Topic vocabulary: Materials |
| block (v) |
to stop something from moving through or along something else |
A large rock blocked our way. |
| block (n) |
a solid piece of wood, stone, ice, etc with straight sides |
Have you ever seen someone make a swan out of a block of ice? |
| brittle (adj) |
a brittle substance or object is hard and can easily break into pieces |
The plastic had gone brittle from sitting in the sun. |
| chip (v) |
if something hard chips, or you chip it, a small piece of it breaks off |
I've chipped a tooth. |
| chip (n) |
a small piece of something such as wood or glass, especially when it has broken off something |
Be careful because there might be chips of glass on the floor. |
| compact (v) |
to make something smaller or firmer by pressing it, or to become smaller or firmer like this |
Some places compact rubbish so it doesn't take up so much space. |
| compact (adj) |
smaller than most things of the same kind |
Our flat is quite compact. |
| concentrate (v) |
make a solution of something in water stronger |
You can concentrate the solution by heating it. |
| crack (v) |
to damage something so that a line or long narrow hole appears on its surface, but it does not break into pieces |
Who cracked the window? |
| crack (n) |
a line on a surface where something is beginning to break apart |
How long has that crack in the ceiling been there? |
| crumb (n) |
a very small piece that falls off a dry food such as bread or cake |
Don't get crumbs on the carpet. |
| crush (v) |
to hit or press something so hard that you damage it severely or destroy it, especially by making its shape flatter |
Crush the can and put it in the recycling bin. |
| crush (n) |
a crowd of people all extremely close together in an area that is too small for them |
There was quite a crush in the club last night. |
| dense (adj) |
a dense substance is very heavy in relation to its size |
Lead is a very dense metal. |
| dilute (v) |
to make a liquid less strong by adding water or another liquid |
I find orange juice a bit strong, so I usually dilute it. |
| dilute (adj) |
a dilute liquid has been mixed with another liquid to make it less strong |
Use dilute bleach to clean the table. |
| dissolve (v) |
if a solid substance dissolves in a liquid, it is mixed into the liquid so that it becomes included in it |
Salt dissolves quite easily in water. |
| fabric (n) |
cloth, especially when it is used for making things such as clothes or curtains |
We need to choose the fabric we want for the curtains. |
| firm (adj) |
solid but not hard |
When the cake feels firm, remove it from the oven. |
| flake (v) |
to come off a surface in small flat pieces |
The paint on the door is beginning to flake. |
| flake (n) |
a small flat piece of something |
The floor was covered in flakes of paint from the old walls. |
| fragile (adj) |
easy to break or damage |
Be careful with that ornament because it's very fragile. |
| friction (n) |
the physical force that makes it difficult for one surface to move over another |
If you rub your hands together, friction makes them get warm. |
| grain (n) |
a very small individual piece of a substance such as sand, salt or sugar |
Each grain of salt is really a tiny cube. |
| gravity (n) |
the force that makes something fall to the ground |
How do they measure gravity? |
| grind (v) |
to break something into very small pieces or powder, by using a machine or by crushing it between two hard surfaces |
I often grind my own spices. |
| hollow (adj) |
empty inside |
I was surprised to find that the tree was hollow. |
| liquid (n) |
a substance that can flow, has no fixed shape, and is not a solid or gas |
Did you know that glass is actually a liquid? |
| liquid (adj) |
in the form of a liquid |
You have to be careful when you're handling liquid explosive. |
| lump (v) |
to put people or things into the same group, although they do not really belong together |
You can't just lump all disabled people together like that. |
| lump (n) |
a solid piece of something that does not have a regular shape |
I tripped over a lump of concrete. |
| mineral (n) |
a natural substance in the earth, for example coal, salt, gold or diamonds |
This area is very rich in minerals. |
| mould (v) |
to give something a particular shape or form |
Mould the clay into the shape of a person. |
| mould (n) |
a shaped container into which you pour a liquid that then becomes solid in the shape of the container |
Pour the jelly into the mould and then put it in the fridge. |
| opaque (adj) |
opaque glass, liquid, etc is difficult to see through |
We've had opaque glass put into the bathroom. |
| pat (v) |
to touch someone gently several times with a flat hand to show that you care about them or want to make them feel better |
He patted me on the shoulder and told me not to worry. |
| pat (n) |
the action of gently touching someone or something several times with a flat hand |
I felt a pat on my back and turned round. |
| pile (v) |
to put a large number of things on top of each other |
Don't just pile your clothes on the bed. |
| pile (n) |
a number of things put on top of each other |
Could you help me carry this pile of books? |
| polish (v) |
to rub the surface of something in order to make it shine |
The maid polished the table and then cleaned the floor. |
| polish (n) |
a chemical substance that you rub onto an object to make it shine |
Put some polish on your cloth and then rub, like this. |
| scratch (v) |
to pull your nails along your skin, especially because you have an itch that makes you want to do this |
You'll only make it worse if you scratch. |
| scratch (v) |
to damage a surface by marking it with something sharp or rough |
How did you scratch your violin? |
| scratch (n) |
a thin mark on a surface |
There's a scratch on my new CD! |
| scrub (v) |
to wash or clean something by rubbing it hard, especially with a brush |
I've been scrubbing the floor all day. |
| scrub (n) |
a thorough wash or clean |
What your fingernails need is a good scrub. |
| smash (v) |
to break something noisily into many pieces by dropping or hitting it with a lot of force |
You've smashed the glass on my favourite picture! |
| solid (n) |
a substance that is not a liquid or a gas |
Water is a liquid, but ice is a solid. |
| solid (adj) |
a solid substance is firm and hard and is not a liquid or a gas |
The concrete should be solid by now. |
| speck (n) |
a very small spot or mark |
There isn't a speck of dust in the house. |
| squash (v) |
to damage something by pressing or crushing it and making it lose its normal shape |
She sat on my glasses and squashed them! |
| squash (n) |
a situation in which there are too many people in a small space |
It'll be a bit of a squash, but we can get five in the car. |
| squeeze (v) |
to press something firmly, especially with your hands |
Squeeze the sponge to get all the water out. |
| squeeze (n) |
the action of squeezing something |
She gave my hand a quick squeeze. |
| stack (v) |
to arrange things so that they stand one on top of another |
The assistant was stacking boxes when I walked into the shop. |
| stack (n) |
a pile of things placed one on top of another |
I can't believe you knocked over that stack of tins! |
| stiff (adj) |
firm and difficult to bend |
Take a stiff piece of card and cut a hole in it. |
| stroke (v) |
to gently move your hand over skin, hair or fur |
I was only trying to stroke the dog! |
| stroke (n) |
a gentle movement of your hand across skin, hair or fur |
I fell asleep while my mum was stroking my hair. |
| stuff (v) |
to push something soft into a space or container |
I stuffed a few things into a suitcase and set off. |
| stuff (n) |
a variety of objects or things |
What's all this stuff on your desk? |
| substance (n) |
a particular type of liquid, solid or gas |
You're not allowed to take certain substances on a plane. |
| synthetic (adj) |
made from artificial materials or substances, not from natural ones |
Nylon is a synthetic material. |
| tear (v) |
to pull something so that it separates into pieces or gets a hole in it, or to become damaged in this way |
I've torn my T-shirt on the door handle. |
| tear (n) |
a hole in a piece of paper, cloth, etc where it has been torn |
There's a big tear in my dress. |
| texture (n) |
the way something feels when you touch it |
I love the texture of silk. |
| transparent (adj) |
a transparent object or substance is clear or thin enough for you to see things through |
Glass is transparent. |
