Match the formal and informal messages with the same general meaning.

Engineering 33

Glossary

 

 

Short forms

[C] countable adv adverb

[U] uncountable prep preposition

[pi] plural sb somebody

adj adjective sth something

absolute zero/.aebsaluit 'ziarsu/ noun

[U] the lowest temperature possible

(-273.15°C)

accurate/'askjsrst/ adj exact and correct across/s'kros/ adv, prep from one side of

sth to the other adjustable/9'd3Astabl/ adj that can be

moved into different shapes or

positions advantage/9d'va:ntid3/ noun 1 [C]

something that may help you to do

better than other people 2 [C,U]

something that helps you or that will

bring you a good result aerial/'esrisl/ noun [C] a long metal stick

that receives radio or television signals aeronautical/.esrs'noitikl/ adj connected

with aircraft aeroplane/'esreplem/ noun [C] a vehicle

with wings and engines that can fly alloy/'aebi/ noun [C, U] a metal formed

by mixing two metals together, or by

mixing metal with another substance aluminium/.sb'mmism/ noun [U] a

light silver-coloured metal amp/smp/ noun [C] (abbr A) a unit for

measuring electrical current analysis/s'naebsis/ noun [C,U] careful

examination

antenna/sen tens/ noun (US) = aerial apex/'eipeks/ noun [usually sing] the top

or highest part of sth applicant/'aepliksnt/ noun [C] a person

who makes a formal request for sth,

(applies for sth),especially a job, a

place at a college, university, etc. >■

application/.seph'keijn/ noun [C,U]

>■ apply/s'plai/ verb appointment/s'pomtrrwnt/ noun [C,U]

an arrangement to see sb at a particular

time apprentice/s'prentis/ noun [C] a person

who works for low pay in order to learn

the skills needed in a particular job architect/'cnkitekt/ noun [C] a person

who designs buildings architecture/'aikitektjs/ noun [U] 1 the

study of designing and making

buildings 2 the style or design of

buildings area/'earis/ noun [C,U] the size of a

surface around/s'raund/ adv, prep on all sides;

forming a circle asphalt/'aesfaelt/ noun [U] a thick black

substance that is used for making the

surface of roads assembly line/s'sembli lam/ noun [C] a

line of people and machines in a

factory that fit the parts of sth together

in a fixed order

automatic/pits'mEetik/ adj (used about a machine) that can work by itself without direct human control >• automatically/-kli/ adv

automobile/'aitsmsbnl/ adj connected with cars and the manufacture of cars

B

bandwidth/'baendwidG/ noun [C,U]

a measurement of the amount of

information that a particular computer

network or Internet connection can

send in a particular time bar chart/'ba: tfa:t/ noun [C] a diagram

that uses narrow bands of different

heights to show different amounts bascule bridge/,b£eskju:l 'brid^/ noun

[C] a type of bridge with a section that

can be lifted up base sth on sthphrasal verb to form or

develop sth from a particular starting

point or source battery/'baetri/ noun [C] a device which

produces electricity benefit/'bemfit/ noun [C,U] an advantage

or useful effect that sth has beware/bi'wes/ verb beware (ofsb/sth)

(used for giving a warning) (be) careful Biro™/'bairau/ noun [C] a type of pen boiling point/'boilirj point/ noun [C] the

temperature at which liquid starts to

boil bore/bo:/ verb to make a long deep hole

in sth with a tool boring/'bo:rirj/ adj not at all interesting;

dull bottom/'botsm/ noun [C, usually sing]

the lowest part of sth brass/bra:s/ noun [U] a hard yellow metal

that is a mixture of copper and zinc break/breik/ verb to separate into pieces bridgeIbnd^l noun [C] a structure that

carries a road or railway across a river,

valley, road or railway build/bild/ verb to make sth by putting

pieces, materials, etc. together

cable/'keibl/ noun [C,U] a set of wires

covered with plastic, etc. for carrying

electricity or signals cabling/'keiblirj/ noun [U] all the cables

that are required for a particular piece

of equipment or a particular system calculation/.keelkju'leijn/ noun [C,U]

finding an answer using mathematics CAM/ksm/ abbr computer-assisted

manufacturing; the use of computers to

control industrial processes canal/ka'nasl/ noun [C] an artificial

waterway made through land so that

boats or ships can travel along it capacity/ks'passati/ noun [sing, U] the

amount that a container or space can

hold cardboard/'ka:dbo:d/ noun [U] very

thick paper that is used for making

boxes, etc. casing/'keism/ noun [C, U] a covering

that protects sth

Celsius/'selsias/ adj (abbr C) of or using a

scale of temperature in which water

freezes at 0° and boils at 100° cement/si'ment/ noun [U] a grey powder

that becomes hard after it is mixed with

water and left to dry census/'sensss/ noun [C] an official

count of the population centimetre/'sentimi:ta/ noun [C] (abbr

cm)one hundredth of a metre centre/'sents/ noun [C, usually sing] the

middle point or part of sth certificate/sa'trfikst/ noun [C] an official

piece of paper that says that sth is true

or correct chemical engineering/,kemikl

end3i'nrann/ noun [U] the study

of the design and use of machines

in industrial chemical processes

>• chemical engineernoun [C] chemist/'kemist/ noun [C] a specialist

in chemistry chemistry/'kemistri/ noun [U] the

scientific study of the structure of

substances and what happens to them

in different conditions or when mixed

with each other civil engineering/,sivl end3i'ni3nrj/ noun

[U] the design, building and repair of

roads, bridges, canals, etc.; the study of

this as a subject classic/'klaesik/ adj important and

having a value that will last clean/kli:n/ adj 1 not dirty 2 not showing

or having any record of doing sth that is

against the law: a clean driving licence clear/klra/ adj easy to see through

(opposite: opaque) clockwork/'klokw3:k/ noun [U] a type of

machinery that you operate by turning

a key which winds up a spring and

produces energy CNC/,si: en 'si:/ abbr computer

numerical control; the use of digital

computer techniques to control a

manufacturing process, especially the

machines and tools involved in this

process collapse/ks'lsps/ verb to fall down or

break into pieces suddenly column/'kDlam/ noun [C] a tall solid

vertical post that supports or decorates

a building

combine/'kombam/ verb to join or mix communications/ks.mjumi'keijnz/ noun

[U, also pi] methods of sending

information, especially telephones,

radio, computers, etc. or roads and

railways component/ksm'paunsnt/ noun [C] one

of several parts of which sth is made compound/'kDmpaund/ noun [C]

something that consists of substances

combined together compress/ksm'pres/ verb to make sth fill

less space than usual compressed-air/k3m,prest es/ adj using

air under pressure as energy to drive

machines and tools

34 Engineering

computer/ksm'pjuits/ noun [C] an

electronic machine that can store, find

and arrange information, calculate

amounts and control other machines connect/ks'nekt/ verb to join consistent/ksn'sistsnt/ adj always having

the same opinions, standard,

behaviour, etc.; not changing construction/ksn'strAkJn/ noun [U] the

act or method of making sth or

building sth contact/'kDntEekt/ noun [U] (contact

(with sth))the state of touching sth continuous assessment/ksn.tmjuas

a'sesmsnt/ noun [U] a system of giving

a student a final mark based on work

done during a course of study rather

than on one exam contract/ksn'traekt/ verb to become or to

make sth smaller or shorter convert/kgn' V3:t/ verb to change sth

from one form, system or use to

another cool/ku:l/ adj [slang) very good or

fashionable copperI'kopsl noun [U] a common

reddish-brown metal corner/'koins/ noun [C] a place where

two lines, edges, surfaces or roads meet corrosive/ks'rausiv/ adj tending to

destroy sth slowly by chemical action course/ko:s/ noun [C] a complete series

of lessons or studies covering letter/,kAV3nr) lets/ noun [C] a

letter containing extra information crack/kraek/ verb to break or to make sth

break so that a line appears on the

surface, without breaking into pieces craftsman/'krccftsman/ noun [C] a

person who makes things skilfully,

especially with his/her hands cubic/'kju:bik/ adj (abbr cu)used to

show a measurement of volume

(= height x length x width) cure/kjua/ verb to make sb healthy again

after an illness curie /'kjusri/noun [C] (abbr Ci) a unit

for measuring radioactivity curriculum vitae/ka.nkjsbm vi:tai/

noun [C] (abbrCV/,si: 'vi:/) a written

record of your education and

employment cycle/'saikl/ noun [C] the fact of a series

of events being repeated many times,

always in the same order

dam/daem/ verb to build a wall across a

river to hold back the water decimal/'desiml/ noun [C] a number less

than one decimal point/,desiml 'point/ noun [C] a

dot or point used to separate a whole

number from the tenths, hundredths,

etc. of a decimal, for example in 0.61 defensive/di'fensiv/ adj that protects

sb/sth from attack define/di'fam/ verb to explain the exact

nature or meaning of sth clearly deflect/di'flekt/ verb to change direction

after hitting sb/sth; to make sth change

direction in this way

degree/di'gri:/ noun [C] a measurement of angles

deliver/di'livs/ verb to take sth to the place requested

description/di'sknpfn/ noun [C] a picture of sb/sth in words

design/di'zam/ verb 1 to plan and make a drawing of how sth will be made 2 to invent, plan and develop sth for a particular purpose >■ designnoun [C]

designer/di'zams/ noun [C] a person whose job is to make drawings or plans showing how sth will be made

desktop/'desktop/ noun [C] a computer screen on which you can see symbols (icons)showing the programs, information, etc. that are available

detail/'dirteil/ noun [C, U] one fact or piece of information

develop/di'velap/ verb 1 to grow slowly, increase or change into sth else; to make sth do this 2 to think of or produce a new idea, product, etc. and make it successful 3 to begin to have a problem or disease; to start to affect sb/sth >■ development /di'vebpmsnt/ noun [U,C]

developer/di'vebps/ noun [C] a person or company that designs and creates new products

device/di'vais/ noun [C] a tool or piece of equipment

diagonal/dai'tegsnl/ adj (used about a straight line) joining two opposites sides of sth at an angle that is not 90° or vertical or horizontal

diagram/'daisgrasm/ noun [C] a simple picture that is used to explain how sth works or what sth looks like

diameter/dai'aemits/ noun [C] a straight line that goes from one side to the other of a circle, passing through the centre

diamond/'daramgnd/ noun [C, U] a hard, bright, precious stone

difficult/'difikslt/ adj not easy to do or understand

dimension/di'menjn/ noun [C, U] a measurement in space, for example, the length, width or height of sth >■ dimensional /-Janl/ (used to form compound adjectives) having the number of dimensions mentioned

diploma/di'ptauma/ noun [C] (a diploma (in sth))a certificate for completing a course of study

disadvantage/.disad'vamtids/ noun [C] something that is not good or that causes problems

disaster/di'zcnsts/ noun [C] an event that causes a lot of harm or damage

disconnect/.disks'nekt/ verb 1 to stop a supply of electricity, etc. going to a piece of equipment or a building 2 to separate sth from sth else

disposal/di'spsozl/ noun [U] the act of getting rid of sth

distance/'distans/ noun [C,U] the space between two places or things

divide/di'vaid/ verb divide (sth) (up) (into sth)to separate (sth) into different parts

drawing board/'dronn bo:d/ noun [C] a board used for holding a piece of paper while a drawing or plan is being made

driving licence/'draivin laisns/ noun [C] a certificate that proves you have taken a test and are able to drive a car, etc.

duct/dAkt/ noun [C] a tube for carrying liquid, gas, electric or telephone wires

ear defenders/'is difendsz/ noun [pi]

pieces of soft material that you put over

your ears to keep out noise earphones/'rafsuns/ noun [pi] a piece of

equipment that fits over or in the ears

and is used for listening to music, the

radio, etc. easy/i:zi/ adj not difficult > easily

/'i:zsli/ adv efficiently/iTiJntli/ adv well and

thoroughly with no waste of time,

money, or energy electrical/i'lektnkl/ adj of or about

electricity electrical engineering/i.lektnkl

end3i'ni3nr)/ noun [U] the design and

building of machines and systems that

use or produce electricity; the study of

this subject electrical resistance/i₍lektnkl n'zistsns/

noun [C,U] the fact of a substance not

allowing electricity to flow through it; a

measurement of this electricityA,lek'tnssti/ noun [U] a type of

energy that we use to make heat, light,

and power to work machines, etc. electrodynamics/i, lektraudai' nasmiks/

noun [U] the scientific study of the

forces involved in the movement of

electricity electromagneticA.lektrsumaeg'netik/ adj

(in physics) having both electrical

characteristics and the ability to attract

metal objects element/'elimant/ noun [C] one of the

simple chemical substances, eg iron energy/'ensd3i/ noun [U] the power used

for driving machines, etc. engineer/,end3i'ni3/ noun [C] a person

whose job is to design, build, or repair

engines, machines, etc. engineering/,end3i'ni3nn/ noun 1 the

activity of applying scientific knowledge

to the design, building and control of

machines, roads, bridges, electrical

equipment, etc. 2 [U] the study of this

subject enquiry/m'kwawri/ noun [C] 1 a

question 2 an official process to find

out the cause of sth environment/in'vairsnmsnt/ noun [C, U]

the conditions that affect the behaviour

and development of sb/sth; the physical

conditions that sb/sth exists in environmentally-friendly

/m.vairan.mentsli 'frendli/ adj (used

about products) not harming the

natural world equipment/ikwipmgnt/ noun [U] the

things that are needed to do a

particular activity

Engineering 35

ergonomically/,3:g3'nDmik1i/ adjina

way that is designed to help people's

working conditions and to help them

work more efficiently estimate/'estimeit/ verb to calculate the

size, cost, etc. of sth approximately evaluate/i'vteljueit/ verb to study the

facts and then form an opinion about

sth everyday/'evridei/ adj used or happening

every day or regularly; normal expand/ik'spaend/ verb to become or to

make sth bigger experience/ik'spisrisns/ noun [U] the

things that you have done in your life;

the knowledge or skill that you get from

seeing or doing sth expertise/,eksp3:'ti:z/ noun [U] a high

level of special knowledge or skill explosive/ik'spbusiv/ adj easily able or

likely to explode

factory/'fasktri; 'fektgri/ noun [C] a

building or group of buildings where

goods are made by machine; fantasy/'fsentasi/ noun [C,U] a product of

your imagination fashionable /'faefnabl/adj popular fitting/'fitirj/ noun [U] the act of putting

or fixing sth somewhere fixed/fikst/ adj staying the same; not

able to be moved or changed flammable /'flaemabl/ adj able or likely to

burn easily flexible/'flekssbl/ adj able to bend or

move easily without breaking foil/foil/ noun [U] metal that has been

made into very thin sheets, used for

putting around food fold/fsold/ verb to bend one part of sth

over another part in order to make it

smaller, tidier, etc. >- foldnoun [C] force/fo:s/ noun 1 [U] physical strength

or power 2 [C,U] a power that can

cause change or movement formal/fo:ml/ adj serious or official foundation course/faon'deijn ko:s/

noun [C] a general course at a college

that prepares students for longer or

more difficult courses frequency/'fri:kwsnsi/ noun [C,U] the

rate at which a sound wave or radio

wave moves up and down (vibrates) fuel consumption/fju:al ksnsAmpJn/

noun [U] the act of using heat or power

(fuel); the amount used

gadget/'gsd3it/ noun [C] a small device, tool or machine that has a particular but usually unimportant purpose

generation/,d3en3'reijn/ noun 1 [C] all the people in a family, group or country who were born at about the same time 2 [U] the production of sth, especially heat, power, etc. 3 [C, usually sing] a stage in the development of a product, usually a technical one

generator/'d3en9reits/ noun [C] a machine that produces electricity

girder/'g3:da/ noun [C] a long heavy

piece of iron or steel that is used in the

building of bridges, large buildings, etc. goggles/'goglz/ noun [pi] special glasses

that you wear to protect your eyes from

water, wind, dust, etc. gram/graem/ noun [C] (abbr g) a

measure of weight. There are 1,000

grams in a kilogram. grind/'graind/ verb to make sth sharp or

smooth by rubbing it on a rough hard

surface guillotine/'gibtim/ noun [C] a machine

used for cutting paper

H

half/ha:f/ noun [C] (symbol 'k) one of

two equal parts of sth hand-drawn/'hand dro:n/ adjdrawn or

done by a person and not by machine handle/'haendl/ verb to touch, hold or

move sth with your hands handmade/.haend'meid/ adj made by a

person using his/her hands hard/ha:d/ adj not soft to touch; not easy

to break or bend (opposite:soft) hard hat/₍ha:d haet/ noun [C] a

protective hat hear/his/ verb to receive sounds with

your ears >■ hearing/'hisnrj/ noun [U] heavy/'hevi/ adj weighing a lot; difficult

to lift or move (opposite: light) height/hait/ noun [C,U] the

measurement from the bottom to the

top of a person or thing hertz/h3:ts/ noun [C] (abbr Hz) a unit for

measuring the frequency of sound

waves highly-skilled/.haili 'skild/ adj (used

about work, a job, etc.) needing a lot of

skills or skill; done by people who have

been trained to a high degree Hoover™/'hu:vs/ noun [C] a machine

that sucks up the dirt horizontal/.hrjri'zDntl/ adj going from

side to side, flat or level human error/.hjuimsn era/ noun [C, U]

a mistake made by a person

identical/ai'dentikl/ adj exactly the same

as; similar in every detail ignite/ig'nait/ verb to start burning or to

make sth start burning illegal /i'li:gl/adj not allowed by the law image/'imid3/ noun [C] 1 a copy or

picture of sb/sth 2 the general

impression that a person, an

organization, etc. gives to the public imagination/i,m2ed3i'neijn/ noun 1 [U,C]

the ability to create mental pictures or

new ideas 2 [C] the part of the mind

that uses this ability implant/'implamt/ noun [C] something

put into the body in a medical

operation increase/in'kri:s/ verb to become or to

make sth larger in number or amount industrial/m'dAstrigl/ adj connected

with industry industry/'mdsstri/ noun [U] the

production of goods in factories

informal/ra'foiml/ adj relaxed and

friendly or suitable for a relaxed

occasion injure/'md33/ verb to hurt or harm sb

physically interesting/'mtrsstin/ adj enjoyable and

entertaining; holding your attention interference/.mts'frarens/ noun [U] extra

noise that prevents you from receiving

radio, TV, or phone signals clearly interview/'intgvju:/ noun [C] a meeting

to find out if sb is suitable for a job,

course of study, etc. invention/m'venjn/ noun [C] a thing that

has been made or designed by sb for

the first time >• inventor/invents/

noun [C] iron/'aran/ noun [U] (symbol Fe) a hard

strong metal that is used for making

steel and is found in small quantities in

food and blood

Jacuzzi™/d33'ku:zi/ noun [C] a special bath in which powerful movements of air make bubbles in the water jet/d3et/ noun [C] a fast modern plane joule/d3u:l/ noun [C] (abbr J) a unit of energy or work

K

kelvin/'kelvm/ noun [C,U] (abbr K) a

unit for measuring temperature kettle/'ketl/ noun [C] a container with a

lid, used for boiling water key skill/,ki: 'skil/ noun [C] a particular

ability or type of ability keyboard/'ki:bo:d/ noun [C] the set of

keys on a computer, etc. kill/kil/ verb to make sb/sth die kilogram/'kilsgraem/ noun [C] (abbr kg)

a measure of weight kilometre/'kibmiits; ki'lomita/ noun [C]

(abbr k, km)a measure of length or

distance

labourer/'leibars/ noun [C] a person

whose job involves hard physical work

outdoors lathe/Iei5/ noun [C] a machine that

shapes pieces of wood or metal by

holding and turning them against a

fixed cutting tool leather/'Ie5s/ noun [U] the skin of

animals which has been specially

treated length/lerjG/ noun [C] the size of sth

from one end to the other lens/lenz/ noun [C] a curved piece of

glass that makes things look bigger,

clear, etc. when you look through it light¹/lait/ adj not weighing a lot; easy to

lift or move (opposite:heavy) light²/lait/ noun [U,C] the energy from

the sun, a lamp, etc. that allows you to

see things lighting/'laitirj/ noun [U] the quality or

type of lights used in a room, etc. liquid/'likwid/ noun [C,U] a substance,

for example water, that is not solid or a

gas and that can flow or be poured

J6 Engineering

listen/hsn/ verb to pay attention to

sb/sth in order to hear him/her/it litre/'liita/ noun [C] (abbr 1) a measure of

liquid local/'lsukl/ adj of a particular place

(near you) look/lok/ verb to turn your eyes in a

particular direction (in order to pay

attention to sb/sth) loosen/'lu:sn/ verb to become or make

sth less tight

M

mains/memz/ noun [pi] the place where

the supply of gas, water or electricity to

a building starts; the system of

providing these services to a building maintenance/'memtsnsns/ noun [U]

keeping sth in good condition manufacture/.msenju'fektjs/ noun [U]

the fact of making sth in large

quantities using machines >•

manufacturing/.maenju'faektfsrirj/

noun [U] >■ manufacturer

/,ma5nju'f<ektjsrs/ noun [C] material/ms'tisrisl/ noun [C, U] a

substance that can be used for making

or doing sth mathematician/.mieBsms'tiJn/ noun [C]

an expert in mathematics mathematics/.msGs'mEetiks/ noun [U]

the science or study of numbers,

quantities, or shapes measurement/'me3smsnt/ noun 1 [C] a

size, an amount, etc. that is found by

measuring sth 2 [U] the act or process

of measuring sth mechanical engineering/ms.kcemkl

end3i'ni3nrj/ noun [U] the study of how

machines are designed, built, and

repaired mechanism/'meksmzsm/ noun [C] a set

of moving parts in a machine that does

a certain task medical/'medikl/ adj connected with

medicine and the treatment of illness memory/'memsri/ noun [C, U] 1 a

person's ability to remember things

2 the part of a computer where

information is stored; the amount of

space in a computer for storing

information mend/mend/ verb to repair sth that is

damaged or broken metal/'metl/ noun [C, U] a type of solid

substance that is usually hard and

shiny and that heat and electricity can

travel through methodical/ms'Oodikl/ adj having or

using a well-organized and careful way

of doing sth metre/'mi:ts/ noun [C] (abbr m) a

measure of length; 100 centimetres micrometre/'maikrsumiits/ noun [C]

one millionth of a metre mild steel/.maild ' still/ noun [U] a strong

hard material, made from a mixture of

iron and carbon millilitre/'mililkts/ noun [C] (abbr ml)

one thousandth of a litre million/'miljsn/ noun [C] 1,000,000

mining/'mamirj/ noun [U] the process of getting coal and other minerals from under the ground; the industry involved in this

model/'modi/ noun [C] a copy of sth that is usually smaller than the real thing

modern/'mDdn/ adj with all the newest methods, equipment, designs, etc.

monitor/'mDnits/ noun [C] a screen that shows information from a computer

mouse/maos/ noun [C] a piece of equipment, connected to a computer, for moving around the screen and entering commands without touching the keys

movable/'muivsbl/ adj that can be moved (opposite: fixed)

N

naturally/'naetjrsli/ adv in a way that is

relaxed and normal newspaper article/'nju:zpeips ra:tikl/

noun [C] a piece of writing in a

newspaper newton/'njuitsn/ noun [C] (abbr N) a

unit for measuring force nickel/'nikl/ noun [U] (symbol Ni) a hard

silver-white metal nuclear/'nju:klis/ adj using, producing

or resulting from the energy that is

produced when the central part

(nucleus)of an atom is split nylon/'nailon/ noun [U] a very strong

man-made material

ohm/sum/ noun [C] (symbol Q) a unit

for measuring electrical resistance opaque/so 'peik/ adj that you cannot see

through (opposite: clear) opener/'supns/ noun [C] a tool that

opens sth or takes the lid, etc. off sth operator/'opsreits/ noun [C] a person

whose job is to work a particular

machine or piece or equipment optical fibre/,Dptikl 'faibs/ noun [C,U] a

thin glass thread through which light

can be sent (transmitted) organized/'oigsnarzd/ adj arranged or

planned in the way mentioned original fa'ijdgsnl/ adj made or created

first, before any copies or changes were

made

parachute/'psrsjuit/ noun [C] a piece of equipment that is tied to a person and that opens and lets him/her fall to the ground slowly when he/she jumps from a plane

particular/ps'tikjsls/ adj used to emphasize that you are talking about one person, thing, time, etc. and not about others

pascal/pass'kasl/ noun [C] (symbol Pa) a unit of pressure equal to one newton per square metre

pass/pa:s/ verb to achieve the necessary standard in an exam, a test, etc.

patience/'peijns/ noun [U] the quality of

being able to stay calm and not get

angry, especially when you have to wait

a long time patient/'peijnt/ noun [C] a person who is

receiving medical treatment peaceful/'piisfl/ adj calm and quiet per/p3:/ prep for each per cent/pa 'sent/ noun [C] (symbol %)

one part in every hundred perfect/'p3:fikt/ adj completely good;

without faults or weaknesses personality/,p3:S3'naebti/ noun [C,U] the

different qualities of a person's

character that make him/her different

from other people petrochemical/.petrsu'kemikl/ noun [C]

any chemical substance obtained from

petroleum oil or natural gas petroleum/ps'trsulism/ noun [U]

mineral oil that is found under the

ground or the sea and is used to

produce petrol physicist/'fizisist/ noun [C] an expert in

physics physics/fiziks/ noun [U] the scientific

study of natural forces pie chart/'pai tjcnt/ noun [C] a diagram

consisting of a circle divided into parts

to show the size of particular parts in

relation to the whole pier/'pis/ noun [C] a large structure that

is built in the sea or a river to support a

bridge where it crosses the water pilot/'pailst/ noun [C] a person who flies

an aircraft pioneer/,pais'nis/ noun [C] a person

who is one of the first to develop an

area of human knowledge, culture, etc. plant/plaint/ noun [C] a factory or place

where power is produced or where an

industrial process takes place plastic/'plsstik/ noun [C, U] alight,

strong material that is made with

chemicals and is used for making many

different sorts of objects >- plasticadj plug/pUg/ noun [C] sth which connects

a piece of electrical equipment to the

electricity supply plug sth inphrasal verb to connect a

piece of electrical equipment to the

electricity supply or to another piece of

equipment point/paint/ noun [C] the thin sharp end

of sth polymer/'polims/ noun [C ] a compound

consisting of large groups of atoms

(molecules)made from combinations

of small simple molecules population/.pDpju'leiJn/ noun [C,U] the

number of people who live in a

particular area, city or country power'/'paos/ noun [U] energy that can

be collected and used for operating

machines, making electricity, etc. power²/'paos/ verb to supply energy to

sth to make it work practical/'pracktikl/ adj 1 concerned

with actually doing sth rather than with

ideas or thought 2 very suitable for a

particular purpose; useful

Engineering Jjf

precision/prison/ noun [U] the quality

of being clear or exact prepare/pn'peg/ verb to get ready or to

make sb/sth ready prevent/pnvent/ verb (prevent sb/sth

(from) (doing sth))to stop sth

happening or to stop sb from doing sth printer/'prmtg/ noun [C] a machine that

prints out information from a

computer onto paper process/'prsoses/ noun [C] a series of

actions that you do for a particular

purpose produce/pra'dju:s/ verb 1 to make sth to

be sold, especially in large quantities

2 to cause a particular effect or result

>■ production/pra'dAkJn/ noun [C] project/'prod3ekt/ noun [C] a piece

of work that is planned and organized

carefully property/'propgti/ noun [C, usually pi] a

special quality or characteristic proportion/prs'po:Jn/ noun 1 [C] a part

or share of a whole 2 [U] the

relationship between the size or

amount of two things prototype/'prsutataip/ noun [C] the first

model or design of sth from which

other forms will be developed put sth togetherphrasal verb to build or

repair sth by joining its parts together

qualification /.kwDlrfi'keiJn/ noun [C, usually pi] an exam that you have passed or a course of study that you have successfully completed

quarter/'kwoitg/ noun [C] (symbol 'A) one of four equal parts of sth

R

radioactive/.reidisu'aektiv/ ad)'sending out powerful and very dangerous rays that are produced when atoms are broken up. These rays cannot be seen or felt but can cause serious illness or death. >■ radioactivity /.reidisusk'tivgti/ noun [U]

react/ri'tekt/ verb (used about a chemical substance) to change after coming into contact with another substance

realistically/.rra'listikli/ adv in a sensible and understanding way

receiver/n'si:va/ noun [C] a person who gets a letter, a message, etc. from sb

recycle/,ri:^rsaikl/ verb 1 to put used objects and materials through a process so that they can be used again 2 to keep used objects and materials and use them again

referee/.refs'ri:/ noun [C] a person who gives information about your character and ability, usually in a letter, for example when you are hoping to be chosen for a job

register/'red3ists/ verb to show sth or be shown on a measuring instrument

relaxed/n'laskst/ adj not worried or tense

reliable/n'laisbl/ adj that you can trust

repair/n'pes/ verb to put sth old or damaged back into good condition

repeater/n'piits/ noun [C] a device which automatically transmits or sends again an electronically transmitted message

repetitive strain injury/n.petstiv 'strem md33ri/ noun [U] (abbr RSI /,a:r es 'ai/) pain and swelling, especially in the wrists and hands, caused by doing the same movement many times

require/n'kwaig/ verb to need sth

resource/n'zo:s/ noun [C, usually pi] a supply of sth, a piece of equipment, etc. that is available for sb to use

rigid/'nd3id/ adj difficult to bend or shape; stiff

risk/risk/ noun [C,U] a possibility of sth dangerous or unpleasant happening; a situation that could be dangerous or have a bad result

robot/'reubDt/ noun [C] a machine that works automatically or is controlled by a computer

robotics/rso'bDtiks/ noun [U] the science of designing and operating robots

rust/rAst/ verb to become covered with a reddish-brown substance which forms on the surface of iron, etc. and is caused by the action of air and water

safe/seif/ adj not likely to cause danger,

harm or risk >• safely/'seifli/ adv

>■ safety/'seifti/ noun [U] sanitation/.saeni'teijn/ noun [U] the

equipment and the systems that keep

places clean, especially by removing

human waste scale/skeil/ noun [C] a series of numbers

amounts, etc. that are used for

measuring or fixing the level of sth scientific/saisn'tifik/ adj connected with

or involving science >■ scientist

/'sarantist/ noun [C] screw/skru:/ noun [C] a thin pointed

piece of metal used for fixing two

things together. You turn a screw with a

special tool (a screwdriver), seabed/'si:bed/ (theseabed) noun [sing]

the floor of the sea secret/'siikrat/ adj known about by only

a few people; kept hidden from others secretary/'sekrstri/ noun [C] a person

who works in an office. A secretary

types letters, answers the telephone,

keeps records, etc. see/si:/ verb to become conscious of sth

using your eyes sender/'senda/ noun [C] a person who

sends a letter, a package, etc. to sb sense¹/sens/ noun [C] one of the five

natural physical powers of sight,

hearing, smell, taste and touch sense² /sens/ verb to realize or become

conscious of sth; to get a feeling about

sth you cannot see, hear, etc. sensible/'senssbl/ adj (used about people

and their behaviour) able to make good

judgements based on reason and

experience; practical sensor/'senss/ noun [C] a device that can

react to light, heat, pressure, etc.

setting/'setin/ noun [C] one of the

positions of the controls of a machine shape'/Jeip/ verb to make sth into a

particular form shape²/Jeip/ noun [C, U] the form of the

outer edges or surfaces of sth; an

example of sth that has a particular

form shape memory/'Jeip memsri/ adj (used

about a substance or material) able to

change and adapt according to its

surroundings side/said/ noun [C] one of the surfaces of

sth except the top, bottom, front or

back

sight/sait/ noun [U] the ability to see signal/'signgl/ noun [C] a series of radio

waves, etc. that are sent out or received skill/skil/ noun 1 [U] the ability to do sth

well, especially because of training,

practice, etc. 2 [C] an ability that you

need in order to do a job, an activity,

etc. well >■ skilledadj sloping/'staupirj/ adj (used about a

surface) not flat: built at an angle smart/sma:t/adj 1 (used about a piece

of clothing) formal 2 clever; intelligent

3 fashionable smell/smel/ noun [U] the ability to sense

things with the nose socket/'sDkit/ noun [C] 1 a place in a

wall where a piece of electrical

equipment can be connected to an

electrical supply 2 a hole in a piece of

electrical equipment where another

piece of electrical equipment can be

connected

soft/soft/ adj not hard or firm software/'sDftwes/ noun [U] the

programs and other operating

information used by a computer solar energy/,s3ob 'ensdsi/ noun [U]

power from the sun solution/ss'luijii/ noun [C] a way of

finding the answer to a problem or

dealing with a difficult situation solve/sdIv/ verb to find a way of dealing

with a problem or difficult situation span/spten/ noun [C] the length of sth

from one end to the other specialist/'spejslist/ noun [C] an expert

in a particular area specialize/'spejslaiz/ verb (specialize

(in sth))1 to become an expert in a

particular area of work or study

2 to give most of your attention to

one subject, type of product, etc. speed/spi:d/ noun [C,U] the rate at

which sb/sth moves or travels splicing/'splaisirj/ noun [U] the act of

joining the ends of two pieces of cable,

etc. together square/skweg/ adj (abbr sq) used after a

number to give a measurement of an

area stage/steidj/ noun [C] one part of the

progress or development of sth state-of-the-art/,steit sv 5i 'art/ adj

using the most modern or advanced

techniques and methods statistics/stg'tistiks/ noun [pi] numbers

that have been collected in order to

provide information about sth

38 Engineering

Stetson™/'stetsan/ noun [C] a type of hat

typical in Texas, USA stitch/stitj/ noun [C] one of the small

pieces of thread that a doctor uses to

sew your skin together after an

operation, etc. strain/strem/ noun 1 [C,U] pressure or

worry 2 [U] pressure that is put on sth

when it is pulled or pushed by a

physical force strength/strerjG/ noun [U] the ability

of an object to hold heavy weights or

not to break or be damaged easily

>■ strengthen/'strerjOn/ verb to make

sth stronger strong/strDrj/ ad] (used about a thing)

not easily broken or damaged

(opposite: weak) structural/'strAktJaral/ ad] connected

with the way that a building, etc. has

been built or the way that the parts of

sth have been put together substandard/sab'staendad/ ad] not as

good as normal; not acceptable suction/'sAkJn/ noun [U] the action of

removing air from a space or container

so that two surfaces can stick together supply' /sa'plai/noun [C] a store or an

amount of sth that is provided or

available to be used supply²/sa'plai/ verb to give or provide

sth surgery/'s3:d33ri/ noun [U] medical

treatment in which your body is cut

open so that part of it can be removed

or repaired survey/'s3:vei/ noun [C] a study of the

opinions, behaviour, etc. of a group of

people suspension bridge/ss'spenjn bnd3/

noun [C] a bridge that hangs from thick

steel wires that are supported by towers

at each end symbol/'simbl/ noun [C] a sign, object,

etc. that represents sth symmetrical/si'metnkl/ ad] having two

halves that match each other exactly in

size, shape, etc. symptom/'simptam/ noun [C] a change

in your body that is a sign of illness system/'sistsm/ noun [C] a set of ideas or

rules for organizing sth; a particular

way of doing sth

taste¹/teist/ noun [U] the ability to recognize the flavour of a food or drink >■ taste² /teist/verb

technical/'teknikl/ ad] connected with the practical use of machines, methods, etc. in science or industry

technician/tek'mjn/ noun [C] a person whose job is keeping a particular type of equipment or machinery in good condition

technique/tek'ni:k/ noun [C] a particular way of doing sth

technology/tek'riDbd3i/ noun 1 [U,C] scientific knowledge, used in practical ways in industry 2 [C,U] the scientific knowledge and/or equipment that is needed for a particular industry, etc.

teeth brace/'ti:9 breis/ noun [C, often pi]

a metal frame that is fixed to a child's

teeth in order to make them straight telecommunications

/,telika,mju:ni'keijns/ noun [pi] the

technology of sending signals, images

and messages over long distances by

radio, telephone, television, etc. temperature/'tempratja/ noun [C, U]

how hot or cold sb/sth is tension/'tenJn/ noun [C,U] the condition

of not being able to relax because you

are worried or nervous test/test/ verb to use a machine, product,

etc. to find out how well it works

> tester/'tests/ noun [C] textile/'tekstail/ noun [C, U] any cloth

made in a factory theoretical/,9ia'retikl/ ad/based on ideas

and principles, not on practical

experience thermometer/9a'mDmita/ noun [C] an

instrument for measuring temperature think/Girjk/ verb to use your mind to

consider sth or to form connected ideas third/Q-did/ noun [C] (symbol 7s) one of

three equal parts of sth thousand/'Oauznd/ noun [C] 1,000 thread/6red/ noun [C] a long thin piece

of cotton, wool, etc. that you use for

sewing, etc. tighten/'taitn/ verb to make sth tight or

tighter titanium/ti'temiam/ noun [U] (symbol

Ti) a silver-white metal that is used in

making various strong light materials tomb/tu:m/ noun [C] a large place,

where the body of an important person

is buried ton/tan/ noun [C] a measure of weight;

2,240 pounds tool/tu:l/ noun [C] an instrument that

you hold in your hand and use for

making or repairing things, etc. top/tDp/ noun [C] the highest part or

point of sth touch/tAtJ/ noun [U] the ability to feel

things and know what they are like by

putting your hands or fingers on them

>• touch/tAtJV verb tough/tAf/ ad] not easy to break or

damage tour/ta:/ noun [C] a short visit around a

building, city, etc. traditional/tra'dijanl/ ad] following the

beliefs, customs or way of life of a

group of people that have not changed

for a long time transmission/tens'mi Jn/ noun [U]

sending out or passing sth from one

person, place or thing to another

u

under/'Aiida/ prep, adv in or to a

position that is below sth unique/ju'ni:k/ ad] not like anything

else; being the only one of its type unplug/.An'pUg/ verb to remove a piece

of electrical equipment from the

electricity supply unreliable/, Ann'laiabl/ ad] that cannot

be trusted or depended on to work

properly

upholsterer/Ap'haulstara/ noun [C] a person whose job is to cover furniture with soft material and fabric

useful/'juisfl/ ad] having some practical use; helpful

valve/vtelv/ noun [C] a device in a pipe

or a tube which controls the flow of air,

liquid or gas, letting it move in one

direction only vehicle/'vi:akl/ noun [C] something that

transports people or things vertical/'v3:tikl/ ad] going straight up at

an angle of 90° from the ground viewer/'vju:a/ noun [C] a person who

looks at or considers sth vinyl/'vainl/ noun [C,U] a strong plastic

that can bend easily and is used for

making wall, floor and furniture

coverings vision/'V1311/ noun [U] the ability to see;

sight volt/vault/ noun [C] (abbr V) a unit for

measuring the force of an electric

current

W

waiting list/'weitin list/ noun [C] a

list of people who are waiting for sth,

for example a service or medical

treatment, that will be available in

the future waterway/'wo:tawei/ noun [C] a canal,

river, etc. along which boats can travel watt/wDt/ noun [C] (abbr W) a unit for

measuring electrical power weak/wi:k/ ad] that cannot support a lot

of weight; likely to break (opposite:

strong) weightAvert/ noun [C,U] how heavy

sb/sth is; the fact of being heavy welder/'welda/ noun [C] a person whose

job is joining pieces of metal together

by heating their edges and pressing

them together >• welding/'weldirj/

noun [U] welding torch/'weldirj to:tj/ noun [C] a

tool with a very hot flame that is used

to join pieces of metal together wind/wamd/ verb (wind sth up)to make

a clock or other mechanism work by

turning a key, a handle, etc. several

times >■ wind-upad] that can be make

to work by being wound up wire/'waia/ noun [C] a piece of metal in

the form of a thin thread that is used to

carry electricity wiring/'waianrj/ noun |U] the system of

wires which supplies electricity to

rooms in a building working environment/'w3:kin

m'vairanmant/ noun [C,U] the

conditions that sb works in

zero/'ziarau/ noun |C] the number 0

Engineering 19

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