.
sea squirt any
marine turnicate of the class Ascidiacea, consisting of a bag-like structure
with apertures for the flow of water.
sea trout = salmon
trout.
sea urchin a small
marine echinoderm of the class Echinoidea, with a spherical or flattened spiny
shell.
sea wall a wall or
embankment erected to prevent encroachment by the sea.
sea water water in
or taken from the sea.
different adj.
1(often foll. by from, to, than) unlike,
distinguishable in nature, form, or quality (from another). Usage Different from is
generally regarded as the most acceptable collocation; to is common in
less formal use; than is established in US use and also found in British
use, esp. when followed by a clause, e.g. I am a different person than I was
a year ago.
2distinct, separate; not the same one (as another).
3colloq. unusual (wanted to do something different).
differently adv.
differentness n.
water n. & v.
- n.
1a colourless transparent odourless tasteless liquid compound of oxygen
and hydrogen. Usage Chem.
formula: H2O.
2a liquid consisting chiefly of this and found in seas, lakes, and
rivers, in rain, and in secretions of organisms.
3an expanse of water; a sea, lake, river, etc.
4(in pl.) part of a sea or river (in Icelandic waters).
5(often as the waters) mineral water at a spa etc.
6the state of a tide (high water).
7a solution of a specified substance in water (lavender-water).
8the quality of the transparency and brilliance of a gem, esp. a
diamond.
9Finance an amount of nominal capital added by watering (see
sense 10 of v.).
10(attrib.) a found in or near water. b of, for, or
worked by water. c involving, using, or yielding water.
- v.
1tr. sprinkle or soak with water.
2tr. supply (a plant) with water.
3tr. give water to (an animal) to drink.
4intr. (of the mouth or eyes) secrete water as saliva or tears.
5tr. (as watered adj.) (of silk etc.) having
irregular wavy glossy markings.
6tr. adulterate (milk, beer, etc.) with water.
7tr. (of a river etc.) supply (a place) with water.
8intr. (of an animal) go to a pool etc. to drink.
9intr. (of a ship, engine, etc., or the person in charge of it)
take in a supply of water.
10tr. Finance increase (a company's debt, or nominal
capital) by the issue of new shares without a corresponding addition to assets.
by water using a ship etc. for travel or transport.
cast one's bread upon
the waters see bread.
like water lavishly,
profusely.
like water off a duck's
back see duck 1.
make one's mouth water
cause one's saliva to flow, stimulate one's appetite or anticipation.
of the first water 1
(of a diamond) of the greatest brilliance and transparency. 2 of the
finest quality or extreme degree.
on the water on a
ship etc.
on the water-wagon
see wagon.
water-bag a bag of
leather, canvas, etc., for holding water.
water bailiff 1
an official enforcing fishing laws. 2 hist. a custom-house
officer at a port.
water bear =
tardigrade n.
water-bed a mattress
of rubber or plastic etc. filled with water.
water-biscuit a thin
crisp unsweetened biscuit made from flour and water.
water blister a
blister containing a colourless fluid, not blood or pus.
water-boatman any
aquatic bug of the family Notonectidae or Corixidae, swimming with oarlike hind
legs.
water-borne 1
(of goods etc.) conveyed by or travelling on water. 2 (of a disease)
communicated or propagated by contaminated water.
water-buck any of
various African antelopes of the genus Kobus, frequenting river-banks.
water-buffalo the
common domestic Indian buffalo, Bubalus arnee.
water bus a boat
carrying passengers on a regular run on a river, lake, etc.
water-butt a barrel
used to catch rainwater.
water-cannon a
device giving a powerful jet of water to disperse a crowd etc.
the Water-carrier (or
-bearer) the zodiacal sign or constellation Aquarius.
water chestnut 1
an aquatic plant, Trapa natans, bearing an edible seed. 2 a
(in full Chinese water chestnut) a sedge, Eleocharis tuberosa,
with rushlike leaves arising from a corm. b this corm used as food.
water-clock a clock
measuring time by the flow of water.
water-closet 1
a lavatory with the means for flushing the pan with water. 2 a room
containing this.
water-colour (US
-color) 1 artists' paint made of pigment to be diluted with water
and not oil. 2 a picture painted with this. 3 the art of painting
with water-colours.
water-colourist (US
-colorist) a painter in water-colours.
water-cooled cooled
by the circulation of water.
water-cooler a tank
of cooled drinking-water.
water cure =
hydropathy.
water-diviner Brit.
a person who dowses (see dowse 1) for water.
water down 1
dilute with water. 2 make less vivid, forceful, or horrifying.
water gauge 1
a glass tube etc. indicating the height of water in a reservoir, boiler, etc. 2
pressure expressed in terms of a head of water.
water-glass 1
a solution of sodium or potassium silicate used for preserving eggs, as a
vehicle for fresco-painting, and for hardening artificial stone. 2 a
tube with a glass bottom enabling objects under water to be observed.
water-hammer a
knocking noise in a water-pipe when a tap is suddenly turned off.
water-heater a
device for heating (esp. domestic) water.
water hemlock a
poisonous plant, Cicuta maculata, found in marshes etc.: also called
cowbane.
water-hole a shallow
depression in which water collects (esp. in the bed of a river otherwise dry).
water hyacinth a
tropical river-weed, Eichhornia crassipes.
water-ice a
confection of flavoured and frozen water and sugar etc.; a sorbet.
water jump a place
where a horse in a steeplechase etc. must jump over water.
water-level 1
a the surface of the water in a reservoir etc. b the height of
this. 2 a level below which the ground is saturated with water. 3
a level using water to determine the horizontal.
water lily any
aquatic plant of the family Nymphaeaceae, with broad flat floating leaves and
large usu. cup-shaped floating flowers.
water-line 1
the line along which the surface of water touches a ship's side (marked on a
ship for use in loading). 2 a linear watermark.
water main the main
pipe in a water-supply system.
water-meadow a
meadow periodically flooded by a stream.
water melon a large
smooth green melon, Citrullus lanatus, with red pulp and watery juice.
water meter a device
for measuring and recording the amount of water supplied to a house etc.
water-mill a mill
worked by a water-wheel.
water-nymph a nymph
regarded as inhabiting or presiding over water.
water of crystallization
water forming an essential part of the structure of some crystals.
water of life rhet.
spiritual enlightenment.
water ouzel = dipper
1.
water-pepper an
aquatic herb, Polygonum hydropiper: also called smartweed.
water-pipe 1
a pipe for conveying water. 2 a hookah.
water-pistol a toy
pistol shooting a jet of water.
water plantain any
ditch-plant of the genus Alisma, with plantain-like leaves.
water polo a game
played by swimmers, with a ball like a football.
water-power 1
mechanical force derived from the weight or motion of water. 2 a fall in
the level of a river, as a source of this force.
water purslane a
creeping plant, Lythrum portula, growing in damp places.
water rail a wading bird,
Rallus aquaticus, frequenting marshes etc.
water-rat =
water-vole.
water-rate a charge
made for the use of the public water-supply.
water-repellent not
easily penetrated by water.
water-scorpion any
aquatic bug of the family Nepidae, living submerged and breathing through a
bristle-like tubular tail.
water-softener an
apparatus or substance for softening hard water.
water-soluble
soluble in water.
water-splash part of
a road submerged by a stream or pool.
water starwort any plant
of the genus Callitriche, growing in water.
water-supply the
provision and storage of water, or the amount of water stored, for the use of a
town, house, etc.
water-table =
water-level 2.
water torture a form
of torture in which the victim is exposed to the incessant dripping of water on
the head, or the sound of dripping.
water-tower a tower
with an elevated tank to give pressure for distributing water.
water under the bridge
past events accepted as past and irrevocable.
water-vole an aquatic
vole, esp. Arvicola amphibius.
water-weed any of
various aquatic plants.
water-wheel a wheel
driven by water to work machinery, or to raise water.
water-wings inflated
floats fixed on the arms of a person learning to swim.
waterer n.
waterless adj.
village n.
1a a group of houses and associated buildings, larger than a
hamlet and smaller than a town, esp. in a rural area. b the inhabitants
of a village regarded as a community.
2Brit. a self-contained district or community within a town or
city, regarded as having features characteristic of village life.
3US a small municipality with limited corporate powers.
4Austral. a select suburban shopping centre.
villager n.
villagey adj.
sprinkle v.
& n.
- v.tr.
1scatter (liquid, ashes, crumbs, etc.) in small drops or particles.
2(often foll. by with) subject (the ground or an object) to
sprinkling with liquid etc.
3(of liquid etc.) fall on in this way.
4distribute in small amounts.
- n. (usu. foll. by of)
1a light shower.
2= sprinkling.
straightaway adj.
US
1(of a course etc.) straight.
2straightforward differently
adv. diffe
decide v.
1a intr. (often foll. by on, about) come to
a resolution as a result of consideration. b tr. (usu. foll. by to
+ infin., or that + clause) have or reach as one's resolution about
something (decided to stay; decided that we should leave).
2tr. a cause (a person) to reach a resolution (was
unsure about going but the weather decided me). b resolve or settle
(a question, dispute, etc.).
3intr. (usu. foll. by between, for, against,
in favour of, or that + clause) give a judgement concerning a
matter.
decidable adj.
sorghum n.
any tropical cereal grass
of the genus Sorghum, e.g. durra.
surface n. & v.
- n.
1a the outside of a material body. b the area of this.
2any of the limits terminating a solid.
3the upper boundary of a liquid or of the ground etc.
4the outward aspect of anything; what is apparent on a casual view or
consideration (presents a large surface to view; all is quiet on the
surface).
5Geom. a set of points that has length and breadth but no
thickness.
6(attrib.) a of or on the surface (surface area). b
superficial (surface politeness).
- v.
1tr. give the required surface to (a road, paper, etc.).
2intr. & tr. rise or bring to the surface.
3intr. become visible or known.
4intr. colloq. become conscious; wake up.
come to the surface become perceptible after being hidden.
surface-active (of a
substance, e.g. a detergent) able to affect the wetting properties of a liquid.
surface mail mail
carried over land and by sea, and not by air.
surface noise
extraneous noise in playing a gramophone record, caused by imperfections in the
grooves.
surface tension the
tension of the surface-film of a liquid, tending to minimize its surface area.
surfaced adj. (usu. in comb.).
surfacer n.
centimetre n. (US centimeter)
a metric unit of length,
equal to one-hundredth of a metre.
centimetre-gram-second
system the system using these as basic units of length, mass, and time. Usage Abbr.: cgs system.
consider v.tr.
(often absol.)
1contemplate mentally, esp. in order to reach a conclusion.
2examine the merits of (a course of action, a candidate, claim, etc.).
3give attention to.
4reckon with; take into account.
5(foll. by that + clause) have the opinion.
6(foll. by compl.) believe; regard as (consider it to be genuine;
consider it settled).
7(as considered adj.) formed after careful thought (a
considered opinion).
all things considered taking everything into account.
complete adj.
& v.
- adj.
1having all its parts; entire (the set is complete).
2finished (my task is complete).
3of the maximum extent or degree (a complete surprise; a complete
stranger).
4(also compleat after Walton's Compleat Angler) joc.
accomplished (the complete horseman).
- v.tr.
1finish.
2a make whole or perfect. b make up the amount of (completes
the quota).
3fill in the answers to (a questionnaire etc.).
4(usu. absol.) Law conclude a sale of property.
complete with having (as an important accessory) (comes
complete with instructions).
completely adv.
completeness n.
completion n.
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Raed El Madany