7: Glossary

Last updated
Save as PDF

Page ID: 94267

\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

Word	Form	Meaning
#truth	text slang	# = hashtag; that is true
;)	emoticon	wink = I'm joking
???	text slang	I’m confused or puzzled
@	text slang	at
@	abbreviation	at
2 a T	text abbreviation	to a T = exactly; perfectly
4ever	text slang	forever
accurate	adjective	correct
acoustic	adjective	a musical instrument played without electrical amplification
acquaintance	noun	a person you know but not as well as a friend
address	verb	to use a special name or title when talking or writing to someone
adjust	verb	to change; to shift; to switch
alien	noun	someone who comes from an unfamliar place, maybe another planet
alienate	verb	to make someone feel that he or she does not belong to a group
alienating	verb	doing something that makes a person feel like he or she does not belong
anonymous	adjective	not identified by name
anonymously	adverb	doing something without telling who did it
apologize	verb	to say “sorry”
apology	noun	an expression of being sorry
appeal	verb	attract
apprentice	noun	a person who is learning a trade from his or her employer
approach	verb	to come close to
appropriate	adjective	good or correct for a particular time or place
aroma	noun	a scent
arranged	verb (past tense)	planned or organized; not by chance
assumption	noun	something you think is true but you have no proof
assured	verb	made certain or confident
awkward	adjective	hard to deal with; lacking skill or social grace
b4	text abbreviation	before
background(s)	noun	a person’s/people’s early education or family history
band	noun	a group of musicians
barely	adverb	hardly; only just
baring	verb	showing; uncovering
bass	noun	an instrument with the lowest, or deepest, sound
be over it	slang	to recover from an unhappy situation or incident
be up to	slang	doing or planning to do something
bear hug	noun	a friendly hug or embrace with arms completely around another person
bear-proof	adjective	able to keep bears out
beer garden	noun	an enclosed outdoor space for drinking alcohol
beyond	text slang	more than usual
bin(s)	noun	container(s)
biodegradable	adjective	able to decay naturally with no danger to the environment
black sheep of the family	idiom	a family member who doesn’t follow the family rules
blind	noun	unable to see; without sight
blogger	noun	a person who expresses opinions on Internet discussion sites called blogs (weblogs)
blunder	noun	mistake; error
blunt	adjective	very direct; abrupt
bonus	adjective	something good or extra that is not expected
bottom	noun	land below a hill; a valley
boundary/ boundaries	noun	line(s) that mark a limit
brb	text slang	be right back = the texter must leave but will return
bro	slang noun	brother; a male friend
buddy	noun	a close friend
budge	verb	to move; to change
bullet(s)	noun	small circle(s) or other shape(s) on a document to mark item(s) in a list
bump	verb	to lightly hit or crash into someone or something
burst	verb	(an object) filled so full that it breaks
c’mon	speech reduction	Come on! Hurry! Get moving!
cabin	noun	a vacation home often near a lake or in a forest
came up short	expression	failed to reach a goal
campaign booth	noun	a small space or table to promote someone who wants to be elected
censor	verb	to cut out or delete unacceptable parts of a conversation or document
charge	verb	to attack
choppy	adjective	separate; abrupt; not smooth
chorus	noun	the repeated part of a song
cliff	noun	a high point on a mountain above a vertical drop
close	adjective	very familiar; friendly; warm; intimate
cognates	noun	words that share a common origin or root word; members of word families
coincidence	noun	two or more events that happen by chance at the same time
colleague(s)	noun	person/people who work together; co-worker(s)
comedian	noun	a person who tells jokes or stories to make people laugh
commitments	noun	promises
common	adjective	shared
communicate	verb	to express and receive messages, including feelings and information
communication	noun	the process of expressing and receiving feelings and information
compare	verb	to find out how things, people, or events are the same
compliments	noun	polite expressions of praise or congratulation
confirm	verb	to establish that something is true
compose	verb	to write
confirmation	noun	an official answer that something is true
confirmation number	noun	a number for a service that will definitely happen
confiscated	verb (past tense)	removed by someone with power
conflict	noun	a disagreement or problem
considerate	adjective	thoughtful of other people
construction	noun	the process of building something such as a highway
context	noun	information before or after spoken or written words that clarify meaning
convenience	noun	the quality of being easy to do, get, or use
convenient	adjective	easy to get, use, or do
cooler(s)	noun	insulated container(s) for keeping food cold
county	noun	an area or government district in the countryside
courteous	adjective	well-mannered; polite
courtesy	noun	good manners; politeness
critic	noun	a person who judges the quality of something, or offers negative opinions of it
critical	adjective	disapproving; fault-finding
critical thinking	expression	reflecting deeply to consider how and why things happen
criticism(s)	noun	expression(s) or judgement(s) of the fault(s), and sometimes quality, of something
crossing a line	expression	behaving in a way that is not acceptable
curious	adjective	wanting to know; interested in something
darn	slang emphasis	annoying
debt	noun	something, such as money, owed to another person
decade(s)	noun	a period of 10 years
deductible	noun	an amount that is deducted, or subtracted, from a total amount
delicate	adjective	sensitive, difficult, or awkward
demanding	adjective	asking in a strong way
designated	adjective	chosen and identified
direct	adjective	straight; without formalities or ceremony
directly	adverb	done in a clear way that shows feelings exactly
directness	noun	the condition of saying thoughts exactly without softening them
disappointment	noun	the feeling when something hoped or planned for does not happen
distance	noun	the social space between people; how close relationships are
distant	adjective	unfamiliar; unfriendly; cool; unsociable
distraction(s)	noun	thing(s) that pull(s) attention away from what is important
diverse	adjective	different; having a lot of variety
diversity	noun	variety
double bass	noun	the largest instrument in the violin family
drop it	verb	to stop doing something
dropped off	verb (past tense)	delivered
dropped out	verb (past tense)	quit attending
dropping in on	verb	visiting someone without telling the person in advanced
droppings	noun	stools or bodily waste left on the ground by animals
dude	slang noun	man; guy
duet	noun	two musicians performing together
easy on the eyes	expression	good-looking; beautiful
elderly	adjective	old
elder(s)	noun	older member(s) of a family or community
eldest	adjective	the oldest
electrocuted	verb (past tense)	shocked by an electric current
eligible	adjective	worthy to be chosen
embarrassment	noun	feeling uncomfortable or awkward about someone’s behaviour
emerging	adjective	becoming known
emphasize	verb	to say strongly
enforce	verb	to require people to obey a rule
enlarge	verb	to make bigger
environmentally friendly	adjective	not dangerous to the environment
equality	noun	having similar status or power
etiquette	noun	rules of polite behaviour
exceptional	adjective	unusual
excuse	verb	to overlook; to accept bad behaviour
excuses	noun	reasons or explanations for why something rude or inappropriate happened
eye candy	slang	good-looking; beautiful
familiar	adjective	well known; easy to recognize
familiarity	noun	knowing and feeling comfortable with someone or something
field	noun	a box or cell on a form to be filled in
filter	verb	to choose or carefully limit what is allowed out or in
financially	adverb	about money
fit in	verb	to belong
flashback(s)	noun	memory/memories
flexible	adjective	able to bend or change
fluent	adjective	flowing; smooth; not broken
folksy	adjective	friendly; informal
formal	adjective	paying careful attention to proper manners of doing something
formality	noun	a polite or official way of acting or speaking
former	adjective	true before but not now
furious	adjective	very angry
gender	noun	the social distinction of being female or male
generation(s)	noun	people about the same age within a society or family such as grandparents, parents, children
genre	noun	a category of artistic work in stories or music
gesture(s)	noun	movement(s) of the body, especially hand(s) or the head, to express meaning
get a bee in my bonnet	expression	become upset about something
gma	text abbreviation	grandma
go overboard	idiom	be too extreme
grace period	expression	a specific amount of time when penalties for being late are not charged
grateful	adjective	thankful
growing pain(s)	expression	difficulty/difficulties when a new project begins
gtg	text slang	I’ve got to go
guide dog	nou	a dog trained to help people who are blind
guilt	noun	responsibility for a fault, mistake, or bad behaviour
handicap parking permit	noun	a sign or special licence plate on a car that allows the car to be parked in wider, specially marked parking stalls closer to building entrances
handsome	adjective	good looking; attractive
hang on	verb	to wait; to keep a telephone line open
hard of hearing	expression	unable to hear well; hearing impaired
harm	noun	hurt; damage; injury
has a good eye	idiom	has strong skills at something; notices small details
has a lot on his/ her plate	expression	is very busy; has many responsibilities
have my word	expression	have my promise
heartfelt	adjective	deep; honest; sincere
hesitant	adjective	not doing something immediately because you are unsure
honour	verb	to respect; to celebrate
hot date	slang	an exciting appointment with a romantic partner
hot topic	expression	a subject many people are talking about
howz	text slang	how is
humiliation	noun	feeling put down or publically shamed
hwy	text slang	highway
identify	verb	to learn and say exactly what something is
ignore	verb	to pay no attention to
impersonal	adjective	not about just one individual; public
in charge	adjective	responsible; leading
in Claire's shoes	expression	in her role or situation
in-your-face	expression	very direct; impossible to avoid
inbox	noun	a physical or electronic place to receive messages
inclusion	noun	the action of including someone or something in a group or action
inconvenience	noun	a problem, nuisance, or bother
Indian	noun	a person from India
indirect	adjective	roundabout; following formalities or ceremony
indirectly	adverb	done in a way that does not clearly show feelings
indirectness	noun	the condition of not saying thoughts exactly, only hinting
inferring	verb	figuring out; reasoning
informal	adjective	without ceremonial or formal manners; casual
instruction	noun	information that tells someone how to do something
interact	verb	to communicate
intermission	noun	a planned break in a performance
intimate	adjective	very private; innermost; confidential
intonation	noun	the way sounds become longer, shorter, higher or lower in speech
invisible	adjective	not able to be seen
jet lag	noun	the condition of being very tired after flying in an airplane across time zones
just	emphasis or adverb	only; only a short time ago; almost not able to do something
keep an eye out for	idiom	watch for
keep face	expression	remain respectable
kill me now	slang	I’d like to get out of this difficult situation.
l8r	text slang	later
leash	noun	a long piece of leather or cloth attached to a dog collar
lending	verb	letting someone borrow something
lengthen	verb	to make longer
light bulb	noun	a glass tube or bulb that uses electricity to produce light
line	noun	an electronic, wired connection; e.g., telephone
listen in on	verb	to hear something by accident or without the knowledge of others
litter	noun	garbage left on the ground
lol	text slang	laughing out loud = very funny
losing face	expression	become ashamed
lyrics	noun	the words of a song
ma’am	noun	madam; a polite greeting for an older woman
making excuses	expression	giving reasons for inappropriate behaviour without taking responsibility for it
Maskwa	noun	the fictional county named with the Cree word meaning “bear”
matter	noun	subject; issue; problem
mend	verb	to fix; to repair
mending fences	expression	repairing a relationship after a conflict or misunderstanding
metaphor(s)	noun	word(s) or phrase(s) that symbolize something else to explain something
minding my own beeswax	expression	paying attention to my own duties, not other people’s
mithai	noun	a South Asian sugary snack
moderator	noun	a person who keeps order in a discussion
moody	adjective	given to unpredictable changes of mood
my bad	slang	my mistake
my old lady	slang	my wife or female partner
non-verbal	adjective	without speaking
nope	slang	no
normal	adjective	usual; typical; ordinary
obligation(s)	noun	thing(s) that must be done; duties
offence	noun	a behaviour that upsets someone or breaks a custom, rule, or law
offended	verb (past tense)	to upset or insult someone
old soul	noun	a wise, perhaps older, person
omg	text slang	oh my god
opinionated	adjective	having strong opinions
or else!	prep phrase	a warning or threat if a demand is not met
outer space	noun	the area outside the Earth’s air (atmosphere), where other planets and the stars are
overly	adverb	too
padded envelope	noun	an envelope with thick, soft sides to protect whatever is inside
partnership	noun	a relationship between two people, groups, or organizations
patterns	noun	ways or forms of talking or writing that repeat
perception(s)	noun	the ability to see, smell, taste, hear, feel, and understand
performance	noun	the act of presenting, or staging, a concert or play
permission	noun	approval to do something
personal	adjective	private; individual; belonging to a particular person
perspective(s)	noun	viewpoint(s); way(s) of seeing or understanding
pessimistic	adjective	negative
pick out	verb	to choose
pistachio	noun	a nut with a greenish kernel
pitch	noun	how high or low a sound is
political party	noun	a group organized around ideas of how to govern
politician	noun	a person who is elected to government
poll	noun	a set of questions or a survey to measure people’s opinions
post	verb	to send a message by putting it in a public place
prefix(es)	noun	letter(s) added to the beginning of a word, to make a new word
prob	abbreviation	problem
prohibiting	verb	disallowing
prohibition(s)	noun	rule(s) against some kind(s) of behaviour
prompt	adjective	quick
published	verb	printed or produced for public sale
punctuation	noun	writtenmarkssuchas, ?!.“”
quantity	noun	an amount of something
quotes	noun	words that were first said or written by someone else
r u w/	abbreviation	Are you with (someone)
reading between the lines	idiom	understanding something more than what is written and isn’t directly stated
reception	noun	the quality in receiving an electronic signal; e.g., on a radio, TV, or cellphone
recognize	verb	to notice and identify; to be aware of
recyclable	adjective	able to be used again after being re-processed
reeve	noun	the elected leader of a county; similar to a mayor in a town
regarding	preposition	concerning; about
regret	noun	sadness; shame; guilt
regrets	noun	expressions of being sorry
request	verb	to ask
request	noun	the act of asking for something
reviewer	noun	a person who rates the quality of something and expresses an opinion about it
revival	noun	a new production of an old work of art or music
rhythm(s)	noun	strong, regular sound(s) or beat(s) in music
roots	noun	origins
running	verb	managing; controlling
rural	adjective	in the countryside, not in a city or town
saving face	expression	protecting or restoring respect for someone
saxophone	noun	a musical wind instrument
scaffolding	noun	a supporting structure
scene	noun	situation
scrambled	verb (past tense)	hurried
see eye to eye	idiom	to agree
series	noun	a set or sequential group of things
service dog	noun	a dog trained to help people
sesame seeds	noun	small, oval seeds
settling in	verb	becoming comfortable in a new place
shadowing	verb	following closely
shame	noun	dishonour; loss of respect from others
short list	noun	a list of a few individuals being considered for a prize or honour
shout-out	noun	a quick, public thank you
shut me out	expression	stop listening or paying attention to me
sighing	verb	breathing loudly because of fatigue, frustration, or boredom
signal	verb	to show
significant other	noun	a life partner; a spouse; a girlfriend or boyfriend
silver lining	expression	the brighter or hopeful side to a problem; from the proverb “Every cloud has a silver lining”
sincere	adjective	honest; genuine; true
slashed	adjective	cut with a knife or sharp tool
smashing	slang	excellent; wonderful
sober	adjective	clear-headed; not under the influence of alcohol
social media	noun	online communication that connects large groups of people who share information; includes Facebook, Twitter, blogs
social conventions	noun	patterns of polite behaviour in a society or culture
soften	verb	to make softer, gentler, or less direct
softeners	noun	expressions that make communication less direct
softer	adjective	less demanding; quieter
solo(s)	noun	one musician performing alone
solution(s)	noun	answer(s)
something’s up	expression	something unusual is happening
SpaceBook	noun	a fictional social media site
srsly	text abbreviation	seriously
stage	noun	a platform for performers, often higher than the floor
status	noun	the social position, or rank, of one person compared to others
straggler(s)	noun	latecomer(s)
struggle	verb	to try very hard to do something difficult
suffix(es)	noun	letter(s) added to the end of a word, to make a new word
suggest	verb	to say what someone could or should do
suggestion	noun	a message or statement that tells what someone could or should do
sugar-coating	adjective	making something sound better than it really is
suited	verb (past tense)	fit
sum	noun	total amount
sundown	noun	sunset
sux	text slang	sucks = something is terrible
sux 2 b u	text slang	sucks to be you = your situation is terrible
sweet	adjective	sugary; fantastic
sweetheart	noun	a beloved person
sweets	noun	candies or sugary snacks
switch	verb	to exchange one thing for another
sympathy	noun	feeling of pity or compassion for someone in pain or trouble
synonym(s)	noun	word(s) with similar meaning(s)
take dictation	verb	to write down exactly what someone says
talent	noun	natural ability
teacher’s pet	slang	a student favoured by a teacher
tell	verb	to give information; to communicate something
texture	noun	the feel of a substance
the big two-o	slang	20 years old
the most eligible bachelor	expression	the single man most qualified for marriage
theft	noun	the crime of stealing; a robbery
thirsty	adjective	the feeling of needing to drink something
threatening	verb	saying that someone will do something unpleasant if a demand isn’t met
throw up	verb	to vomit
thx	text slang	thanks
tidy	adjective	neat and orderly
TMI	abbreviation	too much information
tone	noun	the sound of a voice
tow truck	noun	a powerful truck able to pull other vehicles
trade	noun	some kind of skilled work done by hand or machine; e.g., electrician, carpenter
traditional	adjective	customary in a family or culture
trapped	verb (past tense)	unable to get away
trivial	noun	small details; unimportant facts
Twitterverse	noun	all the users and comments on the social networking site Twitter
u	text slang	you
ugh	interjection	an expression that shows dislike
unattended	adjective	alone without being watched or attended
uncomfortable	adjective	unpleasant; difficult; not relaxed
unfamiliar	adjective	not well known; not easy to recognize
unforeseen	adjective	unexpected; surprising
ungrateful	adjective	not thankful
unknown	adjective	not famous; anonymous
unoriginal	adjective	copied; not new or imaginative
upbeat	adjective	cheerful; optimistic
upset	adjective	disturbed; made unhappy
ur	text slang	your
value	noun	worth; price
vehicle	noun	a car, truck, van, bicycle, etc.
vocal	adjective	freely saying, or voicing, opinions
w/	text slang	with
walking on eggshells	expression	being careful of what is said or done around another person because he or she might easily become upset
water under the bridge	idiom	events that happened in the past and cannot be changed
We regret to inform you	formal written expression	This is bad news
Well, I’ll be	slang	an expression of surprise
What the heck	slang	an expression of surprise or anger; a softer way of saying “What the hell?”
wisdom	noun	the quality of knowing what is right and doing what is just
wonky	adjective	unreliable
zombie	slang	a person who behaves without human emotion