Castles

the splendors of Venice

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​splendor:

great beauty that attracts admiration and attention; the beautiful features or qualities of a place, etc

Governments are majestic institutions, but one of their weaknesses is the difficulty they find in admitting a mistake.

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majestic:

to feel great admiration and respect for it because of its size, power, or beauty

These reforms are aimed at fortifying the political system.

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fortify: to make something stronger, especially in order to protect it

By the age of 32 she had reached the pinnacle of her career.

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pinnacle:the most successful or admired part of a system or achievement

Changing patterns of agriculture are threatening the countryside.

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​threaten:to be likely to cause harm or damage to something or someone

Civil wars and rebellions of this kind tend to last a long time.

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​rebellion:action against those in authority, against the rules

We were summoned to the headmaster's office.

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to summon:to order someone to come to or be present at a particular place, or to officially arrange a meeting of people

the deployment of missiles/troops

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​to deploy:to move soldiers or equipment to a place where they can be used when they are needed:

to put something into use

The stage is his personal fiefdom.​

​fiefdom:an area of land, especially one that is rented and paid for by work

After weeks at sea, it was wonderful to feel firm ground beneath our feet once more.

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beneath:in or to a lower position than someone or something

She plays a prominent role in the organization.

prominent:very well known and important

I pay tributes to the efforts he has made to change this state of affairs.

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​pay tribute to:respect or admiration for someone

He’s very susceptible to colds.

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​susceptible:easily influenced or harmed by something

Gradually, she realized that he wasn't telling her the truth.

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​gradually:slowly over a period of time or a distance

The volcano hurled hundreds of tons of rock, ash, and dust into the air.

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hurl:to throw something forcefully:

Accordingly, they did all they could to protect the nobility's privileged position.

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​nobility:the people of the highest social rank in a society, considered as a group

In their absence, their house was plundered of everything.

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plunder:to steal goods violently from a place, especially during a war

Though the machines were often unreliable, their low price was very appealing.

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unreliable:not able to be trusted or believed

Yet this in no way undermined the trend towards greater political centralization.

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undermine:to gradually weaken or destroy someone or something

Vestiges of ancient settlements can be seen in the caves.

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​vestige:a small part left from something larger and more important, esp. one that is no longer used: