Vocabulary

Definition

Example

alarm clock

a clock that can be set to ring at a particular time, especially to wake some­body from sleep.

As soon as he feels sleepy he brushes his teeth, goes to the bedroom, sets his alarm clock for seven and goes to bed.

canteen

a dining room in a factory, office, school etc.

At two o'clock he has a bite to eat at the university's canteen.

take care of

to look after

I'm very happy with my life as I like taking care of my family very much.

have a chat

to have a friendly, informal conversation

I always try to have a little chat with m friends.

chilly

rather cold

Light east to north easterly winds could make North Sea coasts feel rather chilly.

to cook

to prepare a hot meal

I go to the kitchen to cook breakfast for my family.

a cook

somebody who cooks food

My husband says I'm a good cook.

course

a dish, part of a meal

Children can be persuaded to sit at the table for two courses while their parent and other adults can sit chatting, drinking coffee all afternoon.

deal with

to do, to arrange

I start my working day by dealing with the post and answering the phone.

delicious

tasty

Here are a couple of recipes for a simple but delicious meal.

dress

to put clothes on

Peter goes back to the bedroom to dress

drizzle

light rain

Southern parts of England and Wales will be cloudy with drizzle in places.

food

what people eat

We found out it's becoming more and more popular to eat take-away food in­stead of cooking.

forecast

a prediction of future events, based on some kind of knowledge

You're listening to Weather Action's seven day forecast.

frost

frozen moisture (dew) on the ground and other surfaces

In many places there was also frost over night.

to get through

to complete something

I hate the telephone but I can't get through the day without spending at least three hours talking on the thing.

To get up

to rise from bed after sleeping

Peter gets up at seven o'clock.

to have a bite to eat

to eat a little

At two o'clock he has a bite to eat.

keep in touch with

to remain in contact with somebody

I always try to find some time to keep in touch with my friends.

leave (for)

to go away in order to go to some place

I have my breakfast and leave for work.

keep up with

to know the latest events

Before going to bed I like watching the news on TV to keep up with events or putting on a good movie.

to look through

to read through, to check

I start my working day by looking through the list of the day's appointments.

make one's bed

to tidy the bedclothes

He opens the window, makes his bed and does his morning exercises.

meal

food prepared/served for somebody to eat

It usually doesn't take roe much time to cook meals.

recipe

a set of instructions for preparing food, including a list of ingredients

Both recipes serve four people.

season

spring, summer, autumn or winter

In the depth of winter we have the habit of fantasising about seasons past.

shave

to remove facial hair etc. with a razor/shaver

Peter shaves aid brushes his teeth.

set in

(e.g. of weather) to begin and seem likely to continue

Although winter begins officially on December 21st, it is usually January before really cold weather sets in.

take a shower

to wash under running water

I like to take a cold shower.

sleet

a mixture of rain and snow

In many places there was also frost over­night, with sleet and snow in parts of northern Britain.

slipper

a light soft shoe worn in­doors

He puts on his slippers and goes to the bathroom.

slippery

difficult to hold, stand on or move on because it is smooth, wet, polished, etc.

It was too cold and slippery and I stayed in all day.

snowdrift

a deep pile of snow blown together by the wind

Snowploughs have to be brought out when snowdrifts have made roads impassable.

spell

a short period of time

It will include wintry spells with more sleet and snow.

supply

a stock or store of things (provided or available)

Birds may migrate but the best thing that animals can do is to hibernate or, if not, build up winter supplies as squirrels do.

thaw

the melting of ice and snow

After a few weeks the temperature rises and the thaw sets in.

towel

a piece of cloth or paper for drying oneself or wip­ing things dry

He rubs himself hard with a towel and soon he feels quite warm.

wake up

to interrupt sleep

I go to the bathroom to wash and then try to wake my children up.

waste (time, money, etc.)

to use wrongly, use too much of

I'm not a person who likes wasting time.

weather

atmospheric conditions, e.g. wind, rain, snow etc.

Can you tell us what the weather will be like during the next few days?