| <<前のページ | 次のページ>> |
| 2008年4月12日(土) |
| by default by design |
|
By default means "something happens because you haven't made any other decision or choices
which would make things happen in a different way.
I became a teacher by default rather than by design.
cf) (factory) default value set default value at zero
By design means "intentionally." Design = a plan that someone has in his/her mind.
We shall never know whether this happened by design or by accident.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年4月12日(土) |
| breach |
|
This means "an action that breaks a law, rule, or agreement."
This was a clear breach of the 1994 Trade Agreement.
They sued the company for breach of contract.
He was clearly in breach of the law.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年4月12日(土) |
| sport |
|
This sometimes means "a plant or an animal that is different in a noticeable way from its usual type."
Any sport discovered in the trial plants shall be notified to ASF and shall remain the property of ASF.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年4月5日(土) |
| schedule |
|
This sometimes means "a formal list of something, for example prices, rates or conditions.
a schedule of postal charges tax schedules
Schedule (AmE) also means "timetable. (BrE)" a train schedule
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年4月5日(土) |
| cover (cover the cost of something) |
|
This means "be enough to pay for 〜."
The award should be enough to cover her tuition fees.
Airlines raised fares to cover the rising costs of fuels.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年3月29日(土) |
| reduce 〜 to practice, put 〜 in practice |
|
This means "start to use an idea, plan etc and see if it is effective."
This design was reduced to practice by his daughter.
It gave him the chance to put his ideas into practice.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年3月29日(土) |
| rusty |
|
This means:
1. cover with RUST. rusty metal a rusty old car
2. (of a sport, skill etc) not as good as it used to be because you have not been practising.
My tennis is very rusty these days. My French is a bit rusty.
I haven't played the piano for ages, I may be a little rfusty.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年3月20日(木) |
| to one's liking for one's liking |
|
Liking means "the feeling that one likes someone/something."
To one's liking means "(being) what one wanted." (formal)
I hope everything was to your liking, Sir.
The coffe was just to his liking. The agreement we have is to my liking
The tea was too hot for my liking. (= I would prefer tea to be less hot.)
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年3月20日(木) |
| lack |
|
This means "not have something that you need, or not have enough of it."
His real problem is that he lacks confidence.
He has a lack of confidence. (noun) He is lacking in confidence.(adj)
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年3月16日(日) |
| chamfer |
|
This means "a cut made along an edge or on a corner so that
it slopes rather than being at 90°(=a beveled edge)
or make a chamfer on 〜. (= cut off the edges, plane the edges)"
All the edges of the bracket is chamfered.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年3月16日(日) |
| merchantable merchantability |
|
This means "of commercially acceptable quality." (=salable)
Goods must be of merchantable quality. There is no merchantability in this product.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年3月15日(土) |
| in duplicate |
This means "as two coppies that are exactly the same inevery detail."
We need to prepare a contract in duplicate. |
|
|
|
|
| 2008年3月15日(土) |
| in question |
|
This means "1:being discussed, 2: in doubt, uncertain."
1. Where were you during the evening in question?
2. I'm afraid his honesty is now in question.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年2月15日(金) |
| breed bred bred |
|
This means "propagate (plants or animals) sexually and usually under controlled conditions."
These dogs were originally bred in Scotland to round up sheep.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年2月16日(土) |
| propagate propagation |
|
This means:
1. produce new plants from a parent plant.
The plant can be propagated from seed.
Plants won't propagate in these conditions.
2. spread an idea, a belief or a piece of info among many people.
The group launched a website to propagate its ideas.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年2月9日(土) |
| proclaim |
|
This means:
1) say publicly or officially that something important is true or exists. (=declare)
The President proclaimed the republic's independence.
Protesters proclaimed that the girl was innocent.
His son was immediately proclaimed king.
2) show something clearly or be a sign of something.
This building, more than any other, proclaims the character of the town.
His accent proclaimed him (to be) a Scot. His accent proclaimed that he is a Scot.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年2月9日(土) |
| 1) beyond repair/control/selling/belief 2) be beyond someone |
|
This means:
1) impossible to repair, control, sell, believe etc.
The equipment was damaged beyond repair.
The town center changed beyond all recognition.
Due to circumstances beyond our control the performance had to be cancelled.
This product is be beyond selling .
2) be too difficult for someone to understand
The whole problem was quite beyond him.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月26日(土) |
| outperform |
|
This means "be more successful (=achieve better results) than someone/something else."
Stocks generally outperform other investments.
Our XX outperformed all competitors in independent lab tests.
He outperforms the aura of his father.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月26日(土) |
| scrap |
|
This means:
1. get rid of an old machine, vehicle etc, and use its parts in some other way.
Two aircraft carriers are being scrapped this year.
2. decide not to use a plan or system because it is not practical.
We believe that car tax should be scrapped.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月26日(土) |
| discard |
|
This means "get rid of something." (= throw away)
We discarded old cleaning materials.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月26日(土) |
| bow |
|
This means "bend or make something bend."
The trees bowed in the wind.
His back was bowed under the weight of the heavy bag.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月26日(土) |
| consequent |
|
This means "happening as a result of a particular event or situation." (=resultant)
The lowering of taxes ans the consequent increase in spending
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月26日(土) |
| subsequent |
|
This means "happening or coming after something else."
These skills were passed on to subsequent generations.
Thios reaction will occur subsequent to (=after) any of the following.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月26日(土) |
| slack ⇔ taut |
|
Slack means "hanging loosely, or not pulled tight."
Keep the rope slack until I tell you to pull it.
Taut means "stretched tight."
The rope was stretched taut. [to:t]
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月26日(土) |
| allocate |
|
This means "use/give something for a particular purpose/person etc, esp. after an official decision has been made."
You should allocate the same amount of time to each question."
Sveral patients were waiting to be allocated a bed.
One million dollars was allocated for disaster relief.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月12日(土) |
| fabricate |
|
This means:
1) make or produce goods or equipment from different materials. (=manufacture)
The discs are expensive to fabricate.
2) invent a story, piece of false info etc in order to deceive/trick someone. (=make up)
The police were accused of fabricating evidence.
The prisoner claimed the police fabricated his confession.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月12日(土) |
| go through |
|
This means:
1. experience a difficult or unpleasamt situation, feeling etc.
He is going through a divorce at the moment.
2. experience a particular process.
Candidates must go through a process of selection.
3. practise something, for example a performance.
Let's go through the whole thing again, from the beginning.
4. search something in order to find something in particular.
He went through his pocket looking for the key.
5. read/discuss something in order to make sure it is correct.
We will go through the details later on.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月12日(土) |
| differentiate |
|
This means:
1. recognize or express the difference between things or people. (=distinguish)
It is important to differentiate between fact and opinion.
It is sometimes hard to differentiate one sample from another.
2. be the quality, feature etc that makes one thing or person clearly different from another. (=distinguish)
We must differentiate our new model from our previous one.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月12日(土) |
| intact |
|
This means "not broken, damaged or spoiled."
The eggs arrived intact after a long journey.
Most of the house remains intact even after 200 years.
His reputation survived intact.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月12日(土) |
| betray |
|
This means:
1. be disloyal to someone who trusts you so that they are harmed or upset.
He felt that she had betrayed him. Who would betray his own sister to the police?
2. be disloyal to your country, company etc, for example by giving secret info to its enemy.
For years they had been betraying state secrets to Russia.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月5日(土) |
| enhance |
|
This means "increase or further improve the good quality, value or status of someone/something."
This is an good opportunity to enhance the reputation of the company.
The gorgeous dress enhanced her beauty.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月5日(土) |
| leggy (of plants) |
|
This means "has grown too tall very quickly and its stem cannot support its weight very well."
Plants have become very leggy and can no longer produce enough energy for the fruits.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月5日(土) |
| reckon |
|
This means "think or suppose something, guess a number or amount without calculating it exactly."
Do you reckon that he will agree to see us? (spoken esp BriE)
We reckon that sitting in traffic jams costs us $9 billion a year in lost output.
He was reckoned to be a very good farmer.
An earthquake of magnitude 7 is reckoned as a major quake.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月5日(土) |
| customary |
|
This means "normal because it is the way something is usually done." (= usual)
In some countries it is customary for the bribe to wear white.
It also means "typical of a particular person." (Only before noun) (=habitual)
She arranged everything with her customary efficiency.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月5日(土) |
| contribute |
|
This means:
1. give something, especially money or goods, to help someone/something.
We contributed $5000 to the earthquake fund.
Would you like to contribute to our collection?
2. be one of the causes of something.
medical negligence was said to have contributed to her death.
Human error may have been a contributing factors.
3. increase, improve or add to something.
Immigrants have contributed to British culture in many ways.
4. write things for a newspaper, magazine, or a radio or TV program.
She contributed a number of articles to the magazine.
He contributes regularly to the magazine.
5. speak during a meeting or conversation.
We hope everyone will contribute to the discussion.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月5日(土) |
| prompt (verb) |
|
This means "make someone decide to do something, cause something to happen." (=provoke)
The discovery of the bomb prompted an increase in security.
His speech prompted an angry outburst from a man in the crowd.
What prompted you to buy that suit?
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月5日(土) |
| widen |
|
This means "become wider, make something wider or become larger in degree/range, make something larger in degree or range."
Widening the space between the rows of gutters means that a new solution has to be found for the optimal installation of lighting.
We plan to widen the scope of our existing activities by offering more language courses.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月5日(土) |
| attribute |
|
This means:
1. believe or say that a situation or event is caused by something.
The fall in the number of deaths from heart disease is generally attributed to improvemrnts in diet.
2. if people in general attribute a particular statement, painting, piece of music etc to someone,
they believe that the person said it, painted it etc.
This play is usually attributed to Shakespeare.
3. believe or say that someone or something has a particular quality.
People all attributed courage to the pilot.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月5日(土) |
| equip with |
|
This means:
1. provide a person or place with the things that are needed for a particular kind of activity or work.
They spent a lot of money equipping the school with new computers.
20-30% of greenhouses growing tomatoes will be equipped with artificial lighting in 2010.
The emergency servises are equipped to deal with disasters of this kind.
2. give someone the information and skills that they need to do something.
We equip students with the skills they will need once they leave college.
We must equip young teachers to deal with difficult children.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008年1月5日(土) |
| probe |
|
This means:
1. ask questions in order to find out secret or hidden information about something/someone. (=investigate)
He doesn't like the media probing intohis past. his past. The TV program probed government scandals in the 1990s.
2. touch, examine or look for something, esp. with a longthin istrumewnt.
The doctor probed the wound for signs of infection.
Searchlights were probing the night sky.
He probed the mud gingerly with a stick.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007年12月28日(金) |
| register (re: measurement) |
|
If a measuring instrument registers an amount or something registers an amount on a measuring instrument,
The instrument shows / records that amount.
The thermometer registered 32℃. The quake registered 3 on the Richter scale.
Even if watering stops temporarily, any water still to be given is registered.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007年12月28日(金) |
| be geared to do / 〜 cf: gear up |
|
This means "be organized in a way that is suitable for a particular purpose/situation."
The typical career pattern was geared to men whose wives didn't work.
The course curriculum is geared to span three years.
Gear up means "prepare for something."
The organization is gearing up for a convention in May.
Fast food restaurants are geared up to serve thousands of people daily.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007年12月28日(金) |
| coordinate coordination |
|
This means "make the different parts of your body work well together."
You need good hand-eye coordination to play ball games.
Too much alcohol affects your coordination.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007年12月28日(金) |
| variant |
|
Rhis means "something that is slightly different from the usual form of something."
This game is a variant of netball.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007年12月28日(金) |
| obviate |
|
This means "prevent or avoid a problem or the need to do something." (formal) (eliminate)
The new treatment obviates the need for surgery.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007年12月28日(金) |
| malfunction |
|
This means "fail to work correctly"(V) and "A fault in the way a machine or part of one's body works."(N)
He was killed when his parachute malfunctioned.
A warning light seems to have malfunctioned.
The drug caaused a malfunction in the brain.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007年12月28日(金) |
| designate |
|
This means "choose someone/something for a particular job or purpose."
The lake was designated a conservation area.
Funds were designated for projects in low-income areas.
She has been designated to take over the position of treasurer.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007年12月28日(金) |
| custodian |
|
This means "someone who is responsible fo looking after something important or valuable
like a public building (AmE), a traditional set of belief, attitudes etc."
Farmers are custodians of land for the next generation.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007年12月28日(金) |
| handover |
|
This means "give someone else something, especially control of a place or business."
The president will remain in office until the official handover in April.
The handover to civilian government has been delayed.
They demanded the immediate handover of all relevant documents.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007年12月28日(金) |
| assume responsibility/control |
|
This means "start to have control, responsibility etc or start in a particular position or job." (formal)
Whoever they appoint will assume responsibility for all financial matters.
He assumed power in a bloody coup in 1990.
He will assume the role of managing director.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007年12月24日(月) |
| hydraulic |
|
This means "moved or operated by the pressure of water or other liquid." (usually before noun)
a hydraulic pump hydraulic brakes hydraulic cylinder
cf: steam power thermal power wind power
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007年12月24日(月) |
| pneumatic |
|
This means "worked by air pressure or filled with air." [nju:metik] (usually before noun)
pneumatic tire pneumatic tool pneumatic drill
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007年12月24日(月) |
| fiddle fiddle around fiddle around with |
|
This means "keep moving and touching something especially because you are bored or nervous."
I sat and fiddled at the computer for a while.
She was at her desk in the living room, fiddling with a deck of cards.
Fiddle around means "waste time doing unimportant things.
Stop fiddling around, will you?
Fiddle around with means "move the parts of machine in order to try to make it work or repair it.
I've been fiddling around with this old car for months but I still can't get it to work.
This phrasal verb also means "make small unnecessary changes to something."
Why did you let her fiddle around with the remote control?
|
|
|
|
|