Unit 94

vitiate / vitriolic

vitiate v. 弄坏，使无效 (to ruin or spoil something) /ˈvɪʃɪeɪt/

• Liberals are constantly clamoring that global warming is vitiating our environment.

vitriolic adj. 尖酸的，刻薄的 (expressing harsh and angry words) /ˌvɪtrɪˈɒlɪk/

• Kent was so angry that his new car had been totalled that he verbally vented his frustration with vitriolic rage.

swerve / severe / server / swear / sever

swerve v. 转完，背离 (to cause to turn aside or deviate) /swəːv/

• Ge swerved the car to the right in order to avoid hitting the chicken that ran across the road.

severe adj. 严厉的 (very harsh) /sɪˈvɪə/

• Tong's mother was a severe taskmaster who constantly checked that his homework and chores were properly completed.

server n. 服务器 (the main computer in a network which provides files and services that are used by the other computers) /ˈsəːvə/

• When major servers such as Google and Bing go down, the effects are catastrophic.

swear v. 发誓 (to state something very strongly and sincerely) /swɛː/

• The defendant swore that he would tell only the truth.

v. 诅咒 (to use offensive words when you speak)

• Kyle's mother grounded him for two weeks after she overheard him swearing like a sailor while talking with his friends.

sever v. 打碎，分裂 (to divide into parts) /ˈsɛvə/

• The butcher severed the chicken into several pieces in preparation for frying.

laconic / draconian

laconic adj. 简洁的，用词少的 (using few words in speech or writing) /ləˈkɒnɪk/

• My father is so laconic that we once went an entire week without hearing him say a word to us.

draconian adj. 极其严苛的 (exceedingly harsh or very severe) /drəˈkəʊnɪən/

• The principal enforces the school rules in a draconian manner, entertaining no sympathy for miscreants.