Key Vocabulary & Definitions for Everyday Life

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Essential Vocabulary: Definitions for Modern Life

Expand your understanding of key terms across various domains, from fashion and social interactions to careers and global issues.

Fashion & Style Terminology

  • Stud: A small, decorative metal object used as an embellishment for clothing or accessories.
  • Baggy: Loose-fitting, often referring to clothing.
  • Fringe: Hair cut short and worn over the forehead; also, a decorative border of hanging threads.
  • High Heels: Shoes with a raised heel, typically worn by women.
  • Plain Denim: Denim fabric without embellishments or patterns, offering a simple aesthetic.
  • Tie-Dyed Cotton: Cotton fabric decorated with a tie-dye pattern.
  • Striped Silk: Silk fabric featuring a pattern of stripes.
  • Flowy Velvet: Velvet fabric with a soft, draping quality, often featuring a printed design.
  • Checked Cotton: Cotton fabric patterned with squares or checks.
  • Plain Leather: Leather material without embellishments or patterns, offering a simple aesthetic.
  • Tartan Wool: Wool fabric featuring a traditional Scottish plaid pattern.
  • Catwalk: A narrow platform on which models walk to display clothes in a fashion show.

Accessories & Beauty Essentials

  • Handbag: A small bag, often with a handle or strap, used by women to carry personal items.
  • Hairstyle: The way a person's hair is cut and arranged.
  • Headband: A band worn around the head, typically to hold hair back or as a decoration.
  • Earrings: Pieces of jewelry worn on the ears.
  • Makeup: Cosmetics applied to the face to enhance or alter appearance.
  • Nose Stud: A small piece of jewelry worn in a nose piercing.
  • Nail Varnish: A cosmetic liquid applied to fingernails or toenails to color or protect them; also known as nail polish.
  • Shoelaces: Cords or strings used to fasten shoes.

Common English Collocations

  • Say: To utter words; often used with specific phrases like "say sorry," "say thank you," or "say a prayer."
  • Make: To create or perform; often used in collocations like "make a decision," "make a mistake," or "make excuses."
  • Tell: To communicate information; often used in collocations like "tell a story," "tell the truth," or "tell a lie."
  • Take: To perform an action; often used in collocations like "take a risk," "take a photo," or "take care."

Human Actions & Expressions

  • Frown: To wrinkle one's brow, typically indicating displeasure, concern, or deep thought.
  • Gesticulate: To use gestures, especially dramatic ones, instead of or in addition to speaking to emphasize one's words.
  • Hold Hands: To clasp another person's hand, often as a sign of affection or solidarity.
  • Hug: To embrace someone tightly, typically as a sign of affection.
  • Kiss: To touch with the lips as a sign of love, affection, greeting, or reverence.
  • Laugh: To make sounds and movements of the face and body that express amusement or happiness.
  • Nod: To lower and raise one's head briefly, especially in greeting, assent, or understanding.
  • Shake Hands: To clasp another person's hand as a greeting, farewell, or sign of agreement.
  • Shake Your Head: To turn one's head from side to side, typically indicating disagreement or refusal.
  • Shrug Your Shoulders: To raise and then drop one's shoulders to express indifference, doubt, or a lack of knowledge.
  • Smile: To form one's features into a pleased, kind, or amused expression, typically with the corners of the mouth turned up.
  • Wink: To close and open one eye quickly, typically as a signal or sign of amusement.

Professions & Industries

  • Agriculture: The science or practice of farming, including cultivating the soil for growing crops and rearing animals.
  • Engineering: The branch of science and technology concerned with the design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures.
  • Business: The activity of making, buying, or selling goods or providing services in exchange for money.
  • Catering: The business of providing food service at remote sites or for events.
  • Construction: The business or act of building or assembling something, typically large structures.
  • Education: The process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university.
  • Health and Social Care: Professions involved in providing medical, nursing, and personal care services to individuals.
  • Law: The system of rules that a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and which it may enforce by the imposition of penalties.
  • Retail: The sale of goods to the public in relatively small quantities for use or consumption rather than for resale.
  • Performing Arts: Forms of art in which artists use their voices, bodies, or inanimate objects to convey artistic expression, such as theatre, dance, and music.
  • The Media: The main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the internet) regarded collectively.
  • Tourism: The commercial organization and operation of vacations and visits to places of interest.

Environmental, Energy & Science Terms

  • Flood: An overflow of a large amount of water beyond its normal limits, especially over what is normally dry land.
  • Global Warming: A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.
  • Gas: A gaseous fuel, such as natural gas, used for heating or cooking.
  • Oil: A viscous liquid derived from petroleum, especially for use as a fuel or lubricant.
  • Cloning: The process of producing genetically identical copies of an organism or cell.
  • Genetically Modified: An organism or food whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.
  • Solar Power: Power obtained by harnessing the energy of the sun's rays.
  • Wind Power: Power obtained by harnessing the energy of the wind, typically using wind turbines.

Design & Creative Arts

  • Craft: An activity involving skill in making things by hand.
  • Fashion Design: The art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories.
  • Graphic Design: The art or skill of combining text and pictures in advertisements, magazines, or books.
  • Print: To produce (books, newspapers, etc.) by means of a machine that presses ink onto paper or other material.

Phobias & Fears

  • Heights: An extreme fear of high places (acrophobia).

Relationships & Social Interactions

  • Ask Someone Out: To invite someone on a date.
  • Cheat on Someone: To be unfaithful to one's romantic partner.
  • Fancy Someone: To find someone attractive.
  • Flirt With Someone: To behave as if attracted to or trying to attract someone, but playfully rather than with serious intentions.
  • Get On With Someone: To have a good relationship with someone.
  • Have an Argument With Someone: To have a disagreement or dispute with someone, often verbally.
  • Miss Someone: To feel sadness or longing for the absence of someone.

Travel & Leisure Activities

  • See the Sights: To visit the famous or interesting places in an area.
  • Hire a Bike: To rent a bicycle for a period of time.

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