Word of today: Topic about Weather| Final| Vocabulary

sunny /ˈsʌni/  adjective

1 : having plenty of bright sunlight

§ 
a sunny room/day

§ 
sunny weather

§ 
the sunniest parts of the country

2 : cheerful and happy

§ 
a sunny smile/disposition

thunder /ˈθʌndɚ/  noun

1 [noncount] : the
very loud sound that comes from the sky during a storm : the
sound that follows a flash of lightning

§ 
Her dog is afraid of thunder.

§ 
Lightning flashed and thunder boomed/crashed.

§ 
Suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder.

§ 
We could hear the rumble of thunder in the
distance.

2 [singular] : a
loud noise that sounds like thunder

§ 
the thunder of horses' hooves

§ 
the distant thunder of cannon fire

§ 
She accepted the award to a thunder of applause.

a face like thunder  British : a face that
looks very angry

§ 
He burst into the room with a face like thunder.

thunderstorm /ˈθʌndɚˌstoɚm/  noun

[count]

: a storm with lightning and thunder

§ 
There are thunderstorms in the forecast.

§ 
The weather service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning.

tornado /toɚˈneɪdoʊ/  noun

[count]

: a violent and destructive storm in which
powerful winds move around a central point

§ 
in the path of a tornado

§ 
a tornado warning

windchill /ˈwɪndˌtʃɪl/  noun

1 [noncount] : the
effect that wind has of making air feel colder than it actually is

§ 
It's cold outside, and it feels even colder because of the windchill.

— called also windchill
factor

2 [count] : a
temperature that shows how cold the air feels because of the wind

§ 
Expect windchills in the 20s tonight.

windy /ˈwɪndi/  adjective

1 : having a lot of wind

§ 
It's a windy day.

§ 
It's windy outside.

§ 
a windy part of the country

2 : using too many words

§ 
He gave a long, windy speech.

§ 
a windy politician

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Word of today: Topic about Weather| Section 05| Vocabulary

Word of today: Topic about Weather| Section 05| Vocabulary
1) muggy /ˈmʌgi/ adjective
: unpleasantly warm and humid
 a muggy day in August
 It's very muggy out today.
 muggy weather

2) overcast /ˈoʊvɚˌkæst/ Brit /ˈəʊvəˌkɑːst/ adjective
[more overcast; most overcast]
: covered with clouds
 The sky was overcast.
: darkened by clouds
 It was an overcast morning.
 They worked in overcast conditions.

3) pollution /pəˈluːʃən/ noun
[noncount]
1 : the action or process of making land, water, air, etc., dirty and not safe or suitable to use
 industrial practices that have caused pollution of the air and water
2 : substances that make land, water, air, etc., dirty and not safe or suitable to use
 The tests showed high levels of pollution in the water/air.
 The fish are dying of/from pollution.

4) pour /ˈpoɚ/ verb
1 [+ object] : to cause (something) to flow in a steady stream from or into a container or place
 He carefully poured the water into her glass.
 Pour the sauce over the pasta.
 She poured salt into the palm of her hand and then sprinkled it over the stew.
2 [no object]
a : to rain heavily
 It poured all day.
 It was pouring the whole time we were there.
 (Brit) It is pouring (down) with rain.
b of rain : to come down heavily
 The rain poured down.
 We had to wait for hours in the pouring rain.

5) precipitation /prɪˌsɪpəˈteɪʃən/ noun
1 [noncount] : water that falls to the ground as rain, snow, etc.
 The weather forecast calls for some sort of frozen precipitation tomorrow—either snow or sleet.
 a 50 percent chance of precipitation
2 [count, noncount] technical : the process of separating a solid substance from a liquid
 Minerals are separated from the seawater by precipitation.

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Word of today: Topic about Weather| Section 06| Vocabulary

Word of today: Topic about Weather| Section 06| Vocabulary
1) rain /ˈreɪn/ noun
: water that falls in drops from clouds in the sky
[noncount]
 The weatherman forecasts rain for this afternoon.
 We could hear the sound of (the) rain on the roof.
 Everyone went inside when the rain began to fall.
[count]
 spring/summer rains
 What the garden needs is a good, soaking rain.
 A light/heavy rain began to fall.
 There has been some flooding due to the recent heavy rains.

2) shower /ˈʃawɚ/ noun
a : a brief fall of rain or snow over a small area
 Light/Heavy showers are expected later today.
b : a large number of small things that fall or happen at the same time — often + of
 a shower of sparks/tears
 He gave the baby a shower of kisses. [=he showered the baby with kisses]

3) smog /ˈsmɑːg/ noun
[noncount]
 : fog mixed with smoke : a cloud of dirty air from cars, factories, etc., that is usually found in cities

4) snow /ˈsnoʊ/ noun
: soft, white pieces of frozen water that fall to the ground from the sky in cold weather
[noncount]
 Snow fell softly on the town.
 The mountains were blanketed/covered with snow.
 She took a walk in the snow.
[count]
 Soon the warm spring sun will melt the winter snows.
 the snows of the Rocky Mountains
 A light/heavy snow was falling.

5) storm /ˈstoɚm/ noun
: an occurrence of bad weather in which there is a lot of rain, snow, etc., and often strong winds
 The sky got dark and it looked like a storm was coming.
 A storm was brewing.
 We made it home before the storm struck/broke. [=before the storm began]
 I went out for a walk and got caught in a storm. [=I was outside when the storm began]

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Word of today: Topic about Weather| Section 04| Vocabulary

Word of today:
1) heat /ˈhiːt/ noun
1 [noncount] : energy that causes things to become warmer
 The sun's heat melted the snow.
 the intense heat of a fire
 She applied heat to the sore muscles in her leg.
 body heat
2 [noncount] : hot weather or temperatures
 a period of high heat and humidity
 The crops were damaged by drought and extreme heat.
 the desert's dry heat [=hot temperatures with little moisture in the air]
— often used with the
 She doesn't like the heat.
 The runners performed well despite the 90-degree heat.
 These flowers tend to wilt in the heat of summer.

2) humid /ˈhjuːməd/ adjective
[more humid; most humid]

: having a lot of moisture in the air
 humid weather
 a humid climate/day/season
 It's very hot and humid [=muggy] today.

3) humidity /hjuˈmɪdəti/ noun
[noncount] : moisture in the air
 the humidity of the region
 It's not the heat that will get you—it's the humidity.
: the amount of moisture in the air
 The temperature is 67 degrees with humidity at 75 percent.
 an area of low/high humidity

4) hurricane /ˈhɚrəˌkeɪn/ Brit /ˈhʌrəkən/ noun
[count]
: an extremely large, powerful, and destructive storm with very strong winds that occurs especially in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean

5) lightning /ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/ noun
[noncount]
: the flashes of light that are produced in the sky during a storm
 a bolt of lightning = a lightning bolt
 a flash of lightning
 The tree was hit/struck by lightning. = The tree was hit by a lightning strike.

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Word of today: Topic about Weather |Section 03| Vocabulary

Word of today: Topic about Weather |Section 03
1) forecast /ˈfoɚˌkæst/ Brit /ˈfɔːˌkɑːst/ noun
[count] : a statement about what you think is going to happen in the future
 weather forecasts
 economic forecasts

2) gust /ˈgʌst/ noun
[count]: a sudden strong wind
 His hat was blown off by a sudden gust (of wind).
 Today's weather will be windy, with gusts of up to 40 miles per hour.
— often used figuratively
 gusts of laughter
 a gust of emotion
— gustiness /ˈgʌstinəs/ noun [noncount]
 the gustiness of the winds
— gusty /ˈgʌsti/ adjective gustier; gustiest
 a gusty day
 gusty winds

3) hail /ˈheɪl/ noun
1 [noncount] : pieces of ice that fall from clouds like rain
 Many cars were damaged by hail during the storm.
2 [singular] : a large number of small hard objects (such as bullets or stones) flying or falling together
 They were gunned down in a hail of bullets.
 a hail of pellets
— often used figuratively
 The court's decision was met with a hail of criticism. [=was strongly criticized by many people]

4) hazy /ˈheɪzi/ adjective
1 : partly hidden, darkened, or clouded by dust, smoke, or mist : hidden by haze
 We had only a hazy view of the mountain.
 hazy sunshine
also : having or filled with haze
 hazy weather
2 a : not clear in thought or meaning : VAGUE
 He gave us a hazy account of how he had spent the last two weeks.
 She has only hazy memories of the accident.
b : not certain
 I'm a little hazy [=unclear] on/about the details.
— hazily /ˈheɪzəli/ adverb
 hazily remembered
— haziness /ˈheɪzinəs/ noun [noncount]
 the haziness of the view/memories

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Word of today: Topic about Weather| Section 02| Vocabulary

Word of today: Topic about Weather| Section 02
1) clear /ˈkliɚ/ adjective
of weather or the sky : not having any clouds, fog, etc.
 It was a beautifully clear, sunny day.
 a clear blue sky
 You can see thousands of stars on a clear night.
(as) clear as a bell : very clear
 It was clear as a bell that morning—not a cloud in the sky.
 The water was as clear as a bell.
 Clear as a bell, I heard him say my name.
 a sound as clear as a bell

2) clear /ˈkliɚ/ verb
[no object] : to become clear: such as
a of weather or the sky : to change so that there are no clouds, fog, etc.
 The sky cleared after the rain.
 The weather is cloudy now, but it's clearing gradually.
cloudy /ˈklaʊdi/ adjective
[also more cloudy; most cloudy]
1 : having many clouds in the sky
 Tomorrow will be cloudy and cold.
 a cloudy day
 cloudy weather
: covered with clouds
 partly cloudy skies
2 : not clean or clear
 cloudy [=murky] water
 cloudy eyes
— cloudiness
noun [noncount]
 We'll have clear skies in the morning with increasing cloudiness in the afternoon.

3) cold front /ˈkoʊld ˈfrʌnt / noun
[count] : the front edge of a moving mass of cold air
 A cold front will move in tomorrow, bringing with it clear skies.
— compare WARM FRONT

4) flurry /ˈflɚri/ noun
[count]
1 : a brief and light snowfall
 We had a few flurries yesterday.
 a snow flurry
2 a : a brief period of excitement or activity — + of
 There was a flurry of trading in the stock exchange.
 The incident could create a flurry of interest in safety issues.
b : a large amount of something that happens or comes suddenly — + of
 a flurry [=barrage] of publicity
 There was a flurry of requests for more information.

5) fog /ˈfɑːg/ noun
1 : many small drops of water floating in the air above the ground, the sea, etc.
[noncount]
 Heavy fog made it difficult to see the road.
 a patch/blanket of fog
 ocean fog
[count]
 a climate marked by heavy fogs
 The fog reduced visibility to a quarter of a mile.
2 [singular] : a state of mental confusion
 This problem has me in a fog.
 an alcohol-induced fog

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Word of today: Topic about Weather | Section 01| Vocabulary

Word of today: Topic about Weather | Section 01
1) barometer /bəˈrɑːmətɚ/ noun
[count]
1 : an instrument that is used to measure air pressure and predict changes in the weather
2 : something that is used to indicate or predict something
 The test is used as a barometer [=standard] to measure a student's reading level.
 Economists see housing prices as a barometer for inflation. [=economists use housing prices to predict inflation]
— often + of
 A player's rookie season is not always a good/accurate barometer of his success in the league.
 Wealth is not a barometer of happiness.
— barometric
/ˌberəˈmɛtrɪk/ adjective, always used before a noun
 barometric pressure

2) blizzard /ˈblɪzɚd/ noun
[count]
1 : a severe snowstorm that goes on for a long time
 We were snowed in by a raging/fierce blizzard.
2 : a large amount of something that comes suddenly — usually singular
 a blizzard of mail
 The audience confronted him with a blizzard of questions.

3) breezy /ˈbriːzi/ adjective
1 : having strong winds : WINDY
 a breezy day
 a breezy beach
2 : informal and lively
 a breezy essay
 I enjoy the author's breezy style.
3 : relaxed in a way that shows you are not concerned about or interested in something
 She listened to their complaints with breezy indifference.
— breezily
/ˈbriːzəli/ adverb
 He breezily dismissed our fears.

4) chilly /ˈtʃɪli/ adjective
[also more chilly; most chilly]
1 : noticeably cold
 a chilly morning
 a chilly breeze
 It's a little chilly outside.
2 : feeling cold
 I was getting chilly.
 You must be chilly without a coat on.
3 : noticeably unfriendly
 They gave him a chilly reception.
— chilliness
Noun [noncount]
 the chilliness of the air
[singular]
 She felt a chilliness in his voice.

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Word of today: haze, error, image, frighten, foolish, victory, spooky, e...

Word of today:
1. haze /ˈheɪz/ noun
2. error /ˈerɚ/ noun
3. image /ˈɪmɪʤ/ noun
4. frighten /ˈfraɪtn/ verb
5. foolish /ˈfuːlɪʃ/ adjective
6. victory /ˈvɪktəri/ noun
7. spooky /ˈspuːki/ adjective
8. embroider /ɪmˈbroɪdɚ/ verb

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Word of today: "hurdle, lounge, mattress, torso"| Vocabulary

Word of today
I. hurdle /ˈhɚdl̟/ noun
1a) [count] : one of a series of barriers to be jumped over in a race
1b) the hurdles : a race in which runners must jump over hurdles
He won a medal in the high hurdles.
— usually used with a singular verb

The hurdles is his best event.

2) [count] : something that makes an achievement difficult

The company faces severe financial hurdles this year.
She overcame many hurdles [=obstacles] on her way to earning a college diploma.

II. lounge lwod-audio-pron-red /ˈlaʊnʤ/ verb

: to sit or lie in a relaxed way

She was lounging on the sofa.

lounging in bed

: to spend time resting or relaxing

He was lounging by the pool all afternoon.

lounging at the bar

— often + around or (British) about

We spent our vacation just lounging around [=relaxing] on the beach.

— lounger noun, plural loungers [count]

III. mattress /ˈmætrəs/ noun

[count]

: a cloth case that is filled with material and used as a bed

IV. torso /ˈtoɚsoʊ/ noun

[count]

: the main part of the human body not including the head, arms, and legs : TRUNK

exercises that strengthen the/your torso

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Word of Today is "Shuffle"| Vocabulary| Everyday 01 word

Word of Today is "Shuffle"| Vocabulary| Everyday 01 word
shuffle /ˈʃʌfəl/ verb

1 : to slide your feet along the ground or back and forth without lifting them completely

[no object]
He shuffled across the floor.
[+ object]
She stood there, shuffling her feet, waiting for the bus to arrive.
2 a [+ object] : to move things or people into a different order or into different positions
She shuffled the papers on her desk.
The manager shuffled the batting order.
2 b : to mix (playing cards) before playing a game so that no one knows what order they are in
[+ object]
He shuffled the cards/deck.
[no object]
Whose turn is it to shuffle and deal?

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What does "cross paths" mean?| Vocabulary

cross paths   /ˈkrɑːs ˈpæðz/   idiom

When people cross paths or when their paths cross, they meet each other at a time that was not planned or expected.
	After they left college, it was many years before they crossed paths again. = It was many years before their paths crossed again.
	I crossed paths with an old friend on a business trip.

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What is the difference between please and kindly| voa english

What is the difference between please and kindly
This week we received a question from Evewero in Nigeria.

Question:

What is the difference between “please” and “kindly.” Some … use the two words together, e.g. “please kindly assist.”

- Evewero, Nigeria

Answer:

Dear Evewero,

Thank you kindly for writing to us.

Kindly

“Kindly” can be an adverb, a word that usually describes a verb. If your teacher says, "Kindly hand in your homework," she is using kindly as an adverb to make a polite request. Another way to use the word as an adverb is:

The animal doctor always treats our pets kindly.

“Kindly” is also an adjective. If someone helped you at the post office, you might say:

A kindly man helped me mail my letter.

There, kindly describes “man” which is a noun. You could also use the word “nice” to express the same idea.

Please

“Please” can be an adverb or a verb. It also can be used to make a request politely:

Would you please pass the salt?

Please give me your homework.

And, Americans almost always use “please” when making a request in the form of a statement as opposed to a question:

Give me two tickets, please.

Please, sir, help us!

I hope this answer “pleases” you - there, I used it as a verb.

“Kindly” visit our website again for more lessons!

Your questions

What questions do you have about English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.

And that's Ask a Teacher for this week.

I’m Jill Robbins.

Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story
polite – adj. having or showing good manners or respect for other people

Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.

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