droplet, aerosol, rubble, offspring, drop, be much of a muchness

How are aerosols different from droplets?

Aerosols are droplets, droplets are aerosols — they do not differ except in size.

From the start of the pandemic, the World Health Organization and other public health agencies have focused on the virus’s ability to spread through large droplets that are expelled when a symptomatic person coughs or sneezes.

These droplets are heavy, relatively speaking, and fall quickly to the floor or onto a surface that others may touch. This is why public health officials have recommended maintaining a distance of at least six feet from others, and frequent hand washing.

Should I begin wearing a hospital-grade mask indoors? And how long is too long to stay indoors?

Health care workers may all need to wear N95 masks, which filter out most aerosols. For the rest of us, cloth face masks will still greatly reduce risk, as long as most people wear them.

As for how long is safe, a lot depends on whether the room is too crowded to allow for a safe distance from others and whether there is fresh air circulating through the room.

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea defied the United States, China and a series of United Nations resolutions by launching a rocket on Sunday that the country said was designed to propel a satellite into space, but that much of the world viewed as an effort to prove it is edging toward the capability to shoot a nuclear warhead on a longer-range missile.



Difficulties in communication between the culture ministry and art officials in the cities affected by the earthquake were also making it hard to gauge the extent of the damage. “It’s a tragic situation, because we’re only getting news a drop at a time,” said Maria Teresa Spinozzi, an art official in Pescara, an Abruzzo city not affected by the quake. “But right now, the priority is saving people under the rubble.”



The BBC's Dan Griffiths, in Juyuan, said more than 1,000 people were thought to be trapped in a collapsed school building.

He says China's one child policy means that, for most of the relatives desperately waiting outside, their only offspring is under the rubble.



drop (SMALL AMOUNT)

noun

1 [C] a small round shaped amount of liquid:

I thought I felt a drop of rain.

There were little drops of paint on the kitchen floor.


2 [S] a small amount of liquid you can drink:

I'll have a drop more juice, please.

"Would you like some more?" "Just a drop, please."


3 [C] MAINLY UK a small piece of sweet food made of sugar:

fruit/pear drops

chocolate drops


droplet

noun [C]

a small drop of liquid



dropper

noun [C]

a small tube with a rubber container at one end which is filled with air and allows liquid to be given out in separate drops



drops

plural noun

liquid medicine given in very small amounts:

eye/nose/ear drops


offspring 
noun [C] plural offspring
1 the young of an animal:
In the case of the guinea pig, the number of offspring varies between two and five.

2 HUMOROUS OR FORMAL a person's children:
Tom's sister came round on Saturday with her numerous offspring.


rubble 

noun [U]

1 the piles of broken stone and bricks, etc. that are left when a building falls down or is destroyed:

The bomb reduced the house to rubble.



2 small pieces of stone or rock used for building

much (AMOUNT)
determiner, pronoun, adverb more, most
1 a large amount or to a large degree:
I don't earn much money.
You haven't said much, Joan - what do you think?
I don't think there's much to be gained by catching an earlier train.
The children never eat (very) much, but they seem quite healthy.
"Is there any wine left?" "Not much."
There's not/nothing much to do around here.
How much (= What amount of) sugar do you take in your coffee?
How much do these shoes cost?
I spend too much on clothes.
I don't have as much time as (= I have less time than) I would like for visiting my friends.
Because of the rain, we weren't able to spend much of the day on the beach.
Have you seen/heard much of Polly (= often seen or heard about her) recently?
I'd very much like to visit them sometime.
One day I hope I'll be able to do as much (= the same amount) for you as you've done for me.
Things around here are much as always/usual/ever (= have not changed a lot).
The two schools are much the same (= very similar).
Much to our surprise, (= We were very surprised that) they accepted our offer.
I'm not much good at knitting (= do not do it very well).
This is a much (= often) discussed issue.
Brian's become a much (= greatly) changed person since his car accident.
I've been feeling much healthier (= a lot more healthy) since I became a vegetarian.
The repairs to our car cost much more than we were expecting.
I'm very much aware of the problem.
She's much the best person for the job (= She is certainly better than everyone else).
I would much rather have my baby at home than in hospital.
She is as much a friend to me as a mother (= although she is my mother, she is also a friend).
NOTE: much is used with uncountable nouns. Compare many and see Note many, much or a lot of? at many.

2 INFORMAL used at the end of a negative sentence to suggest the opposite of what you have just said:
I can see you don't like chocolate - much!

muchness 
noun UK INFORMAL
be much of a muchness to be very similar and usually of low quality:
The songs you hear on the radio these days all sound much of a muchness.