Perfectionnement

30 terms

agility

noun

the ability to move your body quickly and easily/the ability to think quickly and clearly

Example: The acrobats display jawdropping feats of strength, agility, and control.

fr: agilité

bandwidth

noun

a measurement of the amount of information that can be sent between computers, through a phone line, etc

Example: The system will handle signals that need high bandwidth, for instance those that encode TV pictures.

fr: bande passante

buttress

noun

a structure made of stone or brick that sticks out from and supports a wall of a building

fr: contrefort

careen

verb

to go forward quickly while moving from side to side:

Example: The driver lost control of his car when the brakes failed, and it went careening down the hill.

fr: caréner

census

noun

a count for official purposes, especially one to count the number of people living in a country and to collect information about them

Example: He was stopped in his car for a traffic census.

fr: recensement

coherent

adjective

If an argument, set of ideas, or a plan is coherent, it is clear and carefully considered, and each part of it connects or follows in a natural or reasonable way.

Example: When she calmed down, she was more coherent

fr: cohérent

debunk

verb

to show that something is less important, less good, or less true than it has been made to appear

Example: The writer's aim was to debunk the myth that had grown up around the actress.

fr: discréditer

desecrate

verb

to damage or show no respect towards something holy or very much respected

Example: It's a crime to desecrate the country's flag.

fr: profaner

despicable

adjective

very unpleasant or bad, causing strong feelings of dislike

Example: It was despicable of her to lie about her friend.

fr: méprisable

embed

verb

to fix something firmly into a substance

Example: The subject may have videos or audio online you can embed or link to.

fr: intégrer

ingenious

adjective

(of a person) very intelligent and skilful, or (of a thing) skilfully made or planned and involving new ideas and methods

Example: Johnny is so ingenious - he can make the most remarkable sculptures from the most ordinary materials.

fr: ingénieux

loathsome

adjective

extremely unpleasant

Example: He's a loathsome man.

fr: détestable

majestically

adverb

in a way that is beautiful, powerful, or causes great admiration and respect

Example: a church standing majestically on the hillside

fr: majestueusement

massacre

noun

the brutal killing of a lot of people

Example: This is a massacre of the beaches.

fr: massacre

mere

adjective

used to emphasize that something is not large or important

Example: It cost a mere 20 dollars

fr: simple

nauseating

adjective

making you feel as if you are going to vomit

Example: She's good at everything she does - it's nauseating!

fr: nauséeux

offshore

adjective

in the ocean, near the coast

Example: That have offshore wind farms in their countries.

fr: au large

onset

noun

the moment at which something unpleasant begins

Example: The new treatment can delay the onset of the disease by several years.

fr: début

precise

adjective

exact and accurate

Example: He caught me at the precise moment that I fainted.

fr: précis

quadruple

verb

to become four times as big, or to multiply a number or amount by four

Example: The number of students at the college has quadrupled in the last ten years.

fr: quadrupler

reluctant

adjective

not willing to do something and therefore slow to do it:

Example: Many parents feel reluctant to talk openly with their children

fr: réticent

rifle

noun

a type of gun with a long barrel (= part shaped like a tube), fired from the shoulder and designed to be accurate at long distances

Example: He bought a new rifle.

fr: fusil

shareholder

noun

a person who owns shares in a company and therefore gets part of the company's profits and the right to vote on how the company is controlled

Example: Shareholders will be voting on the proposed merger of the companies next week.

sniffer dog

noun

a dog that is trained and used by the police or army to find hidden drugs or bombs, or to find someone the police are looking for, using its sense of smell

Example: Sniffer dogs can help in different crimes.

fr: chien renifleur

squalor

noun

the condition of being extremely dirty and unpleasant, often because of lack of money

Example: I was shocked by the squalor of their surroundings.

fr: misère noire

tidal

adjective

the rise and fall of the sea that happens twice every day

Example: We found a rocky tidal island far away.

fr: marée

to axe

verb

to reduce services, jobs, payments, etc. a lot or completely without warning or in a single action:

Example: Opponent Claude Brevan, who is heading a campaign to axe the project, said Juno beach where Canadian soldiers landed would suffer the worst blight.

fr: hacher

to bounce

verb

to (cause to) move up or away after hitting a surface:

Example: The ball bounced off the goalpost and into the net.

fr: pour rebondir

to disrupt

verb

to prevent something, especially a system, process, or event, from continuing as usual or as expected

Example: Heavy snow disrupted travel into the city this morning.

fr: perturber

wrenching

adjective

extremely stressful

Example: It was the most wrenching decision of the president’s life.

fr: arrachement