| compile | 1.to produce a book, list, report, etc. by bringing together different items, articles, songs, etc.
2.to translate instructions from one computer language into another so that a particular computer can understand them |
| circumscribe | 1.to limit sb/sth's freedom, rights, power, etc.
2.to draw a circle around another shape |
| scholarly | spending a lot of time studying and having a lot of knowledge about an academic subject |
| lexical | connected with the words of a language |
| conquer | 1.to take control of a country or city and its people by force
2.to defeat sb, especially in a competition, race, etc.
3.to succeed in dealing with or controlling sth
4.to become very popular or successful in a place |
| heyday | the time when sb/sth had most power or success, or was most popular |
| genius | 1.unusually great intelligence, skill or artistic ability
2.a person who is unusually intelligent or artistic, or who has a very high level of skill, especially in one area
3.~ for sth/for doing sth---a special skill or ability |
| contract | an official written agreement |
| instalment | 1.one of a number of payments that are made regularly over a period of time until sth has been paid for
2.one of the parts of a story that appears regularly over a period of time in a newspaper, on television, etc. |
| garret | a room, often a small dark unpleasant one, at the top of a house, especially in the roof |
| clerk | a person whose job is to keep the records or accounts in an office, shop/store, etc. |
| rickety | not strong or well made; likely to break |
| immense | extremely large or great |
| originality | the quality of being new and interesting in a way that is different from anything that has existed before |
| synthesis | 1.the act of combining separate ideas, beliefs, styles, etc.; a mixture or combination of ideas, beliefs, styles, etc.
2.the natural chemical production of a substance in animals and plants |
| heroic | 1.showing extreme courage and admired by many people
2.showing great determination to succeed or to achieve sth, especially sth difficult
3.very large or great |
| predecessor | 1.a person who did a job before sb else
2.a thing, such as a machine, that has been followed or replaced by sth else |
| precedent | 1.a similar action or event that happened earlier
2.the way that things have always been done |
| rival | a person, company, or thing that competes with another in sport, business, etc. |
| vicissitude | one of the many changes and problems in a situation or in your life, that you have to deal with |
| lexicographer | a person who writes and edits dictionaries |
| perpetual | 1.continuing for a long period of time without interruption
2.frequently repeated, in a way that is annoying
3.lasting for the whole of sb's life |
| republic | a country that is governed by a president and politicians elected by the people and where there is no king or queen |
| patronage | 1.the support, especially financial, that is given to a person or an organization by a patron
2.the system by which an important person gives help or a job to sb in return for their support
3.the support that a person gives a shop/store, restaurant, etc. by spending money there |
| obscurity | 1.the state in which sb/sth is not well known or has been forgotten
2.the quality of being difficult to understand; something that is difficult to understand
3.the state of being dark |
| shelter | 1.[u]the fact of having a place to live or stay, considered as a basic human need
2.[u]~ (from sth) protection from rain, danger or attack |
| bower | a pleasant place in the shade under trees or climbing plants in a wood or garden/yard |
| amidst | in the middle of |
| eccentricity | 1.[u] behaviour that people think is strange or unusual; the quality of being unusual and different from other people
2.[c] an unusual act or habit |
| analogy | a comparison of one thing with another thing that has similar features; a feature that is similar |
| ascertain | to find out the true or correct information about sth |
| esteem | great respect and admiration; a good opinion of sb |
| prevail | 1.~ (in/among sth)---to exist or be very common at a particular time or in a particular place
2.~ (against/over sth)---to be accepted, especially after a struggle or an argument
3.~ (against/over sb)---to defeat an opponent, especially after a long struggle |
| triumph | a great success, achievement or victory |
| pension | 1. retirement fund
2. a small, usually cheap, hotel in some European countries, especially France |
| forklore | the traditions and stories of a country or community |
| contemporary | belonging to the same time |
| cornerstone | 1. a stone at the corner of the base of a building, often laid in a special ceremony
2. the most important part of sth that the rest depends on |
| alphabet | a set of letters or symbols in a fixed order used for writing a language |
| biographer | a person who writes the story of another person's life |
| orthography | the system of spelling in a language |
| poet | a person who writes poems |
| critic | a person who expresses opinions about the good and bad qualities of books, music, etc. |
| illustrate | 1. to use pictures, photographs, diagrams, etc. in a book, etc.
2. to make the meaning of sth clearer by using examples, pictures, etc. |
| noble | 1. having fine personal qualities that people admire, such as courage, honesty and care for others
2. very impressive in size or quality
3. belonging to a family of high social rank(= belonging to the nobility ) |
