word and meaning

VOCABULARY MEANINGS AND PHONETIC SCRIPTS



1) Hardening - 'hA;dn; NAmE Ñ 'hA;rdn/ verb

Meaning - to become or make sth become firm, stiff or solid:[v] The
varnish takes a few hours to harden. Ç [vn] a method for
hardening and preserving wood.

- hard•en•ing noun [U, sing.]:hardening of the arteries Ç a
hardening of attitudes towards one-parent families


2) Clot - klQt; NAmE Ñ klA;t/ noun, verb

Meaning - a lump that is formed when blood dries or becomes thicker:
For example: A blood clot on the brain

- (-tt-) when blood or cream clots or when sth clots it, it forms
thick lumps or clots:[v] a drug that stops blood from clotting
during operations Ç [vn] the blood clotting agent, Factor 8


3) Contagious - kJn'teIdZJs; NAmE Ñ / adjective

Meaning - a contagious disease spreads by people touching each
other: Scarlet fever is highly contagious. Ç (figurative) His
enthusiasm was contagious (= spread quickly to other
people). Ç a contagious laugh

- [not usually before noun] if a person is contagious, they have
a disease that can be spread to other people by touch
—compare infectious

4) Surgeon - 's3;dZJn; NAmE Ñ 's3;rdZJn/ noun

Meaning - a doctor who is trained to perform surgery (= medical
operations that involve cutting open a person’s body):a
brain / heart, etc. surgeon—compare physician

- (pl. Surgeons General) (in the US) the head of a public health
service or of a medical service in the armed forces: Surgeon
General’s warning: cigarette smoking causes cancer

5) Symptom - 'sImptJm; NAmE Ñ / noun

Meaning - a change in your body or mind that shows that you are not
healthy: flu symptoms Ç Look out for symptoms of depression.
Ç Symptoms include a headache and sore throat.

- a sign that sth exists, especially sth bad SYN indication: The
rise in inflation was just one symptom of the poor state of the
economy.ò note at sign