Sunday, August 12, 2012

< V > TOEFL Vocabulary (72)


Boost (verb) 
to push or shove up from below; increase or raise
Vivendi was also boosted as Moody's Investors Service late Thursday said that it had
changed the outlook on the Franco-American group to stable from negative.  

Botch (verb) 
to foul up hopelessly -- often used with up
The Maryland inmate claims inexperienced lawyers badly botched his trial.

Brace (verb) 
to get ready as for an attack
Emergency officials braced for more rain Tuesday following storms that sent torrents of
mud and water down already saturated hillsides in central Appalachia, forcing dozens of
people to flee their homes and blocking roads.

Branch out (verb) 
to extend activities over a wide area; to increase in dimensions, scope, or inclusiveness
In the early 1800's, factories were most common in Massachusetts although they later
branched out into the more populous areas of New York, New Jersey, and
Pennsylvania.
 
Brand (verb) 
to mark with a brand or name
By the mid - 90's Patagonian Tooth fish was a highly prized catch, branded 'white gold'
by industrial long range fishing fleets.

Breadth (noun) 
the extent of something from side to side
Regardless of your career path, the breadth of your preparation as a liberal arts major
is very important.

Breakage (noun) 
an act, instance, or consequence of making something unusable or inoperative
Homeowners with hillside homes can recognize the beginnings of slope failure through
the following indicators: stairs that have pulled away from the building, widening of
previously patched cracks in driveways, yards creaking and making groaning sounds,
breakage of underground utility lines, or leakage from swimming pools.

Breakthrough (noun) 
an offensive thrust that penetrates and carries beyond a defensive line in warfare;  an act 
or instance of breaking through an obstruction; a sudden advance especially in knowledge  or technique <a medical breakthrough>; a person's first notable success 
The possibility of a breakthrough raised hopes for some progress toward peace on the
1,000th day of the current intifada, the Palestinian uprising against Israel. 
  
Breeding (adjective) 
characterized by producing descendants directly from the same parents or ancestors
The larval stage of the Rhinoceros Beetle lasts for 2.5 to 7 months after which pupation
takes place within the breeding site. 

Brew (verb) 
to prepare as beer or ale by steeping, boiling, and fermentation or by infusion and 
fermentation
People have been brewing and fermenting alcoholic drinks since the dawn of
civilization. 

Brilliant (adjective) 
having of showing intelligence, often of a high order
His speeches and writings (especially a newspaper series signed "Novanglus" in 1775)
articulating the colonial cause and his brilliant championing of American rights in
Congress caused Thomas Jefferson to call him the "Colossus of Independence." 

No comments: