Learning English Vocabulary| Learner's Dictionary| 03

debt /ˈdɛt/  noun

1.    [count] : an amount of
money that you owe to a person, bank, company, etc.

·        
He is trying to pay off gambling debts.

·        
The company has run up huge debts.

·        
Their debts are
piling up.

2.    [noncount] : the
state of owing money to someone or something

·        
He is drowning in a sea of debt. [=he owes a very large amount of money]

·        
a mountain of debt

casserole /ˈkæsəˌroʊl/  noun

1.    : food (such as meat, noodles,
and vegetables) baked together and served in a deep dish

[count]

·        
a seafood casserole

·        
[noncount]

·        
I made tuna casserole for
dinner.

2.     [count] : a
deep dish used for baking

·        
meat and noodles served in a casserole

·        
— called also casserole
dish

assortment /əˈsoɚtmənt/  noun

[count] : a
group or collection of different things or people

·        
an assortment of vegetables

·        
The book has a wonderful assortment of characters.

·        
You can choose from a wide assortment of
options.

alternate /ˈɑːltɚˌneɪt/  verb

: to place or do (different things) so that one follows the
other in a repeated series

[+ object]

·        
To make the appetizer, you should alternate layers of tomatoes and cheese.
[=you should place a layer of tomatoes, then a layer of cheese, then a layer of
tomatoes, etc.]

·        
The poem/poet alternates fear and hope.

— often + with

·        
The necklace is made by alternating glass beads with shells.

·        
The poem/poet alternates fear and hope with each other. = The poem/poet alternates fear with hope.

shabby /ˈʃæbi/  adjective

1.     : in poor condition especially because of age or use

·        
The furniture was old and shabby.

·        
He wore a shabby coat.

·        
Her first apartment was pretty shabby.

2.     : dressed in clothes that are old and worn

·        
shabby workmen

3.     informal : not fair,
generous, or reasonable

·        
They complained about the shabby treatment
they received at the hotel.