| one of the two periods of time that a year at high schools and universities is divided into, especially in the US | semester,_,I still have two semesters to complete at my college. |
| to start doing something that is bigger, better, or more important | graduate from,_,As an actress she has graduated from small roles to more substantial parts. |
| an amount of money you pay regularly to be a member of an organization or to help its work, or the act of paying money for this | subscription,_,I haven’t paid my subscription to the agency this year. |
| if you roam through something, you look slowly at all parts of it | roam,_,She roamed through the information on the screen. |
| a card with a pattern of holes in it that was used in the past for putting information into a computer | punch card,_,The workers were issued with punch cards which would record their arrival and departure time at work. |
| to obtain a special document giving you the right to make or sell a new invention or product | patent,_,If you invent something you should get it patented as soon as possible. |
| someone who scientifically studies people, their societies, cultures etc | anthropologist,_,As an anthropologist, he was fascinated by the cultural rituals of the villagers. |
| careful, thorough, and exact | rigorous,_,They have rigorous standards at that college. |
| if you pour cold water on something, you criticize someone’s plan, idea, or desire to do something so much that they no longer feel excited about it | pour cold water on,_,He is always pouring cold water on my ideas. |
| a set of instructions that are followed in a fixed order and used for solving a mathematical problem, making a computer program etc | algorithm,_,Spelling correction algorithms usually suggest a few alternative words which are in some sense similar to the detected misspelled word. |
| careful and thorough examination of someone or something | scrutiny,_,Careful scrutiny of the company’s accounts revealed a whole series of errors. |
| an opinion about whether a person, group, or idea is good or bad that influences how you deal with it | bias,_,Students were evaluated without bias. |
| the usual or normal situation, way of doing something etc | norm,_,Short term contracts are now the norm with some big companies. |
| used to emphasize the first of a series of facts, opinions, questions etc | for starters,_,Well, for starters, you’ll need to fill out an application form. |
| the amount of money you have left to spend after you have paid your taxes, bills etc | disposable income,_,She doesn’t have much disposable income. |
| an eligible man or woman would be good to marry because they are rich, attractive, and not married | eligible,_,Stephen was regarded as an eligible bachelor. |
| to get rid of people or things that are not very good | weed out,_,The research will help governments to weed out ineffective aid schemes. |
| someone you have a very close relationship with because you share or understand the same emotions and interests | soul mate,_,He hasn’t found his soul mate yet. |
| a harmless substance given to a sick person instead of medicine, without telling them it is not real. Placebos are often used in tests in which some people take real medicine and others take a placebo, so that doctors can compare the results to see if the real medicine works properly. | placebo,_,It has been suggested that some medical professionals prescribe placebos to their patients. |
| a quality or feeling that seems to surround or come from a person or a place | aura,_,She has a peaceful aura around her. |
| to say what medicine or treatment a sick person should have | prescribe,_,If these don’t work I may have to prescribe you something stronger. |
| when two things are joined or connected | coupling,_,The system of coupling for dance partners was not well-thought out at all. |
| to make someone feel that their ideas and feelings are respected and considered seriously | validate,_,Talking with people who think like you helps validate your feelings. |
| if someone divorces their husband or wife, or if two people divorce, they legally end their marriage | divorced,_,David’s parents divorced when he was six. |
| a rule, problem etc that prevents people from doing something, or limits what they can do | barrier,_,Problems with childcare remain the biggest barrier to women succeeding at work. |
| an event at which you meet and talk to a lot of different people for only a few minutes at a time. People do this in order to try to meet someone and have a romantic relationship. | speed dating,_,Have you ever tried speed dating? |
| a room where the directors of a company have meetings | boardroom,_,The senior staff are at a meeting in the boardroom at the moment. |
| to start doing something or making plans to do something in order to achieve a particular result | set out,_,There are some salesmen who deliberately set out to defraud customers. |
| to start a company, organization, committee etc | set up,_,They have just set up their own company. |
| to accept an invitation or suggestion | take them up on,_,I’ll take you up on that offer of a drink, if it still stands. |
| something that is spontaneous has not been planned or organized, but happens by itself, or because you suddenly feel you want to do it | spontaneous,_,The crowd gave a spontaneous cheer. |
| the quality of being correct or true | accuracy,_,They're worried about the accuracy of the statistics. |
| angry and surprised because you feel insulted or unfairly treated | indignant,_,Liz was indignant at the way her child had been treated. |
| thinking that someone might be guilty of doing something wrong or dishonest | suspicious,_,Some of his colleagues at work became suspicious of his behaviour. |
| something such as a bag, belt, or jewellery that you wear or carry because it is attractive | accessories,_,All her outfits have matching accessories. |
| damaged | tarnished,_,He now has a tarnished public profile. |
| relating to the preparation of a newspaper, book, television programme etc for printing or broadcasting | editorial,_,Designers use the girls because they ensure editorial coverage. |
| an occasion when someone takes photographs or makes a film | fashion shoot,_,She’s out on a video shoot. |
| when you work together with another person or group to achieve something, especially in science or art | collaboration,_,The project has involved collaboration with the geography department. |
| if you don’t get a wink of sleep, you are not able to sleep at all | slept a wink,_,I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night. |
| a set of pictures or other pieces of work that an artist, photographer etc has done | portfolios,_,You’ll need to prepare a portfolio of your work. |
| to provide or organize something officially as part of your job | administer,_,The test was administered to all 11-year-olds. |
| a categorical statement is a clear statement that something is definitely true or false | categorical,_,Can you give us a categorical assurance that no jobs will be lost? |
| a short journey arranged so that a group of people can visit a place, especially while they are on holiday | excursion,_,Included in the tour is an excursion to the Grand Canyon. |
| a place in the countryside that is famous because it is very pretty | beauty spot,_,Guests will be able to visit some of the local beauty spots. |
| if one type of person or thing predominates in a group or area, there are more of this type than any other | predominate,_,Pine trees predominate in this area of forest. |
| used when saying that a particular fact has no effect on a situation and is not important | irrespective of,_,The course is open to anyone, irrespective of age. |
| the recorded music from a film | soundtrack,_,I loved the soundtrack of that movie. |
| if the wind, sea etc lashes something, it hits it with violent force | lash,_,The wind lashed violently against the door. |
| to make a connection in your mind between one thing or person and another | associate,_,I don’t associate him with energetic sports. |
