preface; introduction; preamble
thirst for knowledge; intellectual thirst
to grant (request, wish); to answer (prayer); to make come true (e.g. a dream); to realize; to fulfill
near oneself; close to one; familiar
to praise; to commend; to compliment; to speak well of; to speak highly of
research material; experimental material
to beat down prices; to strike a hard bargain
first-person plural (or singular); second or third person plural (implies speaker is of higher status than those referred to)
surgery (branch of medicine); department of surgery
to copy (down); to transcribe
postoperative; after surgery
administration (of medicine); giving medication
to lose one's mind; to go crazy; to lose one's senses; to lose consciousness
sample; example; specimen; display model (e.g. plastic food models used by restaurants)
to increase; to add to; to augment
to intervene; to stop (something)
prohibition; inhibition; ban
personal use; private use; private business; personal business
charm; incantation; spell; magic formula
year; age; years; past one's prime; old age
enactment; establishment; creation
generally; on the whole; general; rough; outline; main points
familiarity; intimacy; acquaintance
easy; trifling; harmless; nothing of the sort; not at all
link (e.g. in a chain of events); part (of a plan, campaign, activities, etc.); monocyclic
by chance; by accident; accidentally; occasionally; once in a while; now and then
purpose; utility; objective; way to use something
discovery; detection; finding
to obtain; to get; to procure; to win; to secure
one part; one portion; one section; one copy (of a book); (one) complete set (of books)
tacit approval; tacit permission; connivance; acquiescence; toleration; overlooking
masterpiece; masterwork; chef d'oeuvre; (unintentionally) hilarious; absurd (e.g. blunder); outrageous
justice; right; righteousness; correct meaning; correct explanation
stifled (laughter); simmering
to laugh; to smile; to sneer; to ridicule; to be dumbfounded; to be flabbergasted
pure; genuine; trueborn; natural-born
eccentric; crank; weirdo; oddball
way of speaking; intimation
years of (someone's) birth and death
great war; great battle; world war
although I say; although one might say; although called
postwar period; period after Second World War