▸ Specimen Drawer

Materials & Substances — Lesson 16

I speak Learning

Fast recall sprint

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Browse the cards below, then start a play round — five minutes of quick drills that lock each word into memory.

Specimen

casein

ˈkeɪsiːn

A milk protein used in making e.g. plastics and adhesives — many bodybuilders supplement their diet with casein protein powder.

Casein is the primary protein in cheese and gives it its characteristic texture.

Specimen

catalysts

ˈkætəlɪsts

Catalysts are substances that speed up chemical reactions without being — enzymes act as biological catalysts in the human body.

Enzymes act as biological catalysts in the human body.

Specimen

caulk

kɔːk

Fill cracks, gaps, or joints in a surface with a waterproof material to prevent — the plumber will caulk the joints in the pipes.

He used silicone to caulk the gaps around the windows.

Specimen

caulking

ˈkɔːlɪŋ

A waterproof material, often made of latex or silicone, used to seal gaps and — he used caulking to fill the gaps between the tiles.

We need to apply caulking around the windows before winter.

Specimen

caustic

ˈkɔːstɪk

Any chemical substance that burns or destroys living tissue — the critic's caustic review devastated the young author.

Caustic soda is commonly used in industrial cleaning products.

Specimen

celluloid

ˈseljəlɔɪd

A transparent, flexible plastic material made from cellulose, historically used — the toy was made of celluloid.

Early movies were recorded on celluloid.

Specimen

cellulose

ˈseljʊloʊs

A polysaccharide that is the chief constituent of all plant tissues and fibers — cotton is almost pure cellulose.

Cellulose is found in the cell walls of all plants.

Specimen

cf

siː ˈɛf

Abbreviation of Latin 'confer', meaning 'compare' — the results contradict earlier findings (cf. Chapter 3).

The results contradict earlier findings (cf. Chapter 3).

Specimen

chaff

tʃæf

Light-hearted teasing or banter — farmers burn the chaff after the harvest.

Don't make such a fuss about my jokes—it's all just friendly chaff.

Specimen

chalks

tʃɔːks

A soft whitish calcite — the chalks were nearly worn down to nothing.

The teacher handed out chalks to the students.

Specimen

char

tʃɑːr

A charred substance — be careful not to char the meat — a light sear is all you need.

The chef charred the peppers over an open flame.

Specimen

chemicals

ˈkemɪkəlz

Material produced by or used in a reaction involving changes in atoms or molecules — many cleaning products contain strong chemicals.

Many cleaning products contain strong chemicals.

▸ Catalogue Progress 0 / 12 specimens catalogued

Mark each specimen as learned to complete this drawer.

Next drawer · Materials & Substances — Lesson 17