New words from PD James’ “The Lighthouse”:

AMENABLE adjective
UK /əˈmiː.nə.bəl/ US /əˈmiː.nə.bəl/
willing to accept or be influenced by a suggestion:
He was amenable to suggestion, and really worked hard to improve himself.
She might be more amenable to the idea if you explained how much money it
would save.

ORTHODOXY NOUN
UK /ˈɔː.θə.dɒk.si/ US /ˈɔːr.θə.dɑːk.si/

[ C ] the generally accepted beliefs of society at a particular time:

The current economic orthodoxy is of a free market and unregulated trade.

[ C or U ] the traditional beliefs of a religious group or political party:

She is a strict defender of Catholic orthodoxy.

DICHOTOMY noun [ C usually singular ]

UK /daɪˈkɒt.ə.mi/ US /daɪˈkɑː.t̬ ə.mi/ FORMAL

a difference between two completely opposite ideas or things:

There is often a dichotomy between what politicians say and what they do.

Waywardness noun [ U ]
UK /ˈweɪ.wəd.nəs/ US /ˈweɪ.wɚd.nəs/ DISAPPROVING

the quality of being wayward (= doing only what you want, in a way that
is difficult to control):
He was a man of professional brilliance but personal waywardness.
Denied a proper childhood and family life,
she behaves with increasing waywardness.

Tilt verb [ I or T ]
UK /tɪlt/ US /tɪlt/

to (cause to) move into a sloping position:

He tilted his chair backwards and put his feet up on his desk.
Anna looked up at him with her head tilted to one side.
Survey verb
UK /səˈveɪ/ /ˈsɜː.veɪ/ US /sɚˈveɪ/
survey verb (LOOK AT)

C1 [ T ] FORMAL UK /səˈveɪ/ US /ˈsɝː.veɪ/ to look at or examine all of

something, especially carefully:
He got out of the car to survey the damage.
She has written a book which surveys (= describes in detail) the history of feminism.

Lit verb
UK /lɪt/ US /lɪt/

PAST SIMPLE AND PAST PARTICIPLE OF light

bound adjective
US /bɑʊnd/
bound adjective (CERTAIN)

[ not gradable ] certain or extremely likely to happen:

[ + to infinitive ] You’re bound to feel nervous about your interview.

Know noun
UK /nəʊ/ US /noʊ/ INFORMAL
BE IN THE KNOW

to have knowledge about something that most people do not have:

This resort is considered by those who are in the know to have
the best downhill skiing in Europe.

ON A NEED-TO-KNOW BASIS

If you tell people something on a need-to-know basis, you only tell them
the facts they need to know at the time they need to know them, and nothing
more.

Cue noun [ C ]
UK /kjuː/ US /kjuː/
cue noun [ C ] (SIGNAL)
(Hint)
a signal for someone to do something:
[ + to infinitive ] They started washing up, so that was our cue to leave the party.

Respite noun
UK /ˈres.paɪt/ US /ˈres.paɪt/ FORMAL

[ U ] a pause or rest from something difficult or unpleasant:

We worked for hours without respite.

[ S ] a useful delay before something unpleasant happens:

Their teacher was away, so they had a day's respite before their essays were due.

Convey verb [ T ]
UK /kənˈveɪ/ US /kənˈveɪ/ FORMAL
convey verb [ T ] (COMMUNICATE)

Transmit, express
C1 to express a thought, feeling, or idea so that it is understood by
other people:
His poetry conveys a great sense of religious devotion.
Please convey our condolences to the family.
Ver 1 yield up - surrender, as a result of pressure or force
b . cede, surrender, give
up, deliver - relinquish possession or control over; "The squattershad to surrender the building
after the police moved in"

Openness noun [ U ]
UK /ˈəʊ.pən.nəs/ US /ˈoʊ.pən.nəs/

C2 honesty:
If these discussions are to succeed, we'll need openness from/on both sides.
bestow

verb UK /bɪˈstəʊ/ US /-ˈstoʊ/ FORMAL

to give something as an honour or present

conferirle???
The George Cross is a decoration that is
bestowed upon/on British civilians for acts of greatbravery.
liable

adjective UK /ˈlaɪ·ə·bl/ US /ˈlɑɪ·ə·bəl/

be liable to do something

to be likely to do something
ser posible que pase algo, tener tendencia a hacer algo
He is liable to get angry if you wake him.

cock-up noun
UK /ˈkɒk·ʌp/ US /ˈkɑkˌʌp/ UK INFORMAL

a stupid mistake or failure

metedura de pata

brief verb
UK /briːf/ US /briːf/

[T] to give someone detailed instructions or information:

We had already been briefed about/on what the job would entail.
concealed adj (hidden) oculto/a adj
escondido/a adj
Dexter looked under the shrubs, where he found a concealed box of jewelry.
Dexter miró bajo los arbustos, donde encontró un joyero oculto.

Conceal verb [ T ]
UK /kənˈsiːl/ US /kənˈsiːl/

C2 to prevent something from being seen or known about:

The listening device was concealed in a pen.
I tried to conceal my surprise when she told me her age.
It was said that the police concealed vital evidence.
Is there something you're concealing from me?
Synonym
hide

crooked adjective
UK /ˈkrʊk.ɪd/ US /ˈkrʊk.ɪd/
crooked adjective (BENT)

not forming a straight line, or having many bends:

You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.
His front teeth are crooked.

Hoist verb [ T ]
UK /hɔɪst/ US /hɔɪst/

to lift something heavy, sometimes using ropes or a machine:

A helicopter hoisted the final section of the bridge into place.
With some difficulty he hoisted her onto his shoulders.
I scrabbled for a handhold and hoisted myself up.
hoist a flag

to raise a flag to the top of a pole using a rope

raid noun [ C ]
UK /reɪd/ US /reɪd/

C2 a short sudden attack, usually by a small group of people:

The commandos made/staged/carried out a daring raid (on the enemy).
planes on a bombing raid

the act of entering a place by force in order to steal from it:

Millions of dollars were stolen in a bank raid last night.

C2 an occasion when
the police enter a place suddenly in order to find someone or something:
The drugs were found during a police raid on the house.

Heady adjective
UK /ˈhed.i/ US /ˈhed.i/
Embriagador, que se sube a la cabeza
having a powerful effect, making you feel slightly drunk or excited:
a heady wine/perfume
In the heady days of their youth, they thought anything was possible.

dry up
— phrasal verb with dry UK /draɪ/ US /draɪ/ verb [ I or T ]

(WATER)

If a river, lake, etc. dries up, the water in it disappears.

(END)

C2 If a supply of something dries up, it ends:

His main source of work had dried up, leaving him short of money.

Seclusion noun [ U ]
UK /sɪˈkluː.ʒən/ US /səˈkluː.ʒən/

the state of being alone, away from other people:

He's been living in seclusion since he retired from acting.

Engaging adjective
UK /ɪnˈɡeɪ.dʒɪŋ/ US /ɪnˈɡeɪ.dʒɪŋ/ APPROVING

pleasant, attractive, and charming:

an engaging smile/manner/person

harbor noun [ C or U ]
UK US harbor UK /ˈhɑː.bər/ US /ˈhɑːr.bɚ/

B1 an area of water next to the coast, often protected from the sea by
a thick wall, where ships and boats can shelter:
Our hotel room overlooked a pretty little fishing harbour.

blurt out something

— phrasal verb with blurt US/blɜrt/ verb
to say something suddenly, and without thinking of the results:
At one point, Goetz blurted out, "The subways down there are terrible."

Agreeable adjective
UK /əˈɡriː.ə.bəl/ US /əˈɡriː.ə.bəl/
agreeable adjective (PLEASANT)

FORMAL pleasant or pleasing:

We spent a most agreeable evening by the river.

Chum noun
UK /tʃʌm/ US /tʃʌm/
chum noun (FRIEND)

[ C ] OLD-FASHIONED INFORMAL a friend:

They were old school/college chums.
[ as form of address ] That's all right by me, chum.

Solicitor noun [ C ]
UK /səˈlɪs.ɪ.tər/ US /səˈlɪs.ə.t̬ ɚ/

C1 a type of lawyer in Britain and Australia who is trained to prepare cases and
giveadvice on legal subjects and can represent people in lower courts:
a firm of solicitors

gather verb (UNDERSTAND)

C1 [ T ] to understand or believe something as a result of something that has

been said or done:
Harry loves his new job, I gather.
From what I can gather, they're old school friends.

Trudge verb [ I usually + adv/prep ]

UK /trʌdʒ/ US /trʌdʒ/

C2to walk slowly with a lot of effort, especially over a difficult surface or
whilecarrying something heavy:
We trudged back up the hill.
I'd had to trudge through the snow.
uncanny

adjective UK /ʌnˈkæn.i/ US

strange or mysterious; difficult or impossible to explain

raro, extraño
an uncanny resemblance
comprehensive

adjective UK /ˌkɒm·prɪˈhen·sɪv/ US /ˌkɑm·prəˈhen·sɪv/

including everything
exhaustivo
a comprehensive study of the subject

untoward

adjective UK /ˌʌn.tʊˈwɔːd/ US /-ˈtə.wɔːrd/

unexpected and not convenient or unpleasant

perjudicial, adverso

Unless anything untoward happens we should arrive just before midday.

counsel

noun UK /ˈkaʊn·səl/ US /ˈkɑʊn·səl/

a lawyer who speaks for someone in court

abogado, -a

bedevil

verb UK /bɪˈdev.əl/ US /bɪˈdev.əl/ -ll- or US USUALLY -l-

to confuse, annoy, or cause problems or difficulties for someone or something
plagar, atormentar

Ever since I started playing tennis, I’ve been bedevilled by back pains.

barb

noun UK /bɑːb/ US /bɑːrb/

a remark that is funny but unkind

pulla

I tried to ignore their barbs about my new jacket.

ally

noun UK /ˈæl·aɪ/ US /ˈæl·ɑɪ/ PLURAL allies

a person or country that helps you when you are arguing or fighting with
another person or country
aliado, -a

nuisance

noun UK /ˈnjuː·səns/ US /ˈnu·səns/

a person, thing, or situation that annoys you or causes problems for you
lata, incordio

Not being able to use my computer is a real nuisance.

compelling

adjective UK /kəmˈpel.ɪŋ/ US

very exciting and interesting and making you want to watch or listen
fascinante

I found the whole film very compelling.

a compelling story

exertion
noun UK /ɪɡˈzɜː·ʃən/ US /ɪɡˈzɜr·ʃən/

the use of a lot of physical or mental energy to do something

esfuerzo

I get out of breath with any kind of physical exertion.

Burden noun [ C ]
UK /ˈbɜː.dən/ US /ˈbɝː.dən/

a heavy load that you carry:

The little donkey struggled under its heavy burden.

Dread verb [ T ]
UK /dred/ US /dred/

C2 to feel extremely worried or frightened about something that is going

tohappen or that might happen:
He's dreading the exam - he's sure he's going to fail.

[ + -ing verb ] I'm dreading having to meet his parents.

high-rise noun [ C ]
UK /ˈhaɪ.raɪz/ US /ˈhaɪ.raɪz/

a tall modern building with many floors:

She lives in a high-rise overlooking the river.

Tremble verb [ I ]
UK /ˈtrem.bəl/ US /ˈtrem.bəl/

B2to shake slightly, usually because you are cold, frightened, or

veryemotional:
When he came out of the water, he was trembling with cold.

Her bottom lip trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes.

His voice started to tremble, and I thought he was going to cry.

Frail adjective
UK /freɪl/ US /freɪl/

C2 weak or unhealthy, or easily damaged, broken, or harmed:

a frail old lady

I last saw him just last week and thought how old and frail he looked.

the country's frail economy

querulous adjective
UK /ˈkwer.ə.ləs/ US /ˈkwer.jə.ləs/ FORMAL

often complaining, especially in a weak high voice:

He became increasingly dissatisfied and querulous in his old age.

cooped up adjective
UK /ˌkuːpt ˈʌp/ US /ˌkuːpt ˈʌp/

If you are cooped up somewhere, you are in a small closed space from which
you cannot escape, or you feel as if you are:
I hate being cooped up inside working when its a sunny day outside.

It's such a tiny office - don't you ever feel cooped up here?

Barge noun [C]

UK /bɑːdʒ/ US /bɑːrdʒ/

a long boat with a flat bottom, used for carrying

heavy objects on rivers or canals
launch noun [ C ] (BOAT)
a boat that has
an engine and carries passengers for short distances,especially on a lake or
a river, or from the land to a larger boat

upstreamadverb, adjective [ before noun ]

UK /ˌʌpˈstriːm/ US /ˌʌpˈstriːm/

(moving) on a river or stream towards its origin:

Salmon swim upstream against very strong currents to reach their breeding areas.

berthnoun [C]

UK /bɜːθ/ US /bɝːθ/

a bed in a boat, train, etc., or a place for a ship or boat to stay in a port:
She booked a berth on the ferry from Palermo to Naples.

smudgenoun [C]

UK /smʌdʒ/ US /smʌdʒ/

a mark with no particular shape that is caused, usually by accident,

byrubbing something such as ink or a dirty finger across a surface:
Her hands were covered in dust and she had a black smudge on her nose.

FIGURATIVE She said we were nearly there, but the island was still no more than
a distant smudge on the horizon.

acrimoniousadjective
UK /ˌæk.rɪˈməʊ.ni.əs/ US /ˌæk.rəˈmoʊ.ni.əs/ FORMAL

full of anger, arguments, and bad feeling:

an acrimonious dispute

Their marriage ended eight years ago in an acrimonious divorce.

Synonym

bitter

millnoun [C]

UK /mɪl/ US /mɪl/

a building where grain is crushed into flour

a small machine for crushing things into powder:

a pepper/coffee mill

a factory where a particular substance is produced:

a cotton/paper/steel mill
scrub up vi figurative, humorous, slang (make yourself look lavarse⇒ v prnl
phrasal presentable) (figurado)

Note: Commonly followed by an adverb

Janet was surprised by how nice Tom looked once he had dressed for the ball; he
scrubbed up nicely.

protractedadjective
UK /prəˈtræk.tɪd/ US /prəˈtræk.tɪd/

lasting for a long time or made to last longer than necessary:

protracted negotiations

a protracted argument/discussion

brass noun [ U ] (OFFICERS)

high-ranking officers in an organization, esp. the military:

The Pentagon brass went along with the plan but they were not happy about it.

desultory
adjective UK /ˈdes.əl.tər.i/ US /ˈdes.əl.tɔːr.i/ FORMAL

without a clear plan or purpose and showing little effort or interest

desganado

She made a desultory attempt at conversation.

He wandered around, cleaning up in a desultory way.

en route
adverb US ALSO enroute UK /ˌɒnˈruːt/ US /ˌɑːn-/

on the way to or from somewhere

por el camino, de camino

I stopped en route (to the party) and got some wine.

The bomb exploded while the plane was en route from Paris to Tokyo.

memento
noun UK /mɪˈmen·təʊ/ US /məˈmen·toʊ/

PLURAL mementos, mementoesan object that

you keep to remember a person,place, or event
recuerdo

cunning
adjective UK /ˈkʌn·ɪŋ/ US /ˈkʌn·ɪŋ/

skilful at getting what you want, especially by tricking people

astuto

cunningly adverb /ˈkʌn·ɪŋ·li/ /ˈkʌn·ɪŋ·li/

astutamente

noun [ no plural ] UK /ˈkʌn·ɪŋ/ US /ˈkʌn·ɪŋ/

the quality of being skilful at getting what
you want, especially by trickingpeople
astucia

matter-of-fact
adjective UK /ˌmæt.ə.rəvˈfækt/ US /ˌmæt̬ .ɚ.əv-/

not showing feelings or emotion, especially in a situation when emotionwould

be expected
práctico

He spoke in a very matter-of-fact way about the accident.

devoid
adjective UK /dɪˈvɔɪd/ US FORMAL

be devoid of sth

to lack or be without something that is necessary or usual

carecer de algo

Their apartment is devoid of all comforts.

He seems to be devoid of compassion.

lain
UK /leɪn/ US /leɪn/

PAST PARTICIPLE OF lie

participio pasado de “lie”

accretion
noun UK /əˈkriː.ʃən/ US /əˈkriː.ʃən/ FORMAL

a gradual increase or growth by the addition of new layers or parts

acrecentamiento, adición, aditamento

The fund was increased by the accretion of new shareholders.

The room hadn’t been cleaned for years and showed several accretions of dirt and dust.