Changing the way you learn

Question	Answer
to scrawl (trans. v)	to write something quickly, without trying to make your writing tidy or easy to read;
lettering (n)	writing in a particular colour, style, etc.: a black box with gold lettering
to lurch	to move in a way that is not regular or normal, especially making sudden movements backwards or forwards or from side to side; dar guinadas
co-op (n) cooperative	a company that is owned and managed by the people who work in it: The magazine is run as a cooperative.
to blurt (sth) out (pv)	to say something suddenly and without thinking, usually because you are excited or nervous deixar escapar
to snap (intrans. verb)	to suddenly become unable to control a strong feeling, especially anger: When she asked me to postpone my trip to help her move house, I just snapped (= got angry).
to blare (intrans. or trans. v)	to make an unpleasantly loud noise: The loudspeakers blared across the square. The radio was blaring (out) martial music.
hip (adj)	fashionable: The bars in the old part of the town are frequented by hip young students.
calfskin (n)	pele de bezerro
tenement (n)	a large building divided into apartments, usually in a poor area of a city
rally (n)	a public meeting of a large group of people, especially supporters of a particular opinion: 5,000 people held an anti-nuclear rally. an election/campaign rally
to wipe sth out (pv)	to destroy something completely: Whole villages were wiped out in the fighting. One bad harvest could wipe out all of a grower's profits for the previous two years.
surrogate mother (n)	a woman who has a baby for another person who is unable to become pregnant or have a baby: She has agreed to act as a surrogate mother for her sister.
the punch line (n) AmE	the last part of a joke or a story that explains the meaning of what has happened previously or makes it amusing
(hand)cuffs (n)	the thicker material at the end of a sleeve nearest the hand
foul play (n)	a criminal act that results in serious damage or injury, especially murder: It is not clear what caused the explosion, but the police do not suspect foul play.
groove (n)	sulcos estrias
indentation (n)	(holes) a hole or mark on the surface of something: The heels of her shoes had left indentations in the mud.
spiel (n) (informal disapproving)	a speech, especially one that is long and spoken quickly and is intended to persuade the person listening about something: a sales spiel They gave us a long spiel about why we needed to install double glazing in our house.
to rant (intrans. v)	to speak or shout in a loud, uncontrolled, or angry way, often saying confused or silly things: He's always ranting (on) about the government. I get fed up with my mother ranting and raving (about my clothes) all the time.
per se (adv) (formal)	by or of itself: Research shows that it is not divorce per se that harms children, but the continuing conflict between parents.
bloated (adj)	swollen (inchado) and rounded because of containing too much air, liquid, or food: a bloated stomach a bloated (= uncomfortably full) feeling
idly (adv)	without any particular purpose: I was just glancing idly through a magazine. doing nothing: She lay idly on the grass. We cannot stand idly by while these people suffer.
whip (n)	a piece of leather or rope that is fastened to a stick, used for hitting animals or people: She lashed the horses mercilessly with her long whip. chicote
to peck (intrans./trans. v)	When a bird pecks, it bites, hits, or picks up something small with its beak: The birds learn to peck holes in the milk bottle tops. Geese were pecking around for food. Chickens pecked at the seeds which covered the ground. bicar / dar bicadas
sheer (adj)	(complete) used to emphasize how very great, important, or powerful a quality or feeling is; nothing except: The suggestion is sheer nonsense. His success was due to sheer willpower/determination. It was sheer coincidence that we met. (pura coincidência)
to mutter	to speak quietly and in a low voice that is not easy to hear, often when you are worried or complaining about something: Stop muttering and speak up! He was muttering (away) to himself. Laurence muttered something about his wife and left. He muttered something under his breath to the person next to him. murmurar
to clench (trans. v)	to close or hold something very tightly, often in a determined or angry way: The old man clenched his fist and waved it angrily at us. With a knife clenched in/between his teeth, he climbed up the tree to cut some coconuts. "Get out of here," she said through clenched teeth. cerrar
bum (n) AmE - informal	someone who has no home or job and lives by asking other people for money
droll (adj)	humorous, especially in an unusual way: a droll remark/expression/person
nitwit (n) (informal disapproving)	a silly or stupid person
to squint (at) (intrans. v)	to partly close your eyes in order to see more clearly: sun was shining straight in her eyes and made her squint.
ripped (adj) slang	drunk, intoxicated; under the influence of an illicit drug
to stiff (trans. v)	to fail to pay someone money that you owe them, or to take more money from them than they owe: stiff sb out of sth Many temporary workers have experienced getting stiffed out of their pay. Who doesn't feel stiffed when they've overpaid?
tacky (adj)	of cheap quality or in bad style: The shop sold tacky souvenirs and ornaments.
to mumble (intrans./trans. v)	to speak quietly and in a way that is not clear so that the words are difficult to understand: She mumbled something about being too busy. [+ speech] "I'm sorry," he mumbled. resmungar
to snicker (intrans. v) AmE to snigger BrE	to laugh at someone or something in a silly and often unkind way: They spent half the time sniggering at the clothes people were wearing. What are you two sniggering at/about?
briskly (adv)	quick, energetic, and active She walked briskly into town. Beat the eggs whites briskly until soft peaks form. "Let's get it over with," he said briskly.
browstone (n) mainly US	a house with its front built of a reddish-brown stone, especially common in New York City
paisley (adj)	Image: ladybug-paisley (image/jpg)
plaid (adj) AmE tartan (adj) BrE	a pattern of different coloured straight lines crossing each other at 90 degree angles, or a cloth with this pattern: a tartan kilt xadrez
to grumble (about) (intrans. v)	to complain about someone or something in an annoyed way: She spent the evening grumbling to me about her job. [+ speech] "You never hang your coat up," she grumbled. If your stomach grumbles, it makes a low, continuous noise, usually because you are hungry.
to groan (intrans. v)	to make a deep long sound showing great pain or unhappiness: He collapsed, groaning with pain. [+ speech] "Not again," he groaned (= said in a low unhappy voice). to complain or speak unhappily: She's always moaning and groaning (= complaining a lot) about the weather.
rim (n)	the outer, often curved or circular, edge of something: The rim of the cup was chipped and broken. My reading glasses have wire rims.
to gasp (intrans. v)	to take a short, quick breath through the mouth, especially because of surprise, pain, or shock: When she saw the money hidden in the box she gasped in surprise. [+ speech] "Help me!" he gasped. to breathe loudly and with difficulty, trying to get more air: He pulled her aboard the boat and she sprawled on the deck, coughing and gasping for breath. suspirar
to wail (trans./intrans. v)	to make a long, high cry, usually because of pain or sadness: The women gathered around the coffin and began to wail, as was the custom in the region. [+ speech] "My finger hurts," wailed the child. [I] informal to complain loudly or strongly: [+ that] Business people wailed that their trade would be ruined. lamuriar
fluke (n) informal	something good that has happened that is the result of chance instead of skill or planning: The first goal was just a fluke. casualidade
harassed (adj)	worried, annoyed, and tired, especially because you have too many things to deal with: harassed-looking mothers with young children
clum (n)	a group, especially of trees or flowers: a clump of grass/daffodils
to feign (trans. v)	to pretend to have a feeling or condition: He feigned sickness so he wouldn’t have to go to school.
streaks (n)	a long, thin mark that is easily noticed because it is very different from the area surrounding it: The window cleaner has left dirty streaks on the windows. I dye my hair to hide my grey streaks. Meteors produce streaks of light as they burn up in the Earth's atmosphere.
to seeth (intras. v)	to feel very angry but to be unable or unwilling to express it clearly: The class positively seethed with indignation when Julia won the award. (of a large number or amount) to move about energetically in a small space: The streets were seething (= busy and crowded) with tourists.
dufus /doofus/ AmE	dummy, fool, idiot That boy ain't right. Buy him books but he's still a dufus.
the boy next door	A teenage male, very wholesome and unassuming, and maintains an innocence about him. Very sincere, sometimes shy, sometimes confiedent and rarely arrogant. A sweet boy, someone who girls are proud to bring home to their parents because of his charm, demeanor and sincerity. Very innocent when it comes to romance, almost always a virgin.
to smirk (intrans. v)	to smile in an annoying or unkind way: What are you smirking at?
to chirp (intras. v)	If birds or insects chirp, they make short, high sounds. gorjeio
a pittance (n)	a very small amount of money: She works very long hours and yet she earns a pittance.
to glisten (intrans. v)	If something glistens, it shines, often because it is wet: Their faces were glistening with sweat.
to muster (trans. v)	to get enough support, bravery, or energy to do something difficult: I hope she musters the courage to invite him for dinner.
eggplant (n)	berinjela
wan (adj)	pale and looking sick or tired
to shrug (trans./intrans. v)	to move your shoulders up and down to show that you do not care about something or that you do not know something: I told him we weren't happy with it but he just shrugged his shoulders.
meekly (adv) meek (adj)	Someone who is meek is quiet and does not argue with others. manso
in a daze (n)	the feeling of not being able to think clearly because you are shocked or have hit your head: The survivors were walking around in a daze.
to flicker (intras. v)	SHINE › to shine with a light that is sometimes bright and sometimes weak: A candle flickered in the window. APPEAR › to appear for a short time or make a sudden movement somewhere: A smile flickered across her face.
to grasp (trans. v)	HOLD › to take hold of something or someone firmly: He grasped my hand enthusiastically. UNDERSTAND › to understand something: I find these mathematical problems difficult to grasp.
morose (adj)	If someone is morose, they are not friendly or happy and they talk very little. rabugento
to guffaw (intras. v) guffaw (n)	to laugh loudly, especially at something stupid that someone has said or done: He guffawed with delight when he heard the news. gargalhar
to sneer (intrans. v)	to talk about, or look at someone or something in a way that shows you do not approve of them: Carlos sneered at my attempts to put the tent up. escárnio
lewd (adj)	sexual in a way that is unpleasant: lewd comments/gestures lascivo
smugly (adv) smug (v)	too pleased with your skill or success in a way that annoys other people: a smug smile presunçoso
tersely (adv) terse (adj)	said or written in a few words, often showing that you are annoyed conciso
tinge (n) tinged (ad)	a small amount of a sad feeling or colour: "Goodbye," he said, with a tinge of sadness. Her dark hair is now tinged with grey.
muted (adj)	FEELING › not strongly expressed: a muted response/reaction muted criticism SOUND › A muted sound is quieter than usual: muted voices COLOUR [always before noun] › A muted colour is not bright or easily noticed: He was dressed in muted shades of grey and brown.
backdrop	SITUATION › the situation that an event happens in: [usually singular] The attack took place against a backdrop of rising tensions between the two communities. CLOTH › the painted cloth at the back of a stage in a theatre pano de fundo
to gleam (intrans. v) gleaming	to shine in a pleasant, soft way: Her eyes gleamed in the dark. a gleaming new car
scattered (adj)	covering a wide area: Toys and books were scattered about/around the room. My family is scattered all over the world. The forecast is for scattered showers (= separate areas of rain) tomorrow.
gutted (adj) - slang	extremely disappointed and unhappy: He was gutted when she finished the relationship.
down-filled (adj)	penas de pássaros usadas para encher travesseiros, etc.
halogen (n)	a member of a group of five particular chemical elements: Chlorine and iodine are halogens.
oak (n)	madeira de carvalho
ebony (n)	madeira ébano
rosewood (n)	jacarandá
plywood (n)	madeira compensada compensado
mahogany (n)	mogno
railings	Image: Residential-Railings (image/jpg)
to swish (intrans./trans. v)	to (cause to) move quickly through the air making a soft sound: I heard the rope swish through the air. The horses swished their tails to get rid of the flies hovering around them.
brass	a bright yellow metal made from copper and zinc: The door handles were made of brass. a thin piece of brass on the floor or wall in a church, with a picture or writing cut into it: The church has several beautiful medieval brasses. the group of brass instruments or players in a band or orchestra: The brass seems to me too loud in this recording.
to slather (intrans. v)	to spread something thickly on something else: She slathered lotion on/all over her body. She slathered her toast with butter.
flaky (adj)	coming off easily in small, flat, thin pieces: dry, flaky skin a flaky scalp escamoso

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	Created by Meiry Costa about 10 years ago