4000 Essential English Words 6 Unit 19: Seizures Then and Now
Word List
- airway [ˈɛərwei] n.
An airway is the passage by which air reaches a person’s lungs.
→ Since he was sick, mucus would occasionally get stuck in his airway.
- Almighty [ɔːlˈmaiti] n.
The Almighty is a name for a god in a religion.
→ Before eating, they thanked the Almighty for their food.
- advent [ˈædvənt] n.
An advent is the arrival or beginning of an important person, thing, or event.
→ During the advent of radio, very few programs actually played music.
- constellation [ˌkɒnstəˈleiʃən] n.
A constellation is a group of stars with a recognizable shape.
→ That constellation in the shape of a square is named after a flying horse.
- definitive [diˈfinətiv] adj.
If something is definitive, then it is the most official.
→ This library has the definitive collection of books on ancient Egypt.
- equate [iˈkweit] v.
To equate one thing with another is to compare them and consider them very similar.
→ She equated the man’s messy appearance with a lack of responsibility.
- inhale [inˈheil] v.
To inhale means to take air or a smell into the lungs.
→ The camper inhaled the cool and fresh mountain air and felt relaxed.
- invoke [inˈvouk] v.
To invoke something is to mention it to support an argument or ask for help.
→ Before going into battle, the soldier invoked the name of his god for protection.
- lunar [ˈluːnər] adj.
If something is lunar, then it is related to the moon.
→ During a lunar eclipse, Earth’s shadow darkens the moon’s surface.
- novelty [ˈnɒvəlti] n.
A novelty is something that is new, original, or strange.
→ Ice cream was a novelty for him since he rarely had any.
- outmoded [ˌautˈmoudid] adj.
If something is outmoded, then it is no longer in fashion or use.
→ Black and white television sets are outmoded.
- personalize [ˈpəːrsənəlaiz] v.
To personalize something means to design it to meet a person’s unique needs.
→ He personalized the woman’s exercises to give her a better workout.
- pertain [pəːrˈtein] v.
To pertain to something means to be related or connected to it.
→ All of the lawyer’s questions pertained to events around the night of the crime.
- primal [ˈpraiməl] adj.
If something is primal, then it is very basic or related to the origin of something.
→ Cooking the food over the camp fire felt like a primal way of making a meal.
- psychiatric [ˌsaikiˈætrik] adj.
If something is psychiatric, then it is related to mental illness or its treatment.
→ The doctor said the patient might have a psychiatric problem.
- psychiatry [saiˈkaiətri] n.
Psychiatry is the study and treatment of mental illness.
→ Studying psychiatry has taught me a lot about mental illness.
- reflex [ˈriːfleks] n.
A reflex is an unconscious action in which a body part responds to an event.
→ There was a reflex when the doctor hit his knee with a rubber hammer.
- seizure [ˈsiːʒər] n.
A seizure is sudden illness in which the body loses control and shakes.
→ Bright flashing lights can cause seizures in children.
- session [ˈseʃən] n.
A session is a meeting at a regular time in order to discuss and solve an issue.
→ Every three months the managers met in a session to discuss regional sales.
- utensil [juːˈtensəl] n.
A utensil is a common tool or container.
→ It seemed that a fork was the wrong utensil for trying to eat the soup.
