Unit 104

mute / mutate

mute adj. 哑巴的，缄默的， (unable or unwilling to speak) / mjuːt/

• The child was so scared by the nightmare that he went mute for several minutes, unable to utter a single word.

mutate v. 变化，转变 (to change and cause an unusual characteristic to develop in a plant or animal) / mjuːˈteɪt/

• Some people are afraid that genetically engineered plants are mutated in a manner that makes them dangerous to humans.

saturnine / saturate / satiate

saturnine adj. 性格阴沉的，表情忧郁的 (gloomy or moody) / satənʌɪn/

• The coach's saturnine expression revealed his gloomy outlook regarding the team's prospects for winning the game.

saturate v. 浸湿，浸透 (to make something very wet) / satʃəreɪt/

• The rain saturated the garden, waterlogging the freshly planted annuals.

v. 使充满某物 (to fill something completely with something)

• Fidget spinners are so popular that the market is saturated with advertisements for them.

satiate v. 充分满足 (to satisfy fully) /ˈseɪʃɪeɪt/

• Camilla satiated her urge for something sweet by binging on a large piece of chocolate cake.

pillory / pillow / pillar

pillory v. 批评 (to publicly criticize (someone) in a very harsh way) /ˈpɪləri/

• Late night liberal TV host Stephen Colbert seems to base his entire show around pillorying conservatives.

pillow n. 枕头 (a bag filled with soft material that is used as a cushion, usually for the head of a person who is lying down) /ˈpɪləʊ/

• Jake fluffed his pillow in order to more comfortably support his head.

pillar n.支柱，支撑（本身是柱子的意思） (a basic fact, idea, or principle of something) /ˈpɪlə/

• The right to security for one's personal property is a pillar of economist Adam Smith's book The Wealth of Nations.