Word Check 9

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health

the condition of the body and the degree to which it is free from illness, or the state of being well:

to be in good/poor health

Regular exercise is good for your health.

I had to give up drinking for health reasons.

He gave up work because of ill health.

exercise

physical activity that you do to make your body strong and healthy:

Swimming is my favourite form of exercise.

You really should take more exercise.

I do stomach exercises most days.

social life

the activities you do with other people, for pleasure, when you are not working:

He had no friends, no social life, and a job he hated.

stress

great worry caused by a difficult situation, or something that causes this condition:

People under a lot of stress may experience headaches, minor pains, and sleeping difficulties.

Yoga is a very effective technique for combating stress.

the stresses and strains of the job

stress-related illness

diet

the food and drink usually eaten or drunk by a person or group:

Diet varies between different countries in the world.

a healthy/balanced/varied diet

Rice is the staple diet (= most important food) of many people in China.

The children seem to exist on a diet of fried food.

vegetarian

a person who does not eat meat for health or religious reasons or because they want to avoid being cruel to animals:

Of the four million people who have become vegetarians in this country, nearly two thirds are women.

bullying

the behaviour of a person who hurts or frightens someone smaller or less powerful, often forcing that person to do something they do not want to do:

Bullying is a problem in many schools.

Online bullying is a serious concern.

depression

the state of feeling very unhappy and without hope for the future:

I was overwhelmed by feelings of depression.

relationship

the way in which two things are connected:

Scientists have established the relationship between lung cancer and smoking.

arguments

a disagreement, or the process of disagreeing:

The children had an argument about/over what game to play.

He got into an argument with Jeff in the pub last night.

A decision was finally made after some heated argument.

appearance

an occasion when someone appears in public:

It was his first appearance on television/television appearance as president.

She will be making a public appearance, signing copies of her latest novel.

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ignore

to intentionally not listen or give attention to:

She can be really irritating but I try to ignore her.

Safety regulations are being ignored by company managers in the drive to increase profits.

How can the government ignore the wishes of the majority?

I smiled at her but she just ignored me.

block

to prevent movement through something:

A fallen tree is blocking the road.

As she left the court, an angry crowd tried to block her way.

get through to

o succeed in making someone understand or believe something:

[ + question word ] UK We can't get through to the government just how serious the problem is!

I don't seem to be able to get through to (= communicate with) him these days.

filter

any of several types of equipment or devices for removing solids from liquids or gases, or for removing particular types of light:

a water filter

a dust filter

Ozone is the earth's primary filter for ultraviolet radiation.

put up with

to accept or continue to accept an unpleasant situation or experience, or someone who behaves unpleasantly:

I can put up with the house being messy, but I hate it if it's not clean.

He's so moody - I don't know why she puts up with him.

They have a lot to put up with (= they have a lot of difficulties).

victim

someone or something that has been hurt, damaged, or killed or has suffered, either because of the actions of someone or something else, or because of illness or chance:

to provide financial aid to hurricane/flood, etc. victims

victims of crime

The children are the innocent/helpless victims of the fighting.

The new drug might help save the lives of cancer victims.

We appear to have been the victims of a cruel practical joke.

Our local hospital has become the latest victim of the cuts in government spending.

proof

a fact or piece of information that shows that something exists or is true:

[ + that ] Do they have any proof that it was Hampson who stole the goods?

I have a suspicion that he's having an affair, though I don't have any concrete (= definite) proof.

If anyone needs proof of Andrew Davies' genius as a writer, this novel is it.

"How old are you?" "21." "Do you have any proof on you?"

Keep your receipt as proof of purchase.

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stomach ache

pain in your stomach:

I ate too much and got a terrible stomach ache.

headache

a pain you feel inside your head:

I've got a splitting (= severe) headache.

eyestrain

tired or painful eyes as a result of too much reading, looking at a computer screen, etc.

cold

a common infection, especially in the nose and throat, that causes you to cough and sneeze and your nose to run (= drip liquid) or feel blocked:

I've got a cold.

She caught a cold at school.

UK informal Don't come near me - I've got a stinking/streaming cold (= extremely bad cold).

cough

to force air out of your lungs through your throat with a short, loud sound:

The smoke made me cough.

I coughed all night long.

toothache

pain caused by something being wrong with one of your teeth:

I have terrible toothache.

spots

a raised, pale red circle on the skin that is temporary:

Teenagers often suffer a lot from spots.

sunburn

a condition in which your skin is sore and red because you have spent too long in the strong heat of the sun

mosquito bite

Mosquito bites are the itchy bumps that appear after mosquitoes use their mouthparts to puncture your skin and feed on your blood.

bee sting

For most people, a bee sting is just a nuisance. You may experience temporary sharp pain, swelling, redness, warmth, and itching at the sting site, but no serious complications. If you're allergic to bees, or you get stung multiple times, bee stings can be more problematic. They can even be life-threatening.

earache

a pain in the inside part of your ear

backache

a pain in your back:

Gardening gives me such backache.

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survive

to continue to live or exist, especially after coming close to dying or being destroyed or after being in a difficult or threatening situation:

The baby was born with a heart problem and only survived for a few hours.

These plants cannot survive in very cold conditions.

None of Shakespeare's plays survives in its original manuscript form.

The family are struggling to survive on very little money.

The front passengers were lucky to survive the accident.

The chairman of the board succeeded in surviving the challenge to his authority.

"How are you?" "Oh, (I'm) surviving (= life is satisfactory, but not very good)."

hike

a long walk, especially in the countryside

up to date

modern, recent, or containing the latest information:

We work hard to keep our database up to date.

[ before noun ] up-to-date information

GPS

abbreviation for global positioning system: a system that can show the exact position of a person or thing by using signals from satellites (= objects in space that send signals to earth)

poisonous

very harmful and able to cause illness or death:

poisonous chemicals

Can you tell the difference between poisonous mushrooms and edible varieties?

remote

far away in distance:

Australia is large, and remote from the great centres of population of the world.

remote galaxies

muddy

covered by or containing mud (= wet, sticky earth):

Don't bring those muddy boots inside!

muddy water

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plaster

a substance that becomes hard as it dries and is used especially for spreading on walls and ceilings in order to give a smooth surface:

The plaster on the walls was cracked and flaking.

antiseptic cream

This antiseptic cream soothes and heals wounds, protects against infection and can be used to treat cuts and grazes, minor burns and scalds, small areas of sunburn, dry chapped skin, nappy rash, insect bites, spots and pimples.

bandage

a long, narrow piece of cloth that is tied around an injury or a part of someone's body that has been hurt

sun cream

a substance that you put on your skin to protect it from being burned by the sun:

It's important to wear sun cream when you go to the beach.

Most of us don't apply suncreams thickly or evenly enough, with the result that protection is patchy and ineffective.

insect repellent

An insect repellent (also commonly called "bug spray") is a substance applied to skin, clothing, or other surfaces which discourages insects (and arthropods in general) from landing or climbing on that surface.

aspirins

a common drug that reduces pain, fever, and swelling:

I always take a couple of aspirins when I feel a cold starting.

Aspirin should not be given to young children.

mints

a herb whose leaves have a strong, fresh smell and taste and are used for giving flavour to food:

a sprig of mint

mint-flavoured gum/toothpaste