Questions tagged [vocabulary]
The vocabulary tag should be used for questions discussing a multitude of words in a certain field. E.g., the vocabulary concerning money or the vocabulary concerning leatherworking.
2
votes
2answers
74 views
What do you call a person who take down notes using their gadgets like laptops or Smart phones?
Curiosity question though my friends called me "nerd Gadgets" because i always take down notes in class using my phone rather than the traditional pen and paper, but i think there is a better word to ...
0
votes
0answers
32 views
Conduct with decorum
I am pretty sure I misused the "conduct with decorum" phrase at today's IELTS test.
The context was that many people had been wasting tons of food, and I proposed several solutions to rectify the ...
0
votes
0answers
33 views
Meaning of 'very fine' when expressing a relationship
Example:
He is very fine to work with.
From the Cambridge dictionary I get two (relevant) meanings:
SATISFACTORY (adjective)
EXCELLENT (adjective)
To me these two meanings seem very different. ...
0
votes
0answers
20 views
Can I use the term pathology in this way?
I'm trying to help someone write a personal statement for a university but English is not my first language. So, this means that I am always learning in the process. I suggested this sentence to her: "...
0
votes
3answers
101 views
A word for something that is impossible to be sure of? [closed]
A noun for something that you cannot prove; something you can never be sure of actually happening/being real?
-1
votes
1answer
25 views
Is There a Word for This? A Dream Come True
Suppose you had a dream (something that exists physically) in your childhood. Now after a long time, someone gives you a little replica of that long-lost dream leaving you romantically amazed and ...
0
votes
0answers
21 views
Verb for the noun “outreach” as a form of science promotion
The noun outreach is often used to describe a form of scientific education to the public as a sort of promotion of scientific projects, e.g. at NASA or here for the Square Kilometer Array Telescope.
...
0
votes
1answer
24 views
Single word for disturbance time
How do you express the disturbance time. Lets say in a project management setting when you have allotted one week for certain task but then realize that there can be 2 days float due to holiday or ...
0
votes
0answers
61 views
Can you describe a person as short stalk?
Can you refer to a person as follows:
A man of short stalk met him at the bar.
Normally, stalk refers to a part of a plant.
Or, is it: A man of short stock met him at the bar.
3
votes
1answer
54 views
What words frequently collocate with “-wise”? [closed]
Would it make any sense if just combined any nouns with with -wise? For example, Aesthetic-wise? Money-wise?
0
votes
3answers
66 views
What words go together with savvy? Business-savvy? Technology-savvy? [closed]
Are there rules to matching words with savvy?
0
votes
2answers
30 views
What would be a good quote or saying that says that “good quality is easily apparent?”
I'm trying to express that it's easy to tell when something is high quality. What would be a word, or better yet, a quote from literature, that expresses this?
1
vote
1answer
71 views
Is there a word for “the day after overmorrow” and “the day before ereyesterday”?
I know overmorrow (the day after tomorrow) and ereyesterday (the day before yesterday) themselves are obsolete alike. I would like to know whether English has ever had words for one day farther than ...
1
vote
1answer
39 views
Can we use 'inquisitive questions'?
Inquisitive means curious or questioning. So would using 'inquisitive' as an adjective for questions be redundant?
0
votes
1answer
41 views
Levels of an object's luminosity
Is there a concise list somewhere of terms used to describe a range of "brightness" or "luminosity"? Say from dim to blinding as an example. I tried Googling it and searching Wikipedia, but all I got ...
0
votes
2answers
42 views
Is advanced notification the right term to use?
If someone visit you or your company without notification prior to the visit, what is the right term to use?
e.g. someone visit the office without advanced notification?
Please help me think of the ...
1
vote
1answer
54 views
Undergo vs Suffer an accident
I was doing a CAE Practice Test on Use of English (It is a multiple choice exercise) when I came across the following example:
Her life was cut tragically short. She ______ a horrific accident at
...
-1
votes
1answer
25 views
A trajectory along vs across vs through three points
If I'm going from a point A to B and then to C... (Or with events of your life).
Would you say?
Along, across or through the three points.
Along, across or through the trajectory/path.
Maybe ...
-3
votes
2answers
44 views
Meaning of “Unexpected Quarters”
I am unable to find a satisfactory meaning of "Unexpected Quarters". According to my interpretation, it means "unexpected ways". But would love if someone can throw some light on this.
I searched in ...
2
votes
3answers
59 views
A word that means “lacking meaning/context because displaced” (besides “anachronistic”)
If something is out of place in time, we call it anachronistic. I want a word that means something lacks meaning or context because of geographic or conceptual displacement rather than chronological ...
1
vote
1answer
40 views
The Person who become indifferent after they have achieved their goal
I want to know what do we call a person who becomes suddenly indifferent after they have achieved what they were looking for.
In my mother tongue, there is an idiom for that, Turning eyes but it ...
22
votes
4answers
3k views
What is a word for ascribing divine characteristics to a machine?
We use anthropomorphize to describe when human qualities have been ascribed to non-human creatures, objects, etc.
What is a word to that captures the situation when seemingly divine (or godlike) ...
0
votes
2answers
27 views
conceptual but not literal opposite of supererogatory
What is the conceptual opposite of "supererogatory"???
Suberogatory?
So we have three fields:
Morally impermissible= must not do
Morally required= must do
Morally permissible= can do or can not ...
0
votes
3answers
61 views
The difference between go in and go into something
What's the difference between those two sentences?
I went in knowing that no matter what happened...
I went into this knowing that no matter what happened...
(my understanding: I ...
-1
votes
1answer
30 views
love vs like, His mother loves him vs His mother likes him?
What does a native English speaker understand from each one of these sentences :
His mother loves him
His mother likes him
is like only a weak version of love or imply a different meaning ?
1
vote
0answers
17 views
singular/plural mix up and vocab word confusion
Two questions on these two sentences:
Throughout my PhD I intend to give talks to local underserved middle/high school science classes in the hopes that I can encourage students to consider an ...
-1
votes
1answer
53 views
What do you call a person who does not stand up for themselves [closed]
What do you call a person who does not stand up for themselves? I'm looking for a word to describe how a slave thought of his kind back before the Civil War started. The word have to be a synonym to ...
3
votes
1answer
32 views
Can we use “of the now” with the verb?
I found this phrase in the Vogue article:
His style, with its healthy punch of dork factor, is of the now in a
way that is similar to Post Malone’s very self-aware, disheveled,
sleazy look.
...
6
votes
4answers
561 views
What is the word for damage to cloth caused by contact with a sharp point? [closed]
If you are wearing jeans and brush up against a thorn bush, the fabric may be damaged by a thorn hooking on the fabric and pulling one or more threads away from the surface of the fabric, leaving a ...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
Which is the right phrase? [closed]
I came across a line "Once you decide to apply, make sure your CV is short, make sense and is without ___ of any kind". Is it "errors" or "an error" and why?
0
votes
3answers
60 views
Meaning of “For Brokes”
I want to know if the use of "For Brokes" mean what I think because I'm not a native person.
If I want to sell things to people withouth money (broke person), the things that I sell are really cheap ...
1
vote
1answer
72 views
'Quite a lot' vs 'a lot'
Do these two phrases have the same meaning?
He met a lot of people in London.
He met quite a lot of people in London.
or
I swim a lot.
I swim quite a lot.
Do the above sentences in ...
40
votes
21answers
8k views
A word or a phrase for “completely optimised, thoroughly researched technology” [closed]
I am looking for a word or phrase which can be used in the sentence:
It is a rather old, but _________________ technology.
The word or phrase should address a technology that is totally ...
1
vote
1answer
26 views
Word for writing over letter or shape
I'm looking for word or phrase which would describe the action of writing over letter or shape in order to practice fine motor skills and writing of that particular letter.
E.g. you get outline of the ...
0
votes
2answers
50 views
correct verb to be used with “aim”
is it correct to say to "meet aims"? I know we can say she fulfilled or achieved her aims , but can I also say " she met her aims"?
0
votes
1answer
51 views
Neglecting women in every field
Why do we say 'chairman' for men and 'chairperson' for women? Why don't we use 'chairperson' for both?
It's a neutral word a single word can used for both.
Also, why do we use 'man-made' ...
0
votes
1answer
61 views
Meaning of “gopher” as a job? [closed]
Would you please explain to me what does “gopher” mean as a job? The dictionary says it means someone who run errands but I cannot understand it.
Thanks in advance.
0
votes
1answer
49 views
what does the word “process” mean in this sentence? [closed]
I would like to ask this question to an IRS representative for getting information about whether my application is still in progress or if the process completed without any problem? Is this the right ...
0
votes
1answer
72 views
When is it okay to use weasel words?
When is it okay to use 'weasel words', like may, might, could, perhaps, possibly, potentially etc.?
Is it at all acceptable to use them in an essay, e.g. a History essay?
0
votes
4answers
68 views
What's the word that means “The following assumption is true if it gives the right result”?
What's the word that means "I'm assuming this for the time being and upon using the assumption, if I get the correct answer, then it proves that the assumption is true"
Our teacher regularly assumes ...
2
votes
1answer
52 views
Word for hidden or implicit social policing?
I am looking for a word or phrase meaning a system of social policing, the operation of which is implicit, or is explicitly hidden. Examples include:
Salem Witch Trials.
The Gestapo.
Secret youth ...
0
votes
1answer
25 views
Meaning of “furniture” [closed]
What does Mary Karr mean by the word furniture in the sentence: "But when you're a kid and something big is going on, you might as well be furniture for all anybody says to you"?
-1
votes
0answers
28 views
Engineering English [duplicate]
He was hungry so I fed him.
She was hungry so I fed her.
They were hungry so I fed them.
It was hungry so I fed it.
X was hungry so I fed Y.
What X and Y should I start using here so that the ...
1
vote
1answer
39 views
What does “hit” mean in today's headline?
Can anybody tell me the meaning of "hit" in this CNN headline: "British bank takes $125 million hit from Brexit risks".
I've looked up the word in several dictionaries, but I can't find any suitable ...
0
votes
3answers
39 views
How to properly use gear up?
Does the following sentence seem natural to native English speakers?
"I have been gearing up for a career in XXX since then."
Also, does this sound formal?
If not, what do you recommend instead?
...
-1
votes
2answers
68 views
I need to know what would you call someone that “Believes everyone is the same” such as addicts/alcholics [closed]
I hate STIGMA , I am bipolar and a recovering addict. I get treated the same as someone who is still being destructive.
I AM SICK OF PEOPLE JUDGING ME AND NOT GIVING ME CHANCES because the term "...
2
votes
1answer
28 views
What's the meaning of ninja in a technological article?
I always saw some articles which use ninja to refer to a person. What does it mean in a technological article?
True path to become a JavaScript Ninja
I guess maybe it means master or guru. If that'...
0
votes
1answer
39 views
To be form or ING form?
I have a problem about starting sentences with to be from of the verbs or gerund ones. I have read the similar articles here and some on the net but they are so confusing.
Could you please tell me ...
21
votes
8answers
3k views
Can 'nook' be used outside the saying 'nook and cranny'? Is it common?
I'm looking for an English word that describes something comfortable: a safe space that one prefers to chill out in quiet solitude, and something that depicts a sentiment of familiarity.
I would like ...
0
votes
4answers
63 views
Term for an image that briefly appears on computer screen
What do you call an image, usually fragmented, that appears on a computer screen for a split second, such as when a webpage is loading or an app is launching? I know the term exists, but can't ...
