Pointed

['pɔɪntɪd]

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(adj) 1. having a point at the end

e.g. a pointed beard

2. a direct question, look etc that deliberately shows that you are annoyed, bored, or disapprove of something

e.g. a pointed remark about my being late

Staple

['steɪpl]

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(n) 1. a small piece of thin wire that is pushed into sheets of paper and bent over to hold them together

2. a small U-shaped piece of metal with pointed ends, used to hold something in place

3. a food that is needed and used all the time

4. the main product that is produced in a country

e.g. staples like flour and rice

Bananas and sugar are the staples of Jamaica.

Harness

['hɑːnɪs]

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(n) 1. a set of leather bands used to control a horse or to attach it to a vehicle it is pulling

2. a set of bands used to hold someone in a place or to stop them from falling

e.g. a safety harness

Reverse

[rɪ'vɜːs]

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(v) 1. to change something, such as a decision, judgment, or process so that it is the opposite of what it was before

e.g. The decision was reversed on appeal

2. if a vehicle or its driver reverses, they go backwards

e.g. Bob reversed into a parking space.

Stir

[stɜː]

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(n) a feeling of excitement or annoyance

e.g. Plans for the motorway caused quite a stir among locals.

an act of stirring something

e.g. Give that pan a stir, will you?

Twig

[twɪg]

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(n) a small very thin stem of wood that grows from a branch on a tree

Utensil

[juː'ten(t)s(ə)l]

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(n) a thing such as a knife, spoon etc that you use when you are cooking

e.g. kitchen utensils

Drudgery

['drʌʤ(ə)rɪ]

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(n) hard boring work

Saturate

['sæʧ(ə)reɪt] 

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(v) 1. to make something very wet

 e.g. Water poured through the hole, saturating the carpet.

2. to put a lot of something into a particular place, especially so that you could not add any more

e.g. Our culture is saturated with television and advertising.

Pump

[pʌmp]

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(n) a machine for forcing liquid or gas into or out of something

e.g. water pump

Ubiquitous

[juː'bɪkwɪtəs]

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(adj) seeming to be everywhere - sometimes used humorously

e.g. Coffee shops are ubiquitous these days.

Gist

[ʤɪst]

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(n) the main idea and meaning of what someone has said or written

e.g. The gist of his argument is that full employment is impossible.