holding (a conference, exhibition, etc.); opening; hosting (e.g. the Olympics)
advance guard; vanguard; avant-garde; forward (player)
rearguard; rear guard; back (player)
pair; set of two; pair-oared boat; pair; two of a kind
to compete with; to vie for
champion; (first-prize) winner; victor; titleholder
vast; huge; immense; malva nut (Scaphium affine)
riches; wealth; resources; lottery
(political) power; authority; influence
special selection; finest pick; top pick
to meet; to assemble; to congregate
one class (of students); one group (of people); one set (of items); one pair
participation (in a tournament, match, race, etc.); entry; appearance (on the stage, television, etc.); exiting (a venue, train station, etc.); exit; being dispatched (of an ambulance, fire engine, etc.)
a short while ago; a moment ago; just now; some time ago
in short; in a nutshell; in a word; to cut a long story short
how about ...?; what about ...?; I wonder; I don't know
to look at each other; to exchange looks; to correspond (to); to be proportionate (to); to be in keeping with
so much; so often; oh, yes!; that's it; that's right; quite
one-eyed; first (in a series); initial
middle-distance (races); intermediate-range (missile)
battle formation; military formation
disturbance; confusion; perturbation; commotion; turbulence
opponent; rival; adversary; menace; danger; threat
friend; ally; supporter; taking sides (with); supporting; standing by
even a little; any at all; if only a little; no matter how little
to earn (income); to make (money); to score (points, victory); to gain (time); to work hard (at one's job); to labor
for a long time; since long ago; always; already; far in advance (e.g. reservation)
believer; devotee; follower; adherent; convert; disciple
bashing; fierce criticism; bussing; busing; removing dirty dishes from tables in a restaurant
to have a chill run down one's spine
to interfere (with); to hinder; to be hindered (from doing); to become impeded; to have difficulty; to suffer inconvenience
flow (of a fluid or gas); stream; flow (of people, things); passage (of time); course (of events); (step-by-step) procedure; group of people who remain together after the end of an event
to read; to recite (e.g. a sutra); to chant; to predict; to guess; to pronounce; to read (e.g. a kanji)
to emphasize; to attach importance to
small; fine; minute; minor; trivial; sensitive
to find (after searching everywhere); to locate; to discover
to break; to destroy; to wreck; to ruin; to break (a bill, etc.)
to gnaw; to nibble; to bite; to dabble in; to know a little bit about; to learn a little of
armchair theory; impracticable plan; unworkable idea
consists of; comprises; is made up of
stone (of a fruit); pit; core (of an organization, team, etc.); nucleus; nuclear weapons; nucleus (of an atom); nucleus (of a cell)