Vocabulary
This vocabulary list defines the less common words or particular meanings used in the Story texts.
List of Abbreviations
adj. adjective: describes a noun
adv. adverb: describes a verb or adjective
conj. conjunction: connecting word
EX: example
idiom set phrase
n. noun: a person, place, thing, or abstract concept
p. p. past participle form of the verb
prep. preposition: shows relationship
v. verb: an action
= synonym: a word with the same meaning
A
- account executive, n.
- manager of the work done for clients
- act, v.
- to behave
- actually, adv.
- in fact, = really
- advertising agency, n.
- business that creates advertising for other companies or organizations
- afford, v.
- to be able to pay for
- amazing, adj.
- incredible, hard to believe
- approach, v.
- to go close to
- arrange, v.
- to put in order
- arrive, v.
- to come; to get to a destination
- assemble, v.
- to put pieces together
B
- blackboard, n.
- smooth, vertical surface that you write on with chalk
- block, n.
- length between two streets
- blush, v.
- to turn red with embarassment
- boil, v.
- to cook a liquid, to cook a food in a liquid
- brick, n.
- block of building material, made of fired clay
- brush, n.
- painting tool, with a handle and soft bristles
- budget, n.
- list of items and services and what they cost
- bunch, n.
- group, handful
C
- café, n.
- informal restaurant for a light meal
- care for, v.
- to like (often in the negative)
- EX: I don't really care for mushrooms.
- cashier, n.
- person who takes the money in a store, usually using a cash register
- cent, n.
- one hundredth of a dollar
- cereal, n.
- (short for "breakfast cereal") toasted, sweetened grains
- EX: Cornflakes are Becky's favorite cereal.
- chanterelle, n.
- type of edible mushroom, yellow and trumpet-shaped
- chat, v.
- to talk casually
- chicken pot pie, n.
- dish of chicken and vegetables with a pie crust
- clerk, n.
- person who sells in a store
- close up, v.
- to get a store or restaurant ready to close at the end of the day
- collect, v.
- to gather, to pick up
- considering, conj.
- since, in view of the fact that
- cornflakes, n.
- toasted corn breakfast cereal
- counter, n.
- level surface for selling, serving, or eating food or other things
- course, n.
- class in school or university, including lectures or discussions
- croissant, n.
- crescent-shaped pastry, sometimes filled with fruit, cheese or almond paste
- crowded, adj.
- filled with people
- cute, adj.
- attractive, good-looking
D
- deliver, v.
- to take something to someone
- deserve, v.
- to earn or be worthy of a reward
- EX: She deserves a chance to relax.
- dice, v.
- to cut in cubes
- discover, v.
- to find
- dish, n.
- a food, one part of a meal
- dorm, n.
- student residence (short for "dormitory")
- dough, n.
- raw flour and water mixture, turns into bread when baked
- downtown, n.
- city center
- drawer, n.
- box that slides for storing things, often clothes
- drive, n.
- act of driving a car
- dude, n.
- man (very informal)
E
- embarass, v.
- to make someone feel uncomfortable or put someone in an awkward situation
- enchilada, n.
- Mexican dish of tortillas that wrap up meat and beans, with tomato sauce and cheese on top
- episode, n.
- one of a series of scenes
- expect, v.
- to consider likely
F
- fantastic, adj.
- wonderful, great
- figure, v.
- to decide after thinking
- filling, n.
- food mixture in a pie
- fix, v.
- to repair; (of food) to cook
- EX: Could you fix me an omelette?
- floppy disk, n.
- small, flat storage device for computer data
- format, n.
- organization and appearance of something written
- fridge, n.
- short for "refrigerator"
- front hall, n.
- room just inside the front door
G
- gather, v.
- to bring together, collect
- get going, v.
- to make a start
- go right ahead, idiom
- = please do
- grab, v.
- to take, get (informal)
- graduate, v.
- to finish one's schooling
- grapefruit, n.
- large, somewhat sour, citrus fruit
- grilled cheese sandwich, n.
- sandwich made from two slices of bread and mild cheese, fried on a grill
- gulp, v.
- to swallow hard
H
- head, n.
- compact, leafy part of a plant
- EX: Could you get me a head of romaine lettuce?
- head, v.
- to walk in a certain direction
- hectic, adj.
- very busy, almost chaotic
- hold on, v.
- to wait
- homework, n.
- work assigned by a teacher for schoolchildren to do at home
- hypertext, n.
- a set of information linked together so that various paths through it are possible
- EX: Half Moon Café is a hypertext about daily life for some people in an American city.
I
- immediately, adv.
- = at once
- indignantly, adv.
- with anger at something unjust or mean
- ingredient, n.
- any food used in making a dish
- in one's tracks, adj.
- right where one is standing
- EX: Mike stops in his tracks.
- insist, v.
- to stay with what you said, to persist
- introduce, v.
- bring a thing or person to the knowledge of another person
J
- jack o'lantern, n.
- type of poisonous mushroom
- jam, n.
- fruit preserves to eat with bread
- jar, n.
- small, glass container
- jot down, v.
- to write briefly, to make a note
- juice box, n.
- child-sized serving of juice in a box with a straw
K
- kinky, adj.
- unusual, unconventional (implies something sexual)
L
- lack, v.
- to not have
- laundry room, n.
- room that contains a washer and dryer
- leftover, adj.
- saved from a previous use
- liquid, n.
- flowing substance, such as water, opposed to a solid and a gas
- literature, n.
- writings: novels, stories and poetry
- little-used, adj.
- not used very often
- look through, v.
- to examine briefly
- EX: Carl looks through the mail he got today.
M
- magazine, n.
- monthly or weekly periodical, often printed on glossy paper
- make it, idiom
- to succeed
- mole, n.
- small, furry, insect-eating animal that digs holes
- mood, n.
- state of mind, feeling
- EX: I'm just in such a good mood.
- munch, v.
- to eat (especially something crunchy)
- My treat., idiom
- = I'll pay, as a favor to you
N
- neighbor, n.
- person who lives nearby or in the same building
- newsstand, n.
- booth or shop where you buy newspapers and magazines
- notebook, n.
- book of blank paper for notes
- now and then, adv.
- = from time to time
O
- objective, adj.
- not biased or subjective
- order, v.
- to ask for something in order to buy it
P
- party, v.
- to go out and have fun (implies drinking alcohol)
- peel, v.
- to cut the outer skin off a vegetable
- perishable, adj.
- easily spoiled (of food)
- petite, adj.
- small (of women or clothing)
- Ping-Pong, n.
- game with two paddles and a lightweight ball, = table tennis
- pour, v.
- 1. to serve a liquid; 2. to rain heavily
- preview, n.
- short excerpt of a movie, shown before a full-length movie in a theater or on video
- properly, adv.
- in the right way, carefully following rules
- proposal, n.
- written report that states how a job will be done
- pursue an avenue, idiom
- follow or continue with a desired route
- EX: Don't pursue that avenue any further.
- = Don't continue with that plan. (the plan is not said)
- puzzle, n.
- a game consisting of a set of pieces that fit together
Q
R
- rack, n.
- metal or wooden stand for displaying things
- radish, n.
- small, strong-flavored salad vegetable, red with white inside
- realize, v.
- to notice
- recipe, n.
- list of ingredients and method for cooking a dish
- reluctantly, adv.
- unwillingly, after pausing
- ride, n.
- an act of riding, especially by car, = lift
- right, adv.
- quite, very; very soon.
- EX: I work right near here. I'll be right there.
- romaine, adj.
- type of lettuce with long, dark green leaves
- roll out, v.
- to flatten, as with a rolling pin
- rough draft, n.
- first written version
- rushed, adj.
- = hurried, (p. p. of "rush")
S
- scan, v.
- to convert from paper to computer readable form, using a scanner
- seat, n.
- 1. something to sit on, such as a chair 2. a place to sit
- section, n.
- = part
- semester, n.
- academic period, usually about 15 weeks long
- senior, n.
- the last (usually fourth) year of high school or university
- set off, v.
- to leave, to get going
- settled, adj.
- moved in, (p. p. of "settle")
- silverware, n.
- = cutlery, flatware of silver or steel
- sip, v.
- to drink carefully
- slice, v.
- to cut in flat pieces
- snack, n.
- light meal, often food eaten between meals
- special, n.
- dish that is available specially, not on the regular menu
- spot, n.
- small place
- EX: Let me show you my spot for chanterelles.
- spot, v.
- to notice, identify
- spread, v.
- to cover something with
- stack, n.
- pile, bunch of things arranged on top of each other
- stool, n.
- tall chair
- stuff, n.
- things (informal)
- subject, n.
- topic, what one is talking about
- swamped, adj.
- overwhelmed, having too much (p. p. of "swamp")
- EX: She's been swamped with work lately
- switch on, v.
- to turn on the electricity for
T
- tasty, adj.
- good to eat, = yummy
- tortilla, n.
- Latin American flat bread made from corn or wheat flour
- tortilla chip, n.
- flat, crunchy corn snack
- treat, v.
- to pay for someone else's food, as a favor
- trip, n.
- period of travel
- twist, v.
- to turn
U
- unpack, v.
- unload, take out of a storage box
V
W
- way too, adv.
- excessively
- EX: I am taking way too many courses this semester. Today seems way too short.
- What do you do for a living?, question
- = What is your job?
- wholesaler, n.
- business that sells to other companies
- withstand, v.
- to continue to operate or do well
- wonder, n.
- the cause of astonishment or surprise
- EX: No wonder you're acting like this.
- worth, prep.
- deserving of
- EX: It's definitely worth gathering.
X
Y
- yell, v.
- to shout words
Z
zucchini, n.
green summer squash (vegetable)
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