Mysterious stranger Drowse – verb: [intransitive

Mysterious stranger

Drowse – verb: [intransitive]to be in a light sleep or almost asleep. My mother was sitting on the porch drowsing in the sun.

Solitude – noun: [uncountable]the state of being alone, especially when you find this pleasant. SYN: PRIVACY. She longed for peace and solitude. I returned to the solitude of my room. He shut himself away to pray in solitude.

Tranquil – adjective: (formal) quiet and peaceful SYN: SERENE.a tranquil scene the tranquil waters of the lake. She led a tranquil life in the country. tranquillity (BrE) (NAmE also tranquility)noun [uncountable]an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. tranquilly adverb

Lofty – adjective: (loftier, loftiest) (formal)1 (of buildings, mountains, etc.) very high and impressive. lofty ceilings/rooms/towers 2 [usually before noun](approving) (of a thought, an aim, etc.) deserving praise because of its high moral quality. lofty ambitions/ideals/principles. 3 (disapproving) showing a belief that you are worth more than other people. SYN: HAUGHTY. her lofty disdain for other people. loftily adverb. Loftinessnoun [uncountable]

Orgy – noun: (pl. orgies)1 a party at which there is a lot of eating, drinking and sexual activity. a drunken orgy 2 ~ (of sth) (disapproving) an extreme amount of a particular activity. The rebels went on an orgy of killing. an orgy of spending

Pester – verb: [transitive,intransitive] to annoy sb, especially by asking them sth many times SYN: BADGER. ~ sb for sth Journalists pestered neighbours for information. ~ sb with sth He has been pestering her with phone calls for over a week. ~ sb/sth The horses were continually pestered by flies. ~ (sb to do sth) The kids kept pestering me to read to them.

Dread - verb, nounverb: to be very afraid of sth; to fear that sth bad is going to happen. ~ sth This was the moment he had been dreading. ~ doing sth I dread being sick. ~ sb doing sth She dreads her husband finding out. ~ to do sth I dread to think what would happen if there really was a fire here.~ that… I both hoped and dreaded that he would come. Noun: [uncountable,countable,usually singular]a feeling of great fear about sth that might or will happen in the future; a thing that causes this feeling. The prospect of growing old fills me with dread . She has an irrational dread of hospitals. The committee members live in dread of (= are always worried about) anything that may cause a scandal. My greatest dread is that my parents will find out.

Flippant - (also informal flip)adjective. showing that you do not take sth as seriously as other people think you should. a flippant answer/attitude. Sorry, I didn't mean to sound flippant. You can't afford to be flippant about such matters. Flippancynoun [uncountable]His flippancy conceals a deep insecurity. flippantlyadverb‘Oh dear,’ he said flippantly.

Scoff – verb: 1 [intransitive, transitive] ~ (at sb/sth) | + speech to talk about sb/sth in a way that makes it clear that you think they are stupid or ridiculous

SYN: MOCKHe scoffed at our amateurish attempts. Don't scoff—she's absolutely right. 2 (BrE)(NAmE scarf) [transitive] ~ (sth) (informal) to eat a lot of sth quickly. Who scoffed all the grapes?

Ruddy- adjective, adverbadjective: 1 ( of a person's face ) looking red and healthy. ruddy cheeks. a ruddy complexion 2 (literary) red in colour. a ruddy sky 3 [only before noun] (BrE, informal) a mild swear word that some people use to show that they are annoyed. I can't get the ruddy car to start! What the ruddy hell do you want? Adverb: (BrE, informal)a mild swear word used by some people to emphasize what they are saying, especially when they are annoyed. There was a ruddy great hole in the ceiling.

Splodge -(BrE) (also splotch NAmE, BrE)noun: a large mark or spot of ink, paint, mud, etc; a small area of colour or light. He had a splodge of oil on his cheek.

Intrepid – adjective: (formal, often humorous)very brave; not afraid of danger or difficulties. SYN: FEARLESS. an intrepid explorer

Congregation – noun: [countable + singular or plural verb]1 a group of people who are gathered together in a church to worship God, not including the priest and choir The congregation stood to sing the hymn. 2 the group of people who belong to a particular church and go there regularly to worship. Congregationaladjective. congregational singing

Defy – verb: (defies, defying, defied, defied)1 ~ sb/sth to refuse to obey or show respect for sb in authority, a law, a rule, etc. I wouldn't have dared to defy my teachers. Hundreds of people today defied the ban on political gatherings. 2 ~ belief, explanation, description, etc. to be impossible or almost impossible to believe, explain, describe, etc. a political move that defies explanation. The beauty of the scene defies description. 3 ~ sth to successfully resist sth to a very unusual degree. The baby boy defied all the odds and survived (= stayed alive when it seemed certain that he would die). I defy you/anyone to do sth. used to say that sb should try to do sth, as a way of emphasizing that you think it is impossible to do it. I defy anyone not to cry at the end of the film. I defy you to leave without buying something.

Tumble - verb, nounverb: 1 [intransitive, transitive] ~ (sb/sth) + adv./prep. to fall downwards, often hitting the ground several times, but usually without serious injury; to make sb/sth fall in this way. He slipped and tumbled down the stairs. 2 [intransitive] ~ (down) to fall suddenly and in a dramatic way. The scaffolding came tumbling down. (figurative) World records tumbled at the last Olympics. see also tumbledown. 3 [intransitive] to fall rapidly in value or amount. The price of oil is still tumbling. 4 [intransitive] + adv./prep. to move or fall somewhere in a relaxed, uncontrolled, or noisy way. I undressed and tumbled into bed. A group of noisy children tumbled out of the bus. The water tumbled over the rocks. Thick golden curls tumbled down over her shoulders. (figurative) Her words came tumbling out. 5 [intransitive] to perform acrobatics on the floor, especially somersaults (= a jump in which you turn over completely in the air). a tumbling troupe tumble to sth/sb (BrE, informal) to suddenly understand sth or be aware of sth. When did she tumble to what was going on? Noun: 1 [countable, usually singular] a sudden fall. The jockey took a nasty tumble at the third fence. Share prices took a sharp tumble following news of the merger. see also rough and tumble 2 [ singular ] ~ (of sth) an untidy group of things. a tumble of blond curls.

Robe- noun,verb noun: 1 a long loose outer piece of clothing, especially one worn as a sign of rank or office at a special ceremony. Coronation robes cardinals in scarlet robes. 2 = bathrobeverb: [usually passive] ~ sb/yourself (in sth) (formal)to dress sb/yourself in long loose clothes or in the way mentioned. a robed choir. The priests were robed in black.

Fraud – noun: 1 [uncountable, countable] the crime of cheating sb in order to get money or goods illegally. She was charged with credit card fraud. property that has been obtained by fraud. a $100 million fraud. 2 [ countable ] a person who pretends to have qualities, abilities, etc. that they do not really have in order to cheat other people. He's nothing but a liar and a fraud. She felt a fraud accepting their sympathy (= because she was not really sad). 3 [ countable ] something that is not as good, useful, etc. as people claim it is.

IDM: on the stocks - in the process of being made, built or prepared. Our new model is already on the stocks and will be available in the spring. put ˈstock in sth (especially NAmE) to have a particular amount of belief in sth. She no longer puts much stock in their claims. take ˈstock (of sth) to stop and think carefully about the way in which a particular situation is developing in order to decide what to do next. It was time to stand back and take stock of his career.more at lock, stock and barrel at lock n.see also stocktaking

Denounce– verb: 1 to strongly criticize sb/sth that you think is wrong, illegal, etc. ~ sb/sth She publicly denounced the government's handling of the crisis. ~ sb/sth as sth The project was denounced as a scandalous waste of public money. 2 to tell the police, the authorities, etc. about sb's illegal political activities.~ sb as sth They were denounced as spies. ~ sb (to sb) Many people denounced their neighbours to the secret police. see also denunciation

Implore – verb: (formal or literary)to ask sb to do sth in an anxious way because you want or need it very much. SYN: BESEECH, BEG. ~ sb to do sth She implored him to stay. ~ (sb) + speech ‘Help me,’ he implored. ~ sb Tell me it's true. I implore you. imploring adjective. She gave him an imploring look.

Frown - verb, noun verb: [intransitive, transitive]to make a serious, angry or worried expression by bringing your eyebrows closer together so that lines appear on your forehead. ~ (at sb/sth) What are you frowning at me for? She frowned with concentration. + speech ‘I don't understand,’ she frowned. ˈfrown on/upon sb/sth to disapprove of sb/sth. In her family, any expression of feeling was frowned upon. Noun: [usually singular]a serious, angry or worried expression on a person's face that causes lines on their forehead. A small frown creased her forehead. She looked up with a puzzled frown on her face. A slight frown of disapproval/concentration, etc.

Harp - noun, verb noun: a large musical instrument with strings stretched on a vertical frame, played with the fingers. see also Jew's harp. Verb: ˌharp ˈon (about sth) | ˈharp on sth to keep talking about sth in a boring or annoying way

Forlorn – adjective: 1 (of a person) appearing lonely and unhappy. She looked so forlorn, standing there in the rain. 2 (of a place) not cared for and with no people in it. Empty houses quickly take on a forlorn look. 3 unlikely to succeed, come true, etc. She waited in the forlorn hope that he would one day come back to her. His father smiled weakly in a forlorn attempt to reassure him that everything was all right.Forlornlyadverb.

Fond – adjective: (fonder, fondest)1 ~ of sb feeling affection for sb, especially sb you have known for a long time. Over the years, I have grown quite fond of her. I've always been very fond of your mother. 2 ~ of (doing) sth finding sth pleasant or enjoyable, especially sth you have liked or enjoyed for a long time. fond of music/cooking. We had grown fond of the house and didn't want to leave. 3 ~ of (doing) sth liking to do sth which other peojple find annoying or unpleasant, and doing it often. Sheila's very fond of telling other people what to do. He's rather too fond of the sound of his own voice (= he talks too much).4 [only before noun] kind and loving. SYN: AFFECTIONATE. a fond look/embrace/farewell. I have very fond memories of my time in Spain (= I remember it with affection and pleasure). 5 [only before noun] ~ hope a hope about sth that is not likely to happen. I waited all day in the fond hope that she would change her mind. fondness noun [uncountable, singular]He will be remembered by the staff with great fondness.~ for sb/sth a fondness for animals. It was her father's fondness for drink that brought about the break-up of her parents' marriage.

Inn – noun: (old-fashioned, BrE) a pub, usually in the country and often one where people can stay the night. 2 (NAmE) a small hotel, usually in the country.3 Inn used in the names of many pubs, hotels and restaurants. Holiday Inn

Mutilate – verb: ~ sb/sth to damage sb's body very severely, especially by cutting or tearing off part of it. The body had been badly mutilated. 2 ~ sth to damage sth very badly. SYN: VANDALIZE. Intruders slashed and mutilated several paintings.mutilationnoun [uncountable, countable]Thousands suffered death or mutilation in the bomb blast.

Incubus – noun: (pl. incubuses or incubi)1 (literary) a problem that makes you worry a lot. 2 a male evil spirit, supposed in the past to have sex with a sleeping woman. compare succubus.

Dungeon– noun: a dark underground room used as a prison, especially in a castle. Throw him into the dungeons!

Clammy – adjective: (clammier, clammiest)damp in an unpleasant way

His skin felt cold and clammy. clammy hands.

Heedless– adjective: [not usually before noun] ~ (of sb/sth) (formal)not paying careful attention to sb/sth. heedless bravery heedlessly adverb

Slouchy– adjective: (slouchier, slouchiest)1 (disapproving) holding your body in a lazy way, often with your shoulders and head bent forward. his slouchy posture. Straighten up, you're too slouchy. 2 (approving) (of clothes) without a firm outline; not stiff. The slouchy suede boots look great with slim pants. a beautiful slouchy leather bag. The jeans have a relaxed slouchy look.

Coaxing – noun: [uncountable] gentle attempts to persuade sb to do sth or to get a machine to start. No amount of coaxing will make me change my mind. A little coaxing was all it took to get her to say his name. My car needs a lot of coaxing to start in the winter. coaxing adjective. Coaxingly adverb

Timorous– adjective: (literary or formal)nervous and easily frightenedSYN: TIMID. timorously adverb

Puddle– noun: a small amount of water or other liquid, especially rain, that has collected in one place on the ground.

Mortar- noun, verb. Noun: 1 [uncountable] a mixture of sand, water, lime and cement used in building for holding bricks and stones together. 2 [countable] a heavy gun that fires bombs and shells high into the air; the bombs that are fired by this gun. to come under mortar fire/attack. 3 [countable] a small hard bowl in which you can crush substances such as seeds and grains into powder with a special object (called a pestle ). see bricks and mortar at brick n. verb: [intransitive, transitive] ~ (sb/sth)to attack sb/sth using a mortar

Scaffold – noun: 1 a platform used when executing criminals by cutting off their heads or hanging them from a rope. to die on the scaffold. to be sent to the scaffold. 2 a structure made of scaffolding , for workers to stand on when they are working on a building

Pail - pailfulnoun: (NAmE or old-fashioned) = bucket , bucketful – chelak.

Masonry – noun: [uncountable]the parts of a building that are made of stone. She was injured by falling masonry. He acquired a knowledge of carpentry and masonry (= building with stone).

Halberd – noun: a weapon used in the past which is a combination of a spear and an axe

Placid – adjective: 1 ( of a person or an animal ) not easily excited or irritated. a placid baby/horse. SYN: HIGH-SPIRITED. 2 calm and peaceful, with very little movement. SYN:TRANQUIL. the placid waters of the lake. placidity noun [uncountable]. placidly adverb‘Of course,’ said Helen placidly. The river sparkled placidly in the sun.

spacious – adjective: (approving)( of a room or building ) large and with plenty of space for people to move around in. SYN: ROOMY. The hotel rooms are spacious and comfortable. spaciously adverbThe accommodation is spaciously laid out. spaciousness noun [uncountable] White walls can give a feeling of spaciousness.

Beguile – verb: (formal)1 ~ sb (into doing sth) to trick sb into doing sth, especially by being nice to them. She beguiled them into believing her version of events. 2 ~ sb to attract or interest sb. He was beguiled by her beauty. The tapestries continue to beguile all those who visit the cathedral.

Wanton – adjective: (formal) 1 [usually before noun] causing harm or damage deliberately and for no acceptable reason. Wanton destruction. a wanton disregard for human life. The wanton killing of innocent creatures. 2 (old-fashioned, disapproving) (usually of a woman) behaving in a very immoral way; having many sexual partners.wantonly adverb. Wantonnessnoun [uncountable]

Palliate – verb: ~ sth (formal) to make a disease or an illness less painful or unpleasant without curing it

Sob -verb, noun verb: (-bb-) 1 [intransitive] to cry noisily, taking sudden, sharp breaths. I heard a child sobbing loudly. He started to sob uncontrollably. 2 [transitive] to say sth while you are crying. + speech ‘I hate him,’ she sobbed. ~ sth (out) He sobbed out his troubles. IDM: sob your heart out to cry noisily for a long time because you are very sad. Noun: an act or the sound of sobbing. He gave a deep sob. Her body was racked (= shaken) with sobs. She managed to stifle (= stop) a sob.

Lament - verb, noun verb: ~ sth | ~ that… | + speech (formal) to feel or express great sadness or disappointment about sb/sth. SYN: BEMOAN, BEWAIL. In the poem he laments the destruction of the countryside. She sat alone weeping, lamenting her fate. Noun: (formal) a song, poem or other expression of great sadness for sb who has died or for sth that has ended. a nostalgic lament for lost love

Ecstasy – noun: (pl.ecstasies) 1 [uncountable, countable] a feeling or state of very great happiness. SYN: BLISS. 2 Ecstasy [uncountable] (abbr.E) an illegal drug, taken especially by young people at parties, clubs, etc.

Writhe – verb: [intransitive] ~ (about/around) (in/with sth) to twist or move your body without stopping, often because you are in great pain. She was writhing around on the floor in agony. The snake writhed and hissed. (figurative) He was writhing (= suffering a lot) with embarrassment.

Supplication– noun: [uncountable, countable] (formal)the act of asking for sth with a very humble request or prayer. She knelt in supplication. He listened with scant patience to their supplications.

Paltry– adjective: [usually before noun]1 (of an amount) too small to be considered as important or useful. SYN: MEAGRE. This account offers a paltry 1% return on your investment. A paltry sum. 2 having no value or useful qualities. A paltry gesture

Rickety– adjective: not strong or well made; likely to break. A rickety chair

We climbed up the rickety wooden stairs which led to the third floor.

Fiction– noun: 1 [uncountable] a type of literature that describes imaginary people and events, not real ones. a work of popular fiction. historical/romantic fiction. ANT: NON-FICTIONsee also science fiction. 2 [countable, uncountable] a thing that is invented or imagined and is not true. For years he managed to keep up the fiction that he was not married. see truth is stranger than fictionat truth.

Shriek- verb, noun verb: 1 [ intransitive ] to give a loud high shout, for example when you are excited, frightened or in pain. SYN: SCREAM. ~ (in sth) She shrieked in fright.~ with sth The audience was shrieking with laughter. ~ at sb (figurative) The answer shrieked at her (= was very obvious) . 2 [transitive] to say sth in a loud, high voice. SYN: SCREAM. ~ sth (at sb) He shrieked her name as he fell. She was shrieking abuse at them as they carried her off. + speech ‘Look out!’ he shrieked. Noun: a loud high shout, for example one that you make when you are excited, frightened or in pain. She let out a piercing shriek. A shriek of delight