Words:

mumble verb [I,T]
to say something too quietly and not clearly enough, so that other people cannot understand you:
• He mumbled a few words and lost consciousness.
• Stop mumbling!
She mumbled something about being too busy.
[+ speech] "I'm sorry, " he mumbled.
She mumbled a prayer for their safe return.
He often mumbles in Yiddish.
mumbler noun [C]
mumble noun [C]



negligent adjective
1 not doing something that you are responsible for in a careful enough way, so that something bad happens or could happen:
• Kitty was characterized as a negligent mother. [+ in]:
• The crew of the ship may have been negligent in following safety procedures.
The judge said that the teacher had been negligent in allowing the children to swim in dangerous water.
2 LITERARY careless, but in a pleasantly relaxed way:
• The bartender set Tad's drink down with a negligent, easy grace.
negligently adverb

negligence noun [U]
when you do not give enough care or attention to someone or something:
My mother accuses me of negligence unless I phone her every day.
medical negligence


nub noun [C]
1 a small rounded piece of something, especially a piece that is left after it has been eaten, used etc.:
• The baby clutched a nub of carrot.
2 the central or main part of something:
• I was just waiting for the discussion to get down to the real nub of things.
oasis noun plural oases [C]
1 a place with water and trees in a desert
2 a peaceful or pleasant place that is very different from everything around it:
• The restaurant is a little oasis in the middle of downtown Los Angeles.
Her office was an oasis of peace and sanity amid the surrounding chaos.
The cafe was an oasis in the busy, noisy city.

perforate verb [T]
to make a hole or holes in something:
He suffered from bruises and a perforated eardrum in the accident.
perforated adjective
1 paper that is perforated has a line of small holes in it so that part of it can be torn off easily:
• a perforated sheet of stamps
The windows have been covered with perforated metal screens
2 something that is perforated, especially a part of the body, has had a hole or holes cut in it or torn in it:
• a perforated eardrum
• Use a perforated spatula to stir the mixture.
He was taken to the hospital to have emergency surgery for a perforated stomach ulcer.
perforation noun
1 [C] a small hole in something, or a line of holes made in a piece of paper so that it can be torn easily
A tea bag is full of tiny perforations.
The perforations (= very small holes) make it easy to remove checks from your checkbook.
2 [U] the action or process of making a hole or holes in something

plump adjective
1 a word meaning "slightly fat," often used in order to be polite:
• a plump woman in her fifties
2 attractively round and slightly fat:
• plump juicy strawberries
plumpness noun [U]

plump verb
1 [T] also plump up to make CUSHION, PILLOW etc. softer and rounder by shaking or hitting them
2 [I,T] also plump up to make someone or something fatter by giving them food or filling them with something:
• Boil the dried fruit until it plumps up in the cooking liquid.
3 plump (yourself) down to sit down suddenly and heavily:
• Peggy plumped down in the chair beside Otto.
4 [T always + adv./prep.] to put something down suddenly and carelessly:
• You can plump the bags down anywhere you like.
plum tomato noun [C]
a type of TOMATO that is egg-shaped and that is often used in cooking

prudent adjective
sensible and careful, especially by trying to avoid unnecessary risks:
His decision was prudent and timely.
• prudent house buyers
• It is prudent to give children only pasteurized milk and juices, to avoid food poisoning.
[+ to infinitive] It's always prudent to read a contract properly before signing it.--opposite IMPRUDENT
prudently adverb

prude noun [C] DISAPPROVING
someone who is very easily shocked by anything relating to sex --see also PRUDISH

prudence noun [U]
a sensible and careful attitude that makes you avoid unnecessary risks
A little prudence would be appropriate.
The firm was commended for its financial prudence.
prudential adjective OLD-FASHIONED

reckless adjective
not caring or worrying about danger or about the bad results of your behavior:
• reckless spending
• The driver was arrested for reckless driving.
He was found guilty of reckless driving.
These punks have a reckless disregard for the law.
He pleaded innocent to reckless driving charges.
recklessly adverb
She spends her money recklessly.

recklessness noun [U]

I showed my recklessness by joining their gang.