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Unit 21: The Twins Word List  1. astounded [əˈstaundid] adj.  If you are astounded, you are very surprised. → I was astounded that Monica won the art competition.  2. attribute [ˈætribjuːt] n.  An attribute is a characteristic of a person or thing. → He isn’t very clever, but he does have some other positive attributes.  3. bilingual [baiˈliŋgwəl] adj.  If someone is bilingual, then they can speak two languages. → Since you already know English, after learning French you’ll be bilingual.  4. clone [kloun] n.  A clone is an identical copy of a living creature. → Scientists recently made a clone of a sheep.  5. colloquial [kəˈloukwiəl] adj.  Colloquial describes informal words that are more suitable for speech than writing. → I find it difficult to understand people if they use colloquial language.  6. cosmetics [kɒzˈmetiks] n.  Cosmetics are substances that make the face and skin more beautiful. → Girls often look nicer when they don’t use so many cosmetics.  7. dash [dæʃ] v.  To dash means to run or move quickly. → Helen dashed up the stairs, so she wouldn’t be late for her appointment.  8. disgust [disˈgʌst] n.  Disgust is a feeling of distaste and anger caused by something rude or unpleasant. → He felt disgust toward his date because she had such terrible eating habits.  9. fluorescent [fluəˈresnt] adj.  If something is fluorescent, it is such a bright color that it seems to give off light. → She highlighted the key words in the document with a fluorescent yellow pen.  10. furious [ˈfjuəriəs] adj.  If you are furious, you are extremely angry. → My father was furious when he read my bad school report.  11. gulf [gʌlf] n.  A gulf is a gap between people who do not understand each other. → There has been a gulf between James and Tony since their parents died.  12. humanities [hju:mænətiz] n.  Humanities are subjects which analyze human ideas, such as history and literature. → Jennifer has always been more interested in humanities than science.  13. knot [nɒt] n.  A knot is made when you tie the ends of rope or cord together. → He tied a knot in his shoelaces, so they wouldn’t come off during the race.  14. linguist [ˈliŋgwist] n.  A linguist is someone who studies languages. → Tony is a good linguist and speaks four different languages.  15. participant [pɑːrˈtisəpənt] n.  A participant is someone who joins in a social event or competition. → There were thousands of participants in this year’s marathon.  16. plausible [ˈplɔːzəbəl] adj.  If something is plausible, it is reasonable or possible. → It is plausible that Jack isn’t here today because he is sick.  17. ritual [ˈritjuəl] n.  A ritual is a formal custom that people do regularly. → Ken was very interested to learn about the religious rituals of the natives.  18. sibling [ˈsibliŋ] n.  A sibling is a brother or sister. → Jane has two siblings, an older brother and a younger sister.  19. skinny [ˈskini] adj.  If someone is skinny, they are extremely thin. → Polly is very skinny. I think she needs to eat more.  20. vague [veig] adj.  If something is vague, it is not clear, and it gives very few details. → I asked him about his mother’s health, but he was very vague about it.