Word Check 2
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post
(US usually mail)
letters, etc. that are delivered to homes or places of work:
I'd been away for a few days so I had a lot of post waiting for me.
My secretary usually opens my post, unless it's marked "private".
Has the post come/arrived yet?
download
to copy or move programs or information into a computer's memory, especially from the internet or a larger computer
Compare
Examples
Buyers can download his latest novel to read on a mobile device.
The user confirms their order and downloads an applet which asks them for their personal and payment details.
Software updates can be downloaded from the company's website.
chatty
liking to talk a lot in a friendly, informal way
If a piece of writing is chatty, it is informal:
abbreviation
a short form of a word or phrase:
"ITV" is the abbreviation for "Independent Television".
More examples
There is a list of abbreviations near the beginning of the book.
What does the abbreviation WHO stand for?
Please use the abbreviation "cm" for "centimetres", without any full stop after it.
Sorry - could you explain what some of these abbreviations mean in your letter?
We generally use the abbreviation "MP" instead of writing out "Member of Parliament" in full.
emoticon
(also smiley)
an image made up of symbols such as punctuation marks, used in text messages, emails, etc. to express a particular emotion
influence
the power to have an effect on people or things, or a person or thing that is able to do this:
Helen's a bad/good influence on him.
He has a huge amount of influence over the city council.
Christopher hoped to exert his influence to make them change their minds.
At the time she was under the influence of her father.
paperback
a book with a cover made of thick paper:
a best-selling paperback
I'll buy some paperbacks at the airport.
It will be published in paperback (= as a paperback) in March.
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festival
a special day or period, usually in memory of a religious event, with its own social activities, food, or ceremonies:
a Jewish/Christian/Hindu festival
an organized set of special events, such as musical performances:
The New Orleans Jazz Festival is held every year in the spring.
the Cannes Film Festival
perform
to do an action or piece of work:
Computers can perform a variety of tasks.
The operation will be performed next week.
Most of the students performed well in the exam.
put on a show
To attempt, do, or perform something with a particular level of quality (specified before "show").
Every year, the city carolers put on a wonderful show in front of city hall.
Though they were heavily favored to win, the team put on a pretty poor show.
take place
to happen:
The concert takes place next Thursday.
circus
a group of travelling performers including acrobats (= people skilled in difficult physical movements) or those who work with trained animals, or a performance by such people usually in a large tent:
She ran away to join the circus.
The horses trotted into the circus ring (= the large circle, with seats all around, in which a circus performs).
The children loved being taken to the circus.
comedy
a (type of) film, play, or book that is intentionally funny either in its characters or its action: