The Hindu Editorial (A robust friendship) – Dec 08, 2021

Russian President Vladimir Putin has concluded a short summit meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, highlighting the “all-weather” partnership… For further reading, visit “The Hindu”. Below is today’s word list-1 for The Hindu Editorial (A robust friendship) – Dec 08, 2021.

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The Hindu Editorial (A robust friendship) – Dec 08, 2021:

robust (adjective) – strong, powerful.
summit (noun) – meeting, talk (between heads of government).
navigate (verb) – to find the right way to handle a difficult/complex situation.
geopolitical (adjective) – relating to (the study of) the geographical factors (a country’s position on the earth, size, climate, and natural resources &, etc.) in world politics and inter-state relations.
landscape (noun) – a particular field of activity.
deepen (verb) – grow, increase, strengthen.
ties (noun) – association, relationship, bond, connection.
highlight (verb) – underline, underscore, emphasize.
all-weather (adjective) – suitable for all conditions/circumstances.
circumstances (noun) – situation, condition, state of affairs.
grim (adjective) – distressing, upsetting, worrying, unpleasant, dismal/awful.
prospect (noun) – view, outlook, picture, perspective.
Omicron variant (noun) – On 26 November 2021, WHO designated the (new coronavirus) variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE). The first known confirmed Omicron infection was from a specimen collected on November 9. In recent weeks, infections in South Africa have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection.
variant (noun) – different or form or version or mutant of something (virus).
pandemic (noun) – the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area.
growing (adjective) – increasing.
proximity (noun) – nearness, presence, closeness (in relationship).
potential (adjective) – possible, likely, probable.
irritant (noun) – annoyance, irritation, bother.
bilateral (adjective) – involving two groups or countries.
tango (noun) – (figuratively) two people involved in a bad/tough situation are equally responsible for it; (literally) Tango is a dance which requires two partners moving in relation to each other, sometimes in tandem (alongside each other), sometimes in opposition.
rely on (phrasal verb) – depend on; resort to, have recourse to.
cordial (adjective) – friendly, warm, affable, amiable, pleasant, affectionate, warm-hearted, good-natured.
stabilise (verb) – reinforce, fortify, strengthen, secure, make stronger.
interest (noun) – concern, matter; benefit/advantage.
scarcely (adverb) – only just, hardly, barely.
see eye to eye (phrase) – agree, concur, be in agreement, be of the same mind, be of the same opinion.
tension (noun) – strained relations; strain, stress, pressure, unease.
rivalry (noun) – competition, opposition, conflict, discord, friction, enmity.
notwithstanding (conjunction) – although, in spite of the fact that, despite the fact that, even though.
strategic (adjective) – relating to achieving long-term or overall (military) goals.
dissonance (noun) – incongruity, disagreement, disparity, discrepancy, contradiction.
reaffirm (verb) – assert, state, assure again strongly.
abiding (adjective) – enduring, lasting, persisting, constant, steadfast.
deep (adjective) – impassioned, wholehearted, deep-seated, deep-rooted, thoroughgoing, serious, sincere, honest.
decade (noun) – a period of ten years.
substantive (adjective) – important, significant, considerable.
fillip (noun) – stimulus, boost, incentive.
kalashnikov (noun) – also called AK-47; a type of assault rifle that is made in Russia.
assault rifle (noun) – assault weapon; It is originally built for military special operations as a fully automatic/semiautomatic weapon/firearm. (semi-automatic gun/rifle is a firearm (like AR-15, AK-47) which fires one round for each trigger pull, whereas “automatic rifle” is a firearm (such as MG-34, M16) which fires more than one cartridge with a single pull of the trigger. These firearms are often referred to as “assault weapons or rifles, based on their rapid-fire capability).
for_one’s_part (phrase) – as far as one is concerned.
resistance (noun) – opposition, aversion, strong dislike, defiance.
Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) (noun) – CAATSA is a specifically enacted legislation that aims to prevent revenue from flowing to Russia. This legislation provides for economic and travel sanctions against countries and officials that transacted significant military and intelligence contracts with Russia, North Korea and Iran.
S-400 Triumf missile defence system (noun) – Developed by Russia, the S-400 (Triumph/Triumf) air defence system integrates a multifunction radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and command and control centre. It is capable of firing three types of missiles to create a layered defence. The S-400 is capable of destroying incoming hostile aircraft, missiles and even drones within a range of up to 400 km. It has a tracking capability of nearly 600 km.
in terms of (phrase) – with regard to, regarding/concerning, in connection with.
momentum (noun) – driving power, strength, impetus.
exchange (noun) – conversation, dialogue, talk, discussion, meeting.
multidimensional (adjective) – involving several dimensions (aspects/features).
imminently (adverb) – very soon.
periodically (adverb) – at regular intervals.
cripple (verb) – ruin, damage, destroy.
public health (noun) – the branch of medicine handling public health; public health is also the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities through education, policy making and research for disease and injury prevention.
considerable (adjective) – substantial, appreciable, significant.
vaccination (noun) – treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization.
fray (noun) – conflict, fight, clash, skirmish, tussle.
intention (noun) – aim, purpose, objective.
reportedly (adverb) – supposedly, seemingly, apparently, professedly, ostensibly, purportedly.
jarring (adjective) – clashing; colliding; conflicting; causing a shock/damage.
sanctions (noun) – action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc (Courtesy: VOA Learning English).
seek (verb) – try, aim, attempt.
occupy (verb) – capture, seize, take possession of, conquer, invade, overrun, take over, take control of.
mass (verb) – accumulate, assemble, amass, gather, gather together.
so far (phrase) – until now, up to the present, up to this point.
hold firm (phrase) – continue to support something despite opposition.
strategic autonomy (noun) – the ability of a state (country) to pursue its national interests and adopt its preferred foreign policy without being constrained in any manner by other states (countries). In its pure form, strategic autonomy presupposes the state (country) in question possessing overwhelmingly superior power. This is what would enable that state (country) to resist the pressures that may be exerted by other states (countries) to compel it to change its policy or moderate its interests.
multipolar (adjective) – having many extremities.
South & North Block (noun) – South Block is a metonym of the Prime Minister’s Office. North Block is a metonym of the Ministry of Finance, India. (The Secretariat Building (consists North & South Block) or Central Secretariat is where the Cabinet Secretariat is housed, which administers the Government of India. The South Block houses the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of External Affairs). The North Block primarily houses the Ministry of Finance and the Home Ministry). (Metonym is used as an alternative for something else with which it is closely related/associated).
walk/balance on a tightrope (phrase) – to deal with a difficult situation in which a very small error could have very bad outcomes.
forge (verb) – form, create, establish, set up.
truce (noun) – temporary cessation/suspension (of hostilities); ceasefire, armistice.
in the aftermath of (phrase) – in the wake of, s a consequence of, as a result of.
aftermath (noun) – consequences, after-effects, repercussions; end result, outcome.
valley (noun) – a low area between hills or mountains typically with a river running through it.
flashpoint (noun) – a situation where sudden problems could happen. (In international relations, a flashpoint is an area or dispute that has a strong possibility of developing into a war).
spiral (noun) – rise or fall of something; upward spiral – growth, rise, enlargement, expansion (or) downward spiral- deterioration, decline, degradation.
provocative (adjective) – annoying, irritating, agitational, provoking, inflammatory.
veiled (adjective) – covert, hidden, concealed, disguised, camouflaged; ill-defined, indistinct, vague, obscure, unclear.
insecurity (noun) – timidity, lack of confidence, lack of self-confidence, self-doubt, unassertiveness.
Quad/Quadrilateral (noun) – The ‘Quadrilateral’ is described as four democracies (the United States, Japan, Australia and India) with a shared objective to ensure and support a “free, open and prosperous” Indo-Pacific region.
The Indo-Pacific (region) (noun) – the Indo-Pacific region refers to the confluence (convergence) of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, which interconnect in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and more).
adroitly (adverb) – cleverly, skillfully, smartly.
neighbour (noun) – a country that is next to another country; (bordering) country.