Ingram Lessons

19/12/2025

18/12/2025

'gnaw'
(verb)
uk /nɔː/ us /nɑː/
* to bite or chew something repeatedly, usually making a hole in it or gradually destroying it:
"Babies like to gnaw hard objects when they're teething."
gnaw on: "A dog lay under the table, gnawing on a bone."

16/12/2025

'Orangery'
The term 'orangery' dates back to the 17th century, when wealthy European households built grand glazed structures to house exotic plants — especially orange trees. These orangeries had solid walls with tall windows and were seen as status symbols of the time.

15/12/2025

'in the same boat'
(idiom)
* in the same difficult situation as someone else:
"None of us has any money, so we’re all in the same boat."

11/12/2025

'scowl'
/skaʊl/
(noun)
* an angry or bad-tempered expression:
"He stamped into the room with a scowl on her face"

(verb)
* frown in an angry or bad-tempered way:
"He scowled at him defiantly"

10/12/2025

'in dribs and drabs'
/ˌdrɪbz (ə)n ˈdrabz/
(noun, informal)
* in small scattered or sporadic amounts.

09/12/2025

'through and through'
(idiom)
* completely:
'My great-grandfather was Irish through and through.'

04/12/2025

'rock the boat'
(idiom, informal)
- C2 -
* If you rock the boat, you do or say something that will upset people or cause problems:
"Don't rock the boat until the negotiations are finished."

02/12/2025

'panettone'
(noun)
uk /ˌpæn.əˈtəʊ.neɪ/ us /ˌpæn.ɪˈtoʊ.neɪ/
* a large Italian Christmas cake containing dried fruit and candied peel (= the skin of lemons or oranges, preserved with sugar):
slice of panettone : "Can I have a slice of panettone?"

01/12/2025

'rare'
(adjective)
uk /reər/ us /rer/
rare adjective =NOT COMMON
- B1 -
* not common or frequent; very unusual:
a rare disease/species
"The museum is full of rare and precious treasures."

rare adjective = OF MEAT
- C1 -
* (of meat) not cooked for very long and still red:
"I'd like my steak rare, please."

27/11/2025

Meaning of barge in in English

'barge in'
(phrasal verb with barge as a verb)
uk /bɑːdʒ/ us /bɑːrdʒ/
* to walk into a room quickly, without being invited:
"I wish he'd knock instead of just barging in."
"She barged in on me when I was in the bathroom."
"Suddenly two men barged in to the room."

UK informal
* to interrupt rudely:
"Sorry to barge in, but I couldn't help overhearing what you were saying."