contraction; narrowing; stricture; stenosis
annotation; explanatory note; comment
dramatic decrease; sharp drop; sudden fall
friction; rubbing; chafing; discord; friction
physical (in science, medicine, etc.)
auscultation; listening to a person's chest with a stethoscope
minute; meager; meagre; mean
beat; palpitation; pulsation; throbbing
university professor; college professor
speaker; lecturer; lecturer (at a university or college); instructor; part-time teacher; tutor (at a cram school)
salt; common salt; hardship; toil; saltiness; cold
restoration to life; coming to life again; reformation; rehabilitation; recycling; reclamation; playback
to overcome (opposition); to push past; to force one's way; to press and cut
doubtful; questionable; uncertain; disputable; suspicious
red; red color; communist; socialist; left-wing
courage; bravery; valour; valor; nerve; boldness
not sleeping a wink; wide awake all night; without moving
to be tired of waiting; to wait impatiently
everything; anything; nothing
heavy rain; torrential rainfall; downpour
just to make sure; just to be sure; for confirmation; just in case; for caution's sake; by way of precaution
thicket; bush; coppice; brushwood
varied tit (species of titmouse, Poecile varius)
young bird; chick; fledgling; hina doll; doll displayed during the Girls' Festival
when looked at in that way
to grow angry; to display one's anger
way of listening; listener
retaliation; revenge; reprisal; retorsion; retortion
to loiter; to putter; to prowl; to wander about; to roam about; to knock around
to have a go; to try and do (something); to take a chance with something
whether or not; presence or absence
what is to be done?; what should (I) do?; what (am I) to do?
to stagnate; to settle (at the bottom); to deposit; to become sluggish; to become dull; to be delayed