Unit 7

Word

Definition

Example

pale

having a skin colour that is very white, or whiter than it usually is

Sharon went pale and looked as if she might faint

nasty

severe or very painful

He was carried off the field with a nasty injury

stiff

if someone or a part of their body is stiff, their muscles hurt and it is difficult for them to move

I never felt stiff after training until I was in my 30s

ache

if part of your body aches, you feel a continuous, but not very sharp pain there

His feet were aching from standing so long

injure

to hurt (yourself or someone else), for example in an accident or an attack

Angus injured his leg playing rugby

broken

if you have a broken bone, you have damaged it by making it crack or split

Pam fell downstairs and the doctor thinks her hip may be broken

have a high temperature

to have a body temperature that is much higher than normal, especially because you are ill

Chris had a high temperature and was dehydrated

strain a muscle

to injure a muscle by using it too much or making it work too hard

I've strained a muscle in my leg

keep getting a pain

to repeatedly have a feeling where part of your body hurts

Since the accident, I keep getting a pain in my lower back

bruised

if a part of your body is bruised, it has a purple or brown mark on your skin because you have fallen, been hit, etc

Lisa's shoulder is badly bruised from the seatbelt

out of breath

having difficulty breathing after running, hurrying, etc

Andrew hurried in, slightly out of breath

sore throat

if you have a sore throat, the passage from the back of your mouth to the top of the tubes that go down to your lungs and stomach feels dry and painful

The singer complained of a sore throat after Wednesday's show

bags under your eyes

dark circles or loose skin under your eyes, usually because of old age or being tired

Sarah gets bags under her eyes when she is feeling tired

allergic reaction

a medical condition in which you become ill or in which your skin becomes red because you have eaten something, taken a drug or touched something

Call an ambulance! Arthur must be having an allergic reaction to nuts

have an appointment

to have an arrangement for a meeting at an agreed time and place, for a particular purpose

She has an appointment with the dentist at 5 o'clock

have a headache

to have a pain in your head

If you have a headache, you should take some aspirin

have an infection

to have a disease that affects a particular part of your body and is caused by bacteria or a virus

The baby had an ear infection

have an injection

to have a drug put into your body using a special needle

He had to have an injection to relieve the pain

have health insurance

to have an arrangement with a company in which you pay them money and they pay the costs if something you become ill

None of her family have private health insurance

have an operation

if you have an operation, doctors cut into your body to repair or remove a part that is damaged

He had an operation to reduce the swelling in his brain

have a rest

to spend a period of time not doing anything tiring so that you can relax or sleep

You look exhausted! Why don't you have a rest?

have stitches

if you have stitches, a doctor or nurse uses a piece of special thread to sew the edges of a wound together

He had to have ten stitches in his head

have a temperature

to have a body temperature that is higher than normal, especially because you are ill

Susie has a temperature and has gone to bed

have treatment

to have something done to cure you if you are injured or ill

Paul has been having treatment for burns at a local hospital

have a virus

to have an infectious illness caused by a very small living thing

A nurse at the clinic was found to have the virus

have an X-ray

to have a photograph taken of part of your body, using X-rays, to see if anything is wrong

James had an X-ray to check whether his wrist was broken

earnings

the money that you receive for the work that you do

He claimed compensation for loss of earnings

bank account

an arrangement between a bank and a customer that allows the customer to pay in and take out money

I'd like to open a bank account

earn

to receive (a particular amount of money) for the work that you do

He earns nearly £20,000 a year

win

to get (something) as a prize for winning in a competition or game

She won £160 on the lottery

lend

to let (someone) borrow (money or something that belongs to you) for a short time

Can you lend me £10 until tomorrow?

owe

to need to give (someone) back (money that they have lent you)

I still owe you £10 for the taxi

afford

to have enough money to buy or pay for (something)

How can she afford to eat out every night?

debt

a sum of money that a person or organisation owes

She had debts of over £100,000

wealth

a large amount of money, property, etc. that a person or country owns

The country's wealth comes from its oil

rate

a charge or payment that is set according to a standard scale

They only pay tax at a rate of 5%

payment

the act of paying for something

Payment can be made by cheque or credit card

withdraw money from your account

to take money out of your bank account

I'd like to withdraw £500 from my current account

transfer money from one account to another

to move money from one bank account to another

I'd like to transfer £500 to my savings account

check your balance

to see how much money you have in your bank account

You should check your balance before you take a large sum of money out of your account

invest in property

to buy property (= a building, piece of land, etc.) because you hope that the value will increase and you can make a profit

Investing in property is probably not a good idea right now

open a joint account

to open a bank account which is shared by two or more people

She opened a joint account with her husband

take out a loan

to borrow money

Most home buyers take out a loan

charge interest

to ask you to pay back extra money when you borrow money

The bank charges 16% interest on the loan per year

fail your driving test

not to pass he official test that you must pass in order to be legally allowed to drive on public roads

I failed my driving test the first time I took it

park

to put (a car or other vehicle) in a particular place for a period of time

I couldn't find anywhere to park

pull out

to drive onto a road from another road or from where you have stopped

Don't pull out! There's something coming

brake

to make a vehicle or bicycle go more slowly or stop

He braked sharply to avoid the dog

crash

to have an accident in a car, plane, etc. by violently hitting something else

The car crashed into a tree

footpath

a narrow path for people to walk along, especially in the country

A footpath runs through the woods between the two villages

flat tyre

a flat tyre has no air or not enough air in it

I had a flat tyre and had to walk home

breakdown service

an organisation that sends a mechanic and a truck when a vehicle breaks and stops working

We had to stop at the side of the motorway and phone the breakdown service

engine

the part of a vehicle that produces power to make it move

I fastened my seat belt and turned on the engine

lose control

to no longer have the ability or power to make a vehicle do what you want

He lost control of the car and hit a tree

helmet

a strong hard hat that motorcycle riders or cyclists wear to protect their heads

When you buy your child's first bicycle, make sure you also buy a well-fitting helmet

petrol station

a place where you can take your car and fill it with petrol

You can also use a machine to put air in your tyres at most petrol stations

lorry driver

someone who drives a large vehicle for carrying heavy goods

Lorry drivers often stop to sleep in a bed behind the driving seat on long journeys

fine

money that you have to pay as a punishment

She was ordered to pay £150 in parking fines, plus court costs