Everyday and Crime English Vocabulary List

English Vocabulary: Everyday and Crime Terms

Believe

To think that something is true or right.

Blonde

A woman with yellow or golden hair.

Bump off

(informal) To murder somebody.

Clerk

A person who works in a bank, office, or store.

Closet

(American) A cupboard with a door that you can walk into.

Competition

People who want something that you want too.

Cop

(informal) A police officer.

Crook

(informal) A dishonest person or a criminal.

Cut

(n) A share in something, usually money.

Deal

(n) An agreement about how to do something.

Dick

(informal, American) A detective.

Ex-con

(informal) Someone who has been to prison.

Faint

(n) A kind of "sleep" caused by shock, illness, etc.

Fungus

Something unhealthy that grows on the skin.

Go off

(of a gun) To be fired.

Goldfish

A small orange or red fish, kept as a pet.

Grand

(n) (informal) One thousand dollars.

Grin

To smile widely.

Guy

(informal) A man.

Handcuffs

Metal rings put around the wrists of a prisoner.

Hell

(to hell with) (informal) Words that show you are angry or do not care about something.

Insurance

Money paid to a company, which then pays you if your car is stolen, your house burns down, etc. (v) Insure.

Kick

(v) To hit something or someone with the foot.

Kid

(v) (informal) To say something that is not true, often as a joke.

Lawyer

Someone whose job is helping people with the law.

Lead

(n) Information that helps you to find out the truth about something, especially a crime.

More Everyday and Informal Terms

Lump

A solid piece of something under the skin.

Marshal

(American) An officer who works for the law courts.

Moustache

The hair above a man's mouth, below his nose.

Nasty

Bad; not nice.

Net

Pieces of string tied together, used for catching fish.

Nod

To move your head up and down to say yes.

Oil

A thick liquid that is burned to give heat.

Pardon

(n) When a prisoner gets a pardon, they are allowed to leave prison early.

Pearl

A very valuable jewel (a small hard shiny white ball found inside oysters).

Phony

(informal) False; not real.

Point

(v) To show with your hand or finger where something is.

Pool

A game played by hitting sixteen coloured balls on a table.

Private

Working for yourself, not for the government.

Prove

To use the facts to show that something is true.

Rent

To pay somebody money to use a house, shop, etc.

Reward

Money that you get for finding something that is lost.

Sap

(informal, American) A small heavy stick used as a weapon.

Sigh

(v) To breathe out slowly when you are sad, tired, etc.

Sign

A piece of wood or metal with writing or pictures that give information.

Slam

(v) To shut with a loud noise.

Smart

Well dressed or fashionable.

Sore

Painful.

Stuff

(informal) Things that people do, say, think, etc.

Sunset

The time when the sun goes down and night begins.

Sure

(informal, American) Yes; of course.

Suture

A piece of thread used to sew up a wound.

Yeah

(informal) Yes.