Materials & Substances
Making & fixing · 109 words
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The words
109 words
- adhesive/ədˈhiː.sɪv/noun · B2Any substance that sticks two things together.
- alloy/ˈæ.lɔɪ/noun · B2+A metal made by melting two or more metals together.
- alloy steelnoun · C1Steel with other metals added to change its properties.
- alloy wheelnoun · C1A car wheel cast from light metal rather than pressed steel.
- aluminium/ˌæl.(j)ʊˈmɪn.i.əm/noun · B1+A light silver metal that does not rust.
- ammonia/əˈməʊ.nɪ.ə/noun · B2+A sharp-smelling gas dissolved in cleaning liquids.
- ash/ˈæʃ/noun · B2The soft grey powder left after a fire has finished.
- asphalt/ˈæʃfɑlt/noun · B2+The black mix of tar and stone that road surfaces are made of.
- biodegradable/(ˌ)baɪoʊdəˈɡɹeɪdəbl̩/adjective · B2+Able to rot away naturally and harmlessly.
- bleach/bliːt͡ʃ/noun · B1+A harsh liquid that whitens and kills germs.
- brass/bɹɑːs/noun · B1The bright yellow metal of trumpets and door handles.
- brittle/ˈbɹɪtəl/adjective · B2Hard but snapping easily, like dry twigs or old bones.
- bronze/bɹɒnz/noun · B1+The brown metal of old statues and third-place medals.
- by-product/ˈbaɪ.pɹɒ.dʌkt/noun · B2Something extra produced while making the main thing.
- carbon fibrenoun · B2A very light, very strong woven material of fine black threads.
- cast ironnoun · B2Hard brittle iron poured into a mould.
- cement/səˈmɛnt/noun · B1The grey powder that binds sand and stone together.
- charcoal/ˈtʃɑː.kəʊl/noun · B1+Black carbon left when wood is burned without air.
- chipboardnoun · C1A cheap board pressed from wood chips and glue.
- clay/kleɪ/noun · B1The heavy sticky earth that pots are shaped from.
- clay soilnoun · B2Heavy sticky ground that holds water and sets hard.
- concrete/ˈkɒnkɹiːt/noun · B2The grey mix of cement and gravel that cities are built from.
- conductor/kənˈdʌktɚ/noun · B2A substance that carries heat or electricity easily.
- copper/ˈkɒpə/noun · B1The reddish metal inside electrical wires and old coins.
- cork/kɔɹk/noun · B1+A light springy bark used for stoppers and floors.
- corrosion/kəˈɹəʊʒən/noun · B2+The slow chemical destruction of a metal surface.
- crude oilnoun · B2The thick dark liquid pumped from underground.
- dense/ˈdɛns/adjective · C1Packed tightly together — forests, fog, or textbook pages.
- detergent/dɪˈtɜːd͡ʒənt/noun · B1+The powder or liquid that washes clothes and dishes clean.
- ductile/ˈdʌk.taɪl/adjective · C1Able to be pulled out into a wire without breaking.
- dust/dʌst/noun · B1The fine grey powder that slowly covers furniture.
- dye/daɪ/verb · B2To change the colour of hair or cloth with a liquid.
- earthenware/ˈəːθ(ə)nwɛː/noun · C1Thick pottery fired at a low heat.
- enamel/ɪˈnæməl/noun · B2+A hard glassy coating melted onto metal.
- epoxy/ɪˈpɒk.si/noun · C2A two-part glue that sets into a very strong joint.
- fibreglass/ˈfaɪbəɡlɑːs/noun · B2+Plastic strengthened with fine threads of glass.
- fireproofadjective · B2+Able to survive flame without burning.
- flammable/ˈflæməbl̩/adjective · B2+Catching fire easily.
- flint/flɪnt/noun · B2+A very hard stone that strikes sparks and flakes to an edge.
- foam/ˈfəʊ̯m/noun · B1The white mass of tiny bubbles on top of waves.
- galvanisedadjective · C1Coated in zinc so it will not rust.
- glue/ɡluː/noun · A2+The sticky liquid that joins two pieces of paper forever.
- granite/ˈɡɹæn.ɪt/noun · B2+A very hard speckled rock used for kerbs and worktops.
- graphite/ˈɡɹæfaɪt/noun · B2+Soft grey carbon used in pencils and lubricants.
- gravel/ˈɡɹævəl/noun · B1+The loose small stones that crunch on garden paths.
- grease/ɡɹis/noun · B1Thick fat, especially the sort left in a pan.
- grit/ɡɹɪt/noun · B2Tiny hard particles, spread on ice or caught in your eye.
- gypsum/ˈd͡ʒɪp.səm/noun · C1A soft mineral ground up to make plaster.
- hardwood/ˈhɑɹdˌwʊd/noun · B2+Wood from a slow-growing broadleaf tree, dense and strong.
- hay/heɪ/noun · B2Dried grass stored as winter feed for animals.
- insulator/ˈɪn.s(j)ə.leɪ.tə(ɹ)/noun · B2+A substance that will not carry heat or electricity.
- kerosene/ˈkɛɹəsiːn/noun · B2+A thin oil burned in lamps and jet engines.
- lacquer/ˈlæk.ə/noun · C1A fast-drying glossy finish that is sprayed on rather than brushed, used on nails and on traditional Chinese and Japanese decorative ware.
- landfill/ˈlæn(d).fɪl/noun · B2+The giant pit where a city buries its rubbish.
- latex/ˈleɪtɛks/noun · B2+The milky sap of a tree, made into stretchy gloves.
- lead/ˈlɛd/verb · B1To go in front and show others the way.
- limestone/ˈlaɪmˌstoʊn/noun · B2+A pale rock formed from ancient sea shells.
- loam/ləʊm/noun · C1Rich crumbly soil, the best sort for growing.
- lubricant/ˈlubɹəkənt/noun · B2+A slippery substance that stops parts wearing.
- malleable/ˈmæl.iː.ə.bəl/adjective · C2Soft enough to be hammered into a new shape.
- marble/ˈmɑː.bəl/noun · B1The smooth veined stone of palaces and famous statues.
- mortar/ˈmɔːtə/noun · B2+The paste that binds bricks and stones.
- mud/mʌd/noun · B1Wet sticky earth that ruins your shoes after rain.
- nickel/ˈnɪk.əl/noun · B2A hard silvery metal used in coins and alloys.
- opaque/əʊˈpeɪk/adjective · C2Impossible to see through.
- ore/oɹ/noun · B2+Rock containing enough metal to be worth digging out.
- peat/piːt/noun · B2+Dark partly rotted plant matter dug from bogs.
- petroleum/pəˈtɹoʊliəm/noun · B2+Refined oil and the fuels made from it.
- pigment/ˈpɪɡ.mənt/noun · B2+The coloured powder that gives paint its colour.
- plastic/ˈplæstɪk/noun · A2A light man-made material moulded when soft.
- platinum/ˈplæt.ɪn.əm/noun · B2+A rare heavy precious metal, whiter than silver.
- plywood/ˈplaɪwʊd/noun · B2+A board made of thin wood layers glued crosswise.
- polystyrene/pɒliˈstaɪriːn/noun · B2+A light white foam used for packing and cups.
- porcelain/ˈpɔːsəlɪn/noun · B2A fine white ceramic thin enough to let light through.
- porous/ˈpɔːɹəs/adjective · B2+Full of tiny holes that let liquid through.
- quartz/k(w)ɔːts/noun · B2+A hard glassy mineral found in most rocks.
- rattan/ɹəˈtan/noun · C1A tough climbing palm stem woven into furniture.
- raw material/ˌɹɔː.məˈtɪə.ɹi.əl/noun · B2The basic substance a thing is manufactured from.
- recyclingnoun · B1+Turning used bottles, cans, and paper into new things.
- resin/ˈɹɛzɪn/noun · C1A sticky substance that sets hard and clear.
- rubber/ˈɹʌbə/noun · A2The stretchy bouncy material tires and erasers are made of.
- rust/ɹʌst/noun · B1+The flaking red-brown crust that eats away iron.
- sand/sænd/noun · B1The tiny golden grains that cover beaches and deserts.
- sandstone/ˈsændˌstəʊn/noun · B2+A warm-coloured rock formed from pressed sand.
- scrap metalnoun · B2Waste metal collected to be melted and used again.
- sealing wax/ˈsiːlɪŋ ˌwæks/noun · C1Hot wax dripped on a letter and stamped.
- silicone/ˈsɪlɪkəʊn/noun · B2+A soft rubbery material that stays flexible when hot.
- silt/sɪlt/noun · B2+Very fine soil carried and dropped by water.
- slate/sleɪt/noun · B2A grey rock that splits into flat sheets for roofs.
- softwoodnoun · B2+Wood from a fast-growing evergreen, light and easy to cut.
- solvent/ˈsɒlvənt/noun · B2+The liquid that does the dissolving.
- soot/suːt/noun · B2+The fine black powder left by smoke.
- stainless steelnoun · B1Steel mixed with chromium so it will not rust.
- steel/stiːl/noun · B2The strong grey metal of bridges, knives, and skyscrapers.
- straw/stɹɔː/noun · B1The thin tube you drink through.
- synthetic/sɪnˈθɛtɪk/adjective · C1Made by people rather than found in nature.
- tar/tɑː/noun · B2A thick black sticky substance used to seal roads.
- tarnish/ˈtɑːnɪʃ/verb · C1To dull a shine or stain a reputation.
- terracotta/ˌtɛɹ.əˈkɒt.ə/noun · B2+Baked orange-brown clay used for pots and tiles.
- timber/ˈtɪmbə/noun · B2Trees cut and prepared as building wood.
- tin/tɪn/noun · B1A soft silvery metal used to coat cans.
- titanium/taɪˈteɪni.əm/noun · B2+A very strong light metal used in aircraft and implants.
- translucent/tɹænzˈluː.sənt/adjective · B2+Letting light through without letting you see clearly.
- veneer/vəˈnɪə(ɹ)/noun · C1A very thin sheet of fine wood glued over a cheaper one.
- wax/waks/noun · B1A soft solid that melts easily and repels water.
- weatherproof/ˈwɛðəpruːf/adjective · B2+Able to stand out in the rain and wind.
- wicker/ˈwɪkəː/noun · B2+Thin flexible twigs woven into baskets and chairs.
- wrought ironnoun · C1Soft iron worked into shape while hot.
- zinc/ˈzɪŋk/noun · B2+A bluish metal used to coat steel against rust.