C115 words · Advanced

The Home vocabulary — C1

The Home vocabulary for bathroom fittings and household furniture, including lather, fixture, porcelain and upholstery — words for a house described in precise, almost technical detail.

15 questions

Words in this set

lather
/ˈlæðər/
The mass of small white bubbles that forms when you wash your hair.
Example: Work the shampoo into a thick lather before rinsing.
fixture
/ˈfɪkstʃər/
Something, such as a sink or toilet, that is permanently fitted in a bathroom.
Example: The new fixtures gave the bathroom a modern look.
porcelain
/ˈpɔrsələn/
A hard, white, shiny material used to make sinks, baths and toilets.
Example: The old porcelain sink had a small crack.
upholstery
/əˈpoʊlstəri/
The soft padding and cloth that cover an armchair or a sofa.
Example: The upholstery on that armchair is starting to fray.
ornate
/ɔrˈneɪt/
Covered with a lot of carved or painted decoration.
Example: She inherited an ornate mirror with a heavy gilded frame.
headboard
/ˈhɛdˌbɔrd/
The upright panel fixed at the top end of a bed, just behind your pillows.
Example: I leaned back against the headboard and opened my book.
antique
/ænˈtik/
Old and often valuable, usually more than a hundred years old.
Example: The antique clock had been in the family for generations.
restore
/rɪˈstɔr/
To repair something old so that it looks like it did originally.
Example: They spent months trying to restore the old chest of drawers.
lacquer
/ˈlækər/
A hard, shiny coating put on wood or metal to protect it.
Example: The table was covered in a glossy black lacquer.
joinery
/ˈdʒɔɪnəri/
The craft of making wooden furniture and fittings by joining pieces of wood together.
Example: The cabinet shows beautiful, precise joinery.
craftsmanship
/ˈkræftsmənˌʃɪp/
Skill shown in making something well by hand.
Example: You can see the craftsmanship in every joint of this table.
patina
/pəˈtinə/
A surface that has changed colour or texture over time, especially on wood or metal.
Example: The old desk had a warm patina from decades of use.
handcrafted
/ˈhændˌkræftɪd/
Made carefully using traditional skills rather than by machine.
Example: Each chair is handcrafted by a local carpenter.
flimsy
/ˈflɪmzi/
Thin and badly made, and likely to break very easily.
Example: That flimsy plastic hanger snapped as soon as I used it.
trinket
/ˈtrɪŋkət/
A small, cheap decorative item or piece of jewellery.
Example: The drawer was full of old trinkets and keys.