Chapter14

1.disembowel

V-T To disembowel a person or animal means to remove their internal organs, especially their stomach, intestines, and bowels.

2.bowel

N-COUNT Your bowels are the tubes in your body through which digested food passes from your stomach to your anus.

3.overt

ADJ An overt action or attitude is done or shown in an open and obvious way.

4.animosity

N-UNCOUNT Animosity is a strong feeling of dislike and anger. Animosities are feelings of this kind.

5.decent

ADJ Decent is used to describe something which is considered to be of an acceptable standard or quality.

6.gnarled

ADJ A gnarled tree is twisted and strangely shaped because it is old.

7.horoscope

N-COUNT Your horoscope is a prediction of events which some people believe will happen to you in the future. Horoscopes are based on the position of the stars when you were born.

8.trapeze

N-COUNT A trapeze is a bar of wood or metal hanging from two ropes on which people in a circus swing and perform skillful movements.

9.vigilant

ADJ Someone who is vigilant gives careful attention to a particular problem or situation and concentrates on noticing any danger or trouble that there might be.

10.somersault

N-COUNT If someone or something does a somersault, they turn over completely in the air.

11.pensive

ADJ If you are pensive, you are thinking deeply about something, especially something that worries you slightly.

12.tactful

ADJ If you describe a person or what they say as tactful you approve of them because they are careful not to offend or upset another person.

13.inscrutable

ADJ If a person or their expression is inscrutable, it is very hard to know what they are really thinking or what they mean.

14.eavesdrop

V-I If you eavesdrop on someone, you listen secretly to what they are saying.

15.decapitate

V-T If someone is decapitated, their head is cut off.

16.spew

V-T/V-I When something spews out a substance or when a substance spews from something, the substance flows out quickly in large quantities.

17.sheaf

N-COUNT A sheaf of papers is a number of them held or fastened together.