Fireflies: Nature's Femme Fatales | Animal Einsteins | BBC Earth
A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2
meet
US / mi:t /
•UK / mit /
- noun
- Sporting competition e.g. swimming
- verb
- To provide something that is necessary
- To come together at a certain time or place
most
US / məʊst /
•UK / most /
- adverb
- Very; extremely
- Greatest possible degree
- pronoun
- Nearly all of something
another
US / əˈnʌðə(r) /
•UK / əˈnʌðɚ /
- adjecitve
- One more, but not this
- determiner
- One more added
- pronoun
- One more (thing)
out
US / aʊt /
•UK / aʊt /
- adverb
- No longer stylish (e.g. fashion)
- Away from home, business, or the usual place
- In a direction/movement away from inside or center
- noun
- Act when a batter cannot continue playing
- verb
- To tell people a secret
friendly
US / ˈfrendli /
•UK / ˈfrɛndli /
- adjecitve
- Acting like a friend; kind and helpful
- noun
- Game played not in a competition
only
US / ˈəunli /
•UK / ˈonli /
- adverb
- Just one; just that amount or thing; not more than
- Not very important or serious
- Just that type of thing, person
- Short time ago; not before a certain time
- conjunction
- Except; but
and
US / ənd /
•UK / ənd, ən,ænd /
- conjunction
- Used to refer to two or more things
- Plus; in addition; on top of that
- Used to introduce an action that follows another
back
US / bæk /
•UK / bæk /
- adjecitve
- Farthest from the front e.g. in a classroom
- adverb
- Have returned to a place you were before
- noun
- The part of a chair that the upper body leans upon
- Location at the rear of something
- The reverse of side something
- Area on the rear of your body
- verb
- To bet money on something
- To go backwards in a car
- To support and encourage someone or some cause
lauer
US / ˈlɑ:teɪ /
•UK / 'lɑ:teɪ /
until
US / ənˈtɪl /
•UK / ʌnˈtɪl /
- conjunction
- Up to; to a time when something happens
- preposition
- Before (a specific time)
air
US / eə(r) /
•UK / er /
- noun
- Mixture of gases around the earth that we breathe
- A person's manner intended to impress others
- verb
- To expose to the outside, to dry or freshen
- To broadcast a TV or radio show
- To open a subject to discussion and debate
conversation
US / ˌkɒnvəˈseɪʃn /
•UK / ˌkɑnvɚˈseʃən /
- noun
- Talking with other people; discussion or chat
digest
US / daɪˈdʒest /
•UK / daɪˈdʒest /
- noun
- A summary, as of the news
- verb
- To convert food into energy in your stomach
- To think over facts, news etc.; take in information
mating
US / ˈmeɪtɪŋ /
•UK / ˈmeɪtɪŋ /
- verb
- To pair a male and female so they have children
- To join or fit two things together
know
US / nəʊ /
•UK / noʊ /
- verb
- To be familiar with a person or place, thing
- To feel sure or be convinced about something
- To discover or be aware of something
- To be able to distinguish
- To have knowledge of things
see
US / si: /
•UK / si /
- verb
- To go on a date with someone
- To predict whether something is, or will be true
- To understand what someone says
- To use your eyes to look at something
- To visit a place often for sightseeing or pleasure
- To visit or meet with someone
- To find out by waiting or looking
- To watch (a game, movie or TV show)
alive
US / ə'laɪv /
•UK / əˈlaɪv /
- adjecitve
- Living; not dead
flash
US / flæʃ /
•UK / flæʃ /
- noun
- Sudden and brief appearance of something
- Light used by a camera to brighten the area
- Sudden feeling, idea or occurrence
- Publicly exposing your genitals to others
- Sudden bright light
- Showing something very quickly and briefly
- Light used in the dark, powered by batteries
- verb
- To appear suddenly and briefly
- To publicly expose your genitals to others
- To shine brightly very suddenly and briefly
- To show something very quickly and briefly
have
US / həv /
•UK / hæv /
- verb
- To drink, smoke, eat or use something
- To experience the effects of something
- To organize an event, or join in an activity
- To own, possess, or hold something
- To cause to happen or produce a particular effect
clear
US / klɪə(r) /
•UK / klɪr /
- adjecitve
- Empty; without anything in it or on it
- Being certain and without doubt
- Being without any streaks, spots, or cracks
- Easy to understand; well-explained; obvious
- adverb
- Completely; entirely; through the whole of
- Away from; free from
- verb
- To recover from or remove a problem
- To get rid of the entire contents of
- To give permission for something to happen
- To make a place or surface empty by removing
- To prove that someone is not guilty or to blame
dastardly
US / ˈdæstədli /
•UK / ˈdæstərdli /
- adverb
- Despicably cowardly
with
US / wɪð /
•UK / wɪð, wɪθ /
- preposition
- As an employee of a certain company
- Against something or someone
- By using something as a means
- Due to; because of
- Including
- Possessing as a feature
- Related to
- (Of the manner/attitude by which you do something)
- Used to express that people or things are together
habit
US / 'hæbɪt /
•UK / ˈhæbɪt /
- noun
- Loose clothing like a cloak, worn by monks, nuns
- Usual way of behaving; something often repeated
really
US / ˈri:əli /
•UK / ˈriəˌli, ˈrili /
- adverb
- Used to stress something that is said; definitely
- In a true or accurate manner
- Very
understand
US / ˌʌndə'stænd /
•UK / ˌʌndɚˈstænd /
- verb
- To know the meaning of language, what someone says
advantage
US / əd'vɑ:ntɪdʒ /
•UK / ædˈvæntɪdʒ /
- noun
- Thing making the chance of success higher
- A positive point about something
passionate
US / ˈpæʃənət /
•UK / ˈpæʃənɪt /
- adjecitve
- Being easily excited to strong emotions
- Having strong sexual desires
pattern
US / 'pætn /
•UK / ˈpætən /
- noun
- Model to follow in making or doing something
- Colors or shapes which are repeated on objects
- Regular repeated behavior
- verb
- To copy the way something else is made
commonly
US / ˈkɒmənli /
•UK / ˈkɑmənlɪ /
- adverb
- Typically, normally; not unusually
con
US / kɒn /
•UK / kɑ:n /
- noun
- Argument pointing out the negatives of a position
- verb
- To trick or deceive someone
can
US / kæn /
•UK / kən,kæn /
- noun
- A metal container for storing food
- other
- Able to; have the skill to; have the time to
- verb
- To have permission to
- To be possible to do
- To preserve food by sealing it in a metal container
gateway
US / ˈgeɪtweɪ /
•UK / ˈɡetˌwe /
- noun
- Entrance that can be closed by a gate
grass
US / grɑ:s /
•UK / græs /
- noun
- Slang name for marijuana
- Plants with narrow green leaves, grown on lawns
- verb
- To betray someone
- To cover an area of ground to make a lawn or field
become
US / bɪ'kʌm /
•UK / bɪˈkʌm /
- verb
- To begin to be; grow to be; develop into
- To be suitable for a particular job or role
but
US / bət /
•UK / bʌt,bət /
- conjunction
- Used before you say something different, opposite
signal
US / 'sɪɡnəl /
•UK / ˈsɪɡnəl /
- adjecitve
- Most important or most noticeable
- noun
- Movement of a hand or other means to send messages
- Act/sound that tells people to do/start something
- Road-side lights that direct traffic to go or stop
- Sound and light waves carrying TV and radio data
- verb
- To be evidence/an indication something will happen
- To make a noise or motion to tell someone to start
now
US / naʊ /
•UK / naʊ /
- adverb
- At the present time or moment
- Right away or in the next possible moment
- Used to refer to something that just happened
- Time between the present and a moment in the past
- conjunction
- Resulting from or because of something
code
US / kəʊd /
•UK / kod /
- noun
- A password made of a set of letters or numbers
- Set of rules for behavior
- A secret language using secret symbols
- Written part of a computer program
- verb
- To express information in a series of numbers
- To write a secret message using secret symbols
- To write programs using computer languages
morse
US / mɔːs /
•UK / mɔrs /
- other
- A telegraph code in which letters and numbers are represented by strings of dots and dashes (short a
reason
US / 'ri:zn /
•UK / ˈrizən /
- noun
- Ability to think about facts and form a judgment
- Explanation for why something occurred or was done
- verb
- To think and make conclusions in a logical manner
side
US / saɪd /
•UK / saɪd /
- adjecitve
- In addition to the central or most important thing
- Next to, or very close to, the right or left of
- noun
- Position or opinion that is opposite to another
- Right or left part of a person's body
- Feature of someone's personality
- Straight edge of an object
- One of two or more groups fighting each other
- verb
- To decide to agree with one point, not the other
immediately
US / ɪˈmi:diətli /
•UK / ɪˈmidiɪtli /
- adverb
- Without any delay; straight away
speak
US / spi:k /
•UK / spik /
- verb
- To be able to use a certain language
- To use words to tell information, express thoughts
use
US / ju:s /
•UK / ju:s /
- noun
- Ability to employ something
- Need to enable it to work
- Permission to do something with something
- Act of spending money
- Operation of a machine for its function
- verb
- To have; to eat, drink, consume etc.
- To need to operate or work
- To operate a machine, e.g. a computer
- To treat a person badly
- To do something with, for a task or purpose
after
US / 'ɑ:ftə(r) /
•UK / ˈæftɚ /
- adverb
- Later than another time, or behind something
- conjunction
- Following something before
- preposition
- When an event happened or time has passed
forth
US / fɔ:θ /
•UK / fɔrθ, forθ /
- adverb
- So as to be seen; out
- Outward or forward in space, time
treacherous
US / ˈtretʃərəs /
•UK / ˈtrɛtʃərəs /
- adjecitve
- Dangerously unstable and unpredictable
will
US / wɪl /
•UK / wɪl /
- noun
- Desire or choice of someone
- Document saying who gets your money when you die
- Strong desire to do something; determination
- Desire to do something; strong wish to do
- other
- Used with verbs to express the future
- verb
- To leave property to someone after your death
- To use mental effort to make something happen
- Am (is, are) likely to do
- To influence someone to do something
- To make something happen by strongly wanting it
here
US / hɪə(r) /
•UK / hɪr /
- adverb
- In this place; at this location, position or time
lure
US / lʊə(r) /
•UK / lʊr /
- noun
- Appealing quality that attracts people
- Device used to attract animals to catch them
- Device used to attract using something appealing
- verb
- To attract someone using something appealing
sort
US / sɔ:t /
•UK / sɔrt /
- noun
- Group or class of similar things or people
- verb
- To organize things by putting them into groups
- To deal with things in an organized way
while
US / waɪl /
•UK / hwaɪl, waɪl /
- conjunction
- In spite of the fact that; although
- During the time that; at the same time
- noun
- Short amount of time
switch
US / swɪtʃ /
•UK / swɪtʃ /
- noun
- A change or shift from one method to another
- Thing you move to turn electrical items on or off
- Thin flexible piece of wood or stick
- verb
- To exchange or replace something for another thing
let
US / let /
•UK / lɛt /
- verb
- To allow someone to do something
- Introducing a suggestion to do something together
- To rent a house, etc. to others
might
US / maɪt /
•UK / maɪt /
- other
- Used to politely request an action
- Used to express that something could happen
- Power, strength, force or influence
the
US / ðə /
•UK / ðə /
- article
- Used to refer to something already mentioned
- Used to show there is only one of something
- determiner
- Used to describe all of a family
other
US / 'ʌðə(r) /
•UK / ˈʌðər /
- adjecitve
- A thing different from that mentioned
- determiner
- (Something) else; not the first (one)
- pronoun
- Being the one and only thing of that category
one
US / wʌn /
•UK / wʌn /
- pronoun
- You; we; people in general; someone
- The thing or person previously referred to
- adjecitve
- Used to refer to people generally
- Being a strong example of (something mentioned)
- number
- Number 1
turn
US / tɜ:n /
•UK / tɚn /
- noun
- Place where changing of direction happens
- Your time or chance to perform a duty
- Your chance to play or do in say a game
- Unexpected change, as in the weather
- verb
- To become (a particular age)
- To become a different quality, color, etc.
- To change the direction of something, e.g. a car
- To move in an opposite direction or position
- To shape metal with a spinning tool
mate
US / meɪt /
•UK / met /
- noun
- A friend who you work, live, or go to school with
- Partner in a (sexual) relationship
- One of a matched pair e.g. a shoe or glove
- A kind of officer on a ship
- other
- Person your wish to, or are married to
- verb
- To pair a male and female so they have children
- To join or fit two things together
this
US / ðɪs /
•UK / ðɪs /
- adjecitve
- Used to indicate something already been discussed
- Used to indicate something happening around now
- adverb
- An indication by a physical motion or gesture
- A specific amount of
- determiner
- Person, thing, or idea near you
- pronoun
- Person, thing that has already been discussed
specific
US / spəˈsɪfɪk /
•UK / spɪˈsɪfɪk /
- adjecitve
- Precise; particular; just about that thing
- Concerning one particular thing or kind of thing
ones
US / wʌnz /
•UK / wʌnz /
- number
- Number 1, a single person or thing
female
US / 'fi:meɪl /
•UK / ˈfiˌmel /
- adjecitve
- Person of the sex that gives birth to babies
identify
US / aɪ'dentɪfaɪ /
•UK / aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪ /
- verb
- To indicate who or what someone or something is
you
US / jʊ /
•UK / ju /
- pronoun
- Person someone is speaking or writing to
- Person or people in general
advocate
US / 'ædvəkeɪt /
•UK / ˈædvəˌket /
- noun
- A lawyer who protects a clients interests
- Person who supports a movement for changes
- verb
- To request change
- To publicly support a belief
first
US / fɜ:st /
•UK / fɚst /
- adjecitve
- 1st; Coming before all others in time or place
- noun
- Something that has not happened before
- Position of the winner of a competition
exciting
US / ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ /
•UK / ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ /
- adjecitve
- Creating interest, happiness or pleasurable fear
- verb
- To cause a reaction; make active
- To make someone feel happy, interested or eager
pretext
US / 'pri:tekst /
•UK / ˈpriˌtɛkst /
- noun
- Reason given to hide the real reason for something
find
US / faɪnd /
•UK / faɪnd /
- noun
- Object discovered by chance
- Things that have been discovered from searching
- verb
- To become aware of something that is happening
- To discover or meet by chance
- To decide if someone is guilty of a crime, or not
- To learn through study, research, or effort
- To discover something by looking for it
reply
US / rɪˈplaɪ /
•UK / rɪˈplaɪ /
- noun
- Answer to someone's question
- A response in speech, writing or action
- verb
- To respond by speech, writing or action
- To give a response in speech, writing or action
she
US / ʃɪ /
•UK / ʃi /
- pronoun
- Female person or animal mentioned before
- (Refers to female person mentioned before)
fatale
US / fəˈtɑːl /
•UK / fəˈtæl /
specie
US / 'spi:ʃi: /
•UK / 'spi:ʃɪ /
- noun
- Singular of species
block
US / blɒk /
•UK / blɑk /
- noun
- Solid piece of material used for building
- A piece of wood, chocolate etc.
- Hard piece of wood, stone etc. with straight edges
- Building made up of offices or apartments
- Area of a city divided by four streets
- verb
- To stop from going forward or making progress
down
US / daʊn /
•UK / daʊn /
- adjecitve
- Being sad, sick, or unhappy
- Not operating, working, or functioning as expected
- adverb
- In a sitting or lying position
- Towards or on the ground, floor, or bottom
- Written or copied onto a piece of paper or book
- noun
- A period of play in American Football
- The soft, smooth hairs that cover a bird's body
- preposition
- Along something's path, course, or direction
- Going from a higher position to a lower position
- verb
- To eat or drink very quickly and without stopping
juice
US / dʒu:s /
•UK / dʒus /
- noun
- Liquids (often squeezed from vegetables, fruit)
- Something that supplies power, e.g. electricity
again
US / ə'ɡen /
•UK / əˈɡɛn /
- adverb
- One more time, once more
fly
US / flaɪ /
•UK / flai /
- noun
- Common flying insect, sometimes blue in color
- Opening with fold of cloth hiding zipper on pants
- verb
- To move in the wind, e.g. a flag
- To move at a high speed
- To travel in a plane, helicopter, balloon etc.
- To pilot people or items by plane
- To travel through the air using wings
like
US / laɪk /
•UK / laɪk /
- adjecitve
- Being equal in status or kind to something else
- Similar; the same
- adverb
- For example
- preposition
- Used as a filler; used to ad emphasis
- In a way similar to the way something is done
- Such as; for example
- verb
- To want to
- To find something pleasing; to prefer something
that
US / ðæt /
•UK / ðæt, ðət /
- adjecitve
- The person or thing being talked about
- Used to identify something both the speakers know
- adverb
- Used to reinforce adjectives and adverbs
- To such a degree
- conjunction
- Used to connect a noun clause
- Used to introduce an adverbial clause
- Used to introduce a noun clause
- determiner
- Used as a noun to refer to something
- pronoun
- Referring an object far away
- Used to refer to the relative pronoun ‘which’
each
US / i:tʃ /
•UK / itʃ /
- determiner
- Every one of two or more things
- pronoun
- Per one person or thing
language
US / ˈlæŋgwɪdʒ /
•UK / ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ /
- noun
- Words or signs used to communicate messages
suck
US / sʌk /
•UK / sʌk /
- noun
- Drawing of liquid into a tube or hole
- phrasal verb
- To trick or deceive someone into doing something
- verb
- To be very bad, undesirable or unpleasant
- To be very bad, undesirable, or unpleasant
- To pull or remove something with great power
- To attract someone; make someone interested
- To draw into your mouth through a small hole
firefly
US / 'faɪəflaɪ /
•UK / ˈfaɪrˌflaɪ /
- noun
- Flying beetles that give off a green light
own
US / əʊn /
•UK / on /
- adjecitve
- Belong to oneself
- determiner
- Yours, his, hers, etc.; not belonging to another
- pronoun
- (Something) belong to myself
- verb
- To have something as your property
bit
US / bɪt /
•UK / bɪt /
- noun
- Device put in a horse's mouth to control it
- Small piece of something
- verb
- (E.g. of fish) to take bait and be caught
prey
US / preɪ /
•UK / pre /
- noun
- The victim of another person's aggression
- other
- The victim of another person's aggression
- verb
- To hunt (other animals) in order to eat them
- To cause another to be a victim
biology
US / baɪˈɒlədʒi /
•UK / baɪˈɑlədʒi /
- noun
- The study of living things
fast
US / fɑ:st /
•UK / fæst /
- adjecitve
- In a way that is difficult to move or change
- Moving or able to move quickly
- Showing time that is later than the actual time
- adverb
- With a great deal of speed
- noun
- Period of time when a person chooses not to eat
- verb
- To refuse food for a long time
its
US / ɪts /
•UK / ɪts /
- adjecitve
- Referring to or belonging to ‘it’
- determiner
- Of something; belonging or related to something
- other
- Possessive form of “it”
professor
US / prəˈfesə(r) /
•UK / prəˈfɛsɚ /
- noun
- Teacher who teaches at a college or university
deceit
US / dɪˈsi:t /
•UK / dɪˈsit /
- noun
- Deliberately lying to someone to trick them
dinner
US / ˈdɪnə(r) /
•UK / ˈdɪnɚ /
- noun
- Main meal of the day, often eaten in the evening
eavesdrop
US / 'i:vzdrɒp /
•UK / ˈivzˌdrɑp /
- verb
- To secretly listen to another conversation
femme
US / fem /
•UK / fem /
- French word
- Slang A person, especially a lesbian or a gay man, who exhibits stereotypical feminine traits, often
male
US / meɪl /
•UK / ˈmel /
- adjecitve
- Characteristic of boys or men
- noun
- A member of the sex that fertilizes eggs
they
US / ðeɪ /
•UK / ðe /
- pronoun
- Two or more people, animals, or things
artist
US / ˈɑ:tɪst /
•UK / ˈɑrtɪst /
- noun
- A person skilled and creative in art e.g. painter
crucial
US / 'kru:ʃl /
•UK / ˈkruʃəl /
- adjecitve
- Extremely important or necessary
their
US / ðɛː /
•UK / ðer /
- determiner
- Belonging to them
way
US / weɪ /
•UK / we /
- adverb
- Used to emphasize the amount of something
- noun
- Particular aspect of something being thought about
- One of various choices that could be made
- Particular existing condition or state
- (Often long) distance or length of time
- How something is done
- Route to go to a place
- Small street
- Usual behavior, emotions or habits of someone
soon
US / su:n /
•UK / sun /
- adverb
- At a time not long from now
well
US / wel /
•UK / wɛl /
- adjecitve
- Being in a fortunate, good condition or state
- Healthy and in good condition
- adverb
- In an acceptable, proper, or successful manner
- In a complete, total, or full manner
- A great and considerable degree
- In a successful way, in a good or satisfactory way
- exclamation
- Used to begin or continue a particular statement
- Used to show you want to start saying something
- Used to express that you are waiting for a reply
- You say this to change the topic of a conversation
- Used to indicate you are making a final remark
- noun
- Long deep hole in the ground to get water
- verb
- To cause your eyes to fill with tears
communicate
US / kə'mju:nɪkeɪt /
•UK / kəˈmjunɪˌket /
- verb
- To give and exchange information
for
US / fə(r) /
•UK / fɔr,fə /
- preposition
- Used to show the purpose, or need of something
those
US / ðəʊz /
•UK / ðoz /
- determiner
- The people or things we are talking about
- pronoun
- The objects far from the speaker
scout
US / skaʊt /
•UK / skaʊt /
- verb
- To watch or search for something or someone