Nova S1E5: English vocabulary

not safe or steady and likely to fail, fall, or change suddenly

to suggest an explanation for something based on limited evidence

impossible to believe or imagine

a large stone coffin, often decorated and used in ancient times

too interested in other people's private matters

from what place or source

the famous ancient amphitheater in Rome

a person or thing that sets something in place or to the right position

to put something firmly inside or into something else

a wheel with a rope or chain running over it, used for lifting heavy things or changing the direction of a pull

to be likely to do or agree with something

more able or skilled than someone or something else

a person who supervises workers or a project

a substance such as oil or grease that reduces friction

a heavy metal bar used for forcing things open or moving heavy objects

a short break or pause in an activity, event, or period of time

a raised road or path built across water or wet ground

the work of measuring land and recording its features, often for a map or building plan

to make someone feel extreme fear

a place where dead bodies are kept and prepared for burial or cremation

a wax structure made by bees, with many small hexagonal cells for honey and eggs

the practical details of something, especially the technical ones

something that makes a surface, line, or shape even or level

make small cuts or grooves in something

a machine used for picking up and moving loose materials or goods

to ask questions about someone’s private life in a way that is annoying or rude

the work of building with stone, brick, or concrete

a man who does physical or manual work

the skill and care shown in making something well

a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head

a small enclosed area separated from a larger room, especially one used as an office workspace

the activity of riding on a sled or sled-like vehicle over snow

to cut stone out of the ground in a quarry

extremely large

existing, happening, or found under the earth's surface

seeming reasonable or likely to be true

a piece of clothing with trousers and a bib front, worn over a shirt for work or casual wear

to try to do as well as or better than someone, often by copying what they do

the rate at which something changes from one level to another

a famous prehistoric monument in southern England, made of a circle of large standing stones

to move very slowly and carefully in a particular direction

a person who does hard physical work for a living

sloping downward or at an angle

the part of a road used by vehicles

to keep someone or something within limits or in one place

to a very great degree; extremely

covered with breadcrumbs or a similar coating before cooking

the practice of learning a job by following and watching an experienced worker

a tool with a sharp edge, used for cutting or shaping wood, stone, or metal

a narrow passage or corridor that lets people move from one place to another

the act of sealing a hole or gap

to explain something in more detail

a process that makes cloth stiffer and stronger by coating it with a special substance

the direction of the Earth's geographic North Pole

to gradually weaken or wear down someone or something over time

to establish something again after it has stopped or been lost

to find or enjoy something again after forgetting it or losing touch with it

make someone annoyed, impatient, or angry

to look at something with attention or wonder

a fence made of upright wooden stakes

the line where two pieces of cloth or other material are sewn together

the act of moving something on wheels

a game in which a player or side must reach five points before the other side does

to move text automatically onto the next line when it reaches the end of a line

the act of postponing a proposal or motion for later discussion

to fall suddenly, often in a messy or uncontrolled way

a raised bank of earth or stone built to protect land from flooding

a person who is skilled at making things by hand

a person who develops theories, especially in science or politics

the use of several layers, especially in clothing

used to say that you agree to something, often reluctantly

having original ideas about the future and how things could be improved

to make something more difficult or harder to understand

an insulting word for a cruel or unpleasant person

to trace over a sketch or outline with a darker, more permanent line

the act of directing energy, money, or attention into something