conurbation
A very large urban area formed when several towns grow outwards until they join together.
Example: The whole conurbation now holds nearly four million people.
C215 words · Proficient
Around Town vocabulary — C2
City vocabulary at its most formal, including a conurbation, a metropolis and an enclave, plus a promenade, a precinct and a tenement.
15 questions
Words in this set
15sprawl
/sprɔl/The untidy spread of buildings outwards from a city across the open land around it.
Example:
Endless sprawl now covers the fields we cycled through.
enclave
/ˈɑnˌkleɪv/A small area inside a larger place where the people or culture are clearly different from everything around them.
Example:
The city has a lively Portuguese enclave near the docks.
metropolis
/məˈtrɑpələs/An extremely large and important city.
Example:
Shanghai has grown into a bustling metropolis.
urban decay
The process of a city area becoming worse, poorer or more run-down over time.
Example:
Empty shops on the high street were a sign of urban decay.
teeming
/ˈtimɪŋ/Completely full of people or things, all moving around.
Example:
The teeming streets of the capital never seem to sleep.
thoroughfare
/ˈθɜroʊˌfɛr/A busy main street running right through a town from one end to the other.
Example:
They're closing the thoroughfare for Sunday's parade.
promenade
/ˌprɑməˈneɪd/A wide paved path beside the sea where people stroll slowly for pleasure.
Example:
We walk along the promenade every evening after dinner.
precinct
/ˈpriˌsɪŋkt/An area of a town closed to traffic where people walk freely between the shops.
Example:
The council turned the whole high street into a shopping precinct.
tenement
/ˈtɛnəmənt/A large old city building split into many small, cheap flats, usually in a poor district.
Example:
They grew up in a crowded Glasgow tenement near the shipyards.
edifice
/ˈɛdəfəs/A large, impressive building.
Example:
The town hall is an imposing stone edifice.
warren
/ˈwɔrən/A confusing network of narrow streets or passages.
Example:
We got lost in the warren of alleys behind the market.
spire
/spaɪr/The tall pointed structure rising from the top of a church tower.
Example:
You can see the church spire from every street here.
citadel
/ˈsɪtəˌdɛl/A fortress built to protect or control a city.
Example:
The old citadel still overlooks the harbour.
basilica
/bəˈsɪlɪkə/A large and important church, especially one with a special status.
Example:
Pilgrims travelled far to visit the basilica.
