austere
severe or stern in manner or appearance
Grandfather was an austere man; he used to be silent and very strict to us.
bouquet
a bunch of flowers
When I was in hospital, she called on me with a bouquet of roses in her hand.
coral
a stone-like substance formed from the bones of a kind of small sea animals
In the Pacific Ocean there are many coral atolls that are ring-like islands.
forum
the place for public discussion; public discussion
A group of schoolmasters are holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.
gym
a building for physical training or indoor sports
On rainy days the students play games in the gym.
interject
throw in between other things; insert; interpose
“Not like that!” he interjected while explaining how to take the machine into pieces.
mushroom
a small fungus shaped like an umbrella; toadstool
Some mushrooms are good to eat; some, such as toadstools, are poisonous.
raft
logs fastened together to make a floating platform
They escaped from the wrecked ship on a raft.
smear
cover or stain with anything sticky, greasy or dirty
The children looked like black people; their faces were smeared with soot.
taper
make gradually smaller towards one end
One end of a pencil is tapered off to a point.
via
by way of; by means of
I have read this French play via an English translation.
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