Environmental and Criminal Terminology: A Comprehensive Glossary
Environmental Terminology
Endangered Species
A species of plant or animal that is in danger of becoming extinct.
Evolution
The continuous modification and adaptation of organisms to their environments through selection, hybridization, and the like.
Extinct
No longer existing, as an animal species.
Greenhouse Effect
The warming trend on the surface and in the lower atmosphere of a planet, held by scientists to occur when solar radiation is trapped, as by emissions from the planet.
Habitat
The natural environment of a plant or animal.
Insecticide
A substance used to kill insects.
Atmosphere
The mass of gases surrounding the earth or any other celestial body.
Ozone Layer
A layer of air containing ozone high above the earth that prevents harmful ultraviolet light from the sun from reaching the earth.
Poacher
One who illegally hunts on another’s property.
Pollution
Contaminating material that pollutes.
Smog
A haze caused by the effect of sunlight on foggy air that has been polluted by vehicle exhaust gases and industrial smoke.
Biosphere
The part of the earth and its atmosphere in which living organisms can exist.
Conservation
The act of preserving and protecting from loss, destruction, or waste.
Acid Rain
Rain that contains large amounts of harmful chemicals as a result of burning substances such as coal and oil.
Rainforest
A forest in a tropical area that receives a lot of rain.
Exhaust Fumes
The waste gas from an engine, especially a car’s, or the pipe the gas flows through.
Fertilizer
A natural or chemical substance that is spread on the land or given to plants, to make plants grow well.
Global Warming
A gradual increase in world temperatures caused by gases such as carbon dioxide that are collecting in the air around the earth and stopping heat escaping into space.
CFC
Chlorofluorocarbon: gases. CFCs cause damage to the ozone layer.
Fossil Fuel
Fuels, such as gas, coal, and oil, that were formed underground from plant and animal remains millions of years ago
Fumes
Strong, unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous gas or smoke.
Recycle
To sort and collect rubbish in order to treat it and produce useful materials that can be used again.
Criminal Terminology
Murder
Unlawfully and deliberately killing someone.
Kidnapping
Taking somebody by and demanding money or conditions to free that person.
Burglary
To enter a building, often while no one is in it, and seal money or objects.
Mugging
To take something by force from someone, often in the street.
Pickpocketing
To steal from someone’s pocket etc, without them realizing.
Arson
To set fire to a building illegally.
Rape
To violently attack a person sexually.
Hijacking
To use force to take control of a plane, ship, train, etc.
Fraud
To deceive or cheat someone to get money.
Theft
Stealing-usually secretly and without violence.
Manslaughter
Killing someone by accident through a careless or dangerous act.
Smuggling
To bring illegal goods, like drugs, into a country or to bring good into a country without paying taxes.
Shoplifting
To steal thing while pretending to shop.
Blackmail
To get money from someone by threatening to tell a secret or to harm them.
Forgery
The crime of making an illegal copy of something.
Assassination
To kill someone important or famous.
Grammar and Usage
Similarities
So/Neither + auxiliary verb + subject. So do I. Neither do I.
Differences
Subject + auxiliary verb, not. I’m not. I can.
Simple Past
Completed actions. Lisa watched a romantic movie yesterday. Did you visit your grandfather? Didn’t she study very hard for the exam?
Past Perfect
For an event that happened before another in the past. I had made a decision before you called me. When she arrived, the bus had already left. S+Had+V3. S+Had+Not+V3. Had+S+V3.
For
Indicates a period of time with a beginning and end. For six years.
Since
Tells us when something started and is almost always used with a perfect tense. Since two o’clock.
Live for
To enjoy something more than anything else that you do. My son lives for sports.
Live off
To use someone or something to provide the money or food that you need to live. All his life he had lived off his father.
Live out of a suitcase
Live or stay somewhere on a temporary basis and with only a limited selection of one’s belongings. Her parents told her she had to think about buying a home instead of living out of a suitcase.
Live through
To survive an experience, esp. a difficult one. It’s hard to understand how she lived through those traumas.
Live up to
To live in accordance with expectations or an ideal or standard. He never lived up to his father’s vision of him.
What a relief!
What a relief! It was only a nightmare.
What a nuisance!
What a nuisance! They come visiting at such an inappropriate hour.
At a crossroads
Thomas was at a crossroads when he had to decide between going to law school, medical school, or barber college.
Against the odds
If something is against the odds it is very unlikely to happen. It’s against the odds, but you never know – maybe
we’ll win. What do you think?
Play safe: If you play safe, it means you are extremely careful and you don’t take any unnecessary risks. Well. I’m not sure. We could take a risk and win a million or we could play safe and keep what we have.
Stop dithering: dither: to be unable to make a decision about doing something. Stop dithering and choose which one you want!