I use LingQ to expand my vocabulary in many languages, including English. From time to time, I share here a selection of my lingQs in English, which consists mostly of unusual words which I, for some reason, consider intriguing. Below is the second set of words. Beware: Only one meaning of every word is included.
ere long /ɛərˈlɔŋ/ – (archaic) before long; soon.
… they will return ere long to their own land …
… they will return ere long to their own land …
strain /streɪn/ – any of the various lines of ancestry united in an individual or a family; ancestry or lineage. In biology also a group of organisms of the same species.
… Nature publishes details of bird flu strain that could spread among people …
… Nature publishes details of bird flu strain that could spread among people …
to allot /əˈlɒt/ – to divide or distribute by share or portion; to appropriate for a special purpose.
… to allow individuals to allot study time to the material …
… to allow individuals to allot study time to the material …
to avenge /əˈvɛndʒ/ – to take a revenge; to inflict a punishment in retaliation for a harm done to a person.
… she avenged on the man who killed her daughter …
… she avenged on the man who killed her daughter …
comely /ˈkʌmli/ – pleasing in appearance; attractive.
… the photo shows a comely combination of objects …
… the photo shows a comely combination of objects …
creed /krid/ – any system, doctrine, or formula of religious belief.
… the bishops accepted a creed which repudiated arius’s doctrines …
… the bishops accepted a creed which repudiated arius’s doctrines …
deft /dɛft/ – dexterous; nimble; skillful; clever.
… he used deft, accurate strokes of the pen …
… he used deft, accurate strokes of the pen …
famine /ˈfæmɪn/ – extreme and general scarcity of food, as in a country or a large geographical area.
… by becoming a vegetarian, you will help to alleviate human famine by taking less out of the world’s finite resources …
… by becoming a vegetarian, you will help to alleviate human famine by taking less out of the world’s finite resources …
haunt /hɔnt/ – a place visited frequently.
… well-farmed countryside was their favourite haunt …
… well-farmed countryside was their favourite haunt …
mammillary /ˈmæməˌlɛri/ – pertaining to, or resembling a mammilla (i.e. a nipple).
… mammillary bodies are nipple-shaped parts of human brain …
… mammillary bodies are nipple-shaped parts of human brain …
All definitions are taken (sometimes in a modified form) from dictionary.reference.com or the Free Online Dictionary. Examples are modified sentences found over the Internet or in books.
Jakub Marian is a student of mathematics at Berlin Mathematical School. In addition to that, he's a passionate