Plants, trees and metaphorsthe seeds of sth: often used to talk about the start of an idea or feelingthe roots of sth: used to suggest the origins of sthputting down roots: settling down and making your home in one placetake root: when an idea becomes known or acceptedstem from: used to signify that sth originates in sth elsenipped in the bud: stopped before it develops into sthbudding: showing promise or future developmentbranch: sth that grows off (branches out) from a main organization. weed out: get rid ofprune back: cut/limitreap the reward: get results fromdig up: discovergerminate: begin to developsprout: appear quickly in large numbersflourish: do very wellshed: losefade: become smallershrivel: become lesswilt: lose energywither: make the recipient feel scornedEnvironment and conservationshrinking habitats: places where animals live and breed which are decreasing in sizeendangered species: types of animals/plants which are in danger of no longer existingglobal warming: steady rise in average world temperaturesclimate change: changes in the weather/climatecarbon dioxide emissions: carbon dioxide gas from factories cars etc.fossil fuels: coal oil etc.greenhouse effect: warming of the !arth"s surface caused by pollutionexert severe pressure on: formal: put pressure onfinite resources: limited resourcesecological balance: balance of natural relationships in the environmentdeforestation: destruction/clearing of forestsdemographic pro#ections: forecasts about the populationthe worst case scenarios: the worst possibilities for the futurepristine environments: perfectly clean/untouched/unspoilt areasgreen credentials: reputation for positive support of the environmentprophets of doom and gloom: people who always make the most depressing or pessimistic forecasts for the futuresustainable development: development of industry etc. which does not threaten the environment or social and economic stabilitypiecemeal conservation: carrying out conservation one bit at a time with no overall planAuthorities: customs and policelanding card: form with your personal details and date of arrivalcustoms declaration form: form showing how much money and what goods you are carryingvaccination certificate: paper proving you have had the necessary health in#ectionsentry restrictions: rules about who can enter a country and for how longspot checks: checks done without warningrandom checks: checks done without warningsniffer dogs: specially trained dogs who can smell drugs and bombsclear customs: take your bags through customsport of entry: the port or airport where you first enter a countrypolitical asylum: permission to stay in another country to avoid political persecution back homeeconomic migrants: people who try to enter from poorer countries #ust to get workoffence: offence is a formal word for an illegal actionfixed penalty: fixed sum payable for a particular offenceon$the$spot fine: fine payable at the time and place that you commit the offenceparking tickets: papers placed on driver"s windscreens fining them for illegal parkingbreathalyzer: an instrument which you blow into that shows if you have consumed alcohol recentlymake a statement: say what happened and sign a copy of itstop$and$search: power to stop people and search them in the streetsurveillance camera: cameras that record everything that happenssearch warrant: official permission from a #udge or magistrate to search your housesecurity forces: often a name for the army and police together enforcing the lawplain clothes police: police who do not wear uniformundercover police: police who do not wear uniformparamilitary police: police who are more like soldiers than civilian police officersdrug squad: police specially trained to fight the illegal drug tradeanti$corruption squad: police specially trained to discover and fight bribery/corruptionHistoryabsolute power: %hurchill said that all power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely.succeed one another to the throne: kings and queens succeed one another to the throne according to the laws of succession.laws of succession: kings and queens succeed one another to the throne according to thelaws of succession.accedes to the throne: a new monarch accedes to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies.heir apparent: the eldest son of the current monarch is the heir apparent with other close relatives said to be say second third or fourth in line to the throne.second third or fourth in line to the throne: the eldest son of the current monarch is the heir apparent with other close relatives said to be say second third or fourth in line to the throne.&egent: if the eldest son is too young to reign then a regent may take his place until he reaches a suitable age.'retender: there have been times in history when a pretender has laid claim to the throne saying that it should rightfully belong to him rather than to the person proclaimed king.laid claim to: there have been times in history when a pretender has laid claim to the throne saying that it should rightfully belong to him rather than to the person proclaimed king.proclaimed king: there have been times in history when a pretender has laid claim to thethrone saying that it should rightfully belong to him rather than to the person proclaimed king.(epose: in other words he is trying to depose that king and to seize power for himself.seize power: in other words he is trying to depose that king and to seize power for himself.usurp power: his opponents would say that such a pretender is trying to usurp power.fall from power: if he succeeds then the person whose place he takes can be said to fall from power.abuse power: a person who does not use power well can be said to abuse power.feudal: relating to a social system strictly organised according to rank typical of e.g. !urope in the )iddle *gesmedieval: of or from the )iddle *ges i.e. +,,,$+-,, *(&enaissance: period of new growth of interest and activity in the arts especially in !urope in the +.th to +/th centuries0ictorian: relating to the period +123$+4,+ when 0ictoria was 5ueen of 6ritain associated with values of self$control hard work loyalty strong religious beliefsinfantry: soldiers on footcavalry: soldiers on horsebacklegion: roman army(suit of) armour: metal protective clothing worn by soldierschariot: two$wheeled vehicle pulled by a horse and used in ancient times for racing and wargalleon: large sailing ship with three or four masts used in trade and war in the +-th to +1th centuriesstagecoach: covered vehicle pulled by horses that carried passengers and goods on regular routescart: open vehicle with two or four wheels and pulled by an animalserf: person working on the land who legally belongs to his master#ester: person who entertained people in the )iddle *ges with #okesminstrel: person who entertained people in the )iddle *ges with music and poetryhighwayman: man on horseback who robbed travellers on roadsThe language of lawto abrogate a law/treaty: to bring a law/treaty to an official endto bend the law/rules: to break the law/rules in a way that is considered not to be harmfulto contravene a law: to break a lawto impeach a president/governor: to make a formal statement saying that a person in public office has committed a serious offenceto infringe someone"s rights: to prevent a person doing what they are legally allowed to doto lodge an appeal: to make an official appealto uphold/overturn a verdict: to say that a previous decision was correct/incorrectto pervert the course of #ustice: to put obstacles in the way of #ustice being doneto set a precedent: to establish a decision which must in !nglish law be taken into account in future decisionsto award/grant custody to: to give one parent or adult the main responsibility for a childespecially after separation or divorceto annul a marriage/agreement/law: to declare that it no longer exists and never existeddiscrimination: unfair treatment on grounds of sex race or nationality7 discriminate (against)embezzlement: stealing money that is in your care or belongs to an organisation that youwork for7 embezzle7 embezzlerharassment: making a person feel anxious and unhappy (sometimes for sexual reasons sometimes to get say a debt repaid)7 harassinsider trading/dealing: illegal buying and selling of shares by someone who has specialist knowledge of a company7 do/practise insider dealing/ trading7 insider trader/dealer#oyriding: driving around for en#oyment in a car you have stolen7 #oyride7 #oyridermoney laundering: moving money obtained illegally so that its origin cannot be traced7 launder money7 money launderper#ury: lying when under oath7 commit per#ury7 per#urertrespass: go onto someone else"s land without permission7 trespass7 trespassercivil court: matters relating to say divorce are of course dealt with in a civil court ratherthan a criminal court.8ndictable: more serious criminal offences are said to be indictablesummary offences: summary offences are less serious and can be tried in a lower level of courtstatutory: if a worker feels that his or her statutory rights have been infringeddiscretionary: an arbitrator has discretionary powers to rule on the 8i disputebinding: the arbitrator"s decision is binding on both sidesThe media: printobituary: description of the lifes of famous people who have #ust diedleader: editorial7 an article giving the newspaper editor"s opinioneditorial: leader7 an article giving the newspaper editor"s opinionclassified ads: pages of advertisements in different categoriessupplements: separate magazines included with the newspaperfeature: an article or set of articles devoted to a particular topicagony column: section in a paper or magazine that deal with readers" private emotional problemsagony aunt: person typically woman who answers letters in the agony columnpamphlet: small book with a soft cover dealing with a specific topic often politicalleaflet: booklet7 single sheet or folded sheets of paper giving information about somethingbrochure: small thin book like a magazine which gives information often about travel or company etc.prospectus: small thin book like a magazine which gives information often about a school college university or companyflyer: single sheet giving information about some event special offer often given out in the streetbooklet: leaflet7 small thin book with a soft cover often giving information about somethingmanual: book of detailed instructions how to use somethingAdvertisinginnovative: original and interestingunsurpassed: you are emphasizing that it is better or greater than anything else of its kind7 unrivalledleave other something standing: are much better than other thingsput other candidates in the shade: make candidates from other courses seem insignificantleave other candidates in the shade: make candidates from other courses seem insignificantrock$bottom: extremely lowslashed: dramatically reduced6argains galore: a huge number of products on sale at ridiculously low pricespamper yourself: treat yourself to something luxuriousindulge yourself: allow yourself something en#oyablesumptuous: rich and special7 collocates most strongly with words relating to food and furnishingsopulent: rich and special7 with words relating to lifestylein the lap of luxury: in a very luxurious wayscientifically designed: 0acuum cleaner scientifically designed to help you exercise as you use it.proven: shown by researchstate$of$the$art: meaning the very latest technologystand out in the crowd: be noticedtantalizingly: temptinglyfetching: attractivealluring: attractivealliteration: repetition of a soundbillboards: very large boards used for advertisingflyers: sheets of printed information advertising somethingtrailers: brief excerpts from a film 90 or radio programme which are used to advertise itsky$writing: words written in the sky using smoke from a planesandwich boards: advertising posters hung at the back and front of a person who then walks around a busy areaplug: advertiseThe news: gathering and deliveringpressure groups: people trying to influence what other people think about a particular issueair their views: express their opinionsseek publicity: want to reach a wider audiencepress conferences: meetings to give information to and answer questions from the pressissue a statement: give a formal announcement to the pressissue press release: give a formal announcement to the presssound bite: short memorable sentence or phrase that will be repeated in news bulletins and articlessilly season: time of year summer in the :; when there is not much happening and trivial stories end up on the front pagetapping useful sources: making use of people or organisations which regularly provide newsmonitoring: regularly checkingcolumn inches: spaceput their own gloss on a story: present a story in a particular wayput their own spin on a story: present a story in a particular waymuck$raking: collecting scandal (informal and disapproving)rag: is an informal word for a newspaper and it suggests that it is not of very high qualitythe gutter press: the gutter press is a disapproving term used about the kind of newspapers and magazines that are more interested in crime and sex than serious news.a glossy: a glossy is an expensive magazine printed on good quality paper.copy: #ournalists produce copy which has to be ready for a deadline.deadline: #ournalists produce copy which has to be ready for a deadline.goes to press: when everything is ready the newspaper goes to press.stop press: a very important story that comes in after going to press may find its way into a stop press column.hot off the press: a very new newspaper or story can be said to be hot off the press.exclusive: a story that is only to be found in one newspaper is an exclusive.scoop: ascoop is a story discovered and published by one newspaper before all the others.hit the headlines: a ma#or story can be said to hit the headlines on the day it is published.story breaks: at that time the story breaks or becomes public knowledge.receive a lot of coverage: if it is an important story it will receive a lot of r coverage or space in the press.libel or defamation of character: a newspaper may be taken to court for libel or defamation of character if it publishes an untrue story that harms a person"s reputation.back copies: if you are doing research into a news event you may want to get hold of some previous issues of newspapers or back copiescuttings: you may wish to make a folder of cuttings from the papers about the eventspin doctor: the person who manipulates things so a politician looks better to the publicSpace: expanse and confinementwide open places: large area without buildings or treeswere scattered: covered a wide areaspread out: not close to anotherthere isn"t enough room to swing a cat: very smallpacked in like sardinesto many people in small placelabyrinth: vast and complexclaustrophobia: fear to be small placesagoraphobia: fear to be in open spacescrammed into: all close to each othersqueeze in: betweenstuff in: put it inextensive: covering or affecting a large area (large in amount or scale)spacious: (especially of a room or building) having ample spaceroomy: (especially of accommodation) having plenty of room7 spacious.rambling: (o a building or path) spreading or winding irregularly in various directions / (of writing or speech) lengthy and confused or inconsequentialramble: to walk without any particular ob#ectivecramped: (negative) uncomfortably small or restrictedpoky: (informal) uncomfortably small and cramped:congested: (of a road or place) so crowded with traffic or people as to hinder or prevent freedom of movement compact: closely and neatly packed together7 denseTime: sequence and durationonce in a blue moon: very infrequentlyall his born days: all his lifein a mo: very soon7 mo and sec are short for "moment" and "secondin a sec: very soon7 mo and sec are short for "moment" and "secondin less than no time: very soon7 mo and sec are short for "moment" and "secondin a #iffy: very soon7 mo and sec are short for "moment" and "secondfor yonks: for a long timefor donkey"s years: for a long timesince the year dot: for a long timetill the cows come home: forevertill hell freezes over: foreverfor keeps: to keep foreverin the nick of time: only #ust in timeover the hill: too oldpast it: too oldhas$been: person who is no longer famousin a flash: very quicklyat a rate of knots: very quicklyfleeting: brief or quicktransient: lasting for only a short time (formal)persistent: lasting for a long time or hard to stop or get rid ofinexorable: continuing without hope of being stopped (formal)incipient: #ust beginning (formal)pristine: unchanged from its original condition (formal)protracted: lasting for a long time or made to last longer (formal)lingering: taking a long time to leave or disappearotion: nuances of pace and movementlimp: uneven7 one leg hurtshobble: awkward7 shoes too tight feet hurtstagger: unsteady7 drunk illstumble: nearly falling7 uneven surfacelurch: sudden or irregular7 drunk ill walking on moving ship etc.tiptoe: quiet on toes7 not to be heardamble: easy gentle7 pleasure or relaxation no special aimstride: long steps7 purposefulstrut: proud chest held out7 to look importanttramp: firm heavy steps7 walking for a long timetrample: pressing repeatedly with feet7 often wishing to destroystamp: pushing foot down heavenly7 anger or #ust heavy$footedtrudge: heavy slow with difficulty7 tiredchase: quickly7 wanting to catch something or someonestaggeringly: amazinglytake * in her stride: take * calmlyflowed: go from one place to another in a steady stream typically in large numbersspilled out: (of a number of people) move out of somewhere quicklystreamed:(of a mass of people or things) move in a continuous flow in aspecified directionpouring: come or go in a steady stream and in large numberstrickle: come or go slowly or graduallymeander: (of a river or road) follow a winding courseflooding: an overflow of a large amount of water beyond its normal limits especially over what isnormally dry landanner: !ehaviour and !ody languagemind my 's and 5s: make an effort to be politeelders and betters: people older than youcourtesy: politenessprim or starchy: very formal and correct7 without humourstrait$laced: very formal and correct7 without humourprissy: very formal and correct7 without humouretiquette: formal rules of behaviourgentlemanly or ladylike: polite in a rather formal wayoiling the wheels of: making easieroffhand: casual slightly rudestand on ceremony: insist on formal behaviourflutter your eyelashes: flirting7 formal rules of behaviourraise your or others" eyebrows:surprise or shock (either showing or causing)7 either aperson or behaviour can raise eyebrowstwitch: nervousness7 repeated small movements with part of the bodyflinch: pain of fear7 sudden small movementsquirm:embarrassment ornervousness7movefromsidetosideonyourchairinanawkward waysmirk: self$satisfaction7 smile (negative associations)beam: happiness7 broad smile (positive associations)sniff at something: disapproval7 you also sniff when you have a runny nosesnort: disgust or great amusement7 make an explosive sound by forcing air quickly up ordown the nosetitter: nervousness or embarrassment7 small laughSound: from noise to silencesilent: without noise or not talking7 used for people and things that are perhaps unexpectedly or surprisingly quietquiet: without much noise or activity or not talking muchnoiseless: without noise7 usually used as an adverb in formal or literary stylesoundless: without sound7 usually used as an adverb in formal or literary style to indicate an unexpected lack of soundslam: close with a loud bangsqueak: used for high irritating noisepound: used for dull beating soundcreak: used for noise of friction of wood and/or metalsizzle: used for sound made by fryingring out: typically used for the sound of a gunshotcrash:used for loud heavy noise typically used for waveshoot/toot: used for sound made by a car hornwail: make a rising and falling soundhammer: knock very loudly and repeatedlyeerie sound: rather scary sounddeafening: extremely and painfully loudgrating voices: unpleasant irritating voicespiercing scream: high noise that hurts the earshigh$pitched: a constantly high levelyou could have heard a pin drop: there was total silence8 can"t hear myself think: said when people are making too much noisepeace and quiet: calm and quiet period after a noisy timeas quiet as a mouse: very quiet indeed"eight and densityweighty: abstract and physical things7 usually includes the idea of "seriousnessunwieldy: abstract and physical things7 usually includes the idea of "difficult to handlecumbersome: often used for machines and equipment that are difficult to handle7 also used for systems structures etcburdensome: usually used of abstract thingsponderous: usually used of abstract things "serious" but with more of a negative connotationlumbering: usually used of physical things7 often suggesting "heavy movementbeing weighed down: carrying very heavy thingsweigh up: consider and compareweigh out: weigh a quantity of loose goodsweigh on me: trouble my mindweigh in: add more points to the argumentthicken: make thickersift: shake it in a sieve to separate the grainsgo lumpy: have solid pieces in itcongeal: become thick and solidsolidify: become solidthin: make thinnerdilute it / water it down: add waterthin out: become less denseimpenetrable: impossible to move throughimpermeable: no liquid or gas can pass throughimpervious: liquid cannot pass through#olour: range and intensitypitch black: intensely black used about darkness night etc. #et black: intensely black used about hair eyes etc. scarlet: brilliant red the colour of traditional 6ritish letter boxescrimson: strong deep redshocking pink: an extremely bright pinkginger: orangey red used about hair and catsnavy: dark blue used about clothes not eyesturquoise: greenish blue used about fabrics paint sea etc. but not usually eyesbeige: a light creamy brownmousy: a light not very interesting brown used only about hairchestnut: a deep reddish brown used about hair and horsesauburn: a red$brown colour usually used about hairprimary colours: red blue and yellow are primary colours by mixing them together youcan make other colours.pastel colours: pastel colours are pale shades of colourmauve: pale purplestrong colours: strong colours are the opposite of pastels.vivid colours: vivid colours are strong bright colours like scarlet or turquoise.7pronographic or indecentlyreferringtosex =bluemovie blue #oke>7 physical or unskilled =blue$collar workers>.red: anger =to see red ? to be angry>7 danger =red alert a red flag>7 special importance7=red carpet treatment the day we met will always be a red-letter day for me>7 left$wingin politics =red point of view>7 bureaucracy =red tape>green:nausea =to look green>7envy =to turn green of envy>7care for the environment=green tourism the @reen party>7 parks gardens and green spaces are the green belt.black: depressing or without hope =a black future>7 anger =to look as black as thunder>7illegality or incorrectness =black market black sheep of the family black mark>. grey: lack of clarity =a grey area>7 brains =grey matter grey cells>white:purity =white as snow whiter than white>7 being pale =Ahe was afraid and wentwhiteasasheet>7 terrifying=awhiteknucklerideat athemepark>7officeworkers=white$collar workers>brown: to be very annoyed =8Bm really browned off right now>golden: incredible the best =a golden opportunity>7 reward when youBre living a #ob =agolden handshake>7 favorite =your golden boy>yellow: cowardice =to be yellow$bellied>.