4000 Essential English Words 5 Unit 2: The Helpful Abbey
Word List
- abbey [ˈæbi] n.
An abbey is a house or group of houses where monks or nuns live.
→ When the monk returned to the abbey, he went immediately to his bedroom.
- abundant [əˈbʌndənt] adj.
If something is abundant, then it is available in large quantities.
→ Cakes, cookies, and candy were so abundant that the child was very happy.
- adjoin [əˈdʒɔin] v.
To adjoin something means to be next to or attached to something else.
→ She can listen to her brother’s conversations because her room adjoins his.
- ample [ˈæmpl] adj.
If something is ample, then it is enough or more than enough.
→ There was an ample supply of oats to feed the horses.
- arid [ˈærid] adj.
If a place is arid, then it is hot and dry and gets very little or no rain.
→ Not many plants grow in the arid desert.
- cathedral [kəˈθiːdrəl] n.
A cathedral is an important and often large and beautifully built church.
→ The large cathedral is full of people on Sunday mornings.
- deprive [diˈpraiv] v.
To deprive someone of something means to not let them have it.
→ Because the child was bad, she was deprived of her dessert after dinner.
- drought [draut] n.
A drought is a long period of time in which little or no rain falls.
→ After three months of drought, the vegetation and trees started dying.
- eligible [ˈelidʒəbəl] adj.
If someone is eligible, then they are permitted to do or have something.
→ Only people who bought tickets were eligible to win a prize.
- fast [fæst] v.
To fast means to go without food or drink for a period of time.
→ In her religion, they fast for five days and then have a big feast.
- grumble [ˈgrʌmbəl] v.
To grumble means to complain.
→ He grumbled about having to work late on Friday.
- inland [ˈinlənd] adv.
If someone goes inland, they travel into the center of a country or land.
→ The river curved inland near the campground.
- moisture [ˈmɔistʃər] n.
Moisture is small drops of water in the air or on a surface.
→ If you breathe on a window, moisture from your breath collects on the glass.
- nonetheless [ˌnʌnðəˈles] adv.
If something happens nonetheless, then it occurs despite some other thing.
→ She tried to keep the dog out of the mud, but it got dirty nonetheless.
- oath [ouθ] n.
An oath is a formal, often public, promise.
→ Judges must take an oath to be fair to everyone in court.
- prairie [ˈprɛəri] n.
A prairie is a large flat area of grassland.
→ The prairie was perfect for a farm because there were hills and trees.
- ragged [ˈrægid] adj.
If something is ragged, then it is old, torn, and falling apart.
→ They could see his toes through the holes in his ragged shoes.
- rugged [ˈrʌgid] adj.
If an area of land is rugged, then it is rocky and difficult to travel through.
→ Their car couldn’t make it far along the rugged roads.
- scarce [ˈskɛə:rs] adj.
If something is scarce, then it is in a very small amount.
→ When gasoline was scarce, we rode our bikes, instead of driving, to school.
- speculate [ˈspekjəleit] v.
To speculate means to guess about something.
→ My sister looked at the sky and speculated that it would rain tomorrow.
