Word list for me (i)

idiom (n): An expression whose meaning is different from the literal meaning of the words; a language or dialect used by a group of people.
It's sometimes hard for non-English speakers to grasp all the idioms used in English. We have special trouble with expressions like "letting the cat out of the bag." To let the cat out of the bag is to give away a secret, not to let a cat out of a bag. The expression is an idiom, not a literal statement of fact. Other languages have idioms, too. In French, "my little cabbage" is a term of endearment.

impose (v): to establish on others by force or authority

impoverish (v): To reduce to poverty; to make destitute
Impoverishment is poverty or the act of reducing to poverty. The Great Depression led to the impoverishment of many formerly well-off families in America.