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EASIERENGLISH

BASICDICTIONARY

SECOND EDITION

Dictionary Titles in the Series

English Language:Easier English Basic Synonyms 0 7475 6979 7English Study Dictionary 1 9016 5963 1Easier English Student Dictionary 0 7475 6624 0English Thesaurus for Students 1 9016 5931 3

Specialist Dictionaries:Dictionary of Accounting 0 7475 6991 6Dictionary of Banking and Finance 0 7475 6685 2Dictionary of Business 0 7475 9680 0Dictionary of Economics 0 7475 6632 1Dictionary of Environment and Ecology 0 7475 7201 1Dictionary of Hotels, Tourism and Catering Management 1 9016 5999 2Dictionary of Human Resources and Personnel Management 0 7475 6623 2Dictionary of ICT 0 7475 6990 8Dictionary of Marketing 0 7475 6621 6Dictionary of Medical Terms 0 7475 6987 8Dictionary of Military Terms 1 9038 5620 5Dictionary of Nursing 0 7475 6634 8Dictionary of Science and Technology 0 7475 6620 8

Check your English Vocabulary Workbooks:Business 0 7475 6626 7Computing 1 9016 5928 3English for Academic Purposes 0 7475 6691 7PET 0 7475 6627 5FCE + 0 7475 6981 9IELTS 0 7475 6982 7TOEFL® 0 7475 6984 3

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EASIERENGLISH

BASICDICTIONARY

SECOND EDITION

General editorP.H. Collin

A BLOOMSBURY REFERENCE BOOK

www.bloomsbury.com

Second edition published 2004First published in Great Britain 2001

© Copyright P.H. Collin, F. Collin, S.M.H. Collin 2001This edition © Copyright Bloomsbury Publishing 2004

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc38 Soho Square

London W1D 3HB

All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced in any form or by any means without the

permission of the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 0 7475 6644 5

Text processing and computer typesetting by Bloomsbury PublishingPrinted and bound in Italy by Legoprint

All papers used by Bloomsbury Publishing are natural, recyclableproducts made from wood grown in well-managed forests.

The manufacturing processes conform to theenvironmental regulations of the country of origin.

eISBN-13: 978-1-4081-0202-2

http://www.bloomsbury.com

GENERAL EDITORP. H. Collin

Editorial ContributorsPenelope Hands, Howard Sargeant

Text Production and ProofreadingKaty McAdam, Joel Adams,Daisy Jackson, Sarah Lusznat

Preface

This dictionary contains the most frequently used words in English and provides thebasic vocabulary needed for everyday communication by anyone starting to learn thelanguage. It is especially useful for elementary and pre-intermediate students of allages and would be suitable for those working towards an elementary level Englishexamination such as KET or PET.Each word is individually defined, and no words, not even adverbs, are given with-out a definition. Examples are included for many words to provide patterns for theuser’s own production of English sentences.Each word, including compound words and phrasal verbs, has its own easy-to-findmain entry in bold type. Each word has a pronunciation in the InternationalPhonetic Alphabet. Common phrases and idioms associated with the main term areshown in bold type and separately defined within the entry.The meanings of the main common senses of each word are given clearly and sim-ply, using a limited and easily understood vocabulary. Meanings are groupedtogether by their part of speech.Extra help is offered in Notes at the end of some entries. These include warningsabout words which can confused with each other, unusual inflected forms andregularly collocating prepositions. The major differences in US and Britishspelling are noted.A useful companion to this dictionary is Easier English Basic Synonyms whichcompares and contrasts words with similar meanings, showing the similarities anddifferences in usage.

Symbols� before a new part of speech� before examples� before a phrase or collocation� before an idiom� a definition of the word will be found at the place indicated� extra information will be found at the place indicated

PronunciationThe following symbols have been used to show the pronunciation of the mainwords in the dictionary.Stress has been indicated by a main stress mark ( � ) and a secondary stressmark ( � ). Note that these are only guides, as the stress of the word changesaccording to its position in the sentence.

Vowels Consonants� back b buckɑ� harm d deadɒ stop ð othera type d� jumpaυ how f fareaə hire � goldaυə hour h headɔ� course j yellowɔ annoy k cabe head l leaveeə fair m mixe make n nileυ go ŋ sing�� word p printi� keep r resti happy s saveə about ʃ shop fit t takeə near tʃ changeu annual θ theftu� pool v valueυ book w workυə tour x loch' shut � measure

z zone

Aa

a1 /e/, A noun the first letter of the alpha-bet, followed by B � Do you mean ‘de-pendant’ spelt with an ‘a’ or ‘depend-ent’ with an ‘e’? � from A to Z com-pletely, all the way through

a

a2 /ə, e/, an /ən, �n/ article 1. one � anenormous hole � a useful guidebook �She’s bought a new car. � I want a cupof tea. � We had to wait an hour for thebus. (NOTE: an is used before wordsbeginning with a, e, i, o, u and with h ifthe h is not pronounced: an apple oran hour. a is used before words begin-ning with all other letters and also be-fore u where u is pronounced /ju/ : auseful guidebook) 2. for each or to each� Apples cost £1.50 a kilo. � The carwas travelling at 50 kilometres an hour.� He earns £100 a day.

abandon

abandon /ə��b�ndən/ verb 1. to leavesomeone or something in an unkind way� The dog had been abandoned by itsowner. 2. to give up or stop doing some-thing � The company has decided toabandon the project. � We abandonedthe idea of setting up a London office.

abbreviation

abbreviation /ə��brivi��eʃ(ə)n/ noun ashort form of a word

ability

ability /ə��blti/ noun 1. a natural tenden-cy to do something well � I admire hisability to stay calm in difficult situa-tions. � We can develop their naturalabilities. (NOTE: The plural is abilities.)� I’ll do it to the best of my ability I’lldo it as well as I can 2. the fact of beingclever � suitable for different levels ofability (NOTE: no plural)

able

able /�eb(ə)l/ adjective 1. � to be able todo something to be capable of some-thing or have the chance to do some-thing � They weren’t able to find thehouse. � Will you be able to come to themeeting? 2. good at doing something, orgood at doing many things � She’s a

very able manager. � There are specialactivities for able children.

about

about /ə��baυt/ preposition 1. referring tosomething � He told me all about hisoperation. � What do you want to speakto the doctor about? 2. � to be about todo something to be going to do some-thing very soon � We were about to gohome when you arrived. 3. not exactly �I’ve been waiting for about four hours.� She’s only about fifteen years old. �

how about? 1. what do you thinkabout? � We can’t find a new chairper-son for the club – What about Sarah? 2.would you like a cup of tea? � whileyou’re about it at the same time as thething you are doing � While you’reabout it, can you post this letter?

above

above /ə��b�v/ preposition 1. higher than� The plane was flying above theclouds. � The temperature in the streetwas above 30 degrees. � At pricesabove £20, nobody will buy it. 2. olderthan � If you are above 18, you have topay the full fare. 3. louder than � Icouldn’t hear the telephone above thenoise of the drills.

abroad

abroad /ə��brɔd/ adverb in or to anothercountry � They’ve gone abroad on holi-day. � I lived abroad for three years.

absence

absence /��bsəns/ noun the fact of be-ing away from a place � She did not ex-plain her absence from the meeting. �The former president was sentenced inhis absence. � in the absence of be-cause someone or something is not there� In the absence of the chairman, hisdeputy took over. � In the absence ofany official support, we had to raise ourown funds.

absent

absent /��bsənt/ adjective not there �Ten of the staff are absent with flu.

absolute

absolute /��bsəlut/ adjective com-plete or total

Basic.fm Page 1 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM

absolutely 2 accompanyabsolutely

absolutely adverb 1. /��bsəlutli/ com-pletely � I am absolutely sure I left thekeys in my coat pocket. 2. /��bsə��lutli/yes, of course � Did you build it your-self? – Absolutely!

absorb

absorb /əb��zɔb/ verb 1. to take insomething such as a liquid � The watershould be absorbed by the paper. � Saltabsorbs moisture from the air. 2. to re-duce a shock � The car’s springs aresupposed to absorb any shock from theroad surface.

absurd

absurd /əb��s�d/ adjective completelyunreasonable or impossible to believe �It’s absurd to expect you will win the lot-tery if you only buy one ticket.

abuse

abuse1 /ə��bjus/ noun 1. rude words �The people being arrested shoutedabuse at the police. 2. very bad treat-ment � the sexual abuse of children �She suffered physical abuse in prison.(NOTE: [all senses] no plural)

abuse

abuse2 /ə��bjuz/ verb 1. to treat some-one very badly, usually physically orsexually � She had been abused as achild. 2. to make the wrong use of some-thing � He abused his position as fi-nance director. 3. to say rude thingsabout someone � The crowd noisilyabused the group of politicians as theyentered the building.

academic

academic /��kə��demk/ adjective 1. re-lating to study at a university � Mem-bers of the academic staff received a let-ter from the principal. 2. only in theory,not in practice � It is only of academicinterest. � noun a university teacher �All her friends are academics.

accelerate

accelerate /ək��seləret/ verb to go fast-er � Don’t accelerate when you get totraffic lights.

accent

accent /��ksənt/ noun 1. a particularway of pronouncing something � Hespeaks with an American accent. 2. thestronger or louder part of a word or sen-tence � In the word ‘letter’ the accent ison the first syllable. 3. a mark over a let-ter showing a particular way of pro-nouncing it � Café has an accent on the‘e’.

accept

accept /ək��sept/ verb 1. to take and keepa present � We hope you will accept this

little gift. 2. to say ‘yes’ or to agree tosomething � She accepted the offer of ajob in Australia. � I invited her to comewith us and she accepted. (NOTE: Do notconfuse with except.)

acceptableacceptable /ək��septəb(ə)l/ adjectivegood enough to be accepted, althoughnot particularly good � Fighting in thestreet is not acceptable behaviour. �Smoking is becoming less socially ac-ceptable. � A small gift of flowers wouldbe very acceptable. � The offer is notacceptable to the vendor.

accessaccess /��kses/ noun a way of reachinga place � The concert hall has accessfor wheelchairs. � At present there is noaccess to the site. � to have access tosomething to be able to reach a place,meet a person, or obtain something �I’ll have access to the studio day andnight. � The company has access tosubstantial funds. � verb to get infor-mation from a computer � She tried toaccess the address list.

accidentaccident /��ksd(ə)nt/ noun 1. an un-pleasant thing which happens and caus-es damage or injury � He lost his leg inan accident at work. � She was involvedin a car accident and had to go to hos-pital. 2. something that happens unex-pectedly � Their third baby was an ac-cident. � by accident without beingplanned or expected � He found themissing papers by accident.

accidentalaccidental /��ks��dent(ə)l/ adjectivehappening without being planned or ex-pected � an accidental meeting � acci-dental damage � His death was not ac-cidental.

accidentallyaccidentally /��ks��dent(ə)li/ adverbwithout being planned or expected

accommodationaccommodation /ə��kɒmə��deʃ(ə)n/noun a place to live or somewhere tostay for a short time � Are you still look-ing for accommodation? � Visitors havedifficulty in finding hotel accommoda-tion during the summer. (NOTE: In Brit-ish English, accommodation has noplural.)

accompanyaccompany /ə��k�mp(ə)ni/ verb 1. togo with someone or something � Sheaccompanied me to the door. 2. to playa musical instrument while someone


accomplish 3 action

else plays another instrument or sings �She sang and was accompanied on thepiano by her father. (NOTE: accompa-nied by someone or something)

accomplish

accomplish /ə��k�mplʃ/ verb to dosomething successfully � You won’t ac-complish anything by arguing.

according to

according to /ə��kɔdŋ tu/ preposi-tion 1. as someone says or writes � Thewashing machine was installed accord-ing to the manufacturer’s instructions.� According to the police, the car wasgoing too fast. 2. in agreement withrules or a system � Everything went ac-cording to plan or schedule. 3. in rela-tion to � The teachers have separatedthe children into classes according totheir ages.

account

account /ə��kaυnt/ noun 1. same asbank account 2. � I was worried onher account I was afraid somethingmight happen to her � on account ofbecause of, due to � The trains are lateon account of the fog. � We don’t use thecar much on account of the price of pet-rol. � take something into accountto consider something � We have to takethe weather into account. � on no ac-count not at all

accurate

accurate /��kjυrət/ adjective correct inall details � Are the figures accurate? �We asked them to make an accuratecopy of the plan.

accurately

accurately /��kjυrətli/ adverb correct-ly � The weather forecast accuratelypredicted the storm.

accuse

accuse /ə��kjuz/ verb to say that some-one has done something wrong � Thepolice accused her of stealing the mon-ey. (NOTE: You accuse someone of acrime or of doing something.)

achieve

achieve /ə��tʃiv/ verb to succeed in do-ing something after trying very hard �Have you achieved all your aims? � Thecompany has achieved great success inthe USA.

achievement

achievement /ə��tʃivmənt/ nounsomething which has been done suc-cessfully � She is very modest about herachievements. � Coming sixth was agreat achievement, since he had neverentered the competition before.

acid

acid /��sd/ noun a chemical substancethat is able to dissolve metals

acknowledge

acknowledge /ək��nɒld"/ verb 1. tosay that something has been received �She didn’t acknowledge receiving myletter. 2. to accept that something is true� She acknowledged that she had seenme there.

acknowledgement

acknowledgement /ək��nɒld"mənt/noun a letter or note sent to say thatsomething has been received

acorn

acorn /�ekɔn/ noun the fruit of an oaktree

acquaintance

acquaintance /ə��kwentəns/ noun aperson you know slightly � She hasmany acquaintances in the travel indus-try but no real friends.

acquire

acquire /ə��kwaə/ verb to become theowner of something � She has acquireda large collection of old books.

across

across /ə��krɒs/ preposition 1. from oneside to the other � Don’t run across theroad without looking to see if there isany traffic coming. 2. on the other sideof � He saw her across the street. � ad-verb from one side to the other � Theriver is only twenty feet across. � Thestream is very narrow – you can easilyjump across.

act

act /�kt/ noun 1. something which isdone � He thanked her for the manyacts of kindness she had shown him overthe years. 2. a part of a play or show �Act 2 of the play takes place in the gar-den. 3. a short performance � The showincludes acts by several young singers.4. a law passed by Parliament � an actto ban the sale of weapons � verb 1. todo something � You will have to actquickly if you want to stop the fire. � Sheacted in a very responsible way. � to actas someone or something to do thework of someone or something � Thethick curtain acts as a screen to cut outnoise from the street. 2. to behave in aparticular way � She’s been acting verystrangely. � to get your act togetherto organise yourself properly � If theydon’t get their act together, they’ll misstheir train.

action

action /��kʃən/ noun 1. the fact of doingsomething � We recommend swift ac-


active 4 address

tion to prevent the problem spreading. �What action are you going to take toprevent accidents? � out of action notworking � The car has been out of ac-tion for a week. 2. something that isdone � They’ve shown their commit-ment by their actions. 3. a movement �Avoid sudden actions that could alarmthe animals. 4. the things that happen ina performance such as a play or film �The action of the play takes place in aflat in London. 5. a case in a law courtwhere someone tries to get money fromsomeone else � to bring an action fordamages against someone

active

active /��ktv/ adjective 1. involved inan activity or activities, especially in anenergetic way � He didn’t play an ac-tive part in the attack on the police sta-tion. � My grandmother is still very ac-tive at the age of 88. 2. (of a volcano)exploding or likely to explode � Scien-tists think the volcano is no longer ac-tive. 3. the form of a verb which showsthat the subject is doing something(NOTE: If you say ‘the car hit him’ theverb is active, but in ‘he was hit by thecar’ it is passive.)

activity

activity /�k��tvti/ noun 1. the act orfact of being active 2. something thatsomeone does to pass time pleasantly �Children are offered various holiday ac-tivities – sailing, windsurfing and wa-ter-skiing. (NOTE: The plural in thissense is activities.)

actor

actor /��ktə/ noun a person who acts inthe theatre, in films or on TV

actress

actress /��ktrəs/ noun a woman whoacts in the theatre, in films or on TV(NOTE: Many women prefer to callthemselves actors rather than actress-es.)

actual

actual /��ktʃuəl/ adjective real � Itlooks quite small but the actual height is5 metres. � Her actual words were muchstronger.

actually

actually /��ktʃuəli/ adverb really � Itlooks quite small, but actually it is over5 metres high. � He said he was ill, butactually he wanted to go to the footballmatch.

adad /�d/ noun an advertisement (informal )� If you want to sell your car quickly,put an ad in the paper.

adaptadapt /ə��d�pt/ verb 1. to change some-thing to be suitable for a new situation �She adapted the story for TV. � The carhas been adapted for disabled drivers.2. to change your behaviour to fit into anew situation � We’ll all have to learnto adapt to the new system.

adaptable

adaptable /ə��d�ptəb(ə)l/ adjectiveable to change or be changed easily todeal with new situations or uses

addadd /�d/ verb 1. to make a total of num-bers � If you add all these numbers to-gether it should make fifty. (NOTE: Add-ing is usually shown by the sign + : 10+ 4 = 14.) 2. to join one thing to another� Interest is added to the accountmonthly. � Add two cupfuls of sugar. �Put a teabag into the pot and add boil-ing water. � By building the annexe,they have added thirty rooms to the ho-tel. 3. to say or to write something more� I have nothing to add to what I put inmy letter. � She added that we still owedher some money for work she did lastmonth.add up phrasal verb to make a total �the figures do not add up the total isnot correct

additionaddition /ə��dʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. someone orsomething added to something else �the latest addition to the family � Heshowed us the additions to his collectionof paintings. 2. the act of adding figuresto make a total � You don’t need a cal-culator to do a simple addition. � in ad-dition to as well as � There are twelveregistered letters to be sent in additionto this parcel. � in addition as well �

in addition to as well as � There aretwelve registered letters to be sent in ad-dition to this parcel.

additionaladditional /ə��dʃ(ə)nəl/ adjective in-cluded as well as what there is already

addressaddress /ə��dres/ noun 1. a set of detailsof the number of a house, the name of astreet and the town where someone livesor works � What is the doctor’s ad-dress? � Our address is: 1 CambridgeRoad, Teddington, Middlesex. 2. the setof letters, symbols and numbers that


address book 5 advantage

identify someone’s email account �verb 1. to write details such as some-one’s name, street and town on a letteror parcel � That letter is addressed tome – don’t open it! 2. to speak or writeto someone � Please address your ques-tions to the information office. � Teach-ers are not normally addressed as ‘Sir’here. 3. to make a formal speech to agroup � The chairman addressed themeeting.

address book

address book /ə��dres bυk/ noun anotebook or computer file in which youcan record people’s names, home ad-dresses, telephone numbers and emailaddresses

adequate

adequate /��dkwət/ adjective 1.enough for a purpose � We don’t haveadequate supplies for the whole journey.� His salary alone is barely adequate.2. only just satisfactory

adhesive

adhesive /əd��hisv/ adjective able tostick to things � noun a substancewhich sticks things together

adjacent

adjacent /ə��d"es(ə)nt/ adjective veryclose to or almost touching something �My office is in an adjacent building.

adjective

adjective /��d"ktv/ noun a wordwhich describes a noun � In the phrase‘a big black cloud’, ‘big’ and ‘black’are both adjectives.

adjust

adjust /ə��d"�st/ verb to make a slightchange to something � I need to adjustthis belt a bit. � to adjust to somethingto become used to something � How areyou adjusting to being a parent?

admiration

admiration /��dmə��reʃ(ə)n/ noun re-spect for someone or something

admire

admire /əd��maə/ verb to considersomeone or something with approval �He was admired for his skill as a violin-ist. � We admired the view from the bal-cony.

admission

admission /əd��mʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the actor fact of being allowed to go in to aplace � Admission to the exhibition isfree on Sundays. � My friend was re-fused admission to the restaurant be-cause he was not wearing a tie. � no ad-mission no one can enter 2. a statementsaying that something bad is true � Her

admission that she had taken the moneyled to her arrest.

admission fee

admission fee /əd��mʃ(ə)n fi/ nounan amount of money paid to go into aplace such as a museum

admit

admit /əd��mt/ verb to allow someone togo in to a place � Children are admittedfree, but adults have to pay. � This ticketadmits three people. (NOTE: admits –admitting – admitted) � to admit (to)doing something to say that you havedone something wrong � They admittedstealing the car.

adopt

adopt /ə��dɒpt/ verb 1. to take someonelegally as a son or daughter � They haveadopted a little boy. 2. to decide to startusing something � The book has beenadopted for use in all English classes. �We need to adopt a more flexible ap-proach.

adore

adore /ə��dɔ/ verb to like someone orsomething very much

adult

adult /��d�lt/ noun a fully-grown person� adjective 1. fully grown � an adult ti-ger 2. relating to a mature person orpeople � adult fiction

advance

advance /əd��vɑns/ verb to move for-ward � The police slowly advancedacross the square. � noun 1. a move-ment forwards � The police have madesome advances in their fight againstcrime. � The team made an advanceinto their opponents’ half. 2. moneypaid as a loan or as a part of a paymentto be made later � adjective done beforesomething happens � She made an ad-vance payment of £3000. � in advanceearlier than the time something happens� You must phone in advance to makean appointment. � They asked us to pay£200 in advance.

advanced

advanced /əd��vɑnst/ adjective whichis studied at a higher level � He’s stud-ying advanced mathematics. � She’sstudying for an advanced degree.

advantage

advantage /əd��vɑntd"/ noun some-thing which will help you to be success-ful � Being able to drive a car is an ad-vantage. � Knowledge of two foreignlanguages is an advantage in this job. �She has several advantages over theother job candidates. � to take advan-


adventure 6 afraid

tage of something to profit fromsomething � They took advantage of thecheap fares on offer. � to take advan-tage of someone to get something un-fairly from someone � to (good orbest) advantage in a way that helpssomeone or something appear especial-ly good � She used her knowledge ofItalian to good advantage.

adventure

adventure /əd��ventʃə/ noun a new, ex-citing and dangerous experience � Imust tell you about our adventures inthe desert.

adverb

adverb /��dv�b/ noun a word whichapplies to a verb, an adjective, anotheradverb or a whole sentence � In the sen-tence ‘He walked slowly, because thesnow was very thick.’ both ‘slowly’ and‘very’ are adverbs.

adverse

adverse /��dv�s/ adjective (of condi-tions) unpleasant and unwanted � anadverse reaction � adverse effects

advert

advert /��dv�t/ noun same as adver-tisement

advertise

advertise /��dvətaz/ verb to makesure that people know that something isfor sale, or that something is going tohappen � The company is advertisingfor secretaries. � Did you see that therestaurant is advertising cheap mealson Sundays? � I saw this watch adver-tised in the paper.

advertisement

advertisement /əd��v�tsmənt/ nounan announcement which tries to makesure that people know that something isfor sale, or that something is going tohappen

advertising

advertising /��dvətazŋ/ noun the actof making sure that people know thatsomething is for sale, or that somethingis going to happen � The company hasincreased the amount of money it spendson advertising. � They spent millions onthe advertising campaign.

advice

advice /əd��vas/ noun an opinion thatsomeone gives you about what youshould do � He went to the bank manag-er for advice on how to pay his debts. �They would not listen to the doctor’s ad-vice. � My grandfather gave me a veryuseful piece of advice. � His mother’sadvice was to stay in bed. (NOTE: no plu-

ral: use some advice or, for one item, apiece of advice)

advise

advise /əd��vaz/ verb 1. to suggest tosomeone what they should do � He ad-vised her to save some of the money. 2.to tell someone officially that somethinghas happened (formal) � They advisedus that the sale of the house had beencompleted.

adviser

adviser /əd��vazə/, advisor noun some-one who helps people to make decisionsabout what to do

aerial

aerial /�eəriəl/ noun a piece of equipmentfor receiving radio or TV signals

aeroplane

aeroplane /�eərəplen/ noun a vehiclewhich flies in the air, carrying passen-gers or goods

affair

affair /ə��feə/ noun 1. something which isrelevant to one person or group of peo-ple only � That’s his affair – it’s nothingto do with me. � It’s an affair for the po-lice. � His business affairs were verycomplicated. 2. a sexual relationshipwith someone who is not your husbandor wife � He’s having an affair with hisboss’s wife. 3. an event � The party isjust a family affair. 4. an event or situa-tion that shocks people � The wholesorry affair was on the front page of thenewspapers for days. � plural noun af-fairs situations or activities relating topublic or private life

affect

affect /ə��fekt/ verb to have an influenceon someone or something � The newregulations have affected our business.� Train services have been seriously af-fected by the strike.

affection

affection /ə��fekʃən/ noun a feeling ofliking someone, especially a friend �She always spoke of him with great af-fection.

afford

afford /ə��fɔd/ verb to have enough mon-ey to pay for something � How will youafford such an expensive holiday? � beunable to afford, can’t afford to be un-able to accept something because itmight cause you a problem � I can’t af-ford a delay of more than three weeks.

afraid

afraid /ə��fred/ adjective 1. frightened ofsomething or someone � I am afraid ofsnakes. � He is too afraid to climb theladder. 2. � to be afraid (that) to be


after 7 agreement

sorry to say � I’m afraid that all thecakes have been sold. � You can’t seethe boss – I’m afraid he’s ill. � Haveyou got a pocket calculator? – No, I’mafraid not.

after

after /�ɑftə/ preposition 1. following ornext in order to � If today is Tuesday,the day after tomorrow is Thursday. �They spoke one after the other. � What’sthe letter after Q in the alphabet? � af-ter you you go first 2. later than � Wearrived after six o’clock. � We don’t letthe children go out alone after dark. �conjunction later than a time � After thesnow fell, the motorways were blocked.� Phone me after you get home. (NOTE:after is used with many phrasal verbs:to look after, to take after, etc.) � af-ter all 1. in spite of everything � Every-thing was all right after all. 2. the fact is� He should be OK; after all, he iseighteen now.

afternoon

afternoon /�ɑftə��nun/ noun the timebetween midday and the evening � Healways has a little sleep in the after-noon. � There is an afternoon flight toParis. � Can we meet tomorrow after-noon?

afterwards

afterwards /�ɑftəwədz/ adverb later �We’ll have lunch first and go shoppingafterwards.

again

again /ə��'en/ adverb 1. another time �He had to take his driving test again. �again and again several times, usuallyin a firm or determined way � The po-lice officer asked the same questionagain and again. 2. back as you werebefore � Although I like going on holi-day, I’m always glad to be home again.

against

against /ə��'enst/ preposition 1. so as totouch � He was leaning against thewall. � She hit her head against the lowdoorway. 2. in opposition to � Englandis playing against South Africa tomor-row. � It’s hard cycling uphill againstthe wind. � They went against his ad-vice.

age

age /ed"/ noun the number of yearswhich you have lived � She is thirtyyears of age. � He looks younger thanhis age. � plural noun ages a very longtime (informal) � I’ve been waiting herefor ages. � It took us ages to get served.

aged

aged1 /ed"d/ adjective with the age of �a girl aged nine � She died last year,aged 83.

aged

aged2 /�ed"d/ adjective very old � anaged man

agency

agency /�ed"ənsi/ noun an office whichrepresents another firm � an advertisingagency

agenda

agenda /ə��d"endə/ noun a list of pointsfor discussion � what’s on the agenda?what are we going to discuss? � a set ofthings that someone plans to do � top ofyour agenda what someone wants most� A holiday is top of my agenda atpresent.

agent

agent /�ed"ənt/ noun a person whoworks for or represents someone else �Our head office is in London but wehave an agent in Paris.

aggression

aggression /ə��'reʃ(ə)n/ noun a feelingof anger against someone that is ex-pressed, especially in physical force �an act of aggression an attack on some-one

aggressive

aggressive /ə��'resv/ adjective readyto attack someone

aggressively

aggressively /ə��'resvli/ adverb as ifwanting to attack someone

ago

ago /ə��'əυ/ adverb in the past � Hephoned a few minutes ago. � This allhappened a long time ago. (NOTE: agoalways follows a word referring totime.)

agree

agree /ə��'ri/ verb 1. to say yes or givepermission � After some discussion heagreed to our plan. (NOTE: You agree toor on a plan.) 2. to say or show that youhave the same opinion as someone else� Most of the group agreed with hersuggestion.

agreement

agreement /ə��'rimənt/ noun 1. the actor fact of thinking the same � to reachan agreement or to come to an agree-ment on salaries � Agreement betweenthe two sides is still a long way off. �they are in agreement with our planthey agree with our plan � We discussedthe plan with them and they are inagreement. 2. a contract � to draw up orto draft an agreement � We signed anagreement with the Italian company.


ahead 8 aliveahead

ahead /ə��hed/ adverb 1. in front � Ourteam was losing, but now we are aheadagain. � Run on ahead and find someseats for us. � You need to go straightahead, and then turn left. 2. in future �My diary is filled with appointments forsix weeks ahead. 3. before � We try tofill the vacancies at least three weeksahead. � ahead of /ə��hed �ɒv/ 1. infront of � Ahead of us was a steep hill.� They ran on ahead of the others. 2. ina future time � You have a mass of workahead of you. 3. before (informal) �They drafted in extra police ahead of theinternational match.

aid

aid /ed/ noun 1. help, especially money,food or other gifts given to people livingin difficult conditions � aid to the earth-quake zone � an aid worker (NOTE: Thismeaning of aid has no plural.) � in aidof in order to help � We give money inaid of the Red Cross. � They are collect-ing money in aid of refugees. 2. some-thing which helps you to do something� kitchen aids � verb 1. to help some-thing to happen 2. to help someone

aim

aim /em/ noun what you are trying to do� His aim is to do well at school andthen go to university. � One of our aimsis to increase the speed of service. �verb 1. to plan to do something � Weaim to go on holiday in June. 2. to pointa gun at someone or something � Hewas aiming or aiming a gun at the po-liceman.

air

air /eə/ noun 1. a mixture of gases whichcannot be seen, but which is all aroundus and which every animal breathes �His breath was like steam in the cold air.2. the air the space around things andabove the ground � He threw the ball upinto the air. (NOTE: These meanings ofair have no plural.) � adjective refer-ring to a method of travelling or sendinggoods using aircraft � new air routes �by air in an aircraft � I don’t enjoy trav-elling by air. � It’s quicker to send theletter by air. � verb to make a room orclothes fresh by giving them more air �Let’s open the windows to air the room.

aircraft

aircraft /�eəkrɑft/ noun a vehicle whichflies in the air � The passengers got intoor boarded the aircraft. � The airline

has a fleet of ten aircraft. (NOTE: Theplural is aircraft: one aircraft, six air-craft.)

airfare

airfare /�eəfeə/ noun the amount of mon-ey a passenger has to pay to travel on anaircraft

air force

air force /�eə fɔs/ noun a country’s mil-itary air organisation

airline

airline /�eəlan/ noun a company whichtakes people or goods to places in air-craft � The airline has been voted themost popular with business travellers. �He’s an airline pilot.

airplane

airplane /�eəplen/ noun US an aircraftairport

airport /�eəpɔt/ noun a place where air-craft land and take off � You can takethe underground to the airport. � Weare due to arrive at Heathrow Airport atmidday.

alarm

alarm /ə��lɑm/ noun 1. a loud warningsound � An alarm will sound if someonetouches the wire. � to raise the alarmto warn everyone of danger 2. same asalarm clock � verb to frighten some-one � I don’t want to alarm you, butthere’s a police car parked outside yourhouse.

alarm clock

alarm clock /ə��lɑm klɒk/ noun a clockwhich rings a bell to wake you up

album

album /��lbəm/ noun 1. a large book 2.a collection of songs on a CD, cassetteor record

alcohol

alcohol /��lkəhɒl/ noun a substance indrinks such as beer or wine that canmake people drunk � They will notserve alcohol to anyone under the age of18.

alcoholic

alcoholic /��lkə��hɒlk/ adjective relat-ing to alcohol

alert

alert /ə��l�t/ adjective watching or listen-ing carefully, ready to notice something

alike

alike /ə��lak/ adjective very similar � ad-verb in a similar way � My sister and Ijust don’t think alike. � The change willaffect rich and poor alike.

alive

alive /ə��lav/ adjective 1. living � He wasstill alive when he was rescued from theburning building. � When my grandfa-ther was alive, there were no supermar-kets. (NOTE: not used in front of a noun:the fish is alive but a live fish.) 2. lively


all 9 alphabetical

� The holiday village really comes aliveat night. � to come alive to becomebusy and active

all

all /ɔl/ adjective, pronoun everything oreveryone � They all or All of them likecoffee. � All trains stop at ClaphamJunction. � Did you pick all (of) the to-matoes? � Where are all the children?� adverb 1. completely � The groundwas all white after the snow had fallen.� I forgot all about her birthday. 2. � allby yourself all alone � You can’t do itall by yourself. � I’m all by myself thisevening – my girlfriend’s gone out. � allalong right from the beginning � all atonce suddenly � all in 1. tired out 2.including everything � all of a suddensuddenly � all over 1. everywhere oversomething 2. finished � all right well �She was ill yesterday but she’s all rightnow. � all the same in spite of this �I’m not really keen on horror films, butI’ll go with you all the same.

allergic

allergic /ə��l�d"k/ adjective sufferingfrom or referring to an allergy � to beallergic to to react badly to a substance� Many people are allergic to grass pol-len. � She is allergic to cats.

allergy

allergy /��ləd"i/ noun a bad reaction toa substance which makes you sneeze, ormakes your skin itch, e.g. � She has anallergy to household dust. � The babyhas a wheat allergy.

allow

allow /ə��laυ/ verb to let someone dosomething � She allowed me to borrowher book. � Smoking is not allowed inthe restaurant. � You are allowed totake two pieces of hand luggage onto theplane.

allowance

allowance /ə��laυəns/ noun 1. anamount of money paid to someone reg-ularly � a weekly allowance 2. anamount of money which you are al-lowed to earn without paying tax on it 3.� to make allowances for to take some-thing into account � You must make al-lowances for his age.

ally

ally1 /��la/ noun 1. a country whichworks together with another, especiallyin a war (NOTE: The plural is allies.) 2.someone who is willing to support youin something you want to achieve �

Jack has been my closest ally in thecampaign.

allyally2 /ə��la/ verb � to ally yourself withor to someone to join forces with some-one � The unions have allied them-selves with the opposition. (NOTE: allies– allying – allied)

almostalmost /�ɔlməυst/ adverb nearly �London is almost as far from here asParis. � She’s almost as tall as I am. �She’ll eat almost anything. � Hurry up,it’s almost time for the train to leave.

alonealone /ə��ləυn/ adjective 1. with no oneelse � She lives alone with her cats. �He was all alone in the shop. 2. only �She alone knew the importance of themessage. � adverb without other people� We don’t let the children go out aloneafter dark. � I don’t like travellingalone. � leave alone 1. not to disturbsomeone � Leave your sister alone,she’s trying to read. 2. to stop touchingor playing with something � Leave thecat alone, it doesn’t like being stroked.� Leave those keys alone, the noise isannoying me. � to go it alone to dosomething, especially a business activi-ty, without help from anyone

alongalong /ə��lɒŋ/ preposition 1. by the sideof � He has planted fruit trees alongboth sides of the garden path. � The riv-er runs along one side of the castle. 2. ina straight forward direction � She ranalong the pavement. � Walk along thestreet until you come to the post office. �I was just driving along when I caughtsight of my brother. 3. to a place � Johncame along after about five minutes. �Is it ok if I bring a friend along?

aloudaloud /ə��laυd/ adverb in a voice whichcan be easily heard

alphabetalphabet /��lfəbet/ noun a series of let-ters in a specific order, e.g. A, B, C, etc� G comes before H in the alphabet. �If you’re going to Greece on holiday,you ought to learn the Greek alphabet.

alphabeticalalphabetical /��lfə��betk(ə)l/ adjec-tive relating to the alphabet � in alpha-betical order in order of the first letterof each word � The words in the dic-tionary are in alphabetical order. � Sortout the address cards into alphabeticalorder of the people’s names.


already 10 amountalready

already /ɔl��redi/ adverb before now orbefore the time mentioned � I’ve al-ready done my shopping. � It was al-ready past ten o’clock when he arrived.

also

also /�ɔlsəυ/ adverb in addition to some-thing or someone else that has beenmentioned � He’s a keen cyclist and hissister also likes to cycle when she can. �She sings well and can also play the vi-olin. (NOTE: also is usually placed be-fore the main verb or after a modal orauxiliary verb.)

alter

alter /�ɔltə/ verb to become different, ormake something different, especially insmall ways or in parts only � Theywanted to alter the terms of the contractafter they had signed it. � The shape ofhis face had altered slightly.

alteration

alteration /�ɔltə��reʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. theact of becoming different or of makingsomething different 2. something thathas been, or needs, changing � Shemade some alterations in the design.

alternate

alternate1 /ɔl��t�nət/ adjective everyother one � We see each other on alter-nate Sundays.

alternate

alternate2 /�ɔltənet/ verb to keepchanging from one particular position orstate to another

alternative

alternative /ɔl��t�nətv/ adjective 1. inplace of something else � If the plane isfull, we will put you on an alternativeflight. � Do you have an alternative so-lution? 2. following a different wayfrom usual � noun something whichyou do instead of something else � Nowthat she’s ill, do we have any alternativeto calling the holiday off?

although

although /ɔl��ðəυ/ conjunction in spiteof the fact that � Although it was freez-ing, she didn’t put a coat on. � I’ve nev-er been into that shop although I’ve of-ten walked past it.

altogether

altogether /�ɔltə��'eðə/ adverb takingeverything together � The food was £10and the drinks £5, so that makes £15 al-together. � The staff of the three shopscome to 200 altogether.

always

always /�ɔlwez/ adverb 1. every time� She is always late for work. � Whydoes it always rain when we want to gofor a walk? 2. all the time � It’s always

hot in tropical countries. 3. frequently,especially when someone finds it an-noying � She’s always asking me tolend her money.

amam /əm, �m/ 1st person present singularof be

a.m.a.m. /�e �em/ adverb before midday � Ihave to catch the 7 a.m. train to workevery day. � Telephone calls made be-fore 6 a.m. are charged at the cheaprate. (NOTE: a.m. is usually used toshow the exact hour and the wordo’clock is left out)

amazement

amazement /ə��mezmənt/ noun greatsurprise � To his amazement he wonfirst prize.

amazingamazing /ə��mezŋ/ adjective 1. verysurprising � It was amazing that shenever suspected anything. 2. extremelyinteresting and unusual � It was anamazing experience, sailing so far fromland at night.

ambitionambition /�m��bʃ(ə)n/ noun a wish todo something special � His great ambi-tion is to ride on an elephant.

ambulanceambulance /��mbjυləns/ noun a vanwhich carries sick or injured people tohospital � When she fell down the stairs,her husband called an ambulance.

AmericanAmerican /ə��merkən/ adjective relat-ing to America or to the United States

amongamong /ə��m�ŋ/, amongst /ə��m�ŋst/preposition 1. surrounded by or in themiddle of � He was standing among acrowd of tourists. 2. between a numberof people in a group � Let’s share thecake among us. 3. in addition to otherpeople or things � Jack was there,among others.

amountamount /ə��maυnt/ noun a quantity ofsomething such as money � The amountin my bank account has reached £1000.� We spent a large amount of time justwaiting. � a certain amount some butnot a lot � Painting the house will takea certain amount of time.amount to phrasal verb 1. to make atotal of � My year’s savings amount toless than £1000. 2. to be similar or equalto something � I think what he saidamounts to a refusal to take part. 3. � toamount to the same thing to mean the


amuse 11 annoying

same, to be the same � Whether he tookcash or free holidays, it all amounts tothe same thing. � The remaining prob-lems don’t amount to much.

amuse

amuse /ə��mjuz/ verb 1. to make some-one laugh � This story will amuse you.� to amuse yourself to play or getpleasure from what you are doing � Thechildren amused themselves quietlywhile their parents talked. 2. to makethe time pass pleasantly for someone �How can we amuse the children on thejourney?

amusement

amusement /ə��mjuzmənt/ noun 1. afeeling of pleasure caused by somethingthat is funny 2. � to someone’s amuse-ment making someone feel pleasure ina funny situation � Much to her amuse-ment, the band played ‘Happy Birthdayto you!’. 3. a way of passing the timepleasantly � They had planned severalvisits for the guest’s amusement.

amusing

amusing /ə��mjuzŋ/ adjective funnyan

an /ən, �n/ � aanalysis

analysis /ə��n�ləss/ noun a close exam-ination of the parts or elements of some-thing � job analysis � to make an anal-ysis of the sales or a sales analysis � tocarry out an analysis of the market po-tential (NOTE: The plural is analyses /ə�

�n�lsiz/.)ancient

ancient /�enʃənt/ adjective very old, orbelonging to a time long ago � He wasriding an ancient bicycle.

and

and /ən, ənd, �nd/ conjunction used tojoin two words or phrases � All my un-cles and aunts live in the country. � Thechildren were running about and sing-ing. � Come and sit down next to me.(NOTE: and is used to say numbers af-ter 100: ‘seven hundred and two(702)’) � and so on, and so forth,and so on and so forth with othersimilar things � He talked about plants,flowers, vegetables, and so on.

anger

anger /��ŋ'ə/ noun a feeling of beingvery annoyed � He managed to controlhis anger. � She couldn’t hide the angershe felt.

angle

angle /��ŋ'əl/ noun a corner where twolines meet � She planted the tree in theangle of the two walls. � at an angle

not straight � The shop front is at an an-gle to the road.

angrilyangrily /��ŋ'rli/ adverb in an angryway � He shouted angrily when thechildren climbed over the fence.

angry

angry /��ŋ'ri/ adjective upset and an-noyed, and sometimes wanting to harmsomeone � The shopkeeper is angrywith the children because they broke hiswindow. � He gets angry if the post islate. � I am angry that the governmentis doing nothing to prevent crime. �When the cashier still hadn’t arrived atmidday the boss got even angrier.(NOTE: angrier – angriest)

animalanimal /��nm(ə)l/ noun a living thingthat moves independently � I love hav-ing animals as pets. (NOTE: animal mayinclude humans in scientific contexts.)

ankle

ankle /��ŋkəl/ noun the part of the bodywhere your leg joins your foot

anniversaryanniversary /��n��v�s(ə)ri/ noun thesame date as an important event thathappened in the past

announceannounce /ə��naυns/ verb to say some-thing officially or in public � He an-nounced his resignation. � She an-nounced that she would be standing forparliament.

announcement

announcement /ə��naυnsmənt/ noun astatement made in public � The manag-ing director made an announcement tothe staff. � There were several an-nouncements concerning flight chang-es.

annoy

annoy /ə��nɔ/ verb to make someone feelslightly angry or impatient � Their rudebehaviour really annoyed us.

annoyanceannoyance /ə��nɔəns/ noun a feeling ofbeing slightly annoyed � There was atone of annoyance in her voice.

annoyedannoyed /ə��nɔd/ adjective slightly an-gry or impatient � He was annoyed withhis neighbour who had cut down one ofhis trees. � I was annoyed to find some-one had stolen my mobile phone.

annoyingannoying /ə��nɔŋ/ adjective makingyou angry or impatient � I find it veryannoying that the post doesn’t come be-fore 10 o’clock. � How annoying! I for-got to buy the milk. � The baby has anannoying cough which won’t go away.


annual 12 anywhereannual

annual /��njuəl/ adjective happeningonce a year � The village fair is an an-nual event. � I get annual interest of 6%on my savings account.

another

another /ə��n�ðə/ adjective, pronoun 1.one more � I’d like another cake,please. � Would you like another? 2. adifferent one � He’s bought another car.� She tried on one dress after another,but couldn’t find anything she liked. �

each otheranswer

answer /�ɑnsə/ noun 1. something thatyou say or write when someone hasasked you a question � The answer toyour question is yes. � I knocked on thedoor but there was no answer. � in an-swer to as a reply to � I am writing inanswer to your letter of October 6th. 2.the act of picking up a telephone that isringing � I phoned his office but therewas no answer. � verb 1. to speak orwrite words to someone who has spokento you or asked you a question � Henever answers my letters. � When heasked us if we had enjoyed the meal weall answered ‘yes’. 2. � to answer thephone to speak and listen to a telephonecaller � His mother usually answers thephone. � to answer the door to openthe door to someone who knocks orrings the bell � No-one answered thedoor though I knocked twice.

ant

ant /�nt/ noun a small insect that lives inlarge groups

antibiotic

antibiotic /��ntiba��ɒtk/ noun a sub-stance which kills harmful organismssuch as bacteria

antique

antique /�n��tik/ noun an old and valu-able object � He collects antiques. �adjective old and valuable � an antiqueChinese vase

antiseptic

antiseptic /��nt��septk/ noun a sub-stance which prevents infection � ad-jective preventing infection � an anti-septic dressing

antonym

antonym /��ntənm/ noun a wordwhich means the opposite of anotherword

anxiety

anxiety /�ŋ��zaəti/ noun 1. nervousworry about something � Her anxietyabout her job prospects began to affecther health. 2. the state of being keen to

do something � In his anxiety to getaway quickly, he forgot to lock the door.

anxious

anxious /��ŋkʃəs/ adjective 1. nervousand very worried about something �She’s anxious about the baby. 2. keen todo something � The shopkeeper is al-ways anxious to please his customers.

anxiously

anxiously /��ŋkʃəsli/ adverb in a nerv-ous, worried way � They are waitinganxiously for the results of the exam.

any

any /�eni/ adjective, pronoun 1. it doesn’tmatter which � I’m free any day nextweek except Tuesday. 2. (usually inquestions or negatives) a small quanti-ty � Have you got any money left? � Isthere any food for me? � Would you likeany more to eat? � Will any of yourfriends be there? 3. � not…any none �I don’t like any of the paintings in theexhibition. � There isn’t any food left –they’ve eaten it all. � Can you lend mesome money? – sorry, I haven’t got any.

anybody

anybody /�enibɒdi/ pronoun same asanyone

anymore

anymore /�eni��mɔ/, any more adverb� not … anymore no longer � We don’tgo there anymore.

anyone

anyone /�eniw�n/ pronoun any personat all � Anyone can learn to ride a bike.� anyone else any other person � Isthere anyone else who can’t see thescreen?

anything

anything /�eniθŋ/ pronoun 1. it doesn’tmatter what � You can eat anything youwant. � Our dog will bite anything thatmoves. 2. (in questions or negatives)something � Did you do anything inter-esting at the weekend? � Did you hearanything make a noise during the night?� Has anything happened to their plansfor a long holiday? � Do you want any-thing more to drink?

anyway

anyway /�eniwe/ adverb despite some-thing else � I’m not supposed to drinkduring the daytime, but I’ll have a beeranyway. � I think it’s time to leave – an-yway, the last bus is at 11.40.

anywhere

anywhere /�eniweə/ adverb 1. it doesnot matter where � Put the chair any-where. 2. (in questions or negatives)somewhere � I can’t see your wallet an-ywhere. � Did you go anywhere at the


apart 13 apple

weekend? � Is there anywhere where Ican sit down?

apart

apart /ə��pɑt/ adverb 1. separated � Thetwo villages are about six miles apart. 2.in separate pieces � He took the watchapart. � apart from except for � Doyou have any special interests apartfrom your work? � I’m feeling fine,apart from a slight cold.

apartment

apartment /ə��pɑtmənt/ noun a sepa-rate set of rooms for living in � Sheshares an apartment with a friend.

ape

ape /ep/ noun a large monkeyapologise

apologise /ə��pɒləd"az/, apologizeverb to say you are sorry � He shoutedat her and then apologised. � She apol-ogised for being late.

apology

apology /ə��pɒləd"i/ noun an act of indi-cating that you are sorry (NOTE: Theplural is apologies.) � plural nounapologies a statement indicating thatyou are sorry, especially if you cannotattend a meeting � My apologies for be-ing so late. � Please give the chairmanmy apologies.

apostrophe

apostrophe /ə��pɒstrəfi/ noun a print-ing sign (’), either showing that a letterhas been left out, e.g. weren’t, or after anoun to show possession, e.g. Ben’scoat or the girls’ coats

apparatus

apparatus /��pə��retəs/ noun scientificor medical equipment

apparent

apparent /ə��p�rənt/ adjective 1. easyto see or accept as true � It was appar-ent to everyone that she was annoyed. 2.possibly different from what somethingseems to be � There is an apparent mis-take in the accounts.

apparently

apparently /ə��p�rəntli/ adverb accord-ing to what you have seen or heard �Apparently she took the last train homeand then disappeared. � He didn’t cometo work today – apparently he’s got acold.

appeal

appeal /ə��pil/ noun 1. an act of askingfor help � The police have made an ap-peal for witnesses. � The hospital islaunching an appeal to raise £50,000.2. an attractive quality � the strong ap-peal of Greece as a holiday destination� verb 1. � to appeal for something toask for something � They appealed for

money to continue their work. 2. � toappeal against a verdict to make a le-gal request for a court to look again at adecision � He has appealed against thesentence. 3. � to appeal to someone toattract someone � These CDs appeal tothe teenage market. � The idea of work-ing in Australia for six months appealedto her.

appealing

appealing /ə��pilŋ/ adjective 1. attrac-tive � The design has proved appealingto our older customers. 2. wanting helpor support � The child gave her an ap-pealing look as she got up to leave.(NOTE: only used before a noun)

appear

appear /ə��pə/ verb 1. to start to be seen� A ship appeared through the fog. 2. toseem � There appears to be a mistake.� He appears to have forgotten the time.� She appeared rather cross. 3. to playa part in a film or play or take part in aTV programme � She appears regularlyon TV. 4. to come to a law court � Heappeared in court, charged with murder.

appearance

appearance /ə��pərəns/ noun 1. theway that someone or something looks �You could tell from his appearance thathe had been sleeping rough. 2. the factof being present somewhere, especiallyunexpectedly � The appearance of ateacher caused them to fall silent. � toput in an appearance to go somewherewhere other people are for a short time3. the beginning of something new � therapid appearance of mobile phoneshops all over the country � They wereworried by the sudden appearance of ared rash. 4. an occasion when someoneis performing in a film or play or on TV� This is her second appearance in afilm.

appetite

appetite /��ptat/ noun a need or wishto eat � Going for a long walk has givenme an appetite. � He’s not feeling welland has lost his appetite.

applause

applause /ə��plɔz/ noun the act of clap-ping your hands together several timesto show that you liked a performance

apple

apple /��p(ə)l/ noun a common fruit thatis hard, round and sweet, and grows ona tree � Don’t eat apples that are notripe – they’ll make you ill.


appliance 14 areappliance

appliance /ə��plaəns/ noun a machinesuch as a washing machine or cookerused in the home

applicant

applicant /��plkənt/ noun a personwho applies for something � job appli-cants � Applicants for licences must fillin this form.

application

application /��pl��keʃ(ə)n/ noun 1.the process of putting something onsomething else � Several applicationsof the cream will be necessary. 2. theprocess or act of applying for a job � Hewrote a letter of application. � We’vereceived dozens of applications for thejob of barman.

application form

application form /�pl��keʃ(ə)n fɔm/noun a form which has to be filled in toapply for something

apply

apply /ə��pla/ verb 1. � to apply for ajob to ask for a job � She applied for ajob in the supermarket. � He’s applyingfor a job as a teacher. 2. to put some-thing on � Wait until the first coat ofpaint is dry before you apply the second.3. � to apply to to affect or to be rele-vant to � This rule only applies to peo-ple coming from outside the EU. (NOTE:applies – applying – applied)

appoint

appoint /ə��pɔnt/ verb to give someonea job � He was appointed (as) manageror to the post of manager. � We want toappoint someone to manage our salesdepartment. (NOTE: You appoint a per-son to a job.)

appointment

appointment /ə��pɔntmənt/ noun 1.an agreed time for a meeting � I want tomake an appointment to see the doctor.� She was late for her appointment. �on her appointment as manager whenshe was made a manager 2. the processof being given a job 3. a job � We aregoing to make three new appointments.

appreciate

appreciate /ə��priʃi��et/ verb to recog-nise the value of something � Shoppersalways appreciate a bargain. � Cus-tomers don’t appreciate having to waitto be served.

apprentice

apprentice /ə��prents/ noun a youngperson who works as an assistant to askilled person in order to learn fromthem � He’s started work as a plumb-er’s apprentice.

approach

approach /ə��prəυtʃ/ noun 1. the fact ofcoming nearer � With the approach ofwinter we need to get the central heat-ing checked. 2. a way which leads tosomething � The approaches to the citywere crowded with coaches. 3. a way ofdealing with a situation � His approachto the question was different from hers.� verb to come near � The plane wasapproaching the airport when the lightswent out.

appropriate

appropriate /ə��prəυpriət/ adjectivesuitable for a particular situation � Thatskirt is not really appropriate for gar-dening. � We leave it to you to take ap-propriate action.

approval

approval /ə��pruv(ə)l/ noun the act ofagreeing � The committee gave theirapproval to the scheme. � Does thechoice of colour have your approval ormeet with your approval?

approve

approve /ə��pruv/ verb 1. to agree tosomething officially � The committeeapproved the scheme. 2. � to approveof something to think something isgood � He doesn’t approve of loud mu-sic.

approximatelyapproximately /ə��prɒksmətli/ adverbnot exactly � It takes approximately 35minutes to get to the city centre fromhere.

April

April /�eprəl/ noun the fourth month ofthe year, the month after March and be-fore May � Her birthday is in April. �We went on holiday last April. (NOTE:April 5th or April 5: say ‘the fifth ofApril’ or ‘April the fifth’ or in US English‘April fifth’.)

aptitude

aptitude /��pt��tjud/ noun a naturalability that can be developed further

archarch /ɑtʃ/ noun a round structure form-ing a roof or entrance � verb to makesomething round like an arch � The catarched her back and started spitting.

architect

architect /�ɑktekt/ noun a person whodesigns buildings

architecture

architecture /�ɑktektʃə/ noun the de-sign of buildings

are

are /ə, ɑ/ 1st person plural present of be.2nd person singular present of be. 2ndperson plural present of be. 3rd personplural present of be


area 15 arrangeareaarea /�eəriə/ noun 1. a space � The whole

area round the town hall is going to berebuilt. � We always sit in the ‘no smok-ing’ area. 2. a measurement of the spacetaken up by something, calculated bymultiplying the length by the width �The area of the room is four square me-tres. � We are looking for a shop with asales area of about 100 square metres.3. a part of a town or country � Ourhouse is near the commercial area of thetown. � The factory is in a very goodarea for getting to the motorways andairports. � the London area the part ofEngland around London � Houses inthe London area are more expensivethan elsewhere in the country.

argueargue /�ɑ'ju/ verb to discuss withoutagreeing, often in a noisy or angry way� They argued over the prices. � Sheargued with the waiter about the bill. �I could hear them arguing in the nextroom. (NOTE: You argue with someoneabout or over something.)

argumentargument /�ɑ'jυmənt/ noun a situa-tion in which people discuss somethingwithout agreeing � Nobody would backher up in her argument with the boss. �to get into an argument with someoneto start to argue with someone � He gotinto an argument with the taxi driver.

arisearise /ə��raz/ verb to start to appear �The problem arose in the planning de-partment. (NOTE: arises – arising –arose /ə��rəυz/ – arisen /ə��rzən/)

arithmeticarithmetic /ə��rθmətk/ noun calcula-tions with numbers, especially as a sub-ject studied at school

armarm /ɑm/ noun 1. the part of the bodywhich goes from the shoulder to thehand � He held the parcel under hisarm. � She tripped over the pavementand broke her arm. 2. the part of a chairwhich you can rest your arms on � Heput his coffee cup on the arm of hischair. � verb to give weapons to � Thepolice were armed with guns. � arm inarm with arms linked together � Theywalked down the street arm in arm.

armchairarmchair /�ɑmtʃeə/ noun a chair witharms

armedarmed /ɑmd/ adjective 1. provided withweapons � Most British policemen are

not armed. � Armed guards surroundedthe house. 2. involving weapons � thearmed struggle between the two groups3. ready for use as a weapon � The de-vice is already armed. � armed withprovided with � Armed with picnic bas-kets, towels and cameras, we set off forthe beach.

armed forces

armed forces /�ɑmd �fɔsz/, armedservices /�ɑmd �s�vsz/ plural nounthe army, navy and air force of a country

army

army /�ɑmi/ noun all the soldiers of acountry, trained for fighting on land �He left school at 16 and joined the army.� An army spokesman held a news con-ference. (NOTE: The plural is armies.)

aroma

aroma /ə��rəυmə/ noun a pleasant smellof something you can eat or drink � thearoma of freshly baked bread

arose

arose /ə��rəυz/ past tense of arisearound

around /ə��raυnd/ preposition 1. goingall round something � She had a goldchain around her neck. � The flood wa-ter was all around the village. 2. close toor in a place or area � Is there a bus stoparound here? 3. in various places � Wehave lots of computers around the office.4. not exactly � It will cost around£200. � Around sixty people came to themeeting. � adverb 1. in various places� Papers were lying around all over thefloor. � The restaurants were all full, sowe walked around for some time. 2. in aposition that is fairly near � We try notto talk about it when she’s around. � It’sthe only swimming pool for milesaround. 3. in existence � She’s one ofthe best eye surgeons around. � The newcoins have been around for some weeksnow.

arrange

arrange /ə��rend"/ verb 1. to put in or-der � The chairs are arranged in rows.� The books are arranged in alphabeti-cal order. � The ground floor is ar-ranged as an open-plan area with a lit-tle kitchen at the side. 2. to make a planfor something � Let’s arrange to meetsomewhere before we go to the theatre.� The tour has been arranged by thetravel agent. � She arranged for a taxito meet him at the airport. � I’ve ar-ranged with my mother that she willfeed the cat while we’re away. (NOTE:


arrangement 16 as

You arrange for someone to do some-thing; you arrange for something to bedone; or you arrange to do something.Note also arranges – arranging – ar-ranged.)

arrangementarrangement /ə��rend"mənt/ noun 1.the process of putting things in order �the arrangement of the pictures in abook 2. the process of making plans foran event � All the arrangements for thewedding were left to the bride’s mother.

arrestarrest /ə��rest/ verb (of the police) tocatch and hold someone who has brokenthe law � The police arrested two menand took them to the police station. �He ended up getting arrested as he triedto leave the country. � She was arrestedfor stealing. � noun the act of holdingsomeone for breaking the law � The po-lice made several arrests at the demon-stration. � under arrest held by the po-lice � After the fight, three people wereunder arrest.

arrivalarrival /ə��rav(ə)l/ noun 1. the act ofreaching a place � We announce the ar-rival of flight AB 987 from Tangiers. �We apologise for the late arrival of the14.25 express from Edinburgh. � Thetime of arrival is 5 p.m. � on arrivalwhen you arrive � On arrival at the ho-tel, members of the party will be allocat-ed rooms. 2. a person who has arrived �He’s a new arrival on our staff. � pluralnoun arrivals the part of an airport thatdeals with passengers who are arriving

arrivearrive /ə��rav/ verb to reach a place �They arrived at the hotel tired out. �The train from Paris arrives in Londonat 5 p.m. (NOTE: You arrive in a town orin a country but at a place. Note also:arrives – arriving – arrived.)

arrogant

arrogant /��rə'ənt/ adjective veryproud in an unpleasant way � He’s suchan arrogant young man. � What an ar-rogant way to treat customers!

arrowarrow /��rəυ/ noun 1. a weapon made ofa piece of wood with a sharp point 2. aprinted sign ➙ which points tosomething

artart /ɑt/ noun 1. the practice of creatingobjects, e.g. by painting, drawing orsculpture � She is taking art lessons. �When you’re in Washington, don’t miss

the Museum of Modern Art. 2. the ob-jects that are created in this way

artery

artery /�ɑtəri/ noun a tube carryingblood from the heart around the body.Compare vein (NOTE: The plural is ar-teries.)

article

article /�ɑtk(ə)l/ noun 1. a report in anewspaper � Did you read the article onskiing in yesterday’s paper? 2. an objector thing � Several articles of clothingwere found near the road. 3. a wordused before a noun to show whether youare referring to a particular or generalexample of something. The definite arti-cle is ‘the’ and the indefinite article is‘a’ or ‘an’.

artificial

artificial /�ɑt��fʃ(ə)l/ adjective not nat-ural � She was wearing artificial pearls.

artificially

artificially /�ɑt��fʃ(ə)li/ adverb in away that is not natural

artist

artist /�ɑtst/ noun a person who isskilled in making works of art such aspaintings � She collects paintings by19th-century artists.

as

as /əz, �z/ conjunction 1. because � Asyou can’t drive, you’ll have to go by bus.� As it’s cold, you should wear an over-coat. 2. at the same time that somethingelse happens � As he was getting intothe bath, the telephone rang. � The littlegirl ran into the road as the car wasturning the corner. 3. in the same way �Leave everything as it is. � preposition1. in a particular job � She had a job asa bus driver. 2. because of being a par-ticular type of person � As a doctor, hehas to know the symptoms of all thecommon diseases. 3. in a particular way� She was dressed as a nurse. � Theytreated him as a friend of the family. �

as from from a particular time � asfrom next Friday � as if, as though inthe same way as � as…as used in com-parisons � She is nearly as tall as I am.� I can’t run as fast as you. � as well inaddition to something or someone elsethat has been mentioned � She came tohave tea and brought her sister as well.� We visited the castle and swam in thepool as well. � as well as in addition toor together with � He has a cottage inthe country as well as a flat in town. �


ascend 17 assistant

As well as being a maths teacher, he is apart-time policeman.

ascend

ascend /ə��send/ verb to go up � Theballoon rapidly ascended to 3000m.

ash

ash /�ʃ/ noun 1. a grey dust left aftersomething has burnt (NOTE: no plural inthis sense) 2. a type of tree that growsin the northern part of Europe

ashamed

ashamed /ə��ʃemd/ adjective embar-rassed and sorry for something that youhave done or not done

aside

aside /ə��sad/ adverb to one side � Hetook me aside and whispered in my ear.� aside from except for � Aside from aminor infection, his health had been re-markably good. � I’ve got to read thesethree articles, and that’s aside from allmy regular work.

ask

ask /ɑsk/ verb 1. to put a question to getinformation � She asked a policemanthe way to the hospital. � Joe went tothe station to ask about cheap tickets. �Ask the assistant how much the shoescost. 2. to put a question to get someoneto do something � Ask your father toteach you how to drive. � Can I ask younot to make so much noise? 3. to invitesomeone to an event or to do something� We asked them to our party. � Sheasked me to go skiing with her.

ask for phrasal verb to say that youwant something � Someone came intothe shop and asked for the manager.ask out phrasal verb to ask someone togo out with you, e.g. to a restaurant or tothe cinema � Bill wants to ask my sisterout.

asleep

asleep /ə��slip/ adjective sleeping � Hewas asleep and didn’t hear the firealarm. � They were lying asleep on theground. � to fall asleep to begin to sleep

aspect

aspect /��spekt/ noun 1. a way of con-sidering something such as a situationor a problem � There are several as-pects of the problem to be consideredbefore I can decide. 2. the direction inwhich a building or piece of ground fac-es

aspirin

aspirin /��sprn/ noun 1. a commondrug, used in the treatment of minor ill-nesses to reduce pain 2. a pill that con-tains aspirin

assassinate

assassinate /ə��s�snet/ verb to kill afamous person, especially for politicalreasons � Do you remember the daywhen the President was assassinated?

assemble

assemble /ə��semb(ə)l/ verb 1. (espe-cially of people) to come together in aplace, or to be brought together bysomeone � We’ll assemble outside thehotel by the coach at 9 a.m. � They as-sembled a panel of experts to renew theproject. 2. (especially of people) tocome together in a place, or to bebrought together by someone, especial-ly formally or in an ordered way � We’llassemble outside the hotel at 9 a.m. �They assembled a panel of experts to re-new the project.

assembly

assembly /ə��sembl/ noun 1. a meeting2. the process of putting the pieces ofsomething together to make it complete

assess

assess /ə��ses/ verb 1. to consider some-thing or someone in order to make ajudgment or decision about it � It’s hardto assess how difficult it will be to makethe necessary changes. 2. to considersomeone’s achievement or progress inorder to decide if it is satisfactory � Stu-dents are regularly assessed by theirteachers and feedback. 3. to calculate anamount to be paid � The cost of the newbuilding is assessed at £1 million.

assignment

assignment /ə��sanmənt/ noun a pieceof work that has to be done in a specifictime � My literature assignment has tobe finished by Wednesday. � He wasgiven the assignment of reporting on thewar.

assist

assist /ə��sst/ verb to help someone �He assists me with my income tax forms.� I will be assisted in my work by JackieSmith. (NOTE: You assist someone indoing something or with something.)

assistance

assistance /ə��sst(ə)ns/ noun help �He asked if he could be of any assist-ance. � She will need assistance withher luggage. � He was trying to changethe wheel when a truck driver offeredhis assistance.

assistant

assistant /ə��sst(ə)nt/ noun a personwho helps someone as part of their job� His assistant makes all his appoint-ments.


associate 18 attachedassociate

associate1 /ə��səυsiet/ verb to connectdifferent people or things in your mind� I always associate that book with thewonderful holiday when I first read it. �to be associated with to be connectedwith or involved in something

associate

associate2 /ə��səυsiət/ noun a personwho works in the same business assomeone else

association

association /ə��səυsi��eʃ(ə)n/ noun 1.an official group of people or a group ofcompanies in the same trade � an asso-ciation offering support to victims ofstreet violence � the Association of Brit-ish Travel Agents 2. a connectionformed in the mind between things �For some people, a black cat has an as-sociation with luck. � Manchester hasstrong family associations for him. 3. �in association with together with � Theguidebook is published in associationwith the local tourist board. � This pro-gramme is brought to you in associationwith British Airways. � in associationwith together with � The guidebook ispublished in association with the localtourist board. � This programme isbrought to you in association with Brit-ish Airways.

assume

assume /ə��sjum/ verb 1. to imagine orbelieve that something is true � Let’sassume that he is innocent. � I assumeyou have enough money to pay for themeal? 2. to take on something such as ajob or responsibility � When she wastwenty-one, she assumed complete con-trol of the family business. � He has as-sumed responsibility for fire safety.

asthma

asthma /��smə/ noun a medical condi-tion in which someone suffers breathingdifficulties, often because a particularsubstance has a bad effect on his or herbody

astonish

astonish /ə��stɒnʃ/ verb to surprisesomeone very much � His success inmaths astonished his teacher – he nevercame to any of her classes.

astonished

astonished /ə��stɒnʃt/ adjective verysurprised � We were astonished to learnthat the head teacher had left.

astonishing

astonishing /ə��stɒnʃŋ/ adjectivevery surprising � They spent an aston-

ishing amount of money buying Christ-mas presents.

atat /ət, �t/ preposition 1. used for show-ing time � We’ll meet at eleven o’clock.� You must put your lights on when youdrive at night. � At the weekend, wewent to see my mother. � We went toParis at Easter. 2. used for showingplace � Meet us at the post office. �She’s got a job at the supermarket. �He’s not at home, he’s at work. 3. usedfor showing speed � The train was trav-elling at 200 kilometres an hour. 4.showing direction � She threw her slip-per at the TV. 5. showing cause � Shelaughed at my old coat. (NOTE: at is of-ten used after verbs, e.g. to look at, topoint at.)

ate

ate /et, et/ past tense of eatathleteathlete /��θlit/ noun a person who takes

part in sports especially those such asrunning

athleticathletic /�θ��letk/ adjective referring toathletics

athleticsathletics /�θ��letks/ noun organisedsports such as running which are com-petitions between individuals (NOTE: noplural)

atlasatlas /��tləs/ noun a book of maps(NOTE: The plural is atlases.)

atmosphereatmosphere /��tməsfə/ noun the airaround the Earth � The atmosphere sur-rounds the Earth to a height of severalhundred kilometres. � the air in a partic-ular place � The room had a hot stuffyatmosphere. � noun a general feeling �The atmosphere in the office was tense.� I like the friendly atmosphere at ourcollege.

atomatom /��təm/ noun the smallest part of achemical element that can exist inde-pendently

atomic

atomic /ə��tɒmk/ adjective relating tothe energy produced if an atom is splitapart

attachattach /ə��t�tʃ/ verb to fasten somethingto something else � The gate is attachedto the post. � I am attaching a copy ofmy previous letter.

attachedattached /ə��t�tʃt/ adjective having astrong liking for someone or something� She’s very attached to her old dog.


attack 19 Augustattack

attack /ə��t�k/ noun 1. the act of trying tohurt someone or something � Theymade an attack on the town. � under at-tack in the situation of being attacked �The town is under attack from rebelguerrillas. 2. a criticism � He launchedan attack on the government. 3. a sud-den return of a particular illness � Shehad an attack of malaria. � verb to tryto hurt someone or to hit someone �Three men attacked her as she walkedhome. � The old lady was attacked bymuggers.

attacker

attacker /ə��t�kə/ noun a person who at-tacks someone or something � Can youdescribe your attacker?

attempt

attempt /ə��tempt/ noun to try to dosomething, especially something diffi-cult � She attempted to lift the box ontothe table. � an attempt on someone’slife the action of trying to kill someone� verb to try to do something, especiallysomething difficult � I’ll attempt anoth-er trip to collect the books when my carhas been repaired. � She attempted tolift the box onto the table.

attend

attend /ə��tend/ verb 1. to be present atan event � Twenty-five people attendedthe wedding. � They organised a meet-ing, but only one or two people attend-ed. 2. to listen carefully � Studentsshould attend carefully to the teacher’sinstructions.

attendant

attendant /ə��tendənt/ noun a person onduty in a public place such as a museum

attention

attention /ə��tenʃən/ noun 1. the act ofconcentrating on what you are doing �Don’t distract the driver’s attention. �Please give the talk on safety proce-dures your full attention. � to pay at-tention to to concentrate on somethingand think about it carefully � Pay atten-tion to the instructions in the leaflet. �Don’t pay any attention to somethingyou can ignore something � Don’t payany attention to what she says – she’smaking it up. 2. special care, help or ex-tra work � The garden is large andneeds a lot of attention. � The childrenwere quiet and shy but responded well tothe special attention they were given. �medical attention treatment by doctorsand nurses � That cut needs urgent med-

ical attention. 3. the position of a sol-dier, standing straight, with heels to-gether and looking straight ahead � Theguards stood to attention at the entranceof the palace. � for the attention ofwords written on a letter to show that itis intended for a particular person todeal with it � to attract (someone’s)attention to make someone noticesomeone or something � The new playhas attracted a lot of press attention orattention in the press.

attitude

attitude /��ttjud/ noun 1. a way ofthinking � What is the government’s at-titude to the problem? 2. the position ofyour body, e.g. standing or sitting � Hisportrait shows him in a thoughtful atti-tude.

attract

attract /ə��tr�kt/ verb to make someonewant to come to a place or want to be-come involved in something such as abusiness � The shops are lowering theirprices to attract more customers. � Theexhibition attracted hundreds of visi-tors. � We must see if we can attractmore candidates for the job.

attraction

attraction /ə��tr�kʃən/ noun 1. a reasonfor liking someone or something � Theflat’s main attraction is its closeness tothe centre of town. 2. something whichattracts people � The Tower of Londonis a great tourist attraction.

attractive

attractive /ə��tr�ktv/ adjective 1.pleasant to look at � They found themountain scenery very attractive. �She’s an attractive woman. 2. havingfeatures which people like � There aresome attractive bargains in the sale. �The rival firm made him a very attrac-tive offer.

audience

audience /�ɔdiəns/ noun the peoplewatching a performance, e.g. at a theatreor cinema or on television, or listeningto a radio programme � Members of theaudience cheered. (NOTE: Takes a sin-gular or plural verb.)

August

August /�ɔ'əst/ noun the eighth monthof the year, the month after July and be-fore September � My birthday is in Au-gust. � I left my job last August. � Theletter is dated 15 August. (NOTE: Au-gust 15th or August 15: say ‘August


aunt 20 aware

the fifteenth’ or ‘the fifteenth of August’or in US English ‘August fifteenth’.)

auntaunt /ɑnt/ noun the sister of your motheror father, or the wife of an uncle � Shelives next door to my aunt. � Say good-bye to Aunt Anne.

author

author /�ɔθə/ noun a writer � She is theauthor of a popular series of children’sbooks.

authorityauthority /ɔ��θɒrti/ noun 1. power todo something � He has no authority toact on our behalf. (NOTE: no plural) 2.an organisation that has control oversomething � The education authoritypays teachers’ salaries. (NOTE: The plu-ral is authorities.)

automaticautomatic /�ɔtə��m�tk/ adjective 1.working by itself � There is an automat-ic device which cuts off the electric cur-rent. 2. done without thinking about itvery much � She gave the receptionistan automatic smile as she passed. 3.based on an agreement or existing situa-tion � an automatic fine for parking

automaticallyautomatically /ɔtə��m�tkli/ adverb1. by a machine, without people havingto do anything 2. without thinking aboutit very much � I signed the bill automat-ically. � as a result of an agreement orexisting situation � The company auto-matically retires people at 60.

automobileautomobile /�ɔtəməbil/ noun espe-cially US a car

autumnautumn /�ɔtəm/ noun the season of theyear between summer and winter � Inautumn, the leaves turn brown. � Wewent on a walking holiday last autumn.� I’ll be starting my new job in the au-tumn term.

auxiliaryauxiliary /ɔ'��zliəri/ noun a personwho helps other workers (NOTE: Theplural is auxiliaries.)

available

available /ə��veləb(ə)l/ adjective able tobe obtained � The tablets are availablefrom most chemists.

avenueavenue /��vənju/ noun a wide street ina town, often with trees along the side

averageaverage /��v(ə)rd"/ noun 1. the stand-ard that is usual or typical � The journeytime today was much slower than thebus company’s average. 2. a total calcu-lated by adding several quantities to-

gether and dividing by the number ofdifferent quantities added � the averagefor the last three months or the last threemonths’ average � The temperature hasbeen above the average for the time ofyear. � adjective 1. ordinary or typical� It was an average working day at theoffice. � Their daughter is of above av-erage intelligence. � above or belowaverage more or less than is usual ortypical 2. not very good � Their resultswere only average. 3. calculated by di-viding the total by the number of quan-tities � His average speed was 30 milesper hour. � verb to be as an average �Price increases have averaged 10% perannum.

avoid

avoid /ə��vɔd/ verb 1. to keep away fromsomeone or something � Travel early toavoid the traffic jams. � Aircraft fly highto avoid storms. 2. to try not to do some-thing � He’s always trying to avoid tak-ing a decision. (NOTE: You avoid some-thing or avoid doing something.) 3. totry to prevent something from happen-ing � I want to avoid discussing detailsat this stage. � How can we avoid arow?

awake

awake /ə��wek/ adjective not asleep �It’s 2 o’clock and I’m still awake. � verb1. to wake someone up � He was awok-en by the sound of the telephone. (NOTE:awake in this meaning only occurs inthe passive.) 2. to wake up � He awokewhen he heard them knocking on thedoor. � They awoke to find a fox in theirtent. (NOTE: awakes – awaking –awoke /ə��wəυk/ – has awoken)

award

award /ə��wɔd/ noun something such asa prize or a gift of money that is given tosomeone � a design award � He re-ceived an award of £1000. � The schoolhas been nominated for a technologyaward. � verb to give someone some-thing such as a prize, a degree or diplo-ma, money or a contract to do work �He was awarded first prize. � She wasawarded £10,000 in damages.

aware

aware /ə��weə/ adjective knowing some-thing � I’m not aware of any problem. �Is he aware that we have to decidequickly? � not that I am aware of notas far as I know � Has there ever been


away 21 axe

an accident here before? – Not that I amaware of.

awayaway /ə��we/ adverb 1. at a particulardistance or time � The nearest shop isthree kilometres away. 2. not here,somewhere else � The managing direc-tor is away on business. � My assistantis away today. 3. (in sports) at your op-ponents’ sports ground � Our team isplaying away next Saturday. 4. (as em-phasis, after verbs) without stopping �The birds were singing away in the gar-den.

awfulawful /�ɔf(ə)l/ adjective very bad or un-pleasant � She felt awful about missingthe party. � He’s got an awful cold. �Turn off the television – that pro-gramme’s awful!

awfully

awfully /�ɔf(ə)li/ adverb very (informal)� It’s awfully difficult to contact her.

awkward

awkward /�ɔkwəd/ adjective 1. embar-rassing or difficult to deal with � awk-ward questions 2. difficult to use or dealwith because of shape, size or position� The handle’s a very awkward shape.3. not convenient � Next Thursday isawkward for me – what about Friday?

awoke

awoke /ə��wəυk/ past tense of awakeawoken

awoken /ə��wəυkən/ past participle ofawake

axe

axe /�ks/ noun a tool with a heavy sharpmetal head, used for cutting throughsomething � verb to get rid of some-thing or someone


Bb

b /bi/, B noun the second letter of the al-phabet, between A and C

baby

baby /�bebi/ noun 1. a very young child� Most babies start to walk when theyare about a year old. � I’ve known himsince he was a baby. 2. a very young an-imal � a baby rabbit (NOTE: The pluralis babies. If you do not know if a babyis a boy or a girl, you can refer to it asit: The baby was sucking its thumb.)

back

back /b�k/ noun 1. the part of the bodywhich is behind you, between the neckand top of the legs � She went to sleeplying on her back. � He carried his sonon his back. � Don’t lift that heavy box,you may hurt your back. 2. the oppositepart to the front of something � Hewrote his address on the back of the en-velope. � She sat in the back of the busand went to sleep. � The dining room isat the back of the house. � adjective 1.on the opposite side to the front � Heknocked at the back door of the house. �The back tyre of my bicycle is flat. 2. (ofmoney) owed from an earlier date �back pay � adverb 1. towards the backof something � She looked back andwaved at me as she left. 2. in the past �back in the 1950s 3. in the state thatsomething was previously � Put the tel-ephone back on the table. � Shewatched him drive away and then wentback into the house. � She gave me backthe money she had borrowed. � I’llphone you when I am back in the office.(NOTE: Back is often used after verbs:to give back, to go back, to payback, etc.) � verb 1. to go backwards,or make something go backwards � Hebacked or backed his car out of the ga-rage. 2. to encourage and support a per-son, organisation, opinion or activity,sometimes by giving money � Her col-leagues were willing to back the propos-al. � to put someone’s back up to an-noy someone

back up phrasal verb 1. to help or sup-port someone � Nobody would back herup when she complained about the serv-ice. � Will you back me up in the vote?2. to make a car go backwards � Canyou back up, please – I want to get outof the parking space.

background

background /�b�k'raυnd/ noun 1. thepart of a picture or view which is behindall the other things that can be seen �The photograph is of a house withmountains in the background. � Hiswhite shirt stands out against the darkbackground. Compare foreground � inthe background while other more obvi-ous or important things are happening 2.the experiences, including educationand family life, which someone has had� He comes from a working class back-ground. � Her background is in the res-taurant business. 3. information about asituation � What is the background tothe complaint?

backward

backward /�b�kwəd/ adverb US sameas backwards

backwards

backwards /�b�kwədz/ adverb fromthe front towards the back � Don’t stepbackwards. � ‘Tab’ is ‘bat’ spelt back-wards. � backwards and forwards inone direction, then in the opposite direc-tion � The policeman was walkingbackwards and forwards in front of thebank.

bacon

bacon /�bekən/ noun meat from a pigwhich has been treated with salt orsmoke, usually cut into thin pieces

bacteria

bacteria /b�k��təriə/ plural noun verysmall living things, some of which cancause disease (NOTE: The singular isbacterium.)

bacterial

bacterial /b�k��təriəl/ adjective causedby bacteria � a bacterial infection

bad

bad /b�d/ adjective 1. causing problems,or likely to cause problems � Eating toomuch fat is bad for your health. � We


badge 23 ban

were shocked at their bad behaviour. 2.of poor quality or skill � He’s a baddriver. � She’s good at singing but badat playing the piano. 3. unpleasant �He’s got a bad cold. � She’s in a badtemper. � I’ve got some bad news foryou. � The weather was bad when wewere on holiday in August. 4. serious �He had a bad accident on the motorway.(NOTE: worse /w�s/ – worst /w�st/)

badgebadge /b�d"/ noun a small sign attachedto someone’s clothes to show somethingsuch as who someone is or what compa-ny they belong to

badlybadly /�b�dli/ adverb 1. not well or suc-cessfully � She did badly in her drivingtest. 2. seriously � He was badly injuredin the motorway accident. 3. very much� His hair badly needs cutting. (NOTE:badly – worse /w�s/ – worst /w�st/)

bagbag /b�'/ noun 1. a soft container madeof plastic, cloth or paper and used forcarrying things � a bag of sweets � Heput the apples in a paper bag. 2. same ashandbag � My keys are in my bag. 3. asuitcase or other container used forclothes and other possessions whentravelling � Have you packed your bagsyet?

baggage

baggage /�b�'d"/ noun cases and bagswhich you take with you when travel-ling

bakebake /bek/ verb to cook food such asbread or cakes in an oven � Mum’s bak-ing a cake for my birthday. � Bake thepizza for 35 minutes.

bakerbaker /�bekə/ noun a person whose jobis to make bread and cakes � the bak-er’s a shop that sells bread and cakes �Can you go to the baker’s and get a loafof brown bread?

balancebalance /�b�ləns/ noun 1. the quality ofstaying steady � The cat needs a goodsense of balance to walk along the top ofa fence. � to keep your balance not tofall over � to lose your balance to falldown � As he was crossing the river onthe tightrope he lost his balance andfell. 2. an amount of money remainingin an account � I have a balance of £25in my bank account. 3. an amount ofmoney still to be paid from a larger sumowed � You can pay £100 now and the

balance in three instalments. � The bal-ance outstanding is now £5000. � verb1. to stay or stand in position withoutfalling � The cat balanced on the top ofthe fence. 2. to make something stay inposition without falling � The waiterbalanced a pile of dirty plates on hisarm.

balcony

balcony /�b�lkəni/ noun 1. a small flatarea that sticks out from an upper levelof a building protected by a low wall orby posts � The flat has a balcony over-looking the harbour. � Breakfast isserved on the balcony. 2. the upper rowsof seats in a theatre or cinema � Webooked seats at the front of the balcony.(NOTE: The plural is balconies.)

bald

bald /bɔld/ adjective having no hairwhere there used to be hair, especiallyon the head � His grandfather is quitebald. � He is beginning to go bald.

ball

ball /bɔl/ noun 1. a round object used inplaying games, for throwing, kicking orhitting � They played in the garden withan old tennis ball. � He kicked the ballinto the goal. 2. any round object � aball of wool � He crumpled the paperup into a ball. 3. a formal dance � We’vegot tickets for the summer ball. � tostart the ball rolling to start somethinghappening � I’ll start the ball rolling byintroducing the visitors, then you can in-troduce yourselves. � to play ball towork well with someone to achievesomething � I asked them for a littlemore time but they won’t play ball. � tohave a ball to enjoy yourself a lot � Youcan see from the photos we were havinga ball.

ballet

ballet /�b�le/ noun 1. a type of dance,given as a public entertainment, wheredancers perform a story to music 2. aperformance of this type of dance � Wewent to the ballet last night.

balloon

balloon /bə��lun/ noun 1. a large ballwhich is blown up with air or gas 2. avery large balloon which rises as the airinside it is heated, sometimes with acontainer attached for people to travel in� verb to increase quickly in size oramount

ban

ban /b�n/ noun an official statementwhich says that people must not do


banana 24 bare

something � There is a ban on smokingin cinemas. � verb to say officially thatpeople must not do something � Shewas banned from driving for threeyears. (NOTE: bans – banning –banned)

banana

banana /bə��nɑnə/ noun a long yellow,slightly curved fruit which grows in hotcountries

band

band /b�nd/ noun 1. a group of peoplewho play music together � The soldiersmarched down the street, following theband. � My brother’s in a rock band. 2.a group of people who do something to-gether � Bands of drunken football fanswere wandering around the streets. 3. anarrow piece of something � Her hairwas tied back with a red band. 4. a longthin mark of a particular colour � ablack tee-shirt with a broad band of yel-low across the front 5. a range of thingstaken together � He’s in the top salaryband. � We’re looking for something inthe £10 – £15 price band.

bandage

bandage /�b�ndd"/ noun a cloth forputting around an injured part of thebody � The nurse put a bandage roundhis knee. � His head was covered inbandages.

bang

bang /b�ŋ/ noun a sudden noise like thatmade by a gun � The car started with aseries of loud bangs. � There was abang and the tyre went flat. � verb to hitsomething hard, so as to make a loudnoise � He banged (on) the table withhis hand. � Can’t you stop the doorbanging?

bank

bank /b�ŋk/ noun 1. a business whichholds money for people, and lends themmoney � I must go to the bank to getsome money. � She took all her moneyout of the bank to buy a car. � Howmuch money do you have in the bank? 2.land along the side of a river � He sat onthe river bank all day, trying to catchfish. � There is a path along the bank ofthe canal. 3. a long pile of earth, sand,snow or other substance � The road wasblocked by banks of snow blown by thewind. � verb to store money in a bank �I banked the cheque as soon as it ar-rived. � Have you banked the moneyyet?

bank account

bank account /�b�ŋk ə��kaυnt/ nounan arrangement which you make with abank to keep your money safely untilyou want it � to open a bank accountto start keeping money in a bank � Heopened a bank account when he startedhis first job.

bank holiday

bank holiday /�b�ŋk �hɒlde/ noun apublic holiday when most people do notgo to work and the banks are closed

bar

bar /bɑ/ noun a long piece of somethinghard � The yard was full of planks andmetal bars. � a solid piece of a sub-stance such as chocolate or soap � nouna place where you can buy and drink al-cohol � Let’s meet in the bar before din-ner. � preposition except � All of thesuppliers replied bar one. � All bar twoof the players in the team are British. �verb 1. to block something � The roadwas barred by the police. � The path isbarred to cyclists. 2. � to bar someonefrom doing something to preventsomeone officially from doing some-thing � He was barred from playingfootball for three months. (NOTE: bars –barring – barred)

barbecue

barbecue /�bɑbkju/ noun 1. a metalgrill for cooking food on out of doors �Light the barbecue at least half an hourbefore you start cooking. 2. food cookedon a barbecue � Here is a recipe forchicken barbecue. 3. a meal or partywhere food is cooked out of doors � Wehad a barbecue for twenty guests. �They were invited to a barbecue. � verbto cook something on a barbecue � Bar-becued spare ribs are on the menu. �She was barbecuing sausages for lunchwhen it started to rain.

bare

bare /beə/ adjective 1. not covered byclothes or shoes � He walked on thebeach in his bare feet. � I can’t sit in thesun with my arms bare. 2. without anykind of cover � They slept on the barefloorboards. � They saw the bare bonesof dead animals in the desert. 3. withoutleaves � bare branches 4. with just whatis really needed and nothing extra � Weonly took the bare essentials when wewent travelling. � She thought £100 wasthe bare minimum she would accept.(NOTE: Do not confuse with bear.)


barely 25 bassbarelybarely /�beəli/ adverb almost not � She

barely had enough money to pay for herticket. � He barely had time to getdressed before the police arrived. � Thenoise is barely tolerable.

bargainbargain /�bɑ'n/ noun 1. somethingbought more cheaply than usual � Thecar was a real bargain at £500. 2. anagreement between two people orgroups of people � into the bargain aswell as other things � The plane waslate and they lost my suitcase into thebargain. � verb to discuss the terms ofan agreement or sale � more than ornot what you bargained for different,usually worse, than you had expectedbargain on phrasal verb to expectsomething � I hadn’t bargained on itbeing so wet. � She’s bargaining onsomeone dropping out so that she cantake their place.

barkbark /bɑk/ noun 1. the hard outer layerof a tree 2. the loud sound a dog makes� The dog gave a bark as we came intothe house.

barnbarn /bɑn/ noun a large farm buildingfor storing produce or for keeping ani-mals or machinery

barrelbarrel /�b�rəl/ noun 1. a container withcurved sides for storing liquid � a bar-rel of beer � a wine barrel 2. the tube ofa gun out of which a bullet is fired

barrierbarrier /�b�riə/ noun 1. a bar or fencewhich blocks a passage � He lifted thebarrier and we drove across the border.2. an action or problem that makes it dif-ficult for something to happen

basebase /bes/ noun 1. the bottom part ofsomething � The table lamp has a flatbase. 2. a place where you work from �He lives in London but uses Paris as hisbase when travelling in France. 3.something from which something elsedevelops or is produced � The reportwill provide a good base from which todevelop ideas. � verb to use somethingor somewhere as a base � The companyis based in Paris. � The theory is basedon research done in Russia. � to bebased at or in to have a particular placeas your main home or place of work �She’s based at head office or in Edin-burgh. � to base something on some-

thing else to use something as a modelfor something else � The book is basedon her mother’s life. � His theory wasbased on years of observations.

baseball

baseball /�besbɔl/ noun 1. an Ameri-can game for two teams of nine players,in which a player hits a ball with a long,narrow bat and players from the otherteam try to catch it 2. the hard ball usedin playing baseball

-based

-based /best/ suffix 1. produced or de-veloped from � a milk-based dessert 2.living or working at a particular place �a London-based company

basement

basement /�besmənt/ noun a floor in abuilding below ground level

basic

basic /�besk/ adjective very simple, orat the first level � Being able to swim isa basic requirement if you are going ca-noeing. � Knowledge of basic Spanishwill be enough for the job.

basically

basically /�beskli/ adverb consideringonly the most important informationand not the details � Basically, he’s fedup with his job.

basin

basin /�bes(ə)n/ noun 1. same as wash-basin 2. a large or small bowl, especial-ly one for holding or mixing food items

basis

basis /�bess/ noun 1. the general factson which something is based � What isthe basis for these proposals? � on thebasis of based on � The calculations aredone on the basis of an exchange rate of1.6 dollars to the pound. 2. the generalterms of an agreement � She is workingfor us on a temporary basis. � Many ofthe helpers at the hospice work on a vol-untary basis. (NOTE: The plural is bas-es /�besiz/.)

basket

basket /�bɑskt/ noun a container madeof thin pieces of wood, wire or fibre wo-ven together

basketball

basketball /�bɑsktbɔl/ noun a gameplayed by two teams of five players whotry to throw the ball through an open nethung high up at each end of the playingarea

bass

bass /bes/ noun 1. a male singer with alow-pitched voice 2. a guitar with a low-pitched sound � adjective relating to alow-pitched voice or music � He has apleasant bass voice. Compare tenor


bat 26 beambat

bat /b�t/ noun 1. a piece of wood usedfor hitting a ball � a baseball bat � acricket bat 2. a small animal with skinflaps like wings that flies at night andhangs upside down when resting

bath

bath /bɑθ/ noun 1. a large container inwhich you can sit and wash your wholebody � There’s a washbasin and a bathin the bathroom. (NOTE: The plural isbaths /bɑθs/) 2. � to have a bath towash your whole body in a bath � verbto wash yourself or someone else in abath � She’s bathing the baby. � Do youprefer to bath or shower? (NOTE: Do notconfuse with bathe. Note also: baths– bathing /�bɑθŋ/ – bathed /bɑθt/.)

bathe

bathe /beð/ verb 1. to go into water toswim or wash � Thousands of peoplecome to bathe in the Ganges. 2. to washa cut or damaged part of the body care-fully � A nurse bathed the wound on hisarm. 3. US to have a bath � I just haveenough time to bathe before my dinnerguests arrive. (NOTE: Do not confusewith bath. Note also: bathes /beðz/ –bathing /�beðŋ/ – bathed /beðd/.)

bathroom

bathroom /�bɑθrum/ noun 1. a roomin a house with a bath, a washbasin andusually a toilet � The house has twobathrooms. 2. US a room containing atoilet � Where’s the bathroom? � Can Iuse your bathroom, please?

battery

battery /�b�t(ə)ri/ noun an object thatfits into a piece of electrical equipmentto provide it with electric energy � Mycalculator needs a new battery. � Thebattery has given out so I can’t use myradio. � My mobile phone has a re-chargeable battery.

battle

battle /�b�t(ə)l/ noun 1. an occasionwhen large groups of soldiers fight eachother using powerful weapons � Manysoldiers died in the first battle of thewar. � Wellington won the Battle of Wa-terloo. 2. an attempt to prevent some-thing unpleasant and difficult to dealwith � the government’s constant battleagainst crime � He lost his battleagainst cancer. � verb � to battleagainst to try to prevent something un-pleasant and difficult to deal with � Shehad to battle against the other membersof the board to get the project approved.

� His last years were spent battlingagainst cancer.

bay

bay /be/ noun 1. an area along a coastwhere the land curves inwards � a shel-tered bay 2. a marked or enclosed areaused for a particular purpose � a baymarked ‘Reserved Parking’

be

be /b, bi/ verb 1. used for describing aperson or thing � Our house is olderthan yours. � She is bigger than herbrother. � Lemons are yellow. � Thesoup is hot. � Put on your coat – it iscold outside. � I’m cold after standingwaiting for the bus. � Are you tired afteryour long walk? 2. used for showing ageor time � He’s twenty years old. � Shewill be two next month. � It is nearly teno’clock. � It is time to get up. � Septem-ber is the beginning of autumn. 3. usedfor showing price � Onions are 80p akilo. � The cakes are 50p each. � Mycar was worth £10,000 when it was new.4. used for showing someone’s job �His father is a bus driver. � She wants tobe a teacher. 5. used for showing thingssuch as size, weight, height, � He’s1.70m tall. � The room is three metressquare. � Our house is ten miles fromthe nearest station. 6. to add up to �Two and two are four. 7. used for show-ing that someone or something exists oris in a particular place � There was acrowd of people waiting for the shop toopen. � There were only two people lefton the bus. � Where are we? � There’syour hat! (NOTE: I am; you are;he/she/it is; we/you/they are; being;I/he/she/it was; we/you/they were;has been; negative: is not usuallyisn’t; are not usually aren’t; was notusually wasn’t; were not usually wer-en’t.)

beach

beach /bitʃ/ noun an area of sand orsmall stones by the edge of the sea

beak

beak /bik/ noun the hard part of a bird’smouth

beam

beam /bim/ noun 1. a long block ofwood or metal which supports a struc-ture, especially a roof � You can see theold beams in the ceiling. 2. a ray of light� The beam from the car’s headlightsshone into the barn. � Beams of sun-light came through the coloured glass.


bean 27 before

� verb to give a big happy smile � Thelittle girl beamed at him.

bean

bean /bin/ noun a seed or the long thinpod of various different plants, that iscooked and eaten

bear

bear /beə/ noun a large wild animal cov-ered with fur � verb 1. to carry or sup-port something � The letter bore a Lon-don postmark. � Will this branch bearmy weight? 2. to accept something bador unpleasant in a calm way � She borethe bad news bravely. (NOTE: bears –bearing – bore /bɔ/ – has borne/bɔn/) � be unable to bear someoneor something to strongly dislike some-one or something � I can’t bear thesmell of cooking fish.

beard

beard /bəd/ noun the hair growing on aman’s chin and cheeks � a long whitebeard

beat

beat /bit/ noun a regular pattern ofsound � The patient’s heart has a regu-lar beat. � They danced to the beat ofthe drums. � verb 1. to make a regularsound � His heart was still beatingwhen the ambulance arrived. � Herheart beat faster as she went into the in-terview. 2. to hit something or someonehard � He was beaten by a gang ofyouths. 3. to win a game against anotherplayer or team � They beat their rivalsinto second place. � Our football teambeat France 2 – 0. � They beat us by 10goals to 2. � We beat the Australians atcricket last year. (NOTE: beats – beat-ing – beat – has beaten)

beautiful

beautiful /�bjutf(ə)l/ adjective 1.physically very attractive � We havethree beautiful daughters. 2. pleasant orenjoyable � What beautiful weather fora walk.

beautifully

beautifully /�bjutf(ə)li/ adverb in avery pleasing way

beauty

beauty /�bjuti/ noun 1. the quality ofbeing beautiful � an object of greatbeauty � the beauty of the tall treesagainst the background of the blue lake2. a beautiful woman or a beautifulthing � At 18 she was a real beauty. �Look at these apples, they’re real beau-ties.

became

became /b��kem/ past tense of be-come

becausebecause /b��kɒz/ conjunction for thereason that follows � I was late becauseI missed the train. � The dog’s wet be-cause he’s been in the river. � becauseof as a result of � The plane was de-layed because of bad weather.

become

become /b��k�m/ verb 1. to change tosomething different � The sky becamedark and the wind became stronger. �They became good friends. � As she gotolder she became rather deaf. � It soonbecame obvious that he didn’t under-stand a word of what I was saying. 2. tostart to work as � He wants to become adoctor. (NOTE: becomes – becoming– became – has become)

bedbed /bed/ noun 1. a piece of furniture forsleeping on � Lie down on my bed ifyou’re tired. 2. a piece of ground forparticular plants to grow in � a straw-berry bed � a rose bed 3. the ground atthe bottom of water � a river bed

bedroom

bedroom /�bedrum/ noun a roomwhere you sleep � My bedroom is on thefirst floor. � The hotel has twenty-fivebedrooms. � Shut your bedroom door ifyou want to be quiet.

bee

bee /bi/ noun an insect which makeshoney, and can sting you

beefbeef /bif/ noun meat from a cow � roastbeef � beef stew

been

been /bin/ past participle of bebeer

beer /bə/ noun 1. an alcoholic drinkmade from grain and water � Can I havea glass of beer? (NOTE: no plural) 2. aglass or bottle of beer � Three beers,please.

beetle

beetle /�bit(ə)l/ noun an insect withhard covers that protects its foldedwings

before

before /b��fɔ/ preposition earlier than �They should have arrived before now. �You must be home before 9 o’clock. � Gcomes before H in the alphabet. � con-junction earlier than � The police gotthere before I did. � Think carefully be-fore you start to answer the exam ques-tions. � Wash your hands before youhave your dinner. � Before you sit down,can you switch on the light? � adverb


beg 28 belong

earlier � I didn’t see him last week, butI had met him before. � Why didn’t youtell me before?

beg

beg /be'/ verb 1. to ask for things likemoney or food � She sat begging on thesteps of the station. � Children werebegging for food. 2. to ask someone inan emotional way to do something orgive something � His mother beggedhim not to go. � He begged for moretime to find the money. (NOTE: begs –begging – begged)

begin

begin /b��'n/ verb to start doing some-thing � The children began to cry. � Shehas begun to knit a red pullover for herfather. � The house is beginning towarm up. � His surname begins with anS. � The meeting is due to begin at teno’clock sharp. (NOTE: begins – begin-ning – began – has begun) � to be-gin again to start a second time � Sheplayed a wrong note and had to beginagain.

beginner

beginner /b��'nə/ noun a person who isstarting to learn something or do some-thing � The course is for absolute be-ginners. � I can’t paint very well – I’mjust a beginner.

beginning

beginning /b��'nŋ/ noun the first part� The beginning of the film is ratherboring.

begun

begun /b��'�n/ past participle of beginbehalf

behalf /b��hɑf/ noun � on behalf ofsomeone, on someone’s behalf actingfor someone � She is speaking on behalfof the trade association. � He was cho-sen to speak on the workers’ behalf.

behave

behave /b��hev/ verb to act in a certainway with someone � He behaved verypleasantly towards his staff. � She wasbehaving in a funny way.

behaviour

behaviour /b��hevjə/ noun a way ofdoing things � His behaviour was quitenatural. � Local people complainedabout the behaviour of the football fans.

behind

behind /b��hand/ preposition 1. at theback of � They hid behind the door. � Idropped my pen behind the sofa. � Hewas second, only three metres behindthe winner. 2. responsible for � The po-lice believe they know who is behind thebombing campaign. 3. supporting � All

his colleagues were behind his decision.� We’re behind you! � adverb 1. at theback � He was first, and the rest of therunners were a long way behind. 2. laterthan you should be � I am behind withmy correspondence. � The company hasfallen behind schedule with its deliver-ies.

being

being /�biŋ/ noun 1. a person 2. a livingthing, especially one that is not easilyrecognised 3. a spiritual or magicalforce � He dreamt he was being sup-ported by supernatural beings. 4. a stateof existing � to come into being to startto exist � The association came into be-ing in 1946.

belief

belief /b��lif/ noun a strong feeling thatsomething is true � his firm belief in thepower of law � her strong belief in God

believe

believe /b��liv/ verb 1. to be sure thatsomething is true, although you can’tprove it � People used to believe that theearth was flat. � Don’t believe anythinghe tells you. 2. used when you are notabsolutely sure of something � I don’tbelieve we’ve met. � I believe I havebeen here before.

bell

bell /bel/ noun 1. a metal object shapedlike a cup which makes a ringing noisewhen hit by a piece of metal inside it �They rang the church bells at the wed-ding. 2. any object designed to make aringing noise, especially one that useselectricity � The alarm bell rings if youtouch the door. � The postman rang thedoor bell. � You ought to have a bell onyour bicycle. � to ring a bell or anybells to sound familiar or remind you ofsomething � Does the name Forsythring a bell?

belly

belly /�beli/ noun the stomach and intes-tines (informal) (NOTE: The plural isbellies.)

belong

belong /b��lɒŋ/ verb 1. to be kept in theusual or expected place � That book be-longs on the top shelf. 2. to be happy tobe somewhere or with a group of people� Within a week in my new job I felt I be-longed. 3. � to belong to someone to bethe property of someone � Does the carreally belong to you? 4. � to belong toan organisation to be a member of anorganisation � They still belong to the


below 29 best

tennis club. 5. � to belong with to be apart of or connected to something else �These knives belong with the set in thekitchen.

below

below /b��ləυ/ adverb lower down �Standing on the bridge we looked at theriver below. � These toys are for chil-dren of two years and below. � preposi-tion lower down than � The temperaturewas below freezing. � In Singapore, thetemperature never goes below 25°C. �Do not write anything below this line. �These tablets should not be given tochildren below the age of twelve. � Canyou see below the surface of the water?

belt

belt /belt/ noun a strap which goes roundyour waist to hold up a skirt or trousers� She wore a skirt with a bright red belt.

bench

bench /bentʃ/ noun a long seat for sev-eral people � We sat down on one of thepark benches.

bend

bend /bend/ noun a curve in somethingsuch as a road or a pipe � Don’t drivetoo fast, there’s a sudden bend in theroad. � The pipe under the sink has anawkward bend in it. � verb 1. to moveyour shoulders and head into a lowerposition � He bent to pick up the littlegirl. � You can reach it if you bend to theleft. 2. to have the shape of a curve �The road bends suddenly after thebridge. (NOTE: bends – bending –bent /bent/)

bend down phrasal verb to move to alower position, so that your head is low-er than your waist � He bent down topick up the little girl.bend over phrasal verb to move to adifferent or a lower position � You canread it if you bend over to the left. �Bend over till you can touch your toes.� to bend over backwards forsomeone or to do something to doeverything you can to help someone �Their friends bent over backwards foror to support the family after the acci-dent.

beneath

beneath /b��niθ/ preposition under �There are dangerous rocks beneath thesurface of the lake. � The river flowsvery fast beneath the bridge. � adverbunderneath (formal) � They stood on the

bridge and watched the river flowingbeneath.

beneficialbeneficial /�ben��fʃ(ə)l/ adjective hav-ing a helpful effect

benefitbenefit /�benft/ noun an advantage �What benefit would I get from joiningthe club? � verb 1. to be useful to some-one � The book will benefit anyone whois planning to do some house repairs. 2.� to benefit from or by something toget an advantage from something �Tourists will benefit from improvedtransport links. � Older people can ben-efit from free bus passes. (NOTE: bene-fits – benefitting – benefitted)

bentbent /bent/ adjective curved or twisted �These nails are so bent we can’t usethem.

berryberry /�beri/ noun a small round fruitwith several small seeds inside (NOTE:The plural is berries. Do not confusewith bury.)

besidebeside /b��sad/ preposition at the sideof someone or something � Come andsit down beside me. � The office is justbeside the railway station. � it’s be-side the point it’s got nothing to dowith the main subject � Whether or notthe coat matches your hat is beside thepoint – it’s simply too big for you.

besidesbesides /b��sadz/ preposition as wellas � They have two other cars besidesthe big Ford. � Besides managing theshop, he also teaches in the evening. �besides being or doing something inaddition to being or doing something �adverb used for adding another strongerreason for something � I don’t want togo for a picnic – besides, it’s starting torain.

bestbest /best/ adjective better than anythingelse � She’s my best friend. � He put onhis best suit to go to the interview. �What is the best way of getting to Lon-don from here? � noun the thing whichis better than anything else � The pic-ture shows her at her best. � adverb inthe most effective or successful way �The engine works best when it’s warm.� Oranges grow best in hot countries. �Which of you knows London best? � allthe best best wishes for the future � asbest you can in the best way you can,


bet 30 bicycle

even though this may not be perfect � todo your best to do as well as you can� to make the best of something totake any advantage you can from some-thing � to make the best of a bad jobto accept a bad situation cheerfully � tothe best of someone’s ability as wellas possible � I’ll help you to the best ofmy ability. � to the best of my knowl-edge as far as I know � best regards,best wishes a greeting sent to someone� Give my best wishes to your father.

bet

bet /bet/ noun a sum of money which isrisked by trying to say which horse willcome first in a race or which side willwin a competition � He placed a bet onhis friend’s horse but lost when thehorse came last. � I’ve got a bet on Bra-zil to win the next World Cup. � verb torisk money by saying which horse youthink will come first in a race or whichteam will win a competition � He betme £10 the Prime Minister would losethe election. � She bet £30 on the hors-es. (NOTE: bets – betting – bet) � I bet(you) (that) or I’ll bet (you) (that) I’msure that � I bet you she’s going to belate

better

better /�betə/ adjective 1. good whencompared to something else � Theweather is better today than it was yes-terday. � His latest book is better thanthe first one he wrote. � She’s better atmaths than English. � Brown bread isbetter for you than white. � We will shoparound to see if we can get a betterprice. 2. healthy again � I had a coldlast week but I’m better now. � I hopeyour sister will be better soon. � adverbmore successfully than something else� She sings better than her sister. � Myold knife cuts better than the new one. �to think better of something to decidethat something is not a good idea � Hewas going to drive to London, butthought better of it when he heard thetraffic report on the news. � for thebetter in a way which makes a situationless unpleasant or difficult � Her atti-tude has changed for the better since wereviewed her responsibilities. � hadbetter or would be better it would besensible to � She’d better go to bed if

she’s got flu. � It would be better if youphoned your father now.

between

between /b��twin/ preposition 1. withpeople or things on both sides � There’sonly a thin wall between his office andmine, so I hear everything he says. �Don’t sit between him and his girl-friend. 2. connecting two places � Thebus goes between Oxford and London.3. in the period after one time and be-fore another � I’m in a meeting between10 o’clock and 12. � Can you come tosee me between now and next Monday?4. within a range between two amountsor numbers � The parcel weighs be-tween four and five kilos. � Cherriescost between £2 and £3 per kilo. 5. usedfor comparing two or more things �Sometimes it’s not easy to see a differ-ence between blue and green. � Shecould choose between courses in Ger-man, Chinese or Russian. 6. among �

between you and me speaking pri-vately � in between with things onboth sides � There’s only a thin wall be-tween his bedroom and mine, so I heareverything he says on the phone.

beware

beware /b��weə/ verb to be careful aboutsomething that might be dangerous orcause a problem � Beware of cheap im-itations. � You need to beware of beingpersuaded to spend more than you canafford.

beyond

beyond /b��jɒnd/ preposition 1. furtheraway than � The post office is beyondthe bank. 2. outside the usual range ofsomething � The delivery date is be-yond our control. � I can’t accept neworders beyond the end of next year. � be-yond someone’s means too expensivefor someone to buy � I’d love to buy asports car, but I think it would be beyondmy means. 3. later than � The partywent on beyond midnight.

Bible

Bible /�bab(ə)l/ noun 1. the holy book ofthe Christian religion 2. an importantand useful reference book � She keepsan old French recipe book in the kitchen– it’s her bible.

bicycle

bicycle /�bask(ə)l/ noun a vehicle withtwo wheels which you ride by pushingon the pedals � He goes to school by bi-cycle every day. � She’s going to do the


bid 31 bit

shopping on her bicycle. � He’s learn-ing to ride a bicycle.

bid

bid /bd/ noun 1. an offer to buy some-thing at a particular price � His bid forthe painting was too low. 2. an attemptto do something � she made a bid forpower she tried to seize power � verb tomake an offer to buy something at anauction � He bid £500 for the car.(NOTE: bids – bidding – bid)

big

big /b'/ adjective of a large size � I don’twant a small car – I want a big one. �His father has the biggest restaurant intown. � I’m not afraid of him – I’m big-ger than he is. � We had a big orderfrom Germany. (NOTE: big – bigger –biggest)

bike

bike /bak/ noun a bicycle (informal) �He goes to school by bike. � If theweather’s good, we could go for a bikeride.

bill

bill /bl/ noun 1. a piece of paper showingthe amount of money you have to payfor something � The total bill came tomore than £200. � Ask the waiter for thebill. � Don’t forget to pay your gas bill.2. same as beak � The bird was pickingup food with its bill. 3. a proposalwhich, if passed by parliament, be-comes law � Parliament will considerthe education bill this week. � He hasdrafted a bill to ban the sale of guns. 4.US a piece of paper money � a 10-dol-lar bill

billion

billion /�bljən/ noun 1. one thousandmillion � The government raises bil-lions in taxes each year. 2. one millionmillion (dated) 3. a great many � Bil-lions of Christmas cards are sent everyyear. (NOTE: In American English billionhas always meant one thousand mil-lion, but in British English it formerlymeant one million million, and it is stillsometimes used with this meaning.With figures it is usually written bn:$5bn say ‘five billion dollars’.)

bin

bin /bn/ noun 1. a container for puttingrubbish in � Don’t throw your litter onthe floor – pick it up and put it in the bin.2. a container for keeping things in � abread bin � verb to throw somethingaway into a rubbish bin � He just binned

the demand for payment. (NOTE: bins –binning – binned)

bind

bind /band/ verb 1. to tie someone’shands or feet so they cannot move �They bound her arms with a rope. 2. totie something or someone to somethingelse � Bind the sticks together withstrings. � They bound him to the chairwith strips of plastic. 3. to force some-one to do something � The contractbinds him to make regular payments. 4.to put a cover on a book � The book isbound in blue leather. (NOTE: binds –binding – bound – has bound)

biologist

biologist /ba��ɒləd"st/ noun a scientistwho does research in biology

biology

biology /ba��ɒləd"i/ noun the study ofliving things

bird

bird /b�d/ noun 1. an animal with wingsand feathers, most of which can fly 2. ayoung woman (informal; usually usedby men and sometimes regarded asoffensive by women)

birth

birth /b�θ/ noun the occasion of beingborn � He was a big baby at birth. � bybirth according to the country some-one’s parents come from � He is Frenchby birth. � to give birth to a baby tohave a baby � She gave birth to a boylast week.

birthday

birthday /�b�θde/ noun the date onwhich someone was born � April 23rdis Shakespeare’s birthday. � My birth-day is on 25th June. � What do you wantfor your birthday?

biscuit

biscuit /�bskt/ noun a small flat, usual-ly sweet, hard cake (NOTE: The US termfor a sweet biscuit is cookie)

bit

bit /bt/ noun 1. a little piece � He tied thebundle of sticks together with a bit ofstring. � Would you like another bit ofcake? 2. the smallest unit of informationthat a computer system can handle �verb � bite � to bits 1. into little pieces2. very much � thrilled to bits � tocome or fall to bits to fall apart � Thechair has come to bits. � to take some-thing to bits to take something apart inorder to repair it � He’s taking my oldclock to bits. � a bit a little � The paint-ing is a bit too dark. � She always playsthat tune a bit too fast. � Let him sleep


bite 32 blanket

a little bit longer. � Can you wait a bit?I’m not ready yet. � Have you got apiece of wood a bit bigger than this one?� for a bit for a short period of time �Can you stop for a bit? I’m getting tired.

bite

bite /bat/ verb 1. to cut someone orsomething with your teeth � The dogtried to bite the postman. � She bit apiece out of the pie. 2. (of an insect) tomake a small hole in your skin whichturns red and itchy � She’s been bittenby a mosquito. (NOTE: bites – biting –bit /bt/ – has bitten /�bt(ə)n/) �noun 1. a small amount of food that youcut with your teeth in order to eat it �She took a big bite out of the sandwich.� a bite or a bite to eat a small meal 2.a place on someone’s body where it hasbeen bitten

bitter

bitter /�btə/ adjective 1. not sweet �This black coffee is too bitter. 2. angrybecause something is not fair � She wasvery bitter about the way the companytreated her. 3. causing great disappoint-ment or unhappiness � a bitter winternight � a bitter wind coming from theArctic � Losing her job was a bitterblow.

bitterly

bitterly /�btəli/ adverb strongly � Hebitterly regrets what he said.

bitterness

bitterness /�btənəs/ noun 1. a bittertaste 2. angry feelings � His bitternessat being left out of the England teamwas very obvious.

black

black /bl�k/ adjective 1. having a verydark colour, the opposite to white � ablack and white photograph � He hasblack hair. 2. belonging to a race of peo-ple with dark skin, whose families areAfrican in origin

blackboard

blackboard /�bl�kbɔd/ noun a darkboard which you can write on withchalk, especially on the wall of a class-room (NOTE: now often called a ‘chalk-board’)

blade

blade /bled/ noun 1. a sharp cutting part� the blades of a pair of scissors � Becareful – that knife has a very sharpblade. 2. a thin leaf of grass 3. one of thelong flat parts that spin round on someaircraft engines or to keep a helicopterin the air

blame

blame /blem/ noun criticism for havingdone something wrong � I’m not goingto take the blame for something I didn’tdo. � to get the blame for something tobe accused of something � Who got theblame for breaking the window? – Me,of course! � to take the blame forsomething to accept that you were re-sponsible for something bad � verb � toblame someone for something, toblame something on someone to saythat someone is responsible for some-thing � Blame my sister for the awfulfood, not me. � He blamed the accidenton the bad weather. � I don’t blameyou I think you’re right to do that � Idon’t blame you for being annoyed,when everyone else got a present andyou didn’t. � you have only yourself toblame no one else is responsible forwhat happened � You have only yourselfto blame if you missed the chance of afree ticket. � to be to blame for to be re-sponsible for something � The manageris to blame for the bad service.

blank

blank /bl�ŋk/ adjective not containingany information, sound or writing, e.g.� She took a blank piece of paper anddrew a map. � Have we got any blankvideos left? � noun an empty space, es-pecially on a printed form, for some-thing to be written in � Just fill in theblanks on the second page – age, occu-pation, etc. � to go blank to be unableto remember something � I went blankwhen they asked what I was doing lastTuesday. � When he asked for my workphone number, my mind just went blank.

blank out phrasal verb 1. to cross outor cover a piece of writing � The sur-name had been blanked out. 2. to try toforget something deliberately � Sheblanked out the days or the memory ofthe days immediately after the carcrash.

blanket

blanket /�bl�ŋkt/ noun 1. a thick coverwhich you put over you to keep warm �He woke up when the blankets fell offthe bed. � She wrapped the children upin blankets to keep them warm. 2. athick layer � a blanket of leaves � Ablanket of snow covered the fields. �The motorway was covered in a blanket


blankly 33 blow

of fog. 3. a barrier to protect something� a blanket of secrecy � adjective af-fecting everything or everyone � a blan-ket ban on smoking

blankly

blankly /�bl�ŋkli/ adverb not showingany reaction or emotion � When theteacher asked him about his homeworkhe just stared at her blankly.

blast

blast /blɑst/ noun 1. an explosion �Several windows were shattered by theblast. 2. a strong current of wind � anicy blast from the north 3. a sharp loudsound from a signal or whistle � Threeblasts of the alarm means that passen-gers should go on deck. � verb to de-stroy with a bomb or bullets � The bur-glars blasted their way into the safe. �They blasted their way out of the policetrap.

blaze

blaze /blez/ verb to burn or shine strong-ly � The fire was blazing. � The sunblazed through the clouds. � noun alarge bright fire � The house wasburned down in the blaze.

bleed

bleed /blid/ verb to lose blood � Hischin bled after he cut himself shaving. �He was bleeding heavily from hiswound. (NOTE: bleeds – bleeding –bled /bled/)

blend

blend /blend/ noun something, especial-ly a substance, made by mixing differ-ent things together � different blends ofcoffee � verb 1. to mix things together� Blend the eggs, milk and flour togeth-er. 2. (of colours) to go well together �The grey curtains blend with the palewallpaper.

bless

bless /bles/ verb to make something holyby prayers � The church was blessed bythe bishop. (NOTE: blesses – blessing– blessed /blest/) � to be blessedwith to experience happiness or goodthings � They were blessed with twohealthy children. � bless you saidwhen someone sneezes

blew

blew /blu/ past tense of blowblind

blind /bland/ adjective not able to see �He went blind in his early forties.(NOTE: Some people avoid this word asit can cause offence and prefer termssuch as visually impaired or partiallysighted.) � verb to make someone un-

able to see, especially for a short time �She was blinded by the bright lights ofthe oncoming cars.

blindness

blindness /�blandnəs/ noun the stateof not being able to see � The diseasecan cause blindness. (NOTE: Some peo-ple avoid this term as it can cause of-fence and prefer visual impairment.)

blink

blink /blŋk/ noun to close your eyes andopen them again very quickly � Thesudden flash of light made him blink. �verb (of lights) to go on and off � Thealarm light is blinking.

block

block /blɒk/ noun 1. a large building �They live in a block of flats. 2. a largepiece � Blocks of ice were floating in theriver. 3. something that prevents some-thing happening � a block on makingpayments � to put a block on some-thing to stop something happening 4.same as blockage 1 5. US a section ofbuildings surrounded by streets � Helives two blocks away. � verb to preventsomething from passing along some-thing � The pipe is blocked with deadleaves. � The crash blocked the road forhours.

blockage

blockage /�blɒkd"/ noun 1. somethingwhich prevents movement � There’s ablockage further down the drain. 2. thestate of being blocked

blood

blood /bl�d/ noun the red liquid thatflows around the body

blossom

blossom /�blɒs(ə)m/ noun 1. the massof flowers that appears on trees in thespring � The hedges are covered withhawthorn blossom. � The trees are infull blossom. 2. a single flower � verb toproduces flowers � The roses were blos-soming round the cottage door.

blouse

blouse /blaυz/ noun a woman’s shirtblow

blow /bləυ/ verb 1. (of air or wind) tomove � The wind had been blowinghard all day. 2. to push air out from yourmouth � Blow on your soup if it’s toohot. (NOTE: blows – blowing – blew –has blown) � to blow your nose toblow air through your nose into a hand-kerchief, especially if you have a cold �She has a cold and keeps having to blowher nose. � noun 1. a knock or hit withthe hand � He received a blow to the


blue 34 bodyguard

head in the fight. 2. a shock, whichcomes from bad news � The election re-sult was a blow to the government.

blow away phrasal verb 1. to go awayby blowing � His hat blew away. 2. tomake something go away by blowing �The wind will blow the fog away.blow down phrasal verb 1. to makesomething fall down by blowing � Sixtrees were blown down in the storm. 2.to fall down by blowing � The schoolfence has blown down.blow off phrasal verb to make some-thing go away by blowing � The windblew his hat off.blow out phrasal verb to make some-thing go out by blowing � She blew outthe candles on her birthday cake.blow over phrasal verb 1. (of a stormor a difficult situation) to end � We hopethe argument will soon blow over. 2. toknock something down by blowing �The strong winds blew over severaltrees.blow up phrasal verb 1. to make some-thing get bigger by blowing into it � Heblew up balloons for the party. � Yourfront tyre needs blowing up. 2. to de-stroy something by making it explode �The soldiers blew up the railway bridge.3. to make a photograph bigger � Thearticle was illustrated with a blown-uppicture of the little girl and her stepfa-ther.

blue

blue /blu/ adjective of the colour of thesky � He wore a pale blue shirt. � Theylive in the house with the dark blue door.� noun the colour of the sky � Is therea darker blue than this available? � outof the blue suddenly � Out of the bluecame an offer of a job in Australia.

blues

blues /bluz/ plural noun sad songs fromthe southern US � Bessie Smith, thegreat blues singer.

blunder

blunder /�bl�ndə/ noun a big mistake,often one that causes a lot of embarrass-ment � A dreadful blunder by the goal-keeper allowed their opponents toscore.

blunt

blunt /bl�nt/ adjective 1. not sharp � Hetried to cut the meat with a blunt knife.

2. almost rude � His blunt manner oftenupset people.

bluntly

bluntly /�bl�ntli/ adverb in a direct waythat may upset people

blurred

blurred /bl�d/ adjective not clearly seen� The paper printed a blurred photo-graph of the suspect.

blush

blush /bl�ʃ/ verb to go red in the face be-cause you are ashamed or embarrassed� She blushed when he spoke to her.

board

board /bɔd/ noun 1. a long flat piece ofsomething such as wood � The floor ofthe bedroom was just bare boards. 2. ablackboard or chalkboard � The teacherwrote on the board.

boast

boast /bəυst/ verb 1. to have somethinggood � The house boasts a large gardenand pond. � The town boasts an 18-holegolf course. 2. to say how good or suc-cessful you are � noun the act of talkingabout things that you are proud of �Their proudest boast is that they neversurrendered.

boat

boat /bəυt/ noun a small vehicle thatpeople use for moving on water � Theysailed their boat across the lake. � Theywent to Spain by boat. � When is thenext boat to Calais? � in the sameboat in the same difficult situation �Don’t expect special treatment – we’reall in the same boat.

body

body /�bɒdi/ noun 1. the whole of a per-son or of an animal � He had pains allover his body. (NOTE: The plural is bod-ies.) 2. the main part of an animal orperson, but not the head and arms andlegs � She had scars on the arms andupper part of her body. (NOTE: The plu-ral is bodies.) 3. the body of a dead per-son or animal � The dead man’s bodywas found in the river. � Bodies of in-fected cows were burnt in the fields. 4.the main structure of a vehicle � Thefactory used to make car bodies. 5. themain part of something � You’ll find thedetails in the body of the report. (NOTE:The plural is bodies.) 6. the thicknessof hair � The shampoo will give yourhair body. (NOTE: no plural)

bodyguard

bodyguard /�bɒdi'ɑd/ noun 1. a per-son who guards someone � The manwas stopped by the president’s body-


boil 35 booking

guards. 2. a group of people who guardsomeone � He has a bodyguard of sixpeople or a six-man bodyguard.

boil

boil /bɔl/ verb 1. (of water or otherliquid) to form bubbles and change intosteam or gas because of being heated �Put the egg in when you see that the wa-ter’s boiling. � Don’t let the milk boil. 2.to heat a liquid until it changes intosteam � Can you boil some water so wecan make tea? 3. to cook food such asvegetables or eggs in boiling water �Boil the potatoes in a large pan. � nounan infected swelling � He has a boil onthe back of his neck.

boiling

boiling /�bɔlŋ/ adjective 1. which hasstarted to boil (i.e. for water, at 100°C)� Put the potatoes in a pan of boilingwater. 2. also boiling hot very hot � Itis boiling in this room.

bolt

bolt /bəυlt/ noun 1. a long piece of metalwith a screw, fastened with a roundpiece of metal called a nut � The legs ofthe table are secured to the top withbolts. 2. a long piece of metal which youslide into a hole to lock a door � Shepulled back the bolts. 3. � to make abolt for it to run away � When theguards weren’t looking two prisonerstried to make a bolt for it. � verb 1. torun fast suddenly � The horse bolted. 2.to run away from someone or something� When the boys saw him coming, theybolted. 3. to fasten something with abolt � He bolted the door when he wentto bed. � The tables are bolted to thefloor. � to make a bolt for somethingto rush towards something � At the endof the show everyone made a bolt for thedoor. � to make a bolt for it to runaway from someone or something �When the guards weren’t looking twoprisoners tried to make a bolt for it.

bomb

bomb /bɒm/ noun a weapon which ex-plodes, and can be dropped from an air-craft or placed somewhere by hand �The bomb was left in a suitcase in themiddle of the station. � They phoned tosay that a bomb had been planted in themain street. � Enemy aircraft droppedbombs on the army base. � verb to dropbombs on something � Enemy aircraftbombed the power station.

bombing

bombing /�bɒmŋ/ noun an occasionwhen someone attacks a place with abomb or bombs � bombings in centre ofmajor cities � a bombing raid by enemyaircraft

bone

bone /bəυn/ noun one of the solid piecesin the body, which make up the skeleton� He fell over and broke a bone in hisleg. � Be careful when you’re eating fish– they have lots of little bones.

bonfire

bonfire /�bɒnfaə/ noun a fire made out-doors

bonnet

bonnet /�bɒnt/ noun 1. the metal coverover the front part of a car, covering theengine � He lifted up the bonnet andlooked at the steam pouring out of theengine. 2. a hat with strings that tie un-der the chin

bonus

bonus /�bəυnəs/ noun 1. extra money �Sales staff earn a bonus if they sell morethan their target. 2. an advantage � Itwas a bonus that the plane arrived ear-ly, as we were able to catch an earlierbus home. (NOTE: The plural is bonus-es.) � added bonus an additional ad-vantage � I prefer this job and it’s anadded bonus that I can walk to work.

bony

bony /�bəυni/ adjective 1. thin, so thatthe bones can be seen easily � She wasriding a bony horse. � He grabbed herarm with his bony hand. 2. (of fish) withmany bones � I don’t like kippers,they’re usually too bony. (NOTE: bonier– boniest)

book

book /bυk/ noun 1. sheets of printed pa-per attached together, usually with astiff cover � I’m reading a book on thehistory of London. � He wrote a bookabout butterflies. 2. sheets of paper towrite or draw on, attached together in acover. � exercise book, notebook,sketchbook � verb to reserve a place,a seat, a table in a restaurant or a roomin a hotel � We have booked a table fortomorrow evening. � to book someoneon or onto a flight to order a plane tick-et for someone else � I’ve booked youon the 10 o’clock flight to New York.

booking

booking /�bυkŋ/ noun an arrangementto have something such as a seat, hotelroom or a table in a restaurant kept foryou


boom 36 bottledboom

boom /bum/ noun 1. a sudden increasein the amount of money being earned ina country or region, or by a business �The economy is improving and everyoneis forecasting a boom for next year. 2. aloud deep noise, like the sound of an ex-plosion � There was such a loud boomthat everyone jumped. � verb 1. to in-crease � The economy is booming. �Sales to Europe are booming. 2. to makea loud deep noise � His voice boomedacross the square.

boot

boot /but/ noun a strong shoe whichcovers your foot and your ankle or thelower part of your leg � long black rid-ing boots � walking boots � ankle boots

boot up phrasal verb 1. to make a com-puter start 2. (of a computer) to be start-ed up and made ready for use

border

border /�bɔdə/ noun 1. an imaginaryline between countries or regions �They crossed the border into Switzer-land. � The enemy shelled several bor-der towns. � He was questioned by theborder guards. 2. a pattern around theedge of something � I don’t like the pinkborder on the scarf. 3. a patch of soil atthe side of a path or an area of grasswhere flowers or bushes are planted �verb to be along the edge of something� The path is bordered with rose bushes.� The new houses border the west sideof the park.

border on phrasal verb same as bor-der verb

bore

bore /bɔ/ noun a dull person who is notvery interesting � I don’t want to sit nextto him, he’s such a bore. � verb to makea hole in something � Bore three holesclose together.

bored

bored /bɔd/ adjective not interested inwhat is happening � You get very boredhaving to do the same work every day. �I’m bored – let’s go out to the club.

boredom

boredom /�bɔdəm/ noun the state ofbeing bored

boring

boring /�bɔrŋ/ adjective not interesting� I don’t want to watch that TV pro-gramme – it’s boring.

born

born /bɔn/ verb to come out of yourmother’s body and begin to live � He

was born in Scotland. � She was born in1989. � The baby was born last week.

borne

borne /bɔn/ past participle of bearborrow

borrow /�bɒrəυ/ verb 1. to take some-thing for a short time, usually with thepermission of the owner � She bor-rowed three books from the school li-brary. � He wants to borrow one of myCDs. 2. to take money for a time, usual-ly from a bank � Companies borrowfrom banks to finance their business. �She borrowed £100,000 from the bankto buy a flat. Compare lend

boss

boss /bɒs/ noun the person in charge, es-pecially the owner of a business � If youwant a day off, ask the boss. � I left be-cause I didn’t get on with my boss.(NOTE: The plural is bosses.)

both

both /bəυθ/ adjective, pronoun two peo-ple or things together � Hold onto thehandle with both hands. � Both myshoes have holes in them. � Both herbrothers are very tall. � She has twobrothers, both of them in Canada. � Sheand her brother both go to the sameschool. � I’m talking to both of you.

bother

bother /�bɒðə/ noun trouble or worry �We found the shop without any bother. �It was such a bother getting packed thatwe nearly didn’t go on holiday. � verb1. to make someone feel slightly angry,especially by disturbing them � It both-ers me that everyone is so lazy. � Stopbothering me – I’m trying to read. 2. �to bother to do something to take thetime or trouble to do something � Don’tbother to come with me to the station –I can find my way easily.

bottle

bottle /�bɒt(ə)l/ noun 1. a tall plastic orglass container for liquids, usually witha narrow part at the top � He opened twobottles of red wine. � She drank the wa-ter straight out of the bottle. � Hebought his wife a bottle of perfume onthe plane. 2. confidence (informal) � Hehasn’t got the bottle to do it. � verb toput in bottles � The wine is bottled inGermany. � Only bottled water is safeto drink.

bottled

bottled /�bɒt(ə)ld/ adjective sold in bot-tles


bottom 37 brainbottom

bottom /�bɒtəm/ noun 1. the lowestpoint � The ship sank to the bottom ofthe sea. � Turn left at the bottom of thehill. � Is there any honey left in the bot-tom of the jar? 2. the far end � Go downto the bottom of the street and you willsee the station on your left. � The shedis at the bottom of the garden. 3. the partof the body on which you sit � Does mybottom look big in these trousers? �plural noun bottoms the lower part of aset of clothes � He was wearing just histrack suit bottoms. � adjective lowest �The jam is on the bottom shelf. � He wasstanding on the bottom rung of the lad-der.

bought

bought /bɔt/ past tense and past partici-ple of buy

bounce

bounce /baυns/ noun 1. a movement ofsomething such as a ball when it hits asurface and moves away again � He hitthe ball on the second bounce. 2. energy� She’s always full of bounce. � verb tospring up and down or off a surface �The ball bounced down the stairs. � Hekicked the ball but it bounced off thepost. � In this game you bounce the ballagainst the wall.

bound

bound /baυnd/ noun a big jump � ad-jective 1. very likely � They are boundto be late. 2. obliged � He felt bound tohelp her. � He is bound by the contracthe signed last year. 3. tied up � a bundleof old letters bound with pink ribbon �The burglars left him bound hand andfoot. � verb to make a big jump, ormove fast suddenly � She bounded intothe room. � He bounded out of his chair.� The dog bounded into the bushes. �

bound for on the way to � a ship boundfor the Gulf

boundary

boundary /�baυnd(ə)ri/ noun an imagi-nary line or physical barrier separatingtwo things � Their behaviour crossedthe boundary between unkindness andcruelty. � The white fence marks theboundary between the two gardens.

bow

bow /baυ/ noun 1. the act of bendingyour body forwards as a greeting or signof respect � He made a deep bow to theaudience. � to take a bow to stand on astage and bend forwards to thank the au-dience � The actors took their bows one

after the other. 2. the front part of a ship� verb 1. to bend your body forward asa greeting or sign of respect � He bowedto the queen. 2. to bend your head for-wards � She bowed her head over herbooks.

bowl

bowl /bəυl/ noun 1. a wide, round con-tainer for something such as food or wa-ter � Put the egg whites in a bowl andbeat them. 2. the food or liquid con-tained in a bowl � He was eating a bowlof rice. � A bowl of hot thick soup is justwhat you need in this cold weather. �verb 1. (especially in cricket) to throw aball to a batsman � to bowl someone(out) to throw the ball to someone andhit his or her wicket 2. (in a game ofbowls) to roll a bowl along the ground totry to get close to the target

box

box /bɒks/ noun 1. a container made ofwood, plastic, cardboard or metal, witha lid � The cakes came in a cardboardbox. 2. a container and its contents � Hetook a box of matches from his pocket. �He gave her a box of chocolates for herbirthday. � verb to fight by punching,especially when wearing special thickgloves � He learnt to box at a gym in theEast End.

boxing

boxing /�bɒksŋ/ noun a sport in whichtwo opponents fight each other in asquare area wearing special thick gloves

boy

boy /bɔ/ noun 1. a male child � A boyfrom our school won the tennis match. �I knew him when he was a boy. 2. a son� Her three boys are all at university. 3.� the boys men who are friends, or whoplay sport together (informal)

boyfriend

boyfriend /�bɔfrend/ noun a young orolder man that someone is having a ro-mantic relationship with � She’s got anew boyfriend. � She brought her boy-friend to the party.

bra

bra /brɑ/ noun a piece of women’s un-derwear worn to support the breasts

bracelet

bracelet /�breslət/ noun a piece of jew-ellery worn around your wrist or arm

brain

brain /bren/ noun 1. the nerve centre inthe head, which controls all the body 2.intelligence � to use your brain tothink sensibly � she’s got brains, she’sgot a good brain she’s intelligent


brainy 38 breakbrainybrainy /�breni/ adjective very intelligent

(informal) (NOTE: brainier – brainiest)brakebrake /brek/ noun a part of a vehicle

used for stopping or making it go moreslowly � Put the brake on when you godown a hill. � The brakes aren’t work-ing! � verb to slow down by pressing avehicle’s brakes � The driver of the lit-tle white van braked, but too late toavoid the dog.

branchbranch /brɑntʃ/ noun 1. a thick part ofa tree, growing out of the main part �He hit his head against a low branch. 2.a local office of an organisation � He’sthe manager of our local branch ofLloyds Bank. � The store has branchesin most towns in the south of the coun-try. 3. one part of something larger �Genetics is a branch of biology. � I’mnot in contact with the Irish branch ofmy family. 4. a section of a road, railwayline or river that leads to or from themain part � verb to divide into two ormore parts

brandbrand /br�nd/ noun a product with aname, made by a particular company �a well-known brand of soap � verb todescribe someone or something public-ly as bad � He was branded as a thief. �The minister was publicly branded aliar in the newspaper.

brand namebrand name /�br�nd nem/ noun theofficial name of a product

brand-newbrand-new /�br�nd �nju/ adjectivecompletely new

brassbrass /brɑs/ noun 1. a shiny yellowmetal used for making things such assome musical instruments and door han-dles � The doctor has a brass nameplate on his door. 2. musical instru-ments made of brass, such as trumpetsor trombones � the brass section of theorchestra � He has composed severalpieces of music for brass.

bravebrave /brev/ adjective not afraid of do-ing unpleasant or dangerous things � Itwas very brave of him to dive into theriver to rescue the little girl. (NOTE:braver – bravest) � verb to accept un-pleasant or dangerous conditions in or-der to achieve something � We bravedthe Saturday crowds in the supermarketbecause we needed bread and milk.

bravely

bravely /�brevli/ adverb in a brave waybravery

bravery /�brevəri/ noun the ability todo dangerous or unpleasant things with-out being afraid � We admired her brav-ery in coping with the illness. � He wonan award for bravery.

bread

bread /bred/ noun food made from flourand water baked in an oven � Can youget a loaf of bread from the baker’s? �She cut thin slices of bread for sand-wiches.

breadth

breadth /bredθ/ noun 1. a measurementof how wide something is � The breadthof the piece of land is over 300m. 2. thefact of being full or complete � His an-swers show the breadth of his knowl-edge of the subject. � the length andbreadth of something everywhere ina place � We walked the length andbreadth of the field but found no mush-rooms.

break

break /brek/ verb 1. to make somethingdivide into pieces accidentally or delib-erately � He dropped the plate on thefloor and broke it. � She broke her legwhen she was skiing. � Break the choc-olate into four pieces. 2. to divide intopieces accidentally � The clock fell onthe floor and broke. 3. to fail to carry outthe terms of a contract or a rule � Thecompany has broken its agreement. � tobreak a promise not to do what you hadpromised to do � He broke his promiseand wrote to her again. 4. � to break itor to break the news to someone to tellsomeone bad news � We will have tobreak it to her as gently as possible.(NOTE: Do not confuse with brake.Note also breaks – breaking – broke/brəυk/ – has broken /�brəυkən/.) �noun 1. a short pause or rest � Therewill be a 15-minute break in the middleof the meeting. � without a break with-out stopping � They worked without abreak. � to take a break to have a shortrest � We’ll take a break now, and startagain in fifteen minutes. 2. a short holi-day � a winter break � to break yourjourney to stop travelling for a whilebefore going on � We’ll break our jour-ney in Edinburgh.break down phrasal verb 1. (of a ma-chine) to stop working � The lift has


breakable 39 breeze

broken down again. � The car brokedown and we had to push it. 2. to showall the items that are included in a totalseparately � Can you break down thisinvoice into travel costs and extras? 3.to become upset and start crying �When she got her results she just brokedown. 4. to separate a substance intosmall parts, or to become separated �Enzymes break down the food. 5. to fail� Their relationship quickly brokedown when he lost his job. � The discus-sions seem likely to break down over theamount of money being offered.break in phrasal verb 1. � to break in,to break into a building to use force toget into a building � Burglars brokeinto the office during the night. 2. to in-terrupt something that is happening �I’m sorry to break in, but I need to speakto Mr McGregor urgently.break into phrasal verb to start doingsomething � When they saw the photos,they broke into laughter.break off phrasal verb 1. to makesomething come off by breaking � Hebroke a piece off his pie and gave it tothe dog. 2. to come off by breaking �The handle broke off the cup in the dish-washer. � Several branches broke off inthe wind. 3. to stop something suddenly� He broke off in the middle of his story.� They broke off the discussions. � tobreak it off to end a relationship � Theywere going to get married, but shebroke it off.break out phrasal verb 1. to start �War broke out between the countries inthe area. 2. to escape � Three prisonersbroke out of jail.break up phrasal verb 1. to divide intopieces � The oil tanker was breaking upon the rocks. 2. (of a meeting) to end �The meeting broke up at 3 p.m.

breakable

breakable /�brekəb(ə)l/ adjective thatcan break easily

breakdown

breakdown /�brekdaυn/ noun 1. a sit-uation in which someone cannot contin-ue to live normally any more becausethey are mentally ill or very tired 2. asituation in which a machine or vehiclestops working � We had a breakdown

on the motorway. � A breakdown truckcame to tow us to the garage.

breakfastbreakfast /�brekfəst/ noun the firstmeal of the day � I had a boiled egg forbreakfast. � She didn’t have any break-fast because she was in a hurry. � Thehotel serves breakfast from 7.30 to 9.30every day.

breastbreast /brest/ noun 1. one of two partson a woman’s chest which produce milk2. meat from the chest part of a bird �We bought some chicken breasts to makea stir-fry.

breathbreath /breθ/ noun air which goes intoand out of the body through the nose ormouth � We could see our breath in thecold air. � out of breath, gasping forbreath having difficulty in breathing �He was out of breath after running allthe way to the station. � to hold yourbreath to keep air in your lungs, e.g. inorder to go under water � She held herbreath under water for a minute. � totake a deep breath to breathe in asmuch air as you can � to take some-one’s breath away to surprise some-one very much � The beautiful view justtook our breath away. � under yourbreath quietly � He swore under hisbreath. � don’t hold your breathdon’t expect it to happen � He said he’llpay us next month, but don’t hold yourbreath!

breathebreathe /brið/ verb to take air into thelungs or let it out � Relax and breathe inand then out slowly. � to breathe deep-ly to take a lot of air into the lungs �breathing down someone’s neck al-ways watching and judging what some-one is doing

breathlessbreathless /�breθləs/ adjective findingit difficult to breathe

breed

breed /brid/ noun a group of animals orplants specially developed with featuresthat make it different from others of thesame type � verb 1. to produce younganimals � Rabbits breed very rapidly. 2.to keep animals which produce youngones � They breed sheep for the meatand the wool. (NOTE: breeds – breed-ing – bred /bred/)

breezebreeze /briz/ noun a slight wind � Acool breeze is welcome on a hot day like


brick 40 brown

this. � verb to walk around looking verypleased with yourself � He breezed intothe meeting carrying a cup of coffee.breeze through phrasal verb to dosomething without any difficulty � Shebreezed through the tests in an hour.

brick

brick /brk/ noun a hard block of bakedclay used for building

bride

bride /brad/ noun a woman who is get-ting married or has just married

bridge

bridge /brd"/ noun 1. a road or pathbuilt over a road or river so that you canwalk or drive from one side to the other2. a connection or helpful link betweentwo things � A shared interest can be abridge between old and young.

brief

brief /brif/ adjective short � He wrote abrief note of thanks. � The meeting wasvery brief. � in brief in a few words, orwithout giving details � We have foodfor only a few days; in brief, the situa-tion is very serious.

briefcase

briefcase /�brifkes/ noun a case forcarrying papers or documents

briefly

briefly /�brifli/ adverb 1. for a short time2. in a few words, or without giving de-tails

bright

bright /brat/ adjective 1. full of light orsunlight � a bright day � a bright room� bright sunshine or sunlight strongclear light from the sun 2. (of a colour)very strong � They have painted theirfront door bright orange. 3. a youngperson who is bright is intelligent �Both children are very bright. � She’sthe brightest student we’ve had formany years. 4. clear and sunny � Therewill be bright periods during the after-noon. 5. happy and pleasant � She gaveme a bright smile.

brightlybrightly /�bratli/ adverb 1. in a strongclear light or colour � A children’s bookwith brightly painted pictures. � Thestreets were brightly lit for Christmas.2. cheerfully � She smiled brightly asshe went into the hospital.

brightnessbrightness /�bratnəs/ noun 1. strongclear light 2. strong colour

brilliant

brilliant /�brljənt/ adjective 1. extreme-ly clever � He’s the most brilliant stu-dent of his year. � She had a brilliantidea. 2. (of light) strong and clear � She

stepped out into the brilliant sunshine.3. very good (informal) � The way theinformation is displayed on this websiteis brilliant.

bringbring /brŋ/ verb to come with someoneor something to this place � She broughtthe books to school with her. � Hebrought his girlfriend home for tea. �Are you bringing any friends to the par-ty? (NOTE: brings – bringing –brought /brɔt/)bring up phrasal verb 1. to look afterand educate a child � He was born inthe USA but brought up in England. �He was brought up by his uncle in Scot-land. 2. to mention a problem � Hebrought up the question of the noise.

brinkbrink /brŋk/ noun the brink the timewhen something is about to happen � onthe brink of (doing) something aboutto achieve something � The company ison the brink of collapse. � She was onthe brink of a nervous breakdown.

BritishBritish /�brtʃ/ adjective relating to theUnited Kingdom � a British citizen �the British army � The British press re-ported their death in a plane crash inAfrica. � The ship was flying a Britishflag.

broadbroad /brɔd/ adjective very wide � abroad river � breadth

broadcastbroadcast /�brɔdkɑst/ noun a radio orTV programme � The broadcast camelive from the award ceremony.

brokebroke /brəυk/ adjective with no money(informal) � past tense of break

brokenbroken /�brəυkən/ adjective 1. in pieces� She tried to mend the broken vase. 2.not working � We can’t use the lift be-cause it’s broken.

broochbrooch /brəυtʃ/ noun a piece of jewel-lery fixed onto clothes with a pin (NOTE:The plural is brooches.)

brotherbrother /�br�ðə/ noun a boy or man whohas the same mother and father as some-one else � My brother John is threeyears older than me. � She came withher three brothers.

broughtbrought /brɔt/ past tense and past parti-ciple of bring

brownbrown /braυn/ adjective 1. with a colourlike earth or wood � She has brown hair


bruise 41 bull

and blue eyes. � It’s autumn and theleaves are turning brown. 2. with skinmade dark by the sun � He’s very brown– he must have been sitting in the sun.

bruise

bruise /bruz/ noun a dark painful areaon the skin, where you have been hit �She had bruises all over her arms. �verb to make a bruise on the skin by be-ing hit or by knocking yourself onsomething � She bruised her knee onthe corner of the table.

brush

brush /br�ʃ/ noun 1. a tool made of ahandle and hairs or wire, used for doingthings such as cleaning or painting �You need a stiff brush to get the mud offyour shoes. � She used a very fine brushto paint the details. � He was paintingthe front of the house with a large brush.(NOTE: The plural is brushes.) 2. theact of cleaning with a brush � She gavethe coat a good brush. 3. a short argu-ment or fight with someone � He’s hadseveral brushes with the police recently.� verb 1. to clean with a brush � Hebrushed his shoes before going to the of-fice. � Always remember to brush yourteeth before you go to bed. 2. to go pastsomething touching it gently � Shebrushed against me as she came into thecafé.

brush off phrasal verb 1. to cleansomething off with a brush � Hebrushed the mud off his boots. 2. to ig-nore something because it is not veryimportant � So far he has managed tobrush off all the complaints about hiswork.brush up phrasal verb to learn moreabout something � You’ll need to brushup your English if you want to get a jobas a guide.

bubble

bubble /�b�b(ə)l/ noun a ball of air orgas contained in a liquid or other sub-stance � Bubbles of gas rose to the sur-face of the lake. � He blew bubbles inhis drink. � verb to make bubbles, orhave bubbles inside � The porridge wasbubbling in the pan.

bucket

bucket /�b�kt/ noun 1. an open contain-er with a handle, used mainly for carry-ing liquids � Throw the water down thedrain and pass the empty bucket back tome. � He filled a bucket from the tap. 2.

the contents of a bucket � They threwbuckets of water on the fire. � verb topour with rain (informal) � It’s bucket-ing down outside.

bud

bud /b�d/ noun a place where a newshoot or flower will grow from on aplant � It was spring and the buds onthe trees were beginning to open.

budget

budget /�b�d"t/ noun an amount ofmoney that can be spent on something �There isn’t enough money in the house-hold budget to pay for a new carpet. �verb to plan how you will spend moneyin the future � It would be helpful if youlearnt to budget. � They are having tobudget carefully before going on holi-day.

bug

bug /b�'/ verb to make someone feelslightly angry, especially for a long time(informal) � I can’t remember his name,and it’s really bugging me! (NOTE: bug-ging – bugged)

build

build /bld/ verb 1. to make something byputting its parts together � The housewas only built last year. � They areplanning to build a motorway across thefield. 2. to develop something � He builthis business from scratch. � We need tobuild a good team relationship. (NOTE:builds – building – built /blt/)

builder

builder /�bldə/ noun a person whobuilds buildings

building

building /�bldŋ/ noun 1. somethingsuch as a house, railway station or facto-ry which has been built � The floodwashed away several buildings. � Hisoffice is on the top floor of the building.2. the action of constructing something� The building of the tunnel has takenmany years.

built

built /blt/ past tense and past participleof build

bulb

bulb /b�lb/ noun 1. a round part of someplants, which stays under the ground,and from which leaves and flowers grow� She planted spring bulbs all round thehouse. 2. a glass ball which gives elec-tric light � I need to change the bulb inthe table lamp.

bull

bull /bυl/ noun a male animal of the cowfamily


bullet 42 busbullet

bullet /�bυlt/ noun a piece of metal thatyou shoot from a gun � He loaded hisgun with bullets. � Two bullets had beenfired.

bullet point

bullet point /�bυlt pɔnt/ noun a print-ed symbol like a circle before an item ina list

bully

bully /�bυli/ noun a person who oftenhurts or is unkind to other people � He’sa bully, he’s always trying to frightensmaller children. (NOTE: The plural isbullies.) � verb to be unkind to some-one often � She was bullied by the otherchildren in school. (NOTE: bullies –bullying – bullied)

bump

bump /b�mp/ noun 1. a slight knock �The boat hit the landing stage with abump. 2. a raised area � Drive slowly,the road is full of bumps. 3. a raised areaon your body, where something has hitit � He has a bump on the back of hishead. � verb to hit something or a partof the body � He’s crying because hebumped his head on the door.

bun

bun /b�n/ noun a small round piece ofbread or a cake � The burgers areserved in a bun. � These buns are toosweet and sticky.

bunch

bunch /b�ntʃ/ noun 1. a group of thingstaken together � He carries a bunch ofkeys attached to his belt. � He broughther a bunch of flowers. 2. a group ofpeople � I work with a nice bunch. � Myfriends are a mixed bunch. (NOTE: Theplural is bunches.) 3. several fruits at-tached to the same stem � a bunch ofgrapes � a bunch of bananas

bundle

bundle /�b�nd(ə)l/ noun 1. a parcel ofthings wrapped up or tied up together �A bundle of clothes was all she owned.� He produced a bundle of papers tiedup with green string. � She left herclothes in a bundle on the floor. 2. a setof things sold or presented together � abundle of software � verb 1. to putthings somewhere quickly without be-ing careful � He bundled the papersinto a drawer. � She bundled the chil-dren off to school. � The police bundledhim into the back of their van. 2. to sella software programme at the same timeas you sell hardware, both sold together

at a special price � The word-processingpackage is bundled with the computer.

bungalow

bungalow /�b�ŋ'ələυ/ noun a housewith only a ground floor

burden

burden /�b�d(ə)n/ noun 1. a heavy load� He relieved her of her burden. 2.something that is hard to deal with � Ithink he finds running the office at hisage something of a burden.

burger

burger /�b�'ə/ noun same as hamburg-er

burglar

burglar /�b�'lə/ noun a person whotries to get into a building to steal things

burn

burn /b�n/ noun a burnt area of the skinor a surface � She had burns on her faceand hands. � There’s a burn on the edgeof the table where he left his cigarette. �verb 1. to destroy or damage somethingby fire � All our clothes were burnt inthe fire. � The hotel was burnt to theground last year. � I’ve burnt the toastagain. 2. to feel painful, or to makesomething feel painful � The sun andwind burnt his face. 3. to damage part ofthe body by heat � She burnt her fingeron the hot frying pan. 4. to be on fire �All the trees were burning. (NOTE:burns – burning – burnt or burned –has burnt or burned)

burnt

burnt /b�nt/ adjective destroyed ordamaged by fire or heat

burst

burst /b�st/ verb to break open or ex-plode suddenly, or cause something tobreak open or explode suddenly � A wa-ter main burst in the High Street. �When she picked up the balloon it burst.(NOTE: bursts – bursting – burst –has burst) � noun 1. a sudden loudsound � There was a burst of gunfireand then silence. � Bursts of laughtercame from the office. 2. a sudden effortor activity � She put on a burst of speed.� In a burst of energy he cleaned thewhole house.

bury

bury /�beri/ verb to put someone or some-thing into the ground � He was buriedin the local cemetery. � Squirrels oftenbury nuts in the autumn. (NOTE: buries– burying – buried)

bus

bus /b�s/ noun a large motor vehiclewhich carries passengers � He goes towork by bus. � She takes the 8 o’clock


bush 43 by

bus to school every morning. � Wemissed the last bus and had to walkhome.

bush

bush /bυʃ/ noun a small tree � a smallbush with red berries � An animal wasmoving in the bushes. (NOTE: The pluralis bushes.)

business

business /�bzns/ noun 1. the work ofbuying and selling things � They do alot of business with France. � She worksin the electricity business. � on busi-ness working � The sales director is inHolland on business. 2. a company �She runs a photography business. � Heruns a secondhand car business. (NOTE:The plural is businesses.) 3. some-thing that affects a particular person �it’s none of your business it’s nothingto do with you

businessperson

businessperson /�bznəs��p�s(ə)n/noun a person who works in business,or who runs a business

busy

busy /�bzi/ adjective 1. working on ordoing something � He was busy mend-ing the dishwasher. � I was too busy tophone my aunt. � The busiest time forshops is the week before Christmas. 2.full of people � The shops are busiestduring the week before Christmas. 3. (ofa phone line) being used by someoneelse, so you cannot get an answer whenyou call � His phone’s been busy allday.

but

but /bət, b�t/ conjunction used for show-ing a difference � He is very tall, but hiswife is quite short. � We would like tocome to your party, but we’re doingsomething else that evening. � preposi-tion except � Everyone but me is al-lowed to go to the cinema. � They hadeaten nothing but apples.

butcher

butcher /�bυtʃə/ noun a person who pre-pares and sells meat

butter

butter /�b�tə/ noun a yellow fat madefrom the cream of milk, used on breador for cooking � Fry the mushrooms inbutter. (NOTE: no plural: some butter; aknob of butter) � verb to spread butteron something � She was busy butteringslices of bread for the sandwiches.

butterflybutterfly /�b�təfla/ noun an insect withlarge brightly coloured wings whichflies during the day

buttocksbuttocks /�b�təks/ plural noun the partof the body on which you sit

buttonbutton /�b�t(ə)n/ noun 1. a small, usual-ly round piece of plastic, metal or woodthat you push through a hole in clothesto fasten them � The wind is cold – doup the buttons on your coat. � A but-ton’s come off my shirt. 2. a small roundobject which you push to operate some-thing such as a bell � Press this buttonto call the lift. � Push the red button toset off the alarm. � verb to fasten some-thing with buttons � He buttoned (up)his coat because it was cold.

buttonholebuttonhole /�b�t(ə)nhəυl/ noun a holewhich a button goes through when it isfastened � You’ve put the button in thewrong buttonhole.

buybuy /ba/ verb to get something by payingmoney for it � I bought a newspaper onmy way to the station. � She’s buying aflat. � She bought herself a pair of skiboots. � What did you buy your motherfor her birthday? (NOTE: buys – buy-ing – bought /bɔt/)

buyerbuyer /�baə/ noun a person who buysthings

buzzbuzz /b�z/ noun a noise like the soundmade by a bee � the buzz of an electricsaw in the garden next door � verb tomake a noise like a bee � Wasps werebuzzing round the jam.

byby /ba/ preposition 1. near � The houseis just by the bus stop. � Sit down hereby me. 2. not later than � They shouldhave arrived by now. � You must behome by eleven o’clock. � It must be fin-ished by Friday. 3. used for showing themeans of doing something � Send theparcel by airmail. � Get in touch withthe office by phone. � They came by car.� She caught a cold by standing in therain. � You make the drink by addingchampagne to orange juice. � She paidby cheque, not by credit card. 4. used forshowing the person or thing that didsomething � a painting by Van Gogh �a CD recorded by our local group �‘Hamlet’ is a play by Shakespeare. �The postman was bitten by the dog. �


bye 44 bye

She was knocked down by a car. 5. usedfor showing amounts � We sell toma-toes by the kilo. � Eggs are sold by thedozen. � Prices have been increased by5%. � They won by 4 goals to 2. � ad-

verb past � She drove by without seeingus.

byebye /ba/, bye-bye /�ba �ba/ interjectiongoodbye (informal)


Cc

c /si/, C noun the third letter of the alpha-bet, between B and D

cab

cab /k�b/ noun 1. a taxi � He took a cabto the airport. � Can you phone for acab, please? � Cab fares are very highin New York. 2. a separate part of a largevehicle for a driver � The truck driverclimbed into his cab and started the en-gine.

cabbage

cabbage /�k�bd"/ noun a vegetablewith large pale green or red leaves fold-ed into a tight ball

cabin

cabin /�k�bn/ noun 1. a small room ona ship � We booked a first-class cabinon the cruise. 2. the inside of an aircraft� The aircraft is divided into three sep-arate passenger cabins: first-class,business and tourist. 3. a small hut � Hehas a cabin by a lake where he goes fish-ing.

cabinet

cabinet /�k�bnət/ noun 1. a piece offurniture with shelves � a china cabinet2. a committee formed from the mostimportant members of a government �The cabinet met at 10 o’clock this morn-ing. � There’s a cabinet meeting everyTuesday morning.

cable

cable /�keb(ə)l/ noun 1. a wire for car-rying electricity or electronic signals �He ran a cable out into the garden sothat he could use the lawnmower. �They’ve been digging up the pavementsto lay cables. 2. a thick rope or wire �The ship was attached to the quay by ca-bles. 3. same as cable television

cable television

cable television /�keb(ə)l tel�

�v"(ə)n/, cable TV /�keb(ə)l ti��vi/noun a television system where the sig-nals are sent along underground cables

cactus

cactus /�k�ktəs/ noun a plant withthorns which grows in the desert (NOTE:The plural is cactuses or cacti/�k�kta/.)

cafécafé /�k�fe/ noun a small restaurantselling drinks or light meals � We had asnack in the station café.

cagecage /ked"/ noun a box made of wire orwith metal bars for keeping birds or an-imals in � The rabbit got out of its cage.

cageycagey /�ked"i/ adjective not wanting toshare information (informal) � They’rebeing very cagey about their relation-ship. (NOTE: cagier – cagiest)

cakecake /kek/ noun food made by mixingflour, eggs and sugar, and baking it � apiece of cherry cake � She had six can-dles on her birthday cake. � Have an-other slice of Christmas cake.

calculatecalculate /�k�lkjυ��let/ verb to find theanswer to a problem using numbers �The bank clerk calculated the rate of ex-change for the dollar. � He calculatedthat it would take us six hours to finishthe job.

calculationcalculation /�k�lkjυ��leʃ(ə)n/ noun 1.a series of numbers that you obtainwhen you are calculating something �According to my calculations, we haveenough fuel left to do only twenty kilo-metres. 2. the act of calculating

calculatorcalculator /�k�lkjυletə/ noun a smallelectronic machine for doing calcula-tions

calendarcalendar /�k�lndə/ noun a set of pagesshowing the days and months of theyear

calfcalf /kɑf/ noun 1. a young cow or bull 2.the back part of someone’s leg betweenthe ankle and the knee (NOTE: The pluralis calves /kɑvz/. The meat from a calfis veal.)

callcall /kɔl/ verb 1. to say something loudlyto someone who is some distance away� Call the children when it’s time fortea. 2. to telephone someone � If hecomes back, tell him I’ll call him whenI’m in the office. � Mr Smith is out –shall I ask him to call you back? � Call


callbox 46 can

the police – the shop has been burgled!� Can you call me a cab, please? 3. towake someone � Call me at 7 o’clock.4. to give someone or something a name� They’re going to call the baby Sam. �His name is John but everyone calls himJack. � What do you call this computerprogramme? 5. to be called to have asa name � Our cat’s called Felix. 6. tovisit someone or somewhere � Wecalled at the house, but there was no onethere. � noun 1. a telephone conversa-tion, or an attempt to get in touch withsomeone by telephone � Were there anycalls for me while I was out? � to makea (telephone or phone) call to makecontact with and speak to someone onthe telephone � She wants to make acall to Australia. � to take a call to an-swer the telephone 2. a telephone call orshort conversation to wake someone �He asked for an early morning call. � Iwant a call at 7 o’clock I want someoneto wake me at 7 o’clock 3. a visit tosomeone’s home or place of work � Thedoctor made three calls on patients thismorning. � to make a call to visit some-one or somewhere, especially on busi-ness � on call available for duty

call off phrasal verb to decide not to dosomething which had been plannedcall on phrasal verb 1. to visit someone� She called on her mother to see howshe was. 2. to ask someone to do some-thing � The police have called on every-one to watch out for the escapedprisoner.call round phrasal verb same as callverb 6 � The whole family called roundto see if she was better.

callbox

callbox /�kɔlbɒks/ noun a public tele-phone box � I’m phoning from the call-box outside the station. (NOTE: The plu-ral is callboxes.)

calm

calm /kɑm/ adjective 1. not anxious orexcited � Keep calm, everything will beall right. 2. not violent or rough � Thesea was perfectly calm and no one wasseasick. (NOTE: calmer – calmest) �noun a period of quiet � The calm of theSunday afternoon was broken by thesound of jazz from the house next door.

� verb to make someone, or a situation,more peaceful

calm down phrasal verb 1. to becomequieter and less annoyed � After shout-ing for some minutes he finally calmeddown. 2. to make someone quieter �She stroked his hand to try to calm himdown.

calmly

calmly /�kɑmli/ adverb in a way that isnot anxious or excited

came

came /kem/ past tense of comecamel

camel /�k�m(ə)l/ noun a desert animalwith long legs and one or two largeround raised parts on its back

camera

camera /�k�m(ə)rə/ noun a piece ofequipment for taking photographs � Hetook a picture of the garden with his newcamera. � Did you remember to put afilm in your camera?

camp

camp /k�mp/ noun a place where peoplelive in tents or small buildings in theopen air � We set up camp halfway upthe mountain. � verb to spend a periodof time in a tent � They camped for aweek by the side of the lake. � to gocamping to spend a holiday in a tent �We go camping in Sweden every sum-mer.

campaign

campaign /k�m��pen/ noun 1. an or-ganised attempt to achieve something �a publicity campaign � an advertisingcampaign � He’s organising a cam-paign against the new motorway. � Thegovernment’s planning an anti-smokingcampaign. 2. an organised military at-tack � Napoleon’s Russian campaign of1812 � verb to work in an organisedway to achieve something � The grouphas been campaigning for the banningof landmines. � They campaign againstnuclear reactors.

can

can /k�n/ noun a round metal containerfor food or drink � He opened a can oflemonade. � Empty beer cans were allover the pavement. � She opened a canof beans. � tin � modal verb 1. to beable to do something � He can swimwell but he can’t ride a bike. � She can’trun as fast as I can. � Can you remem-ber what the doctor told us to do? � Ican’t bear to watch any longer. 2. to beallowed to do something � Children un-


canal 47 capital

der 18 can’t drive cars. � He says wecan go in. � The policeman says wecan’t park here. 3. to ask politely � Canwe come in, please? � Can you shut thedoor, please? (NOTE: The negative iscannot, usually can’t. The past tenseis could, could not, usually couldn’t.Can and could are only used with oth-er verbs, and are not followed by theword to.) � verb to put food in cans(NOTE: cans – canning – canned)

canalcanal /kə��n�l/ noun an artificial rivermade between rivers or lakes or fromthe sea, originally for moving cargo

cancelcancel /�k�nsəl/ verb to stop somethingwhich has been planned � The singerwas ill, so the show had to be cancelled.(NOTE: cancels – cancelling – can-celled)

cancellationcancellation /�k�nsə��leʃ(ə)n/ noun 1.the act of cancelling something � Theevent is subject to cancellation if theweather is bad. 2. a seat, ticket or ap-pointment which is available again be-cause the person who bought it cannotuse it � If we have a cancellation fornext week I’ll call and let you know.

cancercancer /�k�nsə/ noun a serious diseaseaffecting different parts of the body inwhich cells grow in a way which is notusual

candidatecandidate /�k�nddet/ noun 1. a per-son who applies for a job � We inter-viewed six candidates for the post of as-sistant manager. 2. a person who has en-tered for an examination � Candidatesare given three hours to complete the ex-am. 3. a person who is taking part in anelection or competing for a prize � Sheaccompanied the candidate round theconstituency. 4. someone or somethingthat is likely to be chosen for or besomething � a city that is a candidatefor the next Olympics

candlecandle /�k�nd(ə)l/ noun a stick of waxwith a string in the centre, which youburn to give light

candycandy /�k�ndi/ noun 1. US a sweet foodmade with sugar � Eating candy is badfor your teeth. (NOTE: no plural in thissense) 2. one piece of this food � Shebought a box of candies. (NOTE: Theplural in this sense is candies.)

cane

cane /ken/ noun 1. a strong stem of aplant, especially of tall thin plants likebamboo � a raspberry cane 2. a walk-ing stick cut from the stem of sometypes of plant � She was leaning heavilyon a cane as she walked up the path.

cannot

cannot /�k�nɒt/ � cancanoe

canoe /kə��nu/ noun a boat with twopointed ends, which is moved forwardsby one or more people using long piecesof wood � She paddled her canoeacross the lake. � verb to travel in a ca-noe � They canoed down the river.(NOTE: canoes – canoeing – canoed)

can’t

can’t /kɑnt/ � cancanvas

canvas /�k�nvəs/ noun a thick cloth formaking things such as tents, sails orshoes � He was wearing a pair of oldcanvas shoes. (NOTE: The plural is can-vases.)

cap

cap /k�p/ noun 1. a flat hat with a flathard piece in front � a baseball cap �an officer’s cap with a gold badge 2. alid which covers something � a red penwith a black cap � Screw the cap backon the medicine bottle.

capability

capability /�kepə��blti/ noun the prac-tical ability to do something � We havethe capability to produce a better ma-chine than this.

capable

capable /�kepəb(ə)l/ adjective able towork well and to deal with problems �She’s an extremely capable manager. �capable of able to do something � Thecar is capable of very high speeds. �She isn’t capable of running the confer-ence without help.

capacity

capacity /kə��p�sti/ noun 1. an amountwhich something can hold � This barrelhas a larger capacity than that one. �The cinema was filled to capacity. � towork at full capacity to do as muchwork as possible 2. the situation thatsomeone is in or the job they have � act-ing in his capacity as manager actingas a manager � speaking in an officialcapacity speaking officially

capital

capital /�k�pt(ə)l/ noun 1. the maincity of a country, usually where the gov-ernment is � The capital is in the east-ern part of the country. � Madrid is thecapital of Spain. 2. money which is in-


captain 48 careless

vested � a company with £10,000 capi-tal or with a capital of £10,000. 3. alsocapital letter a letter written as A, B, C,D, etc., rather than a, b, c, d, etc.

captain

captain /�k�ptn/ noun 1. a person incharge of a team � The two captainsshook hands at the beginning of thematch. 2. a person in charge of a ship oraircraft � The captain greeted us as wecame on board. � Captain Smith is fly-ing the plane. 3. a rank in the armyabove a lieutenant and below a major(NOTE: When used as a title before asurname, it is spelt with a capital letterand is often written as Capt.)

capture

capture /�k�ptʃə/ verb 1. to take some-one as a prisoner � Four soldiers werecaptured in the attack. 2. to take some-thing by force, especially in war � Theycaptured the enemy capital very quickly.

car

car /kɑ/ noun 1. a small private motorvehicle for carrying people � He drovehis car into the garage. � He goes to hisoffice every morning by car. 2. US a car-riage of a railway train � Is there a res-taurant car on the train?

caravan

caravan /�k�rəv�n/ noun a vehiclewhich you can live in, especially on hol-iday, and which, if small enough, can beattached to a car and pulled along � Wegot stuck behind a caravan on a narrowroad. � We rent a caravan near thebeach every summer.

card

card /kɑd/ noun 1. a flat piece of stiffpaper with a picture on one side, whichyou can send with a message � Theysent us a card from Italy. � How muchdoes it cost to send a card to Australia?� postcard 2. a piece of stiff paper,folded so that a message can be writteninside � She sent me a lovely card on mybirthday. 3. a piece of stiff paper with apicture or pattern on it, used to playgames 4. a piece of stiff paper with yourname and address printed on it � Hegave me his business card. � I’ve lostmy membership card. 5. a piece of stiffplastic used for payment � Do you wantto pay cash or by card? � plural nouncards the entertainment of playinggames with a special set of cards withnumbers or patterns on them � a game

of cards a period of playing with a spe-cial set of cards

cardboardcardboard /�kɑdbɔd/ noun thick card,often used for making boxes (NOTE: noplural: some cardboard; a piece ofcardboard)

carecare /keə/ noun 1. serious and careful at-tention � He handled the glass withgreat care. � to take care to be verycareful � Take care when you cross theroad. � He took great care with the boxof glasses. � Take care not to be late. 2.looking after someone � the care of theelderly � to take care of someone tolook after someone � Will you take careof the children for the weekend for me?� verb to be worried � I don’t care if mycar is dirty. � She cares a lot about theenvironment. � someone couldn’tcare less used to show that someonedoes not worry at all about something �Paul couldn’t care less about what wethink – he’s got his own plans.care for phrasal verb 1. to like some-one or something � I don’t care for thismusic very much. � I met her once, butI didn’t much care for her. � Would youcare for another cup of coffee? 2. tolook after people � Nurses cared for theinjured people after the accident. �People who have to care for their elder-ly relatives need extra help.

careercareer /kə��rə/ noun the work someonedoes throughout their life � She is start-ing her career as a librarian. � He gaveup his career as a civil servant andbought a farm.

carefulcareful /�keəf(ə)l/ adjective 1. showingattention to details � We are always verycareful to include the most recent infor-mation. � The project needs very care-ful planning. 2. taking care not to makemistakes or cause harm � Be careful notto make any noise – the baby is asleep.� She is very careful about what sheeats.

carefullycarefully /�keəf(ə)li/ adverb with greatcare or thought � The holiday had beencarefully planned or planned carefully.

carelesscareless /�keələs/ adjective without anycare or thought � He is careless abouthis work. � He made several carelessmistakes when he took his driving test.


carelessly 49 cassettecarelessly

carelessly /�keələsli/ adverb withouttaking care or thinking carefully

carelessness

carelessness /�keələsnəs/ noun thefact of being careless or not thinkingcarefully

caretaker

caretaker /�keətekə/ noun a personwho looks after a building

cargo

cargo /�kɑ'əυ/ noun goods carried on aship or a plane

caring

caring /�keərŋ/ adjective kind and help-ful � a very caring person

car park

car park /�kɑ pɑk/ noun a public placewhere you can leave a car when you arenot using it

carpet

carpet /�kɑpt/ noun thick material forcovering floors � He spilt his coffee onour new cream carpet.

carriage

carriage /�k�rd"/ noun 1. one of thevehicles that are joined together to makea train � Where’s the first-class carriageon this train? 2. a vehicle, especially anold-fashioned one, that is pulled by ahorse 3. the cost of carrying goods, orthe action of carrying goods � Carriageis 15% of the total cost. � How much dothey charge for carriage?

carried

carried /�k�rd/ past tense and past par-ticiple of carry

carries

carries /�k�riz/ 3rd person singularpresent of carry

carrot

carrot /�k�rət/ noun 1. a vegetable witha long orange root 2. something goodthat persuades you to do something(informal) � He was offered the carrotof a big pay rise to take on the newproject.

carry

carry /�k�ri/ verb 1. to take somethingand move it to another place � Therewas no lift, so they had to carry the bedsup the stairs. � The plane was carrying120 passengers. � That suitcase is tooheavy for me to carry. 2. (of sound) tobe heard at a distance � The sound of thebells carries for miles. (NOTE: carries –carrying – carried) � to get carriedaway to become emotional or excitedcarry on phrasal verb to continue do-ing something � When the teacher camein, the students all carried on talking. �They carried on with their work rightthrough the lunch hour.

carry out phrasal verb to do some-thing, especially something that hasbeen planned � Doctors carried outtests on the patients. � The police arecarrying out a search for the missingman.

cartoon

cartoon /kɑ��tun/ noun 1. a film madeof moving drawings � I like watchingTom and Jerry cartoons. 2. a funny, of-ten political, drawing in a newspaper

carve

carve /kɑv/ verb 1. to cut up a largepiece of meat at a meal � Who’s goingto carve the chicken? 2. to make a shapeby cutting stone or wood � He carved abird out of wood.

case

case /kes/ noun 1. a box with a handle,for carrying things such as your clotheswhen travelling � She was still packingher case when the taxi came. � The cus-toms made him open his case. � suit-case 2. a special box for an object �Put the gun back in its case. � I’ve lostmy red glasses case. 3. a large box for aset of goods to be sold � He bought acase of wine. 4. a situation, or a way inwhich something happens � a case ofhaving made a poor choice � In manycases, we cannot find the owner of thegoods. � in that case if that happens orif that is the situation � There is a strikeon the underground – In that case,you’ll have to take a bus. 5. same ascourt case � in case because some-thing might happen � It’s still sunny, butI’ll take my umbrella just in case. � inany case 1. whatever may happen �We could move the cabinet upstairs orinto the dining room, but in any casewe’ll need some help. 2. used to addsomething to a statement

cash

cash /k�ʃ/ noun money in coins andnotes, not in cheques � We don’t keepmuch cash in the office. � I’d prefer touse up my spare cash, rather than paywith a credit card.cash in phrasal verb to make moneyfrom something � The company cashedin on the huge interest in computergames.

cassette

cassette /kə��set/ noun a plastic casecontaining magnetic tape which can beused for listening to words or music, orrecording sounds � Do you want it on


cast 50 ceiling

cassette or CD? � He bought a cassetteof folk songs. � We recorded the poemsonto a cassette.

cast

cast /kɑst/ noun all the actors in a playor film � The film has a large cast. �verb to choose actors for a play or film� In his first film, he was cast as a sol-dier. (NOTE: casts – casting – cast)

castle

castle /�kɑs(ə)l/ noun a large buildingwith strong walls built in the past forprotection in war � The soldiers shut thecastle gate.

casually

casually /�k�"jυəli/ adverb in an infor-mal way � He casually mentioned thathe had got married last Saturday.

cat

cat /k�t/ noun an animal with soft furand a long tail, kept as a pet

catalogue

catalogue /�k�t(ə)lɒ'/ noun a list ofthings for sale or in a library or museum� an office equipment catalogue � Lookup the title in the library catalogue. �verb to make a list of things that existsomewhere � She spent months cata-loguing the novelist’s correspondence.

catch

catch /k�tʃ/ verb 1. to take hold ofsomething moving in the air � Can youcatch a ball with your left hand? � Hemanaged to catch the glass before it hitthe floor. 2. to take hold of something �She caught him by the sleeve as heturned away. � As he slipped, he caughtthe rail to stop himself falling. 3. to gethold of an animal, especially in order tokill and eat it � He sat by the river allday but didn’t catch anything. � Our catis no good at catching mice – she’s toolazy. 4. to get on a vehicle such as a bus,plane or train before it leaves � You willhave to run if you want to catch the lastbus. � He caught the 10 o’clock train toParis. 5. to get an illness � He caught acold from his colleague. 6. to find some-one doing something wrong � Shecaught the boys stealing in her shop. �The police caught the burglar as he wasclimbing out of the window. 7. to hearsomething � I didn’t quite catch whatyou said. (NOTE: catches – catching –caught /kɔt/ – has caught) � noun 1.the action of taking and holding a ball asit moves through the air � He made amarvellous catch. � I dropped an easycatch. 2. a hidden disadvantage � It

seems such a good deal, but there mustbe a catch in it somewhere.

catch up phrasal verb to move to thesame level as someone who is in front ofyou

catching

catching /�k�tʃŋ/ adjective (of an ill-ness) likely to spread from one personto another

category

category /�k�t'(ə)ri/ noun one of thegroups that people, animals or things aredivided into in a formal system � Wegrouped the books into categories ac-cording to subject. (NOTE: The plural iscategories.)

caterpillar

caterpillar /�k�təplə/ noun a smalllong insect with many legs, which de-velops into a butterfly � Caterpillarshave eaten most of the leaves on ourtrees.

cathedral

cathedral /kə��θidrəl/ noun the largestand the most important church in anarea

cattle

cattle /�k�t(ə)l/ plural noun animalssuch as cows and bulls which farmerskeep for milk or meat

caught

caught /kɔt/ past tense and past partici-ple of catch

cause

cause /kɔz/ noun 1. something whichmakes something else happen � What isthe main cause of traffic accidents? �The police tried to find the cause of thefire. 2. an aim, organisation or ideawhich people support � She is fightingfor the cause of working mothers. �verb to make something happen � Theaccident caused a traffic jam on the mo-torway. � The sudden noise caused herto drop the cup she was carrying.

cautious

cautious /�kɔʃəs/ adjective not willingto take risks � She’s a very cautiousdriver.

cave

cave /kev/ noun a large undergroundhole in rock or earth

CD

CD abbr compact disc � You can get it onCD.

cease

cease /sis/ verb to stop, or to stop doingsomething (formal)

ceiling

ceiling /�silŋ/ noun the solid part of aroom that is above you � He’s so tall, hecan easily touch the ceiling. � He paint-


celebrate 51 certainly

ed the kitchen ceiling. � The bedroomhas a very low ceiling.

celebrate

celebrate /�selbret/ verb to have a par-ty, or do special things because some-thing good has happened, or because ofsomething that happened at a particulartime in the past � Our team won, sowe’re all going out to celebrate. � Theycelebrated their wedding anniversarywith their children.

celebration

celebration /�sel��breʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. aparty or festival � We had my birthdaycelebration in the local pub. � After ourteam won, the celebrations went on lateinto the night. 2. the activity of celebrat-ing something � a time of celebration �in celebration of something as an actof celebrating something � an exhibi-tion in celebration of the opening of thenew gallery

cell

cell /sel/ noun 1. a small room in a build-ing such as a prison or monastery � Hewas arrested and spent the night in thepolice cells. 2. the basic unit of a livingthing � You can see the blood cellsclearly under a microscope. (NOTE: Donot confuse with sell.)

cellar

cellar /�selə/ noun an underground roomor rooms under a house

cement

cement /s��ment/ noun grey powderused in building, which is mixed withwater and dries hard � He was mixingcement to make a path round the house.

cemetery

cemetery /�semət(ə)ri/ noun an area ofground where the bodies of dead peopleare buried (NOTE: The plural is ceme-teries.)

cent

cent /sent/ noun US a small coin ofwhich there are 100 in a dollar (NOTE:Do not confuse with sent, scent. Centis usually written c in prices: 25c, butnot when a dollar price is mentioned:$1.25.)

center

center /�sentə/ noun, verb US spellingof centre

central

central /�sentrəl/ adjective 1. in the mid-dle of something � The hall has onecentral pillar. 2. conveniently placed forshops and other facilities � His officesare very central.

centre

centre /�sentə/ noun 1. the middle ofsomething � chocolates with coffee

cream centres � They planted a rosebush in the centre of the lawn. � Thetown centre is very old. 2. a large build-ing containing several different sections� an army training centre 3. an impor-tant place for something � Nottinghamis the centre for the shoe industry. �verb 1. to put something in the middle �Make sure you centre the title on thepage. 2. to concentrate on something �Our report centres on some aspects ofthe sales team.

century

century /�sentʃəri/ noun one hundredyears (NOTE: The plural is centuries.The number of a century is always onemore than the date number, so the pe-riod from 1900 to 1999 is the 20th cen-tury, and the period starting in the year2000 is the 21st century.)

cereal

cereal /�səriəl/ noun 1. a food madefrom wheat or similar plants and eatenfor breakfast � How much milk do youwant on your cereal? (NOTE: Do notconfuse with serial.) 2. a grain cropsuch as wheat or corn

ceremony

ceremony /�serməni/ noun an impor-tant official occasion when somethingspecial is done in public � They held ashort ceremony to remember the victimsof the train crash. � to stand on cere-mony to be formal and not relaxed �

without ceremony in an informal andoften impolite way

certain

certain /�s�t(ə)n/ adjective 1. sureabout something � Are you certain thatyou locked the door? � I’m not certainwhere she lives. 2. definitely going tohappen � Our team is certain to win theprize. 3. some � There are certainthings I feel I need to say to you. � Cer-tain plants can make you ill if you eatthem. � to make certain that to dosomething in order that something elsewill definitely happen � He put themoney in his safe to make certain thatno one could steal it.

certainly

certainly /�s�t(ə)nli/ adverb 1. ofcourse (after a question or order) �Can you give me a lift to the station? –Certainly. � Tell him to write to me im-mediately. – Certainly, sir. � Give me akiss. – Certainly not! 2. definitely � She


certificate 52 championship

certainly impressed the judges. � Hecertainly knows how to score goals.

certificate

certificate /sə��tfkət/ noun an officialdocument which proves or shows some-thing � She has been awarded a certifi-cate for swimming. � He has a certifi-cate of competence in English.

chain

chain /tʃen/ noun 1. a series of metalrings joined together � She wore a goldchain round her neck. � He stoppedwhen the chain came off his bike. 2. a se-ries of businesses such as shops, restau-rants or hotels which belong to the samecompany � a chain of hotels or a hotelchain � a chain of shoe shops � verb toattach with a chain � I chained my biketo the fence.

chair

chair /tʃeə/ noun 1. a piece of furniturewith a back, which you can sit on � Hepulled up a chair and started to write. �These chairs are very hard. 2. the per-son who is in charge of a meeting �Please address all your comments to thechair. � in the chair the position of con-trolling what happens at a meeting �Mrs Smith was in the chair for our firstmeeting. � verb to be the person con-trolling what happens at a meeting �The meeting was chaired by Mrs Smith.

chairman

chairman /�tʃeəmən/ noun the personwho controls what happens at a meeting� Mrs Jones was the chairman at themeeting. (NOTE: The plural is chair-men. Many people prefer to say chairor chairperson because chairmansuggests that the person is a man.)

chairperson

chairperson /�tʃeəp�s(ə)n/ noun theperson who controls what happens at ameeting

chairwoman

chairwoman /�tʃeəwυmən/ noun awoman who controls what happens at ameeting (NOTE: The plural is chair-women.)

chalk

chalk /tʃɔk/ noun 1. a type of soft whiterock 2. a stick of a hard white or col-oured substance used for writing on aboard, e.g. in a classroom � He wrotethe dates up on the board in colouredchalk.

chalkboard

chalkboard /�tʃɔkbɔd/ noun a darkboard which you can write on withchalk, especially on the wall of a class-

room (NOTE: Now often preferred to‘blackboard’.)

challenge

challenge /�tʃ�lnd"/ noun 1. a diffi-cult test of someone’s skill or strength �It’s a difficult job, but I enjoy the chal-lenge. � to pose a challenge to some-one to be extremely difficult to do �Getting the piano up the stairs will posea challenge to the helpers. 2. an invita-tion to something such as a fight or com-petition � Our team accepted the chal-lenge to play another game. 3. an actionthat shows there are doubts about thetruth, accuracy or legality of something� a challenge over the ownership of theproperty � verb 1. to accept an invita-tion to a contest 2. to ask someone toprove that they are right � When chal-lenged, he admitted that he had seen herget into a car. � The committee’s con-clusions have been challenged by otherexperts. � to take up the challenge 1.to accept an invitation to a contest �Our team took up the challenge to playanother game. 2. to decide to prove thatyou are right about something or able todo something difficult � She decided totake up the challenge of being the firstwoman to complete the course.

challenged

challenged /�tʃ�lnd"d/ adjective 1.unable to do a particular activity easily,especially because of physical or mentaldisadvantages 2. not having a particularquality (humorous) � a scientificallychallenged (=not accurate according toscience) account of the new cancertreatment

champion

champion /�tʃ�mpiən/ noun 1. the bestone in a particular competition � achampion swimmer � He’s the worldchampion in the 100 metres. � Theirdog was champion two years running.2. a person who strongly supports some-thing or someone � a champion of freecity centre transport � verb to supportsomething or someone strongly � Theyhave been championing or championingthe cause of children’s rights for manyyears.

championship

championship /�tʃ�mpiənʃp/ noun acontest to find who is the champion �The tennis championship was won by aboy from Leeds.


chance 53 characteristicchance

chance /tʃɑns/ noun 1. a possibility �There is little chance of rain in August.� What are their chances of survival inthis weather? � a chance of doingsomething a possibility of doing some-thing 2. an opportunity � I’ve beenwaiting for a chance like this for a longtime. � The trip was a good chance forus to meet old friends. � a or the chanceto do something an opportunity to dosomething � I wish I’d had the chanceto visit South Africa. 3. luck or accident� The satisfactory outcome owed moreto chance than to good planning. � Itwas pure chance that we met at the sta-tion. � by chance in a way that was notplanned or expected � It was quite bychance that we were travelling on thesame bus. � by any chance perhaps �Have you by any chance seen my glass-es?

change

change /tʃend"/ verb 1. to become dif-ferent, or make something different �She’s changed so much since I last sawher that I hardly recognised her. � Liv-ing in the country has changed his atti-tude towards towns. 2. to become differ-ent � London has changed a lot sincewe used to live there. � He’s changed somuch since I last saw him. 3. to put ondifferent clothes � I’m just going up-stairs to change or to get changed. � Gointo the bathroom if you want to changeyour dress. 4. to use or have somethingin place of something else � You oughtto change your car tyres if they areworn. � Can we change our room forone with a view of the sea? � She’s re-cently changed her job or changed jobs.5. to give one country’s money for an-other � I had to change £1,000 into dol-lars. � We want to change some travel-ler’s cheques. � noun 1. an occasion onwhich something is changed � Therewas a sudden change of plan. � We’veseen a lot of changes over the years. 2.something different � We usually go onholiday in summer, but this year we’retaking a winter holiday for a change. �A change of scenery will do you good. �A glass of water is a nice change afterall that coffee. 3. money in coins � Ineed some change for the parking meter.� Have you got change for a £5 note? 4.

money which you get back when youhave given more than the correct price �So that’s £1.50 change from £5. � Theshopkeeper gave me the wrong change.

channel

channel /�tʃ�n(ə)l/ noun 1. a frequencyband for radio or TV or a station usingthis band � We’re watching Channel 4.� Shall we watch the new show on theother channel? 2. a way in which infor-mation or goods are passed from oneplace to another � The request will haveto be processed through the normalchannels. 3. a narrow passage alongwhich water can flow 4. a piece of waterconnecting two seas � the EnglishChannel � verb to send something in aparticular direction � They are channel-ling their funds into research. (NOTE:channels – channelling – chan-nelled. The US spelling is channeling– channeled.)

chaoschaos /�keɒs/ noun a state of confusion� There was total chaos when the elec-tricity failed.

chapchap /tʃ�p/ noun a man (informal) �He’s a really nice chap. � I bought itfrom a chap at work.

chapelchapel /�tʃ�p(ə)l/ noun 1. a room usedas a church, e.g. in a hospital or airport2. a part of a large church � the westchapel of the cathedral � The westchapel of the cathedral is dedicated toSt Teresa.

chapterchapter /�tʃ�ptə/ noun a division of abook � The first chapter is rather slow,but after that the story gets exciting. �Don’t tell me how it finishes – I’m onlyup to chapter three.

charactercharacter /�k�rktə/ noun 1. the part ofa person which makes them behave dif-ferently from all others � He has astrong, determined character. 2. a per-son in a play or novel � The main char-acter in the film is an old woman with afascinating history. 3. a person with par-ticular qualities � He’s an interestingcharacter. � quite a or a real characteran interesting and unusual person � Myfirst head teacher was quite a character.

characteristiccharacteristic /�k�rktə��rstk/ adjec-tive typical � You can recognise her byher characteristic way of walking. �The shape is characteristic of this type


charge 54 cheat

of flower. (NOTE: something is charac-teristic of something) � noun a typicalfeature � The two cars have very similarcharacteristics.

charge

charge /tʃɑd"/ noun 1. money whichyou have to pay � There is no charge fordelivery. � We make a small charge forrental. 2. a claim by the police thatsomeone has done something wrong �He was in prison on a charge of tryingto shoot a neighbour. 3. a sudden rushtowards someone or something, espe-cially as part of an attack � The policestood firm against the charge of thecrowd. 4. a statement that someone hasdone something bad or wrong � I com-pletely reject the charge that I had thesefacts before I made the decision. � verb1. to ask someone to pay � The restau-rant charged me £10 for two glasses ofwine. � How much did the garagecharge for mending the car? 2. (of thepolice) to say that someone has donesomething wrong � She was chargedwith stealing the jewels. 3. to attacksomeone while running � The policecharged the rioters. � If the bull charg-es, run as fast as you can for the gate! 4.to run quickly and without care � Thechildren charged into the kitchen. 5. toput electricity into a battery � You cancharge your phone battery overnight. �in charge of something in control ofsomething � Who’s in charge here? �He was put in charge of the sales de-partment. � to take charge of some-thing to start to be responsible forsomething � She took charge of theclass while the teacher was out of theroom.

charity

charity /�tʃ�rt/ noun an organisationwhich collects money to help the pooror to support some cause � a medicalcharity (NOTE: The plural is charities.)

charm

charm /tʃɑm/ noun 1. attractiveness �the charm of the Devon countryside �She has great personal charm. 2. an ob-ject which is supposed to have magicalpowers � She wears a lucky charmround her neck. � verb 1. to attractsomeone, or to make someone pleased� He always manages to charm some-one into helping him. � I was charmed

by the village and surrounding area. 2.to use magic on someone or something� The fairy charmed the trees to growgolden fruit.

charmingcharming /�tʃɑmŋ/ adjective attrac-tive

chartercharter /�tʃɑtə/ noun a legal documentgiving rights or privileges to a public or-ganisation, a group of people, or a town� a shoppers’ charter � The universityreceived its charter in 1846. � verb tohire an aircraft, bus or boat for a partic-ular trip � We chartered a boat for a daytrip to the island.

chasechase /tʃes/ verb 1. to go after someonein order to try to catch him or her � Thepostman was chased by a dog. � Theychased the burglars down the street. 2.to find out how work is progressing inorder to try to speed it up � We are try-ing to chase the accounts departmentfor your cheque. � I will chase up yourorder with the production department.� noun an occasion on which you runafter someone to try to catch them � Hewas caught after a three-hour chasealong the motorway. � to give chase torun after someone in order to try to catchhim or her � The robbers escaped andthe police gave chase.chase up phrasal verb to find out howwork is progressing in order to try tospeed it up � I’ll chase it up for you onMonday.

chatchat /tʃ�t/ noun an informal, friendlytalk � She likes to drop in for a cup ofcoffee and a chat. � I’d like to have achat with you about your work.

cheapcheap /tʃip/ adjective not costing a lotof money � I want to buy a cheap radio.� Why do you go by bus? – Because it’scheaper than the train. � Buses are thecheapest way to travel. � adverb at alow price � I bought them cheap in thelocal market.

cheaplycheaply /�tʃipli/ adverb 1. withoutspending much money � cheaply madefurniture � You can live quite cheaply ifyou don’t go out to eat in restaurants. 2.at a low price � They were selling thelast few bottles cheaply.

cheatcheat /tʃit/ verb to act unfairly in orderto be successful � They are sure he


check 55 chest

cheated in his exam, but can’t find outhow he did it. � noun a person who actsunfairly in order to win � I won’t playcards with him again, he’s a cheat.

check

check /tʃek/ noun 1. an examination ortest � The police are carrying outchecks on all cars. � A routine check ofthe fire equipment. 2. US (in a restau-rant) a bill � I’ll ask for the check. �verb 1. to make sure � I’d better checkwith the office if there are any messagesfor me. � Did you lock the door? – I’llgo and check. 2. to examine somethingto see if it is satisfactory � You musthave your car checked every 10,000miles. � in check under controlcheck in phrasal verb 1. (at a hotel) toarrive at a hotel and sign for a room �He checked in at 12.15. � We checkedinto our hotel and then went on a tour ofthe town. 2. (at an airport) to give inyour ticket to show you are ready to takethe flight � Please check in two hoursbefore your departure time.check out phrasal verb 1. (at a hotel)to leave and pay for a room � We’d bet-ter check out before breakfast. 2. to seeif something is all right � I thought Iheard a noise in the kitchen – I’ll just goand check it out.

check-in

check-in /�tʃek n/ noun 1. also check-in desk a place where passengers givein their tickets and bags for a flight �Where’s the check-in? 2. the procedureof dealing with passengers before aflight � Check-in starts at 4.30pm.

checkout

checkout /�tʃekaυt/ noun a cash desk ina supermarket where you pay for thegoods you have bought � There werehuge queues at the checkouts.

cheek

cheek /tʃik/ noun 1. the part of the faceon each side of the nose and below theeye � a baby with red cheeks 2. rude-ness � He had the cheek to ask for moremoney. � I didn’t like his cheek. (NOTE:no plural in this sense)

cheekily

cheekily /�tʃikli/ adverb in a rude waycheeky

cheeky /�tʃiki/ adjective rude (NOTE:cheekier – cheekiest)

cheer

cheer /tʃə/ noun a shout of praise or en-couragement � When he scored the goala great cheer went up.

cheer up phrasal verb to become hap-pier, or make someone happier � I’msure I’ll cheer up once the treatment isover. � She made him a meal to try tocheer him up. � cheer up! stop beingunhappy � Cheer up! It’ll all be over to-morrow.

cheerfulcheerful /�tʃəf(ə)l/ adjective 1. happy2. pleasant � a cheerful smile � a brightcheerful room

cheesecheese /tʃiz/ noun a solid food madefrom milk � At the end of the meal we’llhave cheese and biscuits.

chefchef /ʃef/ noun a cook in a restaurantchemicalchemical /�kemk(ə)l/ noun a substance

which is formed by reactions betweenchemicals � rows of glass bottles con-taining chemicals � Chemicals arewidely used in farming and medicine. �adjective relating to chemistry � If youadd acid it sets off a chemical reaction.

chemist

chemist /�kemst/ noun 1. a person whoprepares and sells medicines � Ask thechemist to give you something for thepain. 2. a scientist who studies chemicalsubstances

chemistry

chemistry /�kemstri/ noun the scienceof chemical substances and their reac-tions � She’s studying chemistry at uni-versity. � He passed his chemistry ex-am.

chequecheque /tʃek/ noun a form asking abank to pay money from one account toanother � I paid for the jacket bycheque. � He made out the cheque to MrSmith. � He’s forgotten to sign thecheque.

cherry

cherry /�tʃeri/ noun a small sweet red orblack fruit with a single hard seed in themiddle, which grows on a tree

chess

chess /tʃes/ noun a game for two peopleplayed on a board with sixteen different-shaped pieces on each side (NOTE: noplural)

chest

chest /tʃest/ noun 1. the top front part ofthe body, where the heart and lungs are� If you have pains in your chest or ifyou have chest pains, you ought to see adoctor. � The doctor listened to the pa-tient’s chest. � She was rushed to hospi-tal with chest wounds. � He has a 48-inch chest. 2. a measurement around the


chew 56 choice

top part of the body just under the arms� What’s his chest size or measure-ment? 3. a piece of furniture, like a largebox

chew

chew /tʃu/ verb to use your teeth tomake something soft, usually so thatyou can swallow it � You must chewyour meat well, or you will get pains inyour stomach. � The dog was lying infront of the fire chewing a bone.

chick

chick /tʃk/ noun a baby bird, especiallya baby hen

chicken

chicken /�tʃkn/ noun 1. a bird kept forits eggs and meat � Chickens were run-ning everywhere in the farmyard.(NOTE: The plural is chickens.) 2. meatfrom a chicken � We’re having roastchicken for lunch. � Would you like an-other slice of chicken? � We boughtsome chicken sandwiches for lunch.(NOTE: no plural: some chicken; apiece of chicken; a slice of chicken)

chief

chief /tʃif/ adjective most important �He’s our chief adviser. � What is thechief cause of accidents in the home? �noun 1. the person in control of a groupof people or a business � He’s beenmade the new chief of the finance de-partment. 2. the leader of a specificgroup of people who share a culture andsocial system

chiefly

chiefly /�tʃifli/ adverb mainly � Thetown is famous chiefly for its cathedral.

child

child /tʃald/ noun 1. a young boy or girl� There was no TV when my mother wasa child. � A group of children were play-ing on the beach. 2. a son or daughter �Whose child is that? � They have sixchildren – two boys and four girls. � Wehave two adult children. (NOTE: Theplural is children.)

childhood

childhood /�tʃaldhυd/ noun the timewhen someone is a child

childish

childish /�tʃaldʃ/ adjective 1. silly orfoolish 2. like a child

children

children /�tʃldrən/ plural of childchill

chill /tʃl/ noun 1. a short illness causinga feeling of being cold and shivering �You’ll catch a chill if you don’t wear acoat in this cold weather. 2. coldness �The sun came up and soon cleared awaythe morning chill. 3. an atmosphere of

gloom � The death of the bride’s fathercast a chill over the wedding. � verb tocool � He asked for a glass of chilledorange juice. � chilled to the bone verycold (informal) � They were chilled tothe bone when they came back fromtheir walk over the moors.

chillychilly /�tʃli/ adjective quite cold (NOTE:chillier – chilliest)

chimneychimney /�tʃmni/ noun a tall brick tubefor taking smoke away from a fire

chinchin /tʃn/ noun the front part of the bot-tom jaw � She suddenly stood up and hithim on the chin.

chinachina /�tʃanə/ noun things such as cupsand plates made of decorated fine whiteclay (NOTE: no plural)

chipchip /tʃp/ noun 1. a long thin piece ofpotato fried in oil � He ordered chickenand chips. � fish and chips a traditionalBritish food, obtained from specialshops, where portions of fish fried inbatter are sold with chips 2. US a thinslice of potato or other food, fried tillcrisp and eaten cold as a snack � a pack-et of potato or corn chips 3. a smallpiece of something hard, such as woodor stone � Chips of wood flew all overthe studio as he was carving the statue.4. a small piece of silicon able to storedata, used in a computer � verb to breaka small piece off something hard � Hebanged the cup down on the plate andchipped it. (NOTE: chips – chipping –chipped) � to have a chip on yourshoulder to feel constantly annoyedbecause you feel you have lost an ad-vantage � He’s got a chip on his shoul-der because his brother has a better jobthan he has.

chocolatechocolate /�tʃɒklət/ noun 1. a sweetbrown food made from the crushedseeds of a tropical tree � a bar of choc-olate � Her mother made a chocolatecake. 2. a single sweet made from choc-olate � There are only three chocolatesleft in the box. 3. a drink made fromchocolate powder and milk � I alwayshave a cup of hot chocolate before I goto bed. (NOTE: no plural except forsense 2)

choicechoice /tʃɔs/ noun 1. something whichis chosen � Paris was our first choice


choir 57 circle

for our holiday. 2. the act of choosingsomething � You must give customerstime to make their choice. 3. a range ofthings to choose from � The store has ahuge choice of furniture. � I hadn’t anychoice, I had no choice there was noth-ing else I could do � adjective (of food)specially selected � choice meat �choice peaches

choir

choir /kwaə/ noun a group of peoplewho sing together � He sings in theschool choir.

choke

choke /tʃəυk/ verb 1. to stop breathingproperly because something such as apiece of food is blocking the throat �Don’t talk with your mouth full or you’llchoke. � He choked on a piece of breador a piece of bread made him choke. 2.to block something such as a pipe � Thecanal was choked with weeds. 3. tosqueeze someone’s neck so that theycannot breathe � He felt the tight collarwas choking him. � to choke someoneto death to squeeze someone’s throatuntil they die 4. to find it hard to speakbecause of emotion

choose

choose /tʃuz/ verb 1. to decide whichyou want � Have you chosen what youwant to eat? � They chose him as teamleader. � Don’t take too long choosing abook to read on holiday. � There wereseveral good candidates to choose from.� You must give customers plenty oftime to choose. 2. to decide to do onething when there are several things youcould do � In the end, they chose to goto the cinema. � choice (NOTE: choos-es – choosing – chose /tʃəυz/ – haschosen /�tʃəυz(ə)n/)

chop

chop /tʃɒp/ noun a piece of meat with abone attached � We had lamb chops fordinner. � verb 1. to cut somethingroughly into small pieces with a knife orother sharp tool � He spent the after-noon chopping wood for the fire. 2. � tochop and change to do one thing, thenanother � He keeps chopping andchanging and can’t make his mind up.(NOTE: chops – chopping –chopped)

chop down phrasal verb to cut down atree with an axe

chop off phrasal verb to cut somethingoff, e.g. with an axe or knifechop up phrasal verb to cut somethinginto pieces

chore

chore /tʃɔ/ noun a piece of routinework, e.g. cleaning in a house, that youhave to do � household chores

chorus

chorus /�kɔrəs/ noun 1. a part of a songwhich is repeated later in the song �Everybody join in the chorus! (NOTE:The plural is choruses.) 2. a group ofpeople who sing together � All themembers of the chorus were on thestage.

chose

chose /tʃəυz/ past tense of choosechosenchosen /�tʃəυz(ə)n/ past participle of

chooseChristian

Christian /�krstʃən/ adjective relatingto the religion based on the teachings ofJesus Christ � noun a person who be-lieves in the teachings of Jesus Christand in Christianity

Christmas

Christmas /�krsməs/ noun a Christianfestival on December 25th, celebratedas the birthday of Jesus Christ, whenpresents are given

churchchurch /tʃ�tʃ/ noun a building whereChristians go to pray (NOTE: The pluralis churches.)

cigarette

cigarette /�s'ə��ret/ noun a roll of verythin paper containing tobacco, whichyou can light and smoke � a packet orpack of cigarettes � The room was fullof cigarette smoke.

cinema

cinema /�snmə/ noun a building whereyou go to watch films � We went to thecinema on Friday night to see a Frenchfilm.

circle

circle /�s�k(ə)l/ noun 1. a line forming around shape � He drew a circle on theblackboard. 2. anything forming around shape � The children sat in a cir-cle round the teacher. � The soldiersformed a circle round the prisoner. 3. agroup of people or a society � She wentto live abroad and lost contact with herold circle of friends. � He moves in thehighest government circles. 4. a row ofseats above the stalls in a theatre � Wegot tickets for the upper circle. � verb tomake circular movements � Large birdswere circling above the dead animals.


circuit 58 classiccircuit

circuit /�s�kt/ noun 1. a fixed or regularway of travelling from one place to an-other for a particular activity � a famil-iar speaker on the lecture circuit 2. apath on which competitions take place� a race circuit 3. a trip around some-thing � His first circuit of the track wasvery slow. 4. the path that electricityflows around

circular

circular /�s�kjυlə/ adjective 1. round inshape � a circular table 2. sent to anumber of people � The company sent acircular letter to all employees. (NOTE:only used before a noun) � noun a doc-ument with one or just a few pages sentto a number of people to inform themabout something

circulate

circulate /�s�kjυlet/ verb 1. to sendsomething round to various people �They circulated a new list of prices to alltheir customers. 2. to move round �Blood circulates round the body. �Waiters circulated round the room car-rying trays of drinks. 3. vi to talk to dif-ferent people at a party � Let’s talk later– I’ve got to circulate.

circulation

circulation /�s�kjυ��leʃ(ə)n/ noun 1.the act of circulating � The circulationof the new price list to all departmentswill take several days. 2. the movementof blood around the body � Rub yourhands together to get the circulation go-ing. � He has poor circulation.

circumference

circumference /sə��k�mf(ə)rəns/ nounthe distance round the outside edge of acircle, an object or an area � We walkedthe dog around the circumference of thefield.

circumstance

circumstance /�s�kəmstəns/ nounthe set of conditions that affect a situa-tion � The circumstances surroundingthe crash led us to believe it was not anaccident. (NOTE: usually plural) � in orunder the circumstances if a particularset of conditions exist � It’s hard to doa good job under these circumstances.� In different circumstances, I’d havebeen willing to stay longer. � due to cir-cumstances beyond someone’s con-trol because of something which some-one has no power to change � The showhad to be cancelled due to circumstanc-es beyond our control.

citizen

citizen /�stz(ə)n/ noun a person whocomes from a particular country or hasthe same right to live there as someonewho was born there � All Australian cit-izens have a duty to vote. � He was bornin Germany, but is now a British citizen.

city

city /�st/ noun a large town � busy citystreets � Traffic is a problem in big cit-ies. � the city centre the central part ofa town � He has an office in the city cen-tre.

civil

civil /�sv(ə)l/ adjective 1. relating togeneral public life rather than to thearmed forces � He left the air force andbecame a civil airline pilot. 2. polite �She wasn’t very civil to the policeman.3. in court, relating to cases brought byone person against another, as opposedto being brought by the police because itis criminal

claim

claim /klem/ noun 1. an occasion onwhich someone asks for money � Hisclaim for a pay increase was turneddown. 2. a statement of somethingwhich you believe to be true but have noproof � His claim that the car belongedto him was correct. � verb to state, butwithout any proof � He claims he neverreceived the letter. � She claims that thecar belongs to her.

clap

clap /kl�p/ verb to beat your hands to-gether to show you are pleased � At theend of her speech the audience stood upand clapped. � He clapped his handstogether in delight. (NOTE: claps –clapping – clapped)

class

class /klɑs/ noun 1. a group of childrenor adults who go to school or college to-gether � There are 30 children in myson’s class. 2. a lesson � What did youlearn in your history class today? 3.people of a particular group in society �The college encourages applicationsfrom different social classes. 4. a groupof things, animal or people that sharesome features � Different standards ap-ply to the five different classes of serviceyou can pay for. 5. a particular level ofquality � Always buy the best class ofproduct. � These peaches are Class 1.

classic

classic /�kl�sk/ noun a great book, playor piece of music � ‘The Maltese Fal-con’ is a Hollywood classic. � We have


classical 59 clerical

to study several classics of English liter-ature for our course. � adjective 1. (ofa style) elegant and traditional � Theclassic little black dress is always infashion. � The style of the new hotelbuilding is classic, simple and elegant.2. based on Ancient Greek or Roman ar-chitecture 3. typical � It was a classicexample of his inability to take deci-sions.

classical

classical /�kl�sk(ə)l/ adjective 1. ele-gant and based on the Ancient Greek orRoman style � a classical eighteenthcentury villa 2. referring to AncientGreece and Rome � classical Greek lit-erature 3. referring to traditional seriousmusic � a concert of classical music

classification

classification /�kl�sf��keʃ(ə)n/noun a way of arranging things into cat-egories

classify

classify /�kl�sfa/ verb to arrangethings into groups � The hotels are clas-sified according to a system of stars.(NOTE: classifies – classifying –classified)

classroom

classroom /�klɑsrum/ noun a room ina school where children are taught �When the teacher came into the class-room all the children were shouting.

clause

clause /klɔz/ noun a paragraph in a le-gal document � According to clause six,payments will not be due until next year.

claw

claw /klɔ/ noun a nail on the foot of ananimal or bird � The dog dug a holewith its claws.

clay

clay /kle/ noun thick heavy soil � Thesoil in our garden has a lot of clay in it.

clean

clean /klin/ adjective 1. not dirty �Wipe your glasses with a clean handker-chief. � The bedrooms must be spotless-ly clean. � Tell the waitress these cupsaren’t clean. 2. not used � Take a cleansheet of paper. � The maid forgot to putclean towels in the bathroom. � verb totake away the dirt from something � Shewas cleaning the car when she saw thedamage.

clean up phrasal verb to make every-thing clean and tidy, e.g. after a party �It took us three hours to clean up afterher birthday party.

cleaner

cleaner /�klinə/ noun 1. a machinewhich removes dirt � a carpet cleaner2. a person who cleans a building suchas a house or an office � The cleanersdidn’t empty my wastepaper basket.

cleaning

cleaning /�klinŋ/ noun 1. the action ofmaking something clean � Cleaning thehouse after the party took hours. 2.clothes which are going to be sent fordry-cleaning or which have been re-turned after dry-cleaning � Could youcollect my cleaning for me after worktonight?

clear

clear /klə/ adjective 1. with nothing inthe way � You can cross the road – it’sclear now. � From the window, she hada clear view of the street. 2. easily un-derstood � She made it clear that shewanted us to go. � The instructions onthe computer screen are not very clear.� Will you give me a clear answer – yesor no?

clear away phrasal verb to take some-thing away completelyclear off phrasal verb to go away(informal)clear out phrasal verb 1. to emptysomething completely � Can you clearout your bedroom cupboard? 2. to leavesomewhere quickly (informal) � It’stime for me to clear out of here com-pletely. � Clear out! used to tell some-one to leave (impolite)clear up phrasal verb 1. to tidy andclean a place completely � The cleanersrefused to clear up the mess after the of-fice party. 2. (of an illness) to get better� He has been resting, but his cold stillhasn’t cleared up.

clearly

clearly /�kləli/ adverb 1. in a way whichis easily understood or heard � Hedidn’t speak clearly, and I couldn’tcatch the address he gave. 2. obviously� He clearly or Clearly he didn’t likebeing told he was too fat.

clergy

clergy /�kl�d"i/ plural noun priestsclerical

clerical /�klerk(ə)l/ adjective 1. refer-ring to office work � A clerical errormade the invoice £300.00 when itshould have been £3000.00. � He’slooking for part-time clerical work. 2.referring to clergy � The newspaper sto-


clerk 60 closed

ry has been talked about in clerical cir-cles.

clerk

clerk /klɑk/ noun a person who works inan office

clever

clever /�klevə/ adjective able to thinkand learn quickly � Clever children canusually do this by the time they are eightyears old.

cleverly

cleverly /�klevəli/ adverb in a cleverway

click

click /klk/ noun a short sharp sound �She heard a click and saw the door han-dle turn. � verb to make a short sharpsound � The cameras clicked as the filmstar came out on to the steps. � Heclicked his fingers to attract the waiter’sattention.

client

client /�klaənt/ noun a person who paysfor a service

cliff

cliff /klf/ noun a high, steep area of rockusually by the sea

climate

climate /�klamət/ noun the generalweather conditions in a particular place� The climate in the south of the countryis milder than in the north.

climb

climb /klam/ verb 1. to go up or downsomething using arms and legs � Thecat climbed up the apple tree. � Theboys climbed over the wall. � He es-caped by climbing out of the window. 2.to go higher � The road climbs to 500 mabove sea level. � House prices havestarted to climb again.

clinic

clinic /�klnk/ noun 1. a medical centrefor particular treatment or advice � aneye clinic 2. a private hospital

clip

clip /klp/ noun a small object that holdsthings together � a paper clip � verb toattach things with a clip � She clippedthe invoice and the cheque together andput them in an envelope. (NOTE: clips –clipping – clipped)

cloak

cloak /kləυk/ noun a long type of coatwhich hangs from the shoulders and hasno sleeves � She wore a long cloak ofblack velvet.

clock /klɒk/ noun an object whichshows the time � Your clock is 5 min-utes slow. � The office clock is fast. �The clock has stopped.

clockwise

clockwise /�klɒkwaz/ adjective, ad-verb moving in a circle from left toright, in the same direction as the handsof a clock � Turn the lid clockwise totighten it. � He was driving clockwiseround the ring road when the accidenttook place.

clone

clone /kləυn/ noun an exact genetic copyof an animal or plant � A cutting pro-duces a clone of a plant. � This sheepwas the first mammal to survive as aclone. � verb to create an exact geneticcopy of an individual animal or plant �Biologists have successfully cloned asheep.

close

close1 /kləυs/ adjective 1. very near, orjust next to something � Our office isclose to the station. � This is the closestI’ve ever been to a film star! 2. near intime � My birthday is close to Christ-mas. � adverb 1. very near � Keepclose by me if you don’t want to get lost.� Go further away – you’re getting tooclose. � They stood so close or so closetogether that she felt his breath on hercheek. � The sound came closer andcloser. (NOTE: closer – closest) 2. verynear in time � The conference is gettingvery close. � noun a short road, espe-cially of houses � They live in BriarClose.

close

close2 /kləυz/ verb 1. to shut � Wouldyou mind closing the window? � Heclosed his book and turned on the TV. 2.to come to an end � The meeting closedwith a vote of thanks. (NOTE: closes –closing – closed) � noun an end, thefinal part � The century was drawing toa close.

close down phrasal verb 1. to shut abusiness permanently 2. (of a business)to shut permanently

closed

closed /kləυzd/ adjective 1. changedfrom being open by being covered orblocked � Make sure all the windowsand doors are tightly closed. � She satquietly with closed eyes. � The objectwas in a closed box. 2. not doing busi-ness � The shop is closed on Sundays. �The office will be closed for the Christ-mas holidays. � There was a ‘closed’sign hanging in the window.


closely 61 coachclosely

closely /�kləυsli/ adverb with a lot of at-tention � She studied the timetable veryclosely. � The prisoners were closelyguarded by armed soldiers.

closeness

closeness /�kləυsnəs/ noun the fact ofbeing close to something

close-up

close-up /�kləυs �p/ noun a photographtaken very close to the subject � inclose-up taken very close to the subject� a photo of the leaf in close-up

cloth

cloth /klɒθ/ noun 1. soft material madefrom woven fibres � Her dress is madeof cheap blue cloth. � This cloth is of avery high quality. 2. a piece of materialused for cleaning � He wiped up themilk with a damp cloth. 3. a piece of ma-terial which you put on a table to coverit � The waiter spread a white clothover the table.

clothes

clothes /kləυðz/ plural noun thingswhich you wear to cover your body andkeep you warm, e.g. trousers, socks,shirts and dresses � The doctor askedhim to take his clothes off. � The chil-dren haven’t had any new clothes foryears. � with no clothes on naked

clothing

clothing /�kləυðŋ/ noun clothes � amajor clothing manufacturer � Takeplenty of warm clothing on your trip toIceland. (NOTE: no plural: some cloth-ing; a piece of clothing)

cloud

cloud /klaυd/ noun a white or grey massof drops of water floating in the air �Look at those grey clouds – it’s going torain. � The plane was flying above theclouds.

cloudy

cloudy /�klaυdi/ adjective 1. with clouds� The weather was cloudy in the morn-ing, but cleared up in the afternoon. 2.not clear � The liquid turned cloudywhen I added the flour. (NOTE: cloudier– cloudiest)

club

club /kl�b/ noun 1. a group of peoplewho have the same interest or who forma team � a youth club � I’m joining atennis club. � Our town has one of thetop football clubs in the country. 2. astick for playing golf (NOTE: A golfclub can either mean the place whereyou play golf, or the stick used to hit theball.) 3. a large heavy stick � verb 1. tohit with a club � She was clubbed to the

ground. 2. � to club together (of sever-al people) to contribute money jointly �They clubbed together and bought ayacht. (NOTE: clubs – clubbing –clubbed)

clue

clue /klu/ noun information which helpsyou solve a mystery or puzzle � The de-tective had missed a vital clue. � I don’tunderstand the clues to this crossword.� to not have a clue to not knowsomething � The police still haven’t aclue who did it. � I don’t have a cluehow to get there.

clumsy

clumsy /�kl�mzi/ adjective tending tobreak things or knock things over(NOTE: clumsier – clumsiest) � notexpressed or done in a good way � aclumsy apology � a clumsy attempt tohide the situation

cluster

cluster /�kl�stə/ noun a group of objectsor people that are close together � abrooch with a cluster of pearls � Hephotographed a cluster of stars.

clutch

clutch /kl�tʃ/ verb to grip somethingtightly � She clutched my arm as westood on the edge of the cliff. � noun atight grip � She felt the clutch of his fin-gers on her sleeve. � plural nounclutches the power that a person orgroup has over someone else � Youcan’t escape the clutches of your familyso easily. � in the clutches of, in some-one’s clutches under the control of �We want to avoid spending too muchand falling into the clutches of the bankor the bank’s clutches.

coach

coach /kəυtʃ/ noun 1. a large bus fortravelling long distances � They went ona tour of southern Spain by coach. �There’s an coach service to Oxford eve-ry hour. 2. one of the vehicles for pas-sengers that is part of a train � The firstfour coaches are for London. 3. a personwho trains sports players � The coachtold them that they needed to spendmore time practising. � He’s a profes-sional football coach. (NOTE: The pluralis coaches.) � verb 1. to train sportspeople � She was coached by a formerOlympic gold medallist. 2. to give pri-vate lessons to someone in a particularsport, subject or activity � He coachesyoung footballers.


coal 62 collectcoal

coal /kəυl/ noun a hard black substancewhich produces heat when burnt

coarse

coarse /kɔs/ adjective 1. consisting oflarge pieces � coarse grains of sand 2.rough and hard � coarse cloth

coast

coast /kəυst/ noun parts of a countrythat are by the sea � After ten weeks atsea, Columbus saw the coast of Ameri-ca. � The south coast is the warmestpart of the country.

coat

coat /kəυt/ noun 1. a piece of clothingwhich you wear on top of other clotheswhen you go outside � a winter coat 2.a layer of something � a coat of paint �a thick coat of dust 3. the fur of an ani-mal � These dogs have thick shinycoats.

cocoa

cocoa /�kəυkəυ/ noun 1. a brown choc-olate powder ground from the seeds of atree, used for making a drink � a tin ofcocoa � cocoa powder 2. a drink madewith cocoa and hot water or milk (NOTE:no plural)

code

code /kəυd/ noun 1. secret words or asystem agreed as a way of sending mes-sages � We’re trying to break the ene-my’s code. � He sent the message incode. 2. a system of numbers or letterswhich mean something � The code forHeathrow Airport is LHR. � What is thecode for phoning Edinburgh? 3. a set oflaws or rules of behaviour � The hotelhas a strict dress code, and peoplewearing jeans are not allowed in.

coffee

coffee /�kɒfi/ noun 1. a hot drink madefrom the seeds of a tropical plant �Would you like a cup of coffee? � I al-ways take sugar in coffee. 2. a cup ofcoffee � I’d like a white coffee, please.� Three coffees and two teas, please.

coffee shop

coffee shop /�kɒfi ʃɒp/ noun a smallrestaurant serving drinks and lightmeals

coffin

coffin /�kɒfn/ noun a long box in whicha dead person is placed before beingburied

coil

coil /kɔl/ noun a roll of rope, or one loopin something twisted round and round �The sailors stacked the rope in coils onthe deck. � verb to twist around some-thing or into a coil � The snake had

coiled itself up in the basket. � The sail-or coiled the ropes neatly.

coincoin /kɔn/ noun a piece of metal money� This machine only takes 20p coins.

coldcold /kəυld/ adjective 1. with a low tem-perature � They say that cold showersare good for you. � The weather turnedcolder in January. � It’s too cold to gofor a walk. � If you’re hot, have a glassof cold water. � Start eating, or yoursoup will get cold. � He had a plate ofcold beef and salad. 2. not friendly � Hegot a very cold reception from the rest ofthe staff. � She gave him a cold nod.(NOTE: colder – coldest) � noun 1. anillness which makes you blow your nose� He caught a cold from his colleague.� My sister’s in bed with a cold. � Don’tcome near me – I’ve got a cold. 2. a coldoutdoor temperature � He was in thecold waiting for a bus. � These plantscan’t stand the cold.

coldlycoldly /�kəυldli/ adverb in an unfriendlyway

collapsecollapse /kə��l�ps/ verb 1. to fall downsuddenly � The roof collapsed underthe weight of the snow. 2. to fail sudden-ly � The company collapsed with£25,000 in debts. 3. to fall down uncon-scious � He collapsed after the mara-thon. � noun 1. a sudden fall � The col-lapse of the old wall buried two work-men. 2. a sudden fall in price � thecollapse of the dollar on the foreign ex-change markets 3. the sudden failure ofa company � They lost thousands ofpounds in the collapse of the bank.

collarcollar /�kɒlə/ noun 1. the part of a pieceof clothing which goes round your neck� I can’t wear this shirt – the collar’stoo tight. � She turned up her coat col-lar because the wind was cold. � He hasa winter coat with a fur collar. 2. aleather ring round the neck of a dog orcat � The cat has a collar with her nameand address on it.

colleaguecolleague /�kɒli'/ noun a person whoworks with you, e.g. in the same compa-ny or office � His colleagues gave hima present when he got married. � Shewas a colleague of mine at my last job.

collectcollect /kə��lekt/ verb 1. to bring thingsor people together, or to come together


collection 63 come

� We collected information from all thepeople who offered to help. � A crowdcollected at the scene of the accident. 2.to get things and keep them together �Your coat is ready for you to collect fromthe cleaner’s � The mail is collectedfrom the postbox twice a day. � I mustcollect the children from school at 4p.m. 3. to buy things or bring things to-gether as a hobby � He collects stampsand old coins. 4. to gather money to giveto an organisation that helps people �They’re collecting for Oxfam.

collectioncollection /kə��lekʃən/ noun 1. a groupof things that have been brought togeth-er � He showed me his stamp collection.� The museum has a large collection ofItalian paintings. 2. money which hasbeen gathered � We’re making a collec-tion for Oxfam.

collegecollege /�kɒld"/ noun a teaching insti-tution for adults and young people �She’s going on holiday with somefriends from college. � He’s studyingart at the local college. � The college li-brary has over 20,000 volumes.

collidecollide /kə��lad/ verb to bump intosomething � The car collided with abus.

collision

collision /kə��l"(ə)n/ noun 1. an occa-sion when someone or something hitsagainst something accidentally � Twopeople were injured in the collision be-tween a lorry and the bus. � in collisionwith involved in hitting into � She wasin collision with a bike. 2. a disagree-ment or difference � a collision of ideas

coloncolon /�kəυlɒn/ noun 1. the main part ofthe part inside your body that removeswaste � The intestines are divided intotwo parts: the small intestine and thelarge intestine or colon. 2. a printingsign (:)

colorcolor /�k�lə/ noun, verb US spelling ofcolour

colourcolour /�k�lə/ noun 1. the shade whichan object has in light, e.g. red, blue oryellow � What colour is your bath-room? � I don’t like the colour of thecarpet. � His socks are the same colouras his shirt. 2. not black or white � Thebook has pages of colour pictures. �verb to add colour to something � The

children were given crayons and told tocolour the trees green and the earthbrown.

colouredcoloured /�k�ləd/ adjective in colour �a coloured postcard � a book with col-oured illustrations

-coloured-coloured /k�ləd/ suffix with a particu-lar colour � She was wearing a cream-coloured shirt.

colourfulcolourful /�k�ləf(ə)l/ adjective 1. withbright colours � She tied a colourful silkscarf round her hair. 2. full of excite-ment and adventure � a colourful ac-count of life in Vienna before the FirstWorld War

columncolumn /�kɒləm/ noun 1. a tall post, es-pecially one made of stone 2. a narrowblock of printing on a page such as in anewspaper � ‘Continued on page 7, col-umn 4.’ 3. a regular article in a newspa-per � She writes a gardening column forthe local newspaper. 4. a series of num-bers, one written or printed under theother � to add up a column of figures �Put the total at the bottom of the col-umn.

combcomb /kəυm/ noun an object with longpointed pieces that you pull throughyour hair to make it straight � Her hairis in such a mess that you can’t get acomb through it. � verb to smooth yourhair with a comb � She was combingher hair in front of the mirror.

combinationcombination /�kɒmb��neʃ(ə)n/ nounseveral things joined or considered to-gether � A combination of bad weatherand illness made our holiday a disaster.

comecome /k�m/ verb 1. to move to or to-wards a place � Come and see us whenyou’re in London. � The doctor came tosee him yesterday. � Some of the chil-dren come to school on foot. � Don’tmake any noise – I can hear someonecoming. � Come up to my room andwe’ll talk about the problem. 2. to hap-pen � How did the door come to beopen? 3. to occur � What comes after Rin the alphabet? � P comes before Q. �What comes after the news on TV?(NOTE: comes – coming – came/kem/ – has come) � how come?why?, how? � How come the front doorwas unlocked?


comedy 64 commercial

come across phrasal verb to findsomething by chance � I came acrossthis old photo when I was clearing out adrawer.come along phrasal verb to go withsomeone � If you walk, the children cancome along with us in the car.come back phrasal verb to return �They left the house in a hurry, and thenhad to come back to get their passports.� They started to walk away, but the po-liceman shouted at them to come back.come in phrasal verb to enter a placecome off phrasal verb 1. to stop beingattached � The button has come off mycoat. � I can’t use the kettle, the handlehas come off. 2. to be removed � Thepaint won’t come off my coat.come on phrasal verb to hurry � Comeon, or we’ll miss the start of the film.come out phrasal verb 1. to move out-side � Come out into the garden, it’sbeautifully hot. 2. to be removed � Theink marks won’t come out of my whiteshirt. � Red wine stains don’t come outeasily.come to phrasal verb 1. to add up to aparticular amount � The bill comes to£10. 2. to become conscious again �When he came to, he was in hospital.

comedy

comedy /�kɒmədi/ noun 1. entertain-ment which makes you laugh 2. a playor film which makes you laugh (NOTE:The plural is comedies.)

comfort

comfort /�k�mfət/ noun 1. somethingwhich helps to make you feel happier �It was a comfort to know that the chil-dren were safe. � The long-awaited let-ter gave me some comfort. 2. the state ofbeing comfortable � They live in greatcomfort. � You expect a certain amountof comfort on a luxury liner. � She com-plained about the lack of comfort in thesecond-class coaches. � verb to makesomeone feel happier � She was com-forting the people who had been in theaccident.

comfortable

comfortable /�k�mf(ə)təb(ə)l/ adjec-tive 1. soft and relaxing � These shoesaren’t very comfortable. � There aremore comfortable chairs in the lounge.2. � to make yourself comfortable to

relax � She made herself comfortable inthe chair by the fire.

comfortably

comfortably /�k�mftəbli/ adverb in asoft, relaxed or relaxing way � If you’resitting comfortably, I’ll explain to youwhat we have to do. � Make sure you’recomfortably dressed because it is rathercold outside.

comic

comic /�kɒmk/ noun 1. a children’smagazine with pictures and stories 2. aperson who tells jokes to make peoplelaugh � a well-known TV comic � ad-jective intended to make people laugh,especially as a performance � a comicpoem

comical

comical /�kɒmk(ə)l/ adjective strangeor silly in a way that makes people laugh� He looked rather comical wearing hisdad’s jacket.

coming

coming /�k�mŋ/ adjective which isabout to happen � The newspaper tellsyou what will happen in the comingweek in parliament.

comma

comma /�kɒmə/ noun a punctuationmark (,) showing a break in a sentence

command

command /kə��mɑnd/ noun an order �Don’t start until I give the command. �The general gave the command to at-tack. � in command of in control of �They are not fully in command of the sit-uation. � verb 1. to order someone to dosomething � He commanded the troopsto open fire on the rebels. 2. to be incharge of a group of people, especiallyin the armed forces � He commands agroup of volunteer soldiers.

comment

comment /�kɒment/ noun 1. wordsshowing what you think about some-thing � His comments were widely re-ported in the newspapers. � The manmade a rude comment accompanied bysome very offensive gestures. 2. discus-sion about a particular issue � The scan-dal aroused considerable comment inthe press. (NOTE: no plural in this mean-ing) � verb to say what you think aboutsomething � The minister refused tocomment. � The judges commented thatthe standard had been very high.

commercial

commercial /kə��m�ʃ(ə)l/ adjective 1.relating to business � He is a specialistin commercial law. 2. used for business


commit 65 comparative

purposes and not private or military pur-poses � The company makes commer-cial vehicles such as taxis and buses.(NOTE: [all adjective senses] only usedbefore nouns) � noun an advertisementon television � Our TV commercial at-tracted a lot of interest.

commit

commit /kə��mt/ verb 1. to carry out acrime � The gang committed six robber-ies before they were caught. � He saidhe was on holiday in Spain when themurder was committed. 2. to promise, ormake someone promise, something orto do something � Under my contract Icommitted to work for them three days aweek. � The agreement commits us tocheck the machine twice a month. �They didn’t want to commit £5000 all atonce. (NOTE: commits – committing –committed)

commitment

commitment /kə��mtmənt/ noun apromise to do something such as paymoney � He has difficulty in meeting hiscommitments.

committee

committee /kə��mti/ noun an officialgroup of people who organise or discussthings for a larger group � The companyhas set up a committee to look intosports facilities. � Committee memberswill be asked to vote on the proposal.

common

common /�kɒmən/ adjective happeningoften, or found everywhere and so notunusual � It’s very common for peopleto get colds in winter. � The plane treeis a very common tree in towns.

commonly

commonly /�kɒmənli/ adverb oftencommon sense

common sense /�kɒmən �sens/ nounthe ability to make sensible decisionsand do the best thing

commotion

commotion /kə��məυʃ(ə)n/ noun noiseand confusion

communicate

communicate /kə��mjunket/ verb 1.to send or give information to someone� Although she is unable to speak, shecan still communicate using her hands.� Communicating with our office inLondon has been transformed by email.2. to be good at sharing your thoughts orfeelings with other people � He finds itdifficult to communicate with his chil-dren.

communication

communication /kə��mjun��keʃ(ə)n/noun the act of passing information onto other people � Email is the most rap-id means of communication. � There isa lack of communication between thehead teacher and the other members ofstaff. � plural noun communications1. a system of sending information be-tween people or places � an improvedcommunications network � Telephonecommunications have been restored. 2.the ways people use to give informationor express their thoughts and feelings toeach other � There’s been a breakdownin communications between the agen-cies dealing with the case.

community

community /kə��mjunti/ noun a groupof people living in one area � The localcommunity is worried about the level ofviolence in the streets.

compact disc

compact disc /�kɒmp�kt �dsk/ nouna hard, round piece of plastic which canhold a large amount of music or compu-ter information � I usually get Dad aCD for his birthday. Abbreviation CD

companion

companion /kəm��p�njən/ noun a per-son who is with someone � She turnedto her companion and said a few words.

company

company /�k�mp(ə)ni/ noun 1. an or-ganisation that offers a service or thatbuys and sells goods � She runs an elec-trical company. � He set up a computercompany. � It is company policy not toallow smoking anywhere in the offices.(NOTE: usually written Co. in names:Smith & Co. The plural is companiesin this sense.) 2. the fact of being to-gether with other people � I enjoy thecompany of young people. � in compa-ny with, in the company of with � Shewent to Paris in company with or in thecompany of three other girls from col-lege. 3. a group of people who work to-gether � a theatre company

comparative

comparative /kəm��p�rətv/ adjectiveto a certain extent, when considerednext to something else � Judged by lastyear’s performance it is a comparativeimprovement. � noun the form of an ad-jective or adverb showing an increase inlevel or strength � ‘Happier’, ‘better’and ‘more often’ are the comparativesof ‘happy’, ‘good’ and ‘often.’


compare 66 complaintcompare

compare /kəm��peə/ verb 1. to look attwo things side by side to see how theyare different � Compare the front withthe back. � The colour of the paint wascompared to the sample. 2. � to com-pare something to something else tosay how something is like somethingelse � He compared his mother’s home-made bread to a lump of wood.

comparison

comparison /kəm��p�rs(ə)n/ noun theact of comparing two or more things �He made a comparison of the differentmethods available. � This year, Julywas cold in comparison with last year. �there is no comparison between themone is much better than the other

compass

compass /�k�mpəs/ noun an objectwith a needle that points to the north �They were lost in the mountains withouta compass.

compensate

compensate /�kɒmpənset/ verb tomake a bad thing seem less serious orunpleasant � The high salary compen-sates for the long hours worked. � tocompensate someone for something topay someone for damage or a loss �They agreed to compensate her for dam-age to her car. � The airline refused tocompensate him when his baggage waslost.

compensation

compensation /�kɒmpən��seʃ(ə)n/noun 1. something that makes some-thing bad seem less serious or unpleas-ant � Working in the centre of Londonhas its compensations. � Four weeks’holiday is no compensation for a year’swork in that office. 2. payment for dam-age or loss � The airline refused to payany compensation for his lost luggage.

compete

compete /kəm��pit/ verb to try to win arace or a game � He is competing inboth the 100 and 200 metre races. � tocompete with someone or somethingto try to be more successful than some-one or something in an activity, espe-cially in business � We have to competewith a range of cheap imports.

competence

competence /�kɒmpt(ə)ns/ noun 1.the quality of being able to do a job ortask well enough � Does she have thenecessary competence in foreign lan-guages? 2. the quality of being legallysuitable or qualified to do something �

The case falls within the competence ofthe tribunal. � This is outside the com-petence of this court.

competent

competent /�kɒmpt(ə)nt/ adjective 1.efficient � She is a very competent man-ager. 2. legally or officially able to dosomething � The organisation is notcompetent to deal with this case.

competition

competition /�kɒmpə��tʃ(ə)n/ noun 1.an event in which several teams or peo-ple compete with each other � Francewere the winners of the competition. �He won first prize in the piano competi-tion. (NOTE: The plural in this sense iscompetitions.) 2. a situation in busi-ness in which one person or company istrying to do better than another � Ourmain competition comes from the bigsupermarkets. 3. people or companieswho are trying to do better than you �We have lowered our prices to try tobeat the competition. � The competitionis or are planning to reduce their prices.(NOTE: singular in this sense, but cantake a plural verb)

competitive

competitive /kəm��pettv/ adjective 1.liking to win competitions � He’s verycompetitive. 2. having a business advan-tage, especially by being cheaper �competitive prices � We must reducecosts to remain competitive.

competitor

competitor /kəm��pettə/ noun 1. a per-son who enters a competition � All thecompetitors lined up for the start of therace. 2. a company which competeswith another in the same business � TwoGerman firms are our main competi-tors.

complain

complain /kəm��plen/ verb to say thatsomething is not good or does not workproperly � The shop is so cold the staffhave started complaining. � They arecomplaining that our prices are toohigh. (NOTE: You complain to someoneabout something or that something isnot good enough.)

complaint

complaint /kəm��plent/ noun 1. an oc-casion when someone says that some-thing is not good enough or does notwork properly � She sent her letter ofcomplaint to the directors. � You mustfile your complaint with the relevant de-


complete 67 conceited

partment. 2. an illness � She was admit-ted to hospital with a kidney complaint.

complete

complete /kəm��plit/ adjective 1. withall its parts � He has a complete set ofthe new stamps. 2. finished � The build-ing is nearly complete. (NOTE: used af-ter a verb) 3. used for emphasis � Thetrip was a complete waste of money. �verb 1. to finish something � The build-ers completed the whole job in two days.2. to fill in a form � When you havecompleted the application form, send itto us in the envelope provided.

completely

completely /kəm��plitli/ adverb totally� The town was completely destroyed inthe earthquake. � I completely forgotabout my dentist’s appointment.

complex

complex /�kɒmpleks/ adjective compli-cated � This really is a complex prob-lem. � noun 1. a group of buildings �The council has built a new sports com-plex. 2. a worry or an unreasonable fear� He has a complex about going bald.

complicated

complicated /�kɒmplketd/ adjectivedifficult to understand, with many smalldetails � It is a complicated subject. �It’s all getting too complicated – let’stry and keep it simple. � Chess has quitecomplicated rules. � The route to get toour house is rather complicated, so I’lldraw you a map.

complication

complication /�kɒmpl��keʃ(ə)n/ noun1. something that causes difficulties 2.an illness occurring because of or dur-ing another illness � She appeared to begetting better, but complications set in.(NOTE: usually plural)

compliment

compliment1 /�kɒmplmənt/ noun anice thing that you say to someoneabout their appearance or about some-thing good they have done � I’ve had somany compliments about my new hair-style today!

compliment

compliment2 /�kɒmplment/ verb topraise someone or tell them how nicethey look � I would like to complimentthe chef on an excellent meal. � Shecomplimented me on my work. (NOTE:Do not confuse with complement.)

component

component /kəm��pəυnənt/ noun asmall part of something larger, especial-ly a small piece of a machine � a manu-

facturer of computer components �Each section of the plan is broken downinto separate components. � adjectiveforming part of something larger

compose

compose /kəm��pəυz/ verb to writesomething, thinking carefully about it �He sat down to compose a letter to hisfamily. � It took Mozart only three daysto compose his fifth piano concerto.

composition

composition /�kɒmpə��zʃ(ə)n/ noun 1.something which has been composed,e.g. a poem or piece of music � We willnow play a well-known composition byDowland. 2. an essay or piece of writingon a special subject � We had threehours to write a composition on ‘pollu-tion’.

compound

compound /�kɒmpaυnd/ adjectivemade up of several parts � The word‘address book’ is a compound noun. �noun 1. a chemical made up of two ormore elements � Water is a compoundof two gases, oxygen and hydrogen. 2.buildings and land enclosed by a fence� Soldiers were guarding the prisoncompound. � Guard dogs patrol thecompound at night.

compulsory

compulsory /kəm��p�lsəri/ adjectiveessential, or required by a rule or law �a compulsory charge for admission � Itis compulsory to complete all pages ofthe form.

computer

computer /kəm��pjutə/ noun an elec-tronic machine which processes andkeeps information automatically, andwhich can be used for connecting to theInternet and sending emails � on com-puter kept in a computer � All our com-pany records are on computer.

computing

computing /kəm��pjutŋ/ noun the useof computers

conceal

conceal /kən��sil/ verb 1. to hide some-thing or put it where it cannot be seen �He tried to conceal the camera byputting it under his coat. 2. to preventsomeone from discovering some infor-mation � He concealed the fact that hehad a brother in prison.

conceited

conceited /kən��sitd/ adjective think-ing that you are better, more intelligent,or more talented than other people �


concentrate 68 condition

He’s the most conceited and selfish per-son I’ve ever known.

concentrate

concentrate /�kɒnsəntret/ verb togive your careful attention to something� The exam candidates were all concen-trating on their questions when the elec-tricity went off.

concentration

concentration /�kɒnsən��treʃ(ə)n/noun 1. the act of thinking carefullyabout something � A loud conversationin the next room disturbed my concen-tration. � His concentration slipped andhe lost the next two games. 2. a lot ofthings together in one area � the con-centration of computer companies in thesouth of Scotland � The concentrationof wild animals round the water holemakes it easy for lions to catch theirprey.

concept

concept /�kɒnsept/ noun an idea aboutsomething or about how somethingworks � I’ll quickly explain the basicconcepts of safe working in this environ-ment. � The concept of punctuation andgrammar is completely foreign to her. �Our children have absolutely no con-cept of tidiness.

concern

concern /kən��s�n/ verb 1. to have aparticular thing as a subject � The filmconcerns children growing up in the1950s. � to concern yourself withsomething to deal with something �You needn’t concern yourself withcleaning the shop. 2. to make someoneworry � It concerns me that he is alwayslate for work. � noun 1. worry � She’sa cause of great concern to her family.2. interest � My main concern is to en-sure that we all enjoy ourselves. � Theteachers showed no concern at all forthe children’s safety. 3. a company orbusiness � a big German chemical con-cern

concerned

concerned /kən��s�nd/ adjective 1.worried � She looked concerned. � Icould tell something was wrong by theconcerned look on her face. � We areconcerned about her behaviour – doyou think she is having problems atschool? 2. involved in or affected bysomething � I’ll speak to the parentsconcerned. 3. showing interest in some-thing � I’m concerned to know what

people thought after the informationsession.

concerningconcerning /kən��s�nŋ/ prepositionabout; on the subject of (formal) � Hefilled in a questionnaire concerning hol-idays. � I’d like to speak to Mr Robin-son concerning his application for in-surance. � Anyone with informationconcerning this person should get intouch with the police.

concertconcert /�kɒnsət/ noun an occasion onwhich music is played in public � Icouldn’t go to the concert, so I gave myticket to a friend.

concludeconclude /kən��klud/ verb 1. to end; tocome to an end � He concluded bythanking all those who had helped ar-range the exhibition. � The concert con-cluded with a piece by Mozart. 2. tocome to an opinion from the informa-tion available � The police concludedthat the thief had got into the buildingthrough the broken kitchen window.

conclusionconclusion /kən��klu"(ə)n/ noun 1. theend of something � At the conclusion ofthe trial all the accused were foundguilty. 2. an opinion which you reach af-ter thinking carefully � She came to orreached the conclusion that he hadfound another girlfriend. � What con-clusions can you draw from the evi-dence?

concreteconcrete /�kɒŋkrit/ noun a mixture ofa grey powder called cement, and sand,used in building � Concrete was invent-ed by the Romans. � The pavement ismade of slabs of concrete. � adjective1. made of concrete � a concrete path 2.firm or definite, rather than vague � Thepolice are sure he is guilty, but they haveno concrete evidence against him. � Ineed to see some concrete proposalsvery soon. 3. referring to somethingwith a physical structure � A stone is aconcrete object.

condemncondemn /kən��dem/ verb 1. to saystrongly that you do not approve ofsomething � She condemned the policefor their treatment of the prisoners. 2. tosentence a criminal � She was con-demned to death.

conditioncondition /kən��dʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a statethat something or someone is in � The


conduct 69 conflict

car is in very good condition. � He wastaken to hospital when his condition gotworse. 2. something which has to beagreed before something else is done �They didn’t agree with some of the con-ditions of the contract. � One of condi-tions of the deal is that the companypays all travel costs. � on conditionthat only if � I will come on conditionthat you pay my fare.

conduct

conduct1 /�kɒnd�kt/ noun a way of be-having � His conduct in class is becom-ing worse. � Her conduct during the tri-al was remarkably calm.

conduct

conduct2 /kən��d�kt/ verb 1. to dosomething in an organised or particularway (formal) � I don’t like the way theyconduct their affairs. � They are con-ducting an experiment into the effect ofTV advertising. � to conduct yourselfto behave in a particular way � I was im-pressed by the calm way in which sheconducted herself. � The children con-ducted themselves well during the longspeeches. 2. to direct or take someone toa place � The guests were conducted totheir seats. 3. to direct the way in whicha musician or singer performs � The or-chestra was conducted by a Russianconductor. 4. to allow electricity or heatto pass through � Copper conductselectricity very well.

conductor

conductor /kən��d�ktə/ noun 1. the per-son who sells tickets on a bus 2. the per-son who directs the way an orchestraplays 3. a metal or other substancethrough which electricity or heat canpass � Copper is a good conductor butplastic is not.

cone

cone /kəυn/ noun a shape which is roundat the base, rising to a point above � Herolled the newspaper to form a cone.

confer

confer /kən��f�/ verb 1. to discuss � Theleader of the Council conferred with theTown Clerk. 2. to give something suchas a responsibility, legal right or honourto someone (formal) � the powers con-ferred on the council by law

conference

conference /�kɒnf(ə)rəns/ noun 1. alarge meeting where people who are in-terested in the same thing come together� The organisation holds an annualconference in Brighton. 2. a meeting of

a group or society � The annual confer-ence of the Electricians’ Union. � 2000people attended the conference on ge-netic engineering.

confess

confess /kən��fes/ verb to admit that youhave committed a crime or done some-thing wrong � He confessed to six bur-glaries. � She confessed that she hadforgotten to lock the door.

confession

confession /kən��feʃ(ə)n/ noun a state-ment in which someone admits theyhave committed a crime or done some-thing wrong � The prisoner said hisconfession had been forced from him bythe police. � I was surprised by her con-fession of ignorance about the correctprocedures to follow. � I have a confes-sion to make – I forgot to send thecheque.

confidence

confidence /�kɒnfd(ə)ns/ noun 1. afeeling of being sure about your own orsomeone else’s abilities � The staff donot have much confidence in their man-ager. � I have total confidence in the pi-lot. � He hasn’t got much confidence inhimself. 2. the fact of being secret � inconfidence as a secret � He showedme the report in confidence.

confident

confident /�kɒnfd(ə)nt/ adjective surethat you or something will be successful� I am confident (that) the show will gooff well. � She’s confident of doing wellin the exam.

confidential

confidential /�kɒnf��denʃəl/ adjectivesecret or private � This information isstrictly confidential.

confidently

confidently /�kɒnfdəntli/ adverb in away which shows that you are confident� She walked confidently into the inter-view room.

confirm

confirm /kən��f�m/ verb to say thatsomething is certain � The dates of theconcerts have been confirmed by thepop group’s manager. � The photo-graph confirmed that the result of therace was a dead heat. � We have beentold that she left the country last month– can you confirm that?

conflict

conflict1 /�kɒnflkt/ noun 1. a strongdisagreement or argument 2. fighting �The government is engaged in armedconflict with rebel forces. � to come


conflict 70 conscious

into conflict with someone to start todisagree strongly with someone � Theysoon came into conflict over who shouldbe in charge.

conflict

conflict2 /kən��flkt/ verb to disagreewith someone or something � His ver-sion of events conflicts with that of hispartner.

confuseconfuse /kən��fjuz/ verb 1. to makesomeone feel that they cannot under-stand something � She was confused byall the journalists’ questions. 2. to mixthings or people up � The twins are soalike I am always confusing them. � Ialways confuse him with his brother –they are very alike.

confusedconfused /kən��fjuzd/ adjective unableto understand or to think clearly � I’m abit confused – did we say 8 p.m. or 8.30?� Grandmother used to get rather con-fused in her old age.

confusingconfusing /kən��fjuzŋ/ adjective diffi-cult to understand � They found the in-structions on the computer very confus-ing.

confusionconfusion /kən��fju"(ə)n/ noun 1. astate of not knowing what to do or howto decide something � Her reply justcreated more confusion over who wasresponsible. � in confusion not able todecide what is happening or what to do� He was looking at the letter in greatconfusion. 2. a state in which things arenot organised in the correct way or arenot clear � There were scenes of confu-sion at the airport when the snowstopped all flights.

congratulatecongratulate /kən��'r�tʃυlet/ verb 1.to tell someone that you are verypleased that they have been successful �I want to congratulate you on your pro-motion. 2. to give someone your bestwishes on a special occasion � He con-gratulated them on their silver weddinganniversary. (NOTE: You congratulatesomeone on something.)

congratulationcongratulation /kən��'r�tʃυ��leʃ(ə)n/noun praise for someone who has donewell � His grandparents sent him a let-ter of congratulation on passing his de-gree. � plural noun congratulationsan expression of good wishes to some-one who has done well or who is cele-

brating a special occasion � a congrat-ulations card � Congratulations –you’re our millionth customer! � Con-gratulations on passing your exam! �The office sent him their congratula-tions on his wedding.

conjunctionconjunction /kən��d"�ŋkʃən/ noun 1. aword which connects different sectionsof a sentence. ‘and’ and ‘but’ are con-junctions. 2. � in conjunction withsomeone or something together withsomeone or something � The icy road inconjunction with fog made driving verydifficult.

connectconnect /kə��nekt/ verb 1. to join onething to another � The computer shouldhave been connected to the printer. �Connect the two red wires together. 2. tomake it possible for a telephone or acomputer to be used for communicatingwith others � Has the telephone beenconnected yet?

connectionconnection /kə��nekʃən/ noun 1. a rela-tionship between things � There is adefinite connection between smokingand lung cancer. 2. a bus, train or planewhich you catch after getting off anoth-er means of transport � My train waslate and I missed my connection to Bir-mingham. 3. a particular way of com-municating remotely � a low connec-tion charge � Is there a reliable phoneconnection? 4. a point at which two dif-ferent pieces of equipment join � Thereis a loose connection somewhere. � plu-ral noun connections people youknow � He has business connections inArgentina, � in connection with relat-ing to � I’m writing in connection withyour visit.

conquerconquer /�kɒŋkə/ verb 1. to defeat peo-ple by force � The Romans had con-quered most of Europe. 2. to change anegative emotion or type of behavioursuccessfully � I eventually conqueredmy fear of flying.

conscienceconscience /�kɒnʃəns/ noun a feelingthat you have done right or wrong

conscientiousconscientious /�kɒnʃi��enʃəs/ adjec-tive working carefully and well � She’sa very conscientious worker.

consciousconscious /�kɒnʃəs/ adjective awakeand able to know what is happening


consciously 71 construction

around you � She was conscious duringthe minor operation on her toe. � a con-scious decision a decision which youhave thought carefully about � Refusingthe offer was a conscious decision onhis part. � He made a conscious deci-sion to try to avoid her in future.

consciously

consciously /�kɒnʃəsli/ adverb in a de-liberate or active way � I wasn’t con-sciously ignoring her – I just didn’t no-tice her. � He doesn’t consciously re-member locking the door.

consciousness

consciousness /�kɒnʃəsnəs/ nounthe fact of being conscious � to loseconsciousness to become unconscious

consecutive

consecutive /kən��sekjυtv/ adjectivefollowing one after the other

consequence

consequence /�kɒnskwəns/ noun 1.something which happens because ofsomething else � If we lose this order,the consequences for the firm will bedisastrous. � Smoking has serioushealth consequences. 2. importance(formal) � of no consequence not im-portant � What he thinks about the situ-ation is of no consequence. � as a con-sequence as a result � We queued fortwo hours in the rain, and as a conse-quence all of us got colds.

conservation

conservation /�kɒnsə��veʃ(ə)n/ nounthe careful use of things such as energyor natural resources � The company isspending more money on energy conser-vation.

conservative

conservative /kən��s�vətv/ adjectivenot wanting to change � He has veryconservative views.

consider

consider /kən��sdə/ verb 1. to thinkcarefully about something � Pleaseconsider seriously the offer which weare making. � We have to consider theposition of the children. 2. to think � Doyou consider him the right man for thejob? � She is considered (to be) one ofthe best lawyers in town. 3. � all thingsconsidered used for saying that youhave thought about all aspects of a situ-ation, including the bad ones � Allthings considered, the party went offquite well.

considerable

considerable /kən��sd(ə)rəb(ə)l/ ad-jective fairly large � He lost a consider-able amount of money at the horse race.

considerably

considerably /kən��sd(ə)rəbli/ adverbto a fairly large extent

consideration

consideration /kən��sdə��reʃ(ə)n/noun 1. careful thought � We are givingserious consideration to the possibilityof moving the head office to Scotland. �to take something into considerationto think about something when makinga decision � The age of the children hasto be taken into consideration. � underconsideration being thought about �The matter is under consideration. 2.something which has an effect on a de-cision � The safety of the children ismore important than all other consider-ations.

considering

considering /kən��sd(ə)rŋ/ conjunc-tion, preposition used to say that onething affects another � He plays the vi-olin extremely well, considering he’sonly five. � He ought to be more grate-ful, considering the amount of help youhave given him.

consonant

consonant /�kɒnsənənt/ noun a letterrepresenting a sound which is producedby partly stopping the air going out ofthe mouth

constable

constable /�k�nstəb(ə)l/ noun a policeofficer of the lowest rank

constant

constant /�kɒnstənt/ adjective notchanging or stopping � The constantnoise of music from the bar next doordrives me mad. � noun a number orthing which does not change � Deathand taxes are the only constants in life.� The speed of light is a scientific con-stant.

constantly

constantly /�kɒnstəntli/ adverb all thetime

construct

construct /kən��str�kt/ verb to buildsomething � The wings are constructedof aluminium. � The airport was con-structed in 1995.

construction

construction /kən��str�kʃən/ noun 1.the act of building � The construction ofthe new stadium took three years. � un-der construction being built � The newairport is still under construction. 2.something which has been built


consult 72 contestantconsult

consult /kən��s�lt/ verb 1. to ask some-one for advice � He consulted his bankabout transferring his account. 2. tolook at something to get information �After consulting the map they decided togo north.

consultant

consultant /kən��s�ltənt/ noun 1. anexpert who gives advice � His tax con-sultant advised him to sell the shares. 2.a senior hospital doctor who is an expertin a particular medical condition or ill-ness � We’ll make an appointment foryou to see a consultant.

consume

consume /kən��sjum/ verb 1. to eat ordrink something � The guests consumedover a hundred hamburgers. 2. to usesomething up � The world’s natural re-sources are being consumed at analarming rate. � The new car consumesabout half the amount of petrol of an or-dinary car.

consumer

consumer /kən��sjumə/ noun a personor company that buys goods or services� Consumers are buying more from su-permarkets and less from small shops. �Gas consumers are protesting at the in-crease in prices.

contact

contact /�kɒnt�kt/ noun 1. an act oftouching � Avoid any contact betweenthe acid and the skin. � Anyone who hasbeen in physical contact with the patientmust consult their doctor immediately.2. the act of communicating with some-one � We don’t have much contact withour old friends in Australia. � to get incontact with someone to write to some-one or talk to them on the telephone �verb to write to someone or talk to themon the telephone � He tried to contacthis office by phone. � Can you contactthe ticket office immediately?

contain

contain /kən��ten/ verb 1. to hold anamount, or to have an amount inside �The bottle contains acid. � The enve-lope contained a cheque for £1,000. � Abarrel contains 250 litres. � I have losta briefcase containing important docu-ments. 2. to limit or prevent somethingharmful or unpleasant � The army triedto contain the advance of the enemyforces. � The party is attempting to con-tain the revolt among its members.

container

container /kən��tenə/ noun an objectsuch as a box or bottle which holdssomething else � We need a containerfor all this rubbish. � The gas is shippedin strong metal containers.

contemporary

contemporary /kən��temp(ə)rəri/ ad-jective of the present time � contempo-rary art � noun a person who lives atthe same time as someone � Shake-speare and his contemporaries � He isone of my contemporaries from school.

contender

contender /kən��tendə/ noun a personwho takes part in a competition, espe-cially someone who is likely to win �He’s a definite contender for the worldtitle.

content

content1 /�kɒntent/ noun the amount ofsomething which is contained in a sub-stance � Dried fruit has a higher sugarcontent than fresh fruit. � plural nouncontents 1. things which are insidesomething � The contents of the bottlespilled onto the carpet. 2. the list ofchapters in a book, usually printed at thebeginning

content

content2 /kən��tent/ adjective happywith what is happening in your life �content to happy to � She was contentto sit in the sun and wait. � contentwith satisfied with � If you are not con-tent with the way the car runs, bring itback and we will look at it again. �noun a feeling of satisfaction � to yourheart’s content as much as you want �You can play the piano to your heart’scontent. � Living by the sea, they can gosailing to their heart’s content.

contented

contented /kən��tentd/ adjective satis-fied and happy

contest

contest1 /�kɒntest/ noun any event orsituation in which people compete witheach other � an international sportscontest � Only two people entered theleadership contest.

contest

contest2 /kən��test/ verb 1. to competewith other people to achieve a position� There are four candidates contestingthe championship. 2. to say that you dis-agree with what is written in a legal doc-ument

contestant

contestant /kən��testənt/ noun a per-son who takes part in a competition �


context 73 contribution

The two contestants shook hands beforethe match.

context

context /�kɒntekst/ noun the otherwords which surround a particular wordin a piece of writing and which help toshow its meaning � Even if you don’tknow what a word means, you cansometimes guess its meaning from thecontext. � taken out of context show-ing only part of what someone said orwrote, so that the meaning is changed �My words have been taken out of context– I said the book was ‘one of the best’not ‘the best’ I’d read.

continent

continent /�kɒntnənt/ noun one of theseven large land areas in the world, e.g.Africa or Europe

Continent

Continent /�kɒntnənt/ noun the mainland area of Europe, as compared withthe islands of the United Kingdom �They go to the Continent on holidayeach year, sometimes to France, some-times to Switzerland. � on the Conti-nent in the main part of Europe

continental

continental /�kɒnt��nent(ə)l/ adjective1. referring to a continent 2. referring toor typical of Europe excluding the Unit-ed Kingdom

continual

continual /kən��tnjuəl/ adjective 1.happening many times in a period oftime � We have experienced a period ofcontinual change. 2. happening fre-quently in a way that is annoying � Thecomputer has given us continual prob-lems ever since we bought it.

continue

continue /kən��tnju/ verb to go on do-ing something or happening � He con-tinued working, even though everyoneelse had gone home. � The engine con-tinued to send out clouds of blacksmoke. � The meeting started at 10 a.m.and continued until 6 p.m. � The showcontinued with some children’s dances.

continuous

continuous /kən��tnjυəs/ adjectivewithout stopping or without a break �She has been in continuous pain forthree days. � A continuous white line onthe road means that you are not allowedto overtake.

continuously

continuously /kən��tnjυəsli/ adverbwithout a break

contract

contract1 /�kɒntr�kt/ noun a legalagreement � I don’t agree with some ofthe conditions of the contract. � undercontract bound by the conditions of acontract � The company is under con-tract to a French supermarket.

contract

contract2 /kən��tr�kt/ verb 1. to be-come smaller � Metal contracts when itgets cold, and expands when it is hot. 2.to make an official agreement to dosome work � to contract to supply spareparts or to contract for the supply ofspare parts

contradict

contradict /�kɒntrə��dkt/ verb 1. to saythat what someone else says is not true� They didn’t dare contradict theirmother. 2. to be different from what hasbeen said before � What you have justsaid contradicts what you said yester-day.

contrast

contrast1 /�kɒntrɑst/ noun a differ-ence between two things � the contrastin weather between the north and thesouth of the country � The two cities arein sharp contrast. � in contrast to asopposed to � He is quite short, in con-trast to his sister who is very tall. � Thenorth of the country is green and wood-ed in contrast to the south which is dryand sandy.

contrast

contrast2 /kən��trɑst/ verb to be obvi-ously different from � His formal lettercontrasted with his friendly conversa-tion on the telephone.

contribute

contribute /kən��trbjut/ verb 1. tohelp something to happen � The gov-ernment’s policies have contributed to afeeling of anxiety among teachers. 2. togive money to help to pay for some-thing, especially when other people arealso giving � We were asked to contrib-ute to a charity. � Everyone was askedto contribute to the receptionist’s leav-ing present.

contribution

contribution /�kɒntr��bjuʃ(ə)n/ some-thing that someone does to help some-thing to happen � I want to thank youfor your enormous contribution to thesuccess of the project. � noun some-thing, usually money, given to help topay for something � She makes monthlycontributions to the Red Cross.


contributor 74 coppercontributor

contributor /kən��trbjυtə/ noun a per-son or organisation that contributes tosomething

control

control /kən��trəυl/ noun 1. the fact ofkeeping someone or something in orderor being able to direct them � He lostcontrol of his business and resigned. �The club is under the control of threepeople. 2. the ability to get people to dowhat you want � The teacher has nocontrol over the class. � verb 1. to keepsomething in order, to direct or limitsomething � The police couldn’t controlthe crowds. � There was nobody thereto control the traffic. � We must try tocontrol the sales of foreign cars. � Thegovernment controls the price of meat.2. � to control a business to have thepower to direct the way a business is run� The business is controlled by a com-pany based in Luxembourg. (NOTE:controls – controlling – controlled)

controlled

controlled /kən��trəυld/ adjective keptunder control

convenient

convenient /kən��viniənt/ adjectivenot causing any practical problems �Six o’clock in the morning is not a veryconvenient time for a meeting. � A bankdraft is a convenient way of sendingmoney abroad.

conveniently

conveniently /kən��viniəntli/ adverbin a convenient way

conventional

conventional /kən��venʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ ad-jective ordinary or usual � For your in-terview it’s best to wear a conventionalsuit.

conversation

conversation /�kɒnvə��seʃ(ə)n/ nounan occasion on which two or more peo-ple talk to each other about something �We had a long conversation with thebank manager. � Why did he suddenlychange the subject of the conversation?

convict

convict1 /�kɒnvkt/ noun a criminalwho has been sent to prison � The po-lice are searching for two escaped con-victs.

convict

convict2 /kən��vkt/ verb to prove incourt that someone is guilty � She wasconvicted of theft.

convinced

convinced /kən��vnst/ adjective verycertain � She’s convinced that she’sright.

cook

cook /kυk/ noun a person who gets foodready � He worked as a cook in a pubduring the summer. � verb to get foodready for eating, especially by heating it� It’s my turn to cook the dinner tonight.� How do you cook cabbage?

cooker

cooker /�kυkə/ noun a large piece ofkitchen equipment, used for cookingfood

cookie

cookie /�kυki/ noun 1. usually US asmall, flat hard sweet cake � She boughta packet of cookies. (NOTE: The BritishEnglish term is biscuit.) 2. a computerfile sent to your computer by a websitewhen you visit it. It stores informationabout you which can be used when younext visit the website.

cool

cool /kul/ adjective 1. cold in a pleasantway, or colder than you would like orthan you expect � It was hot on deck butcool down below. � Wines should bestored in a cool cellar. � It gets cool inthe evenings in September. 2. not friend-ly or not enthusiastic � I got a cool re-ception when I arrived half an hour late.� Their proposal got a cool response. �to be cool towards someone to be un-friendly to someone or unenthusiasticabout something � She was rather cooltowards me last time we met. � My col-leagues were cool towards the plan un-fortunately. 3. calm � The nurses re-mained cool and professional. 4. fash-ionable (informal) � They thought it wascool to wear white trainers. 5. good(informal) � a cool party � a really coolidea (NOTE: cooler – coolest) � verbto make something cool; to become cool� She boiled the jam for several hoursand then put it aside to cool. � noun 1.a colder area which is pleasant � Afterthe heat of the town centre, it is nice tosit in the cool of the garden. 2. the stateof being calm � As soon as the reportersstarted to ask her questions she lost hercool. � to be cool with something tobe satisfied with something (informal) �We can go tomorrow – I’m cool withthat.

copper

copper /�kɒpə/ noun a reddish metalwhich turns green when exposed to air� Copper is a good conductor of elec-


copy 75 costume

tricity. � The end of the copper wireshould be attached to the terminal.

copy

copy /�kɒp/ noun 1. something made tolook the same as something else � Thisis an exact copy of the painting by Pi-casso. 2. a particular book or newspaper� Where’s my copy of today’s ‘Times’?� I lent my old copy of the play to mybrother and he never gave it back.(NOTE: [all noun senses] The plural iscopies.) � verb 1. to make somethingwhich looks like something else � Hestole a credit card and copied the signa-ture 2. to do what someone else does(NOTE: copies – copying – copied)

cord

cord /kɔd/ noun a strong thin rope �Pull the cord to open the parachute. �In an emergency, pull the cord to stopthe train.

core

core /kɔ/ noun the central part of an ob-ject � the core of an apple, an applecore the hard part in the middle of anapple, containing the seeds � the mostbasic or essential part of something �Lack of resources is the core of the prob-lem. � adjective most important �These are the core points of the report.� core values the things that a group ofpeople think are most important � Hon-esty and reliability are among our corevalues.

cork

cork /kɔk/ noun 1. a small solid tube,used for closing wine bottles 2. the verylight bark of a type of tree, used formaking corks and other things � Sheplaced little cork mats on the table tostop the wine glasses marking it. � verbto put a cork into a bottle

corn

corn /kɔn/ noun 1. cereal plants such aswheat or barley � a field of corn 2.maize, a cereal crop which is grown inmany parts of the world � corn on thecob the part of maize that has the seeds,boiled and served hot, with butter andsalt

corner

corner /�kɔnə/ noun a place where twowalls, streets or sides meet � The bankis on the corner of London Road andNew Street. � Put the plant in the cornerof the room nearest the window. � Thenumber is in the top right-hand cornerof the page. � The motorbike wentround the corner at top speed. � to turn

the corner 1. to go from one street intoanother by turning left or right � Sheturned the corner into the main street. 2.to get better after being ill or in a diffi-cult situation � Our business affairsseem to have turned the corner.

corporate

corporate /�kɔp(ə)rət/ adjective relat-ing to a company � Corporate responsi-bility rests with the whole management.� Corporate profits are down this year.

corporation

corporation /�kɔpə��reʃ(ə)n/ noun alarge company � Working for a big cor-poration can be rather impersonal.

correct

correct /kə��rekt/ adjective 1. withoutany mistakes � You have to give correctanswers to all the questions if you wantto win first prize. � If the informationyou gave us is correct, we can finish thework by Thursday. 2. right according torules or standards � verb to take awaymistakes in something � You must try tocorrect your driving mistakes, or youwill never pass the test. � The computerkeeps switching itself off – can you cor-rect this fault?

correction

correction /kə��rekʃən/ noun 1. an ac-tion that makes something correct � Hemade a few small corrections to the let-ter. 2. the process of correcting some-thing � We drew up a timetable for thecorrection of minor faults.

correctly

correctly /kə��rektli/ adverb withoutmaking any mistakes

corridor

corridor /�kɒrdɔ/ noun a long narrowpassage � The ladies’ toilet is straightahead at the end of the corridor.

cost

cost /kɒst/ noun a price which you haveto pay for something � What is the costof a return ticket to London? � Compu-ter costs are falling each year. � verb tohave as a price � Potatoes cost 20p a ki-lo. � Petrol seems to cost more all thetime. (NOTE: costs – costing – cost –has cost) � at all costs no matterwhat happens � At all costs, we have tobe in Trafalgar Square by 12 o’clock. �to cost an arm and a leg to be veryexpensive � The repairs to his car costhim an arm and a leg.

costume

costume /�kɒstjum/ noun a set ofclothes worn by an actor or actress �


cosy 76 country

The costumes for the film are magnifi-cent.

cosy

cosy /�kəυzi/ adjective comfortable andwarm � An open log fire always makesa room feel cosy. � She wrapped herselfup in a blanket and made herself cosy onthe sofa. (NOTE: cosier – cosiest)

cottage

cottage /�kɒtd"/ noun a little house inthe country � We have a weekend cot-tage in the mountains. � My motherlives in the little cottage next to the postoffice.

cotton

cotton /�kɒtən/ noun 1. fibres made intothread from the soft seed heads of atropical plant 2. cloth made of cotton �I bought some blue cotton to make askirt. � He was wearing a pair of cottontrousers.

cough

cough /kɒf/ noun the act of making anoise by sending the air out of yourlungs suddenly, e.g. when you are ill �Take some medicine if your cough isbad. � He gave a little cough to attractthe waitress’s attention. � verb to makea noise by sending air out of your lungssuddenly, e.g. because you are ill � Thesmoke from the fire made everyonecough. � People with colds usuallycough and sneeze.

could

could /kəd, kυd/ modal verb 1. was orwould be able to � The old lady felldown and couldn’t get up. � You couldstill catch the train if you ran. 2. was al-lowed to � The policeman said he couldgo into the house. 3. used in askingsomeone to do something � Could youpass me the salt, please? � Could youshut the window? 4. might � The newshopping centre could be finished byChristmas. 5. used in making a sugges-tion � You could always try borrowingmoney from the bank. (NOTE: The nega-tive is could not, or in speaking, usu-ally couldn’t. Note also that could isthe past of can; could is only used infront of other verbs and is not followedby the word to.)

council

council /�kaυnsəl/ noun 1. an electedcommittee 2. an official group chosen towork on or advise about a specific sub-ject � a council set up to promote thearts in the eastern region

countcount /kaυnt/ verb 1. to say numbers inorder, e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4 � She’s only two andshe can count up to ten. � Count to fiveand then start running. 2. to find out atotal � Did you count how many booksthere are in the library? 3. to includewhen finding out a total � There weresixty people on the boat if you count thechildren. � Did you count my trip toNew York as part of my expenses? � notcounting not including � There arethree of us, not counting the baby. � Wehave three computers, not counting theold ones that don’t work any more. 4. tobe important � Your appearance countsfor a lot in an interview. � noun 1. theaction of counting or of adding 2. a largeamount of something, calculated scien-tifically � Today there is a high pollencount. � to lose count to no longerhave any idea of a particular number � Itried to add up all the sales figures butlost count and had to start again. � I’velost count of the number of times he’sleft his umbrella on the train.count on phrasal verb to be sure thatsomeone will do something

countercounter /�kaυntə/ noun 1. a long flatsurface in a shop for showing goods forsale, or in a bank for passing over mon-ey � She put her bag down on the coun-ter and took out her cheque book. � Thecheese counter is over there. 2. a smallround disc used in games � You’vethrown a six – you can move your coun-ter six places. � She placed a pile ofcounters on the board. � verb to act orreply in an opposing way � The advertsare designed to counter familiar opin-ions about of home and family. � to re-ply in a way that opposes what has beensaid � He accused her of laziness andshe countered with a list of complaintsabout his own behaviour.

countrycountry /�k�ntri/ noun 1. an area of landwhich is has borders and governs itself� the countries of the EU � Some Afri-can countries voted against the plan.(NOTE: The plural in this sense iscountries.) 2. land which is not in atown � He lives in the country. � Wewent walking in the country. � Roadtravel is difficult in country areas.(NOTE: no plural in this sense)


countryside 77 crackcountryside

countryside /�k�ntrisad/ noun landwhich is not in a town � the beautifulEnglish countryside in spring � Thecountryside is in danger of being cov-ered in new houses. (NOTE: no plural)

county

county /�kaυnti/ noun a district that hassome powers of government over localmatters (NOTE: The plural is counties.)

couple

couple /�k�p(ə)l/ noun 1. two things to-gether 2. two people together � Theyare a charming couple. � Several cou-ples strolled past hand in hand. � verb1. to connect two different things �High tides coupled with strong windscaused flooding along the coast. 2. tojoin two machines together � Couplethe trailer to the back of the truck. � acouple of 1. two � They’ve got a cou-ple of children. 2. a few � The film last-ed a couple of hours.

coupon

coupon /�kupɒn/ noun a piece of paperwhich is used in place of money or inplace of a ticket

courage

courage /�k�rd"/ noun the ability todeal with a dangerous or unpleasant sit-uation � She showed great courage inattacking the burglar. � I didn’t have thecourage to disagree with him. (NOTE: noplural)

course

course /kɔs/ noun 1. a series of lessons� I’m taking a maths course. � She’sgoing on a painting course. � The hoteloffers weekend courses in a variety ofsubjects. 2. a series of medical treat-ments � He’s taking a course of antibi-otics. 3. a separate part of a meal � afive-course meal � The first course issoup, and then you can have either fishor roast lamb. 4. the direction in whichsomeone or something, especially a ve-hicle, is moving in, or will move in � indue course after a certain amount oftime � If you study for several years atcollege, in due course you will get a de-gree. � Put a coin in the slot and in duecourse the machine will produce a tick-et. � in the course of during a periodof time � He’s got much richer in thecourse of the last few years.

court

court /kɔt/ noun 1. a room with a judgewho tries criminals, sometimes with ajury � The court was packed for theopening of the murder trial. � Please

tell the court what you saw when youopened the door. � to take someone tocourt to arrange for someone to come toa court to end an argument 2. an areawhere sports such as tennis or basket-ball are played � The tennis courts arebehind the hotel. � to be on court to beplaying tennis 3. a group of people liv-ing round a king or queen

court casecourt case /�kɔt kes/ noun a legal ac-tion or trial

courtyardcourtyard /�kɔtjɑd/ noun a smallsquare area surrounded by buildings

cousincousin /�k�z(ə)n/ noun the son ordaughter of your uncle or aunt

covercover /�k�və/ noun 1. something thatyou put over something else to protect itor keep it clean � Keep a cover overyour computer when you are not usingit. � Put a cover over the meat to keepthe flies off. 2. the front and back of abook or magazine � She read the bookfrom cover to cover. 3. a place whereyou can hide or shelter � They ran forcover when it started to rain. � undercover under a roof, not in the open air �If it rains the meal will be served undercover. � to take cover to find a place toshelter from something such as rain � Itstarted to rain and they took cover un-der a tree. � When the robbers startedshooting, the policeman took cover be-hind a wall. � verb 1. to put somethingover something else to keep it clean �You should cover the furniture withsheets before you start painting the ceil-ing. 2. to hide something � He coveredthe hole in the ground with branches. �She covered her face with her hands. 3.to travel a certain distance � They madegood progress, covering twenty miles aday.

cowcow /kaυ/ noun a large female farm ani-mal, kept to give milk � a field of cows� The farmer was milking a cow.

cowardcoward /�kaυəd/ noun a person who isnot brave

crackcrack /kr�k/ noun 1. a sharp sound � thecrack of a whip � The crack of a twigbehind her made her turn round. 2. along thin break in a surface � A crackappeared in the ceiling. � Her ring felldown a crack in the floorboards. � The


crafty 78 credit

field is so dry it is full of cracks. � verb1. to make a sharp sound � A twigcracked as he stepped on it. 2. to makea long thin break in something � Thestone cracked the glass.

crafty

crafty /�krɑfti/ adjective good at gettingthe things you want, often in a way thatis not completely honest (NOTE: craftier– craftiest)

cramped

cramped /kr�mpt/ adjective too smallor too close together � On some planes,the seats are very cramped.

crane

crane /kren/ noun a tall metal piece ofequipment for lifting heavy things �The container slipped as the crane waslifting it onto the ship.

crash

crash /kr�ʃ/ noun 1. an accident wherevehicles are damaged � He was killed ina train crash. � None of the passengerswas hurt in the coach crash. � His carwas badly damaged in the crash. 2. aloud noise when something falls over �The ladder fell down with a crash. �There was a loud crash in the kitchen. �verb 1. (of vehicles) to hit somethingand be damaged � The bus crashed intoa wall. � The plane crashed six kilome-tres from the airport. 2. to fall, making aloud noise � The wall came crashingdown. � The ladder crashed onto thefloor.

crate

crate /kret/ noun 1. a large wooden box� The dinner set arrived safely, careful-ly packed in a wooden crate. 2. a con-tainer for bottles � a beer crate � Theoffice orders a crate of milk every day.

crawl

crawl /krɔl/ verb 1. to move around onyour hands and knees � The baby hasjust started to crawl. 2. to travel alongslowly � The traffic was crawlingalong. � noun 1. a very slow speed �The traffic on the motorway was re-duced to a crawl. 2. a swimming stylewhere each arm goes over your head inturn � He won the 100m crawl. (NOTE:no plural)

crayon

crayon /�kreɒn/ noun a coloured waxstick, used especially by children fordrawing

crazy

crazy /�krezi/ adjective not sensible � Itwas a crazy idea to go mountain-climb-ing in sandals.

creak

creak /krik/ verb to make a squeakynoise � noun a noise like that of woodmoving � She heard a creak on thestairs and sat up in bed. (NOTE: Do notconfuse with creek.)

cream

cream /krim/ noun 1. the thick yellowpart of milk, full of fat � I like strawber-ries and cream. 2. any soft smooth sub-stance used, e.g. for cleaning or for pro-tecting the skin � face cream � shavingcream � shoe cream � adjective of ayellow-white colour � He was wearinga cream shirt. � Do you like our newcream carpet?

crease

crease /kris/ noun 1. a mark made incloth by ironing � Trousers should havea crease in front. 2. a mark made byfolding accidentally � She ironed hisshirts to remove the creases. � verb tomake folds accidentally in something �After two hours in the car, my skirt wasbadly creased and had to be pressed.

create

create /kri��et/ verb to make or inventsomething � a government schemewhich aims at creating new jobs foryoung people

creationcreation /kri��eʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the act ofmaking or inventing something � Ouraim is the creation of new jobs for youngunemployed people. 2. somethingwhich has been made, especially some-thing artistic or unusual

creaturecreature /�kritʃə/ noun 1. an animal,especially one that you don’t know aname for � Lift any stone and you’ll findall sorts of little creatures underneath.� We try not to harm any living crea-ture. � Some sea creatures live in holesin the sand. 2. an imaginary animal orliving being

creditcredit /�kredt/ noun 1. praise for some-thing which is well deserved � The pro-fessor took all the credit for the inven-tion. � To his credit, he owned up imme-diately. 2. the length of time given topay for something � We give purchaserssix months’ credit. 3. the side of an ac-count showing money that you have gotor which is owed to you � We paid in£100 to the credit of Mr Smith. � pluralnoun credits the list of people whohelped to make a film or TV programme� Her name appears in the credits. �


credit card 79 crop

verb to pay money into an account � tocredit an account with £100 or to credit£100 to an account

credit card

credit card /�kredt kɑd/ noun a plas-tic card which allows you to borrowmoney and to buy goods without payingfor them immediately

creep

creep /krip/ verb 1. to move around qui-etly � They crept softly down the stairs.2. to move slowly � The traffic wascreeping along the motorway becauseof the fog. (NOTE: creeps – creeping –crept)

crew

crew /kru/ noun the people who work ona vehicle such as boat or aircraft � Thelifeboat rescued the crew of the sinkingship. � The plane was carrying 125 pas-sengers and a crew of six.

cricket

cricket /�krkt/ noun 1. a game playedbetween two teams of eleven players us-ing bats and a hard ball � We haven’tplayed much cricket this year – theweather has been too bad. � We are go-ing to a cricket match this afternoon. 2.awake and able to know what is happen-ing around you

cried

cried /krad/ past tense and past partici-ple of cry

cries

cries /kraz/ 3rd person singular presentof cry

crime

crime /kram/ noun 1. illegal behaviour� We must try to reduce the levels ofcrime in the inner cities. � The govern-ment is trying to deal with the problemof crime on the streets or with the streetcrime problem. 2. a specific illegal act �More crimes are committed at nightthan during the daytime.

criminal

criminal /�krmn(ə)l/ adjective refer-ring to illegal acts � the criminal justicesystem � Stealing is a criminal offence.� noun a person who commits a crime

crisis

crisis /�krass/ noun a serious situationwhere decisions have to be taken veryquickly � an international crisis � abanking crisis

crisp

crisp /krsp/ adjective 1. (of food) hard,able to be broken into pieces and mak-ing a noise when you bite it � These bis-cuits are not crisp any more, they havegone soft. � Pick an apple off the tree,they’re really very crisp. 2. cold and

sunny � It was a beautiful crisp morn-ing, with frost glinting on the grass. �She could see her breath in the crispmountain air.

criterion

criterion /kra��təriən/ noun the stand-ard by which things are judged � Doesthe candidate satisfy all our criteria?

critic

critic /�krtk/ noun 1. a person who ex-amines something and comments on it,especially a person who writes com-ments on new plays and films for anewspaper � She’s the TV critic of TheTimes. � The film was praised by all thecritics. 2. a person who says that some-thing is bad or wrong � The chairmantried to answer his critics at the meet-ing.

critical

critical /�krtk(ə)l/ adjective 1. danger-ous and difficult � With the enemy at-tacking on all sides, our position wasbecoming critical. 2. extremely impor-tant � He made a critical decision tobreak off the negotiations. 3. very seri-ous � The pilot of the plane was in acritical condition last night. � The hos-pital said that her condition was criti-cal. 4. criticising someone or something� The report was highly critical of theminister.

criticise

criticise /�krtsaz/, criticize verb tosay that something or someone is bad orwrong � She criticised their lack of in-terest and enthusiasm. � The design ofthe new car has been criticised.

criticism

criticism /�krtsz(ə)m/ noun an unfa-vourable comment or comments �There was a lot of criticism of the gov-ernment’s plan.

crocodile

crocodile /�krɒkədal/ noun a large rep-tile which lives in or near rivers andlakes and eats other animals � Croco-diles lay on the banks of the river wait-ing for the animals to come to drink.

crooked

crooked /�krυkd/ adjective bent, notstraight � That picture is crooked.

crop

crop /krɒp/ noun plants such as vegeta-bles or cereals grown for food � Thebad weather has set the crops back bythree weeks. � We had a wonderful cropof potatoes or a wonderful potato cropthis year.

crop up phrasal verb to happen sud-


cross 80 crunch

denly (informal)cross

cross /krɒs/ verb 1. to go across some-thing to the other side � She just crossedthe road without looking to see if therewas any traffic coming. 2. to put onething across another � He crossed hisarms and looked annoyed. � She satdown and crossed her legs. � The roadcrosses the railway line about 10 kmfrom here. � noun a shape made whereone line has another going across it, es-pecially one which forms the symbol ofthe Christian Church � Write your namewhere I have put a cross. � There is across on the top of the church tower. �adjective angry � The teacher will becross with you for missing school. �Don’t be cross – the children were onlytrying to help.

cross off, cross out phrasal verb todraw a line through something whichhas been written to show that it shouldnot be there

crossing

crossing /�krɒsŋ/ noun 1. an occasionof going across to the other side of anarea of water � How long is the crossingfrom England to Germany? 2. a placewhere you go across safely � Cars haveto take care at the railway crossing.

crossword

crossword /�krɒsw�d/ noun a puzzlewhere small squares have to be filledwith letters to spell words

crouch

crouch /kraυtʃ/ verb to bend down low� He crouched in the bottom of the boat.� She crouched down to talk to thechild.

crowd

crowd /kraυd/ noun a very large numberof people together � A crowd of school-children went past. � Someone in thecrowd outside the cinema shouted awarning. � Let’s get an early train hometo avoid the crowds after work. � verbto group together � All the rugby fanscrowded into the pub. � The childrenwere crowding round their teacher.

crowded

crowded /�kraυdd/ adjective full of alarge number of people � The town getsvery crowded during the holiday sea-son. � The stands were crowded beforethe game started.

crown

crown /kraυn/ noun a round metal deco-ration that a king or queen wears on his

or her head � verb 1. to make someoneking or queen by placing a crown on hisor her head � The Queen was crownedin Westminster Abbey. 2. to be a verygood end to a set of things that happen� He crowned his career by winning agold medal. � to crown it all used to re-fer to the last of several bad things tohappen � To crown it all, he lost his carkeys.

crucial

crucial /�kruʃ(ə)l/ adjective extremelyimportant � It is crucial that the storybe kept out of the papers.

cruel

cruel /�kruəl/ adjective making a personor animal suffer � Don’t be so cruel! �You must not be cruel to your new pup-py. � It was cruel of him to mention herweight problem. (NOTE: crueller – cru-ellest)

cruelty

cruelty /�kruəlti/ noun the act of beingcruel

cruise

cruise /kruz/ noun a holiday consistingof a long journey in a ship, stopping atdifferent places � When he retired theywent on a cruise round the Mediterrane-an. � verb to go in a boat from place toplace � They spent May cruising in theAegean Sea. � The ship cruised from is-land to island.

crumb

crumb /kr�m/ noun a small piece thathas broken off some dry food such asbread, cake or biscuits

crumble

crumble /�kr�mbəl/ verb to break upinto small pieces, or to break somethingup into small pieces � If you make it toodry it will just crumble when you eat it.� He picked up a lump of dry earth andcrumbled it between his fingers.

crunch

crunch /kr�ntʃ/ verb 1. to bite some-thing hard, making a loud noise � Shewas crunching an apple when the phonerang. 2. to crush something dry � Thesnow crunched under his boots. � noun1. the sound of something dry beingcrushed 2. a situation when somethingmust happen or be decided (informal) �The crunch will come when the firm hasno cash to pay the wages. � if or whenit comes to the crunch if or when apoint of decision is reached � When itcame to the crunch, the other sidebacked down.


crust 81 curlcrust

crust /kr�st/ noun 1. a hard outer layerthat covers something softer 2. the hardoutside layer of bread � You can cut thecrusts off the sandwiches. 3. the layer ofpastry on top of a pie 4. the outer layerof the Earth

cry

cry /kra/ verb 1. to have tears coming outof your eyes � The baby cried when hermother took away her toys. � Cutting uponions makes me cry. � Many peoplewere crying when they left the cinema.2. to call out � ‘Hello there,’ she cried.(NOTE: cries – crying – cried) � noun1. a loud shout � a cry of pain � No oneheard her cries for help. 2. a soundmade by a bird or other animal (NOTE:The plural is cries.)

crystal

crystal /�krstəl/ noun a solid chemicalsubstance with a regular shape � Thesalt formed crystals at the bottom of thejar.

cube

cube /kjub/ noun 1. (in geometry) ashape like a box, where all six sides aresquares of the same size � The designfor the library consists of a series ofcubes. 2. something shaped like a cube� He put two cubes of sugar in his tea.� The ice cubes chinked in the glasses.3. (in mathematics) the result when anumber is multiplied by itself twice �27 is the cube of 3.

cucumber

cucumber /�kjuk�mbə/ noun a longdark green vegetable used mainly in sal-ads

cuddle

cuddle /�k�d(ə)l/ verb to put your armsround someone and hold them close toyou � The little girl was cuddling herteddy bear. � There was a last chance tocuddle in the taxi that took them to theairport. � noun an act of putting yourarms round someone and holding themclose to you � She picked up her daugh-ter and gave her a cuddle.

culprit

culprit /�k�lprt/ noun a person or thingthat is responsible for a crime, or forsomething which has gone wrong

cultural

cultural /�k�ltʃ(ə)rəl/ adjective relatingto culture � His cultural interests arevery wide-ranging – from Mexican artto 12th-century Greek paintings. �There will be cultural activities availa-ble such as a visit to the museum.

culture

culture /�k�ltʃə/ noun 1. activities in-volving things such as music, art and lit-erature � He is taking a course in Rus-sian culture. 2. a country’s way of think-ing or behaving � Is a TV in every homereally what we want from Western cul-ture?

cunning

cunning /�k�nŋ/ adjective clever atachieving something, especially bytricking people � a cunning plan � Itwas cunning of her to ask him to help, asit flattered him. � noun cleverness inacting to achieve something � Heshowed cunning in his attempts to hidehis mistake.

cup

cup /k�p/ noun 1. a small bowl with ahandle, used for drinking from � Sheput out a cup and saucer for everyone.2. the liquid in a cup � He drank twocups of coffee. � Can I have a cup oftea? 3. a large silver or gold containergiven as a prize for winning a competi-tion � He has won three cups for golf.

cupboard

cupboard /�k�bəd/ noun a piece of fur-niture with shelves and doors � Put thejam in the kitchen cupboard. � Shepainted the cupboard doors white.

cure

cure /kjυə/ noun something whichmakes a disease better � Doctors arestill trying to find a cure for colds. �verb to make a patient or a disease better� I don’t know what’s in the medicine,but it cured my cough very fast.

curious

curious /�kjυəriəs/ adjective 1. wantingto know things � I’m curious to knowwhat happened at the meeting. 2. unusu-al or strange � We found a curious ob-ject that turned out to be an old kitchentool. � It’s curious that no one knewwhere he lived.

curl

curl /k�l/ verb to twist, or make some-thing twist � My hair curls naturally. �Some plants have stems that curl roundother plants. � noun 1. a piece of hairwhich grows in a twist � The little girllooked lovely with her golden curls. 2. acurved shape of a particular substance �a curl of smoke

curl up phrasal verb to bend your bodyinto a round shape � She curled up inthe chair and went to sleep.


curly 82 cutcurly

curly /�k�li/ adjective with naturalcurves or twists � curly hair

currency

currency /�k�rəns/ noun the moneyused in a specific country � I want tochange my pounds into French curren-cy.

current

current /�k�rənt/ adjective 1. relating tothe present time � What is the currentstate of the report – will it be finished ontime? � Who is the current prime minis-ter of Japan? � Do you have a currenttimetable? – mine is out of date. 2.widely accepted at the present time or ata particular time � current ideas abouthow to treat children � The idea that theworld was flat was current in the MiddleAges. � noun 1. a flow of water or air �Don’t go swimming in the river – thecurrent is very strong. � A warm wester-ly current of air is flowing across thecountry. � Vultures circle in rising cur-rents of warm air. 2. a flow of electricity� Switch the current off at the mains.

currently

currently /�k�rəntli/ adverb at thepresent time � He is currently the man-ager of our Paris office. � We are cur-rently in the process of buying a house.

curriculum

curriculum /kə��rkjυləm/ noun 1. theset of subjects studied in school � I amvery glad that music and drama havebeen added to the curriculum. 2. theparts of a particular subject that arestudied (NOTE: [all senses] The plural iscurriculums or curricula.)

curriculum vitae

curriculum vitae /kə��rkjυləm �vita/noun full form of CV

curry

curry /�k�ri/ noun an Indian food pre-pared with spices � I would like a mildcurry, please. � We ordered chickencurry and rice. (NOTE: The plural is cur-ries.)

cursor

cursor /�k�sə/ noun a small flashingline on a computer screen which showswhere the next character will appear

curtain

curtain /�k�t(ə)n/ noun 1. a long pieceof cloth hanging in front of a window �Can you close the curtains, please? 2. along piece of cloth hanging in front ofthe stage at a theatre

curve

curve /k�v/ noun a line that is bent likepart of a circle � the curve of the coastline � verb to be in the shape of a curve

� The road curves round the side of themountain.

curved

curved /k�vd/ adjective with a roundedshape

cushion

cushion /�kυʃ(ə)n/ noun a bag filledwith something soft, e.g. feathers, forsitting or leaning on � Put a cushion be-hind your back if you find your chair istoo hard. � verb to make soft somethingwhich could be hard or painful � Thebushes cushioned his fall. � to cushionsomebody or something from some-thing to protect someone or somethingfrom the bad effects of something � tocushion the blow or the shock to re-duce the bad effect of something thathappens � She made no attempt to cush-ion the blow, but just told them straightout that they had all lost their jobs.

custom

custom /�k�stəm/ noun 1. somethingthat people usually do, or have done fora long time � the local custom of deco-rating the wells in spring � It’s theircustom to invite all their neighbours to aparty at New Year. 2. the use of a shopor restaurant � If the assistants are rudeto me again I will take my custom else-where. � to lose someone’s custom toexperience a situation in which a regularcustomer goes to another place of busi-ness, e.g. a restaurant or shop � The lit-tle shops will lose a lot of custom whenthe new supermarket opens.

customary

customary /�k�stəməri/ adjective usu-al (formal) � He handled the situationwith his customary efficiency. � It’s cus-tomary to give taxi drivers a tip.

customer

customer /�k�stəmə/ noun 1. a personwho buys something in a shop or restau-rant, or from another business � Theshops are lowering their prices to at-tract more customers. � Customers canorder by post on or the Internet. � Hisbar is always full of customers. 2. a per-son who uses a service such as a train �We apologise to customers waiting onPlatform 5 for the late arrival of theirtrain.

cut

cut /k�t/ verb 1. to divide, reduce or re-move something using a sharp tool, e.g.a knife or scissors � The meat is verytough – I can’t cut it with my knife. � Heneeds to get his hair cut. � There were


cutlery 83 cylinder

six children, so she cut the cake into sixpieces. 2. to damage the skin with some-thing sharp � She cut her finger on thebroken glass. � He cut himself whileshaving. 3. to reduce the size of some-thing � We are trying to cut the numberof staff. � Accidents have been cut by10%. � The article is too long, so Iasked the author to cut 500 words.(NOTE: cuts – cutting – cut – has cut)� noun 1. a place which bleeds whenyour skin has been broken 2. a markmade in a surface by something sharp 3.the sudden lowering of the amount ofsomething � price cuts � large cuts inspending � a cut in working hours 4. ashare of something such as profits �Each salesperson gets a cut of what issold for cash.

cut back phrasal verb to reduce spend-ing � We are having to cut back on staffcosts.cut down phrasal verb to make a treefall down with a tool such as a saw � Hecut the tree down or cut down the tree.cut off phrasal verb 1. to take away asmall part of something using a sharptool such as a knife � She cut off a littlepiece of string. � He cut off two slices ofham. 2. to stop someone from beingwith someone else, or from or reachinga place � She was cut off from herfriends by a crowd of policemen. � Thevillage was cut off by the snow.cut out phrasal verb 1. to remove

something from something larger � Shecut an advertisement out of the newspa-per. 2. to remove a part of somethinglarger � We had to cut out all the extrasfrom our order because they cost toomuch. 3. to stop doing or eating some-thing � She’s decided to cut out sweetthings so as to lose weight. � cut it out!stop doing that! (informal) � to be cutout for something to be ideally suitedfor something � I don’t think he’s cutout for an office job.cut up phrasal verb to make somethinginto small pieces by cutting it � She cutthe old towel up into little pieces. � Canyou cut up the meat for the children?

cutlery

cutlery /�k�tləri/ noun knives, forks andspoons (NOTE: no plural)

CV

CV /�si �vi/ noun a summary of some-one’s qualifications and experience. Ab-breviation curriculum vitae

cycle

cycle /�sak(ə)l/ noun 1. a period duringwhich something develops and then re-turns to its starting point � Globalwarming is starting to affect the naturalcycle of the seasons. � The washing ma-chine broke down in the middle of its cy-cle. 2. a bicycle � verb to travel on a bi-cycle � It’s hard to cycle into the wind.(NOTE: cycles – cycling – cycled)

cyclist

cyclist /�saklst/ noun a person whorides a bicycle

cylinder

cylinder /�slndə/ noun an objectshaped like a tube closed at both ends


Dd

d /di/, D noun the fourth letter of the al-phabet, between C and E

dad

dad /d�d/ noun a fatherdaily

daily /�deli/ adjective happening everyday � daily newspapers such as theTimes and the Daily Mail � The cookerhas been in daily use for ten years. �There’s a daily flight to Washington. �adverb every day � We can deliver milkdaily. � twice daily on two occasionsevery day � noun a newspaper pub-lished every weekday (NOTE: The pluralis dailies.)

dairy

dairy /�deəri/ adjective referring to or in-volved in producing milk and thingsmade from it such as cream or butter �dairy products � dairy cattle

dam

dam /d�m/ noun a wall which blocks ariver to make a lake � After the heavyrain people were afraid the dam wouldburst. � verb to block a river with a wall� When they built the power station, theriver had to be dammed. (NOTE: dams –damming – dammed)

damage

damage /�d�md"/ noun 1. the break-ing or physical spoiling of something �The storm did a lot of damage. � It willtake us months to repair the damage tothe restaurant. � The fire caused dam-age estimated at £100,000. 2. emotionalharm done to a person � I hope the ex-perience of the crash won’t cause thechildren lasting damage. � verb 1. tobreak or partially destroy something �A large number of shops were damagedin the fire. � These glasses are easilydamaged. 2. to affect someone or some-thing in a negative way

damaged

damaged /�d�md"d/ adjective brokenor spoiled in some way � a damagedbook

damp

damp /d�mp/ adjective slightly wet �She’d just had a shower and her hairwas still damp. � The cellar has cold

damp walls. � verb to wet somethingslightly

dance

dance /dɑns/ noun 1. a way of movingin time to music � She teaches dance oris a dance teacher. � We learnt a newdance today. � Scottish dances are verylively. 2. an entertainment where peoplecan dance � The club is holding a NewYear’s dance. � They met at a youth clubdance. � verb 1. to move in time to mu-sic � There he is – he’s dancing withthat tall girl. � She often goes to discosbut never dances. 2. to move or jumparound happily � She danced into theroom and announced she’d got the job.� The football fans were dancing in thestreets.

dancer

dancer /�dɑnsə/ noun a person whodances

danger

danger /�dend"ə/ noun the possibilityof something bad happening, e.g. dam-age, failure or getting hurt � When itrains, there’s a danger of flooding. �The terrorist was described as a dangerto national security. � There’s no dan-ger he’ll find out. � We were warned ofthe dangers of travelling alone in thedesert. � in danger /�n �dend"ə/ like-ly to be harmed or damaged � Get anambulance – her life is in danger. � Idon’t think the children are in any dan-ger. � The whole building was in dangerof catching fire. � out of danger notlikely to die � She was very ill, but she’soff the danger list now.

dangerous

dangerous /�dend"ərəs/ adjectivelikely to cause injury or damage � Becareful – that old staircase is danger-ous! � Police warned the public not toapproach the man as he was dangerous.� Children are warned that it is danger-ous to go out alone at night.

dangerously

dangerously /�dend"ərəsli/ adverb ina dangerous way


dare 85 daydare

dare /deə/ verb 1. to be brave enough todo something � I wouldn’t dare say no– I might lose my job. � I dare say veryprobably � I dare say you’re right. � todare not do something to not be braveenough to do something � I daren’t goany faster. 2. to try to make someone dosomething dangerous or unusual in or-der to see how brave they are � I daredhim to go the meeting in his pink track-suit. � I dare you to jump across thatstream. 3. used for telling someone howangry you are � Don’t you dare do thatagain! � How dare you look in my deskdrawers!

dark

dark /dɑk/ adjective 1. with little or nolight � The sky turned dark and it start-ed to rain. � Can you switch the lighton? It’s getting too dark to see. � InScotland in the summer it gets dark verylate. 2. not a light colour � Her eyes aredark. � She was wearing a dark bluecoat. (NOTE: darker – darkest)

darkness

darkness /�dɑknəs/ noun the fact ofnot having any light � the building wasin complete or total darkness therewere no electric lights on in the building

darling

darling /�dɑlŋ/ noun 1. a name used totalk to someone you love � Darling!I’m back from the shops. 2. a lovableperson � Be a darling and fetch me thenewspaper.

dart

dart /dɑt/ noun 1. a small heavy arrowwith plastic feathers, used for playingthe game of darts � Each player takes aturn to throw his or her three darts. 2.darts a game in which players throwsmall arrows at a round board on a wall,each trying to make their arrow stickclosest to the middle � verb to movequickly � The little boy darted acrossthe street.

dash

dash /d�ʃ/ noun 1. a small line in writ-ing or printing, showing a space or sep-arating items � The reference number isone four six dash seven (146–7). 2. asudden movement towards a place �There was a mad dash to buy tickets. �While the policeman wasn’t looking shemade a dash for the door. (NOTE: Theplural is dashes.) � verb to hurrysomewhere � I can’t stop now – I mustdash to catch the last post. � I dashed

home to watch the football on television.� She dashed into a shop so that hewouldn’t see her.

data

data /�detə/ noun information involvingfigures or results of studies � The datais stored in our main computer. � Wespent months gathering data on hospitalwaiting times. � The data shows that, onaverage, flowering takes place after twoweeks. (NOTE: Data is often used with asingular verb, except in scientific con-texts: The data is easily available.)

database

database /�detəbes/ noun a largeamount of information stored in a com-puter in a way that allows particularpieces of information to be found easily

date

date /det/ noun 1. the number of a dayin a month or year, or a day when some-thing will happen or has happened � Puttoday’s date on the document. � What’sthe date next Wednesday? � The datesof the exhibition have been changed. �The date of the next meeting has beenfixed for Wednesday, June 10th. � Doyou remember the date of your girl-friend’s birthday? 2. a small sweetbrown fruit � verb 1. to write the dateon something � The letter was dated 15June. � You forgot to date the cheque. 2.� to date from or back to to exist since� This house dates from or dates back tothe 17th century.

daughter

daughter /�dɔtə/ noun a female child ofa parent � They have two sons and onedaughter. � My daughter Mary goes tothe local school.

dawn

dawn /dɔn/ noun the beginning of a day,when the sun rises � We must set off forthe Pyramids at dawn, so you’ll have toget up very early. � verb (of day) to be-gin � The day of the cricket matchdawned wet and windy.

day

day /de/ noun 1. a period of time lasting24 hours � There are 365 days in a yearand 366 in a leap year. � New Year’sDay is on January 1st. � They went on aten-day tour of southern Spain. � Ispoke to him on the phone the day be-fore yesterday. � We are planning tomeet the day after tomorrow. 2. the peri-od from morning until night, when it islight � She works all day in the office,and then looks after the children in the


daylight 86 debt

evening. � It took the workmen fourdays to build the wall.

daylight

daylight /�delat/ noun light that yousee during the daytime � in broad day-light openly, in the middle of the day �Three men robbed the bank in broaddaylight.

daytime

daytime /�detam/ noun the period oflight between morning and night � Iwatched a lot of daytime television whenI lost my job.

dazzle

dazzle /�d�z(ə)l/ verb to shine a stronglight in someone’s eyes so that they can-not see for a moment � She was dazzledby the lights of the cars coming towardsher.

dead

dead /ded/ adjective 1. not alive anymore � His parents are both dead. �Dead fish were floating in the water. 2.complete � There was dead silence inthe exam room. � The train came to adead stop. 3. not working � We tried tostart the car but the battery was dead. 4.not lively, not exciting � Seaside townscan be quite dead in winter. � adverb 1.completely � He was dead tired afterhis long walk. 2. exactly � You’re deadright. � The train arrived dead on time.

deadly

deadly /�dedli/ adjective likely to killliving things � The terrorists turned thecar into a deadly weapon.

deaf

deaf /def/ adjective not able to hear, orhaving difficulty in hearing � Mygrandma is going deaf. � He’s deaferthan he used to be. (NOTE: Some peopleavoid this term as it can cause offenceand prefer hearing-impaired.)

deafening

deafening /�def(ə)nŋ/ adjective soloud as to make you unable to hear

deafness

deafness /�defnəs/ noun the state of be-ing deaf (NOTE: no plural)

deal

deal /dil/ noun 1. � a good or great dealmuch � He’s feeling a good deal betterafter two days off work. � She didn’t saya great deal. � a good or great deal ofa lot of � He made a good deal of moneyfrom his business. � There’s a great dealof work still to be done. 2. a businessagreement or contract � We’ve signed adeal with a German firm. � They did adeal to supply envelopes. � The sales di-rector set up a deal with a Russian bank.

� verb 1. � to deal in something to buyand sell something � She deals in car-pets and rugs imported from India. 2. togive out playing cards to players � It’smy turn to deal. � He dealt me two aces.(NOTE: deals – dealing – dealt /delt/)

deal with phrasal verb to do what isnecessary to complete a job or solve aproblem � The job involves dealingwith the public. � Leave it to the filingclerk – he’ll deal with it. � We will dealwith your order as soon as we can. �The government has to deal with theproblem of teenage crime.

dealer

dealer /�dilə/ noun a person who buysand sells things

dealt

dealt /delt/ past tense and past participleof deal

dear

dear /də/ adjective 1. well liked or loved� She’s a very dear friend of mine.(NOTE: dearer – dearest) 2. � DearJames or Dear Julia used at the begin-ning of a letter to a friend or someoneyou know quite well � Dear Sir orMadam used at the beginning of a letterto a man or woman whom you do notknow 3. costing a lot of money � Freshfruit is always dearer in the winter. �That restaurant is too dear for me.(NOTE: dearer – dearest) � interjec-tion used when something has goneslightly wrong � Oh dear! It’s started torain. � Dear me! Is that how late it is! �noun a way of referring to someone youlike � Did you have a good day, dear?

death

death /deθ/ noun � to death completely(informal) � He was bored to death sit-ting watching football on television. � Iam sick to death of always having to dothe housework.

debate

debate /d��bet/ noun 1. a discussion �After his talk the professor had a livelydebate with the students. 2. a formal dis-cussion ending with a vote � a debateon increasing student fees � verb 1. toconsider or discuss a subject � We sat inthe rain and debated what to do next. 2.to discuss something formally beforecoming to a decision

debt

debt /det/ noun money owed to someone� After her great success, she was ableto repay all her debts. � to be in debt to


decade 87 deep

owe money � He is in debt to the tune of£2,500.

decade

decade /�deked/ noun a period of tenyears � during the last decade of the20th century

decay

decay /d��ke/ noun the natural processof going bad or of becoming damaged,e.g. when things are not looked afterproperly � The government has plans todeal with inner city decay. � Tooth de-cay is especially bad in children who eatsweets. � You must treat the wood toprevent decay. (NOTE: no plural) � verbto go bad or to become damaged in thisway � Sugar makes your teeth decay. �The jungle path was blocked by decay-ing branches.

deceive

deceive /d��siv/ verb to make someonebelieve something which is not true �They had tried to deceive me, but I real-ised just in time.

December

December /d��sembə/ noun the twelfthand last month of the year, after Novem-ber and before January � She was bornlast December. � His birthday is on De-cember 25 – Christmas Day! � They al-ways go on a skiing holiday in Decem-ber. � Today is December 6th. � Thecheque was dated December 6. (NOTE:December 6th or December 6: say‘the sixth of December’ or ‘Decemberthe sixth’ or in US English ‘Decembersixth’.)

decide

decide /d��sad/ verb to make up yourmind to do something � Have you de-cided which restaurant to go to? � Theydecided to stay at home and watch TV.

decide against phrasal verb to makeup your mind not to do something � Shedecided against spending her money ona new car.

decimal

decimal /�desm(ə)l/ noun a number in asystem based on ten � Three-quartersexpressed as a decimal is 0.75.

decision

decision /d��s"(ə)n/ noun an occasionof making up your mind to do some-thing

deck

deck /dek/ noun a floor of a ship or bus� I’ll stay on deck because I’m feelingseasick. � Let’s go up to the top deck –you can see the sights better from there.

declare

declare /d��kleə/ verb to state somethingofficially � The Senator declared his in-tention to run for President. � She wasdeclared dead on arrival at hospital.

decline

decline /d��klan/ noun the fact of goingdownwards � Sales figures have goneinto a sharp decline. � verb 1. to refuseor to turn down an invitation or offer �She declined their request. � He de-clined to come to lunch. 2. to becomeweaker � He declined rapidly after hewent into hospital. 3. to become less innumbers or amount � Our sales de-clined over the last year. � The fish pop-ulation has declined sharply.

decorate

decorate /�dekəret/ verb 1. to put paintor new paper on the walls in a room �She can’t come to the phone – she’s dec-orating the kitchen. 2. to cover some-thing with pretty or colourful things tomake it look attractive or to celebrate anoccasion � The streets were decoratedwith flags.

decoration

decoration /�dekə��reʃ(ə)n/ noun theact of decorating a place � She is incharge of the decoration of the churchfor the wedding.

decrease

decrease1 /�dikris/ noun the fact ofbecoming less � a decrease in traffic �Sales show a 10% decrease on last year.� There has been a decrease of 20% inapplications to join the club. � to be onthe decrease to be becoming less �Road accidents are on the decrease.

decrease

decrease2 /d��kris/ verb to become less� The number of road accidents is de-creasing. � Applications to join havedecreased by 20%.

deed

deed /did/ noun an act, especially abrave one � stories of great deeds per-formed during the war

deep

deep /dip/ adjective 1. going a long waydown � The water is very deep in themiddle of the river. � This is the deepestlake in North America. � In the shallowend of the pool, the water is deepenough to cover your feet. � depth 2.going a long way under the ground � adeep mine 3. (of a voice) low, not high� Who’s been sitting on my chair? saidFather Bear in his deep voice. (NOTE:deeper – deepest) � adverb a long


deeply 88 deliberate

way down � The mine goes deep underthe sea.

deeply

deeply /�dipli/ adverb very much � Wedeeply regret having to make so manypeople redundant.

deer

deer /də/ noun a wild animal, the maleof which has long horns called antlers(NOTE: Do not confuse with dear. Theplural is deer; the female is a doe, themale is a stag, the young are fawns.Note also that the meat from a deer iscalled venison.)

defeat

defeat /d��fit/ noun the loss of a fight,game or vote � The Government suf-fered a defeat in Parliament last night.� It was the team’s first defeat for twoyears. � verb to succeed against some-one in a fight, game or vote � The rulingparty was heavily defeated in the presi-dential election. � Our team has notbeen defeated so far this season. � Theproposal was defeated by 10 votes to 3.

defence

defence /d��fens/ noun 1. protectionagainst something such as attack or in-fection � Several people ran to her de-fence when she was attacked. � Thesetablets offer some defence against thedisease. 2. protection provided by thearmed forces � Some countries spendmore on defence than on education. 3.(in games) a part of a team whose job isto protect the goal � The England de-fence came under attack from the otherteam’s forwards. 4. (in a law court) thelawyers acting on behalf of the accusedperson

defend

defend /d��fend/ verb to protect a personor place that is being attacked � Theybrought in extra troops to defend the cityagainst attack.

defense

defense /d��fens/ noun US spelling ofdefence

deficiency

deficiency /d��fʃ(ə)nsi/ noun notenough of something needed to makesomeone or something healthy or com-plete � Their diet has a deficiency ofiron or has an iron deficiency.

deficit

deficit /�defst/ noun an amount bywhich something is less than it shouldbe � The company announced a two-million-pound deficit in its accounts.

define

define /d��fan/ verb to explain some-thing clearly or to give the meaning ofsomething � How would you define theword ‘environmental’? � The memotried to define the way in which the twodepartments should work together.

definite

definite /�def(ə)nət/ adjective very sure� I need a definite answer. � He wasquite definite that he had seen the girl atthe bus stop.

definitely

definitely /�def(ə)nətli/ adverb certain-ly � I’ll definitely be there by 7 o’clock.� Are you coming? – Definitely not!

definition

definition /�def��nʃ(ə)n/ noun an ex-planation of the meaning of a word �Look up the definition of ‘democracy’ inthe dictionary.

degree

degree /d��'ri/ noun 1. a unit for meas-uring temperature or angles, shown bythe symbol (°) � an angle of eighty de-grees � The temperature of the water isabove 20°. (NOTE: With figures, degreeis usually written as the symbol °: 25°Celsius.) 2. a qualification from a uni-versity � She has a degree in mathemat-ics from Oxford. 3. a small amount ofsomething such as an emotion � I ap-proached the animal with some degreeof fear.

delay

delay /d��le/ noun the length of time bywhich something is late � There will bea delay of ten minutes before the meet-ing starts. � We are sorry for the delayin replying to your letter. � verb 1. tomake someone or something late � Thetrain has been delayed by fog. � He wasdelayed because his taxi had an acci-dent. 2. to put something off until later� We will delay making a decision untilwe see the result of the election. � Thecompany has delayed payment of all in-voices.

deliberate

deliberate1 /d��lb(ə)rət/ adjective 1.done on purpose � It was a deliberateattempt to spoil her birthday party. 2.slow and thoughtful in speaking or do-ing something � She has a very deliber-ate way of signing her name.

deliberate

deliberate2 /d��lbəret/ verb to discussor think carefully about something �The council were deliberating all morn-ing. � I’ll need some time to deliberate


deliberately 89 department

on the possible ways of solving the prob-lem.

deliberately

deliberately /d��lb(ə)rətli/ adverb onpurpose � It was an accident – I didn’thit her deliberately. � He deliberatelyleft the cage door open.

delicate

delicate /�delkət/ adjective 1. madefrom materials that are thin and lightand easily damaged � a delicate chinavase 2. likely to get ill � Little babiesare very delicate. � She was a delicatechild.

delicious

delicious /d��lʃəs/ adjective tastingvery good � Can I have another piece ofthat delicious cake?

delight

delight /d��lat/ noun pleasure � Theirsinging was a pure delight. � The newswas greeted with delight by the waitingcrowd. � to take (great) delight insomething to enjoy something � verbto give great pleasure to someone � Hisspeech delighted the audience. � to de-light in something to enjoy something� She delights in teasing her little broth-er.

delighted

delighted /d��latd/ adjective verypleased

delightful

delightful /d��latf(ə)l/ adjective verypleasant � What a delightful show offlowers!

deliver

deliver /d��lvə/ verb to bring somethingto someone � Has today’s newspaperbeen delivered? � He delivered the let-ter himself so as to save buying a stamp.

delivery

delivery /d��lv(ə)ri/ noun the act ofbringing something to someone � Thereis no charge for delivery within the Lon-don area. � Use the back entrance fordeliveries. � The next delivery will beon Thursday.

demand

demand /d��mɑnd/ noun 1. the act ofasking for something � a demand forpayment � Her latest demands are quiteunreasonable. 2. the need for particulargoods or services � We can’t sell thebook, because there is no demand for it.� We cannot keep up with the demandfor our services. � verb to ask firmly forsomething � I demand an explanation.

democracy

democracy /d��mɒkrəsi/ noun 1. acountry governed by politicians whohave been elected by the people (NOTE:

The plural is democracies.) 2. a sys-tem of government in which politiciansare elected by the people � The peoplewant democracy, not a dictatorship.

democratic

democratic /�demə��kr�tk/ adjectiverelating to democracy � They promisedto restore democratic government.

demonstrate

demonstrate /�demənstret/ verb toshow something � This incident demon-strates how little he has changed. � Hedemonstrated how the machine worked.

demonstration

demonstration /�demən��streʃ(ə)n/noun 1. the act of showing how some-thing works � Can you give me a dem-onstration the new machine? 2. a crowdof people who are protesting againstsomething � We went to a demonstra-tion in Trafalgar Square. � They stageddemonstrations against the governmentin several towns.

den

den /den/ noun 1. a place where an ani-mal hides away � a lion’s den 2. a smallroom where you can hide away to work� Dad’s in his den, so don’t disturb him.

dense

dense /dens/ adjective 1. very thick �Dense fog closed the airport. 2. with alot of trees or plants � They tried to findtheir way through dense forest. 3. con-taining a lot of information � I find itdifficult to read through 100 pages ofdense text. (NOTE: denser – densest)

dent

dent /dent/ noun a mark that curves in-wards, especially in metal, made by hit-ting something � Someone has made adent in my car door. � verb to make amark like this in something � He backedinto a tree and dented the car.

dentist

dentist /�dentst/ noun a person whosejob is to look after and provide treat-ment for your teeth

deny

deny /d��na/ verb to state that somethingis not true � You were there, weren’tyou? – Don’t deny it! � She denied thatshe had ever seen him. � He flatly de-nied stealing the car. (NOTE: denies –denying – denied)

depart

depart /d��pɑt/ verb to go away from aplace � The coach departs from VictoriaCoach Station at 09.00.

department

department /d��pɑtmənt/ noun 1. asection of a large company � He is incharge of the marketing department. �


department store 90 deserve

Write to the complaints departmentabout the service. 2. one of the sectionsof the government � the Department forEducation and Skills � the Departmentof Transport 3. a part of a large shop �If you want cheese you’ll need to go tothe food department. � You will findbeds in the furniture department.

department store

department store /d��pɑtmənt stɔ/noun a large shop with several differentsections

departure

departure /d��pɑtʃə/ noun the act ofleaving a place � The departure time is3 o’clock. � The plane’s departure wasdelayed by two hours.

depend

depend /d��pend/ verb 1. to happen onlybecause of something else happeningfirst � The success of the book will de-pend on the publicity campaign. � Ican’t be sure that we will come to lunch– it depends on what time we get homefrom the party the night before. � it (all)depends it is not certain (informal) �We may go to France on holiday, orSpain, it all depends. 2. � to depend onsomeone or something to be sure thatsomeone will do what they say they willdo, or that something will happen as ex-pected � You can’t depend on Jack –he’s always too busy to help. � You candepend on her to do her best. � Thecompany depends on governmentgrants.

dependent

dependent /d��pendənt/ adjective 1.needing money from someone else inorder to live � She has five dependentrelatives. 2. needing someone else’shelp in order to live or succeed � Thepatients become very dependent on thehospital staff. 3. caused or affected bysomething � The success of the projectis dependent on getting a governmentgrant.

deposit

deposit /d��pɒzt/ noun 1. money keptin a bank � Her deposits in the bank hadgrown over the years. 2. a particularamount of money that you give some-one as a first payment for something ex-pensive � She had to pay a deposit onthe watch. � Can you leave £50 as de-posit? � I paid a 30% deposit and don’thave to pay anything more for sixmonths. � verb to put money into a bank

account � She deposited £100 in hercurrent account. � The cheque arrivedat long last, and I deposited it immedi-ately.

depressed

depressed /d��prest/ adjective so un-happy that you are not able to enjoy life,especially over a long period of time �She’s been feeling depressed since theaccident.

depressing

depressing /d��presŋ/ adjective mak-ing you feel sad or unhappy

depth

depth /depθ/ noun a measurement ofhow deep something is � The depth ofthe lake is 20m. � The submarine divedto a depth of 200m.

deputy

deputy /�depjυti/ noun 1. a person whomakes decisions when the manager orboss is away � She’s acting as deputywhile the managing director is in hospi-tal. 2. a person who helps someone intheir job � He appointed her as his dep-uty.

derive

derive /d��rav/ verb to get somethingfrom something � The local people de-rive a good deal of pleasure from watch-ing the tourists.

describe

describe /d��skrab/ verb to say or writewhat someone or something is like �Can you describe the car which hit theold lady? � She described how the bussuddenly left the road. � He describedthe mugger as a tall man with a blackbeard. � The police asked him to de-scribe what happened.

description

description /d��skrpʃən/ noun the actof saying or writing what something orsomeone is like

desert

desert1 /�dezət/ noun a very dry area ofthe world, usually covered with rocks orsand (NOTE: Do not confuse with des-sert.)

desert

desert2 /d��z�t/ verb 1. to leave thearmed forces without permission 2. toleave someone in a difficult situation

deserted

deserted /d��z�td/ adjective with nopeople � We walked around the desert-ed town.

deserve

deserve /d��z�v/ verb to earn some-thing because of what you have done �He didn’t deserve to win because hecheated. � I’ve been on my feet all day


design 91 determination

– I think I deserve a sit-down. � He de-serves a holiday.

design

design /d��zan/ noun a plan or drawingof something, before it is made or built� Here are the designs for the book cov-er. � The architect has produced the de-signs for the new opera house. � verb todraw plans for the shape or appearanceof something before it is made or built �He designed the new university library.� She designs garden furniture.

designer

designer /d��zanə/ noun an artist whoplans the shape or appearance of thingssuch as goods, clothes or rooms

desire

desire /d��zaə/ noun something thatyou want very much � It’s difficult tosatisfy the public’s desire for informa-tion. � She had a sudden desire to liedown and go to sleep. � verb to wantsomething (formal) � Most of us desirea large comfortable home.

desk

desk /desk/ noun a table, often withdrawers, used for writing � He put thepapers away in his desk drawer. � Shewas sitting at her desk when the tele-phone rang.

despair

despair /d��speə/ noun a feeling that asituation is so bad that there is nothingyou can do to make it better � When helost his job and his girlfriend left him, hewas filled with despair. � the depths ofdespair a situation where there is com-plete lack of hope � verb to give up allhope of achieving something � Aftertwo months in the jungle, he despairedof ever being rescued.

desperate

desperate /�desp(ə)rət/ adjective 1.having a strong need for something thatyou are not able to get, and feeling veryworried because you do not know howto solve the problem � Food ran out andthe people were becoming desperate. 2.urgent � There is a desperate need formedical supplies.

despite

despite /d��spat/ preposition althoughsomething happened or was done � De-spite the wet weather we still enjoyedour holiday.

dessert

dessert /d��z�t/ noun a sweet dish atthe end of a meal � The meal will endwith a dessert of strawberries andcream. � What’s for dessert? (NOTE: Do

not confuse with desert. The worddessert is mainly used in restaurants.At home, this part of the meal is usual-ly called the sweet or afters or pud-ding.)

destination

destination /�dest��neʃ(ə)n/ noun theplace to which a person or vehicle is go-ing � We reached our destination ateight o’clock. � The destination isshown on the front of the bus.

destroy

destroy /d��strɔ/ verb to damage some-thing so badly that it no longer exists �The bomb destroyed several buildings.� A lot of private property was de-stroyed in the war.

destruction

destruction /d��str�kʃən/ noun the ac-tion of destroying something � the de-struction of the village by enemy bombs� The volcano caused enormous de-struction. (NOTE: no plural)

detail

detail /�ditel/ noun a small piece of in-formation � Send in your CV includingfull details of your past experience. �Can you give me further details of whenthe accident took place? � I can’t makeout the details in the photo because thelight is bad. � The policeman noteddown the details of the incident. � verbto list all the facts or items � He detailedthe work which had to be done. � in de-tail with as much information as possi-ble � The catalogue lists all the furni-ture in detail. � Please describe the cir-cumstances of the accident in as muchdetail as possible.

detailed

detailed /�diteld/ adjective giving a lotof details � We need a detailed list of theitems which have been stolen. � The po-lice issued detailed descriptions of thetwo men.

detective

detective /d��tektv/ noun a police of-ficer whose job is to try to find out whocommitted crimes � Detectives have in-terviewed four suspects.

determination

determination /d��t�m��neʃ(ə)n/noun a strong wish to do something, andnot to let anyone stop you doing it �They admired his determination to winthe prize. � The government needs toshow more determination in its fightagainst street crime.


determined 92 diedetermined

determined /d��t�mnd/ adjectivehaving a strong wish to do something,and not letting anyone prevent you fromdoing it � She’s a very determinedyoung woman, and will go far. � He hada very determined expression on hisface as he entered the ring. � She is de-termined to win the prize.

develop

develop /d��veləp/ verb 1. to grow andchange � Eventually, a caterpillar willdevelop into a butterfly. 2. to makesomething larger � She cycles in orderto develop her calf muscles. 3. to get anillness � She developed a cold at theweekend. 4. to plan and build something� They are planning to develop the siteas an industrial estate. � The companyis developing a chain of motorway serv-ice stations.

development

development /d��veləpmənt/ noun 1.growth � The development of the em-bryo takes place rapidly. 2. the planningand production of a new product � Thedevelopment of new pesticides will takesome time. 3. the act of planning andbuilding on an area of land � the devel-opment of property on the site of theformer docks 4. a group of buildingsthat have been built together at the sametime � a new housing development

devicedevice /d��vas/ noun a small tool orpiece of equipment that is useful for aparticular purpose � He invented a de-vice for fixing tops on bottles. � The en-gineers brought in a device for takingsamples of soil. � to be left to yourown devices to be allowed to do what-ever you want

diagonaldiagonal /da��'ən(ə)l/ adjective (of aline) going straight from one corner toanother � He drew a diagonal line onthe floor. � Areas of the map shadedwith diagonal lines indicate cultivatedland. � noun a diagonal line

diagramdiagram /�daə'r�m/ noun a plan or ac-curate drawing � She drew a diagram toshow how to get to her house. � Thebook gives a diagram of the circulationof the blood.

dial

dial /�daəl/ noun a round face of a meas-uring instrument or a old type of tele-phone � The pilot sits in front of a dis-play of dials. � verb to call a telephone

number using the buttons on a telephone� To call the police you must dial 999.� Dial 9 to get an outside line. (NOTE:dials – dialling – dialled. The USspelling is dialing – dialed.)

dialect

dialect /�daəlekt/ noun a variety of alanguage spoken in a particular area �They were speaking in a local dialect.

diameter

diameter /da��mtə/ noun the distanceacross the centre of a circle

diamond

diamond /�daəmənd/ noun 1. a veryhard, clear, precious stone � He gaveher a diamond ring. � Diamonds spar-kled on her crown. 2. one of the red setsin a pack of cards, shaped like a squareleaning to one side � He held the ten ofdiamonds. (NOTE: The other red suit ishearts; clubs and spades are theblack suits.)

diary

diary /�daəri/ noun a description of whathas happened in your life day by day �He kept a diary for years. � She kept adiary of the places she visited on holi-day. (NOTE: The plural is diaries.)

dice

dice /das/ noun a small block with a dif-ferent number of spots on each side,used for playing games � Shake the dicein the cup and then throw them onto theboard. (NOTE: The plural is dice.)

dictionary

dictionary /�dkʃən(ə)ri/ noun a bookwhich lists words in alphabetical order,giving their meanings or translationsinto other languages (NOTE: The pluralis dictionaries.)

did

did /dd/ past tense of dodie

die /da/ verb 1. to stop living � Hismother died last year. � She died in acar crash. � If you don’t water theplants they’ll die. � death (NOTE: dies –dying – died) 2. � dying for or towanting something very much � We’redying for a cold drink. � I’m dying toread his book.

die away phrasal verb to become lessnoisydie down phrasal verb to get lessstrong � The wind began to die down. �The government is waiting for the streetprotests to die down.die out phrasal verb to disappear grad-ually


diet 93 dinosaurdiet

diet /�daət/ noun 1. the kind of food youeat � He lives on a diet of bread andbeer. � These people are healthier thanus because their diet is so simple. 2. thepractice of eating only certain types offood, either in order to become thinneror to cure an illness � The doctor toldher to follow a strict diet. � verb to eatless food or only one sort of food � Hedieted for two weeks before going onholiday.

differ

differ /�dfə/ verb 1. not to be the same assomething else � The two machines dif-fer considerably – one has an electricmotor, the other runs on oil. � to differfrom to be different from � This car dif-fers from the earlier model. � Theirbusiness differs from ours in one impor-tant aspect. 2. if people differ, they havedifferent opinions from each other �Our views on education differ. � Theiraccounts of what happened differ in sev-eral ways. � I beg to differ I do notagree

difference

difference /�df(ə)rəns/ noun a way inwhich two things are not the same �Can you tell the difference between anapple and a pear with your eyes shut? �What is the difference in price betweenthese two cars?

differentdifferent /�df(ə)rənt/ adjective not thesame � Living in London is very differ-ent from living in the country. � I wentto three different clothes shops but Icouldn’t find anything in my size. � Helooks different now that he has a beard.

difficultdifficult /�dfk(ə)lt/ adjective not easyto do or achieve � Finding a parkingspace is difficult on Saturdays. � I findit difficult to work when I’m tired.

difficulty

difficulty /�dfk(ə)lti/ noun 1. � tohave difficulty with or in doing some-thing to find it hard to do something �She has difficulty in paying the rent. �with difficulty not easily � She walkswith difficulty. 2. a problem � The diffi-culty is that nobody in the group candrive. � He is in financial difficulties. �She went swimming in the rough sea andgot into difficulties. (NOTE: The plural isdifficulties.)

dig

dig /d'/ verb to make a hole in theground with a spade � She’s been dig-

ging in the garden all morning. � Theydug a big hole in the ground. � The pris-oners dug a tunnel to try to escape.(NOTE: digging – dug – has dug)dig up phrasal verb 1. to find some-thing by digging � We dug up a Romancoin in the garden. 2. to break a solidsurface by digging � The workmen hadto dig the road up to mend the watermain.

digest

digest /da��d"est/ verb 1. to break downfood in the stomach � I find this meatdifficult to digest. 2. to think aboutsomething and understand it fully �Give me time to digest this news.

digestion

digestion /da��d"estʃən/ noun theprocess by which food is broken downin the stomach

digital

digital /�dd"t(ə)l/ adjective 1. storinginformation in an electronic form � adigital radio 2. (of a clock or watch)showing the time as a set of numbers

dim

dim /dm/ adjective (of light) weak � Thelights grew dimmer. (NOTE: dimmer –dimmed) � verb to make a light lessbright � They dimmed the cabin lightsbefore takeoff. (NOTE: dims – dimming– dimmed)

dime

dime /dam/ noun US a coin that is worthten cents

dimension

dimension /da��menʃən/ noun the ex-tent of a problem � the international di-mension of the refugee problem � Thetask is taking on huge dimensions.

dining room

dining room /�danŋ rum/ noun aroom in a house or hotel where you usu-ally eat. � bathroom, bedroom, livingroom

dinner

dinner /�dnə/ noun 1. the main meal ofthe day, usually eaten in the evening �We were having dinner when the tele-phone rang. � Would you like to come todinner on Saturday? � What are wehaving for dinner? or What’s for din-ner? 2. a formal evening meal � Theclub is organising a dinner and danceon Saturday.

dinosaur

dinosaur /�danəsɔ/ noun a large crea-ture that existed on the Earth millions ofyears ago � At the time when dinosaursroamed the land, England was coveredwith tropical forests.


dip 94 disappointeddip

dip /dp/ noun 1. a sudden drop in an areaof land � Watch out – there’s a dip in theroad which makes it difficult to see ap-proaching cars. 2. a cold sauce intowhich you can dip biscuits or raw vege-tables � a bowl of cheese dip � verb �to dip something into something to putsomething quickly into a liquid � Shedipped the biscuit into her coffee. � Shedipped her hand into the stream. (NOTE:dips – dipping – dipped)

diploma

diploma /d��pləυmə/ noun a documentwhich shows that a person has reached acertain level of skill in a subject

direct

direct /da��rekt/ adjective straight, with-out any changes of direction or stops �What’s the most direct way of getting toLondon? � verb 1. to aim something to-wards a point � I hope you’re not direct-ing that gun at me! 2. to say somethingto a particular person � He directed hisremarks to the manager. 3. to tell some-one how to get to a place � Can you di-rect me to the nearest post office? � ad-verb straight, without stopping � Theplane flies direct to Anchorage.

direction

direction /da��rekʃən/ noun the pointtowards which you are going � You aregoing in the wrong direction if you wantto get to the station. � The post office isin the opposite direction. � plural noundirections instructions on how to dosomething � in all directions every-where � The wind was blowing bits ofold newspapers in all directions.

directly

directly /da��rektl/ adverb 1. straight,without anything or anyone between �This door opens directly into the kitch-en. � She reports directly to the manag-ing director himself. 2. soon � I’ll bewith you directly. � conjunction as soonas � I will write the letter directly I gethome.

director

director /da��rektə/ noun 1. a personwho is in charge of all of, or part of, acompany � The sales director gave a re-port on sales to date. � There are fourdirectors on the board of the company.2. a person who organises the making ofa film or play, e.g. giving instructions tothe actors, or dealing with the lightingor sound � Who was the first female di-

rector to win an Oscar? Compare pro-ducer

dirt

dirt /d�t/ anything that makes somethingdirty � a washing powder that removeseven the worst kinds of dirt � nounmud; earth � Children were playing inthe dirt. � His clothes were covered withdirt from handling potatoes.

dirty

dirty /�d�ti/ adjective 1. not clean �Playing rugby gets your clothes dirty. �Someone has to wash all the dirtyplates. 2. not honest, or not done ac-cording to the rules (NOTE: dirtier –dirtied) � verb to make something dirty(NOTE: dirties – dirtying – dirtied)

disabled

disabled /ds��eb(ə)ld/ adjective notable to use part of your body, e.g. be-cause of long-term illness � an associa-tion for disabled riders � The car crashleft him permanently disabled.

disadvantage

disadvantage /�dsəd��vɑntd"/ nounsomething which makes someone orsomething less likely to succeed � Hermain disadvantage is her lack of experi-ence. � It was a disadvantage not to beable to get to the airport quickly. �There are certain disadvantages to leav-ing at 5.30 in the morning.

disagree

disagree /�dsə��'ri/ verb to say thatyou do not have the same opinion assomeone else � We all disagreed withthe chairperson. � They disagreedabout what to do next.

disagreement

disagreement /�dsə��'rimənt/ nounan argument � They had a disagreementabout who should sit in the front row. �Nothing could be decided because of thedisagreement between the chair and thetreasurer.

disappear

disappear /�dsə��pə/ verb 1. to sudden-ly not be seen any more � He hit the ballhard and it disappeared into the bushes.� The two boys disappeared on theirway home from school. 2. to leave aplace, often suddenly and without peo-ple noticing or knowing where you havegone � Where have the kids disap-peared to? � Half the guests have disap-peared already.

disappointed

disappointed /�dsə��pɔntd/ adjectivesad, because things have not happenedas you hoped � She is disappointed with


disappointing 95 disgust

her exam results. � He was disappoint-ed because his ticket didn’t win a prize.� You should have seen the disappoint-ed expression on his face.

disappointing

disappointing /�dsə��pɔntŋ/ adjec-tive making you sad because things havenot happened as you hoped

disappointment

disappointment /�dsə��pɔntmənt/noun 1. a feeling of sadness that you getwhen things have not happened as youhoped � She tried hard not to show herdisappointment. � To his great disap-pointment, he didn’t win anything on thelottery. (NOTE: no plural in this sense)2. something that disappoints someone� It was a disappointment to his parentswhen he failed his exam. � After manydisappointments she finally won a prize.

disapprove

disapprove /�dsə��pruv/ verb to showthat you do not think something is good� The head teacher disapproves ofmembers of staff wearing jeans toschool.

disaster

disaster /d��zɑstə/ noun a very bad ac-cident � The disaster was caused by fog. � Ten people died in the air disaster. �We’re insured against natural disasterssuch as hurricanes and earthquakes.

disastrous

disastrous /d��zɑstrəs/ adjective ex-tremely bad

disc

disc /dsk/ noun a round flat object �The setting sun was a huge orange discon the horizon. � disk

discipline

discipline /�dspln/ noun 1. the prac-tice of keeping people under control �The tour leaders are trying to keep dis-cipline among the teenagers. � We needto enforce stricter discipline in theschool. (NOTE: no plural in this sense)2. a subject that people study � biologyand other related disciplines � verb topunish someone � As a result of the in-vestigation, one employee was dis-missed and three were disciplined. �She was disciplined for swearing at hersupervisor.

disco

disco /�dskəυ/ noun a place or partywhere people dance to pop music(NOTE: The plural is discos.)

discover

discover /d��sk�və/ verb to find some-thing new or to learn something for thefirst time � Who discovered penicillin?

� The firm discovered some errors inthe accounts. � We discovered that theestate agent had sold the house twice.

discoverydiscovery /d��sk�v(ə)ri/ noun 1. the actof finding something new or learningsomething for the first time � her dis-covery that someone had been in herhouse while she was away � They con-gratulated him on his discovery of a newplanet. 2. a new thing which has beenfound � Look at his latest discovery –an antique oak table which he found ina barn. (NOTE: The plural is discover-ies.)

discussdiscuss /d��sk�s/ verb to talk about aserious matter or problem � The point ofthe meeting is to discuss how to savemoney. � They spent hours discussingthe details of the wedding.

discussiondiscussion /d��sk�ʃ(ə)n/ noun an oc-casion on which people talk about a se-rious matter or problem � Most prob-lems can be solved by discussion. � Thenext programme will feature a discus-sion between environmental experts onclimate change. � She had a heated dis-cussion with the bus driver.

diseasedisease /d��ziz/ noun a serious illness� Hundreds of people caught the dis-ease. � It is a disease that can be treatedwith antibiotics.

disgracefuldisgraceful /ds��'resf(ə)l/ adjectivewhich people should be ashamed of

disguisedisguise /ds��'az/ noun a set of clothesor something such as false hair or glass-es that a persons wears to make themlook like someone else � I didn’t recog-nise him as he was wearing a disguise.� in disguise dressed to look like some-one else � The tramp turned out to be apoliceman in disguise. � verb 1. todress someone or yourself so as to looklike someone else � He entered thecountry disguised as a fisherman. � Shewore a wig to disguise her hair. 2. tomake something look or sound different

disgustdisgust /ds��'�st/ noun 1. a feeling ofdislike that is so strong that you feel an-gry or slightly ill � Seeing the dead an-imals filled her with disgust. 2. a strongfeeling of annoyance � To my disgust,the examiner passed my friend andfailed me. � in disgust showing that you


dish 96 distant

are upset and annoyed � She walked outof the interview in disgust. � verb togive someone a strong feeling of dislikeor disapproval � The smell of cookingdisgusted her. � The greediness of thesepeople disgusts me.

dish

dish /dʃ/ noun 1. a large plate for serv-ing food � She carefully arranged theslices of meat on a dish. 2. food pre-pared in a particular way � We are try-ing a new Mexican dish. 3. a round aer-ial, shaped like a plate, used to get sig-nals from satellites (NOTE: The plural isdishes.)

dish out phrasal verb to give some-thing out, especially in large quantities(informal) � He dished out a piece ofbread and a bowl of soup to anyone whoasked for it.

dishonest

dishonest /ds��ɒnst/ adjective nothonest

dishonestly

dishonestly /ds��ɒnstli/ adverb nothonestly � They were accused of dis-honestly obtaining bank loans.

disk

disk /dsk/ noun a round flat piece ofmetal in a plastic case, used in comput-ers to record information � How muchdata do these disks hold? � disc

dislike

dislike /ds��lak/ noun 1. a feeling of notliking something or someone � She hada great dislike of noisy parties. 2. some-thing which you do not like � We try totake account of the likes and dislikes ofindividual customers. � verb not to likesomething or someone � He particular-ly disliked the way they spoke to her. � Idislike it when the people behind me atthe cinema start whispering. � My fa-ther dislikes having to get up early onMonday mornings.

dismay

dismay /ds��me/ noun great disappoint-ment � To the dismay of the supporters,the team played extremely badly. � verbto make someone very upset or shocked� His reaction to her letter dismayedher. � She was dismayed to find that herpassport had been stolen.

dismiss

dismiss /ds��ms/ verb 1. to tell some-one that they can leave � At the end ofthe interview he dismissed her with abrief ‘good afternoon’. 2. to refuse toconsider an idea � Her plan was dis-

missed as being quite impractical. � Allhis suggestions were dismissed by theMD. 3. � to dismiss an employee to re-move an employee from a job � He wasdismissed for being late. � When theyfound him taking money from the pettycash he was dismissed instantly.

disobeydisobey /�dsə��be/ verb not to obeysomeone or something � She wouldnever disobey her parents.

displaydisplay /d��sple/ noun a show, an exhi-bition � a display of local crafts � Theyhave a fine display of Chinese porce-lain. � verb to put something in a dis-play � She is displaying her collectionof Persian carpets at the antiques fair.

disputedispute /d��spjut, �dspjut/ noun anargument � He tried to mediate in thedispute. � There was some dispute overwho would pay the bill. � verb to saythat you strongly believe that somethingis not true or correct � I dispute her ver-sion of what happened. � There is nodisputing the fact that Sarah is the bestplayer.

dissatisfieddissatisfied /ds��s�tsfad/ adjectivenot satisfied � We were dissatisfied withthe service we got from our bank.

dissolvedissolve /d��zɒlv/ verb to make a solidsubstance become part of a liquid � Dis-solve the sugar in half a litre of boilingwater. � The powder should dissolve inwarm water.

distancedistance /�dstəns/ noun 1. the spacefrom one point to another � The furthestdistance I have travelled by train is 800km. � The hotel is only a short distanceaway. � within walking distance nearenough to walk to � The hotel is withinwalking distance of the town centre. 2. �from a distance seen from some wayaway � From a distance, the mountainlooks like a sleeping animal. � in thedistance a long way away � I caughtsight of the mountain in the distance. �We could hear guns firing in the dis-tance. � verb � to distance yourselffrom to show that you do not agree withsomeone or something

distantdistant /�dstənt/ adjective far away �We could hear the sound of distant gun-fire. � distant relative a relative who isnot a member of the immediate family �


distinct 97 divorce

She’s a very distant relative – hergrandfather was my grandmother’scousin.

distinct

distinct /d��stŋkt/ adjective 1. separate� There are two distinct varieties of thisplant. � They keep their printing worksquite distinct from their publishing com-pany. 2. that you can clearly see, hear orfeel � I got the distinct impression thathe was carrying a gun. � Did you noticethe distinct tone of anger in his voice?

distinction

distinction /d��stŋkʃən/ noun 1. a dif-ference � There is a distinction betweenbeing interested in politics and joining apolitical party. 2. the highest markavailable in an examination � She got adistinction in her exam.

distinctly

distinctly /d��stŋktli/ adverb clearlydistinguish

distinguish /d��stŋ'wʃ/ verb to see orhear clearly, or to see details � We couldeasily distinguish houses on the otherside of the lake. � I could distinguish atleast two birds calling to each other.

distract

distract /d��str�kt/ verb to attractsomeone’s attention when they shouldbe doing something else � The noise ofthe planes is bound to distract the stu-dents.

distress

distress /d��stres/ noun a sad or painfulfeeling which is very strong � I don’twant to cause the family any distress. �The whole family was in distress atgrandmother’s death. � verb to makesomeone very sad and worried � Thenews of her grandmother’s death dis-tressed her very much.

distribute

distribute /d��strbjut/ verb to sharesomething between people � She dis-tributed part of her money to the poor. �The flight attendants came round, dis-tributing immigration forms to non-EUpassengers. � I’ll distribute the list toall the committee members.

district

district /�dstrkt/ noun an area or re-gion � It’s a district of the town wellknown for its Italian restaurants.

disturb

disturb /d��st�b/ verb 1. to interruptwhat someone is doing � Sorry to dis-turb you but there’s a phone call. �Don’t disturb your mother – she’s rest-ing. 2. to make someone feel worried �It disturbed me to see that the wheel was

wobbling. 3. to change the order or ar-rangement of something � The policetold us that nothing must be disturbed inthe bedroom.

disturbance

disturbance /d��st�bəns/ noun an oc-casion on which someone is disturbed �I need to work somewhere where therewon’t be any disturbance.

ditch

ditch /dtʃ/ noun a long narrow hole cutinto the ground for taking away water �After the storm, the ditches were full ofrainwater. � He fell into the ditch besidethe road. (NOTE: The plural is ditches.)

dive

dive /dav/ verb to jump into water headfirst � He dived in and swam across thepool under water.

diver

diver /�davə/ noun 1. a person whodives � the Australian Olympic diver 2.a person who swims under water, espe-cially as a job � Police divers searchedthe canal.

divide

divide /d��vad/ verb 1. to cut somethinginto parts � The cake was dividedamong the children. � How can you di-vide the cake into thirteen pieces? � Thetwo companies agreed to divide themarket between them. � Our open-planoffice is divided up with low partitions.2. to calculate how many times onenumber fits in another � Ten divided bytwo gives five. (NOTE: Dividing is usu-ally shown by the sign ÷ : 10 ÷ 2 = 5:say ‘ten divided by two equals five’.Note also divides – dividing – divid-ed.)

division

division /d��v"(ə)n/ noun 1. an impor-tant part of a large organisation � Thesales division employs twenty people. �She is the head of the production divi-sion. 2. a calculation, where one figureis divided by another � My little sister isjust learning how to do division.

divorce

divorce /d��vɔs/ noun a legal separationof a husband and wife where each is freeto marry again � Her parents are get-ting a divorce. � Since their divorce,they have both married again. � verb 1.to break off a marriage legally � Theydivorced last year. 2. to separate fromyour husband or wife � She divorcedher husband and married the man nextdoor.


divorced 98 doctordivorced

divorced /d��vɔst/ adjective no longermarried � They’re both divorced, withchildren from their previous marriages.

dizzy

dizzy /�dzi/ adjective having a feelingthat you might fall down, and that eve-rything seems to turn round � Can westop the car, please, I feel dizzy. � Afterstanding in the sun, he became dizzyand had to lie down. � She has startedhaving dizzy spells. (NOTE: dizzier –dizziest)

DJ

DJ abbr 1. dinner jacket 2. disc jockeydo

do /du/ verb 1. used with other verbs tomake questions � Does this train go toLondon? � Did the doctor give you anymedicine for your cough? � Where dothey live? � What did you find there? 2.used with other verbs and ‘not’ to makethe negative � They didn’t laugh at thefilm. � It doesn’t matter any more. � Hisparents don’t live in London. 3. used tomake a verb stronger � Can I sit down?– Please do! � Why don’t you workharder? – I do work hard! � Why didn’tyou tell me? – I did tell you! 4. used inplace of another verb in short answers toquestions using the word ‘do’ � Do youlive in London? – Yes I do. � But yourparents don’t live there, do they? – Nothey don’t. � Does the green colourshow? – Yes it does. � Did you go to theconcert after all? – Yes I did. 5. used inplace of another verb at the end of aquestion or statement � The Russianslive here, don’t they? � It looks verynice, doesn’t it? � It doesn’t rain a lot inSpain, does it? � Can you run as fast ashe does? � He speaks German betterthan I do. � She asked me to close thedoor but I’d already done so. � They gotto the pub before we did. 6. tellingsomeone not to do something � Don’tthrow away that letter! � Don’t put yourcoffee cups on the computer! 7. withnouns ending in -ing � She’s doing theshopping. � He always does the wash-ing-up. � She was doing the ironing. 8.to work at something, to arrange some-thing or to clean something � She’s do-ing her hair. � Have you done the dishesyet? � I can’t do today’s crossword. �What have you been doing all day? �They’re a difficult company to do busi-

ness with. 9. to succeed, to continue �She’s doing very well in her new job. �He did badly in the interview. � How’syour business doing? 10. to finish cook-ing something � The carrots aren’tdone yet. 11. to be satisfactory � Willthis size do? 12. used when greetingsomeone � How do you do? (NOTE: Ido; you do; he/she/it does /d�z/;they do; doing – did /dd/ – has done/d�n/; negative: do not usually don’t/dəυnt/; does not usually doesn’t/�d�z(ə)nt/; did not usually didn’t/�ddn(ə)t/) � that will do that’senough � to make do with to acceptsomething which is not as good as youwanted � The ordinary plates are alldirty, so we will have to make do withpaper ones.

do away with phrasal verb to get rid ofsomethingdo up phrasal verb 1. to attach some-thing � He’s still a baby and he can’t dohis buttons up properly. � Can you doup the zip at the back of my dress? 2. torepair something and make it like new �They bought an old cottage and did itup. � He’s looking for an old sports carto do up.do with phrasal verb 1. to be related orconnected to � It has nothing to do withus. � It is something to do with my newbook. 2. to put something somewhere �What have you done with the newspa-per? 3. to need something � After thatlong walk I could do with a cup of tea. �The car could do with a wash.do without phrasal verb not to havesomething, to manage without some-thing

dock

dock /dɒk/ noun 1. � the docks a har-bour where ships are loaded and unload-ed � Cars should arrive at the docks 45minutes before sailing time. � We usedto go down to the docks to watch theships come in. 2. a place in a law courtwhere the prisoner sits � She was in thedock, facing charges of theft. � verb (ofa ship) to arrive in a port � The shipdocked at 17.00. � The cruise liner willdock in Bermuda.

doctor

doctor /�dɒktə/ noun a person whose jobis to look after people who are ill � I


document 99 double

have a ten o’clock appointment to seethe doctor. � If you have pains in yourchest, you ought to see a doctor. � Hewent to the doctor’s last Friday.

document

document1 /�dɒkjυmənt/ noun 1. apiece of paper with something officialor important printed on it � File all thedocuments away carefully as we mayneed them again. � Please read thisdocument carefully and sign at the bot-tom of page two. 2. a separate file in acomputer � The letter was saved as aWord document.

document

document2 /�dɒkjυ��ment/ verb to notesomething in official writing � Cases ofthis disease are well documented in Af-rica.

documentary

documentary /�dɒkjυ��ment(ə)ri/noun a film which shows facts about areal subject � Did you see the documen-tary about hippos last night? � adjec-tive referring to documents

dodge

dodge /dɒd"/ noun a clever trick � Hetold me a dodge to avoid paying on theUnderground. � verb 1. to avoid some-thing, to get out of the way � He ranacross the street, dodging the traffic. �She dodged behind a parked car hopinghe wouldn’t see her. 2. to avoid doingsomething you should do, in a dishonestway � to dodge payment of your TV li-cence fee

does

does /d�z/ 3rd person singular present ofdo

doesn’t

doesn’t /�d�z(ə)nt/ � dodog

dog /dɒ'/ noun an animal kept as a pet,or used for hunting � Can you take thedog out for a walk? � Police with dogswere hunting the gang of escaped pris-oners.

doing

doing /�duŋ/ present participle of dodoll

doll /dɒl/ noun a child’s toy which lookslike a baby

dollar

dollar /�dɒlə/ noun 1. the money systemused in the United States � a 5-dollarbill � The country spends millions ofdollars on defence. � There were twodollars to the pound. 2. a similar moneysystem used in many other countries �What is the price in Australian dollars?(NOTE: usually written $ before figures:$250. The currencies used in different

countries can be shown by the initialletter of the country: Can$ (Canadiandollar) Aus$ (Australian dollar).)

dolphin

dolphin /�dɒlfn/ noun a large animalwith a long nose, that lives in the sea(NOTE: A group of them is a school ofdolphins.)

dome

dome /dəυm/ noun a round roof shapedlike half of a ball

domestic

domestic /də��mestk/ adjective 1. re-lating to the home � She hated having todo all the domestic work. 2. inside acountry � Sales in the domestic markethave risen. � noun a servant in a house(old) � When the fire broke out all thedomestics ran into the house to rescuethe furniture.

donate

donate /dəυ��net/ verb to give some-thing, especially money, to a charity orsimilar organisation � He donated a lotof money to a charity for the homeless.

done

done /d�n/ past participle of dodonkey

donkey /�dɒŋki/ noun a farm animalwith long ears, used for riding or pullingcarts

don’t

don’t /dəυnt/ � dodoor

door /dɔ/ noun 1. a solid piece of wood,plastic or metal which closes an en-trance � He went into his office andlocked the door behind him. � Sheopened the car door and hit a passingcyclist. 2. used to show where a buildingis in a street � They live a few doorsaway from us.

dot

dot /dɒt/ noun 1. a small round spot � Ablue tie with white dots. 2. a printingsign (.) used in email addresses � Myemail address is [email protected](say ‘Jane at Supertek dot com’). � verb1. to mark with a spot 2. to be or be putin many different parts � Vases of flow-ers dotted the room. � The wall was dot-ted with notices. (NOTE: dots – dotting– dotted)

double

double /�d�b(ə)l/ adjective 1. containingtwo of something � The word ‘immeas-urable’ is spelt with a double ‘m’. � Theinvoice number is six double five doubleone. 2. with two parts, for two people �double doors � a double bed 3. twicethe size of that which is considered nor-mal � She asked for a double portion of


mailto:[email protected]

double figures 100 drain

ice cream. � plural noun doubles ten-nis game for two people on either side �verb to multiply something by two �Think of a number and then double it.

double figures

double figures /�d�b(ə)l �f'əz/ pluralnoun the numbers with two figures,from 10 to 99

doubt

doubt /daυt/ noun 1. not being sure �Everyone sometimes has doubts aboutwhat they really want to do. � to castdoubt on something to make peoplefeel less sure about something � He castdoubt on the whole proposal. 2. � nodoubt certainly � No doubt they will beasking for more money soon. � in doubtnot yet known or definite, or not yet sure� The result of the game was in doubtuntil the last minute. � I’m in doubtabout whether I should take the job ornot. � verb not to be sure of something� I doubt whether he will want to go tothe funeral. � I doubt her honesty. � Didyou ever doubt that we would win?

doubtful

doubtful /�daυtf(ə)l/ adjective not surethat something is right or good, or notlikely � I am doubtful about whether weshould go. � It is doubtful whether therace will take place because of the snow.

down

down /daυn/ preposition 1. towards thebottom of � He fell down the stairs andbroke his leg. � The ball ran down thehill. 2. away from where the personspeaking is standing � He went downthe road to the shop. � The police sta-tion is just down the street. � adverb 1.towards the bottom, towards a lower po-sition � Put the box down in the corner.� I looked in the cellar, but there’s noone down there. 2. in writing � Did younote down the number of the car? � Thepoliceman took down her address. 3.used for showing criticism � Down withthe government! � Down with exams!(NOTE: Down is often used with verbs,e.g. to go down, to fall down, to sitdown, to lie down.)

downhill

downhill /daυn��hl/ adverb towards thebottom of a hill � The road goes down-hill for a while and then crosses the riv-er.

downstairs

downstairs /daυn��steəz/ adverb on orto the lower part of a building � Heheard a noise in the kitchen and went

downstairs to see what it was. � I left mycup of coffee downstairs. � adjective onthe ground floor of a building � Thehouse has a downstairs bedroom. � Youcan use the downstairs loo. � noun theground floor of a building � The down-stairs has three rooms. � The down-stairs of the house is larger than the up-stairs. Compare upstairs

downwards

downwards /�daυnwədz/ adverb to-wards the bottom

doze

doze /dəυz/ verb to sleep a little � Shedozed for a while after lunch. � noun ashort sleep

dozen

dozen /�d�z(ə)n/ noun 1. � I need a doz-en eggs for this recipe. � We orderedtwo dozen (= 24) chairs. � a dozentwelve � half a dozen six � half a dozenapples 2. � dozens of a lot of � Dozensof people visited the exhibition. � I’vebeen to New York dozens of times.

Dr

Dr abbr doctordraft

draft /drɑft/ noun a rough plan of a doc-ument � He quickly wrote out a draft ofthe agreement. � It’s not the final ver-sion, it’s just a draft. � verb to draw upa rough plan of something

draft in phrasal verb to ask someone todo something � The Boy Scouts weredrafted in to dig the garden.

drag

drag /dr�'/ verb to pull something heavyalong the ground � She dragged hersuitcase across the floor. � The policedragged the men away from the gate.(NOTE: drags – dragging – dragged)� noun a boring thing, which stops youdoing things you really want to do � It’sa drag, having to write all the Christmascards.

drag on phrasal verb (of time or anevent) to seem to pass slowly � Thedinner party seemed to drag on forhours.

drain

drain /dren/ noun a pipe for carryingwaste water away � In the autumn thedrains get blocked by leaves. � We hadto phone the council to come and clearthe blocked drain. � verb to remove aliquid from something � Boil the pota-toes for ten minutes, drain and leave tocool.


drama 101 dressdrama

drama /�drɑmə/ noun 1. a serious per-formance in a theatre � a new TV dramaseries about life in Glasgow � The‘Globe’ has put on an unknown Eliza-bethan drama. � I’m reading a book on19th-century French drama. � She’s adrama student or She’s studying drama.2. a series of serious and exciting events� a day of high drama in the court � thedrama of the rescue by helicopter � Healways makes a drama out of every-thing.

dramatic

dramatic /drə��m�tk/ adjective sudden,unexpected and very noticeable � thedramatic moment in the film, when thedinosaurs start to attack them � Thedoor was thrown open and she made adramatic entrance. � The TV newsshowed dramatic pictures of the disas-ter.

drank

drank /dr�ŋk/ past tense of drinkdraughtdraught /drɑft/ noun a flow of cool air

into a room � Don’t sit in a draught.draw

draw /drɔ/ noun 1. a game or competi-tion which ends with both teams havingthe same number of points � The matchwas a draw: 2–2. 2. a competition inwhich the winner is chosen by a personwho takes a ticket out of a containerwith a name on it � The draw is held onSaturdays. � We are holding a draw toraise money for the local hospital. �verb 1. to make a picture with a pen orpencil � He drew a picture of the house.� She’s drawing a pot of flowers. 2. notto have a winner in a game � The teamsdrew 2 – 2. 3. to pull curtains open orclosed � She drew the curtains and letin the sun. � Can you draw the curtains– I don’t want anyone to see us in here.(NOTE: draws – drawing – drew /dru/– has drawn /drɔn/)draw up phrasal verb 1. (of a vehicle)to come close and stop � As I was stand-ing at the bus stop, a car drew up andthe driver asked if I wanted a lift. 2. towrite down something, e.g. a plan �They have drawn up a plan to save mon-ey. � Have you drawn up a list of peopleyou want to invite to the party?

drawer

drawer /�drɔə/ noun a part of a desk orcupboard like an open box which slidesin and out when you pull its handle � I

keep my cheque book in the top drawerof my desk.

drawing

drawing /�drɔŋ/ noun 1. a picture thathas been drawn � I’ve bought an olddrawing of the church. 2. the activity orskill of making pictures with a pencil orpen � He studied drawing in Rome.

drawn

drawn /drɔn/ adjective tired and ill �She looked drawn after spending allnight with her sick baby. � past partici-ple of draw

dread

dread /dred/ noun great fear � Thesound of her voice filled him with dread.� She has a dread of meeting him in thestreet. � in dread of being very afraid of� They lived in constant dread of beingarrested. � verb to fear something verymuch � I’m dreading taking my drivingtest. � She dreads her weekly visit to thedoctor.

dreadful

dreadful /�dredf(ə)l/ adjective very bador unpleasant � What a dreadful film!

dreadfully

dreadfully /�dredf(ə)li/ adverb ex-tremely¸ in a way that is not good orpleasant

dream

dream /drim/ noun a story or series ofevents that you think about while youare sleeping � She had a dream aboutbig pink elephants. � verb to experiencea story or series of events while you aresleeping � He was dreaming of whitesand and a blue tropical sea. � I dreamtabout you last night. � Last night Idreamt I was drowning. (NOTE: dreams– dreaming – dreamed or dreamt/dremt/) � adjective referring to some-thing that is the best you could have �They found their dream house in a smalltown by the sea. � Select your dreamteam for the World Cup.

dress

dress /dres/ noun a piece of clothingusually worn by women or girls, cover-ing the body and part or all of the legs �She was wearing a blue dress. (NOTE:The plural is dresses.) � verb 1. to putclothes on someone � She dressed herlittle girl all in blue. 2. to get dressedto put clothes on yourself � He got up,got dressed and left the house. 3. toclean an injury and cover it with a band-age � The nurse will dress the cut onyour knee.


dressed 102 driverdressed

dressed /drest/ adjective wearingclothes � I can’t come down to see thevisitors – I’m not dressed yet. �dressed in wearing a particular colouror type of clothing � She was dressedall in black. � He was dressed in a tee-shirt and shorts.

dressing

dressing /�dresŋ/ noun 1. a sauce forsalad 2. a cover for an injury � Thedressings need to be changed everyhour.

drew

drew /dru/ past tense of drawdribble

dribble /�drb(ə)l/ verb 1. to let liquidflow slowly out of an opening, especial-ly out of your mouth � The baby drib-bled over her dress. 2. (of a liquid) toflow slowly out of an opening � Ketch-up dribbled onto the tablecloth. 3. tokick a football along as you are running,or to move a ball along with one hand asyou are running

dried, drier, dries, driest

dried, drier, dries, driest /drad,�draə, draz, �draəst/ � dry

drill

drill /drl/ noun 1. a tool for making holesin a hard substance such as wood ormetal � He used an electric drill tomake the holes in the wall. 2. the actionof practising marching, especially in thearmed forces � New recruits spendhours practising their drill. � verb 1. touse a drill to make a hole in something� Check how solid the wall is before youdrill a hole in it. � He drilled two holesfor the screws. 2. to do military practice� The soldiers were drilling on the pa-rade ground. 3. to teach someone some-thing by making them do or say it manytimes

drink

drink /drŋk/ noun 1. an amount of liquidsuch as water, juice, tea or coffee whichyou swallow � If you’re thirsty, have adrink of water. � She always has a hotdrink before she goes to bed. 2. an alco-holic drink � Would you like a drink? �Come and have a drink. � I’ll ordersome drinks from the bar. � verb toswallow liquid � He drank two glassesof water. � What would you like todrink? � Do you want something todrink with your meal? (NOTE: drinks –drinking – drank /dr�ŋk/ – hasdrunk /dr�ŋk/)

drink up phrasal verb to drink all of aliquid � The baby drank all her milk up.� Come on, drink up – we’re leavingnow.

drip

drip /drp/ noun a small drop of water �There’s a hole in the tent – a drip justfell on my nose. � verb 1. (of a liquid) tofall in small drops � Water was slowlydripping from the ceiling. 2. (of e.g. atap) to produce small drops � I must fixthat tap – it’s dripping. (NOTE: drips –dripping – dripped)

drive

drive /drav/ noun 1. a journey, especial-ly in a car � Let’s go for a drive into thecountry. � The baby gets sick on longdrives. � It’s a four-hour drive to thecoast. 2. a part of a computer whichmakes a disk work � The disk is stuck inthe drive. � verb to make a motor vehi-cle travel in a certain direction � I neverlearnt to drive. � He was driving a lorrywhen the accident happened. � She wasdriving to work when she heard thenews on the car radio. (NOTE: drives –driving – drove /drəυv/ – has driven/�drv(ə)n/) � to drive someone cra-zy or mad to have an effect on someoneso that they become very annoyed(informal) � The noise is driving memad. � All this work is driving her cra-zy.

drive away phrasal verb 1. to rideaway in a motor vehicle � The bankrobbers leapt into a car and drove awayat top speed. 2. to take someone away ina motor vehicle � The children weredriven away in a police car.drive back phrasal verb to go back orto come back in a motor vehicle � Wewere driving back to London after a dayout.drive off phrasal verb 1. to move awayin a motor vehicle � The bank robbersleapt into a car and drove off at topspeed. 2. to force someone or somethingto go away � They drove off the attack-ers with shotguns.

driver

driver /�dravə/ noun a person whodrives a vehicle such as a car or train �He’s got a job as a bus driver. � Thedrivers of both cars were injured in theaccident.


driving 103 duckdriving

driving /�dravŋ/ adjective (of rain orsnow) blown horizontally by the wind �They were forced to turn back becauseof the driving rain. � noun the action ofdriving a motor vehicle � Driving in thecentre of London can be very frustrat-ing. � She’s taking driving lessons.

driving licence

driving licence /�dravŋ �las(ə)ns/noun a permit which allows someone todrive a vehicle on public roads

drizzle

drizzle /�drz(ə)l/ noun light rain � Athin drizzle was falling so we took ourumbrellas. � verb to rain a little � It’sdrizzling outside, so you need a rain-coat.

drop

drop /drɒp/ noun a small amount of liq-uid which falls � Drops of rain randown the windows. � verb 1. to fall orlet something fall � He dropped theglass and it broke. � The plate droppedonto the floor. 2. to decrease � Pricesare dropping. � Take a warm pullover,because at night the temperature candrop quite sharply. 3. to let someone getoff a bus or car at a place � I’ll drop youat your house. � The bus dropped her atthe school. (NOTE: drops – dropping –dropped)

drop in phrasal verb to call on some-one, to visit someonedrop off phrasal verb 1. to fall asleep �She dropped off in front of the TV. � Ittook me ages to drop off. 2. to let some-one get off a bus or car at a place �Where would you like me to drop youoff?

drought

drought /draυt/ noun a long periodwhen there is no rain and when the landis dry

drove

drove /drəυv/ past tense of drivedrown

drown /draυn/ verb to die by being una-ble to breathe in water � He drowned ina shallow pool.

drudgery

drudgery /�dr�d"əri/ noun hard boringwork � Most of the work in the office issheer drudgery.

drug

drug /dr�'/ noun 1. a medicine � Theyhave found a new drug for people witharthritis. 2. an illegal substance whichaffects people physically or mentallywhen they take it � The customs arelooking for such things as drugs or alco-

hol. � verb to give a person or animal adrug, or put a drug in their food or drink,to make them unconscious � Theydrugged him and took him away in acar. � The dog’s food had been druggedwith something to make him sleep.(NOTE: drugs – drugging – drugged)

drum

drum /dr�m/ noun 1. a large round mu-sical instrument which you hit with astick � He plays the drums in the band.2. a large barrel or container shaped likea cylinder � oil drums � verb 1. to playon a drum 2. to hit something frequently� He drummed his fingers on the table.(NOTE: drums – drumming –drummed)

drum into phrasal verb � to drumsomething into someone to makesomeone learn something � My grand-father drummed it into me that I had tobe polite to customers.

drunk

drunk /dr�ŋk/ adjective excited or illfrom drinking too much alcohol � Doyou think she was drunk? � It doesn’ttake much for me to get drunk. � noun aperson who is drunk � past participle ofdrink

dry

dry /dra/ adjective 1. not wet � Don’ttouch the door – the paint isn’t dry yet.� The soil is dry because it hasn’trained for weeks. 2. (of wine) not sweet� A dry white wine is served with fish.(NOTE: drier – driest) � verb 1. to be-come dry � The clothes are drying inthe sun. � Leave the dishes beside thesink to dry. 2. to wipe something until itis dry � If I wash up, can you dry or drythe dishes for me? � He dried himselfwith a towel. (NOTE: dries – drying –dried)

dubious

dubious /�djubiəs/ adjective thinkingthat something might not be true orgood � Everyone else seems to believeher story, but personally I’m dubiousabout it. � I’m dubious about getting in-volved.

duck

duck /d�k/ noun 1. a common water bird� Let’s go and feed the ducks in thepark. (NOTE: The male is a drake, thefemale a duck and the young areducklings.) 2. the meat of this bird �We’re having roast duck for dinner. �verb to lower your head quickly to avoid


due 104 dying

hitting something � He ducked as hewent through the low doorway.

due

due /dju/ adjective 1. expected � Whenis the baby due? � We are due to leaveLondon Airport at 5 o’clock. � Theplane is due to arrive at 10.30 or is dueat 10.30. � due for likely to happen �We’re due for a thunderstorm after allthis hot weather. 2. owed � This pay-ment is due now. � adverb straight �The plane flew due west. � noun what isdeserved � to give someone their dueto be fair to someone � To give him hisdue, he works very hard. � in duecourse later

due to

due to /�dju tu/ preposition because of� The trains are late due to fog.

dug

dug /d�'/ past tense and past participle ofdig

dull

dull /d�l/ adjective 1. not exciting or in-teresting � The story is rather dull. �What’s so interesting about old church-es? – I find them dull. 2. (of weather)grey and cloudy � a dull rainy day 3. (ofcolours) not bright � They painted thesitting room a dull green.

dumb

dumb /d�m/ adjective unable to speak(NOTE: Some people avoid this termbecause it causes offence and preferto say speech impaired.)

dummy

dummy /�d�mi/ noun a plastic object,given to a baby to suck in order to stopit from crying � The baby sat sucking adummy. (NOTE: The plural is dum-mies.)

dump

dump /d�mp/ noun a large area whererubbish is taken � Take your rubbish tothe municipal dump. � verb 1. to putsomething heavy on the ground, espe-cially in a careless way � She justdumped her suitcases in the hall. 2. tothrow something away, to get rid ofsomething � Someone has dumped anold pram in the car park.

duplicateduplicate1 /�djuplkət/ adjective madeas a copy of something � Put the dupli-cate invoices in the file. � noun a copy� She sent the invoice and filed the du-plicate.

duplicateduplicate2 /�djuplket/ verb 1. tomake a copy of a document such as a let-ter � She duplicated the letter and putthe copy into a file. 2. to do again some-thing which has already been done �Keep a note of where you got to – I don’twant to duplicate your work.

duringduring /�djυərŋ/ preposition whilesomething is going on � Conditionswere bad during the war.

dustdust /d�st/ noun a thin layer of dry dirt �The room had never been cleaned –there was dust everywhere. � A tinyspeck of dust got in my eye. (NOTE: noplural) � verb to remove dust fromsomething � Don’t forget to dust theChinese bowls carefully.

dustbindustbin /�d�stbn/ noun a large contain-er for rubbish, kept outside a house

dustydusty /�d�sti/ adjective covered withdust (NOTE: dustier – dustiest)

dutyduty /�djuti/ noun 1. something whichyou are legally or morally expected todo � We have a duty to inform the au-thorities about what we saw. 2. � onduty doing official work which youhave to do in a job � He’s on duty from9.00 to 6.00. � She’s been on duty allday. 3. a tax which has to be paid � plu-ral noun duties different jobs that haveto be done as part of your official work� One of his duties is to see that themain doors are locked at night.

duty-freeduty-free /�djuti �fri/ adjective, ad-verb sold with no tax to be paid � Hebought a duty-free watch at the airportor he bought the watch duty-free.

duvet

duvet /�duve/ noun a bag full of feath-ers, used as a covering for a bed

dyingdying /�daŋ/ present participle of die


Ee

e /i/, E noun the fifth letter of the alpha-bet, between D and F

each

each /itʃ/ adjective every � Each fivepound note has a number. � He washolding a towel in each hand. � Eachone of us has a separate office. � pro-noun 1. every person � They have twohouses each. or Each of them has twohouses. � She gave them each fivepounds or She gave them five poundseach or She gave each of them fivepounds. 2. every thing � Each of thebooks has three hundred pages or Thebooks have three hundred pages each.

each other

each other /�itʃ ��ðə/ pronoun the oth-er one of two people or of two things �They were shouting at each other. � Wealways send each other presents on ourbirthdays. � The boxes fit into each oth-er.

eager

eager /�i'ə/ adjective wanting to dosomething very much

eagerly

eagerly /�i'əli/ adverb in a way thatshows that you want something verymuch

earear /ə/ noun one of the parts on eitherside of your head which you hear with �Rabbits have long ears. � Have youwashed behind your ears?

earlierearlier /��liə/ adjective relating to a timebefore now or before a time being men-tioned � an earlier version of the book� I’ll try to catch an earlier train. � ad-verb before now or before a time beingmentioned � Can’t you come any earli-er than Tuesday? � I tried to phone ear-lier but you were out.

early

early /��l/ adverb 1. before the usualtime � The plane arrived five minutesearly. � We must get up early tomorrowmorning if we want to catch the firstboat to France. 2. at the beginning of aperiod of time � We went out early inthe evening. � The snow came early inthe year.

earn

earn /�n/ verb to be paid money forworking � He earns £20,000 a year. �How much does a bus driver earn?

earring

earring /�ərŋ/ noun a piece of jewelleryworn attached to part of the ear

earth

earth /�θ/ noun 1. also Earth the planeton which we live � The Earth goesround the sun once in twenty-four hours.2. soil, a soft substance in which plantsgrow � Put some earth in the plant potand then sow your cucumber seeds.

earthquake

earthquake /��θkwek/ noun an occa-sion on which the earth shakes, causedby movement of the earth’s surface(NOTE: also called simply a quake)

ease

ease /iz/ noun a lack of difficulty � Hewon the first round with the greatest ofease. � The bottle has a wide mouth forease of use. � verb to make less painful� A couple of aspirins should ease thepain.

easily

easily /�izli/ adverb 1. without any dif-ficulty � I passed my driving test easily.� I can easily get there by 9 o’clock. 2.a lot (for emphasis before compara-tives or superlatives) � Her work waseasily better than yours. � He is easilythe tallest man in the team. � Our shopis easily the biggest in the High Street.

east

east /ist/ noun 1. the direction of wherethe sun rises � The sun rises in the eastand sets in the west. � Germany is to theeast of France. � The wind is blowingfrom the east. 2. the part of a countrywhich is to the east of the rest � The eastof the country is drier than the west. �adjective relating to the east � The eastcoast is the coldest part of the country.� adverb towards the east � The kitchenwindows face east, so we get the morn-ing sun. � Drive east along the motor-way for twenty miles.

Easter

Easter /�istə/ noun a Christian festival,in March or April, celebrating the occa-


eastern 106 educational

sion on which Christ died and then cameback to life again

eastern

eastern /�ist(ə)n/ adjective from, of orin the east � Bulgaria is part of EasternEurope. � The best snow is in the east-ern part of the mountains.

easy

easy /�izi/ adjective not difficult, or notneeding a lot of effort � The test waseasier than I expected. � My boss isvery easy to get on with.

eat

eat /it/ verb 1. to put food into yourmouth and swallow it � I’m hungry – isthere anything to eat? � We haven’t eat-en anything since breakfast. � The chil-dren ate all the sandwiches. � Eat asmuch as you like for £5.95! � You’ll getthin if you don’t eat. 2. to have a meal �He was still eating his breakfast when Iarrived. � We are eating at home to-night. � Have you eaten yet? (NOTE:eats – eating – ate /et/ – has eaten/�it(ə)n/)

eat out phrasal verb to have a meal ina restauranteat up phrasal verb to eat everything �She ate it all up in a matter of seconds.� Come on, eat up – it’s time to go.

echo

echo /�ekəυ/ noun a sound which is re-peated such as when you shout in aplace such as a tunnel � We could hearthe echo of voices in the tunnel. � If yougo to the Whispering Gallery in thedome of St Paul’s Cathedral you canhear the echo very clearly. (NOTE: Theplural is echoes.) � verb 1. (of sound)to make an echo � Their voices echoeddown the tunnel. 2. to repeat � Thenewspaper article echoed the opinionsput forward in the minister’s speech.(NOTE: echoes – echoing – echoed)

economic

economic /�ikə��nɒmk/ adjective 1.relating to the economy � I don’t agreewith the government’s economic policy.� The government has introduced con-trols to solve the current economic cri-sis. � The country enjoyed a period ofeconomic growth in the 1980s. 2. notcosting much money � The flat is let atan economic rent. � It is hardly eco-nomic for us to run two cars. 3. usingmoney well � It is hardly economic forus to run two cars.

economy

economy /��kɒnəm/ noun 1. the way inwhich a country makes and uses money,or the financial state of a country � Thecountry’s economy is in ruins. 2. some-thing you do to avoid wasting money ormaterials � She tried to make a feweconomies like buying cheaper brandsof washing-up liquid.

edge

edge /ed"/ noun 1. a side of somethingflat � He put his plate down on the edgeof the table. � She lay down on the roofand looked over the edge. � Can youstand this coin on its edge? � The axehas a very sharp edge. 2. an imaginaryline where an area ends � He lived in ahouse at the edge of the forest. � Thefactory is built right on the edge of thetown.

edible

edible /�edb(ə)l/ adjective which isgood enough or safe to eat

edit

edit /�edt/ verb 1. to be in charge of anewspaper or magazine � He edited the‘Sunday Express’ for more than twentyyears. 2. to prepare a book for publish-ing by doing such things as correctingmistakes � I am editing a volume of20th-century poetry. 3. to prepare some-thing such as a film to make it ready tobe shown � Once the film has been ed-ited it will run for about 90 minutes.

editor

editor /�edtə/ noun 1. a journalist incharge of a newspaper or part of a news-paper � He wrote to the editor of ‘TheTimes’ asking for a job. � She is thesports editor of the local paper. 2. a per-son who edits books

educate

educate /�edjυket/ verb to teach some-one in a school or college, or give theminformation that they need � She waseducated in Switzerland. � We need toeducate young people about the dangersof alcohol.

educated

educated /�edjυketd/ adjective hav-ing been to school and university

education

education /�edjυ��keʃ(ə)n/ noun thesystem of teaching, or of being taught �Our children deserve the best educa-tion. � We spent a lot of money on hiseducation, and he’s got a job as a dust-man!

educational

educational /�edjυ��keʃ(ə)nəl/ adjec-tive relating to education, teaching and


effect 107 either

schools � This game for 3 to 5 year-oldsis very educational. � a campaign toimprove educational standards.

effect

effect /��fekt/ noun a result or influence� The cuts in spending will have a seri-ous effect on the hospital. � The creamhas had no effect on her rash. � The ef-fects of the shock took some time to wearoff. � with effect from starting from(formal) � Prices will be increased by10% with effect from January 1st.

effective

effective /��fektv/ adjective 1. whichproduces the required result � His meth-od of keeping the children quiet is veryeffective. � Advertising on TV is a veryeffective way of selling. 2. which takeseffect � an order which is effective fromJanuary 1st

effectively

effectively /��fektvli/ adverb in a waywhich produces a good result � Thefloodlighting worked very effectively.

effectiveness

effectiveness /��fektvnəs/ noun theability to produce an effective result

efficient

efficient /��fʃ(ə)nt/ adjective able towork well and do what is necessarywithout wasting time, money or effort �He needs an efficient assistant to lookafter him. � The new system of printinginvoices is very efficient.

efficiently

efficiently /��fʃ(ə)ntli/ adverb in an ef-ficient way

effort

effort /�efət/ noun the use of the mind orbody to do something � He’s made abig effort to learn Spanish. � Lifting thebox took considerable physical effort. �She’s already written to three addressesin an effort to contact the owner. �Thanks to her efforts, we have collectedmore than £10,000 for the children’shospital.

egg

egg /e'/ noun 1. a round object with ahard shell, produced by a female bird or,e.g. snake, in which a baby bird devel-ops � The owl laid three eggs in thenest. � Turtles lay their eggs in the sand.2. a chicken’s egg, used as food � Youneed three eggs to make this cake.

eight

eight /et/ noun the number 8 � He ateeight chocolates. � The little girl iseight (years old). � I usually havebreakfast before eight (o’clock).

eighteen

eighteen /�e��tin/ noun the number 18� There are eighteen people in ourdance class. � He will be eighteen(years old) next week. � The trainleaves at eighteen twenty (18:20).

eighteenth

eighteenth /e��tinθ/ adjective relatingto number 18 in a series � The eight-eenth of April or April the eighteenth(April 18th). � Today’s the seventeenth,so tomorrow must be the eighteenth. �That’s the eighteenth invoice we’ve sentout today. � It’s his eighteenth birthdaynext week. � noun number 18 in a series� A lot of people have called me today –she’s the eighteenth.

eighth

eighth /etθ/, 8th adjective relating tonumber 8 in a series � The eighth ofFebruary or February the eighth (Feb-ruary 8th). � His eighth birthday is nextMonday. � noun number eight in a se-ries � He’s the eighth in line to thethrone. � King Henry the Eighth (HenryVIII) had six wives. (NOTE: eighth isusually written 8th in dates: April 8th,1999; September 8th, 1866 (Americanstyle is September 8, 1866), say ‘theeighth of September’ or ‘Septemberthe eighth’ (American style is ‘Septem-ber eighth’); with names of kings andqueens, eighth is usually written VIII:King Henry VIII, say: ‘King Henry theEighth’.)

eightieth

eightieth /�etiəθ/, 80th adjective relat-ing to number 80 in a series � Granny’seightieth birthday is next week. � nounnumber 80 in a series � We’ve had a lotof letters – this is the eightieth.

eighty

eighty /�eti/ noun the number 80 � It’sabout eighty miles from London to Do-ver. � She’s eighty (years old). � theeighties the numbers between 80 and 89

either

either /�aðə, �iðə/ adjective, pronoun1. one or the other � You can use eithercomputer – it doesn’t matter which. � Idon’t like either of them. 2. each of two;both � There are trees on either side ofthe road. � Some people don’t take sug-ar in their coffee, some don’t take milk,and some don’t take either. � adverbused with two negatives to show thattwo people or things are similar in someway � He isn’t Irish and he isn’t Scot-tish either. � She doesn’t want to go,


elastic 108 elsewhere

and I don’t want to go either. � The re-port wasn’t on the TV news, and itwasn’t on the radio either.

elastic

elastic /��l�stk/ noun a material whichstretches � You’ll need to sew this pieceof elastic onto the ballet shoes. � adjec-tive able to stretch and contract � Shewas wearing tight shorts made of someelastic material.

elbow

elbow /�elbəυ/ noun the joint in the mid-dle of your arm � He sat with his elbowson the table. � She nudged him with herelbow.

elderly

elderly /�eldəli/ adjective a more politeword than "old" used for describingsomeone who has had a long life � Anelderly man sat down beside her. � Mymother is now rather elderly anddoesn’t drive any more.

elect

elect /��lekt/ verb to choose someone byvoting � She was elected MP for thetown. � The president is elected for aterm of four years. � The chairman iselected by the members of the commit-tee.

election

election /��lekʃən/ noun the process ofchoosing by voting � After the election,the crowds were dancing in the streets.� The next item on the agenda is theelection of a new treasurer for the club.

electric

electric /��lektrk/ adjective 1. workedby electricity � Is your cooker electricor gas? � He plays an electric guitar. �He cut the wood with an electric saw. �She gave me an electric toothbrush forChristmas. 2. making or carrying elec-tricity � Don’t touch those electricwires. � Electric plugs in the USA aredifferent from those in Britain.

electrical

electrical /��lektrk(ə)l/ adjective relat-ing to electricity � a shop selling elec-trical appliances � The college offerscourses in electrical engineering. �They are trying to repair an electricalfault.

electricity

electricity /��lek��trsti/ noun energyused to make light, heat, or power � Wehaven’t paid the electricity bill thismonth. � The electricity was cut off thismorning. � The heating is run by elec-tricity. � The cottage is in the mountains

and doesn’t have any electricity. (NOTE:no plural)

electronic

electronic /�elek��trɒnk/ adjective us-ing electricity and very small partswhich affect the electric current whichpasses through them � an electronic ad-dress book � My car has an electronicignition.

electronics

electronics /�elek��trɒnks/ noun thescience of the movement of electricityin electronic equipment

element

element /�elmənt/ noun 1. a basicchemical substance 2. a basic part ofsomething � I think we have all the ele-ments of a settlement. 3. a natural envi-ronment � The vicar is in his elementwhen he’s talking about cricket. 4. a partof a piece of equipment which makes,e.g. water hot � I think the element hasburnt out.

elephant

elephant /�elfənt/ noun a very largeAfrican or Indian animal, with largeears, a trunk and two long teeth called‘tusks’

elevator

elevator /�elvetə/ noun US a machinefor moving people up or down fromfloor to floor inside a building � Takethe elevator to the 26th floor.

eleven

eleven /��lev(ə)n/ noun the number 11 �When you’re eleven (years old) you willgo to secondary school. � Come and seeme at eleven (o’clock).

eleventh

eleventh /��lev(ə)nθ/, 11th adjective re-lating to number 11 in a series � Theeleventh of July/July the eleventh (July11th). � Today’s the tenth, so tomorrowmust be the eleventh. � That’s the elev-enth complaint we’ve received thisweek. � It’s his eleventh birthday nextmonth.

else

else /els/ adverb other (used after pro-nouns) � What else can I say? � Every-one else had already left. � Who elsewas at the meeting? � or else or if not� We could do it now, or else wait tillJohn comes. � You must have a ticket, orelse you will be thrown off the train bythe inspector.

elsewhere

elsewhere /els��weə/ adverb some-where else, in another place � This shopdoesn’t stock maps, so you’ll have to tryelsewhere.


email 109 emptyemail

email /�imel/, e-mail /�i mel/ noun 1.a system of sending messages from onecomputer to another, using telephonelines � You can contact me by phone oremail if you want. � I’ll give you myemail address. 2. a message sent byemail � I had two emails from him thismorning. � verb to send a message tosomeone using email � I emailed himabout the meeting.

embarrass

embarrass /m��b�rəs/ verb to makesomeone feel uncomfortable in front ofother people, e.g. by talking aboutsomething that they would prefer otherpeople not to know about

embarrassed

embarrassed /m��b�rəst/ adjectiveuncomfortable or ashamed, and notknowing what to do � She gave an em-barrassed laugh, and said she had for-gotten to bring the present. � He was soembarrassed that he turned bright red.

embarrassing

embarrassing /m��b�rəsŋ/ adjectivemaking a person feel embarrassed � Itwas very embarrassing when he toldeveryone about my mistake.

embryo

embryo /�embriəυ/ noun the first stateof a living organism � a human embryo

emerge

emerge /��m�d"/ verb 1. to come intoexistence as something � It was only af-ter the election that he emerged as partyleader. 2. to become known � It soonemerged that the Prime Minister knewnothing about what was happening.

emergency

emergency /��m�d"ənsi/ noun a dan-gerous situation such as a fire or an ac-cident, where decisions have to be takenquickly � Phone for an ambulance –this is an emergency!

emotion

emotion /��məυʃ(ə)n/ noun a strongfeeling � Hatred and love are two of themost powerful emotions. � He tried tohide his emotions when he made hisspeech.

emotional

emotional /��məυʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adjectivecausing you to feel emotion, or showingemotion � Saying goodbye was an emo-tional time for us all. � The music madeher feel very emotional and she startedto cry.

emphasis

emphasis /�emfəss/ noun 1. the act ofshowing the importance of something,usually in speech � Don’t put too much

emphasis on his age. � She banged thetable for emphasis as she spoke. 2. howloud your voice is when you pronouncea word or phrase � Everyone noticed theemphasis he put on the word ‘peace’.(NOTE: The plural is emphases.)

emphasise

emphasise /�emfəsaz/, emphasizeverb to show how important you feelsomething is, by saying it more loudlyor slowly � Please emphasise that themeeting must start on time. � He em-phasised the importance of everyoneworking together. � She kept on empha-sising the same point over and overagain.

empire

empire /�empaə/ noun several separatecountries ruled by a central government� We’re studying the history of the Brit-ish Empire. � The Soviet empire cov-ered a huge area from the Pacific Oceanto the middle of Europe.

employ

employ /m��plɔ/ verb 1. to give some-one regular paid work � He is employedas a gardener by the duke. � She is em-ployed in the textile industry. 2. to usesomething (formal) � If we were to em-ploy more up-to-date methods, wouldwe make more money? � How can webest employ our free time on Sunday?

employee

employee /m��plɔi/ noun a personwho is employed � The company hasdecided to take on twenty new employ-ees.

employer

employer /m��plɔə/ noun a person ororganisation that gives work to peopleand pays them � Her employer was aHong Kong businessman. � The car fac-tory is the biggest employer in the area.

employment

employment /m��plɔmənt/ noun reg-ular paid work

empty

empty /�empti/ adjective with nothinginside, or with no people present �When we opened it, the box was empty.� Take an empty pot and fill it with soil.� The fridge is empty – we’ll have to goout to eat. � The ski resorts are emptybecause there is no snow. (NOTE: empti-er – emptiest) � verb to make some-thing empty � She emptied the clothesout of the suitcase. � He emptied thebottle into the sink. � They emptied thecontents of the petty cash box into a bag.


enable 110 engineer

(NOTE: empties – emptying – emp-tied)

enableenable /n��eb(ə)l/ verb to make it possi-ble for someone to do something � Thedictionary should enable you to under-stand English better. (NOTE: enables –enabling – enabled)

encloseenclose /n��kləυz/ verb 1. to put some-thing inside an envelope with a letter �I am enclosing a copy of our currentcatalogue. � Please find our cheque en-closed herewith. 2. to put a wall or fenceround an area of land � The garden isenclosed by high brick walls.

enclosedenclosed /n��kləυzd/ adjective sur-rounded on all sides � an enclosedspace

encounterencounter /n��kaυntə/ verb to meetsomeone or something � On the journeywe encountered several amusing peo-ple. � I have never encountered suchhospitality anywhere else.

encourageencourage /n��k�rd"/ verb 1. to makeit easier for something to happen �Leaving your credit cards on your deskencourages people to steal or encourag-es stealing. 2. to help someone to dosomething by giving them confidence �He encouraged me to apply for the job.� I always felt encouraged by his inter-est in what I was doing.

encyclopedia

encyclopedia /nsaklə��pidiə/, ency-clopaedia noun 1. a reference bookcontaining articles on many subjects ofhuman knowledge, usually presented inalphabetical order 2. a reference bookcontaining articles on a single subject,arranged usually in alphabetical order �a gardening encyclopedia � the ency-clopedia of sport

endend /end/ noun 1. the last part of some-thing � She tied the two ends of the rib-bon together. � The telephone rang andI missed the end of the TV programme.� Go down to the end of the road andthen turn right. � to come to an end tobe finished � The work should come toan end next month. 2. the final part of aperiod of time � Can you wait until theend of the week? � verb when some-thing ends, it reaches the point when itstops happening � The film ends with awedding. � The meeting ended with eve-

ryone fighting on the floor. � The con-cert should end at about 10 o’clock. �The game ended in a draw. � in the endfinally, at last � In the end the teacherlet him go home. � In the end the shophad to call in the police. � to makeends meet to have just enough moneyto live on � I’m having trouble makingends meet.end up phrasal verb to finish in a par-ticular situation

endeavourendeavour /n��devə/ verb to try veryhard to do something (formal) � He en-deavoured to contact her by both phoneand fax. (NOTE: The US spelling is en-deavor.)

endingending /�endŋ/ noun the way a storyfinishes � I like films which have a hap-py ending. � He told us so much of thestory that we could guess the ending.

enemyenemy /�enəmi/ noun a person or coun-try that is not on friendly terms with an-other, and may try to harm them � Didyour husband have many enemies?(NOTE: The plural is enemies.)

energeticenergetic /�enə��d"etk/ adjective activeand lively

energyenergy /�enəd"i/ noun 1. the force orstrength of a person � He used up a lotof energy rushing around doing theChristmas shopping. � She put all herenergies into her art gallery. 2. a powerwhich makes something work � the useof atomic energy or nuclear energy tomake electricity � We try to save energyby switching off the lights when therooms are empty.

engineengine /�end"n/ noun 1. a machinewhich powers or drives something �The car may need a new engine, I’mafraid. � Early industrial equipmentwas powered by steam engines. 2. a ve-hicle which pulls a train � The enginebroke down and the train was stuck inthe tunnel.

engineerengineer /�end"��nə/ noun 1. a personwho looks after and repairs technicalequipment � There are not enough tele-phone engineers in the area. � The pho-tocopier’s broken down again – we’llhave to call the engineer. 2. a personwhose job is to design mechanical, elec-trical or industrial equipment


engineering 111 entertainengineering

engineering /�end"��nərŋ/ noun thescience or study of the design of techni-cal equipment � The college offerscourses in electrical engineering.

England

England /�ŋlənd/ noun a country in thesouthern part of the island of Great Brit-ain, the largest country in the UnitedKingdom � How long does it take tocross from England to France? � A lotof Scottish people live in England.(NOTE: the word England is often usedinstead of Britain, and this is a mistake,as England is only one part of GreatBritain; note also the capital: London;people: the English; language: Eng-lish; currency: pound sterling)

English

English /�ŋ'lʃ/ adjective relating toEngland � the beautiful English coun-tryside � Is the English weather reallyas bad as it is made out to be? � I thinkshe is English, although she speaks withan Australian accent. (NOTE: English isoften used instead of British. This is amistake as England is only one part ofGreat Britain. Do not say the EnglishPrime Minister, say the British PrimeMinister.) � noun the English languageas a subject of study in school or univer-sity � She’s good at maths but not sogood at English. � As well as teachingEnglish, he also teaches drama. � MrSmith is our English teacher. � Shegives English lessons at home in theevenings. � There are twenty students inmy English class.

Englishman

Englishman /�ŋ'lʃmən/ noun a manfrom England (NOTE: The plural is Eng-lishmen.)

Englishwoman

Englishwoman /�ŋ'lʃwυmən/ nouna woman from England (NOTE: The plu-ral is Englishwomen.)

enhance

enhance /n��hɑns/ verb to increase thevalue or power of something � Slot inthis new memory board to enhance yourcomputer memory. � He took drugs toenhance his performance as an athlete.

enjoy

enjoy /n��d"ɔ/ verb to get pleasure fromsomething � Have you enjoyed the hol-iday so far? � When he asked them ifthey had enjoyed the film they all an-swered ‘no’. � She doesn’t enjoy sailingbecause it make her seasick.

enjoyable

enjoyable /n��d"ɔəb(ə)l/ adjective giv-ing pleasure

enjoyment

enjoyment /n��d"ɔmənt/ noun pleas-ure

enlarge

enlarge /n��lɑd"/ verb to make some-thing bigger � Could you enlarge thisphotograph?

enormous

enormous /��nɔməs/ adjective of anextremely large size � The ballroom isabsolutely enormous. � He ate an enor-mous lunch.

enormously

enormously /��nɔməsli/ adverb verymuch

enough

enough /��n�f/ adjective as much as isneeded � Have you got enough moneyfor your fare or to pay your fare? �There isn’t enough light to take photo-graphs. � pronoun as much of some-thing as is needed � I had £20 in mypurse to pay the taxi, but it wasn’tenough. � Have you all had enough toeat? � adverb as much as is needed �This box isn’t big enough for all thesebooks. � He doesn’t work fast enough.

ensure

ensure /n��ʃυə/ verb to make sure ofsomething � When taking a shower,please ensure that the shower curtain isinside the bath. (NOTE: ensures – en-suring – ensured)

enter

enter /�entə/ verb 1. to go into or to comeinto a place � He took off his hat as heentered the church. � Did they stampyour passport when you entered thecountry? 2. to decide to take part in arace or competition � She has enteredthe 2,000 metres. 3. to write informationon a book or a form, or to type informa-tion into a computer system � We willjust enter your name and address on thecomputer. � noun the key on a keyboardwhich you press when you have finishedkeying something, or when you want tostart a new line � To log on to the sys-tem, type your password and press enter.� entrance, entry

entertain

entertain /�entə��ten/ verb 1. to per-form, e.g. by telling stories to people ormaking them laugh � He entertained uswith stories of his life in the army. � Thetourists were entertained by the localdance troupe. 2. to have someone as aguest and offer them a meal and drinks,


entertainer 112 equipment

and sometimes a place to sleep �They’re entertaining some Swedishfriends this evening.

entertainer

entertainer /�entə��tenə/ noun a personwho entertains people, especially as ajob

entertainment

entertainment /�entə��tenmənt/ nounthings such as films and shows that peo-ple enjoy watching � She sang for theirentertainment. � There’s not much en-tertainment in the village – the nearestcinema is 25km away.

enthusiasm

enthusiasm /n��θjuzi�z(ə)m/ noungreat interest and liking � We succeed-ed, thanks to the enthusiasm and hardwork of a small group of members. �She showed a lot of enthusiasm for ournew project.

enthusiastic

enthusiastic /n��θjuzi��stk/ adjec-tive showing great interest and approval� The editor was very enthusiasticabout my book. � There were enthusias-tic cheers at the end of the performance.

entire

entire /n��taə/ adjective whole � Wespent the entire day gardening. � Theentire cast came on the stage and bowedto the audience.

entirely

entirely /n��taəli/ adverb completely �I agree with you entirely. � This is anentirely separate problem.

entrance

entrance /�entrəns/ noun a door for go-ing in � She was sitting at the entranceto the museum. � Let’s meet at the sideentrance, near the café.

entrant

entrant /�entrənt/ noun a person whotakes part in a race, examination or com-petition � There are over a thousand en-trants for the race.

entry

entry /�entri/ noun 1. the act of goinginto a place � The sign on the door said‘No Entry’. 2. the door or openingwhere you go into a place � The entry tothe cave was blocked by rocks. 3. a pieceof information in a such as a dictionary,or in a computer system � She looked upthe entry on ‘roses’ in the gardening en-cyclopaedia.

envelope

envelope /�envələυp/ noun a folded pa-per cover for sending letters in � Shewrote the address on the envelope andsealed it. � She wrote down all the in-formation on the back of an envelope.

enviousenvious /�enviəs/ adjective feeling orshowing in an unhappy way that youwould like to have something that some-one else has

environmentenvironment /n��varənmənt/ nounthe land, the water, the air and the build-ings which are around us, and the condi-tions in which we live � The environ-ment in the office is not good for con-centrated work. � The pollutionproduced by the factory is causing long-term damage to the environment.

environmentalenvironmental /n��varən��ment(ə)l/adjective relating to the environment �measures taken to protect against envi-ronmental pollution � She’s joined anenvironmental group.

envyenvy /�envi/ noun an unhappy feelingthat you would like to have somethingwhich someone else has � Her beautifullong dark hair filled us all with envy. �verb to have the unhappy feeling thatyou would like to have something thatsomeone else has � I don’t envy himwith a job like that! (NOTE: envies – en-vying – envied)

enzymeenzyme /�enzam/ noun a protein pro-duced by living cells which makes othersubstances change, as when digestiontakes place

equalequal /�ikwəl/ adjective having exactlythe same amount as something else �His share is equal to mine. � Male andfemale employees must have equal pay.� The two sticks are of equal length orare equal in length. � verb 1. to be ex-actly the same as � His time for the 100metres equals the existing record. 2. togive a particular result � Two plus twoequals four. � Ten take away four equalssix. (NOTE: equals – equalling –equalled. The US spelling is equaling– equaled.) � noun a person who is onthe same level as someone else � I don’tconsider him your equal. � We’re allequals here.

equallyequally /�ikwəli/ adverb in exactly thesame way � They are all equally guilty.� Here men and women are paid equal-ly badly. � They were both equally re-sponsible for the mistake.

equipmentequipment /��kwpmənt/ noun all thethings such as tools, arms and machines


error 113 Europe

which are needed for something � Hebrought all his camera equipment withhim. � Do you really need all this equip-ment for a short climb? (NOTE: no plu-ral: for one item say a piece of equip-ment.)

error

error /�erə/ noun something that iswrong, especially a mistake in writingor speaking � There isn’t a single errorin the whole document. � The waitermade an error in calculating the bill.

erupt

erupt /��r�pt/ verb (of a volcano) tothrow out fire and other very hot sub-stances � The volcano last erupted in1968.

escape

escape /��skep/ noun the act of gettingaway from prison or from a difficult sit-uation � There were three escapes fromthis jail last year. � A weekend by thesea was a wonderful escape from the of-fice.

especially

especially /��speʃ(ə)li/ adverb 1. usedfor showing that something is the caseto a great degree � This suitcase is espe-cially heavy. 2. used for showing thatsomething is more important or true �She does get tired, especially on schoolday.

essay

essay /�ese/ noun a piece of writing ona specific subject � a collection of thewriter’s most famous essays � For ourhomework, we have to write an essay onpollution.

essential

essential /��senʃəl/ adjective which isvery important or which you must have� You can survive without food for sometime, but water is essential. � It is essen-tial that we get the delivery on time. �noun a thing which is very important orwhich you cannot do without � Suncream is an essential in the desert. �We’ve got all the basic essentials – food,water and fuel.

essentially

essentially /��senʃəli/ adverb used forsaying what is the most true, or the mostimportant fact � My new job is essen-tially not so very different from my oldone. � Although he’s essentially a kindman, he does lose his temper sometimes.

establish

establish /��st�blʃ/ verb 1. to createsomething, to set something up � Thebusiness was established in Scotland in

1823. � We need to establish a goodworking relationship with our col-leagues. 2. to discover or prove some-thing � If only the police could establishwhere the car was parked that evening.� It’s difficult to establish what her rea-sons are for resigning.

establishment

establishment /��st�blʃmənt/ noun1. the act of creating something � Shehelped them with the establishment ofthe local drama society. (NOTE: no plu-ral in this sense) 2. a business; an or-ganisation � It’s an establishment whichimports radios from China. � He runsan important teaching establishment.

Establishment, the

Establishment, the /��st�blʃmənt/noun the most important people in soci-ety, especially those who are in authori-ty � He spent a lot of his life fightingagainst the Establishment.

estate

estate /��stet/ noun 1. a large area ofland belonging to one owner � He ownsa 250-acre estate in Norfolk. 2. a groupof houses on one piece of land, usuallyall built at the same time

estimate

estimate1 /�estmət/ noun a calculationor guess which shows the amount ofsomething you think there is, or itsworth or cost � I wasn’t in when theycame to read the gas meter, so this bill isonly an estimate. � Your estimate of twodozen visitors proved to be correct. �she gave me a rough estimate she gaveme an approximate calculation

estimate

estimate2 /�estmet/ verb to calculateor guess how much you think somethingwill cost or is worth � I estimate that itwill cost £100,000. � He estimatedcosts at £50,000.

etc.

etc. /et��setərə/, etcetera adverb and soon, and other things like this � Fruitsuch as oranges, bananas, etc.

euro

euro /�jυərəυ/ noun the unit of moneyused by most countries in the EuropeanUnion � Many articles are priced in eu-ros. � What’s the exchange rate for theeuro? (NOTE: written Ä before num-bers: Ä250: say: ‘two hundred and fiftyeuros’)

Europe

Europe /�jυərəp/ proper noun 1. thecontinent of Europe, the part of theworld to the west of Asia, extending


European 114 evil

from Russia to Ireland � Most of thecountries of Western Europe are mem-bers of the EU. 2. the same area, but notincluding the UK � Holidays in Europeare less popular than last year.

European

European /�jυərə��piən/ adjective re-lating to Europe

evaluate

evaluate /��v�ljuet/ verb to make ajudgement about something after think-ing carefully about it � The studentswere asked to evaluate the usefulness ofthe lessons.

evaluation

evaluation /��v�lju��eʃ(ə)n/ noun theact of evaluating something, or thejudgement made in this way (NOTE: noplural)

evaporate

evaporate /��v�pəret/ verb (of liquid)to turn into steam by being heated � Wa-ter gradually evaporates from the soil.

even

even /�iv(ə)n/ adjective 1. flat, level �The road has a smooth, even surface. 2.not changing � They kept up an evenpace for miles. � The temperature is aneven 28° all through the day. � adverbused for showing surprise or making anexpression stronger � He doesn’t evenlike strawberries. � Even the cleverestbusinessperson can make mistakes. �She’s tall, but her sister is even taller.

evening

evening /�ivnŋ/ noun the late part ofthe day, when it starts to get dark � Isaw her yesterday evening. � The acci-dent took place at 8.30 in the evening. �We arrived in London at breakfast time,having left New York the previousevening. � We always go to a restauranton Sunday evenings. � They took anevening flight to Madrid. � The eveningmeal is served from 7.30 to 10.30.

evenly

evenly /�iv(ə)nli/ adverb in an equalway

event

event /��vent/ noun something importantwhich happens � the events leading upto the war � A baby’s first birthday isalways a very happy event.

eventually

eventually /��ventʃuəli/ adverb in theend � After weeks of hesitation he even-tually decided to sell the cottage.

ever

ever /�evə/ adverb at any time (used withnegatives and in questions) � Nothingever happens here. � Did you ever meet

my brother? � Have you ever been toGermany?

evergreen

evergreen /�evə'rin/ noun a treewhich keeps its leaves all winter � Hollyand other evergreens can be used asdecorations in winter.

every

every /�evri/ adjective 1. each � It rainedevery day during the holidays. � Wehave a party every New Year’s Day. �Every Wednesday, he goes for a swim inthe local pool. � Every house in thestreet has a garden. 2. with a particularamount of time or distance in between �The medicine is to be taken every fourhours. � Have your car checked every10,000 kilometres.

everybody

everybody /�evribɒdi/ pronoun same aseveryone

everyone

everyone /�evriw�n/ pronoun all thepeople involved in a particular situation� Everyone has to die some day. � Ifeverybody is here, we can start. � Eve-ryone must show their passport. (NOTE:everyone and everybody are fol-lowed by they, their, themselves,etc., but the verb stays singular: Is eve-ryone enjoying themselves? Not eve-rybody likes pop music, do they?) �everyone else all the other people �Only Maggie could come – everyoneelse was too busy.

everything

everything /�evriθŋ/ pronoun 1. allthings � Did you bring everything youneed? � The burglars stole everythingof value. � Everything he says annoysme. 2. things in general � Everythingwas dark in the street. � Everything isunder control.

everywhere

everywhere /�evriweə/ adverb in allplaces � There were papers lying abouteverywhere. � We’ve looked everywherefor the key and can’t find it.

evidence

evidence /�evd(ə)ns/ noun a fact whichproves that something really exists orhas happened � The bloodstains on hiscoat were clear evidence of the crime. �Scientists are looking for evidence oflife on Mars. � There is no evidence thathe was ever there.

evident

evident /�evd(ə)nt/ adjective obviousevil

evil /�iv(ə)l/ adjective morally very bad� She’s considered to be an evil woman.


ex- 115 exchange

� His evil intentions were evident assoon as he locked the door.

ex-

ex- /eks/ prefix used for showing that aperson used to have a particular job orrelationship � an ex-soldier � Tom’s myex-boyfriend.

exact

exact /'��z�kt/ adjective completely ac-curate, with no more or no less � Whatis the exact time of arrival? � Could yourepeat the exact words she used? � Thesalesgirl asked me if I had the exactsum, since she had no change.

exactly

exactly /'��z�ktli/ adverb not more, notless � That comes to exactly ten dollarsand fifty cents. � The time is exactly16.24.

exaggerate

exaggerate /'��z�d"əret/ verb tomake things seem, e.g. worse, better,bigger than they really are � The wideblack belt exaggerates her small waist.� She exaggerated the importance of mycontribution.

exam

exam /'��z�m/ noun same as examina-tion � The exam was very difficult –half the students failed. � She passed allher exams.

examination

examination /'��z�m��neʃ(ə)n/ noun1. an occasion on which someone looksat something to see if it works properly,or to see if something is wrong � Hehad to have an X-ray examination. �The examination of the car showed thatits brakes were faulty. 2. a written orspoken test � The examination was verydifficult – half the students failed. � Hedid badly in his English examination. �She came first in the final examinationfor the course. (NOTE: often shortenedto exam in this sense)

examine

examine /'��z�mn/ verb 1. to lookcarefully at something to see what is init, or what it is like � The doctor exam-ined her throat. � We will have to exam-ine the shop’s scales to see if they showthe correct weight. � The customs offi-cials wanted to examine the inside of thecar. � The water samples were exam-ined in the laboratory. 2. to test a stu-dent � They examined everyone inmathematics and computer skills.

examiner

examiner /'��z�mnə/ noun a personwho conducts an exam

example

example /'��zɑmpəl/ noun somethingchosen to show something � This is agood example of French architecture ofthe eleventh century. � to set an exam-ple to do things well or properly your-self, so that other people can copy you �He sets everyone a good example by get-ting into the office before 8.00 everymorning. � to make an example ofsomeone to punish someone so that oth-ers will learn not to do what that persondid � Her teacher made an example ofher by making her miss the class trip.

exceed

exceed /k��sid/ verb to go beyondsomething � The car was exceeding thespeed limit. � Our expenses have ex-ceeded our income for the first time. �Did the UN troops exceed their man-date?

excellent

excellent /�eksələnt/ adjective verygood � We had an excellent meal in aChinese restaurant. � Her handwritingis excellent – it is much clearer thanmine.

except

except /k��sept/ preposition not includ-ing � She’s allowed to eat anything ex-cept milk products. � Everyone was sickon the boat, except (for) me. � VAT islevied on all goods except books, news-papers, food and children’s clothes. �conjunction other than; apart from � Hedoesn’t do anything except sit andwatch football on the TV. � Everythingwent well, except that James was sick. �Everyone enjoyed the birthday party,except (that) there wasn’t enough to eat.(NOTE: [all senses] Do not confuse withaccept.)

exception

exception /k��sepʃən/ noun somethingthat is not included � All the studentsfailed, with one exception. � Are thereany exceptions to the rule?

exceptionally

exceptionally /k��sepʃən(ə)li/ adverbto a very great degree, often so great asto be surprising

exchange

exchange /ks��tʃend"/ verb to giveone thing and to get another thing back� The footballers from the two teams ex-changed shirts at the end of the match.� noun the act of giving one thing foranother � the exchange of rings duringthe wedding ceremony


excited 116 expectationexcited

excited /k��satd/ adjective lively andhappy because you think somethinggood is going to happen � She’s excitedat or by the thought of going on holiday.� The children are excited because it’sthe Christmas holidays. � What’s every-one so excited about? � It was lovely tosee the children’s happy and excitedfaces.

excitement

excitement /k��satmənt/ noun thefeeling of being excited � What’s all theexcitement about? � The children arealways in a state of excitement beforethe holidays.

exciting

exciting /k��satŋ/ adjective 1. makingyou feel excited � The news about thehouse is really exciting. 2. (of, e.g. afilm or an experience) full of activity,sometimes making you a little scaredbecause you do not know what is goingto happen � I couldn’t sleep afterwatching an exciting film on TV.

exclaim

exclaim /k��sklem/ verb to say some-thing loudly and suddenly

exclude

exclude /k��sklud/ verb not to includesomeone or something � Damage byfire is excluded from the insurance poli-cy. � Don’t exclude his name from yourlist.

excuse

excuse1 /k��skjus/ noun a reason givenfor doing something wrong, or for notdoing what was expected � His excusefor not coming was that he forgot thedate.

excuse

excuse2 /k��skjuz/ verb to forgivesomeone for making a small mistake �Please excuse my arriving late like this.

execute

execute /�ekskjut/ verb 1. to killsomeone as a punishment � The gov-ernment’s political enemies were exe-cuted. 2. to do something that has beenplanned or agreed (formal) � As part ofthe test, drivers are asked to execute anemergency stop. 3. in computing, to car-ry out instructions � Press ENTER toexecute the program.

exercise

exercise /�eksəsaz/ noun practice inusing physical or mental powers � Shedoes her piano exercises every morning.� to take exercise to do physical move-ments, like walking or running, in orderto keep fit � You should take some exer-

cise every day if you want to loseweight.

exercise book

exercise book /�eksəsaz bυk/ noun anotebook with lines on each page forwriting school work in

exhausted

exhausted /'��zɔstd/ adjective verytired � I’m exhausted after runningthree miles. � They staggered backhome very late, with three exhaustedchildren.

exhibition

exhibition /�eks��bʃ(ə)n/ noun a publicshow of things such as paintings orflowers � The exhibition is open from10 a.m. to 5 p.m. � We stood in line forhalf an hour waiting to get into the Pi-casso exhibition.

exist

exist /'��zst/ verb to be real or present �When I was a child, colour TV didn’t ex-ist. � I don’t believe the document exists– I think it has been burnt.

existence

existence /'��zstəns/ noun the state ofbeing a real thing; life � Is there any-thing which proves the existence of lifeon Mars? � They lived a miserable ex-istence in a little coal mining town.

existing

existing /'��zstŋ/ adjective in opera-tion at this moment � Can we modifythe existing structure in some way? �Existing regulations do not allow thesale of food in the street.

exit

exit /�e'zt/ noun a way out of a building� The customers all rushed towards theexits when the fire alarm rang.

expand

expand /k��sp�nd/ verb to increase thesize or extent of something � We haveplans to expand our business.

expect

expect /k��spekt/ verb 1. to think or tohope that something is going to happen� We expect him to arrive at any mo-ment or he is expected at any moment. 2.to think or guess that something is thecase � I expect you are tired after yourlong train journey. 3. to think that it isright that someone should do something� He expects me to do all the house-work. 4. to be waiting for someone � Ican’t talk for long – we’re expecting vis-itors.

expectation

expectation /�ekspek��teʃ(ə)n/ nounhope; a feeling that something will hap-pen � She lived up to all our expecta-tions. � We thought our team would do


expected 117 export

well, but in the end they exceeded all ourexpectations.

expected

expected /k��spektd/ adjective 1.which you think or hope will happen 2.due to arrive � Our guests are expectedat 10 o’clock.

expedition

expedition /�eksp��dʃ(ə)n/ noun ajourney to explore a place � He set offon an expedition to the South Pole.

expense

expense /k��spens/ noun an amount ofmoney that you have to pay � I can’t af-ford the expense of a holiday just now. �The expense of running a householdseems to increase every week.

expensive

expensive /k��spensv/ adjective cost-ing a lot of money � Fresh vegetablesare more expensive in winter. � Sendyour furniture to Australia by sea – itwould be much too expensive by air.

experience

experience /k��spəriəns/ noun 1.knowledge obtained by working or liv-ing in various situations � I have no ex-perience of travelling in the desert. �You must write down the full details ofyour past experience in your CV. �Some experience of selling is requiredfor this job. (NOTE: no plural in thissense) 2. something that happens toyou � Going to the top of the Eiffel Tow-er was a wonderful experience. � Hewrote a book about his experiences inthe desert. � verb to live through some-thing � I’m surprised she’s so cheerfulafter all she experienced in hospital. � Ihave experienced a great deal of pleas-ure and frustration in my career. � He isexperiencing sharp pains in his tooth.

experienced

experienced /k��spəriənst/ adjectivegood at something because you havelearnt a lot from particular experiencesyou have had � She’s a very experi-enced doctor. � He’s the most experi-enced member of our staff. � The policeare experienced in crowd control.

experiment

experiment1 /k��spermənt/ noun ascientific test; a way of finding outabout something � to carry out scientif-ic experiments � We’re offering our cus-tomers free samples as an experiment.

experiment

experiment2 /k��sperment/ verb tocarry out a scientific test � They are ex-perimenting with a new treatment for

asthma. � The laboratory does not ex-periment on live animals.

expert

expert /�eksp�t/ adjective 1. knowing alot about a subject � They can give youexpert advice on DIY. 2. � expert at do-ing something very good at doingsomething � I’m not very expert at mak-ing pastry. � noun 1. a person whoknows a great deal about a subject � aleading expert in tropical medicine oron tropical diseases � A rose expert wasthe judge at the flower show. 2. a personwho is very good at doing something �an expert plumber � He’s an expert atgetting the children to go to bed.

explain

explain /k��splen/ verb 1. to give rea-sons for something � Can you explainwhy the weather is cold in winter andwarm in summer? 2. to make somethingclear � He tried to explain the new pen-sion scheme to the staff. � She explainedwhat had happened, but the managerstill thought she had tried to steal thewatch.

explanation

explanation /�eksplə��neʃ(ə)n/ noun areason for something � The police offic-er asked him for an explanation of whythe stolen car was in his garage. � Thecompany has given no explanation forthe change of plan.

explode

explode /k��spləυd/ verb (of bombs,etc.) to blow up � A bomb exploded in acrowded train.

explore

explore /k��splɔ/ verb to travel and dis-cover place and things that you have notseen before � It is a part of the junglewhich has never been explored before. �We spent our holidays exploring Hol-land by canal.

explosion

explosion /k��spləυ"(ə)n/ noun an oc-casion on which something such as abomb explodes � Several explosionswere heard during the night as the armyoccupied the city.

explosive

explosive /k��spləυsv/ noun a sub-stance used for destroying things bymaking them explode � Tests revealedtraces of explosive on his hands. � Thebox contained explosives. � Police ex-plosives experts defused the bomb.

export

export1 /�ekspɔt/ noun the business ofselling products in other countries �


export 118 eye

They make cars for export. � There is abig export trade in wine. � a productsent to a foreign country to be sold �The country’s major export is tea. � Ex-ports to Africa have increased by 25%.

export

export2 /k��spɔt/ verb to send goods toa foreign country for sale � The compa-ny exports half of what it produces.

express

express /k��spres/ verb to showthoughts or feelings in words, picturesor actions � He expressed his gratitudein a short speech. � His paintings ex-press his inner thoughts. � His grief wasexpressed in fierce anger and constantactivity. � noun a fast train � We tookthe express from London to Glasgow.

expression

expression /k��spreʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. aword, or group of words � ‘Until thecows come home’ is an expressionwhich means ‘for a very long time’. 2. alook on a person’s face which shows afeeling � His expression showed howmiserable he was. � Everyone noticedthe expression of surprise on her face. 3.the act of expressing thoughts and feel-ings

extend

extend /k��stend/ verb 1. to stretchsomething out � She extended botharms in welcome. 2. to cover a particularare area of land � The grounds of thehouse extend over two hectares. 3. tomake something longer or bigger � Weare planning to extend our garden. �The company has extended my contractfor another two years.

extension

extension /k��stenʃən/ noun 1. the actof extending something � My visa hasexpired, so I have applied for an exten-sion. 2. a telephone in an office which isconnected to the company’s main line �Can you get me extension 21? � Themanager is on extension 23.

extensive

extensive /k��stensv/ adjective cover-ing a large area or amount � Thegrounds of the house are very extensive.� The church roof needs extensive re-pair work.

extent

extent /k��stent/ noun the degree, size orarea of something � The extent of theearthquake damage was only revealedlater. � He opened up the map to its fullextent.

externalexternal /k��st�n(ə)l/ adjective on theoutside � The external walls of thehouse are quite solid. � Her injurieswere all external.

extinctextinct /k��stŋkt/ adjective 1. (of a typeof animal or plant) no longer in exist-ence, because all of the same kind havedied � These birds are in danger of be-coming extinct. 2. ((of a volcano)) nolonger active � The mountain is an ex-tinct volcano.

extraextra /�ekstrə/ adjective more than usu-al; additional � We need an extra fourteachers or four extra teachers for thiscourse. � The charge for delivery is ex-tra. � Staff get extra pay for working onSundays.

extraordinarilyextraordinarily /k��strɔd(ə)nərəli/adverb extremely � Her action was ex-traordinarily brave.

extraordinaryextraordinary /k��strɔd(ə)n(ə)ri/ ad-jective 1. wonderful � Seeing her againgave him an extraordinary thrill. � Apeacock’s feathers are quite extraordi-nary. 2. very unusual � It’s extraordi-nary weather for June.

extremeextreme /k��strim/ adjective 1. verygreat � The device is made to withstandextreme cold. � He showed extreme re-luctance to get involved. 2. consideredunreasonable by some people � Heholds extreme views.

extremelyextremely /k��strimli/ adverb to a verygreat degree � It was extremely hot inAugust. � The film is extremely long,and some people left before the end. � Itis extremely difficult to spend less than$50.00 a day on meals in New York.

eyeeye /a/ noun 1. the organ in the headwhich you see with � He has browneyes. � Close your eyes and count to tenwhile we all hide. � I’ve got a bit of dustin my eye. 2. a small hole in the end of aneedle, through which the thread goes �to catch someone’s eye to look atsomeone who is looking at you � Shecaught his eye and nodded towards thedoor. � to keep an eye on someoneor something to watch someone orsomething carefully to see that it is safe� Can you keep an eye on the housewhile we are away? � to keep an eyeout for someone or something to


eyebrow 119 eyesight

watch to see if someone or something isavailable or nearby � I must keep an eyeout for Seville oranges to make somemarmalade. � Can you keep an eye outfor the traffic warden while I go into thebank?

eyebrow

eyebrow /�abraυ/ noun the line of hairabove each of your eyes

eyelasheyelash /�al�ʃ/ noun one of the hairsgrowing round the edges of your eyes(NOTE: The plural is eyelashes.)

eyelideyelid /�ald/ noun a piece of skin whichcovers the eye

eyesighteyesight /�asat/ noun the ability to see


Ff

f /ef/, F noun the sixth letter of the alpha-bet, between E and G

fabric

fabric /�f�brk/ noun cloth used formaking things such as clothes and cur-tains � The curtains are made of an ex-pensive fabric.

fabrication

fabrication /�f�br��keʃ(ə)n/ noun aninvented story that is not true � Thenewspaper story was a complete fabri-cation from start to finish.

face

face /fes/ noun 1. the front part of yourhead � Don’t forget to wash your facebefore you go to the party. 2. the frontpart of something � a clock face � Sheput the photograph face down on thedesk. � verb to have the face or front to-wards � Can everyone please face thecamera? � The house faces north. � toshow your face to come to or be in aplace where there are other people � Af-ter what he said about my mother hedoesn’t dare show his face here.

face up to phrasal verb to accept anunpleasant situation and try to deal withit

facility

facility /fə��slti/ noun 1. an ability to dosomething easily � She has a facility forlanguages. (NOTE: no plural) 2. a meansof doing something � We offer facilitiesfor payment. 3. a large building that en-ables people to do or have something �We have opened our new warehouse fa-cility. (NOTE: The plural is facilities.)

fact

fact /f�kt/ noun 1. something such as apiece of information that is true � Hefaced up to the fact that he wasn’t fitenough for the race. � Did you check allthe facts before you wrote the article? 2.� in fact, in actual fact really; the truthis that � He told the police he had seena man steal a car but in fact he made thewhole story up. � It rained a lot lastmonth – in fact it rained all month. � asa matter of fact actually; used for say-ing what is really true, especially when

it is surprising � Have you seen John re-cently? – as a matter of fact I met himyesterday.

factor

factor /�f�ktə/ noun 1. a thing which hasinfluence or importance � The key fac-tor is the price. � The crucial factor forthe success of the village fair is theweather. 2. one of the numbers whichproduce a certain other number whenmultiplied � Four and two are factors ofeight.

factory

factory /�f�kt(ə)ri/ noun a buildingwhere things are made in large quanti-ties using machines � She works in ashoe factory. � He owns a furniture fac-tory. � The factory makes computer ter-minals. (NOTE: The plural is factories.)

fade

fade /fed/ verb 1. to lose colour � Themore you wash your jeans, the morethey’ll fade. � This teeshirt has faded inthe sun. 2. to become less bright or light� As the light faded, bats came out inthe garden. � The light from the torchbegan to fade as the batteries ran out. �The islands faded away into the dis-tance. 3. to become less noisy � Thesound of the music faded away.

fail

fail /fel/ verb 1. not to succeed � The ex-amination was very difficult – half thestudents failed. � He passed in maths,but failed his English exam. � She failedin her attempt to become an MP. 2. notto do something � The car failed to stopat the red light. � She failed to notify thetax office of her change of address. 3.not to work properly � The brakesfailed and he couldn’t stop the car. � ifall else fails if you can’t do anythingelse � If all else fails you can alwaysborrow my car.

failure

failure /�feljə/ noun 1. a situation inwhich something stops working � Theaccident was caused by brake failure. �The failure of the plane’s engine causedthe crash. 2. an occasion on a person or


faint 121 falsehood

event is not successful � His attempts tobalance on one leg were a complete fail-ure. 3. a person who does not succeed atthings � I’m no good at anything – I’ma failure.

faint

faint /fent/ adjective difficult to see orhear � We could just see the faint outlineof a man in the fog. � They could hear afaint tapping under the wreckage. �verb to become unconscious for a shorttime � She fainted when she saw theblood.

fair

fair /feə/ adjective 1. (of hair or skin)light-coloured � Her hair is quite fair. �Those with fair skin should use a strong-er sun cream. 2. right, giving someonewhat they deserve � That’s not fair –you must let other children play with theball too. � It isn’t fair if you go on holi-day when we have so much work to do.� noun 1. a group of machines for rid-ing on and stalls where you can winthings, set up in one place for a shorttime � The fair is coming to the villagefor the Easter Bank Holiday. 2. an exhi-bition for selling and advertising goods� We are going to the car fair tomorrow.(NOTE: Do not confuse with fare.)

fairly

fairly /�feəli/ adverb 1. in a way that isright; giving people what they deserve �She complained that she had not beentreated fairly in the interview. 2. to somedegree � I’m fairly certain I have seenthis film before. � She had been workingthere a fairly short time. � The hotel isfairly close to the centre of town. (NOTE:The order of words for fairly and quiteis different: He’s a fairly good workerbut He’s quite a good worker.)

fairness

fairness /�feənəs/ noun a tendency orability to do things in a fair way � Eve-ryone acknowledged her fairness indealing with staff complaints.

fairy

fairy /�feəri/ noun a small imaginarycreature who can perform magic (NOTE:The plural is fairies.)

faith

faith /feθ/ noun 1. belief or trust � Idon’t have much faith in these newteaching methods. 2. a religious belief �We must respect people of other faiths.

faithful

faithful /�feθf(ə)l/ adjective (of a per-son or an animal) trusting or loyal � his

faithful old dog � We must be faithful tofather’s last wishes.

fake

fake /fek/ noun something which ismade or designed to look like some-thing else that is, e.g. more valuable �That picture isn’t by Picasso, it’s a fake.� adjective not real � She was wearinga fake fur coat.

fall

fall /fɔl/ verb to drop to a lower level �Snow fell all night � The pound has fall-en against the dollar. � She fell downthe stairs. � He fell off the ladder. � Didhe fall into the river or did someonepush him? (NOTE: falls – falling – fell/fel/ – has fallen) � noun 1. the proc-ess of going to a lower level � a wel-come fall in the price of oil � the fall inthe exchange rate 2. the act of losingyour balance � He had a fall and hurthis back. � She had a bad fall while ski-ing.

fall back on phrasal verb to do or usesomething only after all other thingshave failedfall behind phrasal verb to be late indoing somethingfall down phrasal verb 1. to drop to theground � She fell down and hurt herknee. 2. (of a building) to become bro-ken down through age � The place hasbeen deserted for so long it’s fallingdown.fall off phrasal verb to become fewer �The number of customers starts to falloff after 4 o’clock.fall out phrasal verb 1. to drop to theground after having been in something� We put cushions on the floor next tothe bed in case she fell out. 2. to have anargument � They fell out over the billfor drinks.fall over phrasal verb to fall down afterhaving been uprightfall through phrasal verb not to takeplace as planned

false

false /fɔls/ adjective not real; designedto look like something real � a set offalse nails

falsehood

falsehood /�fɔlshυd/ noun a lie (liter-ary) � It appears that he had told sever-al falsehoods under oath.


familiar 122 fashionfamiliar

familiar /fə��mliə/ adjective heard orseen before; that you know � The dogwagged its tail as it heard its master’sfamiliar voice at the door. � He lookedround the room, and saw a couple of fa-miliar faces.

family

family /�f�m(ə)li/ noun 1. a group ofpeople who are related to each other, es-pecially mother, father and children �The Jones family are going on holidayto Spain. � He grew up in a big family.2. a group of animals or plants whichare closely related � Lions and tigersare members of the cat family. (NOTE:The plural is families. When family isused to mean a group of people it cantake a singular or plural verb: The fam-ily were out.)

famine

famine /�f�mn/ noun a very seriouslack of food

famous

famous /�feməs/ adjective known tomany people, especially most people ina place or country � a famous depart-ment store � He’s a famous footballer. �This tea shop is famous for its cakes.

fan

fan /f�n/ noun 1. a piece of equipmentfor moving air to make people or thingscooler � We put electric fans in the of-fice to try to keep cool. 2. an enthusiasticsupporter of something or someone, e.g.a team or a pop group � There was acrowd of fans waiting for him outsidethe theatre.

fancy

fancy /�f�nsi/ verb 1. to want to havesomething (informal) � I fancy an icecream – anyone else want one? � Doyou fancy sharing a taxi to the airport?2. to like someone in a sexual way � I’msure that guy fancies you. (NOTE: fan-cies – fancying – fancied) � adjec-tive attractive or decorated � He wore afancy tie to the party.

fantastic

fantastic /f�n��t�stk/ wonderful � Wehad a fantastic time on holiday. � ad-jective strange; like a dream � His sto-ries are full of fantastic creatures.

fantasy

fantasy /�f�ntəsi/ noun an invented sto-ry � Her story of meeting a rich man inParis was pure fantasy. (NOTE: The plu-ral is fantasies.)

far

far /fɑ/ adverb 1. a certain distance away� The railway station is not far from

here. � How far away is Paris from Lon-don? � The road was blocked by cars asfar as we could see. 2. used with com-paratives to mean ‘much’ � It is farcheaper to go by bus than by train. �Restaurant food is far nicer than thefood at college. � adjective a long wayaway; distant � The shop is at the farend of the High Street. (NOTE: far – far-ther /�fɑðə/ or further /�f�ðə/ - far-thest /�fɑðəst/ or furthest /�f�ðəst/)

fare

fare /feə/ noun a price which you have topay for a journey � Rail fares have beenincreased by 10%. � The tourist-classfare is much less than the first class one.� If you walk to work, you will save £5a week on bus fares. (NOTE: Do not con-fuse with fair.)

farewell

farewell /feə��wel/ interjection, noungoodbye � It’s time to say farewell. �adjective (of an event) at which you saygoodbye � We gave a farewell party forour neighbours who were going to livein Canada.

far from

far from /�fɑ frɒm/ adverb not at all �The food here is far from cheap.

farm

farm /fɑm/ noun an area of land used forgrowing crops and raising animals � Heruns a pig farm. � We’re going to workon a farm during the holidays. � Youcan buy eggs and vegetables at the farmshop. � verb to grow crops or raise ani-mals on a farm � He farms dairy cattlein Devon.

farmer

farmer /�fɑmə/ noun a person who man-ages or owns a farm

farming

farming /�fɑmŋ/ noun the work ofmanaging a farm, e.g. growing crops orkeeping animals for sale

fascinate

fascinate /�f�snet/ verb to makesomeone very interested

fascinating

fascinating /�f�snetŋ/ adjectivevery interesting � A microscope givesyou a fascinating glimpse of life in adrop of water. � The book gives a fasci-nating description of London in the1930s. � It was fascinating to hear hertalk about her travels in India.

fashion

fashion /�f�ʃ(ə)n/ noun the most popu-lar style at a particular time � It was thefashion then to wear your hair veryshort. � She always follows fashion.


fashionable 123 faxfashionable

fashionable /�f�ʃ(ə)nəb(ə)l/ adjective1. of a style which is popular at a partic-ular time � These loose trousers are re-ally fashionable at the moment. 2. pop-ular with rich or glamorous people �She lives in the fashionable West End ofLondon. � It’s a fashionable restaurantfor film stars and journalists.

fast

fast /fɑst/ adjective 1. quick � I just lovedriving fast cars. � She was driving inthe fast lane of the motorway. 2. notstopping anywhere � This is the fasttrain to London. 3. (of a clock) to showa time which is later than the correcttime � Your watch is fast. � adverb 1.quickly � Walk faster if you want tocatch up with the children in front. �Don’t go so fast – you almost hit thatman on the zebra crossing. 2. tightlyfixed in a particular position � The win-dow was stuck fast and I couldn’t openit. � verb to eat nothing for religious orhealth reasons � Many people fast dur-ing Lent. � He fasted for a week.

fasten

fasten /�fɑs(ə)n/ verb to close or attachsomething tightly � Please fasten yourseatbelts. � These shoes fasten with abuckle.

fastener

fastener /�fɑs(ə)nə/ noun an objectwhich fastens something such as a pieceof clothing

fat

fat /f�t/ adjective having too much fleshor weighing too much � Two fat men gotout of the little white car. � You’ll haveto eat less – you’re getting too fat. �He’s fatter than me. � noun a part ofmeat which is yellowish-white � If youdon’t like the fat, cut it off.

fatal

fatal /�fet(ə)l/ adjective which causesdeath � There were three fatal accidentson this road last year.

father

father /�fɑðə/ noun a man who has a sonor daughter � Ask your father if he willlend you his car. � She is coming to teawith her mother and father.

faucet

faucet /�fɔst/ noun US an objectwhich, when you twist it, lets liquid orgas come out

fault

fault /fɔlt/ noun 1. the fact of making amistake or of being to blame for some-thing going wrong � It isn’t my fault ifthere’s nothing in the fridge. � It’s all

your fault – if you hadn’t stayed in bedall morning we would be at the seasideby now. 2. an instance of something notworking properly � The invoice waswrong because of a computer fault. �The engineers are trying to mend anelectrical fault. 3. a mistake in servingin tennis � He served two double faults.� at fault having made a mistake � Theshop is at fault if they sent you the wrongtable.

faulty

faulty /�fɔlti/ adjective 1. not workingcorrectly or not made correctly � Thelights are flickering – there must be afaulty connection somewhere. 2. withmistakes in planning or judgment � afaulty argument

favor

favor /�fevə/ noun, verb US spelling offavour

favorable

favorable /�fev(ə)rəb(ə)l/ adjective USspelling of favourable

favorite

favorite /�fev(ə)rət/ noun, verb USspelling of favourite

favour

favour /�fevə/ noun 1. a friendly actdone to help someone � Can I ask a fa-vour – will you look after my bike whileI’m in the post office? 2. approval orpopularity � She tried to win the favourof the committee. � verb 1. to like orprefer something � The managers fa-vour moving to a bigger office. 2. tomake things easier for someone � Theconditions favour Australian bowlers.

favourable

favourable /�fev(ə)rəb(ə)l/ adjectivegood

favourite

favourite /�fev(ə)rət/ adjective whichyou like best � Which is your favouriteTV programme? � noun 1. somethingor someone you like best � Which icecream is your favourite? � This game isa favourite with the children. � Thesinger was a favourite in the fifties. 2.someone who is treated better than otherpeople by a particular person � She wasalways her father’s favourite.

fax

fax /f�ks/ noun a copy of a document orpicture sent to someone using telephonelines � Post it to me, or send a fax. �Can you confirm the booking by fax? �verb to send a document or picture bytelephone � I will fax the design to you


fear 124 feeling

or I will fax you the design as soon as itis ready.

fear

fear /fə/ noun the feeling of being afraid� Fear of the dark is common in smallchildren. � She has no fear of heights. �verb to be afraid of something (formal)� What do you fear most?

feast

feast /fist/ noun 1. a very large meal fora group of people, especially one eatento celebrate a special occasion 2. a spe-cial religious day � Today is the Feast ofSt Nicholas.

feat

feat /fit/ noun an particularly difficultact

feather

feather /�feðə/ noun one of many lightsoft parts which cover a bird’s body

feature

feature /�fitʃə/ noun 1. a part of the facesuch as the nose or mouth � His unusualfeatures make him easy to recognize. 2.an important part or aspect of something� The main feature of the castle is itshuge tower. 3. an important story or ar-ticle in a TV news programme or in anewspaper � a feature on nuclear pow-er � Did you see the feature on St Pe-tersburg? � verb 1. to have someone asthe main performer of a film, a TV pro-gramme or a play � The film featuredCharlie Chaplin as the tramp. � Thecircus features Russian clowns. 2. tohave something as the most importantpart � The tour features a visit to theValley of the Kings. � The next pro-gramme will feature a discussion be-tween environmental experts. 3. to ap-pear as the main actor in, or as the sub-ject of a film or a TV programme � Shehas featured in many TV series.

February

February /�februəri/ noun the secondmonth of the year, between January andMarch � My birthday is in February. �He died on February 17th. � We aremoving to new offices next February.(NOTE: February 17th: say ‘the seven-teenth of February’ or ‘February theseventeenth’, or in US English ‘Febru-ary seventeenth’.)

fed

fed /fed/ past tense and past participle offeed

federal

federal /�fed(ə)rəl/ adjective 1. relatingto the central government of the UnitedStates � Most federal offices are in

Washington. � Federal law is more im-portant than state law. 2. relating to asystem where a group of states exist un-der a central government � the formerFederal Republic of Germany

fed up

fed up /�fed ��p/ adjective feeling boredand unhappy (informal)

fee

fee /fi/ noun money paid to someonesuch as a doctor or lawyer for work done� Private school fees are very high. �The lawyer’s fee for two days’ work wasmore than I earn in a month!

feeble

feeble /�fib(ə)l/ adjective 1. physicallyweak, especially because of illness orage � He gave a feeble wave with hishand. � The voice on the phone soundedfeeble. (NOTE: feebler – feeblest) 2.not strong or able to be seen or heardwell � She replied in a feeble voice.

feed

feed /fid/ verb 1. to give food to a personor an animal � I’d better just feed thebaby before we go out. � Could you feedthe cat while we’re away? 2. (of a babyor young animal) to take milk from itsmother � Please don’t disturb the babywhile she’s feeding. (NOTE: feeds –feeding – fed /fed/ – has fed)

feedback

feedback /�fidb�k/ noun informationor comments about something whichhas been done

feel

feel /fil/ verb 1. to touch something, usu-ally with your fingers � Feel how softthe bed is. 2. to seem soft, cold, etc.,when touched � The bed feels hard. �The stone floor felt cold. 3. to experi-ence something with your body or mind� Did you feel the table move? � I feltthe lift go down suddenly. � Do you feelwarmer now that you’ve had a cup oftea? � They felt happy when they sawthat all was well. � By twelve o’clockshe was feeling hungry. (NOTE: feels –feeling – felt /felt/ – has felt)

feel for phrasal verb to be sympathetictowards someonefeel up to phrasal verb to be strong orwell enough to do something

feeling

feeling /�filŋ/ noun something whichyou think you know � I had a feelingthat this strange man knew who I was. �feelings someone’s emotions � I didn’twant to hurt her feelings.


feet 125 fiftiethfeet

feet /fit/ plural of footfell

fell /fel/ past tense of fallfellow

fellow /�feləυ/ noun 1. a man � A youngfellow came up to me and asked me thetime. � Who’s that fellow with a beard?2. a person who belongs to the samegroup � I was OK on the boat, but sev-eral of my fellow passengers were sick.

felt

felt /felt/ noun a thick material made ofwool fibres pressed together

female

female /�fimel/ adjective 1. relating towomen or girls � a female athlete 2. re-lating to the sex of an animal, insect orbird which gives birth to young or pro-duces eggs � a female kitten 3. relatingto a flower which produces seeds

feminine

feminine /�femnn/ adjective like awoman or suitable for a woman � Herlong white silk dress was very feminine.

fence

fence /fens/ noun a type of wall made ofwood or wire, used to keep people or an-imals in or out of a place � The fencewas blown down. � The boys lookedthrough the hole in the fence. � Thebuilders put up a fence round the con-struction site.

ferocious

ferocious /fə��rəυʃəs/ adjective wildand angry � a ferocious dog

ferry

ferry /�feri/ noun a boat which carriescars and trucks or people across astretch of water � We are going to takethe night ferry to Belgium. � There’s aferry across the Rhine here.

festival

festival /�festv(ə)l/ noun 1. a religiouscelebration which is celebrated at thesame time each year and is usually apublic holiday � The tour will visitHong Kong for the Lantern Festival. 2.an event, often lasting several days,where entertainment is provided � Wesaw some excellent plays at the Edin-burgh Festival this year.

fetch

fetch /fetʃ/ verb to go to a place andbring someone or something back � It’syour turn to fetch the children fromschool. � Can you fetch me the atlas?

fever

fever /�fivə/ noun a state in which thebody’s temperature is higher than nor-mal � You must stay in bed until the fe-ver goes down.

few

few /fju/ adjective, noun not many �She has very few friends at work. � Wego to fewer concerts than last year.

fib

fib /fb/ noun a lie about something unim-portant (informal) � That was a little fib,wasn’t it?

fibre

fibre /�fabə/ noun 1. a small thread ofmaterial � From the fibres left at thescene of the murder, the police couldwork out what the murderer had beenwearing. 2. thin threads in foods such asvegetables and bread, which cannot bedigested, but which helps food to passthrough your body � You need to eatmore fibre.

fiction

fiction /�fkʃən/ noun novels � fictionwriters such as Graham Greene � Tofind the latest novels you must look inthe fiction section of the library. (NOTE:no plural)

field

field /fild/ noun 1. a piece of ground ona farm, used for keeping animals orgrowing crops � a field of potatoes �The sheep are in the field. 2. a piece ofground for playing a game � a footballfield � The two teams ran onto the field.

fierce

fierce /fəs/ adjective very angry andlikely to attack � Watch out – that doglooks fierce.

fiercely

fiercely /�fəsli/ adverb strongly � She isfiercely independent.

fifteen

fifteen /ff��tin/ noun the number 15 �There are fifteen players in a rugbyteam. � She’s fifteen (years old). �Come and see me in fifteen minutes. �The train leaves at nine fifteen (9.15).

fifteenth

fifteenth /ff��tinθ/ adjective relating tonumber 15 in a series � the fifteenth ofJuly or July the fifteenth (July 15th). �That’s the fifteenth phone call I’ve madethis morning. � It will be her fifteenthbirthday next week. � noun number 15in a series � Our house is the fifth on theright.

fifth

fifth /ffθ/ adjective relating to number 5in a series � The fifth of May or May thefifth (May 5th). � It’s his fifth birthdaytomorrow. � noun one part of five equalparts

fiftieth

fiftieth /�fftiəθ/ adjective relating tonumber 50 in a series � noun the


fifty 126 finance

number fifty in a series � He’s fiftieth onthe waiting list.

fifty

fifty /�ffti/ noun the number 50 � Mymother made fifty pots of jam. � He’sfifty (years old).

fight

fight /fat/ noun 1. an occasion on whichpeople try to hurt each other or knockeach other down � He got into a fightwith boys who were bigger than him. �Fights broke out between the demon-strators and the police. 2. a situation inwhich people do everything they can tostop something from happening � afight against the new developments �verb 1. to be involved in a situation inwhich people try to hurt each other orknock each other down � Rival gangsfought in the street. 2. to do everythingyou can try to stop something from hap-pening � We are committed to fightingcrime. � Doctors are fighting to controlthe disease. (NOTE: fights – fighting –fought /fɔt/ – has fought)

figure

figure /�f'ə/ noun 1. a written number,e.g. 35 � I can’t read the figure on theorder – is it 250? � He added up the fig-ures on the bill. � Cheques have to bemade out in both words and figures. �

double, single 2. the shape of a person� the figures at the front of the painting� We could see some figures through themist. � verb especially US to consideror think something � I figure the costswill be high. � We figured that you’d belate because of the show. � Had you fig-ured on being there before two o’clock?

figure out phrasal verb to try to thinkof an answer to a problem � Try to fig-ure out the answer yourself, instead ofasking someone else.

file

file /fal/ noun 1. a metal tool used formaking rough surfaces smooth � Use afile to round off the edges of the metal. 2.a container similar to an envelope, usedfor keeping documents in � When youhave finished with the papers, put themback in the file. � The police have a fileon him. 3. a set of information held in acomputer � Type the name of the fileand then press ‘enter’.

fill

fill /fl/ verb to make something full; tobecome full � He filled the bottle with

water. � She was filling the boxes withpresents. � The bucket filled slowly.fill out phrasal verb to write in all theempty spaces on a form � Could youplease fill out this form?fill up phrasal verb to make somethingcompletely full; to become completelyfull � He filled the bottle up with freshwater.

filmfilm /flm/ noun 1. moving picturesshown at a cinema or on TV � Have youseen this old Laurel and Hardy film? �We’ve seen the film already on TV. 2. aroll of material which you put into acamera to take photographs or to recordmoving pictures � I must buy anotherfilm before the wedding. � Do you wanta colour film or a black and white one?3. a thin layer of something � A film ofgrease had formed on the walls aroundthe oven. � verb to take pictures ofsomething or someone with a camera �Security cameras filmed him robbingthe bank. � ‘Star Wars’ was filmed in1977.

filthyfilthy /�flθi/ adjective very dirty � Yourhands are absolutely filthy! (NOTE: filth-ier – filthiest)

fin

fin /fn/ noun a thin part on the body of afish which sticks out and helps it toswim � From the beach they could see ashark’s fin in the sea.

finalfinal /�fan(ə)l/ adjective last; coming atthe end � This is your final warning – ifyour work doesn’t improve you willhave to go. � The competition is in its fi-nal stages. � noun the last competitionin a series between several teams orcompetitors � I thought they would wina couple of rounds, but I never imaginedthey would get to the final.

finallyfinally /�fan(ə)li/ adverb at last; in theend � The police finally cleared up themystery. � The little boy finally turnedup in Edinburgh.

finance

finance /�fan�ns/ noun money, espe-cially money which belongs to the pub-lic or to a company � How are you go-ing to raise the finance for the project?� My finances are in a poor state at themoment. � verb to provide money forsomething � How are you going to fi-nance your course at university if you


financial 127 first

don’t have a grant? � The redevelop-ment of the city centre is being financedlocally.

financial

financial /fa��n�nʃəl/ adjective relatingto money � What is our financial posi-tion? � The company has got into finan-cial difficulties.

find

find /fand/ verb 1. to see where some-thing hidden or lost is after looking forit � I found a £2 coin behind the sofa. �Did she find the book she was lookingfor? 2. to discover something which wasnot known before � No one has found acure for the common cold yet. (NOTE:finds – finding – found /faυnd/)

find out phrasal verb to discover infor-mation � I found out something very in-teresting last night. � Where can I findout about my family’s history?

fine

fine /fan/ adjective 1. (of the weather)dry and sunny � We’ll go for a walk to-morrow if the weather stays fine. � Let’shope it’s fine for the village fair nextweek. 2. well; healthy � I was ill in bedyesterday, but today I’m feeling fine. 3.with no problems � How are things athome? – Fine! 4. acceptable � It’s fineto wear casual clothes for this meeting.5. very thin or very small � Use a sharppencil if you want to draw fine lines. � Ican’t read the notice – the print is toofine. � adverb satisfactorily or well �It’s working fine. � noun money whichyou have to pay as a punishment forhaving done something wrong � I hadto pay a £25 fine for parking in a NoParking area. � verb to make someonepay money as a punishment for havingdone something wrong � He was fined£25 for parking on double yellow lines.

finger

finger /�fŋ'ə/ noun 1. one of the parts atthe end of your hand, sometimes not in-cluding the thumb � He wears a ring onhis little finger. � He pressed the buttonwith his finger. 2. one of the parts of aglove that cover the fingers � I mustmend my glove – there’s a hole in one ofthe fingers. � Gloves without fingers arecalled ‘mittens’. 3. a piece of foodshaped like a finger � a box of chocolatefingers

fingernail

fingernail /�fŋ'ənel/ noun the hardthin part covering the end of a finger

finish

finish /�fnʃ/ verb 1. to do somethingcompletely � Haven’t you finished yourhomework yet? � Tell me when you’vefinished reading the paper. � You can’tgo out until you’ve finished doing thewashing up. 2. to come to an end � Thegame will finish at about four o’clock.

finish up phrasal verb 1. to be some-where in the end � We got lost and fin-ished up miles from our hotel. 2. to eatsomething completely � You must finishup all your vegetables.

fir

fir /f�/ noun � fir tree a tree with needle-shaped leaves � Fir trees are often usedas Christmas trees.

fire

fire /faə/ noun 1. something which isburning and gives off heat � They burntthe dead leaves on a fire in the garden.2. something which heats � We have anelectric fire in the living room. 3. anemergency in which something such asa building burns � They lost all their be-longings in the fire. 4. shooting withguns � The soldiers came under fire. �verb 1. to shoot a gun � The gunmenfired at the police car. � We could hearguns firing in the distance. 2. to tellsomeone that they must leave their jobbecause of something wrong they havedone � She was fired for being late.

fireplace

fireplace /�faəples/ noun a hole in thewall of a room where you can light a firefor heating

firework

firework /�faəw�k/ noun a small tubeholding chemicals which will shinebrightly or explode when lit

firm

firm /f�m/ adjective 1. solid or fixed �Make sure that the ladder is firm beforeyou climb up. � My back hurts – I thinkI need a firmer mattress. 2. strong; like-ly to change � There is no firm evidencethat he stole the money. � She is a firmbeliever in hard work. � noun a busi-ness or company � When he retired, thefirm presented him with a watch. � Thefirm I work for was taken over last year.

firmly

firmly /�f�mli/ adverb in a firm wayfirmness

firmness /�f�mnəs/ noun 1. the qualityof being strong or firm 2. determination

first

first /f�st/ noun number 1 in a series �Our house is the first on the left. � ad-jective relating to number 1 in a series �


first aid 128 flash

That was the first time I ever saw him.(NOTE: As a number can be written1st.) � adverb 1. at the beginning � Shecame first in the exam. 2. before doinganything else � Wash your hands first,and then you can eat. � at first at thebeginning � At first he didn’t like thework, but later he got used to it. � firstcome, first served dealing with thingssuch as requests in the order in whichthey are received � Applications will bedealt with on a first come, first servedbasis.

first aidfirst aid /�f�st �ed/ noun the help givento a person who is hurt before a doctoror the emergency services arrive

first-class

first-class /�f�st �klɑs/ adjective 1.very good quality � You can get a first-class meal in that hotel. 2. using themost expensive seats on a plane or train� Can I have a first-class return to Par-is, please?

fishfish /fʃ/ noun an animal which lives inwater and swims; it has fins and no legs,� I sat by the river all day and onlycaught two little fish. � verb to try tocatch a fish � We often go fishing in thelake. � They fished all day but didn’tcatch anything.

fishing

fishing /�fʃŋ/ noun the sport or indus-try of catching fish

fistfist /fst/ noun a tightly closed handfitfit /ft/ noun a sudden sharp attack of ill-

ness, or of an emotion such as anger �She had a coughing fit or a fit of cough-ing. � In a fit of anger he threw the plateacross the kitchen. � She’s having oneof her periodic fits of efficiency. � ad-jective healthy and having a lot of phys-ical energy � He isn’t fit enough to goback to work. � You’ll have to get fit ifyou’re going to run in that race. � verbto be the right size or shape � He’sgrown so tall that his jackets don’t fithim any more. � These shoes don’t fitme – they’re a size too small. (NOTE: fits– fitting – fitted)

fitnessfitness /�ftnəs/ noun 1. being physical-ly fit � She does fitness exercises everymorning. � Physical fitness is importantin the marines. 2. being suitable �Doubts were expressed about her fitnessfor the job.

five

five /fav/ noun the number 5fix

fix /fks/ verb 1. to fasten or to attach onething to another � Fix one end of thecord to the tree and the other to thefence. 2. to organise a time for some-thing such as a meeting � We’ll try to fixa time for the meeting. 3. to repair some-thing � The telephone people are com-ing to fix the telephone. � Someone’scoming to fix the telephone this after-noon. � Can you fix the dishwasher? �Does anyone know how to fix the photo-copier?

fixed

fixed /fkst/ adjective attached firmly �The sign is fixed to the post with nails.

fizzy

fizzy /�fzi/ adjective full of small balls ofgas (NOTE: Drinks which are not fizzyare still. A drink which is no longerfizzy is flat.)

flag

flag /fl�'/ noun a piece of brightly col-oured material with the symbol of acountry or an organisation on it � TheFrench flag has blue, red and whitestripes. � The ship was flying the Britishflag. � The flags were blowing in thewind.

flake

flake /flek/ noun 1. a small, very thinpiece of something � The paint came offin little flakes. 2. a small piece of snowwhich falls from the sky � Snow fell inlarge soft flakes all night.

flame

flame /flem/ noun a brightly burningpart of a fire, or the light that burns on acandle � Flames could be seen comingout of the upstairs windows.

flap

flap /fl�p/ noun a flat part which is at-tached to an object and has a specialtype of fastening allowing it to move upand down � The pilot tested the wingflaps before taking off. � verb to moveup and down like a bird’s wing � Flagswere flapping in the breeze. � Theswans stood by the edge of the water,flapping their wings. (NOTE: flaps –flapping – flapped)

flash

flash /fl�ʃ/ noun 1. a short sudden burstof light � Flashes of lightning lit up thesky. 2. a piece of equipment used formaking a bright light, allowing you totake photographs in the dark � Peoplesometimes have red eyes in photos takenwith a flash. � verb 1. to light up quick-


flat 129 flop

ly and suddenly � Lightning flashed allaround. 2. to move or to pass by quickly� The champion flashed past to win inrecord time.

flat

flat /fl�t/ adjective 1. level, not slopingor curved � a house with a flat roof 2.(of a battery) with no electric power left� The car wouldn’t start because thebattery was flat. � noun a set of roomson one floor, usually in a building withseveral similar sets of rooms � They livein the block of flats next to the under-ground station. � Their flat is on theground floor.

flatten

flatten /�fl�t(ə)n/ verb to make flatflatter

flatter /�fl�tə/ verb to praise in order toplease them � Just flatter the boss a bit,tell him how good his golf is, and he’llgive you a rise.

flavor

flavor /�flevə/ noun, verb US spelling offlavour

flavour

flavour /�flevə/ noun a particular taste �The tomato soup had an unusual fla-vour. � What flavour of ice cream doyou want? � verb to add things such assalt or pepper to food, to give it a specialtaste � soup flavoured with herbs � Userosemary to flavour lamb.

flee

flee /fli/ verb to run away from some-thing � As the fighting spread, the vil-lage people fled into the jungle. � Shetried to flee but her foot was caught inthe rope. (NOTE: Do not confuse withflea. Note also: flees – fleeing – fled/fled/.)

fleeting

fleeting /�flitŋ/ adjective lasting for avery short time only � She only caughta fleeting glimpse of the princess.

flesh

flesh /fleʃ/ noun 1. a soft part of the bodycovering the bones 2. a soft part of afruit � a melon with pink flesh (NOTE:no plural) � in the flesh not on TV orin photographs, but here and now � Itwas strange to see the TV newsreader inthe flesh.

flew

flew /flu/ past tense of flyflight

flight /flat/ noun a journey in a plane �Go to gate 25 for flight AB198. � Allflights to Paris have been cancelled. �She sat next to me on a flight to Mon-treal.

flimsy

flimsy /�flmzi/ adjective likely to breakbecause of being badly made � Theshelter was a flimsy construction ofbranches covered with grass and leaves.

fling

fling /flŋ/ verb to throw something care-lessly and with a lot of force � He flungthe empty bottle into the sea. (NOTE:flings – flinging – flung)

float

float /fləυt/ verb 1. to lie on the top of aliquid � Dead fish were floating in theriver. 2. to put something on the top of aliquid � He floated a paper boat on thelake.

flock

flock /flɒk/ noun a group of similar ani-mals together � a flock of birds � Aflock of sheep were grazing on the hill-side. (NOTE: flock is usually used withsheep, goats, and birds such as hensor geese. For cattle, the word to use isherd.) � verb to move in large numbers� Tourists flocked to see the changing ofthe guard. � Holidaymakers have beenflocking to the resorts on the southcoast.

floodflood /fl�d/ noun a large amount of waterover an area of land which is usually dry� The floods were caused by heavy rain.� verb 1. to cover something with water� They are going to build a dam andflood the valley. � Fields were floodedafter the river burst its banks. � He for-got to turn the tap off and flooded thebathroom. 2. to become covered withwater � She left the tap on and the bath-room flooded. 3. to come in large num-bers � The office was flooded with com-plaints. or Complaints came floodinginto the office.

floor

floor /flɔ/ noun 1. the part of a room onwhich you walk � He put the books in apile on the floor. � If there are no emptychairs left, you’ll have to sit on the floor.2. all the rooms on one level in a build-ing � The bathroom is on the groundfloor. � His office is on the fifth floor. �There is a good view of the town fromthe top floor.

flop

flop /flɒp/ noun something that is notsuccessful � His new play was a com-plete flop and closed after only ten per-formances. � The film was a big hit inNew York but it was a flop in London. �verb 1. to fall or sit down suddenly, with


flour 130 fond

your body relaxed � She got back fromthe sales and flopped down on the sofa.2. to be unsuccessful � The play was abig hit on Broadway but it flopped inLondon. (NOTE: flops – flopping –flopped)

flour

flour /flaυə/ noun wheat grain crushed topowder, used for making food such asbread or cakes

flourish

flourish /�fl�rʃ/ verb 1. to grow well; tobe successful � Palms flourish in hotcountries. 2. to wave something in theair � She came in with a big smile, flour-ishing a cheque.

flow

flow /fləυ/ verb to move along smoothly� The river flows into the sea. � Trafficon the motorway is flowing smoothly. �noun the movement of things such asliquid or air, or of people � She tried tostop the flow of blood with a tight band-age. � There was a steady flow of visi-tors to the exhibition.

flower

flower /�flaυə/ noun the colourful part ofa plant, which attracts insects and pro-duces fruit or seeds � a plant withbright yellow flowers � in flower cov-ered with flowers � Go to Japan whenthe cherry trees are in flower. � verb toproduce flowers � a plant which flowersin early summer � The cherry treesflowered very late this year.

flown

flown /fləυn/ past participle of flyflu

flu /flu/ noun a common illness like abad cold, often with a high temperature

fluid

fluid /�flud/ noun a liquid � You need todrink plenty of fluids in hot weather.

flung

flung /fl�ŋ/ past tense and past participleof fling

fly

fly /fla/ noun a small insect with wingswhich eats food and spreads diseases �He tried to kill the fly with a newspaper.� Cover the food to protect it from flies.� verb 1. to move through the air usingwings � When the cat came into thegarden, the birds flew away. � Somebirds fly to Africa for the winter. 2. totravel in a plane � I’m flying to Chinanext week. � He flies across the Atlantictwice a month. 3. to be quick � I must flyif I want to get home by 6 o’clock.(NOTE: flies – flying – flew /flu/ – hasflown /fləυn/) � time flies time passes

quickly � His daughter is already two –how time flies!

flying

flying /�flaŋ/ adjective flying in the air� flying ants � noun the act of travel-ling in a plane � He has a fear of flying.

foam

foam /fəυm/ noun a mass of small bub-bles � This soap makes a large amountof foam.

fog

fog /fɒ'/ noun a thick mist made up ofmany tiny drops of water

fold

fold /fəυld/ noun a piece of somethingsuch as cloth or skin which hangs downloosely � She wanted the surgeon to re-move the folds of skin under her chin. �verb to bend something such as a pieceof paper so that one part is on top of theother � Fold the piece of paper in half.� He folded the newspaper and put itinto his briefcase.

folder

folder /�fəυldə/ noun an envelope madeof thin card or plastic and used for hold-ing papers

folk

folk /fəυk/ noun people (NOTE: Folktakes a plural verb. The plural formfolks is also used.)

follow

follow /�fɒləυ/ verb 1. to come after orbehind someone or something � Whatletter follows B in the alphabet? � Thedog followed me all the way home. 2. towalk or drive behind someone, e.g. inorder to see where they are going � Ihad the impression I was being fol-lowed. 3. to do what someone tells youto do � She followed the instructions onthe tin of paint. � He made the cake fol-lowing a recipe in the newspaper. � fol-low suit to do what someone else does� She jumped into the pool and every-one else followed suit.

follower

follower /�fɒləυə/ noun a supporterfollowing

following /�fɒləυŋ/ adjective whichcomes next � They arrived on Fridayand the following day she became ill. �Look at the following picture. � prepo-sition after � Following his death, hisson sold the family house.

fond

fond /fɒnd/ adjective liking someone orsomething � I’m fond of my sister’schildren. � Michael’s very fond of play-ing golf.


fondly 131 foreheadfondly

fondly /�fɒndli/ adverb in a way whichshows you are fond of someone orsomething

food

food /fud/ noun things which you eat �This hotel is famous for its good food. �Do you like German food?

foolish

foolish /�fulʃ/ adjective showing a lackof intelligence or good judgment � Thatwas a rather foolish thing to do. � I feltrather foolish.

foot

foot /fυt/ noun 1. the part at the end ofyour leg on which you stand � She hasvery small feet. � Watch out, you trod onmy foot! � on foot walking � They com-pleted the rest of the journey on foot. 2.the bottom part; the end � There is adoor at the foot of the stairs. � There aretraffic lights at the foot of the hill. �Sign the document at the foot of thepage. 3. a unit of measurement equal toabout 30 centimetres � The table is fourfoot or four feet long. � She’s almost sixfoot tall. � I’m five foot seven (5’ 7"). �inch (NOTE: The plural is feet. As ameasurement foot often has no pluralform: six foot tall; three foot wide. Withnumbers foot is also often written withthe symbol ’ a 6’ ladder; he is 5’ 6: say‘he’s five foot six’.)

football

football /�fυtbɔl/ noun 1. a gameplayed between two teams of elevenplayers with a round ball which can bekicked or headed, but not carried � Theywent to a football match. � The childrenwere playing football in the street. �Let’s have a game of football. � Hespends all his time watching football onTV. � He’s got a new pair of footballboots. 2. a ball used for kicking; the ballused in the various games of football �They were kicking a football around inthe street.

footballer

footballer /�fυtbɔlə/ noun a personwho plays football

footprint

footprint /�fυtprnt/ noun a mark left bysomeone’s foot on the ground � Theyfollowed the footprints in the snow tothe cave.

footstep

footstep /�fυtstep/ noun a sound madeby a foot touching the ground � Weheard soft footsteps along the corridor.

for

for /fə, fɔ/ preposition 1. showing thepurpose or use of something � Thisplastic bag is for the apples. � What’sthat key for? 2. showing the occasion onwhich or the reason why something isgiven � What did you get for your birth-day? � What did you win for comingfirst? 3. showing the person who re-ceives something � There was no mailfor you this morning. � I’m making acup of tea for my mother. 4. showinghow long something takes � He hasgone to France for two days. � We’vebeen waiting here for hours. 5. showingdistance � You can see for miles fromthe top of the hill. � The motorway goesfor kilometres without any service sta-tions. 6. showing where someone orsomething is going � Is this the planefor Edinburgh? � When is the next busfor Oxford Circus? 7. in the place ofsomeone � Can you write this letter forme?

forbid

forbid /fə��bd/ verb to tell someone thatthey are not allowed to do something �The staff are forbidden to use the frontentrance. (NOTE: forbids – forbidding– forbade /fə��b�d/ – forbidden /fə�

�bd(ə)n/)force

force /fɔs/ noun 1. strength or power �The force of the wind blew tiles off theroof. � The police had to use force to re-strain the crowd. 2. an organised groupof people � He served in the policeforce for twenty years. � verb to makesomeone do something � He was forcedto stop smoking. � You can’t force me togo if I don’t want to.

forecast

forecast /�fɔkɑst/ noun what youthink will happen in the future � Hisforecast of sales turned out to be com-pletely accurate. � verb to say what willhappen in the future � They are fore-casting storms for the south coast. �They forecast a rise in the number oftourists. (NOTE: forecasts – forecast-ing – forecast)

foreground

foreground /�fɔ'raυnd/ noun a part ofa picture which seems nearest the front

forehead

forehead /�fɔhed/ noun the part of thefront of the head above the eyes and be-low the line of the hair


foreign 132 fortuneforeign

foreign /�fɒrn/ adjective not from yourown country � There are lots of foreignmedical students at our college.

foreigner

foreigner /�fɒrnə/ noun a person whodoes not come from the same country asyou

forest

forest /�fɒrst/ noun a large area coveredwith trees � The country is covered withthick forests. � In dry weather there’s adanger of forest fires. � In winter bearscome out of the forest to search for food.

forever

forever /fɔr��evə/, for ever /fər �evə/adverb 1. always in the future � I willlove you forever. 2. a very long time � Ittook us forever to get to the hotel.

forget

forget /fə��'et/ verb 1. not to remember �He’s forgotten the name of the restau-rant. � I’ve forgotten how to play chess.� She forgot all about her doctor’s ap-pointment. 2. to leave something behind� When he left the office he forgot hiscar keys. (NOTE: forgets – forgetting –forgot /fə��'ɒt/ – has forgotten /fə�

�'ɒtən/)forgive

forgive /fə��'v/ verb to stop being angrywith someone � Don’t worry about it –I forgive you! � Will she ever forgive mefor forgetting her birthday? (NOTE: for-gives – forgiving – forgave /fə��'ev/– has forgiven)

forgot

forgot /fə��'ɒt/ past tense of forgetforgotten

forgotten /fə��'ɒt(ə)n/ past participle offorget

fork

fork /fɔk/ noun an object with a handleat one end and several sharp points atthe other, used for picking up food andputting it in your mouth � Don’t try toeat Chinese food with a knife and fork.� It’s polite to use a fork to eat cake –don’t use your fingers. � verb to be-come two parts � The railway line forksat Crewe and one branch goes to thecoast.

form

form /fɔm/ noun 1. an official paperwith spaces, in which you are asked towrite information such as your nameand address ? Could you please fill inthis form with your details? 2. a state orcondition � Their team wasn’t in topform and lost. � in good form in a goodmood; well � She’s in good form today.3. a class, usually in a secondary school

� She’s in the third form. � verb 1. to sitor stand with others so as to make a par-ticular shape � The children formed acircle. � Form a queue here, please. 2.� formed of made of � The team isformed of ex-students.

formalformal /�fɔm(ə)l/ adjective 1. done ac-cording to certain rules � The formalopening ceremony was performed bythe mayor. 2. serious in style; suitablefor special or official occasions � ‘Goodafternoon’ is a formal way of saying‘Hello’ in the afternoon.

formallyformally /�fɔməli/ adverb according torules; done or spoken in a serious way

formationformation /fɔ��meʃ(ə)n/ noun the actof forming something � The formationof ice occurs at temperatures below ze-ro.

formerformer /�fɔmə/ adjective referring to aperson’s or a thing’s job or position at anearlier time � a former army officer �The former champion came last in therace.

formerlyformerly /�fɔməli/ adverb at an earliertime � He was formerly head of our de-partment.

fortfort /fɔt/ noun a strong army buildingwhich can be defended against enemyattacks � The soldiers rode out of thefort. � He was posted to a fort in thedesert.

forthforth /fɔθ/ adverb forwardsfortiethfortieth /�fɔtəθ/ adjective relating to

the number 40 in a series � her fortiethbirthday � He came fortieth and last inthe race. � It’s her fortieth birthday to-morrow.

fortnightfortnight /�fɔtnat/ noun two weeks(NOTE: not used in US English)

fortunatefortunate /�fɔtʃənət/ adjective havingbetter things happen to you than happento other people � You are very fortunateto have such a lovely family.

fortunatelyfortunately /�fɔtʃənətli/ adverb bygood luck � Fortunately, he had remem-bered to take an umbrella. � He waslate getting to the airport, but fortunate-ly the flight had been delayed.

fortunefortune /�fɔtʃən/ noun 1. a largeamount of money � He won a fortuneon the lottery. � She made a fortune on


forty 133 fracture

the stock market. � She left her fortuneto her three children. 2. what will hap-pen in the future � She claims to be ableto tell your fortune using cards.

forty

forty /�fɔti/ noun the number 40 � She’sforty (years old). � He has more thanforty pairs of shoes. � forties the num-bers between 40 and 49

forward

forward /�fɔwəd/ adjective confident �She was always very forward as a child.� adverb 1. in the direction that some-one or something is facing � She bentforward to hear what he had to say. �He took two steps forward. � The po-liceman made a sign with his hand andthe cars began to go forward. 2. towardsthe future � We need to do some forwardplanning. � to look forward to some-thing to think happily about somethingwhich is going to happen � I’m lookingforward to my holidays. � He isn’t look-ing forward to his exams. � I’m lookingforward to seeing her again. � noun aplayer in a team whose job is to attackthe other side � The England defencecame under attack from the other team’sforwards.

forwards

forwards /�fɔwədz/ adverb in the di-rection that someone or something isfacing � She bent forwards to hear whathe had to say. � He took two steps for-wards. � The policeman made a signwith his hand and the cars began to goforwards.

fossil

fossil /�fɒs(ə)l/ noun the mark of an ani-mal or plant left in a rock, formed overmillions of years

fought

fought /fɔt/ past tense and past partici-ple of fight

foul

foul /faυl/ adjective 1. smelling or tastingunpleasant � A foul-smelling drain randown the centre of the street. 2. very un-pleasant � What foul weather we’rehaving! � The boss has been in a foultemper all day. � noun an action whichis against the rules of a game � The ref-eree gave a free kick for a foul on thegoalkeeper. � Look at the action replayto see if it really was a foul. (NOTE: Donot confuse with fowl.) � verb to dosomething to another player which isagainst the rules of a game � He was

fouled inside the penalty box so the refgave a penalty.

found

found /faυnd/ verb to establish some-thing; to begin something � The busi-ness was founded in 1900. � past tenseand past participle of find

foundation

foundation /faυn��deʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. theact of establishing something or of set-ting something up � Ever since its foun-dation in 1892, the company has been agreat success. 2. a charitable organisa-tion which provides money for certainprojects � a foundation for educationalresearch

fountain

fountain /�faυntn/ noun an object or astructure with a pump which makes astream of water come out, usually foundin a street or a large garden

four

four /fɔ/ noun the number 4 � A squarehas four corners. � He’s four (yearsold). � I have an appointment with thedoctor at four (o’clock).

fourteen

fourteen /�fɔ��tin/ noun the number 14� There are fourteen houses in ourstreet. � He’s fourteen (years old) nextweek.

fourteenth

fourteenth /�fɔ��tinθ/ adjective, nounrelating to the number 14 in a series �She came fourteenth in the race. � Thefourteenth of July or July the fourteenth(July 14th). � It was her fourteenthbirthday yesterday.

fourth

fourth /fɔθ/ adjective referring to 4 �the fourth of October or October thefourth (October 4th) � This is the fourthtime he’s had to go to hospital this year.� It’s her fourth birthday tomorrow. �number 14 in a series � I’ve had somany letters – this is the fourteenth.

fox

fox /fɒks/ noun a wild animal with red-dish fur and a long thick tail (NOTE: Theplural is foxes.)

fraction

fraction /�fr�kʃən/ noun 1. (in mathe-matics) a unit that is less than a wholenumber � 0.25 and 0.5 are ¼ and ½ ex-pressed as fractions. 2. a small part ofsomething � Only a fraction of the sto-len money was ever found.

fracture

fracture /�fr�ktʃə/ noun a break, espe-cially in a bone � The X-ray showed upthe fracture clearly. � verb to break abone � He fractured his leg in the acci-


fragile 134 fridge

dent. � They put her fractured leg inplaster.

fragilefragile /�fr�d"al/ adjective made frommaterials that are easily broken � Becareful when you’re packing theseplates – they’re very fragile.

fragmentfragment /�fr�'mənt/ noun a smallpiece � When digging on the site of thehouse they found fragments of very oldglass.

frailfrail /frel/ adjective physically weak, es-pecially because of age � His grand-mother is now rather frail.

frameframe /frem/ noun a border aroundsomething such as a pair of glasses, apicture, a mirror or a window � He hasglasses with gold frames. � I think theframe is worth more than the painting.� verb to put a frame round a picture �The photograph has been framed in red.

freefree /fri/ adjective 1. not costing anymoney � Send in four tokens from cere-al boxes and you can get a free toy. � Igot a free ticket for the exhibition. 2. notbusy; available � Will you be free nextTuesday? � There is a table free in thecorner of the restaurant. � Do you haveany free time next week? 3. able to dowhat you want; not forced to do any-thing � He’s free to do what he wants. 4.not in prison or a cage � After six yearsin prison he’s a free man again. � to setsomeone or something free to allowsomeone to leave prison, or to let an an-imal out of a cage � The young birdswere raised in the zoo and then set freein the wild. � verb to release someonewho is trapped � It took the fire servicesome time to free the passengers in thebus. (NOTE: frees – freeing – freed)

freedomfreedom /�fridəm/ noun 1. the state ofbeing free, rather than being forced tostay somewhere or being in prison �She felt a sense of freedom being in thecountry after working all week in thecity. � His lawyer pleaded for his cli-ent’s freedom. 2. the state of being al-lowed to do what you want � They aretrying to restrict our freedom of move-ment.

freezefreeze /friz/ verb 1. (of a liquid) to be-come solid because of the cold � Thewinter was mild, and for the first time

ever the river did not freeze over. � It’sso cold that the lake has frozen solid. 2.to make food very cold so that it doesnot decay � We froze the raspberries wepicked this morning. 3. to become verycold � The forecast is that it will freezetonight. � Put a hat on or you’ll freeze!(NOTE: freezes – freezing – froze/frəυz/ – has frozen)

freezer

freezer /�frizə/ noun a piece of equip-ment like a large box, which is very coldinside, used for freezing food and keep-ing it frozen

freezing

freezing /�frizŋ/ adjective very coldFrench

French /frentʃ/ adjective referring toFrance � noun the language spoken inFrance

frequency

frequency /�frikwənsi/ noun thenumber of times that something hap-pens over a particular period of time �The government is becoming alarmed atthe frequency of accidents in the con-struction industry. (NOTE: no plural)

frequent

frequent /�frikwənt/ adjective happen-ing or appearing often � He was a fre-quent visitor to the library. � Skin can-cer is becoming more frequent. � Howfrequent are the planes to Birmingham?

frequently

frequently /�frikwəntli/ adverb often� The ferries don’t run as frequently inthe winter. � She could frequently beseen walking her dog in the park.

fresh

fresh /freʃ/ adjective 1. not used or notdirty � I’ll get you a fresh towel. 2.made recently � a basket of fresh rolls �Let’s ask for a pot of fresh coffee. 3. newand different � The police producedsome fresh evidence. 4. (of food) not ina tin or frozen � Fresh fruit salad is bet-ter than tinned. � Fresh vegetables aredifficult to get in winter.

Friday

Friday /�frade/ noun the fifth day of theweek, the day between Thursday andSaturday � We all had a meal togetherlast Friday. � We always go to the cine-ma on Friday evenings. � We normallyhave our meetings on Fridays. � Fridayis a day of rest for Muslims. � Today isFriday, June 20th.

fridge

fridge /frd"/ noun a kitchen machine forkeeping things cold � The fridge is emp-


fried 135 frozen

ty – we must buy some more food. �Shall I put the milk back in the fridge?

friedfried /frad/ past tense and past participleof fry � adjective cooked in oil or fat

friendfriend /frend/ noun a person that youknow well and like � She’s my bestfriend. � We’re going on holiday withsome friends from work.

friendlyfriendly /�frendli/ adjective pleasant andkind, wanting to make friends � Don’tbe frightened of the dog – he’s veryfriendly. � We’re not on friendly termswith the people who live next door.(NOTE: friendlier – friendliest)

friendshipfriendship /�frendʃp/ noun the state ofbeing friends � He formed several last-ing friendships at school.

friesfries /fraz/ 3rd person singular presentof fry

frightfright /frat/ noun fearfrightenfrighten /�frat(ə)n/ verb to make some-

one afraid � Take off that horrible mask– you’ll frighten the children. � The cathas frightened all the birds away.

frightened

frightened /�fratn(ə)d/ adjective afraid� The frightened children ran out of thebuilding.

frighteningfrightening /�frat(ə)nŋ/ adjectivemaking you feel afraid � a frighteningsound of footsteps in the corridor � Hehad a frightening thought – what if noone heard his cries for help?

frogfrog /frɒ'/ noun a small greenish-brownanimal with long legs, which jumps, andlives both on land and in water � Hekept some tadpoles in a jar hoping theywould turn into frogs. � Can you hearthe frogs croaking round the pond?

fromfrom /frəm, frɒm/ preposition 1. away2. showing the place where somethingstarts or started � He comes from Ger-many. � The bees went from flower toflower. � We’ve had a letter from thebank. � He read the book from begin-ning to end. � Take three from four andyou get one. � I took a book from thepile on his desk. 3. showing the timewhen something starts or started � I’llbe at home from 8 o’clock onwards. �The hours of work are 9.30 to 5.30, fromMonday to Friday. � From now on I’mgoing to get up early. 4. showing dis-

tance � It is not far from here to the rail-way station. 5. showing difference �Can you tell butter from margarine? �His job is totally different from mine. 6.showing a cause � He died from the in-juries he received in the accident. � Hesuffers from angina. � She suffers fromcoughs every winter.

front

front /fr�nt/ noun a part of somethingwhich is furthest forward � The front ofthe house is on London Road. � Shespilt coffee down the front of her dress.� adjective which is in front � She satin the front seat, next to the driver. � infront further forwards � Her mother satin the back seat and she sat in front. �

in front of someone or somethingbefore or further forwards than some-thing � Don’t stand in front of the car –it may start suddenly. � There are sixpeople in front of me in the queue. � Youcan park your car in front of the shop.

front door

front door /�fr�nt �dɔ/ noun the maindoor to a house or building

frost

frost /frɒst/ noun 1. a white covering onthe ground that appears when the tem-perature is below freezing � The gardenwas white with frost. 2. an occasion onwhich the temperature outside is belowfreezing � There was a hard frost lastnight. � There’s a touch of frost in theair. � A late frost can damage youngplants.

frown

frown /fraυn/ verb to make lines in theskin on your forehead because you areconcentrating or worried � He frownedas he tried to do the calculation. � nounpulling your eyebrows together as a signthat you are angry or worried � Takethat frown off your face – everything’sgoing to be all right.

frown on phrasal verb to disapprove ofsomething � The teachers frown onsinging in the corridors. � The companyfrowns on people who bring food intothe office.

froze

froze /frəυz/ past tense of freezefrozen

frozen /�frəυz(ə)n/ past participle offreeze � adjective 1. very cold � Comeinside – you must be frozen out there. 2.at a temperature below freezing point �We went skating on the frozen lake.


fruit 136 funnelfruit

fruit /frut/ noun a food that grows ontrees or plants, which is often eaten rawand is usually sweet � You should eatfive pieces of fruit or vegetables everyday. � He has six fruit trees in his gar-den.

fry

fry /fra/ verb to cook something in oil orfat � Fry the onions over a low heat sothat they don’t burn. � Fry the eggs insome fat. (NOTE: fries /fraz/ – frying –fried /frad/)

frying pan

frying pan /�fraŋ p�n/ noun an openpan with low sides, used for frying

fuel

fuel /�fjuəl/ noun a substance such coal,gas, oil, petrol or wood which can beburnt to give heat or power � What fueldo you use to heat the house? � We ranout of fuel on the motorway.

fulfil

fulfil /fυl��fl/ verb to complete somethingin a satisfactory way � He died beforehe could fulfil his ambition to fly aplane. � We are so busy that we cannotfulfil any more orders before Christmas.(NOTE: fulfilling – fulfilled. The USspelling is fulfill.)

full

full /fυl/ adjective 1. with as much insideas is possible � Is the box full? � Thebag is full of potatoes. � We couldn’t geton the first bus because it was full. � Allthe hotels were full. 2. complete � Youmust give the police full details of theaccident. � Write your full name andaddress at the top of the paper. � adverbcompletely � The story has never beentold in full.

full stop

full stop /�fυl �stɒp/ noun a punctuationmark like a small dot, showing the endof a sentence or an abbreviation

fully

fully /�fυli/ adverb completely � He wasfully aware that he had made a mistake.� She still hasn’t fully recovered fromher accident. � The hotel is fully bookedfor the Christmas week. � When fullygrown, an elephant can weigh severaltons.

fun

fun /f�n/ noun enjoyment from an activi-ty � Having to stay in bed on my birth-day is not much fun. � to have fun to en-joy yourself � We had a lot of fun on theriver. � for fun as a joke or for enjoy-ment � She poured water down his neckfor fun. � Just for fun, he drove the car

through town dressed as a gorilla. �Why did you do that? – Just for the funof it! � to make fun of someone, topoke fun at someone to laugh atsomeone � Don’t make fun of her –she’s trying her best. � He poked fun atthe Prime Minister.

functionfunction /�f�ŋkʃən/ noun 1. a party, or agathering of people � We have two wed-ding functions in the main restaurantthis weekend. � The Prime Ministerbusy up with official functions all week.2. the work done by someone or some-thing � The function of a goalkeeper isto stop the ball going into the net. �What’s the function of that red switch?� verb to work � The computer is stillfunctioning well after years of use.

fundfund /f�nd/ noun an amount of moneyintended for a particular purpose � Shecontributes to a pension fund. � verb toprovide money for a special purpose �We have asked the government to fundthe building of the new library. � Thecompany is funding her manager’scourse.

fundamentalfundamental /�f�ndə��ment(ə)l/ adjec-tive basic; essential � The fundamentaldifference between us is that I apologisefor my mistakes and you don’t. � Goodair quality is fundamental for children’shealth.

fundsfunds /f�ndz/ noun money which isavailable for spending � He started acourse at college and then ran out offunds. � The company has the funds toset up the research programme. � Fundsare available to get the project off theground.

funeralfuneral /�fjun(ə)rəl/ noun a ceremonyat which a dead person is buried or cre-mated � The church was packed for herfuneral. � The funeral will take place onFriday morning.

fungusfungus /�f�ŋ'əs/ noun a plant which hasno green leaves or flowers and whichlives on decaying matter or on otherplants (NOTE: The plural is fungi/�f�ŋ'a/.)

funnelfunnel /�f�n(ə)l/ noun a tube with a wideopening and a narrow tube, used whenpouring liquids from one container intoanother


funny 137 futurefunny

funny /�f�ni/ adjective 1. making peoplelaugh � He made funny faces and all thechildren laughed. � That joke isn’t fun-ny. 2. strange � She’s been behaving ina funny way recently. � There’s a funnysmell in the bathroom. (NOTE: funnier –funniest)

fur

fur /f�/ noun the soft covering of an ani-mal’s body � This type of cat has veryshort fur. � She was wearing a fur coat.� Have you got any fur-lined boots?(NOTE: Do not confuse with fir.)

furious

furious /�fjυəriəs/ adjective very angryfurniture

furniture /�f�ntʃə/ noun objects in,e.g. a house or an office such as tables,chairs, beds and cupboards � The bur-glars stole all our office furniture. � Youshould cover up all the furniture beforeyou start painting the ceiling. (NOTE: noplural: some furniture; a lot of furniture;a piece of furniture)

furry

furry /�f�ri/ adjective covered with furfurtherfurther /�f�ðə/ adverb at or to a greater

distance � Can you all move furtherback – I can’t get you in the picture. �The police station is quite close, but thepost office is further away. � Edinburghis further from London than Newcastle.� adjective more � The bank needs fur-

ther information about your salary. �Please send me further details of holi-days in Greece.

furthest

furthest /�f�ðəst/ adverb, adjective ator to the greatest distance � Some of thestaff live quite close to the office – Jameslives furthest away. � The furthest dis-tance I have ever flown is to Hong Kong.

fury

fury /�fjυəri/ noun very strong anger �He shouted at us in fury.

fuse

fuse /fjuz/ noun a small piece of wire inan electrical system which breaks if toomuch power tries to pass through it, sopreventing further damage � The plughas a 13-amp fuse. � If the lights go out,the first thing to do is to check the fuses.

fuss

fuss /f�s/ noun unnecessary excitementor complaints � What’s all the fussabout?

future

future /�fjutʃə/ noun a time which hasnot yet happened � What are his plansfor the future? � You never know whatthe future will bring. � Can you imaginewhat London will be like in the future?� adjective which is coming; which hasnot happened yet � They are spendingall their time preparing for their futureretirement. � I try to save somethingeach week for future expenses.


Ggg /d"i/, G noun the seventh letter of the

alphabet, between F and Hgadgetgadget /�'�d"t/ noun a small useful

toolgaingain /'en/ verb 1. to achieve something,

or get it with some work or effort � Thearmy gained control of the country. �She gained some useful experienceworking for a computer company. 2. (ofa clock or watch) to move ahead of thecorrect time � My watch gains five min-utes a day. � noun 1. an increase inweight, quantity or size � There was nogain in weight over three weeks 2. ben-efit or profit � He doesn’t do the job forfinancial gain.

galaxygalaxy /�'�ləksi/ noun an extremelylarge group of stars � There are vastnumbers of galaxies in the universe.(NOTE: The plural is galaxies.)

Galaxy, theGalaxy, the /�'�ləksi/ noun the largegroup of stars and planets that the Earthforms part of

galegale /'el/ noun a very strong windgallerygallery /�'�ləri/ noun 1. � (art) gallery

a place where objects such as picturesand sculptures are shown to the public2. the highest rows of seats in a theatreor cinema � We managed to get twoseats in the gallery. (NOTE: The plural isgalleries.)

gallongallon /�'�lən/ noun a measure of quan-tity of liquid, equal to 4.55 litres � Thecar was empty and I had to put in sevengallons of petrol.

gallopgallop /�'�ləp/ verb to go fast, especial-ly on horseback � The riders gallopedthrough the woods. � He gallopedthrough his lecture. � noun the fastestrunning speed of a horse � The horsewent off at a gallop.

gamegame /'em/ noun 1. an activity inwhich people compete with each otherusing skill, strength or luck � She’s notvery good at games like chess. 2. a sin-

gle match between two opponents ortwo opposing teams � Everyone wantedto watch the game of football. � Do youwant a game of snooker? � Our teamhave won all their games this year. 3. asingle session in an activity or sportsuch as tennis or cards � She’s winningby six games to three. 4. wild animalsand birds such as deer, rabbits andpheasants, which are killed for sport orfood � plural noun Games a large or-ganised sports competition � the Olym-pic Games

gang

gang /'�ŋ/ noun 1. a group of criminals� a drugs gang 2. a group of young peo-ple who do things together, especiallyone that causes trouble � Gangs of foot-ball fans wandered the streets after thematch. 3. a group of workers � Gangs ofmen worked all night to repair the rail-way track.

gap

gap /'�p/ noun a space between twothings or in the middle of something �There’s a gap between the two planks. �The sheep all rushed through the gap inthe hedge.

gape

gape /'ep/ verb 1. to open your mouthwide in surprise or shock 2. to be wideopen � The entrance to the cave gapedbefore us.

garage

garage /�'�rd", �'�rɑ"/ noun 1. abuilding where you can keep a car � Heput the car into the garage overnight. �She drove the car out of the garage. �Don’t forget to lock the garage door. �The hotel has garage space for thirtycars. 2. a place where petrol is sold andwhere cars are repaired or sold �Where’s the nearest garage? I needsome petrol. � I can’t drive you to thestation – my car is in the garage for re-pair. � You can hire cars from the ga-rage near the post office.

garbage

garbage /�'ɑbd"/ noun 1. nonsense �I don’t believe a word of what he said –


garden 139 generation

it’s just garbage. (NOTE: no plural) 2.(mainly US) household waste

garden

garden /�'ɑd(ə)n/ noun an area of landnear a house, used for growing suchthings as vegetables and flowers � Wegrow all the vegetables we need in theback garden. � Your sister’s outside, sit-ting in the garden.

gardener

gardener /�'ɑd(ə)nə/ noun a personwho looks after a garden either as a hob-by or as a job

gardening

gardening /�'ɑd(ə)nŋ/ noun the activ-ity of looking after a garden

garlic

garlic /�'ɑlk/ noun a round white vege-table with a strong smell, which can beseparated into sections and used to giveflavour to food

gas

gas /'�s/ noun 1. a chemical substancewhich has no form and which becomesliquid if it is cooled � Air is made up ofseveral gases, mainly nitrogen and oxy-gen. � Rubbish gives off a type of gascalled methane as it rots. 2. a chemicalsubstance which is burnt to make heat,e.g. for cooking

gasoline

gasoline /�'�səlin/ noun US a liquid,made from petrol, used to drive a car en-gine (NOTE: usually shortened to gas)

gasp

gasp /'ɑsp/ verb to take a short deepbreath � He gasped when he saw thebill. � noun a sudden loud breath thatyou take when you are surprised or inpain � She gave a gasp when she sawthe face at the window.

gate

gate /'et/ noun 1. a low outside doormade of bars of wood or metal � Shutthe gate – if you leave it open the sheepwill get out of the field. � There is awhite gate leading into the garden. 2. adoor which leads to an aircraft at an air-port � Flight AZ270 is now boarding atGate 23.

gather

gather /�'�ðə/ verb 1. to bring things orpeople together � He gathered his pa-pers together after the lecture. � Shehas been gathering information on thehistory of the local school. 2. (especiallyof people) to come together in oneplace, or be brought together by some-one � Groups of people gathered out-side the Parliament building. � Theygathered together a team of experienced

people for the new project. 3. to under-stand from what someone has told you� I gather that his father is in hospital.� We gather he has left the office. 4. topick plants, flowers or fruit � The chil-dren were gathering blackberries. �The grape harvest has been gathered.

gave

gave /'ev/ past tense of givegay

gay /'e/ adjective 1. attracted to peopleof the same sex, or relating to peoplelike this � It’s a club where gay men andwomen meet. � They met in a gay bar. 2.bright and lively (dated) � The housesalong the street are all painted in gaycolours. � noun a person who is attract-ed to someone of the same sex � a clubfor gays

gaze

gaze /'ez/ verb to look steadily � Shegazed into his eyes. � He stood on thecliff, gazing out to sea. � noun a steadylook � She refused to meet his gaze.

gear

gear /'ə/ noun 1. equipment for a partic-ular purpose � He took all his climbinggear with him. � She was carrying herpainting gear in a rucksack. 2. clothingfor a particular purpose � She wasputting on her tennis gear. 3. a part of anengine that makes it possible to changethe amount of work the engine has to doto turn the wheels

gene

gene /d"in/ noun a set of chemicals in acell which carries information aboutfeatures that are passed from parent tochild

general

general /�d"en(ə)rəl/ adjective not spe-cific; covering a wide range of subjects� He had a good general education, butdidn’t specialise in any particular field.� noun an army officer of high rank �He has only recently been promoted togeneral. � in general normally � Ingeneral, the weather is warmer in thesouth.

generally

generally /�d"en(ə)rəli/ adverb usually� The office is generally closed betweenChristmas and the New Year.

generate

generate /�d"enəret/ verb to producesomething such as power � We use windto generate electricity.

generation

generation /�d"enə��reʃ(ə)n/ noun 1.the production of something such aspower � the generation of electricity


generous 140 get

from waves 2. all people born at aboutthe same time � The 1960s generationhad an easier life than we did. � Manypeople of my father’s generation cannotunderstand computer technology. 3.members of a family born at about thesame time 4. a series of machines madeat about the same time � They are devel-oping a new type of engine for the nextgeneration of aircraft.

generous

generous /�d"en(ə)rəs/ adjective 1.giving more money or presents thanpeople usually do � Thank you! You’reso generous! 2. large � a generous help-ing of pudding

generously

generously /�d"en(ə)rəsli/ adverb in agenerous way

genetics

genetics /d"ə��netks/ noun the scienceand study of the way genes are involvedin passing features from parents to chil-dren

genre

genre /�"ɒnrə/ noun a type of somethingartistic such as art, literature or theatre �the three main literary genres of prose,poetry and drama

gentle

gentle /�d"ent(ə)l/ adjective 1. soft andkind � The nurse has gentle hands. 2.not very strong � After a little gentlepersuasion, she agreed to the plan. � Hegave the door a gentle push. 3. not verysteep � There is a gentle slope down tothe lake. (NOTE: gentler – gentlest)

gentleman

gentleman /�d"ent(ə)lmən/ noun aman, especially a well-behaved or up-per-class man � He’s such a gentleman;he always opens the door for me.

gently

gently /�d"entli/ adverb 1. softly andcarefully � He gently put the blanketover her. 2. not steeply � The path risesgently to the top of the hill.

genuine

genuine /�d"enjun/ adjective real; true� The painting was not a genuine Picas-so. � A genuine leather purse will cost alot more than that.

geography

geography /d"i��ɒ'rəfi/ noun the studyof the earth’s surface, its climate and theplants and animals that live on it

germ

germ /d"�m/ noun an organism whichcauses disease � Wash your hands afteremptying the dustbin so you don’tspread any germs.

German

German /�d"�mən/ adjective referringto Germany or its inhabitants � noun 1.the language spoken in Germany, Aus-tria and parts of Switzerland and Italy 2.a person from Germany

gesture

gesture /�d"estʃə/ noun a movement ofa part of the body such as the hands toshow feeling � She made a slight ges-ture of impatience with her hand. � verbto make a movement with your hands �He gestured to the audience to sit down.

get

get /'et/ verb 1. to receive something �We got a letter from the bank this morn-ing. � She gets more money than I do. 2.� to get to a place or situation to arriveat a place or situation � We only got tothe hotel at midnight. � When does yourtrain get to London? � The plane gets toNew York at 4 p.m. � When you get tomy age you’ll understand! 3. to start tobe in a particular state � I’m getting tooold for rugby. � He’s got much fatterover the last year or so. � The sun gothotter and hotter. � The carpet’s gettingdirty. 4. to have something done � Imust get my suit cleaned. � We got thecar mended in time to go on holiday. 5.to make someone do something � Canyou get them to mend the brakes? � I’lltry and get her to bring some CDs.(NOTE: gets – getting – got /'ɒt/ –has got or gotten)get going phrasal verb to start doingsomething, or to leave � Come on, let’sget going!get across phrasal verb 1. to manageto cross something � They got acrossthe river on rafts. 2. to make someoneunderstand something � I’m trying toget across to the people in the office thatthey all have to work harder. � We justcan’t seem to get our message across.get along phrasal verb to manage �She got along quite well when her moth-er was away on holiday. � We seem toget along very happily without the tele-phone. � How are you getting along?get around phrasal verb 1. to movefrom place to place � Since he had hisaccident he gets around on two sticks. 2.(of news) to be heard by a lot of people� The news soon got around that theywere married.


get rid of 141 giggle

get at phrasal verb to reach something� You’ll need to stand on a chair to getat the jam jar on the top shelf.get away phrasal verb to escape � Therobbers got away in a stolen car.get back phrasal verb 1. to return �They got back home very late. � Whendid they get back from the cinema? 2. toget something again which you had be-fore � I got my money back after I hadcomplained to the manager.get down phrasal verb 1. to go backdown onto the ground � The catclimbed up the tree and couldn’t getdown. � He got down off the ladder. 2.to bring something down � Can you getmy suitcase down for me?get in phrasal verb 1. to go inside aplace or a vehicle � Get in! – the train’sgoing to leave. � The burglars musthave got in through the bathroom win-dow. 2. to arrive home or at the office �What time did you get in last night? �Because of the train strike, we didn’t getin until eleven o’clock. 3. to ask some-one to come to do a job � We’ll get abuilder in to mend the wall.get into phrasal verb to go inside aplace or a vehicle � They got into theback of the car. � I was just getting intobed when the phone rang. � The bur-glars got into the building through awindow on the ground floor.get off phrasal verb to come downfrom or out of a form of transport suchas a car, bus, train or plane � She got offher bicycle at the red light. � If youwant the post office, you should get offat the next stop. � You have to get off thetrain at South Kensington.get on phrasal verb 1. to go onto aform of transport such as a car, bus, trainor plane � They got on the bus at thebank. � The policeman got on his bikeand rode away. 2. to become old � He’sgetting on and can’t work as hard as heused to.get out phrasal verb to go out of aplace or a vehicle � The bus stoppedand the driver got out. � The burglarsgot out through the front door.get over phrasal verb 1. to climb over

something � They got over the wall intothe garden. 2. to recover from an illness� He’s got over his flu.get through phrasal verb 1. to manageto go through something � The cows gotthrough the hole in the fence. 2. to besuccessful � He got through his exams,so he is now a qualified engineer.get up phrasal verb 1. to get out of bed� He went to bed so late that he didn’tget up until 11 o’clock. 2. to makesomeone get out of bed � You must geteveryone up by 7.30 if we are going toleave on time. 3. to stand up � When hehad finished his meal, he got up andwalked out of the room.

get rid of

get rid of � ridghost

ghost /'əυst/ noun an image of a deadperson which some people believe theyhave seen � They say the house is haunt-ed by the ghost of its former owner. �Her face is white – she looks as if shehas seen a ghost.

giant

giant /�d"aənt/ noun (in fairy tales andmyths) a very large man � a story abouta giant who lived in a castle at the top ofa mountain � adjective very large �He’s grown a giant cabbage. � They areplanning to build a giant car factory inSouth Wales.

giddy

giddy /�'di/ adjective feeling that every-thing is turning round, and that youcould lose your balance (NOTE: giddier– giddiest)

gift

gift /'ft/ noun 1. a present; somethinggiven to someone � The wedding giftswere displayed on a table. � She waswrapping up gifts to put under theChristmas tree. 2. a natural ability fordoing something well � She has a giftfor making people feel welcome. � Hehas a gift for maths.

gifted

gifted /�'ftd/ adjective with a specialtalent � He was a gifted musician.

gigantic

gigantic /d"a��'�ntk/ adjective ex-tremely large

giggle

giggle /�''(ə)l/ noun a little laugh, oftenshowing you are embarrassed � verb tolaugh like this � When she saw hermother’s hat she started to giggle. � Theclass giggled at his accent.


ginger 142 glimpseginger

ginger /�d"nd"ə/ noun a plant whoseroot has a sharp burning taste and isused in cooking � Fry the meat withspring onions and slices of ginger. �Add a pinch of powdered ginger to thecake mixture. � adjective (of hair) or-ange in colour � She has ginger hairand green eyes. � A ginger cat laysleeping in the sun.

giraffe

giraffe /d"��rɑf/ noun a large Africananimal with a very long neck

girl

girl /'�l/ noun a female child � a crowdof girls waiting at the bus stop � Theyhave four children – two boys and twogirls. � My sister goes to the local girls’school.

girlfriend

girlfriend /�'�lfrend/ noun a girl orwoman that someone is having a roman-tic relationship with � He’s broken upwith his girlfriend.

give

give /'v/ verb 1. to pass something tosomeone � Give me another envelope,please. � Can you give me some infor-mation about holidays in Greece? 2. tosend or pass something to someone as apresent � We gave her flowers for herbirthday. � What are you going to givehim when he gets married? � We gaveten pounds to the Red Cross. 3. to dosomething to someone or something �He gave me a broad smile. � He gaveher a kiss. � She gave the ball a kick. 4.to organise something such as a party �They gave a reception for the visitingForeign Minister. � We gave a party tocelebrate her twenty-first birthday.(NOTE: gives – giving – gave /'ev/ –has given /�'v(ə)n/)

give back phrasal verb to hand some-thing back to someonegive in phrasal verb to agree to dosomething that you had refused to doearliergive up phrasal verb to stop doingsomething � She’s trying to give upsmoking.give way phrasal verb 1. to let some-one go first � Give way to traffic com-ing from the right. 2. to break under aheavy weight � The chair gave waywhen he sat on it. 3. to stop opposingsomething � In the end, our dad gave

way and let us go camping by ourselves.glad

glad /'l�d/ adjective pleased � AuntJane was glad to get your postcard. �After shopping all day, she was glad tofind somewhere to sit down.

gladly

gladly /�'l�dli/ adverb with great pleas-ure

glance

glance /'lɑns/ noun a quick look � Shegave him an admiring glance. � verb tolook quickly � He glanced over hisshoulder to see who was following him.� She glanced suspiciously at the wait-er. � at a glance after a quick look atsomething � At a glance, I’d say theserugs are Chinese.

glare

glare /'leə/ noun 1. a very bright light �The glare of the sun on the wet roadblinded me. 2. an angry look � He gaveher a glare and walked on. � verb tolook angrily � She glared at me andwent on reading her book.

glass

glass /'lɑs/ noun 1. a hard, smooth ma-terial which you can see through, usedto make things such as windows, vasesand bowls � a bowl made of glass or aglass bowl � They found some very oldpieces of glass in the earth. (NOTE: noplural) 2. a container to drink out of,usually made of glass � She put thedirty glasses in the dishwasher. � Wetook plastic wine glasses on the picnic.(NOTE: The plural is glasses.) 3. theliquid contained in a glass � She askedfor a glass of water. � He was so thirstyhe drank three glasses. � Add a glass ofred wine to the sauce. (NOTE: The pluralis glasses.) � plural noun glasses twoplastic or glass lenses in a frame whichyou wear in front of your eyes to helpyou see better � She has to wear glassesfor reading. (NOTE: no singular: for oneitem, say ‘a pair of glasses’.)

glide

glide /'lad/ verb to move in a smoothway � Skaters were gliding across theice. � A bird went gliding past.

glimpse

glimpse /'lmps/ noun a quick sight ofsomething � We caught a glimpse of theprincess as she drove past. � There wasa brief glimpse of the sun during the af-ternoon. � verb to catch sight of some-one or something � We only glimpsedthe back of her head as she was leaving.


glitter 143 goglitter

glitter /�'ltə/ verb to shine brightly withsmall points of light, as the stars in thesky seem to shine � The jewels in hercrown were glittering in the light of thecandles. � Her eyes glittered hopefullyas she spoke.

global

global /�'ləυb(ə)l/ adjective 1. relatingto the whole world � We offer a globalparcel delivery service. 2. relating to thewhole of something � We are carryingout a global review of salaries.

globe

globe /'ləυb/ noun 1. � the globe theworld � He is trying to be the first per-son to fly round the globe in a balloon.2. a map of the world on a ball � Hespun the globe round and pointed toCanada.

gloomy

gloomy /�'lumi/ adjective 1. unhappy� She was gloomy about her chances ofpassing the exam. � He’s very gloomyabout his job prospects. 2. dark � agloomy Sunday afternoon in November(NOTE: gloomier – gloomiest)

glossy

glossy /�'lɒsi/ adjective shiny � theglossy coat of a horse (NOTE: glossier– glossiest)

glove

glove /'l�v/ noun a piece of clothingworn on your hand

glow

glow /'ləυ/ verb to shine in a dull way �The logs glowed in the fireplace. � Herface glowed with pride. � noun a softbright light � the warm glow of the fire

glue

glue /'lu/ noun a substance which sticksthings together � She spread the gluecarefully onto the back of the poster. �The glue on the envelope doesn’t stickvery well. � verb to stick things together� He glued the label to the box.

gnaw

gnaw /nɔ/ verb to bite something againand again

go

go /'əυ/ verb 1. to move from one placeto another � The plane goes to Frank-furt, then to Rome. � She is going toLondon for the weekend. � It’s time thechildren went to bed. � He has gone towork in Washington. � They are goingon a tour of southern Spain. � She wasgoing downstairs when she fell. 2. toleave � Get your coat, it’s time to go. �The last bus goes at half past two. 3. towork � Can you phone the garage? –the car won’t go. � He’s trying to get his

motorbike to go. 4. to fit � It’s too big togo into the box. � This case won’t gointo the back of the car. 5. to be placed� The date should go at the top of theletter. 6. to become � Her face went redfrom sitting in the sun. � He went paleand rushed out of the room. � You haveto shout, my father’s going deaf. � She’sgoing grey, but it suits her. 7. to happenin a particular way � The party wentvery well. � Things are going badly atwork. 8. to make a particular sound �The balloon landed on a candle andwent ‘pop’. � Do you remember thesong that goes: ‘There’s no place likehome’? (NOTE: goes – going – went/went/ – has gone /'ɒn/) � noun a try;an attempt � He won the lottery at thefirst go. � She had three goes at the testand still didn’t pass. � We’ll give it onemore go, and if the car doesn’t start I’llcall the garage.

go ahead phrasal verb to take place asplanned � The project went ahead eventhough there were not enough staff.go away phrasal verb to leavego back phrasal verb to returngo back on phrasal verb not to dowhat has been promisedgo down phrasal verb to go to a lowerlevel � There are thirty-nine stepswhich go down to the beach. � Be care-ful when going down the hill. � Afterhaving a rest in her bedroom, she wentdown to the hotel bar. � Prices havegone down.go in phrasal verb to enter a place �You don’t need to knock – just go in.go in for phrasal verb to take an exam-inationgo into phrasal verb 1. to enter a place� She went into the bedroom. 2. to ex-amine something; to look at somethingcarefully � The bank wants to go intothe details of his account.go off phrasal verb 1. to go to anotherplace � He went off to look for a parkingspace. � She went off muttering some-thing about buying cheese. 2. (of analarm) to start making its noise � Theburglar alarm went off in the middle ofthe night. 3. to explode � The bombwent off when there were still lots of


goal 144 good

people in the building. � Fireworkswere going off everywhere on BonfireNight.go on phrasal verb 1. to continue �Please go on, I like hearing you sing. �They went on working in spite of thefire. � She went on speaking for twohours. 2. to happen � What’s been go-ing on here?go out phrasal verb 1. to leave a build-ing � I don’t go out often at night. � Heforgot to lock the door when he wentout. 2. not to be burning or lit any more� The fire went out and the room gotcold. � All the lights in the building sud-denly went out.go round phrasal verb 1. to turn � Themerry-go-round went round and round.2. to visit a place � You’ll need at leasttwo hours to go round the museum. 3. tobe enough for a particular number ofpeople � There wasn’t enough icecream to go round all twelve of us.go up phrasal verb 1. to go to a higherplace � Take the lift and go up to thefourth floor. 2. to increase; to rise to ahigher level � The price of bread hasgone up.go with phrasal verb to match some-thing � Blue shoes won’t go with agreen dress. � Red wine goes best withmeat.go without phrasal verb not to havesomething which you usually have �We often went without lunch.

goalgoal /'əυl/ noun 1. (in games) two postsbetween which you have to send the ballto score a point � He was unlucky tomiss the goal with that shot. 2. (ingames) a point scored by sending theball between the posts � He scored agoal before being sent off. � Our teamscored three goals. 3. an aim � Our goalis to open a new pizza restaurant everymonth. � He achieved his goal of be-coming a millionaire before he was thir-ty.

goalkeepergoalkeeper /�'əυlkipə/ noun a playerwho stands in front of the goal to stopthe ball going in

goatgoat /'əυt/ noun a small farm animalwith horns and a beard, giving milk andwool � a herd of goats

god

god /'ɒd/ noun a being with special pow-ers that humans do not have, who is be-lieved in and worshipped by some peo-ple � Bacchus was the Roman god ofwine.

God

God /'ɒd/ noun the spiritual Christians,Jews and Muslims believe in and wor-ship � Do you believe in God? � Wepray to God that the children will befound alive. � interjection used forshowing that you are surprised or an-noyed � God, what awful weather! �My God, have you seen how late it is?

goddess

goddess /�'ɒdes/ noun a female god(NOTE: The plural is goddesses.)

goes

goes /'əυz/ 3rd person singular presentof go

going

going /�'əυŋ/ present participle of gogoing to

going to /�'əυŋ tu/ phrase used forshowing future � We’re going to win. �I hope it’s going to be fine tomorrow. �When are you going to wash your hair?� He’s going to be a great tennis playerwhen he’s older. � Is she going to singat the concert?

gold

gold /'əυld/ noun a very valuable yel-low-coloured metal � That ring isn’tmade of gold. � Gold is worth morethan silver. � He wears a gold ring onhis little finger. (NOTE: no plural: somegold, a bar of gold) � adjective of thecolour of gold � a gold carpet

golden

golden /�'əυld(ə)n/ adjective colouredlike gold; made from gold � She hasbeautiful golden hair.

golfgolf /'ɒlf/ noun a game played on a largeopen course, by hitting a small ball into18 separate holes with a variety of clubs,using as few attempts as possible � Heplays golf every Saturday. � Do youwant a game of golf?

gone

gone /'ɒn/ past participle of gogood

good /'υd/ adjective 1. sensible, enjoya-ble or of a high standard � We had agood breakfast and then started work. �Did you have a good time at the party?� It would be a good idea to invest inthese shares. � Her Spanish is betterthan his. 2. skilful; clever � He’s goodat making things out of wood. � She’sgood with her hands. � He is good atfootball. 3. well-behaved � Be a good


goodbye 145 grand

girl and I’ll give you a sweet. � Haveyou been good while we’ve been away?� noun an advantage or a benefit � Themedicine didn’t do me any good. � Hedecided to give up smoking for the goodof his health. � What’s the good of hav-ing a big garden if you don’t like gar-dening? � Governments should workfor the good of the people.

goodbye

goodbye /�'υd��ba/ noun, interjectionused when leaving someone � Saygoodbye to your teacher. � Goodbye!We’ll see you again on Thursday. (NOTE:often shortened to bye)

good evening

good evening /�'υd �ivnŋ/ interjec-tion used as a greeting when meetingsomeone or sometimes when leavingsomeone in the evening

good-looking

good-looking /�'υd �lυkŋ/ adjective(of a person) having an attractive face �His sister is a very good-looking girl. �He’s not especially good-looking.

good morning

good morning /�'υd �mɔnŋ/ interjec-tion used when meeting someone, orsometimes when leaving someone in themorning

goods

goods /'υdz/ plural noun 1. things thatare produced for sale � The companysells goods from various Europeancountries. 2. possessions; things whichyou own � She carried all her worldlygoods in a bag.

gossip

gossip /�'ɒsp/ noun stories or newsabout someone, which may or may notbe true � Have you heard the latest gos-sip about Sue? � verb to talk about peo-ple’s private lives � They spent hoursgossiping about the people working inthe office.

got

got /'ɒt/ past tense and past participle ofget

govern

govern /�'�v(ə)n/ verb to rule a country� The country is governed by three gen-erals.

government

government /�'�v(ə)nmənt/ noun thepeople or a political party which rules acountry � The president asked the lead-er of the largest party to form a newgovernment. � The government controlsthe price of bread. � He has an impor-tant job in the government.

grab

grab /'r�b/ verb 1. to pick something upsuddenly � He grabbed his suitcase andran to the train. 2. to get somethingquickly (informal) � Let’s grab somelunch before the meeting starts. (NOTE:grabs – grabbing – grabbed)

graceful

graceful /�'resf(ə)l/ adjective movingin a smooth and beautiful way � Shecrossed the stage with graceful steps. �We admired the swimmer’s gracefulstrokes across the pool.

gradegrade /'red/ noun 1. a level of quality �I always buy grade 2 eggs. � Whatgrade of vegetables do you sell most of?2. an examination mark � She got topgrades in maths. 3. US a class in school� students in fifth grade � She’s a fifth-grade student. � verb to sort things ac-cording to size or quality � a machinefor grading fruit � Hotels are gradedwith two, three, four or five stars. � tomake the grade to succeed; to do well

gradual

gradual /�'r�d"uəl/ adjective whichchanges a little at a time

gradually

gradually /�'r�d"uəli/ adverb little bylittle � His condition improved gradual-ly day by day. � She gradually learnthow to deal with customers’ complaints.

graffiti

graffiti /'rə��fiti/ noun words whichhave been written or painted on walls inpublic places

graftgraft /'rɑft/ noun very hard work thatneeds a lot of physical energy (informal)� She has succeeded through sheer hardgraft.

grain

grain /'ren/ noun 1. a crop such aswheat or corn � a field of grain � thegrain harvest 2. a very small piece � agrain of sand

gram

gram /'r�m/, gramme noun a unit ofweight; there are 1000 grams in a kilo-gram (NOTE: usually written g after fig-ures: 50 g.)

grammargrammar /�'r�mə/ noun 1. the rules ofa language � I’m finding Russian gram-mar very difficult. � He’s been learningEnglish for years, and still makes basicgrammar mistakes. 2. a book of rules ofa language � I’ll look it up in my newGerman grammar.

grand

grand /'r�nd/ adjective 1. big and im-portant � his grand plan for making a


grandad 146 grease

lot of money 2. impressive � We went toa very grand wedding.

grandad

grandad /�'r�nd�d/ noun 1. a grandfa-ther (informal) 2. a common name usedfor addressing a grandfather

grandchild

grandchild /�'r�ntʃald/ noun a childof a son or daughter (NOTE: The plural isgrandchildren /�'r�ntʃldrən/.)

granddaughter

granddaughter /�'r�ndɔtə/ noun thedaughter of a son or daughter

grandfather

grandfather /�'r�n��fɑðə/ noun the fa-ther of your mother or father � Tomor-row is grandfather’s hundredth birth-day. � My grandfather always tells usfascinating stories about his childhood.(NOTE: often called grandad or grand-pa by children)

grandma

grandma /�'r�nmɑ/ noun 1. a grand-mother (informal) 2. a common nameused for addressing a grandmother

grandmother

grandmother /�'r�nm�ðə/ noun themother of your mother or father � It willbe grandmother’s ninetieth birthdaynext month. � My grandmother taughtme how to make bread. (NOTE: oftencalled gran or granny or grandma ornan by children)

grandpa

grandpa /�'r�npɑ/ noun 1. a grandfa-ther (informal) 2. a common name usedfor addressing a grandfather

grandparent

grandparent /�'r�npeərənt/ noun themother or father of one of your parents

grandson

grandson /�'r�ns�n/ noun the son of ason or daughter

granny

granny /�'r�ni/ noun 1. a grandmother(informal) 2. a common name used foraddressing a grandmother

grant

grant /'rɑnt/ noun an amount of moneygiven to help someone to pay for some-thing, or to live while they are doingsomething such as studying � Not manystudents get a full grant. � My grantonly pays for a few books. � We haveapplied for a grant to plant trees by theside of the road. � verb to give someonesomething, especially officially(formal) � The council has granted theschool permission to build a new hall.

grape

grape /'rep/ noun a small green or redfruit which grows on low plants, oftenused to make wine

graph

graph /'rɑf/ noun a chart showing howamounts rise and fall in the form of aline

grasp

grasp /'rɑsp/ noun an understanding �She has a good grasp of physics. � verbto understand something � They didn’tseem to grasp my meaning.

grass

grass /'rɑs/ noun a low green plant,which is eaten by sheep and cows infields, or used in gardens to cover thearea that you walk or sit on � The grassis getting too long – it needs cutting.

grate

grate /'ret/ noun a metal frame forholding coal in a fireplace � verb tomake something into small pieces byrubbing against a grater � She gratednutmeg over the pudding. � Sprinklegrated cheese over your pasta. � Wemade a salad of grated carrots andspring onions. (NOTE: Do not confusewith great.)

grateful

grateful /�'retf(ə)l/ adjective feelingthat you want to thank someone forsomething that they have done for you �We are most grateful to you for yourhelp.

grave

grave /'rɑv/ noun a hole in the groundwhere a dead person is buried � At thefuneral, the whole family stood by thegrave. � adjective serious � She lookedat him with a grave expression. (NOTE:graver – gravest)

gravity

gravity /�'r�vti/ noun the force whichpulls things towards the ground � Ap-ples fall to the ground because of theearth’s gravity.

gravy

gravy /�'revi/ noun sauce made fromthe juices of cooked meat (NOTE: no plu-ral)

gray

gray /'re/ noun, adjective US spellingof grey

graze

graze /'rez/ noun a slight skin injury �He had a graze on his knee. � verb (ofanimals) to feed on grass � The sheepwere grazing on the hillside.

grease

grease /'ris/ noun 1. thick oil � Putsome grease on the hinge. 2. fat thatcomes from meat when it is cooked �verb to cover with oil � Don’t forget togrease the wheels. � She greased thepan before cooking the eggs.


greasy 147 groundgreasy

greasy /�'risi/ adjective covered withoil or grease � He wiped his greasyhands on a piece of rag. � I don’t likethe chips they serve here – they’re toogreasy. (NOTE: greasier – greasiest)

great

great /'ret/ adjective 1. large � She wascarrying a great big pile of sandwiches.� The guide showed us into the GreatHall. 2. important or famous � thegreatest tennis player of all time � NewYork is a great city. � Picasso was agreat artist. 3. wonderful; very good �We had a great time at the party. � Whatdid you think of the film? – It was great!� It was great of you to help. � It wasgreat that they could all get to the pic-nic.

greatly

greatly /�'retli/ adverb very muchgreedy

greedy /�'ridi/ adjective wanting morefood or other things than you need(NOTE: greedier – greediest)

green

green /'rin/ adjective 1. of a colour likethe colour of grass � He was wearing abright green shirt. � They painted thedoor dark green. � Go on – the trafficlights are green. 2. relating to, interest-ed in or concerned about the environ-ment � She’s very worried about greenissues. � He’s a leading figure in thegreen movement. � noun 1. a colourlike grass � The door was painted a verydark green. 2. an area of public landcovered with grass in the middle of avillage � They were playing cricket onthe village green.

greet

greet /'rit/ verb to meet someone andsay hello

greeting

greeting /�'ritŋ/ noun the words thatpeople say to each other when they meet

grew

grew /'ru/ past tense of growgrey

grey /'re/ noun a colour that is a mixtureof black and white � He was dressed allin grey. � adjective of a colour that is amixture of black and white � Her hairhas turned quite grey. � She was wear-ing a light grey suit. � Look at the greyclouds – I think it is going to rain.

grief

grief /'rif/ noun a feeling of great sad-ness � to come to grief to have an ac-cident; to fail � His horse came to griefat the first fence. � The project came to

grief when the council refused to renewtheir grant.

grill

grill /'rl/ noun a part of a cooker wherefood is cooked under the heat � Cookthe chops under the grill. � verb to cooksomething in this part of the cooker �We’re having grilled sardines for dinner.

grim

grim /'rm/ adjective 1. serious and notsmiling � His expression was grim. �He gave a grim laugh and went onworking. 2. grey and unpleasant � Thetown centre is really grim.

grimy

grimy /�'rami/ adjective covered withold dirt that is difficult to remove � Thefurniture was broken and the windowswere grimy.

grin

grin /'rn/ verb to smile widely � Hegrinned when we asked him if he likedhis job. (NOTE: grins – grinning –grinned) � noun a wide smile � Shegave me a big grin.

grind

grind /'rand/ verb 1. to crush some-thing to powder � to grind coffee 2. torub surfaces together (NOTE: grinds –grinding – ground /'raυnd/)

grip

grip /'rp/ noun a firm hold � He has astrong firm grip. � These tyres give abetter grip on the road surface. � verb1. to hold something tight � She grippedthe rail with both hands. 2. to be very in-teresting to someone � The storygripped me from the first page. (NOTE:grips – gripping – gripped)

groove

groove /'ruv/ noun a wide line cut intoa surface

gross

gross /'rəυs/ adjective total; with noth-ing taken away � What’s your gross sal-ary? � adverb with nothing taken away� His salary is paid gross.

ground

ground /'raυnd/ noun 1. the surface ofthe earth � The factory was burnt to theground. � There were no seats, so wehad to sit on the ground. � She lay downon the ground and went to sleep. 2. soilor earth � You should dig the ground inthe autumn. � The house is built on wetground. � It has been so dry that theground is hard. 3. an area of land usedfor a special purpose � a footballground � a sports ground � a cricketground � a show ground � plural noungrounds 1. a large area of land around


ground floor 148 guide

a big house or institution � The policesearched the school grounds for theweapon. � The village fair is held in thegrounds of the hospital. 2. reasons �Does he have any grounds for com-plaint? � What grounds have you gotfor saying that?

ground floor

ground floor /�'raυnd �flɔ/ noun afloor in a building which is level withthe street

group

group /'rup/ noun 1. a number of peo-ple together � a group of houses in thevalley � Groups of people gathered inthe street. � She is leading a group ofbusinessmen on a tour of Italian facto-ries. � There are reduced prices forgroups of 30 and over. 2. a way of clas-sifying things � These drugs belong tothe same group. 3. people playing musictogether � He plays in a jazz group. �She’s the lead singer in a pop group.

grow

grow /'rəυ/ verb 1. (of plants) to live anddevelop � There was grass growing inthe middle of the road. � Roses growwell in our garden. 2. to make plantsgrow � He grows all his vegetables inhis garden. � We are going to growsome cabbages this year. 3. to becometaller or bigger � He’s grown a lot tallersince I last saw him. � The profit hasgrown to £1m. � The town’s populationis growing very fast. (NOTE: grows –growing – grew /'ru/ – grown/'rəυn/)

grow up phrasal verb to become anadult

growing

growing /�'rəυŋ/ adjective 1. becom-ing bigger in size or amount 2. becom-ing stronger or more extreme � growingfear of war

grown

grown /'rəυn/ adjective full size � Whatsilly behaviour from a grown man!

growth

growth /'rəυθ/ noun an increase in size� the rapid growth of the populationsince 1980 � They measured the tree’sgrowth over the last fifty years.

grubby

grubby /�'r�bi/ adjective so dirty as tobe unpleasant � A grubby little boyasked for money. � He was wearing agrubby old shirt. (NOTE: grubbier –grubbiest)

grumblegrumble /�'r�mbəl/ to complain in abad-tempered way, especially regularlyand often about unimportant things �He’s always grumbling about the musicfrom the flat above.

guaranteeguarantee /�'�rən��ti/ noun 1. a legaldocument in which someone states thatsomething is going to happen � Thetravel agent could not give a guaranteethat we would be accommodated in thehotel mentioned in the brochure. 2. apromise � I can’t give you any guaran-tee of success. � verb to give a firmpromise that something will work, thatsomething will be done � I can guaran-tee that the car will give you no trouble.� We can almost guarantee good weath-er in the Caribbean at this time of year.(NOTE: guarantees – guaranteeing –guaranteed)

guardguard /'ɑd/ noun 1. a person who pro-tects, often a soldier � Security guardspatrol the factory at night. 2. the man incharge of a train � The guard helped myput my bike into his van. � verb to watchsomeone or somewhere carefully to pre-vent attacks or escapes � The prison isguarded at all times. � to be on yourguard to try to be ready for an unpleas-ant surprise � You always have to be onyour guard against burglars.

guerrillaguerrilla /'ə��rlə/, guerilla noun a sol-dier who is not part of a regular nationalarmy

guessguess /'es/ noun an attempt to give theright answer or amount � Go on – makea guess! � At a guess, I’d say it weighsabout 10 kilos. � verb to try to give theright answer or amount � I would guessit’s about six o’clock. � Neither of themguessed the right answer. � He guessedright. � I’ve bought you a present – shutyour eyes and guess what it is.

guestguest /'est/ noun 1. a person who is in-vited to come to your home or to anevent � We had a very lively party withdozens of guests. � None of the guestsleft the party early. 2. a person stayingin a hotel � Guests are requested to va-cate their rooms before midday.

guidanceguidance /�'ad(ə)ns/ noun adviceguideguide /'ad/ noun 1. a person who shows

you the way � They used local farmers


guidebook 149 gym

as guides through the forest. 2. a personwho shows tourists round a place � Theguide showed us round the castle. � Themuseum guide spoke so fast that wecouldn’t understand what she was say-ing. 3. a book which gives information� a guide to Athens � a guide to the but-terflies of Europe � verb 1. to showsomeone the way to somewhere � Sheguided us up the steps in the dark. 2. toshow tourists round a place � He guidedus round the castle and told us about itshistory.

guidebookguidebook /�'adbυk/ noun a bookwith information about a place

guiltyguilty /�'lti/ adjective 1. who has com-mitted a crime � He was found guilty ofmurder. � The jury decided she was notguilty. 2. feeling unhappy because youhave done something wrong � I feelvery guilty about not having written toyou. (NOTE: guiltier – guiltiest)

guitarguitar /'��tɑ/ noun a musical instrumentwith six strings, played with the fingers� He plays the guitar in a pop group.

gulfgulf /'�lf/ noun an area of sea partly sur-rounded by land � the Gulf of Mexico

gumgum /'�m/ noun 1. glue � She spreadgum on the back of the photo and stuckit onto a sheet of paper. 2. the flesharound the base of your teeth � Brush-ing your teeth every day is good for yourgums. � verb to stick something withglue � She gummed the pictures onto asheet of paper. (NOTE: gums – gum-ming – gummed)

gungun /'�n/ noun 1. a weapon whichshoots bullets � The robber pulled out agun. � She grabbed his gun and shot

him dead. 2. a small piece of equipmentwhich you hold in your hand to spray asubstance such as paint or glue � Aspray gun gives an even coating ofpaint. � to jump the gun to start tooquickly � The new law comes into effectin a month’s time, but some shops havealready jumped the gun.

gunman

gunman /�'�nmən/ noun a man armedwith a gun � The gunman pulled out arevolver and started shooting. (NOTE:The plural is gunmen.)

gut

gut /'�t/ noun the tube in which food isdigested as it passes through the body �He complained of a pain in the gut.

guts

guts /'�ts/ plural noun courage(informal) � She had the guts to tell theboss he was wrong.

gutter

gutter /�'�tə/ noun 1. the side of a roadwhere water can flow � Pieces of paperand leaves were blowing about in thegutter. 2. an open pipe under the edge ofa roof for catching rain � It rained sohard the gutters overflowed.

guy

guy /'a/ noun 1. a man (informal) � Shemarried a guy from Texas. � The boss isa very friendly guy. � Hey, you guys,come and look at this! 2. a model of aman burnt on Bonfire Night, November5th � The children are collectingclothes to make a guy. � Penny for theguy!

gym

gym /d"m/ noun 1. a place with specialequipment, or a large hall as in a school,for indoor sports and physical training �I go to the gym twice a week to exercise.2. physical exercises, especially as anactivity at school


Hh

h /etʃ/, H noun the eighth letter of the al-phabet, between G and I

habit

habit /�h�bt/ noun something thatsomeone does regularly � He has thehabit of biting his fingernails.

had

had /əd, həd, h�d/ past tense and pastparticiple of have

hail

hail /hel/ noun frozen rain � I thoughtthe hail was going to break the wind-screen. � verb to fall as frozen rain � Ithailed for ten minutes and then the suncame out.

hair

hair /heə/ noun 1. a mass of long fibresgrowing on your head � She has longbrown hair or her hair is long andbrown. � She always brushes her hairbefore washing it. � You must get yourhair cut. � He’s had his hair cut short.� Use some hair spray to keep your hairin place. 2. one of the fibres growing onthe body of a human or animal � Waiter,there’s a hair in my soup! � The cat hasleft hairs all over the cushion. � He’sbeginning to get some grey hairs.

hairdresser

hairdresser /�heədresə/ noun a personwho cuts and washes your hair

hairstyle

hairstyle /�heəstal/ noun the way inwhich your hair has been cut or ar-ranged

half

half /hɑf/ noun 1. one of two parts whichare the same in size � She cut the orangein half. � One half of the apple fell onthe carpet. � Half of six is three. 2. (insport) one of two parts of a match � Ourteam scored a goal in the first half. � Wethought we were going to win, and thenthey scored in the final minutes of thesecond half.

half past

half past /�hɑf �pɑst/ phrase 30 min-utes after an hour

half-term

half-term /�hɑf �t�m/ noun a short hol-iday in the middle of a school term

halfway

halfway /�hɑf��we/ adverb in the mid-dle � Come on, we’re more than half-

way there! � The post office is abouthalfway between the station and ourhouse.

hall

hall /hɔl/ noun 1. a room just inside theentrance to a house, where you canleave your coat � Don’t wait in the hall,come straight into the dining room. �She left her umbrella in the hall. 2. alarge room where large numbers of peo-ple can come together � The childrenhave their dinner in the school hall.

halt

halt /hɔlt/ noun a complete stop � verbto stop something � The cars haltedwhen the traffic lights went red. � Weare trying to halt experiments on liveanimals.

halve

halve /hɑv/ verb to reduce something byhalf � Because the town has no cash, itsbudget has been halved.

ham

ham /h�m/ noun meat from a pig whichhas been treated, e.g. with salt � She cutthree slices of ham. � We had a ham andtomato salad. � She had a ham sand-wich for lunch.

hamburger

hamburger /�h�mb�'ə/ noun a pieceof minced beef grilled and served in atoasted roll

hammer

hammer /�h�mə/ noun a tool with aheavy head for knocking nails � She hitthe nail hard with the hammer. � verb 1.to knock something such as a nail intosomething such as a piece of wood witha hammer � It took him a few minutes tohammer the tent pegs into the ground. 2.to hit something hard, as with a hammer� He hammered the table with his fist. �She hammered on the door with herstick.

hand

hand /h�nd/ noun 1. the part of the bodyat the end of each arm, which you usefor holding things � She was carrying acup of tea in each hand. � She held outher hand, asking for money. � theywalked along hand in hand theywalked holding each other by the hand


handbag 151 hard

2. one of the two long parts on a clockwhich move round and show the time.The minute hand is longer than the hourhand. � verb to pass something tosomeone � Can you hand me that box?� She handed me all her money. � togive or lend someone a hand withsomething to help someone withsomething � Can you lend a hand withmoving the furniture? � He gave me ahand with the washing up. � to shakehands to hold someone’s hand to showyou are pleased to meet them or to showthat an agreement has been reached �The visitors shook hands and the meet-ing started.hand in phrasal verb to give somethingto someone such as a teacher or a police-man � We handed in the money we hadfound.hand over phrasal verb to give some-thing to someone � She handed over allthe documents to the lawyers.

handbag

handbag /�h�ndb�'/ noun a small bagwhich a woman carries to hold smallthings such as money or make-up

handicaphandicap /�h�ndik�p/ noun 1. a phys-ical or mental condition which makesordinary activities difficult (dated) 2.something which puts you at a disad-vantage � Not being able to drive is ahandicap in this job.

handkerchiefhandkerchief /�h�ŋkətʃf/ noun apiece of cloth or thin paper for wipingyour nose (NOTE: The plural is hand-kerchiefs or handkerchieves.)

handlehandle /�h�nd(ə)l/ noun a part of some-thing which you hold in your hand tocarry something or to use something � Iturned the handle but the door didn’topen. � Be careful, the handle of the fry-ing pan may be hot. � The handle hascome off my suitcase. � He broke thehandle off the cup. � verb to move byhand � Be careful when you handle thebottles of acid.

handsome

handsome /�h�ns(ə)m/ adjective ahandsome man or boy has an attractiveface � Her boyfriend is very handsome.(NOTE: usually used of men rather thanwomen)

handwritinghandwriting /�h�ndratŋ/ noun writ-ing done by hand

handy

handy /�h�ndi/ adjective practical anduseful � to come in handy to be useful� The knife will come in handy when weare camping.

hang

hang /h�ŋ/ verb to attach one thing toanother so that it does not touch theground � Hang your coat on the hookbehind the door. � He hung his umbrellaover the back of his chair. � We hung thepainting in the hall. � The boys werehanging upside down from a tree.(NOTE: hangs – hanging – hung/h�ŋ/)

hang around phrasal verb to wait in acertain place without doing anythingmuchhang on phrasal verb to wait � If youhang on a few minutes you will be ableto see her.

happen

happen /�h�pən/ verb 1. to take place �The accident happened at the trafficlights. � How did the accident happen?� Something happened to make all thebuses late. � He’s late – something musthave happened to him. 2. � to happento someone or something to have an ef-fect on someone or something � What’shappened to his brother since he leftschool? � as it happens, as it hap-pened completely by chance � As ithappens I have the car today and cangive you a lift. � It so happened that mywife bumped into her at the supermar-ket.

happily

happily /�h�pli/ adverb in a happy wayhappiness

happiness /�h�pinəs/ noun a feeling ofbeing happy

happy

happy /�h�pi/ adjective 1. (of people)very pleased � I’m happy to say we’regetting married next month. � I’m sohappy to hear that you are better. �She’s very happy in her job. 2. (ofevents) pleasant � It was the happiestday of my life.

harbour

harbour /�hɑbə/ noun a place whereboats can come and tie up � The shipcame into harbour last night.

hard

hard /hɑd/ adjective 1. not soft � If youhave back trouble, you ought to get ahard bed. � The ice cream is rock hardor hard as a rock. � The cake she madeis so hard I can’t bite into it. 2. not easy


hardly 152 head

� Some of the questions were very hard.� It’s hard to stay happy when badthings happen. � adverb 1. strongly �He hit the nail hard. � It’s snowing veryhard. 2. with a lot of effort � Theyworked hard to finish the order on time.� She always tries hard. � it’s hard tosay it’s difficult to know � It’s hard tosay if it’s going to rain or not.

hardlyhardly /�hɑdli/ adverb almost not � Doyou know her? – Hardly at all. � Wehardly slept a wink last night. � Shehardly eats anything at all.

hardwarehardware /�hɑdweə/ noun tools andpans used in the home � I bought thepaint in a hardware shop.

harmharm /hɑm/ noun damage done to peo-ple or animals � He didn’t mean to doany harm or He meant no harm. �There’s no harm in having a little drinkbefore you go to bed. � verb to physical-ly affect something or someone in a badway � Luckily, the little girl was notharmed. � The bad publicity hasharmed our reputation.

harmfulharmful /�hɑmf(ə)l/ adjective whichcauses damage

harmless

harmless /�hɑmləs/ adjective whichdoes not upset or hurt anyone

harshharsh /hɑʃ/ adjective 1. severe � Theprosecutor asked for a harsh sentence tofit the crime. 2. rough � He shouted in aharsh voice.

harvestharvest /�hɑvst/ noun picking crops �The corn harvest is in August. � verb topick crops � The corn will be ready toharvest next week. � They have startedharvesting the grapes in the vineyard.

hashas /əz, həz, h�z/ 3rd person singularpresent of have

hat

hat /h�t/ noun a piece of clothing whichyou wear on your head � Take your hatoff when you go into a church. � He’sbought a Russian fur hat for the winter.

hatehate /het/ verb to dislike someone orsomething very much � I think shehates me, but I don’t know why. � I hatebeing late. � noun a very strong feelingof not liking someone � Her eyes werefull of hate.

hatredhatred /�hetrd/ noun a very strongfeeling of not liking someone or some-

thing � She had a hatred of unfair treat-ment.

haul

haul /hɔl/ verb to pull something witheffort � They hauled the boat up ontothe beach.

have

have /həv, əv, h�v/ verb 1. to ownsomething � She has a lot of money. �They have a new green car. � She haslong dark hair. � The house has no tele-phone. � Do you have a table for three,please? 2. to take or eat something �Have you had any tea? � She has sugarin her coffee. � They had a meal ofbread and cheese. � She had her break-fast in bed. 3. to play a game of some-thing � They had a game of tennis. � Ihad a long walk. 4. to arrange for some-thing to be done for you � I must havemy hair cut. � She’s having the housepainted. 5. used to form the present andpast perfect form of verbs � Have theyfinished their work? � She has neverbeen to Paris. � They had finished sup-per when we arrived. � I haven’t seenhim for two days. � If she had asked meI would have said no. 6. used to intro-duce good wishes to someone � Have anice day! � Have a good trip! (NOTE:has – having – had)

have got phrasal verb 1. to own some-thing � She’s got dark hair. � Have yougot a table for three, please? � They’vegot a new green car. � The house hasn’tgot a telephone. � They haven’t gotenough to eat. 2. used to mean ‘must’ �Why have you got to go so early? �She’s got to learn to drive.

hay

hay /he/ noun dried grass used to feedanimals such as cows

he

he /hi, hi/ pronoun referring to a man orboy, and some animals � He’s my broth-er. � He and I met in Oxford. � He’s eat-en all my pudding. � Don’t be fright-ened of the dog – he won’t hurt you. �

him, his (NOTE: When it is the object,he becomes him: He hit the ball or Theball hit him. When it follows the verb tobe, he usually becomes him: Who’sthat? – It’s him, the man who borrowedmy knife.)

head

head /hed/ noun 1. the top part of thebody, where your eyes, nose, mouth andbrain are � He says he can relax by


headache 153 heating

standing on his head. � She hit her headon the cupboard door. 2. your brain; in-telligence � She has a good head for fig-ures. � He tried to do the sum in hishead. � If we all put our heads togetherwe might come up with a solution. 3. thefirst place � An old lady was standing atthe head of the queue. � His namecomes at the head of the list. 4. the mostimportant person � She’s head of thesales department. � The head waitershowed us to our table. 5. one person, orone animal, when counting � She count-ed heads as the children got onto thecoach. � There are fifty head of sheep inthe flock. � verb to go towards some-thing � She headed immediately for themanager’s office. � The car headed eastalong the motorway. � He’s heading to-wards the Channel ports. � She’s head-ing for trouble. � to shake your headto move your head from side to side tomean ‘no’ � She asked him if he wantedany more coffee and he shook his head.

headacheheadache /�hedek/ noun a pain in yourhead � I’ve got a bad headache.

headlineheadline /�hedlan/ noun words in largeletters on the front page of a newspaper� Did you see the headlines about theaccident?

headquartersheadquarters /hed��kwɔtəz/ noun themain offices of a large organisation �Several people were arrested and takento police headquarters. AbbreviationHQ

head teacherhead teacher /�hed �titʃə/ noun a manor woman who is in charge of a school

healheal /hil/ verb to make someone orsomething healthy again, or to becomehealthy again � She claims to be able toheal people through touch. � Thisshould help the wound to heal. (NOTE:Do not confuse with heel.)

healthhealth /helθ/ noun the fact of being wellor being free from any illness � He hasenjoyed the best of health for years. �Smoking is bad for your health.

healthyhealthy /�helθi/ adjective 1. not ill �He’s healthier than he has ever been. 2.making you stay fit and well � thehealthiest place in England � She’skeeping to a healthy diet. (NOTE:healthier – healthiest)

heap

heap /hip/ noun a pile � a heap of coal� Step over that heap of rubbish. � verbto pile things up � A pile of presentswere heaped under the Christmas tree.� Boxes were heaped up on the stationplatform.

hear

hear /hə/ verb 1. to notice sounds withyour ears � He heard footsteps behindhim. � You could hear the sound ofchurch bells in the distance. � I heardher drive up in the car. � Can you hearhim singing in the bath? 2. to listen tosomething � Did you hear the talk onthe radio? � I heard it on the BBC news.3. to get information � I hear he’s got anew job. � Have you heard that themanager has resigned? � We have notheard from them for some time. (NOTE:hears – hearing – heard /h�d/)

hearing

hearing /�hərŋ/ noun the ability to hear� Bats have a very sharp sense of hear-ing. � She has hearing difficulties.(NOTE: no plural)

heart

heart /hɑt/ noun 1. a main organ in thebody, which pumps blood around it �She isn’t dead – her heart’s still beating.� The doctor listened to his heart. � Hehas had heart trouble for years. 2. yourfeelings and emotions � My heart sankwhen I realised that he hadn’t read myletter. 3. a centre or middle � The res-taurant is in the heart of the old town. 4.one of the red sets in a game of cards,with a symbol shaped like a heart � Mylast card was the ten of hearts. (NOTE:The other red suit is diamonds; clubsand spades are the black suits.)

heat

heat /hit/ noun 1. the state of being hot� The heat of the sun made the icecream melt. 2. the amount of heat pro-duced by an oven or heating system �Cook the vegetables over a low heat. 3.one part of a sports competition � Thereare two heats before the final race. �verb to make something hot � Can youheat the soup while I’m getting the tableready? � The room was heated by asmall electric fire. � Heat the milk toroom temperature.

heating

heating /�hitŋ/ noun a way of keepinga place such as a house or an officewarm


heaven 154 helpfulheaven

heaven /�hev(ə)n/ noun a beautifulplace believed by some people to bewhere good people go after death � Shebelieves that when she dies she will goto heaven. � for heaven’s sake an ex-pression showing you are annoyed, orthat something is important � What areyou screaming for? – It’s only a littlemouse, for heaven’s sake. � For heav-en’s sake try to be quiet, we don’t wantthe guards to hear us! � good heavensan expression showing you are sur-prised � Good heavens! It’s almost 10o’clock!

heavily

heavily /�hevli/ adverb 1. with force �He sat down heavily on the little chair.2. to a great extent; very much � Thecompany was heavily criticised in thepress. � She is heavily in debt. � Itrained heavily during the night.

heavy

heavy /�hevi/ adjective 1. weighing a lot� This suitcase is so heavy I can hardlylift it. � She’s heavier than I am. 2. inlarge amounts � There has been a heavydemand for the book. � There was aheavy fall of snow during the night. �The radio says there is heavy traffic inthe centre of town. � to be a heavysmoker to smoke a lot of cigarettes � tobe a heavy drinker to drink a lot of al-cohol

hedge

hedge /hed"/ noun a row of bushesplanted and kept in an even shape toform a screen round a field or garden �There is a thick hedge round the church-yard.

heel

heel /hil/ noun 1. the back part of thefoot � After walking, she got sore heels.2. the back part of a sock or shoe � He’sgot a hole in the heel of his sock. � Shealways wears shoes with high heels orhigh-heeled shoes.

height

height /hat/ noun 1. a measurement ofhow high something is or how tall some-one is � The height of the bridge is onlythree metres. 2. the highest point �looking down on the city from theheights around 3. a time of great activity� It is difficult to find hotel rooms at theheight of the tourist season.

held

held /held/ past tense and past participleof hold

helicopter

helicopter /�helkɒptə/ noun an aircraftwith a set of large flat blades on top thatspin round, making it rise straight up inthe air

hell

hell /hel/ noun 1. a place where somepeople believe bad people are sent afterthey die � Medieval pictures show hellas a burning place. 2. a very unpleasantplace or experience � It’s hell workingin the office these days. 3. used to em-phasise what you are saying (informal)� What the hell’s been going on here? �Am I going to lend you £50? Am I hell!(NOTE: Using expressions that includethe word hell is offensive to some peo-ple.)

he’ll

he’ll /hil, hil/ short form he willhello

hello /hə��ləυ/ interjection used as a greet-ing � She called hello from the otherside of the street. � Hello Mary! I’mglad to see you. � When you see her, sayhello to her from me. (NOTE: alsospelled hallo, hullo.)

helmet

helmet /�helmt/ noun a solid hat used asa protection

help

help /help/ noun 1. something whichmakes it easier for you to do something� She was washing the floor with thehelp of a big mop. � Do you need anyhelp with moving the furniture? � Shefinds the word-processor a great help inwriting her book. � Her assistant is notmuch help in the office – he can’t type ordrive. 2. the act of making it easier forsomeone to do something � Peoplewere calling for help from the ruins ofthe house. � The nurses offered help topeople injured in the accident. � verb tomake it easier for someone to do some-thing � He helped the old lady up thesteps. � The government wants to helpsmall businesses. � Your father can helpyou with your homework. � One of myfriends helped me move the piano intothe bedroom.

helper

helper /�helpə/ noun a person who helpssomeone do a particular job or task, es-pecially without being paid

helpful

helpful /�helpf(ə)l/ adjective useful orgiving help to someone � She madesome helpful suggestions. � They werevery helpful when we moved house.


helping 155 highhelping

helping /�helpŋ/ noun an amount offood for one person � The helpings inthis restaurant are very small. � Chil-dren’s helpings are not as large as thosefor adults.

helpless

helpless /�helpləs/ adjective not able todo anything to make a bad situation bet-ter

hen

hen /hen/ noun an adult female chicken� The hens were scared by the fox. �Look, one of the hens has laid an egg!

hence

hence /hens/ adverb in the future � Fivemonths hence, the situation should bebetter.

herher /ə, hə, h�/ object pronoun referringto a female � There’s a parcel for her inreception. � Did you see her? � He toldher to go away. � adjective belongingto a female, a ship or a country � Some-one has stolen all her luggage. � Haveyou seen her father? � The dog doesn’twant to eat her food. � France is help-ing her businesses to sell more abroad.

herbherb /h�b/ noun a plant used to give fla-vour to food, or as a medicine

herd

herd /h�d/ noun a group of animals, es-pecially cows � Herds of cattle weregrazing on the hillside. (NOTE: Theword herd is usually used with cattle;for sheep, goats, and birds, the word touse is flock.)

here

here /hə/ adverb 1. in this place � I’ll sithere in the shade and wait for you. �Here are the keys you lost. � I’ll put thebook down here next to your computer.� They have been living here in Englandfor a long time. 2. to this place � Comehere at once! � Can you bring the chairshere, please? � Here comes the bus! �

here you are take this � Here you are,today’s newspaper!

hero

hero /�hərəυ/ noun 1. a brave man � Thehero of the fire was the man who man-aged to rescue the children from an up-stairs room. 2. the main male characterin something such as a book, play orfilm � The hero of the story is a littleboy. (NOTE: The plural is heroes.)

hers

hers /h�z/ pronoun belonging to her �That watch is hers, not mine.

herself

herself /ə��self, hə��self/ pronoun usedfor referring back to a female subject �

The manager wrote to me herself. � Didyour sister enjoy herself? � She’s tooyoung to be able to dress herself.

hesitatehesitate /�heztet/ verb to be slow tospeak or make a decision � He hesitatedfor a moment and then said ‘no’. �She’s hesitating about whether to ac-cept the job.

hiccuphiccup /�hk�p/, hiccough noun 1. asudden high sound that you sometimesmake in your throat, e.g. if you havebeen eating too quickly � She had an at-tack of hiccups. � He got the hiccupsfrom laughing too much. 2. a small thingwhich goes wrong � There has been aslight hiccup in the delivery of our sup-plies. � verb to make a hiccup � Shepatted him on the back when he sudden-ly started to hiccup. � He hiccupped soloudly that everyone in the restaurantstared at him. (NOTE: hiccups – hic-cupping – hiccupped)

hiddenhidden /�hd(ə)n/ adjective which can-not be seen or found easily � There’s ahidden safe in the wall behind his desk.� They say there’s some hidden treasurein the castle.

hidehide /had/ verb 1. to put somethingwhere no one can see or find it � She hidthe presents in the kitchen. � They keptsome gold coins hidden under the bed.� Someone has hidden my car keys. 2.to put yourself where no one can see orfind you � They hid in the bushes untilthe police car had gone past. � Quick!Hide behind the door! (NOTE: hides –hiding – hid /hd/ – has hidden/�hd(ə)n/)

hideoushideous /�hdiəs/ adjective extremelyunpleasant to look at � Where did sheget that hideous dress?

hidinghiding /�hadŋ/ noun a situation inwhich you have put yourself where noone can find you � He stayed in hidingfor three days until the soldiers left thevillage. � They decided to go into hidingfor a time until the police called off theirsearch.

highhigh /ha/ adjective 1. far above otherthings � Everest is the highest mountainin the world. � The new building is 20storeys high. � The kitchen has a highceiling. � The door is not high enough


highly 156 hit

for us to get the wardrobe into the bed-room. � height (NOTE: High is usedwith figures: the mountain is 1,000 me-tres high. High also refers to thingsthat are a long way above the ground:a high mountain, high clouds. For peo-ple and narrow things like trees usetall: a tall man.) 2. large in quantity �the high level of unemployment in thecountry � He earns a high income. �High prices put customers off. � The carshakes when going at high speeds. �The price of petrol is higher every year.� adverb above; up in the air � The sunrose high in the sky. � The bird flewhigher and higher. (NOTE: higher –highest)

highly

highly /�hali/ adverb used before someadjectives to mean ‘very well’ � highlypriced meals � The restaurant has beenhighly recommended. � Their employ-ees are not very highly paid.

highway

highway /�hawe/ noun a main publicroad � A footbridge was built over thehighway.

hijack

hijack /�had"�k/ verb to take control ofa vehicle by force � The men hijackedthe lorry and left the driver by the road.� They hijacked an aircraft and orderedthe pilot to fly to Moscow.

hilarious

hilarious /h��leəriəs/ adjective veryfunny � I thought the play was hilari-ous.

hill

hill /hl/ noun a piece of high land(informal) � The hills are covered withspring flowers. � If you climb to the topof the hill you will get a good view of thevalley.

him

him /m, hm/ object pronoun referringto a male � Tell him there’s a letter wait-ing for him. � Have you spoken to himtoday? � That’s him! – The man withthe beard.

himself

himself /m��self, hm��self/ pronounused for referring back to a male subject� I was served by the manager himself.� The doctor has got flu himself. � Didyour brother enjoy himself?

hinge

hinge /hnd"/ noun a piece of metal usedto hold something, e.g. a door, windowor lid, so that it can swing open and shut

� That hinge squeaks – it needs someoil. � They lifted the door off its hinges.

hinthint /hnt/ noun 1. something you saythat reveals information in an indirectway � He didn’t give a hint as to wherehe was going on holiday. 2. a piece ofadvice or a suggestion � She gave mesome useful hints about painting furni-ture. � I don’t know what to give her forher birthday – have you any hints? �verb to say something in a way thatmakes people guess what you mean �She hinted that her sister was pregnant.

hiphip /hp/ noun the part of the body whereyour legs join your waist � The tailormeasured him round the hips. � adjec-tive very fashionable (slang) � That’s avery hip shirt she’s wearing.

hirehire /�haə/ verb 1. (of a borrower) to paymoney to use something for a time �She hired a car for the weekend. � Hewas driving a hired car when the acci-dent happened. 2. to employ someone towork for you � We’ve hired three moresales assistants. � They hired a smallcompany to paint their offices. � nounthe act of paying money to rent some-thing such as a car, a boat or a piece ofequipment

his

his /z, hz/ adjective belonging to him �He’s lost all his money. � Have you methis mother? � Our dog wants his food.� pronoun belonging to him � Thatwatch is his, not mine.

historicalhistorical /h��stɒrk(ə)l/ adjective re-lating to history � He likes books of his-torical interest.

historyhistory /�hst(ə)ri/ noun 1. the study ofthe past � He is studying Greek history.� She failed her history exam. � Sheteaches history at London University. 2.a book which tells the story of what hap-pened in the past � He wrote a history ofthe French Revolution.

hithit /ht/ noun someone or something thatis very popular, e.g. a song, a film or aperformer � The song rapidly became ahit. � The play was a West End hit. �She was a hit with the old people’s club.� verb 1. to knock something or some-one � The car hit the tree. � She hit himon the head with a bottle. � She hit theball so hard that we couldn’t find it. � I


hoard 157 hold-up

hit my head on the cupboard door. 2. tocause someone to realise something � Itsuddenly hit her that now she was di-vorced she would have to live alone.(NOTE: hits – hitting – hit)hit back phrasal verb 1. to hit someonewho has hit you � They hit him so hardthat he was unable to hit back. 2. to dosomething as a reaction to something �When the supermarket chain loweredtheir prices, the other chains hit back bylowering prices too. � He hit back at theinspectors, saying that their report wasbiased.

hoard

hoard /hɔd/ noun a store of somethingsuch as food or money, which has beencollected � They discovered a hoard ofgold coins in the field. � verb to buy andstore supplies of something essentialthat you think you will need in a crisis �Everyone started hoarding fuel duringthe strike.

hobby

hobby /�hɒbi/ noun an enjoyable activitywhich you do in your spare time (NOTE:The plural is hobbies.)

hockey

hockey /�hɒki/ noun a team game playedon grass, where you try to hit a smallball into your opponents’ goal using along stick which is curved at the end �He played in the hockey team at school.

hoist

hoist /hɔst/ verb to lift something orsomeone using special equipment or alot of force � The box was hoisted up ona rope. � It’s time to hoist the flag.

hold

hold /həυld/ verb 1. to keep something orsomeone tight, especially in your hand� She was holding the baby in her arms.� She held her ticket between her teethas she was carrying suitcases in bothhands. � Hold tight – the machine is go-ing to start. � He held the bag close tohis chest. 2. to be large enough to con-tain a certain quantity of things or peo-ple � The bottle holds two litres. � Thebox will hold four pairs of shoes. � Willthe car hold eight people? � The planeholds 250 passengers. 3. to make anevent happen � They are holding a partyfor their wedding anniversary. � Themeeting will be held next Tuesday in thetown hall. 4. to own something � Sheholds a valid driving licence. � Heholds the record for the 2000 metres. 5.

to keep someone inside � The prisonerswere held in police cells overnight.(NOTE: holds – holding – held /held/)� to hold your breath to keep air inyour lungs, e.g. in order to go under wa-ter � She held her breath under waterfor a minute. � We’re all holding ourbreath to see if he wins a gold medal. �noun 1. the bottom part of a ship or anaircraft, in which goods or luggage arestored � You can’t take all that luggagewith you – it has to go in the hold. 2. theact of keeping something tightly in yourhand � He lost his hold on the ladder. �Keep tight hold of the bag, we don’twant it stolen. � to get hold of someoneto manage to contact someone by tele-phone � I tried to get hold of the doctorbut he was out.

hold on phrasal verb 1. to hold some-thing tightly � She held on to the ropewith both hands. � Hold on to yourpurse in the crowd. � Hold on tight,we’re turning! 2. to wait � Hold on amoment, I’ll get my umbrella. � Do youwant to speak to the manager? Hold on,I’ll find him for you.hold out phrasal verb 1. to movesomething towards someone � Hold outyour plate to be served. � He held outhis hand but she refused to shake it. 2. tomanage to be strong enough � The cas-tle held out for ten weeks against a hugeenemy army.hold up phrasal verb 1. to lift someoneor something � He held up his hand. �He held the little boy up so that he couldsee the procession. 2. to support some-thing � The roof is held up by those pil-lars. 3. to make someone or somethinglate � The planes were held up by fog. �Government ministers are holding upthe deal. 4. to use a gun to make some-one give up all their money � Six gun-men held up the security van.

hold-up

hold-up /�həυld �p/ noun 1. a delay; anoccasion on which something is laterthan planned � Long hold-ups are ex-pected because of road works on themotorway. � There’s been a hold-upand the goods won’t arrive till nextweek. 2. an occasion on which a personwith a gun steals money from someone


hole 158 hood

� The gang carried out three hold-upsin the same day.

hole

hole /həυl/ noun an opening or a space insomething � You’ve got a hole in yoursock. � We all peeped through the holein the fence. � Rabbits live in holes inthe ground.

holiday

holiday /�hɒlde/ noun 1. a period whenyou do not work, and sometimes go andstay in a different place � When are youtaking your holiday or When are youplanning to go on holiday? � He’s go-ing to Spain on holiday. � We alwaysspend our holidays in the mountains. �How many days’ holiday do you haveeach year? 2. a day on which most peo-ple do not work because of laws or reli-gious rules � The office is closed for theChristmas holiday.

hollow

hollow /�hɒləυ/ adjective with a hole in-side � a hollow log � If you tap the boxit sounds hollow.

holy

holy /�həυli/ adjective relating to religionor the church � They went to ask a holyman his advice.

home

home /həυm/ noun 1. the place whereyou live or where your parents live �Their home is a flat in the centre of Lon-don. � Will you be at home tomorrowevening? � When do you leave home forwork in the morning? � I like to gohome for the holidays. � to make your-self at home to behave as if you were inyour own home � He lay down on mysofa, opened a bottle of beer, and madehimself at home. 2. a house � They arebuilding fifty new homes on the edge ofthe village. 3. a house where people arelooked after � My aunt has moved to anold people’s home. 4. � at home (insports) on the local sports ground �Our team is playing at home next Satur-day. � adverb towards the place whereyou usually live � We’ve got to go homenow. � He usually gets home by 7o’clock. � Don’t send it – I’ll take ithome with me. � If you don’t want towalk, you can always take the bus home.(NOTE: used without a preposition: Hewent home or She’s coming home.) �adjective referring to where you live orwhere you were born � My home town

is Birmingham. � Send the letter to myhome address, not to my office.

homework

homework /�həυmw�k/ noun workwhich you take home from school to doin the evening � Have you finished yourmaths homework? � I haven’t got anyhomework today, so I can watch TV.(NOTE: no plural)

honest

honest /�ɒnst/ adjective 1. telling thetruth � He was honest with the policeand told them what he had done. 2.tending to tell people the truth; treatingpeople fairly � I wouldn’t buy a carfrom that garage – I’m not sure they’recompletely honest.

honestly

honestly /�ɒnstli/ adverb 1. in an openand honest way 2. used to express a feel-ing of being annoyed � Honestly, youmight have told me sooner!

honesty

honesty /�ɒnsti/ noun the quality of be-ing honest � I admire him for his hones-ty in saying the job was too difficult forhim.

honey

honey /�h�ni/ noun a sweet substanceproduced by bees � I like honey ontoast. � Greek cakes are often madewith honey.

honeymoon

honeymoon /�h�nimun/ noun a holi-day taken immediately after a wedding� They went on their honeymoon toCorsica.

honor

honor /�ɒnə/ noun, verb US spelling ofhonour

honour

honour /�ɒnə/ noun 1. the practice ofacting according to what you think isright � He’s a man of honour. 2. some-thing that you are proud of � It is anhonour for me to be invited here today.� verb 1. to show your respect forsomeone � to honour the dead 2. to givesomeone an award to show that you re-spect them � He was honoured by theuniversity. 3. to do what you promised �He honoured the agreement and gavethe staff a pay rise.

hood

hood /hυd/ noun 1. a loose piece ofclothing to cover your head � He has ablue coat with a hood. 2. a folding roofon something such as a car or pram �Let’s put down the hood, it’s very hot. 3.US a metal cover for the front part of acar, covering the engine � He lifted the


hoof 159 hot

hood to see what was wrong with themotor.

hoof

hoof /huf/ noun the part of the foot of ahorse, cow and many other animals(NOTE: The plural is hooves /huvz/.)

hook

hook /hυk/ noun 1. a bent piece of metalfor hanging things on � Hang your coaton the hook behind the door. 2. a verysmall piece of thin bent metal, attachedto a line for catching fish � The fish atethe worm but didn’t swallow the hook.

hop

hop /hɒp/ verb 1. to jump on one leg �He hurt his toe and had to hop aroundon one foot. 2. (of a bird or animal) tojump with both feet together � Magpieswere hopping across the grass. � Thefrog hopped onto the lily pad. (NOTE:hops – hopping – hopped) � noun 1.a little jump � Magpies walk in a seriesof little hops. 2. a short flight � It’s onlya short hop from London to Paris.

hope

hope /həυp/ verb to want and expectsomething to happen � We all hope ourteam wins. � She’s hoping she will soonbe able to drive a car. � I hope it doesn’train. � noun the fact of wanting and ex-pecting something to happen � Ouronly hope is that she will get bettersoon. � They have given up all hope ofrescuing any more earthquake victims.

hopeful

hopeful /�həυpf(ə)l/ adjective confidentthat something will happen � We arehopeful that the company will acceptour offer.

hopeless

hopeless /�həυpləs/ adjective 1. unlike-ly to get better; impossible to improve �The invoices are in a hopeless mess. 2.not at all skilful at something � She’shopeless at tennis. � He’s hopelesswhen it comes to mending cars.

horizon

horizon /hə��raz(ə)n/ noun the line inthe distance where the earth and the skymeet

horizontal

horizontal /�hɒr��zɒnt(ə)l/ adjectiveflat; level with the ground

horn

horn /hɔn/ noun 1. a sharp pointed bonegrowing out of an animal’s head � Thatbull’s horns look very dangerous. 2. apiece of equipment on a car that makesa loud noise to warn people of some-thing 3. a metal musical instrument

which you blow into � a piece of musicfor horn and orchestra

horrible

horrible /�hɒrb(ə)l/ adjective extremelyunpleasant � The victims of the fire hadhorrible injuries. � He’s a horrible littleboy. � We had a horrible meal at therestaurant.

horrified

horrified /�hɒrfad/ adjective fright-ened or shocked

horror

horror /�hɒrə/ noun the fact or feeling ofbeing very frightened � He couldn’thide his horror at hearing the news. �She has a horror of spiders. � Everyonewatched in horror as the planes collid-ed.

horse

horse /hɔs/ noun a large animal used forriding or for pulling vehicles � She wasriding a black horse. � The coach waspulled by six white horses. � He’s out onhis horse every morning.

hospital

hospital /�hɒspt(ə)l/ noun a placewhere sick or hurt people are looked af-ter � She was taken ill at work and sentto hospital. � When is she due to go intohospital? � He was in hospital for sev-eral days after the accident.

host

host /həυst/ noun 1. a person who hasinvited guests � The host asked hisguests what they wanted to drink. 2. thelandlord of a hotel or inn, also some-times of a restaurant 3. the person whointroduces and talks to the guests on aTV or radio show � He had been a hoston a Saturday evening TV show. 4. � ahost of a large number of � We face ahost of problems. � verb 1. to act as hostat a party � The company hosted a re-ception for two hundred guests. 2. to bethe centre where something takes place� Barcelona hosted the OlympicGames. 3. to organise and manage web-sites for other people

hostage

hostage /�hɒstd"/ noun a person whois captured and held by someone or anorganisation, which threatens to kill himor her unless their demands are met �Three of the hostages will be releasedtomorrow. � 1. 2. � He was held hos-tage for more than a year by the rebels.

hot

hot /hɒt/ adjective 1. very warm; with ahigh temperature � The weather is veryhot in June, but August is the hottest


hot dog 160 humor

month. � If you’re too hot, take yourcoat off. � Plates should be kept hot be-fore serving the meal. � heat 2. (offood) full of spices, giving you a burn-ing feeling in your mouth � This curryis particularly hot. � He chose the hot-test dish on the menu.

hot dog

hot dog /�hɒt dɒ'/ noun a snack consist-ing of a hot sausage in a long piece ofbread

hotel

hotel /həυ��tel/ noun a building wheretravellers can rent a room for the night,eat in a restaurant or drink in a bar �They are staying at the Grand Hotel. �I’ll meet you in the hotel lobby. � All thehotel rooms in the town are booked.

hour

hour /aυə/ noun a period of time whichlasts 60 minutes � The train journeytakes two hours. � It’s a three-hourflight to Greece. � The train travels atover 150 miles an hour.

house

house1 /haυs/ noun 1. a building inwhich someone lives � He has bought ahouse in London. � He has a small flatin town and a large house in the country.� All the houses in our street look thesame. 2. a part of a Parliament � TheBritish Parliament is formed of theHouse of Commons and the House ofLords. � The American Congress isformed of the House of Representativesand the Senate.

house

house2 /haυz/ verb to provide a place forsomeone or something to stay or be kept� His collection of old cars is housed ina barn. � We have been asked if we canhouse three students for the summerterm. (NOTE: houses – housing –housed)

household

household /�haυshəυld/ noun the peo-ple living together in a house

housework

housework /�haυsw�k/ noun the workof keeping a house clean (NOTE: no plu-ral)

housing

housing /�haυzŋ/ noun houses � Pub-lic housing has to meet certain stand-ards.

hover

hover /�hɒvə/ verb to hang in the airwithout moving forward � flies hover-ing over the surface of a pool

how

how /haυ/ adverb 1. showing or askingthe way in which something is done �

How do you switch off the cooker? �Can you tell me how to get to the rail-way station from here? � I don’t knowhow he does it. 2. showing or askingabout things such as the age, size orquantity of something � How big istheir house? � How many people arethere in your family? � She showed ushow good she was at skiing. � How oldis your little boy? � How far is it to thechurch? 3. showing surprise � Howcold it is outside! � How different it isfrom what I remember!

however

however /haυ��evə/ adverb but � Wenever go out on Saturdays – however,this week we’re going to a wedding. �conjunction in whatever way � Do ithowever you like.

howl

howl /haυl/ verb to make a long loud highsound like a wolf � The wolves howledoutside the cabin. � The wind howled inthe chimney. � noun a long loud cry �Howls of disappointment came from thefans.

hug

hug /h�'/ noun the act of putting yourarms round someone and holding themclose to you � She ran to the little girland gave her a hug. � verb to throwyour arms around someone � The play-ers hugged each other when the goalwas scored. (NOTE: hugs – hugging –hugged)

huge

huge /hjud"/ adjective of a very largesize � Huge waves battered the ship. �The concert was a huge success. � Fail-ing the test was a huge disappointmentfor him.

hum

hum /h�m/ verb 1. to make a low soundlike a bee � Bees were humming aroundthe hive. 2. to sing without words � Ifyou don’t know the words of the nation-al anthem, you can always hum the tune.(NOTE: hums – humming – hummed)

human

human /�hjumən/ adjective relating topeople

humble

humble /�h�mbəl/ adjective feeling oracting as if you are not as important asother people � Seeing how much workshe does for charity makes me feel veryhumble. (NOTE: humbler – humblest)

humor

humor /�hjumə/ noun US spelling ofhumour


humorous 161 hyphenhumorous

humorous /�hjumərəs/ adjective fun-ny in a quiet way, making people smilerather than laugh � humorous stories �Some of her comments were rather hu-morous.

humorously

humorously /�hjumərəsli/ adverb in ahumorous

humour

humour /�hjumə/ noun 1. the ability tomake situations seem funny � He has agood sense of humour. � She has abso-lutely no sense of humour. � Want tomeet male, aged 30 – 35, with a goodsense of humour (GSOH). 2. a generalfeeling or mood � I am in no humour totalk about holidays just now. � His goodhumour lasted until the end of the party.

hump

hump /h�mp/ noun 1. a raised part onthe back of a person or animal � Arabi-an camels have only one hump, whileBactrian camels have two. 2. a smallraised part in the ground � They havebuilt humps in the road to slow down thetraffic.

hundred

hundred /�h�ndrəd/ noun the number100 � The church is over a hundredyears old. � My grandfather will be ahundred next month. � Do I have to tellyou a hundred times to stop that noise?(NOTE: In numbers hundred does notchange and is followed by and whenreading: 491 = four hundred and nine-ty-one; 102 = a hundred and two. Notealso: a hundred and one (101), threehundred and six (306) but the hun-dred and first (101st), the three hun-dred and sixth (306th), etc.) � hun-dreds of very many � Hundreds ofbirds were killed by the cold weather. �Hundreds of people caught flu last win-ter. � They came in their hundreds tovisit the grave.

hundredth

hundredth /�h�ndrədθ/ adjective relat-ing to number 100 in a series � Tomor-row is his hundredth birthday.

hung

hung /h�ŋ/ past tense and past participleof hang

hungry

hungry /�h�ŋ'ri/ adjective feeling thatyou need to eat � You must be hungryafter that game of football. � I’m notvery hungry – I had a big lunch. � Hur-

ry up with the food – we’re getting hun-gry.

hunt

hunt /h�nt/ verb 1. � to hunt for some-thing to search for something � We’rehunting for a cheap flat. � The policeare hunting for the driver of the car. 2.to chase wild animals for food or sport� Our cat is not very good at huntingmice. � They go to Scotland every yearto hunt deer. (NOTE: You hunt animals,but you hunt for things.) � noun asearch � The hunt for new offices hasjust started.

hunter

hunter /�h�ntə/ noun a person whohunts animals

hurricane

hurricane /�h�rkən/ noun a tropicalstorm with strong winds and rain (NOTE:In the Far East called a typhoon; inthe Indian Ocean called a cyclone.)

hurry

hurry /�h�ri/ verb to go somewhere or dosomething fast � She hurried across theroom. � You’ll have to hurry if you wantto catch the last post. � There’s no needto hurry – we’ve got plenty of time.(NOTE: hurries – hurrying – hurried)

hurry up phrasal verb to go or dosomething faster � Hurry up – we’ll belate for the film. � Can’t you get thecook to hurry up? I’m getting hungry!

hurt

hurt /h�t/ verb to have pain, or to causesomeone to feel pain � My tooth hurts.� No one was badly hurt in the accident.� Where did you hurt yourself? (NOTE:hurts – hurting – hurt)

husband

husband /�h�zbənd/ noun a man towhom a woman is married � Her hus-band is Scottish. � He’s the doctor’shusband.

hut

hut /h�t/ noun a small rough woodenhouse

hygiene

hygiene /�had"in/ noun the science ofbeing and keeping things clean

hygienic

hygienic /ha��d"ink/ adjective cleanand safe because all germs have beendestroyed

hyphen

hyphen /�haf(ə)n/ noun a printing sign(-) used to show that two words arejoined


Ii

i /a/, I noun the ninth letter of the alpha-bet, between H and J

I

I1 /a/ pronoun used by a speaker whentalking about himself or herself � Shesaid, ‘I can do it’, and she did it. � Hetold me I could go home early. � Sheand I come from the same town. � I saidI was going to be late. (NOTE: When it isthe object of a verb, I becomes me: Igave it to him – he gave it to me; I hithim – he hit me. When it follows theverb be, I usually becomes me: Who isit? – It’s me!)

I

I2 /a/ noun the Roman numeral for one orfirst � King Charles I

ice

ice /as/ noun water which is frozen andhas become solid � When water freezes,it turns into ice. � Would you like ice inyour drink? (NOTE: no plural: some ice,a lump of ice)

ice cream

ice cream /as �krim/ noun a frozensweet food made from cream and fruit,chocolate, nuts, etc.

icy

icy /�asi/ adjective covered with ice � Becareful, the pavement is icy.

idea

idea /a��də/ noun a thought which youhave about something

ideal

ideal /a��dəl/ adjective perfect; extreme-ly suitable � This is the ideal site for afactory. � The cottage is an ideal placefor birdwatching.

identical

identical /a��dentk(ə)l/ adjective ex-actly the same � The twins wore identi-cal clothes for the party. � Their politi-cal opinions are identical.

identify

identify /a��dentfa/ verb 1. to recog-nise a person or thing and to be able tosay who or what they are � Can youidentify what sort of rock this is? � Shewas able to identify her attacker. 2. tostate that something belongs to you �Each person was asked to identify his orher baggage. (NOTE: identifies – iden-tifying – identified)

identityidentity /a��dentti/ noun someone’sname and personal details � Hechanged his identity when he went towork for the secret services.

idleidle /�ad(ə)l/ adjective not doing any-thing � He’s the idlest man I know – henever does any work at all.

ifif /f/ conjunction 1. showing what mighthappen � If it freezes tonight, the pathswill be slippery tomorrow. � If I’m inLondon, I’ll come and see you. � If hehad told me you were ill, I’d have cometo see you in hospital. � If I won the lot-tery, I would take a long holiday. 2. usedin asking questions � Do you know ifthe plane is late? � I was wondering ifyou would like to have some tea.

ignoranceignorance /�'nərəns/ noun a state ofnot knowing � to keep someone in ig-norance of something not to tell some-one about something � The soldierswere deliberately kept in ignorance ofthe dangers facing them.

ignorantignorant /�'nərənt/ adjective notknowing anything

ignoreignore /'��nɔ/ verb not to notice some-one or something deliberately � She ig-nored the red light and just drovestraight through. � When we met he justignored me.

illill /l/ adjective sick; not well � Stress canmake you ill. � If you’re feeling ill youought to see a doctor. � to fall ill to be-come ill � She fell seriously ill and wethought she was going to die. � to betaken ill to become ill suddenly � Hewas taken ill while on holiday inGreece.

illegalillegal /��li'(ə)l/ adjective against thelaw � It is illegal to serve alcohol topeople under 16.

illegallyillegally /��li'əli/ adverb in an illegalway

illnessillness /�lnəs/ noun a medical conditionwhich makes you unwell � She devel-


illustrate 163 imply

oped a serious illness. � A lot of the staffare absent because of illness. (NOTE:The plural is illnesses.)

illustrate

illustrate /�ləstret/ verb to put picturesinto a book � The book is illustratedwith colour photographs of birds.

illustration

illustration /�lə��streʃ(ə)n/ noun a pic-ture in a book � The book has 25 colourillustrations.

image

image /�md"/ noun 1. a picture ofsomeone or something � I want the por-trait to be a faithful image of my mother.2. a picture produced by something suchas a mirror or a computer � The mirrorthrows an image onto the paper. � Canthis software handle images in that for-mat? � Can you adjust the projector?The image on the screen is out of focus.

imaginary

imaginary /��m�d"n(ə)ri/ adjectivenot real; part of a story

imagination

imagination /��m�d"��neʃ(ə)n/ nounthe ability to think of things that are notpart of your own immediate life � Shelet her imagination run riot in her sto-ries for children.

imagine

imagine /��m�d"n/ verb to think ofsomething that is not part of your ownimmediate life � Imagine yourself sit-ting on a beach in the hot sun. � Shethought she had heard footsteps, andthen decided she had imagined it.

imitate

imitate /�mtet/ verb to copy some-thing or someone � The company imi-tates its competitors by making verysimilar products. � to behave as some-one else does, often to make other peo-ple laugh � He made us all laugh by im-itating the head teacher’s way of walk-ing.

imitation

imitation /�m��teʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a copymade of something 2. an act of copyingsomeone’s behaviour in order to makeother people laugh � She does a verygood imitation of the Queen. � adjec-tive made to appear to be something elsemore valuable � a necklace of imitationpearls � The bag is made of imitationleather.

immediate

immediate /��midiət/ adjective 1. verysoon � He wrote an immediate letter ofcomplaint. � You didn’t expect an im-mediate reply, did you? � Your order

will receive immediate attention. 2.closest, or right next to you � He had toshare his book with his immediateneighbour.

immediately

immediately /��midətli/ adverb verysoon, or very soon after an event � Hegot my letter, and wrote back immedi-ately. � As soon as he heard the news heimmediately phoned his wife.

immoral

immoral /��mɒrəl/ adjective not follow-ing the usual principles of good behav-iour

impact

impact1 /�mp�kt/ noun 1. a strong ef-fect � The TV documentary had anstrong impact on the viewers. 2. an in-stance of two things coming togetherwith force � The car was totallycrushed by the impact of the collision. �on impact as soon as contact is made �The plane burst into flames on impactwith the ground.

impact

impact2 /m��p�kt/ verb � to impact onsomething to have a strong effect onsomething � The fall in the value of thecurrency will impact strongly on busi-nesses.

impatience

impatience /m��peʃ(ə)ns/ noun a lackof the ability to wait for things in a calmway

impatient

impatient /m��peʃ(ə)nt/ adjective una-ble to wait for something in a calm way;in a hurry to do something � We were allimpatient for the film to start. � He’svery impatient with anyone who worksslowly.

impatiently

impatiently /m��peʃ(ə)ntli/ adverb inan impatient way

implication

implication /�mpl��keʃ(ə)n/ noun 1.the possible effect of an action � Whatwill be the implications of the electionresults for public spending? 2. with thefact of being involved in a crime orsomething that is morally wrong � Thenewspaper revealed his implication inthe affair of the stolen diamonds. 3. asuggestion that something such as a crit-icism is true although it has not been ex-pressed directly � I resent the implica-tion that I knew anything about the re-port in advance.

imply

imply /m��pla/ verb to suggest some-thing without saying it directly � He im-


impolite 164 inch

plied that he knew where the papers hadbeen hidden. � The lawyer implied thatthe witness had not in fact seen the acci-dent take place. (NOTE: implies – im-plying – implied)

impolite

impolite /�mpə��lat/ adjective rude; notpolite

import

import /m��pɔt/ verb to bring goods intoa country � The company imports tele-vision sets from Japan. � This car wasimported from France.

importance

importance /m��pɔtəns/ noun the factof being important � Do not attach toomuch importance to what he says. � Thebank attaches great importance to thedeal.

important

important /m��pɔtənt/ adjective 1.having a great effect; mattering verymuch � It’s important to be in time forthe interview. � I have to go to Londonfor an important meeting. � He left a filecontaining important papers in the taxi.2. (of a person) in a high position � Hehas an important job. � She’s an impor-tant government official. � He was pro-moted to a more important position.

impossible

impossible /m��pɒsb(ə)l/ adjectivewhich cannot be done � It’s impossibleto do all this work in two hours. � Get-ting skilled staff is becoming impossible.

impress

impress /m��pres/ verb to make some-one feel admiration or respect � Herrapid response to the request impressedher boss. � She was impressed by hisskill with the paintbrush. � The militarygovernment organised the display to im-press the neighbouring states.

impression

impression /m��preʃ(ə)n/ noun an ef-fect on someone’s mind � Blue wallscreate an impression of coldness. � Theexhibition made a strong impression onher.

impressive

impressive /m��presv/ adjective im-pressing people � He had a series of im-pressive wins in the chess tournament. �The government staged an impressivedisplay of military hardware.

improve

improve /m��pruv/ verb 1. to makesomething better � We are trying to im-prove our image with a series of TVcommercials. 2. to get better � The gen-eral manager has promised that the bus

service will improve. � It poured downall morning, but in the afternoon theweather improved a little.

improvement

improvement /m��pruvmənt/ noun 1.a process of becoming better, or of mak-ing something better � There has beenno improvement in the train servicesince we complained. 2. a change thatyou make so that something is betterthan before � They carried out some im-provements to the house. � We are plan-ning some home improvements such as anew kitchen. � The new software is agreat improvement on the old version.

in

in /n/ preposition, adverb 1. used forshowing place � He lives in the country.� In Japan it snows a lot during the win-ter. � She’s in the kitchen. � He’s still inbed. � Don’t stand outside in the pour-ing rain. 2. at home, in an office, at astation � Is the boss in? � He isn’t inyet. � My husband usually gets in fromwork about now. � The train from Bir-mingham is due in at 6.30. 3. used forshowing time � In autumn the leavesturn brown. � On holiday there wasnothing to do in the evenings. � She wasborn in 1999. � He ate his meal in fiveminutes. � We went for a skiing holidayin January. 4. used for showing time inthe future � I’ll be back home in abouttwo hours. � She should arrive in twentyminutes’ time. 5. fashionable � Thisyear, short skirts are in. 6. used forshowing a state or appearance � He wasdressed in black. � She ran outside inher dressing gown. � We’re in a hurry.� The words are set out in alphabeticalorder.

inability

inability /�nə��blti/ noun the state ofbeing unable to do something � His in-ability to make decisions causes prob-lems.

inch

inch /ntʃ/ noun a measure of lengthequal to 2.54 centimetres � a three-and-a-half-inch disk � Snow lay six inchesdeep on the ground. � She is five foot sixinches tall (5’6’’). � foot (NOTE: Theplural is inches. With numbers inch isusually written with the symbol ": a 3½’’disk; He is 5’ 9’’.; say: ‘a three and ahalf inch disk’, ‘He’s five foot nine’)


incident 165 indoorincident

incident /�nsd(ə)nt/ noun 1. some-thing which happens, especially some-thing unpleasant � Last year six hun-dred incidents of oil pollution were re-ported. 2. a violent action ordisturbance that occurs somewhere �There were several incidents during thedemonstration.

incidentally

incidentally /�ns��dent(ə)li/ adverbused for mentioning something new in aconversation

include

include /n��klud/ verb to count some-one or something along with others �The waiter did not include service in thebill. � The total is £140, not includinginsurance and handling charges. �There were 120 people at the wedding ifyou include the children.

including

including /n��kludŋ/ preposition tak-ing something together with somethingelse � The total comes to £25.00 includ-ing VAT.

income

income /�nk�m/ noun an amount ofmoney which you receive, especially aspay for your work � Their weekly in-come is not really enough to live on.

incorrect

incorrect /�nkə��rekt/ adjective wrong,not correct

increase

increase1 /n��kris/ noun an instance ofsomething becoming larger � an in-crease in tax or a tax increase � an in-crease in the cost of living

increase

increase2 /�nkris/ verb 1. to rise or togrow � The price of oil has increasedtwice in the past year. 2. to make a levelor amount higher � The boss increasedher salary. � Rail fares have been in-creased by 10%.

increased

increased /n��krist/ adjective larger orhigher than before � These increasedrail fares mean that we cannot afford totravel so much.

increasingly

increasingly /n��krisŋli/ adverb moreand more � He found it increasingly dif-ficult to keep up with the workload at theoffice. � His future with the companylooks increasingly doubtful.

indeed

indeed /n��did/ adverb (for emphasis)really � Thank you very much indeedfor inviting me to stay. � They have beenvery kind indeed to their daughter.

independence

independence /�nd��pendəns/ noun1. freedom from rule by another country� The colony achieved independenceten years ago. � Scotland is aiming forindependence in the next few years. 2. astate of not needing help from anyoneelse � She’s eighteen and is looking for-ward to a life of independence from herfamily.

independent

independent /�nd��pendənt/ adjective1. free, not ruled by anyone else � Slov-enia has been independent since 1991.2. not owned by a group, not controlledby the state � The big chains are forcingthe independent shops to close down. 3.not needing help from anyone else �She’s eighteen and wants to be inde-pendent of her family.

index

index /�ndeks/ noun 1. a list, usually inalphabetical order, showing the pageson which different subjects appear in abook � Look up the references to Lon-don in the index. (NOTE: The plural inthis sense is indexes) 2. a regular re-port which shows rises and falls inthings such as prices and unemployment� The economic indices look very prom-ising at the moment. (NOTE: The pluralin this sense is indices)

indicate

indicate /�ndket/ verb to show some-thing � Can you indicate the position ofthe enemy camp on this map? � The lat-est figures indicate a fall in the numberof unemployed men.

indignant

indignant /n��d'nənt/ adjective feel-ing offended or angry because of an un-fair situation � I was really indignantwhen I found out how much my col-league earned.

indirectly

indirectly /�nd��rektli/ adverb not di-rectly

individual

individual /�nd��vd"uəl/ noun a singleperson � We welcome private individu-als as well as groups. � adjective sin-gle, for a particular person � We treateach individual case on its merits. � Weprovide each member of the tour groupwith an individual itinerary.

indoor

indoor /�ndɔ/ adjective inside a build-ing � an indoor swimming pool


indoors 166 initialindoors

indoors /n��dɔz/ adverb inside a build-ing � Let’s go indoors. � Mum was in-doors, reading.

industrialindustrial /n��d�striəl/ adjective relat-ing to the production of goods � TheMidlands is the main industrial regionin Britain.

industry

industry /�ndəstri/ noun the productionof goods and the provision of services,or the companies involved in this activi-ty � Oil is a key industry. � The car in-dustry has had a good year. � The gov-ernment is helping industry to sell moreproducts abroad. � The tourist industrybrings in a lot of foreign currency.(NOTE: The plural is industries.)

infamous

infamous /�nfəməs/ adjective famousfor being bad or unpleasant � Touristswere warned not to go near the infa-mous back street moneychangers.

infant

infant /�nfənt/ noun a young babyinfatuation

infatuation /n��f�tjueʃ(ə)n/ noun asudden strong feeling of love for some-one, especially someone you do notknow very well or someone who doesnot love you

infect

infect /n��fekt/ verb to pass on a diseaseor infection to someone � He was in-fected with the disease when he wasabroad on holiday.

infection

infection /n��fekʃən/ noun a diseasewhich spreads from one person to an-other � Her throat infection keeps com-ing back. � He was sneezing andspreading infection to other people inthe office. � She seems to catch every lit-tle infection there is.

infectious

infectious /n��fekʃəs/ adjective (of anillness or an emotion such as fear)likely to be passed from one person toanother � This strain of flu is highly in-fectious. � He’s a great music teacherand his enthusiasm for jazz is very infec-tious.

infinitiveinfinitive /n��fntv/ noun the basicform of a verb, usually shown with ‘to’

influence

influence /�nfluəns/ noun the ability tochange someone or something; an effect� He has had a good influence on theother staff in the department. � The in-fluence of the moon on the tides. � Hewas charged with driving under the in-

fluence of alcohol. � verb to makesomeone or something change � Shewas deeply influenced by her old teach-er. � The moon influences the tides. �The price of oil has influenced the priceof industrial goods.

inform

inform /n��fɔm/ verb to tell someonesomething officially � Have you in-formed the police that your watch hasbeen stolen? � I regret to inform youthat your father has died. � We arepleased to inform you that your offerhas been accepted.

informal

informal /n��fɔm(ə)l/ adjective 1. re-laxed, not formal � Dress casually – theparty will be informal. � The guide gaveus an informal talk on the history of thecastle. 2. (of language) used when talk-ing to friends and family

information

information /�nfə��meʃ(ə)n/ noun aset of facts about something � Shecouldn’t give the police any informationabout how the accident happened. �She gave me a very useful piece or bit ofinformation. � For further information,please write to Department 27.

informed

informed /n��fɔmd/ adjective having alot of information, or having the latestinformation

infuriate

infuriate /n��fjυəriet/ verb to makesomeone very angry � Slow service inrestaurants always infuriates him.

ingenious

ingenious /n��d"iniəs/ adjective veryclever � It was an ingenious plan.

ingredient

ingredient /n��'ridiənt/ noun a materi-al or substance which you use to makesomething � Make sure you’ve got allyour ingredients together before youstart cooking.

inhabit

inhabit /n��h�bt/ verb to live in a placeinhabitant

inhabitant /n��h�bt(ə)nt/ noun a per-son who lives in a particular place

initial

initial /��nʃ(ə)l/ adjective first � The in-itial stage of the project went offsmoothly. � My initial reaction was tosay ‘no’. � He started the business withan initial sum of £500. � verb to writethe first letters of your name on a docu-ment to show you have read and ap-proved it � Can you initial each page ofthe contract to show that you have ap-proved it? � Please initial the agree-


initially 167 instance

ment at the place marked with an X.(NOTE: initials – initialling – ini-tialled)

initially

initially /��nʃ(ə)li/ adverb at the begin-ning � Initially we didn’t like the newflat, but we have got used to it now.

initiative

initiative /��nʃətv/ noun a decisionwhich is intended to solve a problem �The government has proposed variousinitiatives to get the negotiations mov-ing again.

injection

injection /n��d"ekʃən/ noun the act ofputting a liquid into the body using aneedle � The doctor gave him a flu in-jection.

injure

injure /�nd"ə/ verb to cause pain ordamage to a part of the body � He in-jured his back playing rugby. � He wasbadly injured in a car accident.

injured

injured /�nd"əd/ noun hurt � The in-jured girl had fallen off her bike.

injury

injury /�nd"əri/ noun damage to yourbody � He never really recovered fromhis football injury. � She received se-vere back injuries in the accident.(NOTE: The plural is injuries.)

ink

ink /ŋk/ noun the liquid in a pen � Hehas ink marks on his shirt. � The inkwon’t come off the tablecloth. � Shewrote comments on his work in red ink.

inland

inland /�nlənd/ adverb away from thecoast of a country � If you go inlandfrom the port, you soon get into the for-est.

inn

inn /n/ noun a small hotelinner

inner /�nə/ adjective inside � Gothrough that arch and you will come tothe inner courtyard. � Heat is conduct-ed from the inner to the outer layer ofthe material.

innocent

innocent /�nəs(ə)nt/ adjective notguilty � He was found to be innocent ofthe crime. � In English law, the accusedis always presumed to be innocent untilhe is proved to be guilty.

innovative

innovative /�nəvetv/ adjective newin a way that has not been tried before �a very innovative design

input

input /�npυt/ noun information that isput into a computer � The input from the

various branches is fed automaticallyinto the head office computer.

inquiry

inquiry /n��kwaəri/ noun 1. a formal in-vestigation into a problem � a govern-ment inquiry into the police force � Apublic inquiry will be held about plansto build another airport. 2. a questionabout something � I refer to your in-quiry of May 25th. � All inquiriesshould be addressed to this department.� He made an inquiry about trains toEdinburgh. (NOTE: also spelt enquiry.The plural is inquiries.)

insect

insect /�nsekt/ noun a small animalwith six legs and a body in three parts �A butterfly is a kind of insect. � Insectshave eaten the leaves of the cabbages. �She was stung by an insect.

insert

insert1 /n��s�t/ verb to put somethinginside something else � She insertedanother sentence into the letter. � He in-serted each leaflet into an envelope. �Insert a coin into the slot.

insert

insert2 /�ns�t/ noun a paper which isput inside something � The invitationcard had an insert with a map showinghow to get to the hotel.

inside

inside /n��sad/ adverb in a house or oth-er building � Come on inside – it’s coldin the street. � It rained all afternoon,so we just sat inside and watched TV. �Is there anyone there? – The houseseems quite dark inside. � prepositionin � There was nothing inside the bottle.� She was sitting inside the car, readinga book. � I’ve never been inside his of-fice.

insist

insist /n��sst/ verb to state firmly � Heinsisted that he had never touched thecar. � She insisted that she should bepaid compensation for the delay.

inspect

inspect /n��spekt/ verb to look at some-thing closely � She inspected the roomto see if it had been cleaned properly.

inspector

inspector /n��spektə/ noun a senior of-ficial who examines something closely

install

install /n��stɔl/ verb to put a piece ofequipment into the place where it willoperate � It took the plumber a week toinstall the new central heating system.

instance

instance /�nstəns/ noun an example �There have been several instances of


instant 168 interest

bullying in our local school. � In this in-stance, we will pay for the damage. �

for instance as an example � Whydon’t you take up a new sport – golf, forinstance?

instant

instant /�nstənt/ noun a moment or sec-ond � For an instant, he stood still andwatched the policemen. � adjective im-mediate � A savings account can giveyou instant access to your money.

instantly

instantly /�nstəntli/ adverb so soon af-ter an event that no time appears to havepassed in between

instead

instead /n��sted/, instead of adverb inplace of � We haven’t any coffee –would you like some tea instead? � Ifyou can’t go, can I go instead? � I’mgoing instead of him, because he’s ill. �Instead of stopping when the police of-ficer shouted, he ran away.

institute

institute /�nsttjut/ noun an organisa-tion set up for a special purpose � Theyare proposing to set up a new institute ofeducation. � She goes to the researchinstitute’s library every week.

institution

institution /�nst��tjuʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. anorganisation or society set up for a spe-cial purpose � A prison is an institutionwhich houses criminals. 2. a permanentcustom � British institutions such ascream teas and the royal family � Thelottery has rapidly become a nationalinstitution. 3. the process of settingsomething up � the institution of legalaction against the president

instruct

instruct /n��str�kt/ verb to show some-one how to do something (formal) � Wewere all instructed in the use of the firesafety equipment.

instruction

instruction /n��str�kʃən/ noun 1. astatement telling someone what theymust do 2. something which explainshow something is to be done or used �She gave us detailed instructions how toget to the church.

instructor

instructor /n��str�ktə/ noun a teacher,especially of a sport

instrument

instrument /�nstrυmənt/ noun a pieceof equipment or a tool � The technicalstaff have instruments which measurethe flow of electricity.

insult

insult1 /�ns�lt/ noun a rude word said toor about a person � That is an insult tothe government. � The crowd shoutedinsults at the police.

insult

insult2 /n��s�lt/ verb to say rude thingsabout someone � He was accused of in-sulting the president’s wife.

insulting

insulting /n��s�ltŋ/ adjective rude �I’m used to hearing insulting thingsabout my business.

insurance

insurance /n��ʃυərəns/ noun an agree-ment with a company by which you arepaid money for loss or damage in returnfor regular payments of money � Doyou have insurance for your travel?

intelligence

intelligence /n��teld"əns/ noun 1. theability to think and understand � His in-telligence is well above average. 2. in-formation provided by the secret servic-es � Intelligence gathered by our net-work of agents is very useful to us inplanning future strategy.

intelligent

intelligent /n��teld"ənt/ adjective ableto understand and learn things very well� He’s the most intelligent child in hisclass.

intense

intense /n��tens/ adjective very strongor extreme � There was a period of in-tense activity to try to finish the work be-fore they went on holiday. � She had anintense period of study before the ex-ams.

intention

intention /n��tenʃən/ noun an aim orplan to do something � I have no inten-tion of going to the party. � The fanscame with the deliberate intention ofmaking trouble.

interest

interest /�ntrəst/ noun 1. special atten-tion to something � She takes a lot of in-terest in politics. � He has no interest inwhat his sister is doing. � Why doesn’the take more interest in local affairs? 2.a thing that you enjoy doing � Her maininterest is canoeing. � List your specialinterests on your CV. 3. a payment madeto someone who lends money � Depositaccounts pay more interest. � Howmuch interest do I have to pay if I bor-row £1000? � verb to attract someone �He’s particularly interested in old cars.� Nothing seems to interest him verymuch. � The book didn’t interest me at


interested 169 interview

all. � He tried to interest several com-panies in his new invention.

interested

interested /�ntrəstd/ adjective with apersonal interest in something � He’sinterested in old churches. � She’s in-terested in crime fiction.

interesting

interesting /�ntrəstŋ/ adjective at-tracting your attention; enjoyable �There’s an interesting article in thenewspaper on European football. � Shedidn’t find the TV programme very in-teresting. � What’s so interesting aboutold cars? – I find them dull.

interfere

interfere /ntə��fə/ verb � to interferein or with something to get in the wayof something, to be involved in some-thing in such a way that it does not workwell � His mother is always interferingin his private life. � Stop interferingwith the TV controls.

interference

interference /ntə��fərəns/ noun 1. aninvolvement with someone else’s life orbusiness � His parents’ interference inhis travel plans annoyed him. 2. a noisewhich affects radio or TV programmes

interjection

interjection /�ntə��d"ekʃən/ noun anexclamation, a word used to show anemotion such as surprise

intermittent

intermittent /�ntə��mt(ə)nt/ adjectivestopping and starting in an irregular way� Intermittent showers are expectedover the weekend.

internal

internal /n��t�n(ə)l/ adjective insideinternational

international /�ntə��n�ʃ(ə)nəl/ adjec-tive between countries � an internation-al conference on the environment � animportant international company �noun a sportsperson who has played forhis or her country’s team against anoth-er country � There are three Englandinternationals in our local team.

Internet

Internet /�ntənet/ noun an internationalnetwork allowing people to exchangeinformation on computers using tele-phone lines � We send messages overthe Internet to hundreds of users of ourproducts. � He searched the Internet forinformation on cheap plane tickets.(NOTE: also called simply the Net)

interpret

interpret /n��t�prt/ verb to translatewhat someone is saying into a different

language � His brother knows Greek, sohe will interpret for us.

interpretation

interpretation /n��t�pr��teʃ(ə)n/noun 1. a meaning � A poem can havemany interpretations. � The book putsquite a different interpretation on themeaning of the rule. 2. the act of trans-lating what someone is saying into a dif-ferent language 3. a way of playing apiece of music � Two of the young mu-sicians were praised for their interpre-tations of Bach.

interrupt

interrupt /�ntə��r�pt/ verb to start talk-ing when someone else is talking � Ex-cuse me for interrupting, but have youseen the office keys anywhere?

interruption

interruption /�ntə��r�pʃən/ nounsomething that interrupts or stops youfrom working

interval

interval /�ntəv(ə)l/ noun 1. a period oftime between two events or points intime � There will be bright intervalsduring the morning, but it will rain inthe afternoon. � There will be a shortinterval during which the table will becleared. 2. a period of time between twoacts in a play � Anyone arriving latewon’t be allowed in until the first inter-val.

interview

interview /�ntəvju/ noun 1. a conver-sation between a famous or interestingperson and a journalist, broadcast on ra-dio or TV, or printed in a newspaper �She gave an interview to the Sundaymagazine. 2. a formal meeting in whichone or more people ask you questions tofind out if you are suitable for some-thing such as a particular job or a courseat university � We asked six candidatesfor interview. � He’s had eight inter-views, but still no job offers. � Whenwill you attend your first interview? �verb 1. to ask a famous or interestingperson questions about themselves andtheir work in order to publish or broad-cast what they say � The journalist in-terviewed the Prime Minister. 2. to meeta person who is applying for somethingsuch as a job or a place on a universitycourse, to see if he or she is suitable �We interviewed ten candidates, but didnot find anyone we liked.


into 170 Irishinto

into /�ntə, �ntυ, �ntu/ preposition 1.used for showing movement towards theinside � She went into the shop. � Hefell into the lake. � Put the cards backinto their box. � You can’t get ten peo-ple into a taxi. � We all stopped talkingwhen he came into the room. � The busis going into the town centre. 2. hittingagainst something � The bus drove intoa lamp post. 3. used for showing achange � The tadpole changed into afrog. � Water turns into steam when it isheated. 4. used for showing that you aredividing something � Try to cut the cakeinto ten equal pieces.

introduce

introduce /�ntrə��djus/ verb to tellsomeone another person’s name whenthey meet for the first time � He intro-duced me to a friend of his called Anne.� She introduced me to her new teacher.

introduction

introduction /�ntrə��d�kʃən/ noun 1. apart at the beginning of a book whichdescribes the subject of the book � Readthe introduction which gives an expla-nation of the book’s layout. 2. a bookwhich gives basic information about asubject � He’s the author of an intro-duction to mathematics.

invent

invent /n��vent/ verb 1. to create a newprocess or a new machine � She invent-ed a new type of computer terminal. �Who invented this indexing system? 2.to make up an excuse � When she askedhim why he was late he invented somestory about the train not arriving.

invention

invention /n��venʃən/ noun 1. the act ofcreating a new process or a new ma-chine � The invention of computers wasmade possible by developments in elec-tronics. 2. a machine or process thatsomeone has invented

inventor

inventor /n��ventə/ noun a person whoinvents new processes or new machines

invest

invest /n��vest/ verb 1. to use your mon-ey for buying things such as property orshares in a company, so that you willmake a profit � She was advised to in-vest in government bonds. � He investedall his money in a fish-and-chip restau-rant. 2. to spend money on somethingwhich you believe will be useful � Wehave invested in a new fridge.

investigate

investigate /n��vest'et/ verb to try tofind out about something � The detec-tive is investigating the details of thecase. � We are investigating the possi-bility of going to live abroad.

investigation

investigation /n��vest��'eʃ(ə)n/ nouna close examination � a police investi-gation into the causes of the crash

invisible

invisible /n��vzb(ə)l/ adjective whichcannot be seen � The message was writ-ten in invisible ink and hidden inside thepages of a book.

invitation

invitation /�nv��teʃ(ə)n/ noun a letteror card, asking someone to do some-thing or go somewhere � He receivedan invitation to his sister’s wedding. �She had an invitation to dinner.

invite

invite /n��vat/ verb to ask someone to dosomething, especially to come to a so-cial event such as a party � We invitedtwo hundred people to the party. � Sheinvited us to come in. � She’s been invit-ed to talk to the club.

invoice

invoice /�nvɔs/ noun a note sent to askfor payment for services or goods � Ourinvoice dated November 10th has stillnot been paid. � They sent in their in-voice six weeks late. � Ask the sales as-sistant to make out an invoice for £250.

involve

involve /n��vɒlv/ verb 1. to includesomeone or something in an activity orsituation � a competition involvingteams from ten different countries � Wewant to involve the local community inthe decision about the bypass. � Mem-bers of the local council are involved inthe company which has won the con-tract for the new road. 2. to make an ac-tivity necessary � Going to Cambridgefrom here involves taking a bus and thenthe train.

inwards

inwards /�nwədz/ adverb towards theinside � These doors open inwards.

Ireland

Ireland /�aələnd/ noun a large islandforming the western part of the BritishIsles, containing the Republic of Irelandand Northern Ireland � These birds arefound all over Ireland.

Irish

Irish /�arʃ/ adjective referring to Ireland� The Irish Sea lies between Ireland andBritain.


iron 171 itselfironiron /�aən/ noun 1. a common grey metal

� The old gates are made of iron. (NOTE:no plural in this sense: some iron,lumps of iron, pieces of iron) 2. an ob-ject with a flat metal bottom, which isheated and used to make clothes smoothafter washing � Don’t leave the ironthere – it will burn the clothes. � If youriron is not hot enough it won’t take thecreases out. � verb to make clothsmooth using an iron � She was ironingshirts when the telephone rang. � Herskirt doesn’t look as if it has beenironed.

irresponsible

irresponsible /�r��spɒnsb(ə)l/ adjec-tive acting or done in a way that shows alack of good sense

irritableirritable /�rtəb(ə)l/ adjective easily an-noyed � He was tired and irritable, andsnapped at the children.

irritateirritate /�rtet/ verb to make someonefeel angry or impatient � It irritates mewhen the trains run late.

irritation

irritation /�r��teʃ(ə)n/ noun a feelingof being annoyed and impatient � Shewatched with irritation as he tried to fixthe wheel again.

isis /z/ 3rd person singular present of beislandisland /�alənd/ noun a piece of land

with water all around it � They live on alittle island in the middle of the river. �The Greek islands are favourite holidaydestinations.

issue

issue /�ʃu/ noun 1. an occasion whensomething is officially given out � Theissue of identity cards has been delayed.2. a newspaper or magazine which ispublished at a particular time � Webought the January issue of the maga-zine. � verb 1. to make something avail-able for use � The new set of stamps willbe issued next week. 2. to give some-thing out officially � Each soldier wasissued with a gun. 3. to come out �Smoke began to issue from the hole inthe ground.

it

it /t/ pronoun 1. used to refer to some-thing which has just been mentioned �What do you want me to do with thebox? – Put it down. � Where’s the box?– It’s here. � She picked up a potato andthen dropped it on the ground. � I putmy book down somewhere and now Ican’t find it. � Where’s the newspaper?– It’s on the chair. 2. used for talkingabout the weather, the date or time oranother situation � Look! – It’s snow-ing. � It’s miles from here to the railwaystation. � Is it the 30th today? � It’s al-most impossible to get a ticket at thistime of year. � What time is it? – It’s teno’clock. � It’s dangerous to use an elec-tric saw when it’s wet. (NOTE: It’s = it isor it has. Do not confuse with its.)

IT

IT abbr information technologyitch

itch /tʃ/ noun a place on the skin whereyou want to scratch � I’ve got an itch inthe middle of my back that’s driving memad! (NOTE: The plural is itches.) �verb to make someone want to scratch �The cream made his skin itch more thanbefore.

item

item /�atəm/ noun a thing shown in a list� We are discussing item four on theagenda. � Please find enclosed an orderfor the following items from your cata-logue. � I couldn’t buy several items onthe shopping list because the shop hadsold out.

its

its /ts/ adjective belonging to ‘it’ � Ican’t use the car – one of its tyres is flat.� The company pays its staff very badly.(NOTE: Do not confuse with it’s.)

it’s

it’s /ts/ short for it is, it hasitself

itself /t��self/ pronoun 1. used for refer-ring back to a thing or an animal � Thedog seems to have hurt itself. � Thescrew had worked itself loose. 2. usedfor emphasis � If the plug is all rightthere must be something wrong with thecomputer itself.


Jj

j /d"e/, J noun the tenth letter of the al-phabet, between I and K

jab

jab /d"�b/ verb to suddenly push some-thing with a sharp object � He jabbedthe piece of meat with his fork. � Shejabbed me in the back with her umbrel-la. (NOTE: jabs – jabbing – jabbed)

jack

jack /d"�k/ noun 1. a tool for raisingsomething heavy, especially a car � Iused the jack to lift the car up and takethe wheel off. 2. (in playing cards) thecard with the face of a young man, witha value between the queen and the ten �I won because I had the jack of hearts.

jacket

jacket /�d"�kt/ noun a short coat � Hewas wearing a blue jacket and browntrousers. � Take your jacket off if youare hot. � This orange jacket shows upin the dark when I ride my bike.

jail

jail /d"el/ noun a prison � She was sentto jail for three months. � verb to putsomeone in prison � He was jailed forsix years.

jam

jam /d"�m/ noun 1. a sweet food madeby boiling fruit and sugar together � Doyou want jam or honey on your bread?� We made jam with the fruit in the gar-den. � Have you any more jam – the jaris empty? 2. a situation in which toomany things block something � a trafficjam � There is a paper jam in the print-er. � verb 1. (of machines) to stick andnot be able to move � Hold on – the pa-per has jammed in the printer. 2. toforce things into a small space � Don’ttry to jam all those boxes into the carboot. � The switchboard was jammedwith calls. (NOTE: jams – jamming –jammed)

January

January /�d"�njuəri/ noun the firstmonth of the year, followed by February� He was born on January 26th. � It’shis birthday on January 26. � We nevergo on holiday in January because it’stoo cold. � We all went skiing last Janu-

ary. (NOTE: January 26th or January26: say ‘the twenty-sixth of January’ or‘January the twenty-sixth’; AmericanEnglish: ‘January twenty-sixth’.)

jarjar /d"ɑ/ noun a container for food suchas jam, usually made of glass � Therewas some honey left in the bottom of thejar. � Use a jam jar for the water youcollect.

jargonjargon /�d"ɑ'ən/ noun a special type oflanguage used by a trade or professionor a particular group of people � Peopleare confused by computers because theydon’t understand the jargon.

jawjaw /d"ɔ/ noun the bones in the facewhich hold the teeth and form the mouth

jazzjazz /d"�z/ noun a type of music with astrong rhythm, and in which the playersoften make the music up as they play;jazz was first played in the southernUnited States

jealousjealous /�d"eləs/ adjective feeling an-noyed because you want somethingwhich belongs to someone else � Johnwas jealous of Mark because all thegirls fancied him. � She was jealous ofhis new car. � Her new boyfriend is veryhandsome – I’m jealous!

jeansjeans /d"inz/ plural noun trousers madeof a type of strong cotton, often blue �She came into the office in jeans. � Hebought a new pair of jeans.

jellyjelly /�d"eli/ noun a type of sweet foodmade with fruit, which shakes when youtouch it or move it � The children hadfish fingers and chips followed by jellyand ice-cream. (NOTE: The plural is jel-lies.)

jerkjerk /d"�k/ noun a sudden sharp pull �He felt a jerk on the fishing line. � verbto suddenly pull something hard, oftencausing pain or injury � He jerked therope.

jerseyjersey /�d"�zi/ noun 1. a warm piece ofclothing which covers the top part of


jet 173 journey

your body and your arms � She wasknitting a pink jersey for the new baby.2. a special shirt worn by a member of asports team � After every game theplayers swapped jerseys with the otherteam.

jet

jet /d"et/ noun 1. a long narrow stream ofliquid or gas � A jet of water put out theflames. 2. an aircraft with jet engines �Jets flew low overhead.

jet engine

jet engine /�d"et �end"n/ noun an en-gine which gets its power from a streamof gas

jewel

jewel /�d"uəl/ noun a valuable stonesuch as a diamond

jewellery

jewellery /�d"uəlri/ noun things thatyou wear as decoration round yourneck, fingers, etc., made from thingssuch as valuable stones, gold and silver� The burglar stole all her jewellery.(NOTE: no plural)

jigsaw

jigsaw /�d"'sɔ/ noun � jigsaw puzzlea picture made of shaped pieces of woodor cardboard that you have to try to fittogether � As it’s raining, let’s stay in-doors and try to do this huge jigsaw ofthe Houses of Parliament.

job

job /d"ɒb/ noun 1. regular work whichyou get paid for � She’s managed to geta job in the local supermarket. � Whenthe factory closed, hundreds of peoplelost their jobs. 2. a specific piece ofwork � Don’t sit down, there are a cou-ple of jobs I want you to do. � He doesall sorts of little electrical jobs aroundthe house. 3. difficulty (informal) � Ihad a job trying to find your house. �What a job it was getting a hotel room atthe time of the music festival!

jog

jog /d"ɒ'/ verb 1. to run fairly slowly, es-pecially for exercise � He jogged alongthe river bank for two miles. � She waslistening to her personal stereo as shewas jogging. 2. to push someone orsomething slightly � Someone joggedmy elbow and I spilt my drink. (NOTE:jogs – jogging – jogged) � to jogsomeone’s memory to make someoneremember something � The police arehoping that the film from the securitycamera will jog people’s memories.

join

join /d"ɔn/ verb 1. to come together �Go on for about two hundred metres,until the road joins the motorway. � Thetwo rivers join about four kilometres be-yond the town. 2. to become a memberof a club or other organisation � Afteruniversity, he is going to join the police.� She joined the army because shewanted to travel. 3. to do somethingwith someone � We’re going to have acup of coffee – would you like to join us?� Won’t you join us for a game of golf?

joint

joint /d"ɔnt/ noun 1. a place wherebones come together and can move,such as the knee or the elbow � Her el-bow joint hurt after her game of tennis.2. a large piece of meat, especially forcooking in an oven � The joint of lambwas very tender. � We all sat round thetable while Father carved the joint. �adjective combined, with two or morethings connected together

joke

joke /d"əυk/ noun a thing said or done tomake people laugh � She poured waterdown his neck as a joke. � They alllaughed at his jokes. � He told jokes allevening.

journal

journal /�d"�n(ə)l/ noun a book whereyou write details of things that havehappened which you want to remember� He kept a journal during his visit toChina. � She wrote a journal of thegradual progress of her illness.

journalism

journalism /�d"�n(ə)lz(ə)m/ noun theprofession of writing for newspapers ormagazines, or reporting on events for ra-dio or TV

journalist

journalist /�d"�n(ə)lst/ noun a personwho writes for newspapers or maga-zines, or reports on events for radio orTV � Journalists asked the policemansome very awkward questions. � Filmstars were greeted by journalists fromaround the world at the première of thenew film.

journey

journey /�d"�ni/ noun an occasionwhen you travel somewhere, usually along distance � It’s at least two days’journey from here. � They went on atrain journey across China. � She has adifficult journey to work every day – shehas to change buses twice.


joy 174 justifyjoy

joy /d"ɔ/ noun very great happiness �The birth of our baby son filled us withjoy.

judge

judge /d"�d"/ noun 1. a person whosejob is to make legal decisions in a courtof law � He was convicted for stealing,but the judge let him off with a smallfine. 2. a person who decides whoshould win a competition � The threejudges of the beauty contest couldn’tagree. � verb to make decisions in situ-ations such as a court of law or a compe-tition � He was judged guilty. � Herpainting was judged the best and shewon first prize.

judgment

judgment /�d"�d"mənt/, judgementnoun 1. a legal decision by a judge orcourt � We will appeal against the judg-ment. 2. the ability to make good deci-sions � He trusted his wife’s judgmentin everything.

jug

jug /d"�'/ noun a container with a han-dle, used for pouring liquids

juice

juice /d"us/ noun a liquid from fruit,vegetables or meat � They charged me£1 for two glasses of orange juice. � Shehad a glass of grapefruit juice for break-fast.

juicy

juicy /�d"usi/ adjective full of juice(NOTE: juicier – juiciest)

July

July /d"υ��la/ noun the seventh month ofthe year, between June and August �July 23 � We went to Spain last July. �July is always one of the busiest monthsfor holidays. (NOTE: July 23rd or July23: say ‘July the twenty-third’ or ‘thetwenty-third of July’; American Eng-lish: ‘July twenty-third’.)

jump

jump /d"�mp/ noun a sudden movementup or down into the air � The jump washigher than she thought and she hurther leg. � verb 1. to go suddenly intothe air from or towards the ground �Quick, jump on that bus – it’s going toOxford Circus! � The horse jumpedover the fence. � She jumped down fromthe chair. 2. to make a sudden move-ment because you are frightened � Shejumped when I came up behind her qui-etly. � When they fired the gun, it mademe jump.

jumper

jumper /�d"�mpə/ noun a warm piece ofclothing, usually made of wool, whichcovers the top part of your body andyour arms

junction

junction /�d"�ŋkʃən/ noun a placewhere railway lines or roads meet � Goas far as the next junction and you willsee the library on your right. � Leavethe motorway at Junction 5.

June

June /d"un/ noun the sixth month of theyear, between May and July � June 17� Last June we had a holiday in Cana-da. (NOTE: June 17th or June 17: say‘June the seventeenth’ or ‘the seven-teenth of June’ or in US English: ‘Juneseventeenth’.)

jungle

jungle /�d"�ŋ'əl/ noun an area of thicktropical forest which is difficult to travelthrough

junior

junior /�d"uniə/ adjective intended foryounger children � She sings in the jun-ior choir. � He plays for the junior hock-ey team.

junk

junk /d"�ŋk/ noun useless articles, rub-bish � Don’t keep that – it’s junk. � Youshould throw away all that junk youkeep under your bed. (NOTE: no plural)

just

just /d"�st/ adverb 1. exactly � Is thattoo much sugar? – No, it’s just right. �Thank you, that’s just what I was look-ing for. � Just how many of studentshave got computers? � What time is it?– It’s just seven o’clock. � He’s just fif-teen – his birthday was yesterday. 2.showing the very recent past � The trainhas just arrived from Paris. � She hadjust got into her bath when the phonerang. 3. only � We’re just good friends,nothing more. � I’ve been to Berlin justonce.

justice

justice /�d"�sts/ noun fair treatment inlaw � Justice must always be seen to bedone.

justify

justify /�d"�stfa/ verb to show thatsomething is fair, to prove that some-thing is right � How can you justifyspending all that money? � How canyou justify your behaviour? (NOTE: jus-tifies – justifying – justified)


Kk

k /ke/, K noun the eleventh letter of thealphabet, between J and L

keen

keen /kin/ adjective very sensitive �Bats have a keen sense of hearing.(NOTE: keener – keenest)

keep

keep /kip/ verb 1. to continue to havesomething � Can I keep the newspaperI borrowed from you? � I don’t wantthat book any more, you can keep it. �The police kept my gun and won’t give itback. 2. to continue to do something �The clock kept going even after Idropped it on the floor. � He had to keepsmiling so that people would think hewas pleased. � Keep quiet or they’llhear you. � Luckily the weather keptfine for the fair. � The food will keepwarm in the oven. 3. to have or to putsomething in a particular place � I keepmy car keys in my pocket. � Where doyou keep the paper for the laser printer?4. to make someone or something stayin a place or state � It’s cruel to keep an-imals in cages. � I was kept late at theoffice. � They kept us waiting for half anhour. � We put the plates in the oven tokeep them warm. 5. to stay � Keep closeto me. (NOTE: keeps – keeping – kept/kept/)

keep down phrasal verb 1. to keep at alow level � Keep your voice down, thepolice will hear us! 2. to bend down inorder to hide from someone � Keepdown behind the wall so that they won’tsee us.keep off phrasal verb not to walk onsomething � Keep off the grass!keep on phrasal verb to continue to dosomething � Keep on trying!keep out phrasal verb 1. to stop some-one going in � We put up notices tellingpeople to keep their dogs out of the fieldwhere the lambs are. 2. not to go in �There were ‘Keep Out!’ notices roundthe building site. 3. not to get involved

� He kept out of the quarrel. � Try tokeep out of trouble with the police.keep up with /�kip ��p wð/ phrasalverb to go at the same speed as someone� My foot hurts, that’s why I can’t keepup with the others. � His salary hasn’tkept up with the cost of living.

kerb

kerb /k�b/ noun the stone edge of a pathalong the side of a road

ketchup

ketchup /�ketʃəp/ noun a type of tomatosauce

kettle

kettle /�ket(ə)l/ noun a container used forboiling water

key

key /ki/ noun 1. a shaped piece of metalthat you use to open a lock or to start acar � I can’t start the car, I’ve lost thekey. � Where did you put the front doorkey? 2. one of the moving parts whichyou push down with your fingers on atypewriter, a computer or a musical in-strument such as a piano � The ‘F’ keyalways sticks. � There are 64 keys onthe keyboard. 3. a system of musicaltones � This piece of music is written inthe key of F major. � adjective most im-portant � The key person in the team isthe goalkeeper. � The key person in thecompany is the sales manager. � Oil isa key industry.

keyboard

keyboard /�kibɔd/ noun a set of keyson something such as a computer or pi-ano � She spilled her coffee on the com-puter keyboard. � He practises on thekeyboard every day. � verb to put infor-mation into a computer using a key-board � She was keyboarding the fig-ures.

kick

kick /kk/ noun 1. the act of hitting some-thing with your foot � The goalkeepergave the ball a kick. 2. a feeling of ex-citement � He gets a kick out of watch-ing a football match on TV. � verb to hitsomething with your foot � He kickedthe ball into the net. � She kicked her lit-tle brother.


kid 176 knifekid

kid /kd/ noun 1. a child (informal) �There were a few school kids on their bi-cycles. � They’re married with two kids.2. a young goat � verb to make some-one believe something which is not true� Are you kidding? � She tried to kid methat she’d had an accident. (NOTE: kids– kidding – kidded)

kidnap

kidnap /�kdn�p/ verb to take someoneaway illegally and keep them prisoner(NOTE: kidnaps – kidnapping – kid-napped)

kidney

kidney /�kdni/ noun one of a pair of or-gans in animals that clean the blood andremove waste from it

kill

kill /kl/ verb to make someone or some-thing die � Sixty people were killed inthe plane crash. � A long period of dryweather could kill all the crops.

kilo

kilo /�kiləυ/ abbr kilogram (NOTE: Theplural is kilos.)

kilogram

kilogram /�klə'r�m/ noun a measureof weight equal to one thousand grams(NOTE: written kg after figures: 20kg)

kilometre

kilometre /�klə��mitə/ noun a measureof distance equal to one thousand me-tres

kind

kind /kand/ adjective friendly and help-ful � It’s very kind of you to offer tohelp. � How kind of you to invite him toyour party! � You should always be kindto little children. � He’s a kind old gen-tleman. � noun a type � A butterfly is akind of insect. � We have several kindsof apples in our garden. � We discussedall kinds of things. � of a kind similar� The three sisters are three of a kind. �it’s nothing of the kind that’s not cor-rect at all � kind of in a certain way(informal) � I was kind of annoyedwhen she told me that.

kindness

kindness /�kandnəs/ noun 1. the qual-ity of being kind � She was touched byhis kindness. 2. a kind act

king

king /kŋ/ noun 1. a man who governs acountry by right of birth � The king andqueen came to visit the town. (NOTE:king is spelt with a capital letter whenused with a name or when referring toa particular person: King Henry VIII.)2. (in cards) the card with the face of aman, coming before the ace and after

the queen in value � He knew he couldwin when he drew the king of spades.

kingdomkingdom /�kŋdəm/ noun 1. the landruled over by a king or queen � Englandis part of the United Kingdom. � Hegave her a book of fairy stories about amagic kingdom. 2. a part of the world ofnature � the animal kingdom

kiss

kiss /ks/ noun the act of touching some-one with your lips to show that you arepleased to see them or that you like them� She gave the baby a kiss. � verb totouch someone with your lips to showthat you are pleased to see them or thatyou like them � She kissed her daughterand walked away. � They kissed eachother goodbye.

kitkit /kt/ noun clothes and personal equip-ment, usually kept in a bag � Did youbring your tennis kit?

kitchen

kitchen /�ktʃn/ noun a room where youcan cook food � She put the meat downon the kitchen table. � If you’re hungry,have a look in the kitchen to see ifthere’s anything to eat.

kite

kite /kat/ noun a toy made of light woodand paper or cloth which is flown in thewind on the end of a string � He was fly-ing his kite from the top of the hill.

kittenkitten /�kt(ə)n/ noun a young catknackknack /n�k/ noun an ability or tendency

to do something, often somethingwrong (informal) � She has a knack fortalking to strangers. � He has this knackof accidentally offending people.

knee

knee /ni/ noun 1. the part on your bodywhere the upper and the lower leg join,where your leg bends � She sat the childon her knee. � He was on his kneeslooking under the bed. 2. the part of apair of trousers that covers the knee �My jeans have holes in both knees.

kneel

kneel /nil/ verb to go down on yourknees (NOTE: kneels – kneeling –kneeled or knelt /nelt/)

knewknew /nju/ past tense of knowknifeknife /naf/ noun an instrument used for

cutting, with a sharp metal blade fixedin a handle � Put out a knife, fork andspoon for each person. � You need asharp knife to cut meat. (NOTE: The plu-ral is knives.) � verb to injure someone


knit 177 knuckle

using a knife � He was knifed in theback during the fight. (NOTE: knifes –knifing – knifed)

knit

knit /nt/ verb to make cloth out of woolby joining threads together using twolong needles � My mother is knitting mea pullover. � She was wearing a blueknitted hat. (NOTE: knits – knitting –knit or knitted)

knives

knives /navz/ plural of knifeknob

knob /nɒb/ noun 1. a rounded handle thatyou turn, e.g. on a door or drawer � Toopen the door, just turn the knob. 2. around object which you turn to operatea radio or TV, etc. � Turn the knob to in-crease the volume.

knock

knock /nɒk/ noun a sound made by hit-ting something � Suddenly, there was aknock at the door. � verb to hit some-thing � Knock twice before going in. �You’ll need a heavy hammer to knockthat nail in.knock down phrasal verb 1. to makesomething fall down � They are goingto knock down the old house to build afactory. 2. to hit someone or something� She was knocked down by a car. 3. toreduce a price � They knocked the pricedown to £50.knock out phrasal verb to hit someoneso hard that they are no longer con-scious � She was knocked out by a blowon the head.

knot

knot /nɒt/ noun 1. one or more pieces ofstring, rope, or other fibre, twisted andfastened together � Boy Scouts are sup-posed to be able to tie knots. � Is theknot of my tie straight? 2. a measure ofthe speed of a ship, or of the wind � Theship was doing 22 knots when she hit therocks. � There’s a wind speed of 60knots.

know

know /nəυ/ verb 1. to have learned some-thing, to have information about some-thing � Do you know how to start thecomputer? � He didn’t know she haddied. � How was I to know she wasn’this wife? � You knew it would be expen-sive. � Do you know the Spanish for‘one – two – three’? � His secretarydoesn’t know where he is. 2. to have metsomeone � I know your sister – we wereat school together. � I used to know aman called Peter Jones who worked inyour company. 3. to have been to a placeoften � I know Paris very well. � Shedoesn’t know Germany at all. (NOTE:knows – knowing – knew /nju/ –has known)

knowledge

knowledge /�nɒld"/ noun the generalfacts or information that people know �No encyclopedia can contain all humanknowledge.

known

known /nəυn/ past participle of knowknuckle

knuckle /�n�k(ə)l/ noun a part wheretwo bones join in a finger


Ll

l /el/, L noun the twelfth letter of the al-phabet, between K and M

label

label /�leb(ə)l/ noun a note attached tosomething to give information about,e.g. its price, its contents or someone’sname and address � She stuck a label onthe parcel. � The price on the label is£25.00. � verb to put a label on some-thing � All the goods are labelled withthe correct price. (NOTE: labels – label-ling – labelled. The US spelling is la-beling – labeled.)

labor

labor /�lebə/ noun, verb US spelling oflabour

laboratory

laboratory /lə��bɒrət(ə)ri/ noun a placewhere scientific experiments, testingand research are carried out � She’sworking in the university laboratories.� All our products are tested in our ownlaboratories. (NOTE: The plural is labo-ratories.)

labour

labour /�lebə/ noun 1. work, especiallyhard work � Does the price include thecost of labour? 2. the people who dowork � Cheap labour is difficult to find.3. the process of giving birth to a baby �She went into labour at home, and herhusband drove her to the hospital. � Shewas in labour for 12 hours. � verb 1. towork hard � They laboured night andday to finish the project in time. 2. to dosomething with difficulty � She la-boured across the room to me.

lace

lace /les/ noun 1. a thin strip of materialfor tying up a shoe or other piece ofclothing � His laces kept coming un-done. � She’s too little to be able to doup her laces herself. 2. cloth made withopen patterns of threads, like a net � alace tablecloth � Her wedding dresswas trimmed with lace. (NOTE: no pluralin this sense)

lack

lack /l�k/ noun the fact that you do nothave something � The children are suf-fering from a lack of food. � The project

was cancelled because of lack of funds.(NOTE: no plural) � verb not to haveenough of something � The sales stafflack interest.

ladderladder /�l�də/ noun an object made ofseveral bars between two posts, used forclimbing up to high places � The ladderwas leaning against the wall. � He wasclimbing up a ladder. � She got down offthe ladder.

ladylady /�ledi/ noun a polite way of refer-ring to a woman � There are two ladieswaiting to see you.

laidlaid /led/ past tense and past participle oflay

lainlain /len/ past participle of lie verb 2lakelake /lek/ noun an area of water sur-

rounded by land � Let’s take a boat outon the lake. � We can sail across thelake. � The hotel stands on the shores ofLake Windermere.

lamblamb /l�m/ noun 1. a young sheep � Inspring, the fields are full of sheep andtheir little lambs. 2. meat from a lamb orsheep � a leg of lamb � roast lamb(NOTE: no plural in this sense)

lamplamp /l�mp/ noun an object which pro-duces light � The hall is lit by largeelectric lamps.

landland /l�nd/ noun earth, as opposed towater � They were glad to be back on(dry) land again after two weeks at sea.(NOTE: no plural) � verb to arrive on theground, or on another surface � Theflight from Amsterdam has landed. � Wewill be landing at London Airport in fiveminutes. � The ducks tried to land onthe ice.land up phrasal verb to end in a place(informal) � I got the wrong train andlanded up in Scotland.

landinglanding /�l�ndŋ/ noun 1. (especially ofaircraft) an instance of arriving on theground or on a surface � The planemade a smooth landing. 2. a flat area at


landlady 179 later

the top of a set of stairs � She was wait-ing for me on the landing.

landlady

landlady /�l�ndledi/ noun a womanfrom whom you rent a place to live �You must pay your rent to the landladyevery month. (NOTE: The plural is land-ladies.)

landlord

landlord /�l�ndlɔd/ noun a man orcompany from whom you rent propertysuch as a house, room or office � Tellthe landlord if your roof leaks. � Thelandlord refused to make any repairs tothe roof.

landmark

landmark /�l�ndmɑk/ noun a buildingor large object on land which you cansee easily � The statue is a famous land-mark.

landscape

landscape /�l�ndskep/ noun 1. the ap-pearance of the countryside � the beau-tiful landscape of the West Country 2. apainting of a country scene � He col-lects 18th century English landscapes.

lane

lane /len/ noun 1. a narrow road, often inthe country � a lane with hedges onboth sides 2. a part of a road for trafficgoing in a particular direction or at acertain speed � Motorways usually havethree lanes on either side. � One lane ofthe motorway has been closed for re-pairs.

language

language /�l�ŋ'wd"/ noun a way ofspeaking or writing used in a country orby a group of people � We go to Englishlanguage classes twice a week. � Shecan speak several European languages.

lap

lap /l�p/ noun 1. the part of your bodyfrom your waist to your knees when youare sitting � She listened to the story,sitting in her father’s lap. 2. one turnround a racetrack � He’s finished lap 23– only two laps to go! � verb 1. (of ani-mals) to drink with the tongue � Thedog lapped the water in the pond. 2. togo so fast that you are one whole lapahead of another person in a race � Thewinner had lapped three other runners.(NOTE: laps – lapping – lapped)

large

large /lɑd"/ adjective big � She ordereda large cup of coffee. � Our house hasone large bedroom and two very smallones. � How large is your garden? �

Why has she got an office which is larg-er than mine?

largely

largely /�lɑd"li/ adverb mainly, mostly� His farm is largely grazing land. �The price rises are largely due to in-creased demand.

laser

laser /�lezə/ noun an instrument whichproduces a concentrated beam of light;lasers can be used to cut through hardmaterials, and to carry out some medicaloperations

last

last /lɑst/ adjective 1. coming at the endof a list, line or period of time � Thepost office is the last building on theright. � The invoice must be paid by thelast day of the month. 2. most recent �She’s been ill for the last ten days. � Thelast three books I read were rubbish. �adverb 1. at the end � Out of a queue oftwenty people, I was served last. � I’llprint the labels last. 2. most recently �When did you see her last? � She waslooking ill when I saw her last or when Ilast saw her. � verb to continue forsome time � The fine weather won’tlast. � Our holidays never seem to lastvery long. � The storm lasted all night.� The meeting lasted for three hours. �last but one the one before the last one� My last car but one was a RollsRoyce.

late

late /let/ adjective 1. after the usual orexpected time � The plane is thirty min-utes late. � It’s too late to change yourticket. � Hurry or you’ll be late for theshow. � We apologise for the late arriv-al of the plane from Amsterdam. 2. at theend of a period of time � The traffic wasbad in the late afternoon. � He moved toLondon in the late 1980s. 3. a word usedinstead of ’dead’ in order to be polite �His late father was a director of thecompany. (NOTE: only used before anoun in this meaning)

lately

lately /�letli/ adverb during recent daysor weeks

later

later /�letə/ adverb at a time after thepresent; at a time after a time which hasbeen mentioned � The family came tolive in England and she was born amonth later. � Can we meet later thisevening?


latest 180 leadlatest

latest /�letst/ adjective the most recent(informal) � Have you seen his latestfilm? � He always drives the latest mod-el car. � The latest snow reports arepublished each day in the papers. � atthe latest no later than the time stated� I’ll ring back before 7 o’clock at thelatest.

latter

latter /�l�tə/ adjective 1. used for refer-ring to the second of two people orthings mentioned 2. towards the end ofthe period of time mentioned � I’m busyon Monday and Tuesday, but I’ll be freeduring the latter part of the week.

laugh

laugh /lɑf/ noun a sound you makewhen you think something is funny �He’s got a lovely deep laugh. � ‘That’sright,’ she said with a laugh. � verb tomake a sound to show you think some-thing is funny � He was very good lastnight – he had everyone laughing at hisjokes. � She fell off the ladder and eve-ryone laughed.

laughter

laughter /�lɑftə/ noun the sound or actof laughing � As soon as he opened hismouth, the audience burst into laughter.(NOTE: no plural)

launch

launch /lɔntʃ/ noun 1. the act of start-ing off a boat or a spacecraft � Thelaunch of the new car went off success-fully. � The rocket launch has been de-layed by two weeks. 2. the act of startingoff the sale of a new product � Thelaunch of the new car went off success-fully. � verb 1. to put a boat into the wa-ter, especially for the first time and witha lot of ceremony � The Queenlaunched the new ship. 2. to send aspacecraft into space � The spacecraftwas launched from Cape Kennedy. 3. tostart selling a new product � We’relaunching the new perfume just beforeChristmas.

laundry

laundry /�lɔndri/ noun 1. clothes thatneed to be washed � Please put anylaundry into the bag provided. (NOTE:no plural) 2. a place where clothes arewashed � The hotel’s sheets and towelsare sent to the laundry every day. (NOTE:The plural is laundries.) � do thelaundry to wash clothes

law

law /lɔ/ noun one of the rules governinga country, usually in the form of an act

of parliament � Parliament has passeda law against the ownership of guns.

lawfullawful /�lɔf(ə)l/ adjective allowed by thelaw (formal) � Their behaviour wasperfectly lawful.

law-making

law-making /�lɔ �mekŋ/ noun theprocess of making laws

lawnlawn /lɔn/ noun a part of a garden cov-ered with short grass

lawyer

lawyer /�lɔjə/ noun a person who hasstudied law and can advise you on legalmatters � If you are arrested you havethe right to speak to your lawyer.

lay

lay /le/ verb 1. to put something downflat � He laid the papers on the table. �A new carpet has been laid in the diningroom. 2. � to lay the table to arrangeknives, fork, spoons, plates and glasseson a table for a meal � The table is laidfor four people. 3. (of birds, turtles,etc.) to produce an egg � The hens laidthree eggs. (NOTE: lays – laying – laid)

layer

layer /�leə/ noun an amount of a sub-stance that lies on a flat surface � Sheput a layer of chocolate on the cake,then one of cream.

layoutlayout /�leaυt/ noun a design, e.g. of agarden or a book

lazinesslaziness /�lezinəs/ noun the state of be-ing lazy

lazy

lazy /�lezi/ adjective not wanting to doany work � She’s just lazy – that’s whythe work never gets done on time. � Heis so lazy he does not even bother toopen his mail. (NOTE: lazier – laziest)

lead

lead1 /led/ noun 1. a very heavy soft met-al � Tie a piece of lead to your fishingline to make it sink. 2. the black part inthe middle of a pencil

leadlead2 /lid/ noun 1. an electric wire whichjoins a machine to the electricity supply� The lead is too short to go across theroom. 2. first place during a race � Hewent into the lead or he took the lead. �Who’s in the lead at the halfway mark?� She has a lead of 20m over her near-est rival. 3. a long piece of leather orother material used to hold a dog � Alldogs must be kept on a lead in the park.� verb 1. to be in first place during arace or match � Our side was leading athalf time. � They were leading by three


leader 181 leave

metres. 2. to go in front to show some-one the way � She led us into the hall.3. (of a path or road) to go in a particu-lar direction � The road leads you to thetop of the hill. 4. to be the main personin a group � She is leading a group ofbusinesswomen on a tour of Chinesefactories. (NOTE: leads – leading – led/led/)lead up to phrasal verb to happen in away that makes something else impor-tant happen � the events that led up tothe First World War

leaderleader /�lidə/ noun a person who is incharge of an organisation such as a po-litical party � He is the leader of the La-bour Party. � The leader of the con-struction workers’ union.

leadershipleadership /�lidəʃp/ noun 1. the abili-ty to manage or direct others � We thinkhe has certain leadership qualities. 2.the position of a leader � Under hisleadership the party went from strengthto strength. 3. a group of leaders of anorganisation � The leadership wasweaker after the president’s resignation.

leadingleading /�lidŋ/ adjective most impor-tant � He took the leading role in theplay.

leafleaf /lif/ noun one of the flat green partsof a plant � The leaves of the trees turnbrown or red in autumn. � Caterpillarshave eaten the leaves of the roses.(NOTE: The plural is leaves /livz/.)

leafletleaflet /�liflət/ noun a sheet of paper, of-ten folded, giving information

leagueleague /li'/ noun a group of sports clubswhich play matches against each other� He plays for one of the clubs in the lo-cal football league.

leakleak /lik/ noun 1. a hole in an objectwhere liquid or gas can escape � I cansmell gas – there must be a gas leak inthe kitchen. 2. an occasion on which se-cret information is given to the public �She was embarrassed by the leak of thenews. � The leak of the report led to theminister’s resignation. � verb 1. (of liq-uid or gas, etc.) to flow away, to escapefrom its container � Water must havebeen leaking through the ceiling fordays. 2. to pass on secret information tothe public � Governments don’t like

their plans to be leaked to the press. �We found that the sales director wasleaking information to a rival company.

lean

lean /lin/ adjective 1. (of a person) thin� He’s a lean athletic man. 2. (of meat)with little fat � a slice of lean bacon �verb to be in or to put into a sloping po-sition � The ladder was leaning againstthe shed. � She leant her bike againstthe wall. � He leaned over and pickedup the cushion. � It’s dangerous to leanout of car windows. (NOTE: leans –leaning – leaned or leant /lent/)lean on phrasal verb 1. to try to forcesomeone to do what you want � Theyleant on him to get him to agree. 2. todepend on someone � If things get diffi-cult she always has her father to leanon.

leap

leap /lip/ verb to jump � He leapt overthe ditch. � She leapt with joy when sheheard the news. � He leapt into the trainas it was leaving. (NOTE: leaps – leap-ing – leaped or leapt /lept/)

learn

learn /l�n/ verb 1. to find out aboutsomething, or about how to do some-thing � He’s learning to ride a bicycle.� We learn French and German atschool. 2. to hear news � Her bosslearned that she was planning to leavethe company. � How did you come tolearn about the product? � We learnt ofhis death only yesterday. (NOTE: learns– learning – learnt /l�nt/ or learned)

learner

learner /�l�nə/ noun a person who islearning how to do something � Theevening swimming classes are speciallyfor adult learners. � The new dictionaryis good for advanced learners of Eng-lish.

least

least /list/ adjective used for describingthe smallest amount � This car uses byfar the least petrol. � adverb less thaneveryone or everything else � I likedthat part of the book least. � He was theleast conceited man she had ever met.

leather

leather /�leðə/ noun the skin of certainanimals used to make things such asshoes and bags � a leather bag � Myshoes have leather soles.

leave

leave /liv/ verb 1. to go away from aplace � She left home at 9 o’clock this


lecture 182 legitimate

morning. � When they couldn’t findwhat they wanted, they left the shop. �Eurostar leaves Waterloo for Brusselsevery day at 8.25. � When does the nextbus leave for Oxford? 2. to forget to takesomething with you � I left my tooth-brush at home. 3. to allow something tostay in a certain condition � Did youleave the light on when you locked up?� Yesterday she left the iron on, andburnt a hole in the ironing board. �Someone left the door open and the doggot out. 4. to produce a mark that re-mains � The coffee left a stain on the ta-blecloth. 5. not to take something �Leave some pizza for your brother. 6. tochoose to stop being in a relationshipwith someone � She’s left her husband.7. not to do something, so that someoneelse has to do it � She went out leavingme all the washing up to do. (NOTE:leaves – leaving – left /left/)

leave behind phrasal verb to not takesomeone or something with youleave out phrasal verb to forget some-thing or someone

lecture

lecture /�lektʃə/ noun a talk on a partic-ular subject given to people such as stu-dents � She gave a lecture on Chineseart. � Are you going to the lecture thisevening? � The lecture lasted thirtyminutes, and then there was time forquestions. � verb 1. to give a lecture onsomething � He will lecture on Romanhistory next Thursday. 2. to teach a sub-ject, by giving lectures � She lectures onhistory at Birmingham University.

lecturer

lecturer /�lektʃərə/ noun 1. a personwho gives a talk on a particular subject� This week’s lecturer is talking aboutmodern art. 2. a teacher in a universityor college � He has been a lecturer inbiology for five years.

led

led /led/ past tense and past participle oflead

ledge

ledge /led"/ noun a narrow flat partwhich sticks out from a cliff or a build-ing

left

left /left/ adjective 1. relating to the sideof the body which has the hand thatmost people do not use for writing � Ican’t write with my left hand. � The postoffice is on the left side of the street as

you go towards the church. 2. (in poli-tics) relating to people with left-wingopinions � His politics are left of centre.Compare right � noun the side towardsthe left � Remember to drive on the leftwhen you are in Britain. � The school ison the left as you go towards the towncentre. � She was sitting on the chair-man’s left. � adverb towards the left �Go straight ahead and turn left at thetraffic lights.

left-hand

left-hand /�left �h�nd/ adjective on theleft side � The book is in the left-handdrawer of his desk. � In England carsdrive on the left-hand side of the road.

left-handed

left-handed /�left �h�ndd/ adjectiveusing the left hand more often than theright for doing things � She’s left-hand-ed, so we got her a left-handed cup forher birthday.

left-wing

left-wing /�left �wŋ/ adjective in poli-tics, relating to people who believe thatmoney and property should be sharedmore equally

leg

leg /le'/ noun 1. one of the parts of thebody with which a person or animalwalks � The bird was standing on oneleg, asleep. � Some animals can’t standon their back legs. � She fell down thesteps and broke her leg. 2. one of theparts of a chair or table which touch thefloor � The table has four legs. 3. a legof an animal used for food � roast leg oflamb � Would you like a chicken leg? �to pull someone’s leg to try to makesomeone believe something that is nottrue for a joke � Don’t worry, she willget here on time – I was only pullingyour leg.

legal

legal /�li'(ə)l/ adjective 1. allowed bythe law � It’s legal to drive at 17 yearsold in the UK 2. relating to the law

legally

legally /�li'əli/ adverb according to thelaw

legislation

legislation /�led"��sleʃ(ə)n/ nounlaws, written rules which are passed byParliament and applied in the courts

legitimate

legitimate /l��d"tmət/ adjective fairand reasonable, or allowed by the law �They have legitimate concerns about theproject. � He acted in legitimate de-fence of his rights.


lemon 183 levellemonlemon /�lemən/ noun a pale yellow fruit

with a sour taste � Oranges are muchsweeter than lemons.

lendlend /lend/ verb to let someone use some-thing for a certain period of time � Heasked me if I would lend him £5 tillMonday. � I lent her my dictionary andnow she won’t give it back. Compareborrow (NOTE: lends – lending – lent/lent/)

lengthlength /leŋθ/ noun 1. a measurement ofhow long something is from end to end� The table is at least twelve feet inlength. 2. a long piece of something �She bought a length of curtain materialin the sale. � We need two lengths ofpiping for the new central heating sys-tem.

lenslens /lenz/ noun a curved piece of glassor plastic, used for looking through tomake things clearer or bigger � My eye-sight is not very good, and I have tohave glasses with strong lenses. � Itlooks as if the camera lens wasscratched. (NOTE: The plural is lenses.)

lentlent /lent/ past tense and past participle oflend

lessless /les/ adjective, pronoun a smalleramount (of) � You will get thinner if youeat less bread. � The total bill came toless than £10. � She finished her home-work in less than an hour. � He sold itfor less than he had paid for it. � adverbnot as much � I like that one less thanthis one. � The second film was less in-teresting than the first. � I want a carwhich is less difficult to drive. � prepo-sition with a certain amount taken away� We pay £10 an hour, less 50p for in-surance. � more or less almost � I’vemore or less finished painting the kitch-en.

lessenlessen /�les(ə)n/ verb to become less, orto make something become less �Wearing a seat belt lessens the risk ofinjury. (NOTE: Do not confuse with les-son.)

lessonlesson /�les(ə)n/ noun 1. a period oftime, especially in school, when you aretaught something � He went to sleepduring the French lesson. � We have sixlessons of history a week. � She’s takingor having driving lessons. � He gives

Spanish lessons at home in the evenings.2. something which you learn from ex-perience and which makes you wiser �He’s learnt his lesson, he now knowsyou shouldn’t take such big risks withmoney.

let

let /let/ verb 1. to allow someone to dosomething � He let her borrow his car.� Will you let me see the papers? 2. toallow someone to use a house or officein return for payment � We’re lettingour cottage to some friends for theweekend. (NOTE: lets – letting – let) �let me see used when you need time tothink about something � Let me seewhat I can do for you.

let go phrasal verb to stop holding onto somethinglet in phrasal verb to allow to come inlet off phrasal verb 1. to make some-thing such as a gun or bomb fire explode� They let off fireworks in the town cen-tre. 2. to not punish someone severely �He was charged with stealing, but thejudge let him off with a fine.let up phrasal verb to do less, to be-come less � The snow didn’t let up allday. � She’s working too hard – sheought to let up a bit.

letter

letter /�letə/ noun 1. a piece of writingsent from one person to another to passon information � There were two lettersfor you in the post. � Don’t forget towrite a letter to your mother to tell herwhat we are doing. � We’ve had a letterfrom the bank manager. 2. one of thesigns which make up the alphabet, asign used in writing which correspondsto a certain sound � Z is the last letter ofthe alphabet. � I’m trying to think of aword with ten letters beginning with Aand ending with R. � to the letter ex-actly as shown or stated � They followedhis instructions to the letter.

lettuce

lettuce /�lets/ noun a plant with largegreen leaves which are used in salads(NOTE: no plural except when referringto several plants: a row of lettuces)

level

level /�lev(ə)l/ noun 1. a position relatingto height or amount � I want to lowerthe level of our borrowings. � The waterreached a level of 5m above normal dur-ing the flood. 2. a floor in a building �


lever 184 light

Go up to the next level. � The toilets areat street level. � adjective 1. flat, even� Are these shelves level, or do theyslope to the left? 2. equal, the same � Athalf-time the scores were level.

lever

lever /�livə/ noun an object like a bar,which helps you to lift a heavy object, orto move part of a machine � We used apole as a lever to lift up the block ofstone. � Lift the lever, then push it downagain to make the machine work.

liberal

liberal /�lb(ə)rəl/ adjective not strict,willing to accept other people’s views �The liberal view would be to let the teen-agers run the club themselves.

library

library /�labrəri/ noun 1. a place wherebooks are kept, especially ones whichyou can borrow � He forgot to take hisbooks back to the library. � You can’tkeep it, it’s a library book. 2. a collec-tion of things such as books or records �He has a big record library. (NOTE: Theplural is libraries.)

licence

licence /�las(ə)ns/ noun a documentwhich gives official permission to ownsomething or to do something � She hasapplied for an export licence for thesepaintings.

licensed

licensed /�las(ə)nst/ adjective givenofficial permission to do something

lick

lick /lk/ verb to make a gentle movementwith your tongue across the surface ofsomething � You shouldn’t lick the platewhen you’ve finished your pudding. �They licked their lips when they saw thecakes.

lid

lid /ld/ noun a covering for a container,sometimes with a handle � Where’s thelid for the black saucepan? � He man-aged to get the lid off the jam jar.

lie

lie /la/ verb 1. to say something which isnot true � She was lying when she saidshe had been at home all evening. � Helied about the accident. (NOTE: in thissense: lies – lying – lied) 2. to be in aflat position � Six soldiers lay dead onthe ground. � The dog spends theevening lying in front of the fire. (NOTE:lies – lying – lay – lain) � noun some-thing that is not true � That’s a lie! – Ididn’t day that! � Someone has beentelling lies about her.

lie down phrasal verb to put yourself ina flat position, e.g. on a bed

life

life /laf/ noun 1. the period during whichyou are alive � He spent his whole lifeworking on the farm. 2. the fact of beinga living person � Life is a preciousthing; don’t waste it. 3. living things �Is there life on Mars?

lift

lift /lft/ noun 1. a machine which takespeople up or down from one floor to an-other in a building � Take the lift to thetenth floor. � Push the button to call thelift. � Your room is on the fifteenth floor,so you may wish to use the lift. 2. a ridein a car that you give to someone � Shegave me a lift to the station. � verb totake something, often off the ground,and put it in a higher position � Mybriefcase is so heavy I can hardly lift it.� He lifted the little girl up so that shecould see the procession.

light

light /lat/ noun 1. brightness, the oppo-site of darkness � I can’t read the mapby the light of the moon. � There’s notenough light to take a photo. 2. a pieceof electrical equipment which giveslight � Turn the light on – I can’t see toread. � It’s dangerous to ride a bicyclewith no lights. � In the fog, I could justsee the red lights of the car in front ofme. � verb to start to burn, to makesomething start to burn � He is trying toget the fire to light. � Can you light thecandles on the birthday cake? � Hecouldn’t get the fire to light. � Light acandle – it’s dark in the cellar. (NOTE:lights – lighting – lit /lt/) � adjective1. not heavy � I can lift this box easily –it’s quite light or it’s as light as a feath-er. � You need light clothing for tropicalcountries. � She’s just been ill, and canonly do light work. 2. pale � He waswearing a light green shirt. � I prefer alight carpet to a dark one. 3. having a lotof light so that you can see well � Thebig windows make the kitchen verylight. � It was six o’clock in the morningand just getting light. � to cast orthrow light on something to makesomething easier to understand � Thepapers throw light on how the ministerreached his decision.


lighten 185 linklighten

lighten /�lat(ə)n/ verb 1. to make or be-come less dark � You can lighten theroom by painting it white. � The skylightened as dawn broke. 2. to becomeless heavy, or to make something be-come less heavy � I’ll have to lightenmy suitcase – it’s much too heavy.

lightning

lightning /�latnŋ/ noun a flash of elec-tricity in the sky in a storm � The stormapproached with thunder and lightning.

like

like /lak/ preposition 1. similar to, in thesame way as � He’s like his mother inmany ways, but he has his father’s nose.� Like you, I don’t get on with the newboss. � The picture doesn’t look like himat all. � He can swim like a fish. � Ittastes like strawberries. � What’s thatrecord? – it sounds like Elgar. 2. usedfor asking someone to describe some-thing � What was the weather like whenyou were on holiday? � What’s he like,her new boyfriend? � verb 1. to havepleasant feelings about someone orsomething � Do you like the new man-ager? � She doesn’t like eating meat. �How does he like his new job? � No onelikes driving in rush hour traffic. � Inthe evening, I like to sit quietly and readthe newspaper. 2. to want � Take asmany apples as you like. � would likeused for telling someone what you wantin a polite way � I’d like you to meet oneof our sales executives. � I’d like to goto Paris next week.

likely

likely /�lakli/ adjective probably goingto happen � It’s likely to snow thisweekend. � He’s not likely to come tothe party. � Is that at all likely? (NOTE:likelier – likeliest)

liking

liking /�lakŋ/ noun a feeling of enjoy-ing something � She has a liking forchocolate. � This drink is too sweet formy liking.

limb

limb /lm/ noun a leg or arm � He waslucky not to break a limb in the accident.

limit

limit /�lmt/ noun the furthest point be-yond which you cannot go � We werenever allowed to go beyond the limits ofthe garden. � What’s the speed limit onthis road? � verb not to allow some-thing to go beyond a certain point � Herparents limited the number of evenings

she could go out. � The treasurer wantsto limit the amount we spend on flowers.

limited

limited /�lmtd/ adjective which has alimit

limp

limp /lmp/ verb to walk in a way whichis affected by having an injured leg orfoot � After the accident she limpedbadly. � noun a way that someonewalks, when one leg hurts or is shorterthan the other � His limp has improvedsince his operation. � adjective soft, notstrong � All we had as a salad was twolimp lettuce leaves. � He gave me a limphandshake. � She went limp and we hadto give her a glass of water.

lineline /lan/ noun 1. a long thin mark � Shedrew a straight line across the sheet ofpaper. � Parking isn’t allowed on yel-low lines. � The tennis ball went overthe line. 2. a row of written or printedwords � He printed the first two linesand showed them to me. � Can you readthe bottom line on the chart? 3. a longrow of people or things � We had tostand in (a) line for half an hour to getinto the exhibition. � The line of lorriesstretched for miles at the frontier. 4. awire along which telephone messagesare sent � The snow brought down thetelephone lines. � Can you speak louder– the line is bad. � to draw the line atto refuse to do something � I don’t mindhaving a cup of coffee with the boss, butI draw the line at having to invite himfor a meal at home.line up phrasal verb to stand in a line �Line up over there if you want to takethe next boat.

linen

linen /�lnn/ noun a strong cloth madefrom natural fibres � a linen tablecloth� He bought a white linen suit.

lining

lining /�lanŋ/ noun material sewn ontothe inside of something such as a pieceof clothing � You’ll need a coat with awarm lining if you’re going to Canadain winter. � She has a pair of boots witha fur lining.

link

link /lŋk/ noun 1. something which con-nects two things or places � The Chan-nel Tunnel provides a fast rail link be-tween England and France. 2. one of therings in a chain � a chain with solidgold links � verb 1. to join things to-


lion 186 liver

gether � They linked arms and walkeddown the street. � All the rooms arelinked to the main switchboard. � Eu-rostar links London and Paris or Brus-sels. 2. to be related in some way � Hissalary is linked to the cost of living.

lion

lion /�laən/ noun a large wild yellowish-brown animal of the cat family (NOTE:The female is a lioness and the youngare cubs.)

lip

lip /lp/ noun one of the two pink or redparts forming the outside of the mouth �Put some cream on your lips to stopthem getting sore.

liquid

liquid /�lkwd/ noun a substance such aswater, which flows easily and which isneither a gas nor a solid � You will needto drink more liquids in hot weather. �adjective in a form which flows easily �a bottle of liquid soap

list

list /lst/ noun a number of things such asnames or addresses, written or said oneafter another � We’ve drawn up a list ofpeople to invite to the party. � He wasill, so we crossed his name off the list. �The names on the list are in alphabeti-cal order. � verb to say or to write anumber of things one after the other �The contents are listed on the label. �She listed the ingredients on the back ofan envelope. � The catalogue lists twen-ty-three models of washing machine.

listen

listen /�ls(ə)n/ verb to pay attention tosomeone who is talking or to somethingwhich you can hear � Don’t make anoise – I’m trying to listen to a musicprogramme. � Why don’t you listen towhat I tell you? � to listen out forsomething to wait to see if you hearsomething � Can you listen out for thetelephone while I’m in the garden?

lit

lit /lt/ past tense and past participle oflight

liter

liter /�litə/ noun US spelling of litreliterary

literary /�lt(ə)rəri/ adjective relating toliterature

literature

literature /�lt(ə)rətʃə/ noun 1. books orwriting, especially when considered tobe of high quality � She’s studying Eng-lish and American literature. 2. writteninformation about something � Do you

have any literature on holidays inGreece? (NOTE: no plural)

litre

litre /�litə/ noun a unit of measurementfor liquids, equal to 1000 millilitres(NOTE: usually written l or L after fig-ures: 25 l, say ‘twenty-five litres’.)

litter

litter /�ltə/ noun 1. rubbish on streets orin public places � The council tries tokeep the main street clear of litter.(NOTE: no plural in this sense) 2. agroup of young animals born at one time� She had a litter of eight puppies.

little

little /�lt(ə)l/ adjective 1. small � Theyhave two children – a baby boy and a lit-tle girl. (NOTE: no comparative or su-perlative forms in this sense) 2. notmuch � We drink very little milk. � A TVuses very little electricity. � He lookedat it for a little while. (NOTE: little –less – least /list/) � adverb not much;not often � It’s little more than twomiles from the sea. � We go to the cine-ma very little these days.

little by little

little by little /�lt(ə)l ba �lt(ə)l/ ad-verb gradually

live

live1 /lav/ adjective 1. living, not dead �There are strict rules about transportinglive animals. 2. carrying electricity �Don’t touch the live wires. 3. not record-ed; being broadcast at the same time asevents take place � a live radio show �adverb at the same time as events takeplace � The show was broadcast live.

live

live2 /lv/ verb 1. to have your home in aplace � They have gone to live inFrance. � Do you prefer living in thecountry to the town? � He lives nextdoor to a film star. � Where does yourdaughter live? 2. to be alive � KingHenry VIII lived in the 16th century. �The doctor doesn’t think she will livemuch longer.

live on phrasal verb to use food ormoney to stay alive � They lived onbread and water for two weeks.

lively

lively /�lavli/ adjective very active(NOTE: livelier – liveliest)

liver

liver /�lvə/ noun 1. a large organ in thebody which helps you to process foodand cleans the blood 2. animal’s liverused as food � I’ll start with chicken liv-


living 187 long

er pâté. � He looked at the menu and or-dered liver and bacon.

living

living /�lvŋ/ adjective having the signssuch as breathing or growing of not be-ing dead � Does she have any living rel-atives? � noun money that you need forthings such as food and clothes � Heearns his living by selling postcards totourists.

living room

living room /�lvŋ rum/ noun (in ahouse or flat) a comfortable room forsitting in

lizard

lizard /�lzəd/ noun a small animal with along tail and rough skin

load

load /ləυd/ noun a number of heavy ob-jects which are carried in a vehicle suchas truck � The lorry delivered a load ofbricks. � verb 1. to put something, espe-cially something heavy, into or on to avehicle such as a truck or van � Theyloaded the furniture into the van. 2. toput bullets into a gun, or a film into acamera � They loaded their guns andhid behind the wall. 3. to put a programinto a computer � Load the word-processing program before you startkeyboarding.

loaf

loaf /ləυf/ noun bread made in a largeround shape, which you can cut intoslices before eating it � He bought aloaf of bread at the baker’s. � We eatabout 10 loaves of bread per week.

loan

loan /ləυn/ noun 1. a thing lent, especial-ly an amount of money � He bought thehouse with a £100,000 loan from thebank. 2. the act of lending something tosomeone � I had the loan of his car forthree weeks.

local

local /�ləυk(ə)l/ adjective relating to aplace or district near where you are orwhere you live � She works as a nursein the local hospital. � The local papercomes out on Fridays. � She was for-merly the headmistress of the localschool.

locate

locate /ləυ��ket/ verb to find the positionof something � Divers are trying to lo-cate the Spanish galleon.

location

location /ləυ��keʃ(ə)n/ noun a place orposition � The hotel is in a very centrallocation.

lock

lock /lɒk/ noun a part of a door or con-tainer such as a box, used for fasteningit so that you can only open it with a key� She left the key in the lock, so the bur-glars got in easily. � We changed thelocks on the doors after a set of keyswere stolen. � verb 1. to close a door ora container such as a box, using a key �I forgot to lock the safe. � We alwayslock the front door before we go to bed.2. to fix something or to become fixed ina certain position � The wheels sudden-ly locked as he went round the corner.

lock up phrasal verb 1. to close abuilding by locking the doors � He al-ways locks up before he goes home. �She was locking up the shop when aman walked in. 2. to put someone inprison � They locked him up for a week.

loft

loft /lɒft/ noun the top part of a houseright under the roof � They convertedtheir loft into a bedroom.

log

log /lɒ'/ noun a thick piece of a tree � Hebrought in a load of logs for the fire.

loneliness

loneliness /�ləυnlinəs/ noun 1. a feel-ing of sadness you can get from beingalone � After his wife died it took him along time to get over his feelings of lone-liness. 2. the state of being alone � Hewas attracted by the loneliness of thehotel, all by itself on the top of the cliff.

lonely

lonely /�ləυnli/ adjective 1. feeling sadbecause of being alone � It’s odd howlonely you can be in a big city full ofpeople. 2. (of a place) with few or nopeople around � The cliff top is a lonelyplace at night. � We spent the weekendin a lonely cottage in the Welsh hills.(NOTE: lonelier – loneliest)

long

long /lɒŋ/ adjective 1. not short in length� a long piece of string � The Nile is thelongest river in the world. � My hairneeds cutting – it’s getting too long. 2.not short in time � What a long pro-gramme – it lasted almost three hours.� They’ve been waiting for the bus for along time. � We don’t approve of longholidays in this job. 3. used for askingabout an amount of time � How long isit before your holiday starts? � adverba long time � Have you been waitinglong? � I didn’t want to wait any longer.� Long ago, before the war, this was a


long-term 188 lot

wealthy farming area. � noun a longtime � before long in a short time �She’ll be boss of the company beforelong. � for long for a long time � Hewasn’t out of a job for long. � verb towant something very much � I’m long-ing for a cup of tea. � Everyone waslonging to be back home. � as long as,so long as provided that, on the condi-tion that � I like going on picnics aslong as it doesn’t rain. � no longer notany more � I no longer have that car.

long-termlong-term /�lɒŋ �t�m/ adjectiveplanned to last for a long time

looloo /lu/ noun a toilet or a room in whichthere is a toilet (informal)

looklook /lυk/ noun the act of seeing some-thing with your eyes � Have a goodlook at this photograph and tell me ifyou recognise anyone in it. � We onlyhad time for a quick look round thetown. � verb 1. to turn your eyes to seesomething � I want you to look carefullyat this photograph. � Look in the res-taurant and see if there are any tablesfree. � If you look out of the office win-dow you can see our house. � Heopened the lid of the box and looked in-side. 2. to appear to be � I went to seeher in hospital and she looks worse. �Those pies look good. � It looks as if itmay snow. � He looks much older thanforty.look after phrasal verb to take care ofsomeone or somethinglook back phrasal verb to turn yourhead to see what is behind you � Helooked back and saw a police car wasfollowing him.look for phrasal verb to search forsomething, to try to find somethinglook into phrasal verb to try to find outabout a matter or problemlook out phrasal verb to be careful �Look out! – the car is going backwards!look out for phrasal verb to try to seeor find someone or something � We’relooking out for new offices because oursare too small. � I’ll look out for his sis-ter at the party.look up phrasal verb to try to findsome information in a book � I’ll lookup his address in the telephone book. �

Look up the word in the dictionary ifyou don’t know what it means.

loop

loop /lup/ noun a curve formed by apiece of something such as string, whichcrosses over itself � To tie your laces,start by making a loop.

loose

loose /lus/ adjective 1. (of a garment)not tight � Wear loose trousers and ateeshirt for the dance class. (NOTE:looser – loosest) 2. not attached to an-ything � The front wheel is loose andneeds tightening. � Once he was letloose, the dog ran across the park.

loosen

loosen /�lus(ə)n/ verb to make some-thing less tight � He loosened his shoe-laces and relaxed.

lord

lord /lɔd/ noun 1. a man who has a highsocial rank � He was born a lord. �Powerful lords forced King John to signthe Magna Carta. 2. an expression ofsurprise or shock � Good lord! I didn’trealise it was so late!

lorry

lorry /�lɒri/ noun a large motor vehiclefor carrying goods

lose

lose /luz/ verb 1. to put or drop some-thing somewhere and not to know whereit is � I can’t find my wallet – I think Ilost it on the train. � If you lose yourticket you’ll have to buy another one. 2.not to have something any longer � Welost money on the lottery. 3. not to win �We lost the match 10 – 0. � Did youwin? – No, we lost. (NOTE: loses – los-ing – lost /lɒst/) � to lose your wayto not know where you are or which di-rection to go in � They lost their way inthe fog on the mountain.

loss

loss /lɒs/ noun 1. the state of no longerhaving something � He was very un-happy at the loss of his house. � Theloss of a child is almost unbearable to aparent. 2. money which you have spentand have not got back through earnings� Companies often make losses in theirfirst year of operations.

lost

lost /lɒst/ past tense and past participle oflose

lot

lot /lɒt/ noun � a lot of, lots of a largenumber or a large quantity � There’slots of time before the train leaves. �What a lot of cars there are in the carpark! � I’ve been to the cinema quite a


lottery 189 lung

lot recently. � She’s feeling a lot betternow. � Lots of people are looking forjobs. � the lot everything � That’s thelot – there’s nothing left. � There wereold pots and books and newspapers –we sold the lot for £50. � We picked 2 ki-los of beans and ate the lot for dinner.

lottery

lottery /�lɒtəri/ noun a game of chance inwhich tickets with numbers on are soldwith prizes given for certain numbers(NOTE: The plural is lotteries.)

loud

loud /laυd/ adjective very easy to hear �Can’t you stop your watch making sucha loud noise? � Turn down the radio –it’s too loud. � adverb loudly � I can’tsing any louder. � She laughed out loudin church.

loudly

loudly /�laυdli/ adverb in a way which iseasy to hear

loudness

loudness /�laυdnəs/ noun the state ofbeing loud, being noisy

lounge

lounge /laυnd"/ noun a comfortableroom for sitting in � Let’s go and watchTV in the lounge.

love

love /l�v/ noun 1. a strong feeling of lik-ing someone or something very much �his love for his children � I had neverfelt true love like this before. � to be inlove to love someone or to love eachother � They seem to be very much inlove. � I told her I was in love with her.� to fall in love with someone to startto feel very strong affection for some-one � They fell in love at first sight. 2.(in games such as tennis) a score ofzero points � She lost the first set six –love (6–0). � verb 1. to have strong feel-ings of affection for someone or some-thing � ‘I love you!,’ he said. � Sheloves little children. � The children lovetheir teacher. 2. to like something verymuch � We love going on holiday by theseaside. � I’d love to come with you, butI’ve got too much work to do.

lovely

lovely /�l�vli/ adjective 1. very pleasantto look at � She looks lovely in thatdress. � There’s a lovely garden behindthe house. 2. pleasant or enjoyable � Ihad a lovely time on holiday. � It waslovely to have all those visitors when Iwas in hospital. (NOTE: lovelier – love-liest)

low

low /ləυ/ adjective not high � She hit herhead on the low branch. � The town issurrounded by low hills. � We shoparound to find the lowest prices. � Theengine works best at low speeds. � Thetemperature here is too low for orangesto grow. � Sales were lower in Decem-ber than in November. � adverb to-wards the bottom; not high up � Theplane was flying too low – it hit thetrees.

lower

lower /�laυə/ adjective not as high �They booked a cabin on the lower deck.� verb to make something go down �They lowered the boat into the water.

loyal

loyal /�lɔəl/ adjective who supportssomeone or something for along timewithout changing � Dogs are very loyalto their owners.

loyaltyloyalty /�lɔəlti/ noun the quality of be-ing loyal

luck

luck /l�k/ noun something, usually good,which happens to you � The bus is emp-ty – that’s a bit of luck! � bad luck usedfor telling someone that you feel sorrythat they were not successful � goodluck used for telling someone that youhope they will be successful

luckily

luckily /�l�kli/ adverb used for showingthat you think an event was lucky

luckylucky /�l�ki/ adjective 1. having goodthings happening to you, especially ifthey are unexpected � He’s lucky not tohave been sent to prison. � How luckyyou are to be going to Spain! 2. bringinggood luck � Fifteen is my lucky number.(NOTE: luckier – luckiest)

luggage

luggage /�l�'d"/ noun suitcases orbags for carrying your clothes and otherthings when travelling

lump

lump /l�mp/ noun a piece of something,often with no particular shape � a lumpof coal � a lump of sugar

lunchlunch /l�ntʃ/ noun the meal eaten in themiddle of the day � Come on – lunchwill be ready soon. � We always havelunch at 12.30. � We are having fish andchips for lunch. � I’m not hungry so Idon’t want a big lunch. � The restaurantserves 150 lunches a day.

lung

lung /l�ŋ/ noun one of two organs in thechest with which you breathe


luxury 190 lyingluxuryluxury /�l�kʃəri/ noun 1. great comfort �

He lived a life of great luxury. � A hotbath is a real luxury after two weekscamping in the mountains. 2. a thingwhich is pleasant to have, but not neces-

sary � She often buys little luxuries fordessert on Friday nights. (NOTE: Theplural in this sense is luxuries)

lyinglying /�laŋ/ present participle of lie


Mm

m /em/, M noun the thirteenth letter of thealphabet, between L and N

machine

machine /mə��ʃin/ noun a piece ofequipment that uses power � We havebought a machine for putting leaflets inenvelopes. � There is a message on myanswering machine. � She made herdress on her sewing machine. � Thewashing machine has broken and flood-ed the kitchen.

machinery

machinery /mə��ʃinəri/ noun machinesin general � The factory has got rid of alot of old machinery. (NOTE: no plural:some machinery, a piece of machin-ery)

mad

mad /m�d/ adjective 1. having a seriousmedical condition which affects thebrain (offensive) 2. silly or crazy � Eve-ryone thought he was mad to try to crossthe Atlantic in a rowing boat. 3. very an-gry (informal) � She’s mad at or withhim for borrowing her car. � He washopping mad when they told him his carhad been stolen. (NOTE: madder –maddest) � to drive someone madto make someone crazy or upset � Thenoise is driving her mad.

madam

madam /�m�dəm/ noun 1. a polite wayof addressing a woman, often used bypeople who are providing a service suchas waiters or shop assistants � After you,madam. � Can I help you, madam? 2.used when writing a letter to a womanwhom you do not know � Dear Madam

made

made /med/ past tense and past partici-ple of make

magazine

magazine /m�'ə��zin/ noun a largethin book with a paper cover, which ispublished regularly � The gardeningmagazine comes out on Fridays.

magic

magic /�m�d"k/ noun 1. tricks such asmaking things appear and disappear,performed by an entertainer called a‘magician’ � The magician made a rab-bit appear in his hat. 2. a power that

some people believe they have, whichmakes them able to make impossiblethings happen � She claimed to be awitch and able to perform magic.

magicianmagician /mə��d"ʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a wiz-ard � Merlin was the great magician inmedieval legends. 2. a conjuror � Theyhired a magician to entertain the chil-dren at the party.

magnetmagnet /�m�'nt/ noun a piece of metalwhich attracts iron and steel � She has aMickey Mouse which sticks to the fridgedoor with a magnet.

magneticmagnetic /m�'��netk/ adjective whichattracts metal

magnificentmagnificent /m�'��nfs(ə)nt/ adjec-tive very impressive or beautiful

mailmail /mel/ noun 1. letters which are de-livered or which are sent � The mailhasn’t come yet. � The receipt was inthis morning’s mail. 2. a service provid-ed by the post office � We sent the par-cel by sea mail. � It’s cheaper to sendthe order by surface mail than by air.

mainmain /men/ adjective most important �The main thing is to get to work on time.� Their main factory is in Scotland. �January is the main month for skiingholidays. � A car will meet you at themain entrance.

mainlymainly /�menli/ adverb most often � Wesell mainly to businesses. � Peoplemainly go on holiday in the summer.

maintainmaintain /men��ten/ verb 1. to makesomething stay the same � We like tomaintain good relations with our cus-tomers. 2. to keep something in goodworking order � The boiler needs to beregularly maintained. 3. to continue tostate something as a fact � Throughoutthe trial he maintained that the car wasnot his.

majormajor /�med"ə/ adjective important �Smoking is a major cause of lung can-cer. � Computers are a major influence


majority 192 mane

on modern industrial society. � Manysmall roads are blocked by snow, but themajor roads are open. � noun a rank ofan officer in the army below colonel � Amajor came up in a truck with six sol-diers. (NOTE: also used as a title beforea surname: Major Smith)

majority

majority /mə��d"ɒrti/ noun 1. the largerpart of a group � The majority of themembers of the club don’t want tochange the rules. 2. a number of voterswhich is larger than half � She waselected with a majority of 10,000. 3. theage when you become legally adult

make

make /mek/ verb 1. to put something to-gether or build something � He made aboat out of old pieces of wood. � Theseknives are made of steel. 2. to get some-thing ready � She is making a Christ-mas cake. � Do you want me to makesome tea? 3. to add up to a total � Sixand four make ten. 4. to give someone afeeling � The smell of curry makes mehungry. � The rough sea made him feelsick. � Looking at old photographsmade her sad. � He made himself com-fortable in the armchair. 5. to forcesomeone to do something � His mothermade him clean his room. � The teachermade us all stay in after school. � Ican’t make the car go any faster. � Whaton earth made you do that? (NOTE:makes – making – made /med/) � tomake sense 1. to be understood � Themessage doesn’t make sense. 2. to be agood idea � It makes sense to put a littlemoney into your savings account everyweek.

make for phrasal verb to go towards aplace � The army was making for thecapital. � As soon as the film started,she made straight for the exit.make out phrasal verb 1. to be able tosee clearly � Can you make out thehouse in the dark? 2. to claim some-thing which is probably not true � TheEnglish weather isn’t really as bad as itis made out to be. � She tries to makeout that she’s very poor.make up phrasal verb to invent a story� He said he had seen a man climbinginto the house, but in fact he made the

whole story up.makeup

makeup /�mek�p/ noun substances,e.g. face powder and lipstick, whichpeople put on their face to make it morebeautiful or change their appearance insome way � She wears no makeup apartfrom a little eye shadow. � He spenthours over his makeup for the part of themonster.

making

making /�mekŋ/ present participle ofmake

male

male /mel/ adjective relating to the sexwhich does not give birth to young � Amale deer is called a stag. (NOTE: Donot confuse with mail.)

mammal

mammal /�m�m(ə)l/ noun a type of an-imal which gives birth to live young andfeeds them with milk

man

man /m�n/ noun a male human being �That tall man is my brother. � There’s ayoung man at reception asking for MrSmith. (NOTE: The plural is men/men/.) � verb to provide staff to worksomething � The switchboard ismanned all day. � She sometimes mansthe front desk when the receptionist isill. (NOTE: mans – manning –manned)

manage

manage /�m�nd"/ verb to be in chargeof something � She manages all our of-fices in Europe. � We want to appointsomeone to manage the new shop.

management

management /�m�nd"mənt/ noun 1.a group of people who direct workers �The management has decided to move tonew offices. 2. the practice of directingand controlling work � He’s taking acourse in management. � If anythinggoes wrong now it’s just a case of badmanagement.

manager

manager /�m�nd"ə/ noun 1. the per-son in charge of a department in a shopor in a business � The bank managerwants to talk about your account. � Thesales manager organised a publicitycampaign. � She’s the manager of theshoe department. 2. a person in chargeof a sports team � The club have justsacked their manager.

mane

mane /men/ noun the long hair on theneck of a lion or horse (NOTE: Do notconfuse with main.)


manner 193 marrymannermanner /�m�nə/ noun a way of behav-

ing � She has a very unpleasant man-ner. � The staff don’t like the new man-ager’s manner.

manufacturemanufacture /�m�njυ��f�ktʃə/ verb tomake products for sale � We no longermanufacture tractors here.

manufacturermanufacturer /�m�njυ��f�ktʃərə/noun a person or company producingindustrial products

manymany /�meni/ adjective 1. a large numberof things or people � Many old peoplelive on the south coast. � So many peo-ple wanted rooms that the hotel wasbooked up. � She ate twice as manycakes as her sister did. 2. asking a ques-tion � How many times have you beento France? � How many passengerswere there on the plane? � pronoun alarge number of people � Many of thestudents knew the lecturer when he wasa student himself. � Many would saythat smoking should be banned in allpublic places.

mapmap /m�p/ noun a drawing which showsa place, e.g. a town, a country or theworld, as if it is seen from the air �Here’s a map of Europe. � The villagewhere they live is so small I can’t find iton the map. � Show me on the mapwhere the mountains are. � They losttheir way because they’d forgotten totake a map.

marathonmarathon /�m�rəθ(ə)n/ noun a race,often run on roads in a city, covering adistance of 42 kilometres � She’s train-ing for the New York marathon.

marblemarble /�mɑb(ə)l/ noun a very hardtype of stone which can be polished sothat it shines � The entrance hall has amarble floor. � The table top is madefrom a single slab of green marble.

marchmarch /mɑtʃ/ noun the act of walkingso that your legs move at exactly thesame times as everyone else’s, especial-ly by soldiers � The soldiers were tiredafter their long march through themountains. � verb 1. to walk in this way� The guards marched after the band. �We were just in time to see the soldiersmarch past. 2. to walk in a protest march� Thousands of workers marched to theparliament building.

March

March /mɑtʃ/ noun the third month ofthe year, between February and April(NOTE: March 6th or March 6: say‘March the sixth’ or ‘the sixth of March’or in US English: ‘March sixth’.)

margarine

margarine /�mɑd"ə��rin/ noun a sub-stance made from animal or vegetableoil which is used instead of butter

margin

margin /�mɑd"n/ noun a white space atthe edge of a page of writing � Writeyour comments in the margin. � We lefta wide margin so that you can writenotes in it.

marine

marine /mə��rin/ adjective referring tothe sea � marine plants and animals

mark

mark /mɑk/ noun 1. a small spot of adifferent colour � The red wine hasmade a mark on the tablecloth. � Shehas a mark on her forehead where shehit her head. 2. the points given to a stu-dent � She got top marks in English. �What sort of mark did you get for yourhomework? � No one got full marks –the top mark was 8 out of 10. � verb 1.to make a mark on something 2. to cor-rect and give points to work � Theteacher hasn’t finished marking ourhomework. � Has the English exambeen marked yet?

market

market /�mɑkt/ noun a place whereproducts, e.g. fruit and vegetables, aresold from small tables, often in the openair � We buy all our vegetables and fishat the market. � Market day is Saturday,so parking will be difficult.

marketing

marketing /�mɑktŋ/ noun the meth-ods used by a company to encouragepeople buy a product

marriage

marriage /�m�rd"/ noun 1. the state ofbeing legally joined as husband andwife � A large number of marriages endin divorce. � She has two sons by herfirst marriage. 2. a wedding, the cere-mony of being married � They had asimple marriage, with just ten guests.

married

married /�m�rid/ adjective joined ashusband and wife � Are you married orsingle? � Married life must suit him –he’s put on weight.

marry

marry /�m�ri/ verb 1. to make two peo-ple husband and wife � They were mar-ried in church. 2. to become the hus-


marsh 194 may

band or wife of someone � She marriedthe boy next door. (NOTE: marries –marrying – married) � to get mar-ried to someone to be joined as hus-band and wife in a ceremony � They’regetting married next Saturday.

marsh

marsh /mɑʃ/ noun an area of wet land(NOTE: The plural is marshes.)

masculine

masculine /�m�skjυln/ adjective suit-able for or typical of a man � She had avery masculine hair style.

mask

mask /mɑsk/ noun something whichcovers or protects your face � The bur-glars wore black masks. � He wore amask to go diving.

mass

mass /m�s/ noun 1. a large number orlarge quantity of things � Masses ofpeople went to the exhibition. � A massof leaves blew onto the pavement. � Ihave a mass of letters or masses of let-ters to write. 2. a Catholic church serv-ice � She’s a strict Catholic and goes tomass every week. � adjective involvinga large number of people � They founda mass grave on the hillside. � Thegroup is organising a mass protest toparliament.

massive

massive /�m�sv/ adjective very large� He had a massive heart attack. � Thecompany has massive losses. � A mas-sive rock came hurtling down the moun-tainside towards them.

mast

mast /mɑst/ noun 1. a tall pole on a shipwhich carries the sails � The gale wasso strong that it snapped the ship’s mast.2. a tall metal structure for broadcastingTV, radio or mobile phone signals �They have put up a television mast ontop of the hill.

master

master /�mɑstə/ verb to become skilledat something � She has mastered the artof TV newscasting. � Although hepassed his driving test some time ago,he still hasn’t mastered the art of motor-way driving.

mat

mat /m�t/ noun a small piece of some-thing such as carpet, used as a floor cov-ering � Wipe your shoes on the mat be-fore you come in.

match

match /m�tʃ/ noun 1. a single occasionwhen two teams or players competewith each other in a sport � We watched

the football match on TV. � He won thelast two table tennis matches he played.2. a small piece of wood with a one endwhich catches fire when you rub itagainst a special surface � He bought apacket of cigarettes and a box of match-es. � She struck a match and lit a can-dle. � verb to fit or to go with something� The yellow wallpaper doesn’t matchthe bright green carpet.

matemate /met/ noun 1. a friend, especiallya man’s friend � He’s gone down to thepub with his mates. 2. one of a pair ofpeople or animals, especially wherethese can produce young together �verb (of animals) to breed � A mule isthe result of a donkey mating with ahorse.

materialmaterial /mə��təriəl/ noun 1. somethingwhich can be used to make something �You can buy all the materials you needin the DIY shop. (NOTE: The plural ismaterials.) 2. cloth � I bought threemetres of material to make curtains. �What material is your coat made of?(NOTE: no plural) 3. facts or information� She’s gathering material for a TVprogramme on drugs. (NOTE: no plural)

mathematics

mathematics /�m�θə��m�tks/, maths/m�θs/ noun the science of numbersand measurements

mattermatter /�m�tə/ noun 1. a problem or dif-ficulty � What’s the matter? � This is amatter for the police. 2. a concern orbusiness � verb to be important � Itdoesn’t matter if you’re late. � His jobmatters a lot to him. � Does it matter ifwe sit by the window?

mattressmattress /�m�trəs/ noun a thick padforming the part of a bed that you lie on

maximummaximum /�m�ksməm/ adjective thegreatest possible � What is the maxi-mum number of guests the hotel cantake? � noun the greatest possiblenumber or amount � The maximum weare allowed to charge per person is £10.(NOTE: The plural is maximums ormaxima.) � at the maximum not morethan � We can seat 15 at the maximum.

maymay /me/ modal verb 1. it is possible �If you don’t hurry you may miss thetrain. � Take your umbrella, they say itmay rain. � Here we are sitting in the


May 195 meat

bar, and he may be waiting for us out-side. 2. it is allowed � Guests may parkin the hotel car park free of charge. �You may sit down if you wish. 3. askingquestions politely � May I ask you aquestion? � May we have breakfast ear-ly tomorrow as we need to leave the ho-tel before 8 o’clock?

MayMay /me/ noun the fifth month of theyear, after April and before June � Herbirthday’s in May. � Today is May 15th.� She was born on May 15. � We wenton holiday last May. (NOTE: May 15thor May 15: say ‘the fifteenth of May’ or‘May the fifteenth’ or in US English:‘May fifteenth’.)

maybe

maybe /�mebi/ adverb possibly, per-haps � Maybe the next bus will be theone we want. � Maybe you should ask apoliceman. � Maybe the weather fore-cast was right after all. � maybe notpossibly not � Are you coming? – May-be not.

mayormayor /meə/ noun a person who is cho-sen as the official head of a town, city orlocal council

meme /mi/ pronoun used by the person whois speaking to talk about himself or her-self � give me that book � Could yougive me that book, please? � I’m shout-ing as loud as I can – can’t you hearme? � She’s much taller than me. �Who is it? – It’s me! � Can you hearme? � She’s taller than me.

meadowmeadow /�medəυ/ noun a large field ofgrass

mealmeal /mil/ noun an occasion when peo-ple eat food, or the food that is eaten �Most people have three meals a day –breakfast, lunch and dinner. � You sleepbetter if you only eat a light meal in theevening. � When they had finished theirevening meal they watched TV. � Youcan have your meals in your room at asmall extra charge.

meanmean /min/ adjective 1. not liking tospend money or to give people things �Don’t be mean – let me borrow your car.� She’s very mean with her money. 2.nasty or unpleasant � He played a meantrick on his mother. � That was a meanthing to say. � verb 1. used when youhave not understood something � Did

he mean me when he was talking aboutfat old men? � What do you mean whenyou say she’s old-fashioned? 2. to showor represent something � His familymeans a lot to him. � When a red lightcomes on it means that you have to stop.� ‘Zimmer’ means ‘room’ in German.(NOTE: means – meaning – meant/ment/)

meaning

meaning /�minŋ/ noun what some-thing represents � If you want to find themeaning of the word, look it up in a dic-tionary. � The meaning of a red light ispretty clear to me.

means

means /minz/ noun 1. a way or methodof doing something � Is there anymeans of sending the message to Lon-don this afternoon? � Do we have anymeans of copying all these documentsquickly? � The bus is the cheapestmeans of getting round the town. � bymeans of by using something � He gother money by means of a trick. 2. money� They don’t have the means to buy aflat in London.

meanwhile

meanwhile /�minwal/ adverb duringthis time � She hid under the table –meanwhile, the footsteps were comingnearer.

measure

measure /�me"ə/ noun a piece of equip-ment which shows the size or quantityof something � verb 1. to be of a certainsize or quantity � a package whichmeasures or a package measuring 10cmby 25cm � How much do you measureround your waist? � The table measuresfour foot long by three foot wide. 2. tofind out the length or quantity of some-thing � She measured the window forcurtains. � He measured the size of thegarden.

measurement

measurement /�me"əmənt/ noun aquantity or size, found by measuring �He took the measurements of the room.� The piano won’t go through the door– are you sure you took the right meas-urements? � The measurements of thebox are 25cm x 20cm x 5cm.

meat

meat /mit/ noun food from an animal orbird � Can I have some more meat,please? � Would you like meat or fishfor your main course? � I like my meatvery well cooked.


mechanical 196 messmechanical

mechanical /m��k�nk(ə)l/ adjectiverelating to machines � Engineers aretrying to fix a mechanical fault.

medal

medal /�med(ə)l/ noun a round metal ob-ject, made to represent an important oc-casion or battle, and given to peoplewho have performed well

medical

medical /�medk(ə)l/ adjective relatingto medicine � She’s a medical student.� The Red Cross provided medical help.

medicine

medicine /�med(ə)s(ə)n/ noun 1. a drugtaken to treat a disease � If you have acough you should take some cough med-icine. � The chemist told me to take themedicine four times a day. � Somecough medicines make you feel sleepy.2. the study of diseases and how to cureor prevent them � He went to universityto study medicine. (NOTE: no plural inthis sense)

medium

medium /�midiəm/ adjective middle,average � He is of medium height.

meet

meet /mit/ verb 1. to come together withsomeone � He met her at the railwaystation. � We’ll meet for lunch beforewe go to the cinema. 2. to come together� Several streets meet at the Arc de Tri-omphe. � If you draw a diagonal linefrom each corner of a square to the op-posite corner, the two lines will meet inthe centre. 3. to get to know someone �I’ve never met your sister. – Come andmeet her then! � Have you met our salesmanager? – Yes, we have already met.(NOTE: meets – meeting – met /met/)

meeting

meeting /�mitŋ/ noun an occasion onwhich people come together, especiallyin order to discuss something � The nextmeeting of the club will be on Tuesday.� There were only four people at thecommittee meeting.

melon

melon /�melən/ noun a large round fruitwhich grows on a plant which growsnear the ground

melt

melt /melt/ verb to change from a solid toa liquid by heating, or to cause a solid todo this � If the sun comes out yoursnowman will melt. � The heat of thesun melted the road. � Glass will melt atvery high temperatures.

member

member /�membə/ noun a person whobelongs to a group � The two boys went

swimming while the other members ofthe family sat on the beach. � Threemembers of staff are away sick.

membership

membership /�membəʃp/ noun 1. thestate of belonging to a group � I mustremember to renew my membership. �Membership costs £50 a year. 2. themembers of a group � The club has amembership of five hundred. � Themembership voted to go on strike.

memorise

memorise /�meməraz/, memorizeverb to learn something thoroughly sothat you know and can repeat all of it

memory

memory /�mem(ə)ri/ noun 1. (in peo-ple) the ability to remember � He recit-ed the poem from memory. 2. an eventthat you remember � We have a lot ofhappy memories of our time in France.3. (in computers) the capacity for stor-ing information � This computer has amuch larger memory than the old one.

men

men /men/ plural of manmend

mend /mend/ verb to make somethingwork which has a fault � She’s trying tomend the washing machine.

mental

mental /�ment(ə)l/ adjective relating tothe mind � I’ve lost my calculator –how’s your mental arithmetic?

mentally

mentally /�ment(ə)li/ adverb concern-ing the brain � mentally ill

mention

mention /�menʃən/ verb to refer tosomething � The press has not men-tioned the accident. � Can you mentionto everyone that the date of the nextmeeting has been changed?

menu

menu /�menju/ noun 1. a list of foodavailable in a restaurant � The lunchmenu changes every week. � Some dish-es are not on the menu, but are writtenon a blackboard. 2. a list of choicesavailable on a computer program

merely

merely /�məli/ adverb simply, only �I’m not criticising you – I merely said Iwould have done it differently.

mess

mess /mes/ noun dirt or disorder � Wehad to clear up the mess after the party.� The milk bottle broke and made amess on the floor.

mess up phrasal verb to spoil some-thing � I’m sorry we can’t come – Ihope it doesn’t mess up your arrange-


message 197 mighty

ments.message

message /�mesd"/ noun informationwhich is sent to someone � I will leavea message with his secretary. � Can yougive the director a message from hiswife? � We got his message by e-mail.

messenger

messenger /�mesnd"ə/ noun a personwho brings a message

met

met /met/ past tense and past participle ofmeet

metal

metal /�met(ə)l/ noun a material, such asiron, which can carry heat and electrici-ty and is used for making things � ametal frying pan � These spoons areplastic but the knives are metal.

meter

meter /�mitə/ noun 1. a piece of equip-ment for counting how much of some-thing such as time, water or gas has beenused � He came to read the gas meter. 2.US spelling of metre

method

method /�meθəd/ noun a way of doingsomething � We use the most up-to-datemanufacturing methods. � What is thebest method of payment?

metre

metre /�mitə/ noun a standard measure-ment of length, equal to 100 centimetres

mice

mice /mas/ plural of mousemicrochip

microchip /�makrəυtʃp/ noun a verysmall part, used in computers, with elec-tronic connections on it

microphone

microphone /�makrəfəυn/ noun apiece of electrical equipment used formaking someone’s voice louder, or forrecording sound � He had difficulty inmaking himself heard without a micro-phone.

microscope

microscope /�makrəskəυp/ noun apiece of equipment which makes thingslook much bigger than they really are,allowing you to examine things whichare very small

microscopic

microscopic /�makrə��skɒpk/ adjec-tive extremely small, or so small thatyou need to use a microscope to see it

microwave

microwave /�makrəwev/ noun asmall oven which cooks very quicklyusing very short electric waves � Putthe dish in the microwave for three min-utes. � verb to cook something in a mi-crowave � You can microwave those po-tatoes.

midday

midday /�md��de/ noun twelve o’clockin the middle of the day

middle

middle /�md(ə)l/ adjective in the centre;halfway between two ends � They livein the middle house, the one with thegreen door. � in the middle 1. in thecentre � She was standing in the middleof the road, trying to cross over. � Chadis a country in the middle of Africa. 2.halfway through a period of time � Wewere woken in the middle of the night bya dog barking. � We were just in themiddle of eating our supper when theycalled. � His telephone rang in the mid-dle of the meeting. � The house wasbuilt in the middle of the eighteenth cen-tury.

middle class

middle class /�md(ə)l �klɑs/ noun asocial or economic group of people whousually have more than enough moneyto live on, and who often own their ownproperty

midnight

midnight /�mdnat/ noun twelveo’clock at night � I must go to bed – it’safter midnight. � We only reached thehotel at midnight.

might

might /mat/ noun strength � She pulledat it with all her might, and still couldnot move it. � All the might of the armedforces is displayed during the NationalDay parade. � modal verb 1. it is possi-ble � Take an umbrella – it might rain.� If he isn’t here, he might be waitingoutside. � I might call in to see you to-morrow if I have time. � That was a stu-pid thing to do – you might have beenkilled! � They might win, but I wouldn’tbet on it. 2. should (have done) � Youmight try and stay awake next time. � hemight have done something to help itwould have been better if he had donesomething to help � you might havetold me I wish you had told me � Youmight have told me you’d invited her aswell. 3. making a request politely �Might I have another cup of tea? (NOTE:The negative is might not, usuallymightn’t. Note also that might is al-ways used with other verbs and is notfollowed by to.)

mighty

mighty /�mati/ adjective having a lot offorce or strength (literary) � With onemighty heave he lifted the sack onto the


migrate 198 miniature

lorry. � All she could remember wasgetting a mighty blow on the head, andthen everything went black. (NOTE:mightier – mightiest)

migrate

migrate /ma��'ret/ verb to move fromone place to another as the weather be-comes warmer or colder

mild

mild /mald/ adjective 1. not severe �There was some mild criticism, but gen-erally the plan was welcomed. � He hada mild heart attack and was soon backto work again. 2. not strong-tasting �We’ll choose the mildest curry on themenu.

mile

mile /mal/ noun a measure of length,equal to 1.61 kilometres � The car can’tgo any faster than sixty miles per hour.� The line of cars stretched for threemiles from the road works.

military

military /�mlt(ə)ri/ adjective relatingto the armed forces � The two leadersdiscussed the possibility of military in-tervention. � Military spending has fall-en over the past three years.

milk

milk /mlk/ noun a white liquid producedby some female animals to feed theiryoung, especially the liquid producedby cows � Do you want milk with yourcoffee? � Can we have two glasses ofmilk, please? � Don’t forget to buysome milk, there’s none in the fridge.

mill

mill /ml/ noun 1. a small machine forturning seeds into powder � There is apepper mill on the table. 2. a large fac-tory � a paper mill

millimetre

millimetre /�mlmitə/ noun one of athousand parts of a metre (NOTE: usuallywritten mm after figures: 35mm. TheUS spelling is millimeter.)

million

million /�mljən/ noun the number1,000,000 � The population of GreatBritain is just over 58 million.

millionaire

millionaire /�mljə��neə/ noun a personwho has more than a million pounds ora million dollars (NOTE: To show thecurrency in which a person is a million-aire, say ‘a dollar millionaire’, ‘a ster-ling millionaire’, etc.)

mind

mind /mand/ noun the part of the bodywhich controls memory and reasoning� His mind always seems to be on otherthings. � I’ve forgotten her name – it

just slipped my mind. � I think about hernight and day – I just can’t get her outof my mind. � My mind went blank assoon as I saw the exam paper. � to bearin mind to remember something thatmight change a decision � Bear in mindthat it takes 2 hours to get there. � Bearme in mind when you’re looking forhelp. � verb 1. to be careful, to watchout � Mind the steps – they’re slippery!� Mind you get back early. � Mind theplate – it’s hot! 2. to worry about �Don’t mind me, I’m used to workingwith children. 3. to look after someoneor something for someone, or while theowner is away � Who will be mindingthe house while you’re on holiday? �Have you got anyone to mind the chil-dren when you start work? 4. to be an-noyed by something � Nobody willmind if you’re late. � There aren’tenough chairs, but I don’t mind stand-ing up. � never mind don’t worry �Never mind – you’ll get another chanceto enter the competition next year.

mindful

mindful /�mandf(ə)l/ adjective remem-bering or thinking about somethingcarefully when doing something � He ismindful of his responsibilities as a par-ent, even though his job often takes himaway from home. � You should be mind-ful of the risks you are taking in not fol-lowing the guidelines.

mine

mine /man/ pronoun belonging to me �That book is mine. � Can I borrow yourbike, mine’s been stolen. � She’s a greatfriend of mine. � noun a deep hole in theground from which substances such ascoal are taken � The coal mine hasstopped working after fifty years. � Hehas shares in an African gold mine.

miner

miner /�manə/ noun a person whoworks in a mine (NOTE: Do not confusewith minor.)

mineral

mineral /�mn(ə)rəl/ noun a substance,such as rock, which is dug out of theearth, or which is found in food � Whatis the mineral content of spinach? � Thecompany hopes to discover valuableminerals in the mountains.

miniature

miniature /�mntʃə/ adjective muchsmaller than the usual size � He has aminiature camera.


minimum 199 missminimum

minimum /�mnməm/ adjective small-est possible � The minimum amount youcan save is £25 per month. � The mini-mum age for drivers is 18. � noun thesmallest possible amount � We try tokeep expenditure to a minimum. � Shedoes the bare minimum of study, justenough to pass her exams.

minister

minister /�mnstə/ noun 1. the memberof a government in charge of a depart-ment � The inquiry is to be headed by aformer government minister. � He wasthe Minister of Defence in the previousgovernment. 2. a clergyman

ministry

ministry /�mnstri/ noun a governmentdepartment � He works in the Ministryof Defence. (NOTE: The plural is minis-tries. In the UK and the USA, impor-tant ministries are also called depart-ments: the Department of Work andPensions, the Commerce Depart-ment.)

minor

minor /�manə/ adjective not very seri-ous or important � It was just a minorinjury. � She has a minor role in thefilm. � He played a minor part in therevolution. (NOTE: Do not confuse withminer.) � noun a person under the ageof 18, who is not considered to be anadult � We are forbidden to serve alco-hol to minors.

minority

minority /ma��nɒrti/ noun 1. a numberor quantity which is less than half of atotal � A large minority of members vot-ed against the proposal. 2. the periodwhen a person is less than 18 years old� During the king’s minority the coun-try was ruled by his uncle.

minus

minus /�manəs/ preposition 1. reducedby � Ten minus eight equals two (10 – 8= 2). � Net salary is gross salary minustax and National Insurance deductions.2. below � It was minus 10 degrees (-10°) outside.

minute

minute1 /�mnt/ noun 1. one of 60 partsof an hour � There are sixty minutes inan hour, and sixty seconds in a minute.� The doctor can see you for ten min-utes only. � The house is about ten min-utes’ walk or is a ten-minute walk fromthe office. 2. a very short space of time� I’ll be ready in a minute. � Why don’t

you wait for a minute and see if the den-tist is free?

minute

minute2 /ma��njut/ adjective extremelysmall � A minute piece of dust musthave got into the watch.

miracle

miracle /�mrək(ə)l/ noun 1. a verylucky event � It was a miracle she wasnot killed in the accident. 2. an eventwhich you cannot explain, and whichpeople believe happens by the power ofGod � She went to the shrine and wascured – it must have been a miracle.

mirror

mirror /�mrə/ noun a piece of glass witha metal backing which reflects an image� They looked at themselves in the mir-ror.

mischief

mischief /�mstʃf/ noun behaviour, es-pecially by children, which causes trou-ble

mischievous

mischievous /�mstʃvəs/ adjective amischievous person enjoys annoyingpeople and causing trouble � He’s avery mischievous little boy. � She had amischievous look in her eyes.

miserable

miserable /�mz(ə)rəb(ə)l/ adjective 1.very sad � He’s in a very miserablestate of mind. � She’s really miserablesince her boyfriend left her. 2. (ofweather) bad or unpleasant � Whatmiserable weather – will it ever stopraining?

misery

misery /�mzəri/ noun great unhappi-ness

miss

miss /ms/ verb 1. not to hit somethingthat you are trying to hit � He missedthe target. � She tried to shoot the rab-bit but missed. 2. not to see, hear or no-tice someone or something � We missedthe road in the dark. � I missed the arti-cle about books in yesterday’s eveningpaper. � I arrived late, so missed mostof the discussion. 3. not to catch some-thing that you are trying to catch � Hetried to catch the ball but he missed it. �She missed the last bus and had to walkhome. � noun an instance of not hittingsomething that you are trying to hit �He hit the target twice and then had twomisses.

miss out on phrasal verb not to enjoysomething because you are not there


Miss 200 modernMiss

Miss /ms/ noun a polite title given to agirl or woman who is not married �Have you met Miss Jones, our new salesmanager? � The letter is addressed toMiss Anne Smith. (NOTE: used before asurname, or a first name and sur-name)

missile

missile /�msal/ noun a weapon whichis sent or thrown � They think the planewas brought down by an enemy missile.� They threw missiles at the police.

missing

missing /�msŋ/ adjective lost, which isnot there � I’m looking for my missingcar keys. � They found there was a lot ofmoney missing. � The police searchedeverywhere for the missing children.

mission

mission /�mʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. an aim orpurpose for which someone is sent �The students were sent on a mission tofind the best place to camp. 2. a group ofpeople sent somewhere with a particularaim � a United Nations peace mission �Several firms took part in a businessmission to Japan. � A rescue missionwas sent out into the mountains.

mist

mist /mst/ noun tiny drops of water thathang in the air � Early morning mistcovered the fields.

mistake

mistake /m��stek/ noun an act or beliefthat is wrong � There are lots of mis-takes in this essay. � You’ve made a mis-take – my name is David, not John. �verb to not understand or not realisesomething � There’s no mistaking him,with his red hair and purple anorak.(NOTE: mistakes – mistaking – mis-took /ms��tυk/ – has mistaken /ms�

�tekən/) � by mistake as an accident� They sent the wrong items by mistake.� By mistake she put my letter into anenvelope for the chairman. � We tookthe wrong bus by mistake. � He put mycoat on by mistake in the cloakroom.

mix

mix /mks/ verb 1. to combine things �She made the cake by mixing eggs andflour. 2. to come together and become adifferent substance � Oil and water donot mix.

mix up phrasal verb to think that a per-son or thing is someone or somethingelse � I always mix her up with her sis-

ter.mixed

mixed /mkst/ adjective 1. made up ofdifferent things put together � I’ll havethe mixed salad, please. 2. not com-pletely for or against an idea � The re-action to the proposal has been rathermixed – some people approve, but oth-ers disapprove.

mixture

mixture /�mkstʃə/ noun 1. a number ofthings mixed together � a mixture offlour, fat and water 2. something madeup of different types of thing � His lat-est paintings are a strange mixture ofshapes and colours.

moan

moan /məυn/ noun a low sound made bysomeone who is in pain or upset � Therescue team could hear moans from un-der the wreckage. � When she read thenews she gave a loud moan. � verb tomake a low sound as if you are in pain �I could hear someone moaning in thebathroom. � They could hear someonemoaning in the cellar.

mob

mob /mɒb/ noun a large number of peo-ple behaving in a noisy, angry or uncon-trolled way � An angry mob surged to-wards the factory gates.

mobile

mobile /�məυbal/ adjective able tomove or be moved � a mobile library �noun 1. a mobile phone � I’ll call himon his mobile. � He gave me the numberof his mobile. 2. an object made of smallpieces of metal, card etc., which whenhung up move around with the move-ments of the air � They bought a mobileof clowns to hang over the baby’s cot.

mobile phone

mobile phone /�məυbal �fəυn/ noun asmall telephone which you can carryaround

model

model /�mɒd(ə)l/ noun 1. a small ver-sion of something larger � The exhibi-tion has a model of the new town hall. �He spends his time making modelplanes. 2. a person who wears newclothes to show them to customers � Heused only top models to show his de-signs during the London Fashion Week.

modern

modern /�mɒd(ə)n/ adjective referringto the present time � It is a fairly mod-ern invention – it was patented only inthe 1980s. � You expect really modernoffices to have air-conditioning systems.


modest 201 moodmodest

modest /�mɒdst/ adjective not tellingother people about your achievements �He was very modest about his gold med-al.

modify

modify /�mɒdfa/ verb to change some-thing to suit a different situation � Thedesign was modified to make the carfaster.

module

module /�mɒdjul/ noun a part of some-thing such as a course of study, which ismade up of various sections � The sci-ence course is made up of a series ofmodules.

moist

moist /mɔst/ adjective slightly wet, of-ten in a pleasant way � To clean the ov-en, just wipe it with a moist cloth. � Thecake should be moist, not too dry.

moisture

moisture /�mɔstʃə/ noun small dropsof water in the air or on a surface (NOTE:no plural)

mole

mole /məυl/ noun 1. a small animal withsoft dark grey fur, which lives under theground 2. a small dark spot on the skin� She has a little mole on her cheek. �The doctor removed a mole from theback of her hand.

molecule

molecule /�mɒlkjul/ noun the small-est unit in a substance that can exist byitself

moment

moment /�məυmənt/ noun a very shorttime � Can you please wait a moment –the doctor is on the phone? � I only sawher for a moment. � in a moment in ashort time from now

Monday

Monday /�m�nde/ noun the first day ofthe working week, the day betweenSunday and Tuesday � Some stores areshut on Mondays. � She had to go to thedoctor last Monday. � The 15th is aSunday, so the 16th must be a Monday.

money

money /�m�ni/ noun 1. coins or noteswhich are used for buying things � Howmuch money have you got in the bank?� He doesn’t earn very much money. �We spent more money last week than inthe previous month. � We ran out ofmoney in Spain and had to come homeearly. 2. the type of coins and notes usedin a country � I want to change my Brit-ish pounds into Mexican money. 3. � tomake money to make a profit

monitor

monitor /�mɒntə/ noun the screen of acomputer, or a small television screenused for checking what is happening �My computer has a colour monitor. �Details of flight arrivals and departuresare displayed on monitors around theairport. � verb to check or to watchover the progress of something � Doc-tors are monitoring her heart condition.� How do you monitor the performanceof the sales staff?

monk

monk /m�ŋk/ noun a man who is a mem-ber of a religious group who live togeth-er in a monastery, away from other peo-ple (NOTE: The equivalent women arenuns.)

monkey

monkey /�m�ŋki/ noun a tropical animalwhich lives in trees and normally has along tail � Monkeys ran up the treeslooking for fruit.

monster

monster /�mɒnstə/ noun a strange andfrightening animal � The Loch NessMonster is said to be a large dinosaur. �She drew a picture of a green monsterwith purple horns and huge teeth. � ad-jective very large � Look at the monstercabbage Dad’s grown in the garden. �What a monster sandwich!

month

month /m�nθ/ noun one of the twelveparts that a year is divided into � De-cember is the last month of the year. �What day of the month is it today? �There was a lot of hot weather lastmonth, in fact it was hot all month long.� She’s taken a month’s holiday to visither parents in Australia. � We haven’thad any homework for months.

monthly

monthly /�m�nθli/ adjective, adverbhappening every month � He is payingfor his car by monthly instalments. �My monthly salary cheque is late. � Shegets paid monthly.

monument

monument /�mɒnjυmənt/ noun astone, building or statue, built in memo-ry of someone who is dead � They putup a monument to the people from thevillage who died in the war.

mood

mood /mud/ noun the way you are feel-ing at a particular time � Wait until she’sin a good mood and then ask her. � Theboss is in a terrible mood this morning.� Her mood changed as soon as she


moon 202 motion

opened the letter. � A mood of gloomfell over the office.

moon

moon /mun/ noun an object in the skylike a planet which goes round the Earthand shines at night � The first manwalked on the moon in 1969. � Themoon is shining very brightly tonight. �There’s no moon because it’s cloudy.

moonlight

moonlight /�munlat/ noun the lightfrom the moon � We could see the pathclearly in the moonlight.

moor

moor /mυə/ noun a large area of poorland covered with grass and small bush-es � The horsemen galloped across themoor. � The Lake District is wild coun-try, full of moors and forests. � verb toattach a boat to something � The boatwas moored to the river bank. � Hemoored his boat with a piece of rope.

moral

moral /�mɒrəl/ adjective 1. relating toright and wrong behaviour � Judgeshave a moral obligation to be impartial.� He refused to join the army on moralgrounds. 2. relating to good behaviour �She’s a very moral person. � nounsomething which you can learn from astory � There must be a moral in thissomewhere. � The moral of the story isthat if you always tell lies, no one willbelieve you when you tell the truth.

morally

morally /�mɒrəli/ adverb according tothe principles of correct human behav-iour

more

more /mɔ/ adjective extra, which is add-ed � Do you want any more tea? �There are many more trains during theweek than at the weekend. � adverbused with adjectives to make the com-parative form � The dog was morefrightened than I was. � She is muchmore intelligent than her sister. � Thedinner was even more unpleasant than Ihad thought it would be. � pronoun anextra thing or amount � Is there anymore of that soup? � £300 for that suit– that’s more than I can afford! � We’veonly got nine men, we need two more tomake a football team.

moreover

moreover /mɔr��əυvə/ adverb in addi-tion � Its freezing cold, and moreoveryou’re too young to go out in the dark.

morning

morning /�mɔnŋ/ noun the first part ofthe day, before 12 o’clock � Everymorning he took his briefcase and wentto the office. � Tomorrow morning wewill be meeting our Japanese agents. �Have you read the morning paper? � Ifwe want to be in Paris for lunch youhave to get the early morning train.

mortal

mortal /�mɔt(ə)l/ adjective 1. humanand therefore bound to die � He suffereda mortal blow in the fight. 2. causingdeath � a mortal wound

mosque

mosque /mɒsk/ noun a building whereMuslims meet for prayer

mosquito

mosquito /mɒ��skitəυ/ noun a smallflying insect which bites people and an-imals and sucks their blood

most

most /məυst/ adjective the largestnumber of � Most people go on holidayin the summer. � He spends most eve-nings watching TV. � Most apples aresweet. � pronoun a very large numberor amount � Most of the work was doneby my wife. � She spent most of theevening on the phone to her sister. � Itrained for most of our holiday. � Mostof the children in the group can ridebikes. � adverb used with adjectivesand ‘the’ for making the superlativeform � She’s the most intelligent childin the class. � The most important thingif you are a sales representative is to beable to drive a car. (NOTE: Most is usedto form the superlative of adjectiveswhich do not take the ending -est.)

mostly

mostly /�məυstli/ adverb 1. usually,most often � We sometimes go toFrance for our holidays, but we mostlystay in Britain. 2. almost all � The staffare mostly women of about twenty.

moth

moth /mɒθ/ noun a flying insect similarto a butterfly, but which has brownwings and flies mainly at night

mother

mother /�m�ðə/ noun a woman who haschildren � He’s twenty-two but stilllives with his mother. � Her mother’s adentist. � Mother! There’s someoneasking for you on the telephone.

motion

motion /�məυʃ(ə)n/ noun the act ofmoving � The motion of the ship madehim feel ill. � in motion moving � Donot try to get on or off while the train is


motive 203 Mrs

in motion. � to set something in mo-tion to make something start to happen� Now that we have planning permis-sion for the new sports hall, we can setthings in motion to get the foundationslaid.

motive

motive /�məυtv/ noun a reason for do-ing something � The police are trying tofind a motive for the murder.

motor

motor /�məυtə/ noun the part of a ma-chine which makes it work � The modelplane has a tiny electric motor.

motorbike

motorbike /�məυtəbak/ noun a motor-cycle

motorcycle

motorcycle /�məυtəsak(ə)l/ noun atype of large bicycle driven by a motor

motorway

motorway /�məυtəwe/ noun a roadwith several lanes, on which traffic cantravel at high speeds

mount

mount /maυnt/ verb 1. to climb on tosomething; to climb up something �They mounted their horses and rode off.� He mounted the stairs two at a time. �The car turned, mounted the pavement,and hit a wall. 2. to increase � Tensionis mounting as the time for the footballfinal approaches.

mountain

mountain /�maυntn/ noun a very highpiece of land, rising much higher thanthe land which surrounds it � Everest isthe highest mountain in the world. �Every weekend we go climbing in theScottish mountains.

mountainous

mountainous /�maυntnəs/ adjectivewith many high mountains � It is amountainous region, and very difficultfor tanks and artillery. � Parts of Scot-land are very mountainous.

mouse

mouse /maυs/ noun 1. a small animalwith a long tail, often living in holes inthe walls of houses � I saw a mouse sit-ting in the middle of the kitchen floor. �Our cat is good at catching mice. (NOTE:The plural is mice /mas/.) 2. a piece ofcomputer equipment which is held inthe hand and moved across a flat sur-face, used to control activity on thescreen � You can cut, paste and copy us-ing the mouse. � Using the mouse, movethe mouse pointer to the start button andclick twice. � Click twice on the mouseto start the program.

mouth

mouth1 /maυθ/ noun 1. the opening inyour face through which you take infood and drink, and which has yourteeth and tongue inside � It’s not politeto talk with your mouth full. � Hesnored because he slept with his mouthopen. � The cat was carrying a mousein its mouth. 2. a wide or round entrance� The mouth of the cave is hidden bybushes. � The train came out of themouth of the tunnel. � New York is builton the mouth of the Hudson river.(NOTE: The plural is mouths /maυðz/.)

mouth

mouth2 /maυð/ verb to speak withoutmaking any sound � She mouthed ‘No’across the room.

move

move /muv/ noun a change in position� The police were watching every movehe made. � verb 1. to change the placeof something � Move the chairs to theside of the room. � Who’s moved mydrink? � He moved his hand to show hehad heard. 2. to change your position �Some animal was moving about outsidethe tent. � The only thing moving wasthe tip of the cat’s tail. � on the movemoving � After I’ve been on the moveall day I just want to get home and go tobed.

movement

movement /�muvmənt/ noun an act ofmoving, not being still � There washardly any movement in the trees. � Allyou could see was a slight movement ofthe tiger’s tail.

movie

movie /�muvi/ noun especially US acinema film � We watch a movie mostweekends.

moving

moving /�muvŋ/ adjective making youfeel emotion � a moving story � The fu-neral was very moving.

MP

MP abbr member of parliament (NOTE:The plural is MPs /�em �piz/.)

Mr

Mr /�mstə/ noun the polite title given to aman � Mr Jones is our new sales man-ager. � Here are Mr and Mrs Smith. �(at the beginning of a letter) Dear MrSmith, . (NOTE: used before a surname,sometimes with both the first nameand surname)

Mrs

Mrs /�msz/ noun the title given to a mar-ried woman � Mrs Jones is our manag-er. � (at the beginning of a letter) Dear


Ms 204 musician

Mrs Jones, . (NOTE: used before a sur-name, sometimes with both the firstname and surname.)

Ms

Ms /məz, mz/ noun (at the beginning ofa letter) a way of referring to a womanwithout saying whether or not she ismarried (NOTE: Ms is used with a sur-name, sometimes with both the firstname and surname.)

much

much /m�tʃ/ adjective a lot of � withmuch love from Aunt Mary � How muchsugar do you need? � I never take muchmoney with me when I go on holiday. �She eats too much meat. � adverb a lot� He’s feeling much better today. � It’smuch less cold in the south of the coun-try. � Does it matter very much? �Much as I like her, I don’t want to sharean office with her. � pronoun a lot � Hedidn’t write much in his exam. � Muchof the work has already been done.

mud

mud /m�d/ noun wet earthmuddy

muddy /�m�di/ adjective full of mud;covered with mud (NOTE: muddier –muddiest)

mug

mug /m�'/ noun a large cup with a han-dle � She passed round mugs. � verb toattack and steal from someone in thestreet � She was mugged as she waslooking for her car keys. � She’s afraidof going out at night for fear of beingmugged. � The gang specialises in mug-ging tourists. (NOTE: mugs – mugging– mugged)

multiple

multiple /�m�ltp(ə)l/ adjective involv-ing many people or things � She wastaken to hospital suffering from multipleinjuries.

multiply

multiply /�m�ltpla/ verb to calculatethe result when several numbers areadded together a certain number oftimes � Square measurements are cal-culated by multiplying length by width.� Ten multiplied by five gives fifty.(NOTE: multiplies – multiplying –multiplied.)

mumble

mumble /�m�mbəl/ verb to speak in alow voice which is not clear � He mum-bled an excuse and left the room. � Shemumbled something about the tele-phone and went to the back of the shop.

munch

munch /m�ntʃ/ verb to eat noisily some-thing such as an apple or raw carrot,with a regular movement of your mouth

murder

murder /�m�də/ noun the act of deliber-ately killing someone � The murder wascommitted during the night. � She wasaccused of murder. � They denied themurder charge. � verb to kill someonedeliberately � He was accused of mur-dering a policeman.

murderer

murderer /�m�dərə/ noun a personwho has committed a murder

murmur

murmur /�m�mə/ noun a low sound ofpeople talking � There was a murmur ofvoices in the hall. � verb to speak veryquietly � She murmured something andclosed her eyes.

muscle

muscle /�m�s(ə)l/ noun one of the partof the body which makes other partsmove � He has very powerful arm mus-cles.

museum

museum /mju��ziəm/ noun a buildingwhich you can visit to see a collection ofvaluable or rare objects � The museumhas a rich collection of Italian paint-ings. � The Natural History Museum isalways very popular with school partieswho go to see the dinosaurs.

mushroom

mushroom /�m�ʃrum/ noun a roundwhite or brown fungus which can beeaten � Do you want fried mushroomswith your steak? � She ordered a mush-room omelette. (NOTE: Fungi which arepoisonous are called toadstools.)

music

music /�mjuzk/ noun 1. the soundmade when you sing or play an instru-ment � Do you like Russian music? �She’s taking music lessons. � Her musicteacher says she plays the violin verywell. 2. written signs which you read toplay an instrument � Here’s some mu-sic, see if you can play it on the piano. �He can play the piano by ear – hedoesn’t need any music.

musical

musical /�mjuzk(ə)l/ adjective relat-ing to music � Do you play any musicalinstrument?

musician

musician /mjυ��zʃ(ə)n/ noun a personwhose job is to play music � a group ofyoung musicians playing the street �The actors applauded the group of mu-


Muslim 205 myth

sicians who had played during ‘TwelfthNight’.

Muslim

Muslim /�mυzlm/ adjective relating tothe religion of the prophet Muhammad� noun a person who follows the reli-gion of the prophet Muhammad

must

must /məst, m�st/ modal verb 1. it isnecessary that � You must go to bed be-fore eleven, or your mother will be an-gry. � We mustn’t be late or we’ll missthe last bus. � You must hurry up if youwant to see the TV programme. � Mustyou really go so soon? (NOTE: The neg-ative is mustn’t, needn’t. Note alsothe meanings: mustn’t = not allowed;needn’t = not necessary: we mustn’tbe late; you needn’t hurry) 2. used forshowing that you think something isvery likely � I must have left my brief-case on the train. � There is someoneknocking at the door – it must be thepostman. � You must be wet through af-ter walking in the rain. (NOTE: The neg-ative is can’t: It can’t be the doctor.The past tense is had to: I must go tothe dentist, Yesterday I had to go to thedentist; negative: didn’t have to. Theperfect tense is must have: I must

have left it on the train; negative: can’thave: I can’t have left it on the train.Note also that must is only used withother verbs and is not followed by to.)� noun something important � When inFlorida, a trip to the Everglades is amust.

my

my /ma/ adjective belonging to me � Isthat my pen you’re using? � Have youseen my glasses anywhere? � We wentskiing and I broke my leg.

myself

myself /ma��self/ pronoun used for re-ferring back to ‘I’ � I hurt myself climb-ing down the ladder. � It’s true – I sawit myself. � I enjoyed myself a lot at theparty.

mysterious

mysterious /m��stəriəs/ adjectivewhich cannot be explained

mystery

mystery /�mst(ə)ri/ noun somethingthat cannot be explained � The police fi-nally cleared up the mystery of the miss-ing body. � It’s a mystery how the boxcame to be hidden under her bed.(NOTE: The plural is mysteries.)

myth

myth /mθ/ noun an ancient story aboutgods � poems based on the myths ofGreece and Rome


Nn

n /en/, N noun the fourteenth letter of thealphabet, between M and O

nail

nail /nel/ noun 1. a small thin metal ob-ject which you use for attaching twopieces of a hard material such as wood� Hit the nail hard with the hammer. �You need a hammer to knock that nail in.2. the hard part at the end of your fingersand toes � She painted her nails red. �verb to attach something with nails �He nailed the notice to the door.

naked

naked /�nekd/ adjective not wearingclothes � The little children were play-ing in the river stark naked. � A nakedman was standing on the balcony.

name

name /nem/ noun a way of callingsomeone or something � Hello! Myname’s James. � What’s the name of theshop next to the post office? � verb tocall someone or something by a name �They named him Nicholas. � They havea black cat named Jonah.

narrow

narrow /�n�rəυ/ adjective not wide �Why is your bicycle seat so narrow? �We went down a narrow passage to theshop. � verb to become less wide � Theroad narrows suddenly, and there ishardly enough room for two cars topass.

nasty

nasty /�nɑsti/ adjective unpleasantnation

nation /�neʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a country �the member nations of the EU 2. thepeople living in a country � The wholenation was shocked by the terribleevents.

national

national /�n�ʃ(ə)nəl/ adjective belong-ing to a country � This is in our nationalinterest. � The story even appeared inthe national newspapers. � We need toprotect our national culture.

native

native /�netv/ noun 1. a person born ina place � She’s a native of Cornwall. 2.something such as a flower or a bird,which has always been in a particular

place � adjective belonging to a coun-try � The tiger is native to India.

natural

natural /�n�tʃ(ə)rəl/ adjective 1. ordi-nary, not unusual � Her behaviour atthe meeting was quite natural. � It’snatural to worry about your first baby.2. coming from nature, and not pro-duced or caused by people � Do youthink the colour of her hair is natural?� Yes, she’s a natural blonde. � The in-quest decided that he died from naturalcauses.

naturally

naturally /�n�tʃ(ə)rəli/ adverb ofcourse � Naturally the top team beat thebottom team. � Do you want to watchthe game? – Naturally!

nature

nature /�netʃ*ə/ noun 1. plants and ani-mals � We must try to protect nature andthe environment. 2. the character of aperson, thing, animal � He has a veryaggressive nature.

naughty

naughty /�nɔti/ adjective (usually of achild) a naughty child causes troubleand is not obedient � Children who arenaughty should be punished. � It wasvery naughty of you to put glue on yourdaddy’s chair. (NOTE: naughtier –naughtiest)

navy

navy /�nevi/ noun a military force whichfights battles at sea � He left school andjoined the navy. � The navy has manyships. � adjective � navy (blue) of adark blue colour � She was wearing anavy skirt. � He’s bought a navy bluepullover.

near

near /nə/ adverb, preposition, adjective1. close to, not far away from � Ourhouse is near the post office. � Bringyour chair nearer to the table. � Helives quite near or quite near here. �Which is the nearest chemist’s? 2. soon,not far off in time � Her birthday is onDecember 21st – it’s quite near toChristmas. � Can you phone againnearer the day and I’ll see if I can find a


nearby 207 neither

few minutes to see you? � verb to getcloser to a place or time � We’re near-ing the end of the year.

nearby

nearby /nə��ba/ adverb, adjective notfar away � He lives just nearby. � Theymet in a nearby restaurant.

nearly

nearly /�nəli/ adverb almost � He’snearly 18 – he’ll be going to universitynext year. � The film lasted nearly threehours. � The book isn’t nearly as goodas the last one I read. � Hurry up, it’snearly time for breakfast. � We haven’tgot nearly enough time to get to London.

neat

neat /nit/ adjective tidy, without anymess � a blouse with a neat lace collar� Leave your bedroom neat and tidy. �Her handwriting is very neat.

necessarily

necessarily /�nes��serli/ adverb whichcannot be avoided � Going to Newcas-tle from here necessarily means chang-ing trains twice.

necessary

necessary /�ness(ə)ri/ adjective whichhas to be done � Don’t phone me in theevening unless it’s absolutely necessary.� Is it necessary to finish the work to-day?

neck

neck /nek/ noun 1. a part which joinsyour head to your body � She was sit-ting in a draught and got a stiff neck. �The mayor wears a gold chain round hisneck. 2. the part of a piece of clothingwhich goes round your neck � I can’twear this shirt – the neck is too tight.

necklace

necklace /�nekləs/ noun a piece of jew-ellery which you wear round your neck

need

need /nid/ verb 1. to require something,or have to have something � We shallneed some euros for our holiday inSpain. � Painting needs a lot of skill. �I need someone to help me with thecooking. 2. to want something � Doesanyone need any more coffee? � modalverb used with other verbs meaning tobe necessary � Need you make so muchnoise in the bath? � Need you go now?� The living room needs painting orneeds to be painted. � You don’t need tocome if you have a cold. � The policeneed to know who saw the accident. �You needn’t bother waiting for me. �noun what is necessary or wanted �

There’s no need for you to wait – I canfind my own way.

needle

needle /�nid(ə)l/ noun 1. a long thinsharp object with a hole at one end, usedfor sewing � This needle hasn’t got avery sharp point. � You must try to putthe piece of wool through the hole in theneedle. � knitting needle a thin pointedplastic or metal stick used for knitting 2.a long thin sharp piece of medicalequipment, used for putting medicineinto your body 3. a small thin part on apiece of equipment, which points tosomething such as a number � Helooked at the dial and saw the needlewas pointing to zero. 4. one of the thinleaves of a pine tree � She had lots ofpine needles stuck in her hair.

negative

negative /�ne'ətv/ noun developedfilm with an image where the light partsare dark and dark parts light � Don’ttouch the negatives with your dirty fin-gers. � adjective showing that some-thing is not there � Her blood test wasnegative.

negotiation

negotiation /n��'əυʃi��eʃ(ə)n/ nounthe process of discussing something

neighbor

neighbor /�nebə/ noun US spelling ofneighbour

neighbour

neighbour /�nebə/ noun 1. a personwho lives near you � He doesn’t get onwith his neighbours. 2. a person who issitting next to you � Help yourself andthen pass the plate on to your neigh-bour. 3. another person (old) � ‘Love ofyour neighbour’ is one of the essentialsof Christian doctrine.

neighbouring

neighbouring /�nebərŋ/ adjectivewhich is close to you (NOTE: The USspelling is neighboring.)

neither

neither /�naðə, �niðə/ adjective, pro-noun not either of two people or things� Neither car or neither of the carspassed the test. � Neither sister is darkor neither of the sisters is dark. � ad-verb not either; used for showing that anegative statement applies to two thingsor people � He doesn’t eat meat andneither does his wife. � She isn’t fat butneither is she really very thin.


nephew 208 nextnephewnephew /�nefju/ noun a son of your sis-

ter or brother, or a son of your husband’sor wife’s brother or sister

nervenerve /n�v/ noun 1. one of the fibres inyour body which take messages to andfrom the brain � Nerves are very deli-cate and easily damaged. 2. over-confi-dence or rude behaviour � He’s got anerve to ask for a day off, when he wasaway all last week. 3. the ability to keepyour fear under control in order toachieve something � It takes a lot ofnerve to disagree with your friends. �He went over to speak to her but at thelast minute he lost his nerve.

nervousnervous /�n�vəs/ adjective 1. worriedand easily frightened � She gets nerv-ous if she is alone in the house at night.� He’s nervous about driving in Lon-don. 2. referring to the nerves � thenervous system

nervousnessnervousness /�n�vəsnəs/ noun a stateof worry and tension

nervous systemnervous system /�n�vəs �sstəm/noun the system of nerves in the body

nestnest /nest/ noun a structure built bybirds, and by some animals and insects,to lay their eggs in � an ants’ nest � Thebirds built their nests among the trees. �The blackbirds have laid three eggs intheir nest.

netnet /net/ noun 1. a woven material withlarge holes � A long skirt made of pinknet. 2. a piece of this material used for aspecial purpose � a fishing net 3. sameas Internet � adjective after all pay-ments such as tax have been considered� That figure is net, not gross.

networknetwork /�netw�k/ noun 1. a system ofthings such as roads or railways con-necting different places � the Britishrail network � a satellite TV network �There is a network of tunnels under thecastle. 2. a system of computers whichare connected together � How does thisnetwork operate? � You can book at anyof our hotels throughout the country us-ing our computer network. 3. a group ofpeople connected with each other � Hisrapidly developing network of contactsin government. � verb to connect two ormore computers in order to allow themto exchange information � Workstations

within an office are usually networkedand share resources.

never

never /�nevə/ adverb not at any time; notever � We’ll never forget that restau-rant. � I’ve never bought anything inthat shop although I’ve often been in-side it. � He never eats meat.

nevertheless

nevertheless /�nevəðə��les/ adverb al-though a particular situation exists � Iknow it is raining, but nevertheless I’dlike to go for a walk along the beach. �She had a cold, but went to the meetingnevertheless.

new

new /nju/ adjective 1. made very recent-ly, or never used before � Put some newpaper in the printer. � The new versionof the software is now available. 2.which arrived recently � There are twonew secretaries in the office. 3. com-pletely different from what was before� We need someone with new ideas. �They put some new wallpaper in thebedroom.

news

news /njuz/ noun spoken or written in-formation about what has happened �What’s the news of your sister? � Shetold me all the latest news about the of-fice. � He was watching the 10 o’clocknews on TV. � I don’t want to hear anybad news.

newspaper

newspaper /�njuzpepə/ noun a set ofloose folded sheets of paper, containingnews of what has happened, especiallyin the last 24 hours � He was so ab-sorbed in his newspaper that he didn’tnotice that the toast had burnt. � Wesaw your picture in the local newspaper.� The newspapers are full of news of theelection.

New Year’s Day

New Year’s Day /�nju jəz �de/ noun1st January

New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve /�nju jəz �iv/ noun31st December

next

next /nekst/ adjective, adverb 1. comingafter in time � On Wednesday we go toParis, and the next day we travel to Italy.� First you put the eggs into a bowl andnext you add some sugar. � Don’t forgetto give me a call when you’re next intown. � Next week is the start of our hol-iday. � The next time you go to the su-permarket, can you get some coffee? 2.


nibble 209 noise

nearest in place � The ball went over thefence into the next garden. � She tookthe seat next to mine. � pronoun thething or person following � After twobuses went past full, the next was almostempty. � I’ll be back from holiday theweek after next. � (asking the next per-son in the queue to come) Next, please!

nibble

nibble /�nb(ə)l/ verb to take small bitesfrom something � She was nibbling abiscuit. � The mice have nibbled intothe flour sacks.

nice

nice /nas/ adjective 1. pleasant, enjoya-ble � We had a nice time at the seaside.� If the weather’s nice let’s have a pic-nic. � The nicest thing about the town isthat it is on the sea. 2. pleasant, polite �That wasn’t a very nice thing to say. �Try and be nice to your grandfather.(NOTE: nicer – nicest)

nickname

nickname /�nknem/ noun a short orinformal name given to someone � Herreal name’s Henrietta, but everyonecalls her by her nickname ‘Bobbles’. �verb to give a nickname to someone �He was nicknamed ‘Camel’ because ofhis big nose.

niece

niece /nis/ noun a daughter of a brotheror sister, or a daughter of your hus-band’s or wife’s brother or sister

night

night /nat/ noun the time when it is dark� It’s dangerous to walk alone in thestreets at night. � Burglars got into theoffice during the night. � He is on nightduty three days a week. � They’re plan-ning to have a night out tomorrow.

nightmare

nightmare /�natmeə/ noun a veryfrightening dream � I had a nightmarethat I was drowning.

nine

nine /nan/ noun the number 9 � She’snine (years old) tomorrow. � The shopopens at 9 o’clock.

nineteen

nineteen /�nan��tin/ noun the number19 � He’s nineteen (years old) tomor-row.

nineteenth

nineteenth /nan��tinθ/, 19th adjectiverelating to number 19 in a series � It’shis nineteenth birthday tomorrow. �The nineteenth of August or August thenineteenth (August 19th). � nounnumber nineteen in a series � He’s thenineteenth in the queue.

ninetiethninetieth /�nantiəθ/, 90th adjective re-lating to number 90 in a series � It’s hisninetieth birthday tomorrow. � nounnumber ninety in a series � I’ve had somany calls – this is the ninetieth.

ninetyninety /�nanti/ noun number 90 � Myold aunt will be ninety (years old) nextweek and her husband is ninety-two:they are both in their nineties.

ninthninth /nanθ/, 9th adjective relating tonumber 9 in a series � You’re the ninthperson in the queue. � noun numbernine in a series � A lot of people havecancelled – he’s the ninth.

nono /nəυ/ adjective, adverb 1. used forgiving a negative answer � I asked mymother if we could borrow her car butshe said ‘no’. � Do you want anothercup of coffee? – No, thank you. 2. notany � There’s no milk left in the fridge.� We live in a little village, and there’sno post office for miles around. � Wehad no reply to our fax. � no entry youmay not go in this way � no exit youmay not go out this way � no parkingyou may not park � no smoking youmay not smoke

nobodynobody /�nəυbədi/ pronoun same as noone

nocturnalnocturnal /nɒk��t�n(ə)l/ adjective re-lating to the night � The nocturnal hab-its of the badger.

nodnod /nɒd/ verb to move the head slightlyup and down, meaning ‘yes’ � When heasked her if she understood, she nodded(her head ). � He nodded to show hisagreement. (NOTE: The opposite is toshake your head, meaning ‘no’. Notealso: nods – nodding – nodded.) �noun a movement of the head up anddown, meaning ‘yes’ � He gave me anod as I came in.

noisenoise /nɔz/ noun 1. a loud or unpleasantsound � The workmen are making sucha lot of noise that we can’t use the tele-phone. � Let’s not invite the children – Ican’t stand noise. 2. a sound � The babymade a little gurgling noise. � Is thereanything the matter with the washingmachine? It’s making a funny noise. �There was a noise of running water inthe bathroom. � He woke up when heheard a noise in the kitchen. � Don’t


noisily 210 nose

make a noise – the guards might hearyou.

noisily

noisily /�nɔzli/ adverb making a lot ofnoise

noisy

noisy /�nɔzi/ adjective who or whichmakes a lot of noise � a crowd of noisylittle boys � Unfortunately, the hoteloverlooks a noisy crossroads. (NOTE:noisier – noisiest)

none

none /n�n/ pronoun 1. not any � Howmany dogs have you got? – None. � Canyou buy some milk? We’ve none left inthe fridge? � A little money is betterthan none at all. 2. not one � None ofmy friends smokes. � None of the groupcan speak Chinese.

nonsense

nonsense /�nɒnsəns/ noun silly ideas �I’m too fat – nonsense! � He talked a lotof nonsense. � It’s nonsense to expectpeople to pay money for that. (NOTE: noplural)

non-stop

non-stop /�nɒn �stɒp/ adjective whichdoes not stop � a non-stop train to Paris� They took a non-stop flight to Austral-ia. � All our flights to Toronto are non-stop. � adverb without stopping � Theplanes flies to Hong Kong non-stop. �They worked non-stop to finish the jobon time.

noon

noon /nun/ noun twelve o’clock in themiddle of the day

no one

no one /�nəυ w�n/ pronoun no person �We met no one we knew. � No one heretakes sugar in their tea. � There was no-body in the café. � Nobody wants to doher job. � no one else no other person �No one else’s child behaved as badly asours on the plane!

nor

nor /nɔ/ conjunction and not � ‘I don’twant to go’ – ‘Nor me!’ � I did not meethim that year nor in subsequent years. �I never went there again, nor did mywife. � neither

normal

normal /�nɔm(ə)l/ adjective usual or ex-pected � We hope to restore normalservice as soon as possible. � Look atthe rain – it’s just a normal British sum-mer. � What’s the size of a normalswimming pool? � At her age, it’s onlynormal for her to want to go to parties.

normally

normally /�nɔm(ə)li/ adverb usually �The bus is normally late. � She doesn’tnormally drink wine.

north

north /nɔθ/ noun the direction to yourleft when you are facing the direction inwhich the sun rises � There will be snowin the north of the country. � It’s coldwhen the wind blows from the north. �adjective relating to the north � Wewent on holiday to the north coast ofScotland. � The north side of our housenever gets any sun. � When the northwind blows, you can expect snow. � ad-verb towards the north � They weretravelling north at the time. � Go northfor three miles and then you’ll see theroad to London. � Our office windowsface north.

north-east

north-east /�nɔθ �ist/ adverb the di-rection between north and east � Theywere travelling north-east at the time. �Go north-east for three miles and thenyou’ll come to our village. � Our officewindows face north-east. � noun thepart of a country to the north and east �The North-East of England will havesnow showers. � It’s cold when the windblows from the north-east.

northern

northern /�nɔð(ə)n/ adjective relatingto the north � Northern countries havemore rain. � They live in the northernpart of the country.

north-west

north-west /�nɔθ �west/ adverb the di-rection between west and north � Theywere travelling north-west at the time. �Go north-west for a few miles and thenyou’ll come to our house. � noun thepart of a country to the north and west �The North-West of England is wetterthan the east coast. � We can expectrain when the wind blows from thenorth-west. � The old castle stood to thenorth-west of the cathedral.

nose

nose /nəυz/ noun a part of the body onyour face which you breathe throughand smell with � He has a cold, and hisnose is red. � Dogs have wet noses. �She’s got flu – her nose is running. �Don’t wipe your nose on your sleeve,use a tissue. � under his, her, etc.very nose in front of him, her, etc. � Idid it under his very nose and he didn’tnotice a thing.


nostril 211 novicenostril

nostril /�nɒstrl/ noun one of the twoholes in your nose, which you breathethrough

not

not /nɒt/ adverb used with verbs to showthe negative � A service charge is notincluded. � It isn’t there. � She can’tcome. � He didn’t want any meat. � Wecouldn’t go home because of the fog. �Don’t you like coffee? � not exactly 1.not completely � Was it a disaster? –Not exactly a disaster, but it didn’t govery well. � It’s not exactly the colour Iwanted. 2. used for emphasising a nega-tive � He’s not exactly pleased at hav-ing to pay out so much money. �

not…either and not…also � Shedoesn’t eat meat, and she doesn’t eatfish either. � It wasn’t hot, but it wasn’tvery cold either. � not only…but alsonot just this…but this as well � The filmwasn’t only very long, but it was alsovery bad.

note

note /nəυt/ noun 1. a few words that youwrite to tell someone something or tohelp you to remember something � Shemade a few notes before she gave herspeech. � She made a note of what sheneeded to buy before she went to the su-permarket. � He left us a note before hewent out. 2. a piece of paper money � Itried to pay with a £10 note. 3. a musicalsound, or a written sign representing amusical sound � He can’t sing highnotes. � verb to write down somethingin a few words � The policeman notedin his notebook all the details of the ac-cident. � to take note of to pay atten-tion to � We have to take note of publicopinion.

notebook

notebook /�nəυtbυk/ noun a smallbook for making notes � The policemanwrote down the details in his notebook.

nothing

nothing /�n�θŋ/ pronoun not anything� There’s nothing interesting on TV. �She said nothing about what she hadseen. � There’s nothing more we can do.� for nothing free, without having topay � We’re friends of the woman run-ning the show and she got us in for noth-ing.

notice

notice /�nəυts/ noun 1. a piece of writ-ing giving information, usually put in aplace where people can see it � He

pinned up a notice about the staff tennismatch. 2. an official warning that some-thing has to be done, or that somethingis going to happen � They gave us fiveminutes’ notice to leave the office. � Ifyou want to resign, you have to give amonth’s notice. � The train times werechanged without notice. � verb to seeand take note of something � I wore oneblue and one white sock all day and no-body noticed. � I didn’t notice you hadcome in. � Did you notice if John wassitting next to Sarah? � at short noticewith very little warning � It had to bedone at short notice. � The bank man-ager will not see anyone at such shortnotice. � until further notice until dif-ferent instructions are given � You mustpay £200 on the 30th of each month un-til further notice.

noticeablenoticeable /�nəυtsəb(ə)l/ adjectivewhich is easily noticed

notionnotion /�nəυʃ(ə)n/ noun an idea � Shehas this strange notion that she ought tobe a TV star.

notoriousnotorious /nəυ��tɔriəs/ adjective wellknown for bad qualities, or for doingbad things

nounnoun /naυn/ noun (in grammar) a wordwhich can be the subject or object of averb and is used to refer to a person,thing or animal � nouns such as ‘brick’and ‘elephant’ � In ‘the cat caught amouse’, ‘cat’ and ‘mouse’ are bothnouns.

novelnovel /�nɒv(ə)l/ noun a long story withimaginary characters and events �‘Pickwick Papers’ was Dickens’ firstmajor novel. � adjective new and unu-sual � Visiting New York is a novel expe-rience for me.

NovemberNovember /nəυ��vembə/ noun the elev-enth month of the year, the month afterOctober and before December � No-vember 5 � Today is November 5th. �She was born in November. � We nevergo on holiday in November. (NOTE: No-vember 5th or November 5: say ‘No-vember the fifth’ or ‘the fifth of Novem-ber’ or in US English: ‘November fifth’.)

novicenovice /�nɒvs/ noun a person who hasvery little experience or skill, e.g. in ajob or sport � He’s still a novice at row-


now 212 nut

ing. � A competition like this is not fornovices.

nownow /naυ/ adverb at or around this pointin time � I can hear a train coming now.� Please can we go home now? � Theflight is only two hours – he ought to bein Berlin by now. � Now’s the best timefor going skiing. � A week from nowwe’ll be sitting on the beach. � interjec-tion showing a warning � Now then,don’t be rude to the teacher! � Come onnow, work hard! � Now, now! Nobodywants to hear you crying. � now andthen from time to time, not continuous-ly � until now, up to now until thispoint in time � Until now, I’ve neverhad to see a doctor.

nowherenowhere /�nəυweə/ adverb not in or toany place � My wallet was nowhere tobe found. � Where are you going? – No-where. � There is nowhere else for themto live. � to get nowhere not to haveany success � I rang six shops to try andfind a spare part, but got nowhere.

nuclearnuclear /�njukliə/ adjective relating toenergy made from parts of atoms � anuclear power station

nudenude /njud/ adjective not wearingclothes, especially in situations wherepeople are expected to wear someclothes � Nude sunbathing is not al-lowed on this beach. � She has ap-peared nude on stage several times.

nudgenudge /n�d"/ noun a little push, usuallywith the elbow � She gave me a nudgeto wake me up. � verb to give a littlepush, usually with the elbow � Henudged me when it was my turn tospeak.

nuisancenuisance /�njus(ə)ns/ noun a thingwhich annoys people � to make a nui-sance of yourself to do something an-noying � The children made a nuisanceof themselves running round the restau-rant and throwing bits of bread.

numb

numb /n�m/ adjective not able to feelthings that you touch � The tips of hisfingers went numb. � His hands werenumb with cold.

number

number /�n�mbə/ noun 1. a sign thatrepresents an amount � 13 is not a luckynumber. � They live on the opposite sideof road at number 49. � Can you giveme your telephone number? � Anumber 6 bus goes to Oxford Street. �Please quote your account number. 2. aquantity of people or things � Thenumber of tickets sold was disappoint-ing. � A large number of children orlarge numbers of children will be sittingthe exam. � There were only a smallnumber of people at the meeting. � verbto give something a number � The raffletickets are numbered 1 to 1000. � I referto our invoices numbered 234 and 235.� All the seats are clearly numbered.

numerous

numerous /�njum(ə)rəs/ adjectivevery many � He has been fined forspeeding on numerous occasions.

nun

nun /n�n/ noun a woman member of a re-ligious group who live together (NOTE:Do not confuse with none. Note: theequivalent men are monks.)

nurse

nurse /n�s/ noun a person who looks af-ter sick people (woman or man) � Shehas a job as a nurse in the local hospi-tal. � verb to look after people who areill � When she fell ill her daughternursed her until she was better.

nursery

nursery /�n�s(ə)ri/ noun a school forvery young children, or a place wherevery young children are looked after �My sister went to a nursery every dayfrom the age of 18 months. (NOTE: Theplural is nurseries.)

nut

nut /n�t/ noun 1. a dry fruit with a hardshell, that grows on trees 2. a metal ringwhich screws on a bolt to hold it tight �Screw the nut on tightly.


Ooo /əυ/, O noun the fifteenth letter of the al-

phabet, between N and Poakoak /əυk/ noun 1. a type of large tree

which loses its leaves in winter � a for-est of oak trees � Oaks produce thou-sands of acorns each year. 2. wood fromthis tree � an oak table

obedientobedient /ə��bidiənt/ adjective doingwhat you are told to do � Our old dog isvery obedient – he always comes whenyou call him.

obeseobese /əυ��bis/ adjective someone whois obese is so fat that it is dangerous fortheir health

obeyobey /ə��be/ verb to do what someonetells you to do � If you can’t obey ordersyou shouldn’t be a policeman. � Every-one must obey the law.

objectobject1 /�ɒbd"ekt/ noun 1. a thing �They thought they saw a strange objectin the sky. 2. an aim � Their object is totake control of the radio station. 3. anoun, pronoun or phrase which followsdirectly from a verb or preposition � Inthe phrase ‘the cat caught the mouse’,the word ‘mouse’ is the object of theverb ‘caught’.

objectobject2 /əb��d"ekt/ verb to say that youdo not like something or you do notwant something to happen � He object-ed that the pay was too low.

objectiveobjective /əb��d"ektv/ adjective con-sidering things from a general point ofview and not from your own � You mustbe objective when planning the future ofyour business. � noun an aim � Ourlong-term objective is to make the com-pany financially sound. � The companyhas achieved its main objectives.

obligationobligation /�ɒbl��'eʃ(ə)n/ noun some-thing that you must do, e.g. for legal rea-sons � You have an obligation to attendthe meeting.

oblongoblong /�ɒblɒŋ/ noun a shape with twopairs of equal sides, one pair being long-

er than the other � The screen is an ob-long, approximately 30cm by 40cm.

observation

observation /�ɒbzə��veʃ(ə)n/ noun 1.the act of observing � By careful obser-vation, the police found out where thethieves had hidden the money. 2. a re-mark � He made several observationsabout the government.

observe

observe /əb��z�v/ verb 1. to follow or toobey something such as a law, rule orcustom � His family observes all the re-ligious festivals strictly. � The locallaws must be observed. 2. to watchsomething with a lot of attention � Theyobserved and recorded all the changescarefully. 3. to make a remark � I mere-ly observed that the bus was late as usu-al.

obtain

obtain /əb��ten/ verb to manage to getsomething � She obtained a copy of thewill. � He obtained control of the busi-ness.

obvious

obvious /�ɒbviəs/ adjective clear; easilyseen � It’s obvious that we will have topay for the damage. � It was obvious toeveryone that the shop was not makingany money.

obviously

obviously /�ɒbviəsli/ adverb clearly �Obviously we will need to borrow vari-ous pieces of equipment.

occasion

occasion /ə��ke"(ə)n/ noun 1. � a spe-cial occasion a special event such as awedding � The baby’s first birthdaywas a special occasion. 2. a happening,a time when something happens � Sheclaimed that she hadn’t seen anythingon that particular occasion. � on occa-sion from time to time � On occasion,we spend a weekend in the country.

occasional

occasional /ə��ke"(ə)n(ə)l/ adjectivehappening sometimes, but not very of-ten � He was an occasional visitor tomy parents’ house. � We make the occa-sional trip to London.


occasionally 214 of courseoccasionallyoccasionally /ə��ke"(ə)nəli/ adverb

sometimes, not very often � Occasion-ally he has to work late. � We occasion-ally go to the cinema.

occupationoccupation /�ɒkjυ��peʃ(ə)n/ noun 1.the act of taking control of a place, orthe fact of being in such a situation � theoccupation of the country by enemy sol-diers � The city had been under enemyoccupation for a week. 2. a job, posi-tion, employment � What is her occu-pation? � His main occupation is run-ning a small engineering works.

occupiedoccupied /�ɒkjupad/ adjective 1. be-ing used � All the rooms in the hotel areoccupied. � All the toilets are occupied,so you’ll have to wait. 2. busy � Themanager is occupied just at the moment.� Keeping a class of 30 little childrenoccupied is difficult.

occupyoccupy /�ɒkjυpa/ verb 1. to live in orwork in � They occupy the flat on thefirst floor. � The firm occupies offices inthe centre of town. 2. (of time, thoughtsor attention) to use or fill � Dealingwith the office occupies most of my time.3. to keep someone busy � Could youoccupy him for five minutes while Iwrap his present? (NOTE: occupies –occupying – occupied)

occuroccur /ə��k�/ verb 1. to happen � Whendid the accident occur? 2. to come toyour mind � Did it never occur to youthat she was lying? (NOTE: occurs –occurring – occurred)

oceanocean /�əυʃ(ə)n/ noun a very large areaof sea surrounding the large areas ofland on the Earth � Ocean currents canbe very treacherous.

o’clocko’clock /ə��klɒk/ adverb used with num-bers to show the time � Get up – it’s 7o’clock. � We never open the shop be-fore 10 o’clock. � By 2 o’clock in themorning everyone was asleep. (NOTE:O’clock is only used for the exacthour, not for times which include min-utes. It can also be omitted: We gothome before eight. or We got homebefore eight o’clock.)

OctoberOctober /ɒk��təυbə/ noun the tenthmonth of the year, between Septemberand November � October 18 � Do youever go on holiday in October? � Today

is October 18th. � Last October wemoved to London. (NOTE: October 18thor October 18: say ‘October the eight-eenth’ or ‘the eighteenth of October’; inUS English: ‘October eighteenth’.)

octopus

octopus /�ɒktəpəs/ noun a sea animalwith eight long arms called ‘tentacles’(NOTE: The plural is octopuses.)

odd

odd /ɒd/ adjective 1. unusual and notnormal � It’s odd that she can never re-member how to get to their house. � Hedoesn’t like chocolate – Really, howodd! 2. � odd numbers numbers suchas 17 or 33 which cannot be divided bytwo � The buildings with odd numbersare on the opposite side of the street. 3.(of an amount) almost, not exact or ac-curate � She had 200 odd records incardboard boxes 4. one forming part ofa pair 5. done only rarely or occasional-ly � I’ve only been to the odd concert inthe last few years. � On the odd occa-sions I’ve met him, he’s seemed verynice.

odour

odour /�əυdə/ noun a smell, especiallyan unpleasant smell � the odour of rot-ten eggs (NOTE: The US spelling isodor.)

of

of /əv, ɒv/ preposition 1. used for show-ing a connection � She’s the sister of thegirl who you met at the party. � Where’sthe top of the jam jar? � What are thenames of Henry VIII’s wives? 2. usedfor showing a part or a quantity � a litreof orange juice � How much of the clothdo you need? � Today is the sixth ofMarch. � There are four boys and twogirls – six of them altogether. � Half ofthe staff are on holiday. 3. used for giv-ing a specific age, amount, etc � Theschool takes children of ten and over. �He earns a salary of over £30,000. 4.showing position, material, cause � Helives in the north of the town. � Thejumper is made of cotton. � She died ofcancer. (NOTE: Of is often used afterverbs or adjectives: to think of, to befond of, to be tired of, to smell of, to beafraid of, etc.)

of course

of course /əv �kɔs/ adverb 1. used tosay ‘yes’ or ‘no’ more strongly � Areyou coming with us? – Of course I am!� Do you want to lose all your money?


off 215 OK

– Of course not! 2. used for statingsomething that is not surprising � He isrich, so of course he lives in a big house.

off

off /ɒf/ adverb, preposition 1. showingmovement or position away from aplace � We’re off to the shops. � The of-fice is just off the main road. � Theyspent their holiday on an island off thecoast of Wales. � The children got offthe bus. � Take your boots off before youcome into the house. 2. away from work� She took the week off. � It’s my day offtoday. � Half the staff are off with flu. 3.not switched on � Is the TV off?

off and on

off and on /�ɒf ənd �ɒn/ adverb not con-tinuously, with breaks in between

offence

offence /ə��fens/ noun 1. the state of be-ing offended � He took offence when Isaid he looked bigger than before. 2. acrime, an act which is against the law �He was charged with committing an of-fence. � Since it was his first offence, hewas let off with a fine.

offend

offend /ə��fend/ verb 1. to be or to goagainst public opinion, someone’s feel-ings � He offended the whole village bythe article he wrote in the paper. � Thatwallpaper offends my sense of taste. 2.to commit a crime � He was releasedfrom prison and immediately offendedagain.

offense

offense /ə��fens/ noun US spelling of of-fence

offensive

offensive /ə��fensv/ adjective 1. un-pleasant � What an offensive smell! 2.not polite; rude � The waiter was quiteoffensive.

offer

offer /�ɒfə/ noun a suggestion to some-one that you will give them somethingor do something for them � He turneddown her offer to drive him to the sta-tion. � She accepted his offer of a job inParis. � verb to suggest doing some-thing for someone or giving someonesomething � She offered to drive him tothe station. � on offer which has beenoffered � There are several good holi-day bargains on offer.

office

office /�ɒfs/ noun a room or buildingwhere you do work such as writing, tel-ephoning and working at a computer �I’ll be working late at the office this

evening. � We bought some new officefurniture. � Dad has his office at the topof the house.

officer

officer /�ɒfsə/ noun a person who holdsan official position � The customs offic-er asked me to open my suitcase.

official

official /ə��fʃ(ə)l/ adjective 1. relating toan organisation, especially one which ispart of a government or some other au-thority � He left official papers in hiscar. � We had an official order from thelocal authority. � He represents an offi-cial body. 2. done or approved by some-one in authority � She received an offi-cial letter of explanation. � The strikewas made official by the union head-quarters. � noun a person holding a rec-ognised position � They were met by anofficial from the embassy. � I’ll ask anofficial of the social services depart-ment to help you.

officially

officially /ə��fʃ(ə)li/ adverb 1. in an offi-cial way � He has been officially namedas a member of the British team. � Shehas been officially named as our repre-sentative at the meeting. 2. according towhat is said in public � Officially, youare not supposed to go in through thisdoor, but everyone does. � Officially heknows nothing about the problem, butunofficially he has given us a lot of ad-vice about it.

often

often /�ɒf(ə)n/ adverb on many occa-sions � I often have to go to town onbusiness. � Do you eat beef often? �How often is there a bus to Richmond?� every so often from time to time �We go to the cinema every so often.

oil

oil /ɔl/ noun 1. a liquid taken from plantsand animals, which flows smoothly andis used in cooking � Cook the vegeta-bles in hot oil. 2. a thick mineral liquidfound mainly underground and used as afuel or to make something movesmoothly � The door squeaks – it needssome oil. � Some of the beaches arecovered with oil. � The company isdrilling for oil in the desert.

OK

OK /əυ��ke/, okay interjection 1. used foranswering ’yes’ to a question � Wouldyou like a coffee? – OK! 2. used forstarting to talk about something after apause � ‘It’s ten o’clock’ – ‘OK, let’s


old 216 only

get going’. � adjective all right � Hewas off ill yesterday, but he seems to beOK now. � Is it OK for me to bring thedogs?

old

old /əυld/ adjective 1. having had a longlife � My uncle is an old man – he’seighty-four. � She lives in an old peo-ple’s home. 2. having existed for a longtime � He collects old cars. � Playsome old music, I don’t like this modernstuff. � She’s an old friend of mine. 3.relating to something which has beenused for a long time � Put on an oldshirt if you’re going to wash the car. �He got rid of his old car and bought anew one. 4. used with a number to talkabout someone’s age � He’s six yearsold today. � How old are you?

old-fashioned

old-fashioned /�əυld �f�ʃ(ə)nd/ ad-jective no longer in fashion � She woreold-fashioned clothes.

olive

olive /�ɒlv/ noun a small black or greenfruit from which oil is made for use incooking � Olives are grown in Mediter-ranean countries like Spain, Greece andItaly. � Which do you prefer – green orblack olives?

omit

omit /əυ��mt/ verb to leave somethingout � She omitted the date when shesigned the contract.

on

on /ɒn/ preposition 1. on the top or sur-face of something � Put the box downon the floor. � Flies can walk on theceiling. 2. hanging from � Hang yourcoat on the hook. 3. showing movementor place � A crowd of children got onthe train. � The picture’s on page three.� The post office is on the left-hand sideof the street. 4. doing something � Ihave to go to Germany on business. �We’re off on holiday tomorrow. 5. refer-ring to a time, date or day � The shop isopen on Sundays. � We went to see mymother on my birthday. 6. a means oftravel � You can go there on foot – itonly takes five minutes. � She came onher motorbike. 7. using an instrument ormachine � He played some music on thepiano. � The song is available on CD. �He was on the telephone for most of themorning. � The film was on TV lastnight. � adverb 1. being worn � Haveyou all got your wellingtons on? � The

central heating was off, so he kept hiscoat on in the house. 2. operating �Have you put the kettle on? � The heat-ing is on. � She left all the lights on. �She turned the engine on. � He switchedthe TV on. 3. being shown or played �What’s on at the theatre this week?

on and off

on and off /�ɒn ənd �ɒf/ adverb not con-tinuously but with breaks in between

once

once /w�ns/ adverb 1. one time � Takethe tablets once a day. � The magazinecomes out once a month. � ‘How manytimes did you go to the cinema lastyear?’ – ‘Only once’. 2. at a time in thepast � Once, when it was snowing, thecar skidded into a ditch. � He’s some-one I knew once when I worked in Lon-don. � conjunction as soon as � Oncehe starts talking you can’t get him tostop. � Once we’ve moved house I’llgive you a phone call. � once and forall finally � I’ll tell you once and for all‘stop talking!’. � The government wantsto eradicate poverty once and for all. �once in a while from time to time � It’snice to go and have an Indian meal oncein a while.

one

one /w�n/ noun 1. the number 1 � Oneplus one makes two. � Our grandson isone year old today. � His grandmotheris a hundred and one. 2. a single item �Have a toffee – oh dear, there’s only oneleft! � pronoun a single thing � All thechina plates were dirty so we made dowith � Which hat do you like best – theblack one or the red one? � One of thestaff will help you carry the box to yourcar. � I’ve lost my map – have you gotone? � Small cars use less petrol thanbig ones.

onion

onion /��njən/ noun a round, strong-tasting vegetable which is made up ofmany layers

only

only /�əυnli/ adjective without others ofthe same type � Don’t break it – it’s theonly one I’ve got. � adverb 1. with noone or nothing else � We’ve only got tenpounds between us. � This lift is for staffonly. 2. as recently as � We saw her onlylast week. � Only yesterday the bankphoned for information. � conjunctionbut, except � I would have arrived on


onto 217 opposition

time, only the train was late. � onlyjust almost not � only too very much

ontoonto /�ɒntə, �ɒntυ, �ɒntu/ prepositionon or to something � The speaker wentup onto the platform. � The door opensdirectly onto the garden. � Turn the boxonto its side.

openopen /�əυpən/ adjective 1. not shut �The safe door is open. � Leave the win-dow open – it’s very hot in here. 2. avail-able for use by or the enjoyment of thepublic � Is the supermarket open onSundays? � The show is open from 9a.m. to 6 p.m. � The competition is opento anyone over the age of fifteen. � verb1. to make something open � Can youopen the door for me, I’m trying to carrythese heavy boxes? � Don’t open theenvelope until tomorrow. 2. to start do-ing something, to start a business � Anew restaurant is going to open nextdoor to us. � Most shops open early inthe morning.

openeropener /�əυp(ə)nə/ noun a piece ofequipment for opening things such astins or bottles

openingopening /�əυp(ə)nŋ/ noun 1. an occa-sion or time at which something opens� The opening of the exhibition hasbeen postponed. � The office openingtimes are 9.30 to 5.30. 2. a hole or space� The cows got out through an openingin the wall.

operaopera /�ɒp(ə)rə/ noun a performance ona stage with music in which the wordsare sung and not spoken

operateoperate /�ɒpəret/ verb 1. to makesomething work � He knows how to op-erate the machine. � She is learninghow to operate the new telephoneswitchboard. 2. to treat a patient by cut-ting open the body � She was operatedon by Mr Jones. � The surgeon decidedshe would have to operate on the pa-tient.

operationoperation /�ɒpə��reʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. anorganised activity carried out to achievea specific aim � The rescue operationwas successful. 2. a medical treatment,usually involving cutting open a per-son’s body � She’s had three operationson her leg. � The operation lasted al-most two hours.

opinion

opinion /ə��pnjən/ noun what someonethinks about a subject � Ask the lawyerfor his opinion about the letter. � In myopinion, we should wait until the weath-er gets warmer before we go on holiday.� Tell me what in your opinion weshould do.

opponent

opponent /ə��pəυnənt/ noun 1. a personor group which is against something �Opponents of the planned motorwayhave occupied the site. 2. (in boxing, anelection, etc.) a person who fightssomeone else � His opponent in theelection is a local councillor. � Heknocked out his last three opponents.

opportunity

opportunity /�ɒpə��tjunti/ noun achance allows you to do something �When you were in London, did you havean opportunity to visit St Paul’s Cathe-dral? � I’d like to take this opportunityto thank all members of staff for thework they have done over the past year.

oppose

oppose /ə��pəυz/ verb 1. to put yourselfagainst someone in an election � She isopposing him in the election. 2. to try toprevent something happening � Severalgroups oppose the new law.

opposed to

opposed to /ə��pəυzd tu/ adjective notagreeing with � He is opposed to thegovernment’s policy on education.

opposite

opposite /�ɒpəzt/ preposition on theother side of, facing � I work in the of-fices opposite the railway station. � Shesat down opposite me. � adjectivewhich is on the other side � The shop’snot on this side of the street – it’s on theopposite side. � Her van hit a tree on theopposite side of the road. � Her van washit by a lorry going in the opposite di-rection. � noun something which iscompletely different � ‘Black’ is the op-posite of ‘white.’ � She’s just the oppo-site of her brother – he’s tall and thin,she’s short and fat. � He likes to say onething, and then do the opposite.

opposition

opposition /�ɒpə��zʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. theact of opposing something � There wasa lot of opposition to the company’splans to build a supermarket. 2. (in pol-itics) the party or group which opposesthe government � The leader of the op-position rose to speak. � The party lostthe election and is now in opposition.


optician 218 organisedopticianoptician /ɒp��tʃ(ə)n/ noun a person who

tests your eyes and sells glassesoptionoption /�ɒpʃən/ noun a choice � One op-

tion would be to sell the house. � Thetour offers several options as half-dayvisits.

oror /ɔ/ conjunction 1. used for joining twoparts of a sentence which show two pos-sibilities � You can come with us in thecar or just take the bus. � Do you prefertea or coffee? � Was he killed in an ac-cident or was he murdered? � The filmstarts at 6.30 or 6.45, I can’t rememberwhich. 2. used for showing that you arenot sure about an amount � Five or sixpeople came into the shop. � It coststhree or four dollars.

oraloral /�ɔrəl/ adjective spoken rather thanwritten down � There is an oral test aswell as a written one.

orangeorange /�ɒrnd"/ noun a sweet, brightlycoloured Mediterranean fruit � roastduck and orange sauce � She had aglass of orange juice and a cup of coffeefor breakfast. � adjective of the colourof an orange � That orange tie is awful.� She wore a dark orange dress.

orbitorbit /�ɔbt/ noun the curved path ofsomething moving through space � Therocket will put the satellite into orbitround the earth. � verb to move in acurved path round something � The sat-ellite orbits the earth once every fivehours.

orchestraorchestra /�ɔkstrə/ noun a large groupof musicians who play together � theLondon Symphony Orchestra

orderorder /�ɔdə/ noun 1. an instruction tosomeone to do something � He shoutedorders to the workmen. � If you can’tobey orders you can’t be a soldier. 2. (ofa customer) the act of asking for some-thing to be served or to be sent � We’vehad a large order for books from Russia.� She gave the waitress her order. 3. aspecial way of organising things accord-ing to date, alphabet, etc � Put the in-voices in order of their dates. 4. � in or-der to used for showing why somethingis done � She called out all their namesin order to check who was there. � Helooked under the car in order to see ifthere was an oil leak. � verb 1. to tell

someone to do something � They or-dered the protesters out of the building.� The doctor ordered him to take fourweeks’ holiday. 2. (of a customer) toask for something to be served or to besent � They ordered chicken and chipsand some wine. � I’ve ordered a newcomputer for the office. � They ordereda Rolls Royce for the managing director.

ordinaryordinary /�ɔd(ə)n(ə)ri/ adjective notspecial � I’ll wear my ordinary suit tothe wedding. � They lead a very ordi-nary life. � out of the ordinary unusu-al or different � Their flat is quite out ofthe ordinary.

organorgan /�ɔ'ən/ noun 1. a part of the bodywith a special function, such as the heartor liver � He was badly injured andsome of his organs had stopped func-tioning. 2. a musical instrument whichis often played in churches with one ormore keyboards and many pipesthrough which air is pumped to make asound � She played the organ at ourwedding.

organicorganic /ɔ��'�nk/ adjective relating toliving things

organisationorganisation /�ɔ'əna��zeʃ(ə)n/, or-ganization noun 1. the act of arrangingsomething � The organisation of themeeting is done by the secretary. 2. anorganised group or institution � He’schairman of an organisation whichlooks after blind people. � Internationalrelief organisations are sending sup-plies.

organisationalorganisational /�ɔ'əna�

�zeʃ(ə)n(ə)l/, organizational adjec-tive relating to the way in which some-thing is organised

organiseorganise /�ɔ'ənaz/, organize verb 1.to arrange something � She is responsi-ble for organising the meeting. � We or-ganised ourselves into two groups. �The company is organised in three sec-tions. 2. to put into good order � Wehave put her in charge of organising thecity archives.

organisedorganised /�ɔ'ənazd/, organized ad-jective 1. (of a person) working effi-ciently and according to a plan 2. (of anactivity) planned carefully, and involv-ing many different people or elements


organiser 219 outerorganiserorganiser /�ɔ'ənazə/, organizer

noun a person who arranges thingsoriginorigin /�ɒrd"n/ noun where something

or someone comes from � What is theorigin of the word ‘taboo’? � His familyhas French origins.

originaloriginal /ə��rd"ən(ə)l/ adjective 1. newand interesting � The planners haveproduced some very original ideas forthe new town centre. 2. not a copy �They sent a copy of the original invoice.� He kept the original receipt for refer-ence. � noun a thing from which otherthings are copied � Send the police acopy, but make sure you keep the origi-nal.

originallyoriginally /ə��rd"ən(ə)l/ adverb in thebeginning � Originally it was mine, butI gave it to my brother. � The familyoriginally came from France in the 18thcentury.

ornamentornament /�ɔnəmənt/ noun a small ob-ject used as decoration � There’s a rowof china ornaments on the mantelpiece.

otherother /��ðə/ adjective, pronoun 1. a dif-ferent person or thing � We went swim-ming while the other members of thegroup sat and watched. � I don’t likechocolate cakes – can I have one of theothers? � I’m fed up with that restau-rant – can’t we go to some other place?2. second one of two � He has two cars– one is red, and the other one is blue. �One of their daughters is fat, but theother is quite thin. � pronoun � othersother people or things � I’ll have to askthe others if they agree. � Are there anyothers in the box?

otherwiseotherwise /��ðəwaz/ adverb 1. apartfrom something just mentioned � Yourlittle boy can be noisy sometimes, butotherwise he’s an excellent pupil. 2. ifnot, or else � Are you sure you can comeon Tuesday? – Otherwise I’ll have togive the tickets to someone else.

oughtought /ɔt/ modal verb 1. it would be agood thing to � You ought to go swim-ming more often. � You ought to see thedoctor if your cough doesn’t get better.� He oughtn’t to eat so much – he’ll getfat. � The travel agent ought to havetold you the hotel was full before youwent on holiday. 2. used for showing

that you expect something to happen orto be the case � She ought to pass herdriving test easily. � He left his office atsix, so he ought to be home by now.(NOTE: The negative is ought not,shortened to oughtn’t. Note also thatought is always followed by to and averb in the infinitive.)

ounce

ounce /aυns/ noun a measure of weight,equal to 28 grams (NOTE: usually writ-ten oz after figures: 3oz of butter, say‘three ounces of butter’)

our

our /aυə/ adjective belonging to us � Ouroffice is near the station. � Our cat ismissing again. � Two of our childrencaught flu. (NOTE: Do not confuse withhour.)

ours

ours /aυəz/ pronoun a thing or personthat belongs to us � That house overthere is ours. � Friends of ours told usthat the restaurant was good. � Can weborrow your car, because ours is beingserviced? (NOTE: Do not confuse withhours.)

ourselves

ourselves /aυə��selvz/ pronoun to forreferring back to the subject pronoun‘we’ � We all organised ourselves intotwo teams. � We were enjoying our-selves when the police came.

out

out /aυt/ adverb 1. away from inside �How did the tiger get out of its cage? �She pulled out a box of matches. � Takethe computer out of its packing case. 2.not at home � No one answered thephone – they must all be out.

outcome

outcome /�aυtk�m/ noun a result � Theoutcome of the match was in doubt untilthe final few minutes. � What was theoutcome of the appeal?

outdoor

outdoor /aυt��dɔ/ adjective in the openair

outdoors

outdoors /aυt��dɔz/ adverb in the openair, not inside a building � The ceremo-ny is usually held outdoors. � Why don’twe take our coffee outdoors and sit inthe sun? � The concert will be held out-doors if the weather is good. (NOTE: Youcan also say out of doors.)

outer

outer /�aυtə/ adjective on the outside �Though the outer surface of the pie washot, the inside was still cold.


outfit 220 overlapoutfit

outfit /�aυtft/ noun a set of clothes, of-ten worn for a particular purpose � Shebought a new outfit for the wedding. �For the fancy dress party she wore anurse’s outfit.

outing

outing /�aυtŋ/ noun a short trip � Thechildren went on an outing to the sea-side.

outline

outline /�aυtlan/ noun a line showingthe outer edge of something � He drewthe outline of a car on the paper.

out of date

out of date /�aυt əv �det/ adjective 1.without recent information 2. no longerin fashion � Flared trousers are ratherout of date.

outside

outside /�aυtsad/ noun the outer sur-face or the part which is not inside � Hepolished the outside of his car. � Theapple was red and shiny on the outside,but rotten inside. � adjective which ison the outer surface � The outside wallsof the house are made of brick. � ad-verb not inside a building � It’s beauti-ful and warm outside in the garden. �The dog’s all wet – it must be rainingoutside.

outstanding

outstanding /aυt��st�ndŋ/ adjectiveexcellent or of a very high standard orquality � an antique Chinese vase ofoutstanding quality � Her performancewas outstanding.

outwards

outwards /�aυtwədz/ adverb towardsthe outside or away from the centre orstarting point

oval

oval /�əυv(ə)l/ noun a long round shapesimilar to an egg, but flat � adjectivewith this shape � The pie was cooked inan oval bowl.

oven

oven /��v(ə)n/ noun a metal box with adoor, used for cooking � Don’t put thatplate in the oven – it’s made of plastic.� Supper is cooking in the oven. � Canyou look in the oven and see if the meatis cooked?

over

over /əυvə/ preposition 1. above or high-er than � He put a blanket over the bed.� Planes fly over our house everyminute. � The river rose over its banks.2. on the other side or to the other side �Our office is just over the road from thebank. � He threw the ball over the wall.� The children ran over the road. 3.

from the top of � He fell over the cliff. �She looked over the edge of the balcony.4. during � Over the last few weeks theweather has been cold and wet. � Let’sdiscuss the problem over lunch. 5. morethan � Children over 16 years old haveto pay full price. � The car costs over£40,000. � We had to wait for over twohours. � adverb 1. down from being up-right � The bottle fell over and all thecontents poured out. � She knockedover the plant pot. � He leaned over andpicked up a pin from the floor. 2. morethan � Children of 16 and over pay fullprice. � There are special prices forgroups of 30 and over. 3. not used, leftbehind � Any food left over after themeal can be given to the poor. � adjec-tive finished � Is the match over yet? �When the civil war was over everyonehad more food to eat.

overalloverall /�əυvər��ɔl/ adjective covering ortaking in everything � The overall im-pression was favourable.

overcomeovercome /�əυvə��k�m/ verb 1. to dealwith a difficult situation � Do you thinkthe drugs problem can ever be over-come? 2. to make someone helpless �She was overcome by fear. � Two peoplewere overcome by smoke. 3. to gain vic-tory over an enemy � The army quicklyovercame the invaders. (NOTE: over-comes – overcoming – overcame/əυvə��kem/ – has overcome)

overgrownovergrown /�əυvə��'rəυn/ adjective (ofe.g. a garden) covered with plants andlong grass because of not being lookedafter

overheadoverhead /�əυvə��hed/ adverb aboveyou � Look at that plane overhead.

overhearoverhear /�əυvə��hə/ verb to hear acci-dentally something which you are notmeant to hear � I couldn’t help over-hearing what you said just then. (NOTE:overhears – overhearing – over-heard /�əυvə��h�d/)

overlapoverlap1 /�əυvəl�p/ verb to cover partof something else � Try not to let thepieces of wallpaper overlap. (NOTE:overlaps – overlapping – over-lapped)

overlapoverlap2 /�əυvə��l�p/ noun an amountby which something overlaps


overlook 221 ozoneoverlookoverlook /�əυvə��lυk/ verb not to notice

something � She overlooked severalmistakes when she was correcting theexam papers.

overseasoverseas1 /�əυvə��siz/ adverb in or to aforeign country � He went to work over-seas for some years. � Sue’s gone over-seas for a few weeks.

overseasoverseas2 /�əυvəsiz/ adjective relatingto foreign countries � Overseas salesare important for our company.

overtakeovertake /�əυvə��tek/ verb to go pastsomeone travelling in front of you(NOTE: overtakes – overtaking –overtook – has overtaken)

overweightoverweight /əυvə��wet/ adjective hav-ing a body that weighs too much

oweowe /əυ/ verb 1. to be in a situation whereyou will have to pay someone money,either because you have borrowed somefrom them, or because you have boughtsomething from them � He still owesme the £50 he borrowed last month. 2.to feel that something should be done �He owes her an apology. � I owe my sis-ter a letter.

owing to

owing to /�əυŋ tu/ preposition becauseof � The plane was late owing to fog.

owl

owl /aυl/ noun a large bird which huntssmall animals, mainly at night

own

own /əυn/ adjective belonging to youalone � I don’t need to borrow a car – Ihave my own car. � He has his own bookshop. � noun � on my or his or her, etcown alone � He built the house all onhis own. � I’m on my own this evening– my girlfriend’s gone out with her fam-ily. � verb to have or to possess �There’s no sense in owning a car, sincethere’s nowhere to park.

owner

owner /�əυnə/ noun a person who ownssomething � The police are trying tofind the owner of the stolen car. � Insur-ance is necessary for all house owners.

oxygen

oxygen /�ɒksd"ən/ noun a common gaswhich is present in the air and is essen-tial for plant and animal life

ozone

ozone /�əυzəυn/ noun a harmful form ofoxygen, which is found in the atmos-phere and which is poisonous to humanswhen concentrated


Ppp /pi/, P noun the sixteenth letter of the

alphabet, between O and Qpacepace /pes/ noun 1. the distance covered

by one step � Walk thirty paces to thenorth of the stone. � Step three pacesback. 2. speed � The car was travellingat quite a pace. � verb to measure bywalking � He paced out the distance be-tween the tree and the house.

packpack /p�k/ noun 1. a set of things put to-gether in a box � He bought a pack ofchewing gum. 2. a set of playing cards �a pack of cards � Shuffle the pack. 3. agroup of wild animals together � a packof wild dogs 4. a bag which you can car-ry on your back � Will you be able tomanage this walk with a heavy pack onyour back? � verb 1. to put things intoa suitcase ready for travelling � Thetaxi’s arrived and she hasn’t packed hersuitcase yet. � I’ve finished packing, sowe can start. � He packed his tooth-brush at the bottom of the bag. 2. to putthings in containers ready for sending �The books are packed in boxes of twenty.� Fish are packed in ice. 3. to put a lotof people or things into something �How can you pack ten adults into onetent? � The streets are packed withChristmas shoppers. � The supermarketshelves are packed with fruit and vege-tables.pack off phrasal verb to send someoneaway (informal) � We’ve packed thechildren off to their grandparents forthe summer holidays.pack up phrasal verb 1. to put thingsinto a box before going away � Theypacked up all their equipment and left.2. to stop working � I’ll pack up nowand finish the job tomorrow morning.

packagepackage /�p�kd"/ noun 1. a parcelwhich has been wrapped up for sending� There was a package for you in thepost. � We mailed the package to youyesterday. 2. a box or bag in which

goods are sold � Instructions for use areprinted on the package. 3. a set of goodsor services offered together at one time� a software package

package holiday

package holiday /�p�kd" �hɒlde/noun a holiday where everything in-cluding a hotel, food and travel is ar-ranged and paid for before you leave

packaging

packaging /�p�kd"ŋ/ noun 1. paper,cardboard or plastic used to wrap goods� The boxes are sent in plastic packag-ing. 2. the act of wrapping of goods �The packaging is all done by machines.

packed

packed /p�kt/ adjective 1. full of peo-ple � The restaurant was packed andthere were no free tables. 2. put in a con-tainer � a packed lunch

packet

packet /�p�kt/ noun a small bag, parcelor box � a packet of cigarettes � a pack-et of soup

pad

pad /p�d/ noun 1. a soft cushion whichprotects a person or thing from some-thing � Put a pad of cotton on yourknee. 2. a set of sheets of paper attachedtogether � verb to walk softly with reg-ular steps � The tiger was padding upand down in its cage. (NOTE: pads –padding – padded)

padlock

padlock /�p�dlɒk/ noun a small lockwith a hook � The gate is fastened witha padlock.

page

page /ped"/ noun a side of a sheet of pa-per used in a book, newspaper or maga-zine � It’s a short book, it only has 64pages. � The crossword is on the backpage. � Start reading at page 34. �Look at the picture on page 6. (NOTE:With numbers the word the is left out:on the next page but on page 50.) �verb to call someone by radio, over aloudspeaker, etc. � Mr Smith isn’t in hisoffice at the moment – I’ll page him foryou.

paid

paid /ped/ past tense and past participleof pay


pail 223 paperpail

pail /pel/ noun an old-fashioned wordfor a bucket (NOTE: Do not confuse withpale.)

pain

pain /pen/ noun a feeling in your bodyof being hurt or ill � If you have a painin your chest, you ought to see a doctor.� She had to take drugs because shecould not stand the pain. � I get pains inmy teeth when I eat ice cream.

painful

painful /�penf(ə)l/ adjective hurting,causing pain � She got a painful blowon the back of the head. � I have verypainful memories of my first school.

painstaking

painstaking /�penztekŋ/ adjective(of a person) done slowly and carefullyin order to avoid mistakes � The designis the result of years of painstaking ef-fort.

paint

paint /pent/ noun a coloured liquidwhich you use to give something a col-our or to make a picture � We gave theceiling two coats of paint. � I need atwo-litre tin of green paint. � Thepaint’s coming off the front door. (NOTE:no plural) � verb 1. to cover somethingwith paint � We got someone in to paintthe house. � They painted their frontdoor blue. � She painted her toenailsbright red. 2. to make a picture of some-thing using paint � She painted a pic-ture of the village. � He’s painting hismother. � The sky is not easy to paint.

paintbrush

paintbrush /�pentbr�ʃ/ noun a brushused to put paint on something (NOTE:The plural is paintbrushes.)

painter

painter /�pentə/ noun 1. a person whopaints something such as a house � Thepainter is coming next week to paint thekitchen. 2. a person who paints pictures� He collects pictures by 19th-centuryFrench painters.

painting

painting /�pentŋ/ noun 1. the act ofputting paint on something or of makingpictures with paint � Painting and dec-orating is my trade 2. a picture donewith paints � Do you like this paintingof the old church?

pair

pair /peə/ noun 1. two things taken to-gether � a pair of socks � a pair ofgloves � She’s bought a new pair ofboots. 2. two things joined together tomake a single one � I’m looking for a

clean pair of trousers. � Where’s mypair of green shorts? � This pair of scis-sors is blunt.

pal

pal /p�l/ noun a friend (informal)palace

palace /�p�ls/ noun a large buildingwhere a king, queen, president, etc.,lives

pale

pale /pel/ adjective 1. light-coloured �What colour is your hat? – It’s a paleblue colour. 2. not looking healthy, witha white face � She’s always pale andthat worries me. � When she read theletter she went pale. (NOTE: paler – pal-est. Do not confuse with pail.)

palm

palm /pɑm/ noun 1. the soft inside sur-face of your hand � She held out somecrumbs in the palm of her hand and thebirds came and ate them. 2. a tall tropi-cal tree with long leaves � an oasis sur-rounded by date palms � The boyclimbed a coconut palm and broughtdown a nut.

pan

pan /p�n/ noun a metal cooking contain-er with a handle � Boil the potatoes in apan of water. � She burnt her hand onthe hot frying pan. � frying pan,saucepan

panel

panel /�p�n(ə)l/ noun 1. a flat piece ofsomething such as wood or metal,which forms part of something � Un-screw the panel at the back of the wash-ing machine. 2. a group of people whoanswer questions or who judge a com-petition � She’s on the panel that willinterview candidates for the post.

panic

panic /�p�nk/ noun sudden great fear �The forecast of flooding caused panic intowns near the river. � verb to becomevery frightened � Don’t panic, the fireengine is on its way. (NOTE: panics –panicking – panicked)

pant

pant /p�nt/ verb to breathe fast � He wasred in the face and panting as he crossedthe finishing line.

paper

paper /�pepə/ noun 1. thin, often white,material, which you write on, and whichis used for wrapping or to make books,newspapers and magazines � He got aletter written on pink paper. � I need an-other piece of paper or sheet of paper tofinish my letter. � There was a box of pa-per handkerchiefs by the bed. (NOTE: no


parade 224 partly

plural for this meaning: some paper, apiece of paper, a sheet of paper) 2. anewspaper � I buy the paper to read onthe train every morning. � My photowas on the front page of today’s paper.� Our local paper comes out on Fri-days. � The Sunday papers are so bigthat it takes me all day to read them.(NOTE: The plural is papers.) 3. anexam � The English paper was very dif-ficult. (NOTE: The plural is papers.)

parade

parade /pə��red/ noun a public displayof soldiers � A sergeant inspects themen before they go on parade.

paragraph

paragraph /�p�rə'rɑf/ noun a sectionof several written sentences starting on anew line � to answer the first paragraphof your letter or paragraph one of yourletter � Please refer to the paragraphheaded ‘Shipping Instructions’.

parallel

parallel /�p�rəlel/ adjective (of lines)which are side by side and remain thesame distance apart without ever touch-ing � Draw two parallel lines three mil-limetres apart. � The road is parallel toor with the railway.

parcel

parcel /�pɑs(ə)l/ noun something that iswrapped in paper and sent by post � Thepostman has brought a parcel for you. �The parcel was wrapped up in brownpaper. � If you’re going to the post of-fice, can you post this parcel for me?

pardon

pardon /�pɑd(ə)n/ noun the act of for-giving someone � verb to forgive some-one for having done something wrong �Pardon me for interrupting, but you’rewanted on the phone. � Please pardonmy rudeness in not answering your callearlier.

parent

parent /�peərənt/ noun 1. a father ormother 2. an organisation which ownsor rules another � Our parent companyis based in Switzerland.

parents

parents /�peərənts/ noun your motherand father � His parents live in Man-chester. � Did your parents tell you Ihad met them in London?

park

park /pɑk/ noun an open space withgrass and trees � Hyde Park and Re-gents Park are in the middle of London.� You can ride a bicycle across the parkbut cars are not allowed in. � verb to

leave your car somewhere while you arenot using it � You can park your car inthe street next to the hotel. � You mus-tn’t park on a double yellow line.

parking

parking /�pɑkŋ/ noun the act of leav-ing a car somewhere when you are notusing it

parliament

parliament /�pɑləmənt/ noun a groupof elected representatives who decideon the laws of a country � Parliamenthas passed a law forbidding the sale ofthese drugs.

parrot

parrot /�p�rət/ noun a brightly colouredtropical bird with a large curved beak �He keeps a green parrot in a cage in hisliving room.

part

part /pɑt/ noun 1. a piece or section �Parts of the film were very good. � Theylive in the downstairs part of a largehouse. � They spend part of the year inFrance. 2. a person that an actor plays,e.g. in a play or film � He played thepart of Hamlet. � to take part in some-thing to join in an activity � They alltook part in the game. � Did he takepart in the concert? � verb to separateor move apart � The curtains partedand the show began.

part with phrasal verb to give or sellsomething to someone � He refused topart with his old bicycle.

participle

participle /pɑ��tsp(ə)l/ noun a wordformed from a verb, used either to formperfect or progressive forms or as an ad-jective or noun. The present participleof ‘to go’ is ‘going’ and the past partici-ple is ‘gone’.

particle

particle /�pɑtk(ə)l/ noun a very smallpiece

particular

particular /pə��tkjυlə/ adjective spe-cial, referring to one thing or person andto no other � The photocopier onlyworks with one particular type of paper.

particularly

particularly /pə��tkjυləli/ adverb spe-cially � I particularly asked them not towalk on the lawn. � It’s a particularlydifficult problem. � He isn’t particular-ly worried about the result.

partly

partly /�pɑtli/ adverb not completely �The house is partly furnished. � I’monly partly satisfied with the result. �We’re selling our house in London,


partner 225 past

partly because we need the money, butalso because we want to move nearer tothe sea.

partner

partner /�pɑtnə/ noun 1. a person whoplays games or dances with someone �Take your partners for the waltz. � Sallyis my usual tennis partner. 2. a personwith whom you are in a relationship, es-pecially one you live with � We invitedhim and his partner for drinks. 3. a per-son who owns and works in a businesstogether with one or more others � Hebecame a partner in a firm of solicitors.

partnership

partnership /�pɑtnəʃp/ noun a busi-ness relationship between two or morepeople in which the risks and profits areshared according to a letter of agree-ment between the partners

party

party /�pɑti/ noun a special occasionwhen several people meet, usually insomeone’s house, in order to celebratesomething such as a birthday � We’rehaving a party on New Year’s Eve. �Our family Christmas party was a dis-aster as usual. � She invited twentyfriends to her birthday party.

pass

pass /pɑs/ noun (in football, etc.) the actof sending the ball to another player �He sent a long pass across the field andSmith headed it into goal. � verb 1. tomove something towards someone �Can you pass me the salt, please? � Hepassed the ball back to the goalkeeper.2. to be successful in a test or examina-tion � He passed in English, but failedin French. � She passed her driving testfirst time!

pass out phrasal verb to become un-conscious for a short time � He passedout when he saw the blood.pass round phrasal verb to handsomething to various people � Shepassed the box of chocolates round thetable.

passage

passage /�p�sd"/ noun 1. a long nar-row space with walls on either side �She hurried along the passage. �There’s an underground passage be-tween the two railway stations. 2. a sec-tion of a piece of writing � She quotedpassages from the Bible. � I photocop-ied a particularly interesting passagefrom the textbook.

passenger

passenger /�p�snd"ə/ noun a personwho is travelling, e.g. in a car, bus, trainor plane, but who is not the driver or oneof the people who works on it � Hiscar’s quite big – it can take three pas-sengers on the back seat. � The planewas carrying 104 passengers and acrew of ten.

passing

passing /�pɑsŋ/ adjective 1. existingfor a short time only � It’s just a passingfashion. 2. which is going past � Thedriver of a passing car saw the accident.

passion

passion /�p�ʃ(ə)n/ noun a very strongfeeling of love, especially sexual love �He couldn’t hide the passion he felt forher.

passive

passive /�p�sv/ adjective allowingthings to happen to you and not takingany action yourself � He wasn’t one ofthe ringleaders, he only played a pas-sive role in the coup. � noun the form ofa verb which shows that the subject isbeing acted upon (NOTE: If you say ‘thecar hit him’ the verb is active, but ‘hewas hit by the car’ is passive.)

passportpassport /�pɑspɔt/ noun an officialdocument allowing you to travel fromone country to another � If you are go-ing abroad you need to have a validpassport. � We had to show our pass-ports at customs. � His passport is outof date.

passwordpassword /�pɑsw�d/ noun a secretword which you need to know to be al-lowed to do something such as use aparticular computer

past

past /pɑst/ preposition 1. later than, af-ter � It’s past the children’s bedtime. �It’s ten past nine (9.10) – we’ve missedthe TV news. 2. passing in front ofsomething � If you go past the bank,you’ll see the shop on your left. � Shewalked past me without saying any-thing. � The car went past at at least 60miles an hour. (NOTE: Past is used fortimes between o’clock and the half-hour: 3.05 = five past three; 3.15 = aquarter past three; 3.25 = twenty-fivepast three; 3.30 = half past three. Fortimes after half past see to. Past isalso used with many verbs: to gopast, to drive past, to fly past, etc.) �adjective happening in a time which his


pasta 226 pavement

finished � He has spent the past yearworking in France. � The time for talk-ing is past – what we need is action. �noun the time before now � In the pastwe always had an office party just be-fore Christmas.

pasta

pasta /�p�stə/ noun an Italian foodmade of flour and water, and sometimeseggs, cooked by boiling, and eaten withoil or sauce (NOTE: no plural: some pas-ta, a bowl of pasta; note that pastatakes a singular verb: the pasta is verygood here)

paste

paste /pest/ noun 1. a thin liquid glue �Spread the paste evenly over the back ofthe wallpaper. 2. soft food � Mix theflour, eggs and milk to a smooth paste. �Add tomato paste to the soup. � verb toglue something such as paper � Shepasted a sheet of coloured paper overthe front of the box. � He pasted thepostcards into his scrapbook. � cut

pastry

pastry /�pestri/ noun a mixture of flour,fat and water, used to make pies � Shewas in the kitchen making pastry.

pat

pat /p�t/ noun a gentle touch with thehand � I didn’t hit her – I just gave hera little pat. � verb to give someone orsomething a pat � He patted his pocketto make sure that his wallet was stillthere. (NOTE: pats – patting – patted)� to pat someone on the back topraise someone � a pat on the backpraise � The committee got a pat on theback for having organised the show sowell.

patch

patch /p�tʃ/ noun 1. a small piece ofmaterial used for covering up a hole,e.g. in clothes � His mother sewed apatch over the hole in his trousers. 2. asmall area of something � They built ashed on a patch of ground by the railwayline. � There’s a patch of rust on the cardoor.

path

path /pɑθ/ noun a narrow track for walk-ing � There’s a path across the field. �Follow the path until you get to the sea.

pathetic

pathetic /pə��θetk/ adjective makingyou feel either sympathy or a lack of re-spect � He made a pathetic attempt at ajoke. � She looked a pathetic figurestanding in the rain.

patience

patience /�peʃ(ə)ns/ noun the qualityof being patient � With a little patience,you’ll soon learn how to ride a bike. � Idon’t have the patience to wait thatlong.

patient

patient /�peʃ(ə)nt/ adjective the abilityto wait a long time without getting an-noyed � You must be patient – you willget served in time. � noun a sick personwho is in hospital or who is being treat-ed by a doctor, dentist, psychiatrist, etc.� There are three other patients in theward. � The nurse is trying to take thepatient’s temperature.

patiently

patiently /�peʃ(ə)ntli/ adverb withoutgetting annoyed

patrol

patrol /pə��trəυl/ noun 1. the act of keep-ing guard by walking or driving in onedirection and then back again � Theymake regular patrols round the walls ofthe prison. � He was on patrol in thecentre of town when he saw some youthsrunning away from a bank. 2. a group ofpeople keeping guard � Each time a pa-trol went past we hid behind a wall. �verb to keep guard on a place by walk-ing or driving up and down � Armed se-curity guards are patrolling the ware-house. (NOTE: patrols – patrolling –patrolled)

pattern

pattern /�p�t(ə)n/ noun 1. instructionswhich you follow to make something �She copied a pattern from a magazine toknit her son a pullover. 2. a design ofsomething, e.g. lines or flowers, repeat-ed again and again on cloth, wallpaper,etc. � She was wearing a coat with apattern of black and white spots. � Doyou like the pattern on our new carpet?

pause

pause /pɔz/ noun a short stop during aperiod of activity such as work � Heread his speech slowly, with plenty ofpauses. � Take a short pause after every100 steps. � verb to stop or rest for ashort time before continuing � Shepaused for a second to look at herwatch.

pavement

pavement /�pevmənt/ noun 1. a hardpath for people to walk on at the side ofa road � Walk on the pavement, not inthe road. � Look out; the pavement iscovered with ice! 2. US a hard road sur-face


paw 227 pegpaw

paw /pɔ/ noun the foot of an animal suchas a cat or dog � The bear held the fishin its paws.

pay

pay /pe/ noun the money you receive forworking � They’re on strike for morepay. � I can’t afford luxuries on my mis-erable pay. � verb 1. to give someonemoney for something � How much didyou pay for your car? � We pay £100 aweek in rent. � Please pay the waiter foryour drinks. � She paid him £10 for hisold bike. 2. to give money to someonefor doing something � We pay secretar-ies £10 an hour. � I paid them onepound each for washing the car. � I’llpay you a pound to wash my car. (NOTE:You pay someone to wash the carbefore he or she washes it, but youpay someone for washing the car af-ter he or she has washed it. pays –paying – paid /ped/)

pay back phrasal verb to give some-one money which you owe them � Heborrowed £10 last week and hasn’t paidme back.pay up phrasal verb to pay all the mon-ey which you owe � The tourist paid upquickly when the taxi driver called thepolice.

payment

payment /�pemənt/ noun the fact ofgiving money for something � I makeregular monthly payments into her ac-count. � She made a payment of£10,000 to the solicitor.

pea

pea /pi/ noun a climbing plant of whichthe round green seeds are eaten as vege-tables

peace

peace /pis/ noun 1. the state of not be-ing at war � The UN troops are trying tokeep the peace in the area. � Both sidesare hoping to reach a peace settlement.2. a calm quiet state � Noisy motorcy-cles ruin the peace and quiet of the vil-lage.

peaceful

peaceful /�pisf(ə)l/ adjective enjoyablebecause there is very little noise or ac-tivity � We spent a peaceful afternoonby the river.

peach

peach /pitʃ/ noun a sweet fruit with alarge stone and very soft skin � We hadpeaches and cream for dessert.

peak

peak /pik/ noun 1. the top of a mountain� Can you see that snow-covered peakin the distance? 2. the highest point �The team has to reach a peak of fitnessbefore the match. � The graph showsthe peaks and troughs of pollution overthe last month. 3. the front part of a cap,which sticks out � He wore a white capwith a dark blue peak.

peanut

peanut /�pin�t/ noun a nut which growsunder the ground in a shell

pearpear /peə/ noun a fruit like a long apple,with one end wider than the other

pearl

pearl /p�l/ noun a valuable round whitejewel formed inside an oyster � Shewore a string of pearls which her grand-mother had given her.

pebble

pebble /�peb(ə)l/ noun a small roundstone

peculiar

peculiar /p��kjuliə/ adjective strange �There’s a peculiar smell coming fromthe kitchen. � It’s peculiar that she nev-er opens the curtains in her house.

pedal

pedal /�ped(ə)l/ noun 1. an objectworked by the foot to make a machineoperate � If you want to stop the car putyour foot down on the brake pedal. 2. aflat rest which you press down on withyour foot to make a bicycle go forwards� He stood up on the pedals to make thebike go up the hill. � verb to make a bi-cycle go by pushing on the pedals � Hehad to pedal hard to get up the hill.(NOTE: pedals – pedalling – ped-alled)

pedestrian

pedestrian /pə��destriən/ noun a personwho walks, rather than drives along, in astreet � Two pedestrians were also in-jured in the accident.

peel

peel /pil/ noun the outer skin of a fruit ora vegetable � Throw the banana peelinto the rubbish bin. � This orange hasgot very thick peel. (NOTE: no plural) �verb to take the outer skin off a fruit ora vegetable � He was peeling a banana.� If the potatoes are very small you canboil them without peeling them.

peer

peer /pə/ noun a member of the a highsocial class in the UK � Peers sit in theHouse of Lords.

peg

peg /pe'/ noun 1. a small wooden or met-al object used for holding something in


pen 228 performance

place � The children hang their coats onpegs in the cloakroom. � They used nonails in building the roof – it is all heldtogether with wooden pegs. 2. � clothespeg little wooden clip, used to attachwet clothes to a washing line � verb toattach something with a peg � Shepegged the washing out on the line.(NOTE: pegs – pegging – pegged)

penpen /pen/ noun an object for writingwith, using ink � I’ve lost my red pen –can I borrow yours? � If you haven’t gota pen you can always write in pencil.

penaltypenalty /�pen(ə)lti/ noun a punishment� The maximum penalty for this offenceis two years’ imprisonment. (NOTE: Theplural is penalties.)

pencil

pencil /�pensəl/ noun an object for writ-ing or drawing with, made of wood,with a long piece of black or colouredmaterial through the middle

pennypenny /�peni/ noun the smallest Britishcoin, one hundredth of a pound � It cost£4.99, so I paid with a £5 note and got apenny change. � I came out without mypurse and I haven’t got a penny on me.(NOTE: The plural is pennies or pence.Pennies is used to refer to severalcoins, but pence refers to the price. Inprices, pence is always written p andoften said as /pi/ : This book onlycosts 60p.: say ‘sixty p’ or ‘sixtypence’.) � not have a penny not haveany money

pensionpension /�penʃən/ noun money paidregularly, e.g. to someone who has re-tired from work � He has a good pen-sion from his firm. � She finds her pen-sion is not enough to live on.

peoplepeople /�pip(ə)l/ noun men, women orchildren considered as a group � Therewere at least twenty people waiting tosee the doctor. � So many people want-ed to see the film that there were queuesevery night. � A group of people fromour office went to Paris by train.

pepperpepper /�pepə/ noun 1. a strong-tastingpowder used in cooking, made from thewhole seeds of a plant (black pepper) orfrom seeds with the outer layer removed(white pepper) � Add salt and pepper totaste. (NOTE: no plural in this sense) 2.a hollow green, red or yellow fruit used

as a vegetable � We had stuffed peppersfor lunch.

per

per /p�, pə/ preposition for each � Ican’t cycle any faster than fifteen milesper hour. � Potatoes cost 10p per kilo. �We paid our secretaries £10 per hour.

perceive

perceive /pə��siv/ verb to notice or real-ise something � The changes are soslight that they’re almost impossible toperceive with the naked eye. � I per-ceived a worsening in his condition dur-ing the night.

per cent

per cent /pə �sent/, percent noun out ofeach hundred � Fifty per cent of staffare aged over 40. (NOTE: The symbol %is used after numbers: 50%.)

percentage

percentage /pə��sentd"/ noun anamount considered in relation to 100 �A low percentage of the population vot-ed. � ‘What percentage of businessesare likely to be affected?’ – ‘Oh, about40 per cent’.

perfect

perfect1 /�p�fkt/ adjective 1. good inevery way � Your coat is a perfect fit. �Don’t change anything – the room isperfect as it is. 2. completely suitable �She’s the perfect secretary. � Georgewould be perfect for the job of sales-man. � I was in a perfect position to seewhat happened.

perfect

perfect2 /pə��fekt/ verb to make some-thing new and perfect � She perfected aprocess for speeding up the bottling sys-tem.

perfectly

perfectly /�p�fktli/ adverb very well �That dress fits you perfectly.

perform

perform /pə��fɔm/ verb 1. to do an ac-tion � She performed a perfect dive. �It’s the sort of task that can be per-formed by any computer. 2. to do some-thing such as acting, dancing or singingin public � The dance group will per-form at the local theatre next week. �The play will be performed in the villagehall.

performance

performance /pə��fɔməns/ noun 1. theway in which someone or somethingworks, e.g. how successful they are orhow much they achieve � We’re lookingfor ways to improve our performance. �After last night’s miserable perform-ance I don’t think the team is likely to


performer 229 phase

reach the semi-finals. 2. a public showfor entertainment � The next perform-ance will start at 8 o’clock. � There arethree performances a day during thesummer.

performer

performer /pə��fɔmə/ noun a personwho gives a public show in order to en-tertain people

perfume

perfume /�p�fjum/ noun 1. a liquidwhich smells nice, and which you puton your skin 2. a pleasant smell, espe-cially of flowers � the strong perfume ofthe roses

perhaps

perhaps /pə��h�ps/ adverb possibly �Perhaps the train is late. � They’re late– perhaps the snow’s very deep. � Is itgoing to be fine? – Perhaps not, I cansee clouds over there.

period

period /�pəriəd/ noun 1. an amount oftime � She swam under water for ashort period. � The offer is open for alimited period only. � It was an unhap-py period in her life. 2. the time duringwhich a lesson is given in school � Wehave three periods of English on Thurs-days.

periodic

periodic /�pəri��ɒdk/ adjective repeat-ed after a regular period of time � peri-odic attacks of the illness � We carryout periodic reviews of the company’s fi-nancial position.

permanent

permanent /�p�mənənt/ adjectivelasting or intended to last, for ever � Hehas found a permanent job. � She is inpermanent employment. � They are liv-ing with her parents temporarily – it’snot a permanent arrangement.

permanently

permanently /�p�mənəntli/ adverbfor ever; always

permission

permission /pə��mʃ(ə)n/ noun the free-dom which you are given to do some-thing by someone in authority � Youneed permission from the boss to go intothe storeroom. � He asked the manag-er’s permission to take a day off.

permit

permit1 /�p�mt/ noun an official paperwhich allows you to do something �You have to have a permit to sell icecream from a van.

permit

permit2 /pə��mt/ verb to allow someoneto do something � This ticket permitsthree people to go into the exhibition. �

Smoking is not permitted in under-ground stations. (NOTE: permits – per-mitting – permitted)

person

person /�p�s(ə)n/ noun a man or wom-an � The police say a person entered thehouse by the window. � His father’s avery interesting person. � in personused to emphasise that someone is phys-ically present � Several celebrities wereat the first night in person.

personal

personal /�p�s(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective 1. be-longing or referring to a particular per-son or people � They lost all their per-sonal property in the fire. 2. private; thatyou would not like to discuss with mostpeople � Can I ask you a personal ques-tion? � That’s personal – I’d rather notanswer that.

personality

personality /�p�sə��n�lti/ noun 1.character � He has a strange personali-ty. 2. a famous person, especially a TVor radio star � The new supermarket isgoing to be opened by a famous sportingpersonality.

persuade

persuade /pə��swed/ verb to get some-one to do what you want by explainingor asking � She managed to persuadethe bank manager to give her a loan. �After ten hours of discussion, they per-suaded him to leave.

pest

pest /pest/ noun 1. a plant, animal or in-sect which causes problems � Manyfarmers look on rabbits as a pest. 2. aperson who annoys someone � That lit-tle boy is an absolute pest – he won’tstop whistling.

pet

pet /pet/ noun an animal kept in the home� The family has several pets – two cats,a dog and a hamster.

petal

petal /�pet(ə)l/ noun the colourful part ofa flower

petrol

petrol /�petrəl/ noun a liquid used as afuel for engines � This car doesn’t usevery much petrol. � The bus ran out ofpetrol on the motorway. � Petrol pricesare lower at supermarkets. (NOTE: noplural: some petrol, a litre of petrol)

phase

phase /fez/ noun a stage in the develop-ment of something � The project is nowin its final phase. � It’s a phase she’sgoing through and hopefully she will


philosophy 230 pick

grow out of it. � I’m sure dyeing his hairgreen is just a phase.

philosophy

philosophy /f��lɒsəfi/ noun 1. the studyof the meaning of human existence �He’s studying philosophy. 2. a generalway of thinking � My philosophy is thatyou should treat people as you wouldwant them to treat you.

phone

phone /fəυn/ noun a telephone � Ifsomeone rings, can you answer thephone for me? � She lifted the phoneand called the ambulance. � verb tospeak to someone using a telephone �Your wife phoned when you were out. �Can you phone me at ten o’clock tomor-row evening? � I need to phone our of-fice in New York.

phone back phrasal verb to reply bytelephone; to call again � The manageris out – can you phone back in about fif-teen minutes? � She phoned back threeminutes later to ask me my address.

phone book

phone book /�fəυn bυk/ noun a bookwhich gives the names of people andbusinesses in a town in alphabetical or-der, with their addresses and phonenumbers

phone call

phone call /�fəυn kɔl/ noun an occa-sion on which you speak to someone bytelephone

phone number

phone number /�fəυn �n�mbə/ noun aseries of numbers that you press on a tel-ephone to contact a particular person

photo

photo /fəυtəυ/ noun a photograph; apicture taken using a camera � Here’s aphoto of the village in the snow. � I’vebrought some holiday photos to showyou. (NOTE: The plural is photos.)

photograph

photograph /�fəυtə'rɑf/ noun a pic-ture taken with a camera � I’ve found anold black and white photograph of myparents’ wedding. � She’s trying to takea photograph of the cat. � He kept herphotograph in his wallet. � You’ll needtwo passport photographs to get yourvisa. � verb to take a picture with acamera � She was photographing theflowers in the public gardens.

photographer

photographer /fə��tɒ'rəfə/ noun a per-son who takes photographs, especiallyas a job

photography

photography /fə��tɒ'rəfi/ noun thepractice of taking pictures on sensitivefilm with a camera

phrasal verb

phrasal verb /�frez(ə)l �v�b/ noun atype of verb which has two or threeparts, which together have a meaningdifferent from that of the main verb,such as ‘tell off’, ‘look after’ and ‘putup with’

phrase

phrase /frez/ noun a short sentence orgroup of words � Try to translate thewhole phrase, not just one word at atime. � I’m trying to remember a phrasefrom ‘Hamlet’.

physical

physical /�fzk(ə)l/ adjective relatingto the human body � The illness is men-tal rather than physical. � He has astrong physical attraction for her.

physically

physically /�fzkli/ adverb 1. relatingto the body � I find him physically veryattractive. � One of the children is phys-ically handicapped. 2. relating to thelaws of nature � It is physically impos-sible to get a piano into that little car.

physics

physics /�fzks/ noun the study ofthings such as heat, light and sound, andthe way in which they affect objects �She teaches physics at the local college.� It’s a law of physics that things falldown to the ground and not up into thesky.

piano

piano /pi��nəυ/ noun a large musical in-strument with black and white keyswhich you press to make music � She’staking piano lessons. � She played thepiano while her brother sang.

pick

pick /pk/ verb 1. to choose something �The captain picks the football team. �She was picked to play the part of thevictim’s mother. � The Association haspicked Paris for its next meeting. 2. totake fruit or flowers from plants �They’ve picked all the strawberries. �Don’t pick the flowers in the public gar-dens. � take your pick choose whichone you want � We’ve got green, redand blue balloons – just take your pick!

pick up phrasal verb 1. to take some-thing that is lying on a surface and lift itin your hand � She dropped her hand-kerchief and he picked it up. � He bentdown to pick up a pound coin which he


picnic 231 pink

saw on the pavement. 2. to learn some-thing easily without being taught � Shenever took any piano lessons, she justpicked it up. � He picked up some Ger-man when he was working in Germany.3. to give someone a lift in a vehicle �We will pick you up from the hotel. �Can you send a taxi to pick us up at sev-en o’clock?

picnic

picnic /�pknk/ noun a meal eaten out-doors away from home � If it’s fine,let’s go for a picnic. � They stopped bya wood, and had a picnic lunch. � verbto eat a picnic � People were picnickingon the bank of the river. (NOTE: picnics– picnicking – picnicked)

picture

picture /�pktʃə/ noun a drawing, apainting or a photograph � She drew apicture of the house. � The book haspages of pictures of wild animals. � Shecut out the picture of the President fromthe magazine.

pie

pie /pa/ noun meat or fruit cooked in apastry case � For pudding, there’s applepie and ice cream. � If we’re going on apicnic, I’ll buy a big pork pie.

piece

piece /pis/ noun a bit of something orone of a number of similar things �Would you like another piece of cake? �I need two pieces of black cloth.

pierce

pierce /pəs/ verb to make a hole insomething

piercing

piercing /�pəsŋ/ adjective (of asound) unpleasantly high and loud �They suddenly heard a piercing cry. �He let out a piercing yell.

pig

pig /p'/ noun a pink or black farm ani-mal with short legs kept for its meat(NOTE: Fresh meat from a pig is calledpork. Bacon, gammon and ham aretypes of smoked or cured meat from apig.)

pigeon

pigeon /�pd"ən/ noun a fat grey birdwhich is common in towns

pile

pile /pal/ noun a large mass of things �Look at that pile of washing. � The pileof plates crashed onto the floor. � Thewind blew piles of dead leaves into theroad. � He was carrying a huge pile ofbooks.

pillpill /pl/ noun medicine in solid form,usually in a small round shape � Taketwo pills before breakfast.

pillowpillow /�pləυ/ noun a cloth bag full ofsoft material which you put your headon in bed

pilotpilot /�palət/ noun a person who flies aplane or other aircraft � He’s training tobe an airline pilot. � He’s a helicopterpilot for an oil company.

pinpin /pn/ noun a small thin sharp metalobject with a round piece at the top,used for fastening things such as piecesof cloth or paper � She fastened the rib-bons to her dress with a pin before sew-ing them on. � verb to attach somethingwith a pin � She pinned up a noticeabout the meeting. � He pinned herphotograph on the wall. � He pinnedthe calendar to the wall by his desk.(NOTE: pins – pinning – pinned)

pinchpinch /pntʃ/ noun 1. the action ofsqueezing something between your fin-ger and thumb � He gave her arm apinch. 2. a small quantity of somethingheld between finger and thumb � Add apinch of salt to the boiling water. (NOTE:The plural is pinches.) � verb 1. tosqueeze something tightly, using the fin-ger and thumb � Ow! You’re pinchingme! 2. to steal something, especiallysomething that is not very valuable(informal) � Someone’s pinched mypen!

pinepine /pan/ noun 1. � pine (tree) a typeof evergreen tree with needle-shapedleaves � They planted a row of pinesalong the edge of the field. 2. wood froma pine tree � We’ve bought a pine tablefor the kitchen. � There are pine cup-boards in the children’s bedroom. �verb � to pine for something to feel sadbecause you do not have something anymore � She’s miserable because she’spining for her cat.

pineapplepineapple /�pan�p(ə)l/ noun a largesweet tropical fruit, with stiff leaveswith sharp points on top

pinkpink /pŋk/ adjective pale red or fleshcoloured � Your cheeks look pink andhealthy now. � noun a pale red colour �The bright pink of those flowers showsclearly across the garden.


pint 232 planepint

pint /pant/ noun a liquid measure, equalto 0.568 of a litre

pipepipe /pap/ noun 1. a tube, especially onethat carries a liquid or a gas from oneplace to another � He’s clearing ablocked pipe in the kitchen. � The watercame out of the hole in the pipe. 2. atube for smoking tobacco, with a smallbowl at one end in which the tobaccoburns

pitpit /pt/ noun 1. a deep dark hole in theground � They dug a pit to bury the rub-bish. 2. a mine; a place where substanc-es such as coal are dug out of the ground� My grandfather spent his whole lifeworking down a pit.

pitch

pitch /ptʃ/ noun 1. the ground on whicha game is played � I’ll time you, if yourun round the football pitch. � The pitchis too wet to play on. � He kept the ballthe whole length of the pitch and scored.(NOTE: The plural is pitches.) 2. thelevel of a period of anger or excitement� Excitement was at fever pitch. � verbto put up a tent � They pitched their tentin a field by the beach.

pitypity /�pti/ noun a feeling of sympathy forsomeone who is in a bad situation �Have you no pity for the homeless? �verb to feel sympathy for someone � Ipity those children. (NOTE: pities – pit-ying – pitied) � what a pity used forshowing that you are disappointed, orfor showing that you feel sympathy forsomeone who is disappointed

pizza

pizza /�pitsə/ noun an Italian food, con-sisting of a flat round piece of breadcooked with things such as cheese, to-matoes and onions on top

place

place /ples/ noun 1. where somethingis, or where something happens �Here’s the place where we saw thecows. � We found a nice place for a pic-nic. 2. where something is usually kept� Make sure you put the file back in theright place. 3. a seat � I’m keeping thisplace for my sister. � I’m sorry, but thisplace has been taken. 4. a position in arace � The British runners are in thefirst three places. � verb to put some-thing somewhere � The waitress placedthe teapot on the table. � Please placethe envelope in the box.

plain

plain /plen/ adjective 1. simple and notcomplicated � We put plain wallpaperin the dining room. � The outside is dec-orated with leaves and flowers, but theinside is quite plain. 2. easy to under-stand � The instructions are written inplain English. 3. obvious � It’s perfect-ly plain what he wants. � We made itplain to them that this was our final of-fer. 4. a more polite word than "unattrac-tive", used for describing a person � Histwo daughters are rather plain. � nouna flat area of country � a broad plainbordered by mountains (NOTE: Do notconfuse with plane.)

plainly

plainly /�plenli/ adverb 1. in a way thatis easy to see � He’s plainly bored bythe French lesson. � Plainly, the plan isnot working. 2. clearly � It is plainlyvisible from here. � The sounds of a vi-olent argument could be heard plainlyfrom behind the door. 3. without muchdecoration � plainly-decorated wallpa-per

plan

plan /pl�n/ noun 1. an organised way ofdoing things � He made a plan to get upearlier in future. � She drew up plansfor the village fair. � according to planin the way it was arranged � The partywent off according to plan. 2. a drawingshowing how something is arranged �Here are the plans for the kitchen. � Thefire exits are shown on the plan of the of-fice. � verb 1. to arrange how you aregoing to do something � She’s busyplanning her holiday in Greece. 2. to in-tend to do something � They are plan-ning to move to London next month. �We weren’t planning to go on holidaythis year. � I plan to take the 5 o’clockflight to New York. (NOTE: plans –planning – planned)

plane

plane /plen/ noun 1. an aircraft withwings � When is the next plane forGlasgow? � How are you getting toParis? – We’re going by plane. � Don’tpanic, you’ve got plenty of time to catchyour plane. � He was stuck in a trafficjam and missed his plane. 2. a tool witha sharp blade for making wood smooth� He smoothed off the rough edges witha plane.


planet 233 pleasedplanetplanet /�pl�nt/ noun 1. one of the ob-

jects in space which move round theSun � Is there life on any of the planets?� Earth is the third planet from the Sun.2. the planet the planet Earth � an en-vironmental disaster which could affectthe whole planet

plankplank /pl�ŋk/ noun a long flat piece ofwood used in building

planningplanning /�pl�nŋ/ noun the act or prac-tice of making plans � The trip willneed very careful planning. � Theproject is still in the planning stage.

plantplant /plɑnt/ noun 1. a living thingwhich grows in the ground and hasleaves, a stem and roots � He planted arow of cabbage plants. � Sunflowerplants grow very tall. 2. a large factory� They are planning to build a car plantnear the river. � verb to put a plant inthe ground � We’ve planted two peartrees and a peach tree in the garden.

plasterplaster /�plɑstə/ noun 1. a mixture ofsand and a white substance called‘lime’, which is mixed with water andused for covering the inside walls ofhouses � The flat hasn’t been decoratedyet and there is still bare plaster in mostof the rooms. 2. a white substance whichbecomes hard when it dries, used to cov-er a broken arm or leg and hold it inplace � He had an accident skiing andnow has his leg in plaster. 3. � stickingplaster adhesive tape used for coveringsmall wounds � She put a piece of stick-ing plaster on my cut.

plasticplastic /�pl�stk/ noun a strong materialmade from chemicals, used to makemany things � We take plastic plateswhen we go to the beach. � The super-market gives you plastic bags to putyour shopping in. � We cover our gar-den furniture with plastic sheets when itrains. (NOTE: no plural: a bowl made ofplastic)

plateplate /plet/ noun 1. a flat round dish forputting food on � Put one pie on eachplate. � Pass all the plates down to theend of the table. 2. a flat piece of some-thing such as metal or glass � The den-tist has a brass plate on his door.

platformplatform /�pl�tfɔm/ noun 1. a high flatstructure by the side of the railway lines

at a station, to help passengers get on oroff the trains easily � Crowds of peoplewere waiting on the platform. � Thetrain for Liverpool will leave from plat-form 10. 2. a high wooden floor forsomeone to stand on when they arespeaking in public � The main speakerssat in a row on the platform.

play

play /ple/ noun a story which is acted ina theatre or on TV � Did you see theplay on TV last night? � We went to theNational Theatre to see the new play. �Two of Shakespeare’s plays are on thelist for the English exam. � verb 1. totake part in a game � He plays rugby forthe university. � Do you play tennis? 2.to make music on a musical instrumentor to put a recording on a machine suchas a CD player � He can’t play the vio-lin very well. � Let me play you my newBach CD. 3. to enjoy yourself � Whenyou’ve finished your lesson you can goout to play. � He doesn’t like playingwith other children.play back phrasal verb to listen tosomething which you have just recorded

player

player /�pleə/ noun 1. a person whoplays a game � You only need two play-ers for chess. � Rugby players have tobe fit. � Four of the players in the op-posing team are ill. 2. a person whoplays a musical instrument � a famoushorn player

playground

playground /�ple'raυnd/ noun aplace, at a school or in a public area,where children can play

pleasant

pleasant /�plez(ə)nt/ adjective enjoya-ble or attractive � What a pleasant gar-den! � How pleasant it is to sit here un-der the trees!

please

please /pliz/ interjection used when youare making a polite request or acceptingan offer � Can you close the window,please? � Please sit down. � Can I havea ham sandwich, please? � Do you wantsome more tea? – Yes, please! Comparethank you � verb to make someonehappy or satisfied � She’s not difficult toplease. � please yourself do as you like� Shall I take the red one or the greenone? – Please yourself.

pleased

pleased /plizd/ adjective happy �We’re very pleased with our new house.


pleasure 234 poetry

� I’m pleased to hear you’re feeling bet-ter. � He wasn’t pleased when he heardhis exam results.

pleasurepleasure /�ple"ə/ noun a pleasant feel-ing � His greatest pleasure is sitting bythe river. � It gives me great pleasure tobe able to visit you today. � with pleas-ure used for saying that you are happyto do something for someone � I’ll dothe job with pleasure.

plentyplenty /�plenti/ noun a large quantity �You’ve got plenty of time to catch thetrain. � Plenty of people complainabout the bus service. � Have you gotenough bread? – Yes, we’ve got plenty.(NOTE: no plural)

plot

plot /plɒt/ noun 1. a small area of land,e.g. used for building or for growingvegetables � They own a plot of landnext to the river. � The plot isn’t bigenough to build a house on. 2. the basicstory of a book, play or film � The novelhas a complicated plot. � I won’t tellyou the plot of the film – I don’t want tospoil it for you. 3. a secret plan to dosomething illegal or wrong � Theyhatched a plot to hold up the securityvan.

pluckpluck /pl�k/ verb 1. to pull out feathersfrom a bird � Ask the butcher to pluckthe pheasants for you. 2. to pull and letgo of the strings of a guitar or other mu-sical instrument, in order to make asound � He was gently plucking thestrings of his guitar.

plug

plug /pl�'/ noun 1. a flat round rubberobject which covers the hole in a bath orsink � Can you call reception and tellthem there’s no plug in the bath? � Shepulled out the plug and let the waterdrain away. 2. an object attached to theend of a wire, which you push into ahole in the wall to make a piece of elec-trical equipment work � The vacuumcleaner is supplied with a plug.plug in phrasal verb to connect a pieceof electrical equipment to an electricitysupply by pushing the plug into a hole inthe wall � The computer wasn’tplugged in – that’s why it wouldn’twork.

plumplum /pl�m/ noun a gold, red or purplefruit with a smooth skin and a large

stone � She bought a pound of plums tomake a pie.

plumber

plumber /�pl�mə/ noun a person whosejob is to install or repair things such aswater pipes and heating systems

plump

plump /pl�mp/ adjective (of a person)slightly fat in an attractive way � He’s ashort man with a plump red face. � Isshe pregnant or is she just plumper thanshe was?

plunge

plunge /pl�nd"/ verb 1. to throw your-self into water � He plunged into theriver to rescue the little boy. 2. to fallsharply � Share prices plunged on thenews of the devaluation.

plural

plural /�plυərəl/ adjective, noun (ingrammar) (which is) the form of a wordshowing that there is more than one �Does ‘government’ take a singular orplural verb? � What’s the plural of‘mouse’? � The verb should be in theplural after ‘programs’.

plus

plus /pl�s/ preposition 1. added to � Hissalary plus bonus comes to more than£30,000. (NOTE: In calculations plus isusually shown by the sign + : 10 + 4 =14: say ‘ten plus four equals fourteen’.)2. more than � houses valued at£200,000 plus

pocket

pocket /�pɒkt/ noun a small bag sewninto the inside of a piece of clothingsuch as a coat, in which you can keepthings such as money or keys � Shelooked in all her pockets but couldn’tfind her keys. � He was leaning againsta fence with his hands in his pockets.

pod

pod /pɒd/ noun a long green case inwhich some small vegetables such aspeas or beans grow � Mangetout peasare eaten in their pods.

poem

poem /�pəυm/ noun a piece of writingwith words carefully chosen to soundattractive or interesting, set out in linesusually of a regular length which some-times end in words which sound thesame � He wrote a long poem about anold sailor. � The poem about the FirstWorld War was set to music by Britten.

poet

poet /�pəυt/ noun a person who writespoems

poetry

poetry /�pəυtri/ noun poems in general� Reading poetry makes me cry. � This


point 235 polite

is a good example of German poetry.(NOTE: no plural)

point

point /pɔnt/ noun 1. a sharp end ofsomething long � The point of my pencilhas broken. � The stick has a very sharppoint. 2. a particular place � The pathled us for miles through the woods andin the end we came back to the pointwhere we started from. � We hadreached a point 2,000m above sea level.3. a particular moment in time � Fromthat point on, things began to change. �At what point did you decide to resign?4. a meaning or reason � The main pointof the meeting is to see how we can con-tinue to run the centre without a grant.� there’s no point there’s no good rea-son for doing something � There’s nopoint in asking them to pay – they ha-ven’t any money. � what’s the point?why? � What’s the point of doing thesame thing all over again? 5. a score ina game � Their team scored threepoints. � In rugby, a try counts as fivepoints. � verb to aim a gun or your fin-ger at something � The teacher is point-ing at you. � It’s rude to point at people.� Don’t point that gun at me – it mightgo off. � The guide pointed to the map toshow where we were. � it’s beside thepoint it’s got nothing to do with themain subject � Whether or not the coatmatches your hat is beside the point –it’s simply too big for you.

pointed

pointed /�pɔntd/ adjective with asharp point at one end � a pointed stick

poison

poison /�pɔz(ə)n/ noun a substancewhich kills you or makes you ill if it isswallowed or if it gets into the blood �There’s enough poison in this bottle tokill the whole town. � Don’t drink that –it’s poison.

poisonous

poisonous /�pɔz(ə)nəs/ adjective ableto kill or harm people or animals withpoison

poke

poke /pəυk/ noun a quick push with afinger or something sharp � He got apoke in the eye from someone’s umbrel-la. � verb to push something or some-one quickly with a finger or with some-thing sharp � He poked the heap withhis stick. � to poke about for some-thing to search for something among

other things � She poked about in herdesk to see if she could find the papers.� to poke out of somewhere to appearthrough a hole or small space � A red-faced man poked his head out of thewindow. � A red handkerchief was pok-ing out of his pocket. � to poke fun atsomeone or something to laugh atsomeone or something in an unkindway � He poked fun at the maths teach-er. � She poked fun at his odd hat.

pole

pole /pəυl/ noun a long wooden or metalstick

Pole

Pole /pəυl/ noun a person from Polandpolice

police /pə��lis/ noun the people whosejob is to control traffic, to try to stopcrime and to catch criminals � The po-lice are looking for the driver of the car.� The police emergency number is 999.� Call the police – I’ve just seen some-one drive off in my car.

policeman

policeman /pə��lismən, pə�

�liswυmən/ noun a man who is an or-dinary member of the police (NOTE: Theplural is policemen.)

police officer

police officer /pə��lis �ɒfsə/ noun amember of the police

policy

policy /�pɒlsi/ noun decisions on theway of doing something � governmentpolicy on wages or government wagespolicy � It is not our policy to give de-tails of employees over the phone. �People voted Labour because they likedtheir policies.

polish

polish /�pɒlʃ/ noun a substance used tomake things shiny � Wash the car thor-oughly before you put the polish on. �verb to rub something in order to makeit shiny � He polished his shoes untilthey shone.

Polish

Polish /�pəυlʃ/ adjective relating to Po-land � The Polish Army joined in themanoeuvres. � noun the language spo-ken in Poland � I know three words ofPolish. � You will need an English-Polish phrasebook if you’re visitingWarsaw.

polite

polite /pə��lat/ adjective pleasant to-wards other people, not rude � Salesstaff should be polite to customers.(NOTE: politer – politest)


politely 236 portablepolitely

politely /pə��latli/ adverb in a polite way� Ask the lady politely if you can have asweetie.

politeness

politeness /pə��latnəs/ noun the prac-tice of being polite

political

political /pə��ltk(ə)l/ adjective refer-ring to government or to party politics �I don’t want to get involved in a politicalargument. � She gave up her politicalcareer when she had the children.

politician

politician /�pɒl��tʃ(ə)n/ noun a personwho works in politics, especially amember of parliament � Politiciansfrom all parties have welcomed the re-port.

politics

politics /�pɒltks/ plural noun the ideasand methods used in governing a coun-try � noun the study of how countriesare governed � He studied politics andeconomics at university. (NOTE: takes asingular verb)

pollen

pollen /�pɒlən/ noun a yellow powder onthe stamens of a flower which touchespart of a female flower and so createsseeds

polluted

polluted /pə��lutd/ adjective madedirty

pollution

pollution /pə��luʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the proc-ess of making the environment dirty �Pollution of the atmosphere has in-creased over the last 50 years. 2. chem-icals and other substances that harmpeople and the environment � It took sixmonths to clean up the oil pollution onthe beaches. � The pollution in the cen-tre of town is so bad that people havestarted wearing face masks.

pond

pond /pɒnd/ noun a small lakepony

pony /�pəυni/ noun a small horse (NOTE:The plural is ponies.)

pool

pool /pul/ noun 1. a very small lake �He dived in and swam across the moun-tain pool. � We looked for shrimps inthe rock pools. 2. a large bath of waterfor swimming in � an outdoor pool � aheated pool � We have a little swimmingpool in the garden. � He swam twolengths of the pool. 3. a game rather likesnooker, where you hit balls into pock-ets using a long stick called a ‘cue’ � Wewere playing pool in the bar.

poor

poor /pɔ/ adjective 1. with little or nomoney � The family is very poor nowthat both parents have no work. � Thisis one of the poorest countries in Africa.2. of not very good quality � Vines cangrow even in poor soil. � They wereselling off poor quality vegetables at acheap price. � She’s been in poor healthfor some months. 3. used for showingyou are sorry � Poor old you, having tostay at home and finish your homeworkwhile we go to the cinema. � My poorlegs, after climbing up the mountain!

pop

pop /pɒp/ noun a noise like a cork com-ing out of a bottle � There was a ‘pop’as she lit the gas. � verb 1. to go some-where quickly � I’ll just pop down tothe town. � He popped into the chem-ist’s. � I’m just popping round to Jane’s.� I’d only popped out for a moment. 2.to put something somewhere quickly(informal) � Pop the pie in the micro-wave for three minutes. (NOTE: pops –popping – popped)

popular

popular /�pɒpjυlə/ adjective liked by alot of people � The department store ispopular with young mothers. � TheSouth Coast is the most popular area forholidays.

popularity

popularity /�pɒpjυ��l�rti/ noun the factof being liked by a lot of people

population

population /�pɒpjυ��leʃ(ə)n/ noun thenumber of people who live in a place �The population of the country is 60 mil-lion. � Paris has a population of overthree million.

pork

pork /pɔk/ noun fresh meat from a pig,eaten cooked (NOTE: no plural. Notealso that salted or smoked meat from apig is ham or bacon.)

port

port /pɔt/ noun 1. a place along a coastwhere boats can stop, or a town with aplace like this � a fishing port � Theship is due in port on Tuesday. � We leftport at 12.00. 2. an opening in a compu-ter for plugging in an attachment � amouse port

portable

portable /�pɔtəb(ə)l/ adjective whichcan be carried � He used his portablecomputer on the plane. � Portablephones won’t work in the Underground.


portion 237 post officeportion

portion /�pɔʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a part � Thisis only a small portion of the materialwe collected. � Our carriage was in therear portion of the train. 2. an amount offood, usually for one person � The por-tions in that restaurant are tiny. � Askthe waiter if they serve children’s por-tions.

portrait

portrait /�pɔtrt/ noun a painting orphotograph of a person � He has paint-ed a portrait of the Queen. � Old por-traits of members of the family lined thewalls of the dining room.

posh

posh /pɒʃ/ adjective expensive and at-tractive; suitable for special occasions �I decided I’d better wear my poshestfrock to the wedding. � We ate in a real-ly posh restaurant.

position

position /pə��zʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a placewhere someone or something is � Fromhis position on the roof he can see thewhole of the street. � The ship’s lastknown position was 200 miles east ofBermuda. 2. a job � The sales managerhas a key position in the firm. � He’s go-ing to apply for a position as manager.� We have several positions vacant. 3. asituation or state of affairs � What is thecompany’s cash position?

positive

positive /�pɒztv/ adjective 1. certainor sure � I’m positive I put the key in mypocket. � Are you positive he said sixo’clock? 2. (in a test) showing that theperson tested has a particular condition� The cancer test was positive.

possess

possess /pə��zes/ verb to own some-thing � They possess several farms inthe south of the country. � He lost all hepossessed in the fire.

possession

possession /pə��zeʃ(ə)n/ noun the factof owning something � When hecouldn’t keep up the mortgage paymentsthe bank took possession of the house.

possibility

possibility /�pɒs��blti/ noun the factof being likely to happen � Is there anypossibility of getting a ticket to theshow? � There is always the possibilitythat the plane will be early. � There isno possibility of the bank lending us anymore money.

possible

possible /�pɒsb(ə)l/ adjective able tobe done � She agreed that the changeswere possible.

possibly

possibly /�pɒsbli/ adverb 1. perhaps �The meeting will possibly finish late. �January had possibly the worst snow-storms we have ever seen. 2. used with‘can’ or ‘can’t’ to make a phrase strong-er � You can’t possibly eat 22 pancakes!� How can you possibly expect me to doall that work in one day?

post

post /pəυst/ noun 1. a long piece ofwood or metal put in the ground � Thefence is attached to concrete posts. �His shot hit the goalpost. 2. a job � Heapplied for a post in the sales depart-ment. � We have three posts vacant. �They advertised the post in ‘The Times’.3. letters and parcels that are sent andreceived � The morning post comesaround nine o’clock. � There were nocheques in this morning’s post. � Hasthe post arrived yet? 4. the system ofsending letters and parcels � It is easierto send the parcel by post than to deliverit by hand. � verb to send a letter or par-cel � Don’t forget to post your Christ-mas cards. � The letter should have ar-rived by now – we posted it ten daysago.

postbox

postbox /�pəυstbɒks/ noun a box intowhich you can put letters, which willthen be collected and sent on by the postoffice

postcard

postcard /�pəυstkɑd/ noun a piece ofcard often with a picture on one side,which you send to someone with a shortmessage on it

postcode

postcode /�pəυstkəυd/ noun a series ofletters and numbers given at the end ofan address, to help the people whose jobis to sort letters

poster

poster /�pəυstə/ noun a large notice,picture or advertisement stuck on a wall

postman

postman /�pəυstmən/ noun a personwho delivers letters to houses (NOTE:The plural is postmen.)

post office

post office /�pəυst �ɒfs/ noun a build-ing where you can do such things asbuying stamps, sending letters and par-cels and paying bills � The main post


postpone 238 power

office is in the High Street. � There aretwo parcels to be taken to the post office.

postponepostpone /pəυs��pəυn/ verb to changethe time or date of an event so that it willhappen a later date or time � The meet-ing has been postponed until next week.

potpot /pɒt/ noun 1. a glass or china contain-er, usually without a handle � The plantis too big – it needs a bigger pot. � Shemade ten pots of strawberry jam. � tea-pot 2. a deep metal container with along handle, used for cooking � Do Ihave to wash all the pots and pans byhand?

potatopotato /pə��tetəυ/ noun a commonwhite or yellow root vegetable whichgrows under the ground � boiled pota-toes � mashed potatoes � roast pota-toes � Do you want any more potatoes?� We’re having roast lamb and potatoesfor Sunday lunch.

potentialpotential /pə��tenʃəl/ adjective possible� He’s a potential world champion. �The potential profits from the deal areenormous. � noun the possibility of de-veloping into something useful or valu-able � The discovery has enormous po-tential. � She doesn’t have much experi-ence, but she has a lot of potential. �The whole area has great potential foreconomic growth.

potterypottery /�pɒtəri/ noun 1. a place wherepots are made � There are several localpotteries where you can buy dishes. � Ibought this vase from the pottery whereit was made. (NOTE: The plural in thissense is potteries.) 2. objects such aspots and plates, made of clay � There’sa man in the market who sells local pot-tery. � She brought me some Spanishpottery as a present.

pouchpouch /paυtʃ/ noun 1. a small bag forcarrying objects such as coins � Shecarried the ring in a small leather pouchround her neck. 2. a bag in the skin infront of some animals, where the youngare carried � The kangaroo carries itsyoung in its pouch. (NOTE: The plural ispouches.)

poundpound /paυnd/ noun 1. a measure ofweight, equal to about 450 grams (NOTE:pound is usually written lb after fig-ures: It weighs 26lb.; Take 6lb of sugar:

say ‘twenty-six pounds, six pounds’.)2. a unit of money used in Britain andseveral other countries � He earns morethan six pounds an hour. � The price ofthe car is over £50,000 (fifty thousandpounds). � He tried to pay for his busticket with a £20 note (twenty-poundnote). (NOTE: pound is usually written£ before figures: £20, £6,000: say‘twenty pounds, six thousand pounds’.With the word note, pound is singular:twenty pounds but a twenty-poundnote.) � verb 1. to hit something hard �He pounded the table with his fist. 2. tosmash something into little pieces � Theship was pounded to pieces by heavywaves.

pour

pour /pɔ/ verb 1. to make a liquid flow� The waiter poured water all over thetable. � He poured the wine into theglasses. � She poured water down hisneck as a joke. 2. to flow out or down �Clouds of smoke poured out of thehouse. � There was a sudden bang andsmoke poured out of the engine. � Waterwas pouring through the ceiling.

pour down phrasal verb to rain veryhard � Don’t go out without an umbrel-la – it’s pouring down.

poverty

poverty /�pɒvəti/ noun the fact of beingpoor � He lost all his money and died inpoverty. � Poverty can drive people tocrime.

powder

powder /�paυdə/ noun a substance likeflour with very small dry grains � Thedrug is available in the form of a whitepowder. � This machine grinds peppercorns to powder.

power

power /�paυə/ noun 1. the ability to con-trol people or events � He is the officialleader, but his wife has all the real pow-er. � I haven’t the power or it isn’t in mypower to ban the demonstration. 2.physical force � They use the power ofthe waves to generate electricity. � Theengine is driven by steam power. 3. elec-tricity used to drive machines or devices� Turn off the power before you try torepair the TV set. 4. political control �During the period when he was in pow-er the country’s economy was ruined. 5.a powerful country � China is one of thegreat powers.


powerful 239 preparationpowerful

powerful /�paυəf(ə)l/ adjective having alot of force, influence or capability �This model has a more powerful engine.� The treasurer is the most powerfulperson in the organisation. � The raftwas swept away by the powerful cur-rent. � This is the most powerful per-sonal computer on the market.

practical

practical /�pr�ktk(ə)l/ adjective 1. re-ferring to real actions and events ratherthan ideas or plans � She needs somepractical experience. � I need somepractical advice on how to build a wall.2. possible or sensible � It isn’t practi-cal to plug the computer into the samesocket as the TV. � Has anyone got amore practical suggestion to make? �You need practical clothing for camp-ing. � We must be practical and not tryanything too ambitious.

practically

practically /�pr�ktkli/ adverb almost� Practically all the students passed thetest. � The summer is practically over. �His suit is such a dark grey it is practi-cally black.

practice

practice /�pr�kts/ noun 1. the act ofdoing something, as opposed to think-ing about it or planning it 2. a repeatedactivity done so that you can improve �You need more practice before you’reready to enter the competition. � He’s atfootball practice this evening. � Thecars make several practice runs beforethe race. 3. a way of doing something,especially a way that is regularly used �It’s a standard practice for shops toopen late one day a week for staff train-ing. � It’s been our practice for manyyears to walk the dogs before breakfast.� verb US spelling of practise � inpractice when something is done orcarried out � The plan seems very inter-esting, but what will it cost in practice?

practise

practise /�pr�kts/ verb 1. to do some-thing many times in order to becomebetter at it � He’s practising catchingand throwing. 2. to work as a doctor,dentist or lawyer � He’s officially re-tired but still practises part-time.

praise

praise /prez/ noun admiration, the actof showing approval � The rescue teamearned the praise of the survivors. �verb to express strong approval of

something or someone � The mayorpraised the firemen for their efforts inputting out the fire.

pray

pray /pre/ verb to speak to God or someother religious being, asking for some-thing or saying thank you for something� Farmers prayed for rain.

prayer

prayer /preə/ noun the words that some-one says when they are speaking to God� She says her prayers every night be-fore going to bed. � They said prayersfor the sick.

precious

precious /�preʃəs/ adjective 1. worth alot of money � a precious stone 2. ofgreat value to someone � All her pre-cious photographs were saved from thefire. � The memories of that holiday arevery precious to me.

precise

precise /pr��sas/ adjective exact � Weneed to know the precise measurementsof the box. � At that precise moment myfather walked in. � Can you be moreprecise about what the men looked like?

precisely

precisely /pr��sasli/ adverb exactly �The train arrived at 12.00 precisely. � Idon’t know precisely when it was, but itwas about three months ago. � How,precisely, do you expect me to cope withall this work?

predict

predict /pr��dkt/ verb to say what willhappen � The weather forecasters havepredicted rain. � He predicted correctlythat the deal would not last. � Every-thing happened exactly as I had predict-ed.

prefix

prefix /�prifks/ noun a group of lettersput in front of another to form a newword (NOTE: The plural is prefixes.)

pregnant

pregnant /�pre'nənt/ adjective (of awoman or female animal) carrying adeveloping baby inside the body �Don’t carry heavy weights when you’repregnant. � She hasn’t told her familyyet that she’s pregnant. � There arethree pregnant women in my office.

preparation

preparation /�prepə��reʃ(ə)n/ noun 1.the things that you do in order to getready for something � The preparationsfor the wedding went on for months. �We’ve completed our preparations andnow we’re ready to start. 2. a substance


prepare 240 pressure

which has been mixed � a chemicalpreparation

prepareprepare /pr��peə/ verb 1. to get some-thing ready � We have prepared the hallfor the school play. � I have somefriends coming to dinner and I haven’tprepared the meal. 2. to get ready forsomething � He is preparing for his ex-am. � You’d better prepare yourself forsome bad news.

preparedprepared /pr��peəd/ adjective ready �Be prepared, you may get quite a shock.� Six people are coming to dinner andI’ve got nothing prepared.

prepositionpreposition /�prepə��zʃ(ə)n/ noun aword used with a noun or pronoun toshow place or time

presencepresence /�prez(ə)ns/ noun 1. the factof being present � The presence of bothhis wives in court was noted. � Yourpresence is requested at a meeting of thecommittee on June 23rd. 2. an effect youhave on other people � The general hasa commanding presence.

presentpresent1 /�prez(ə)nt/ noun 1. some-thing which you give to someone, e.g.on their birthday � I got a watch as aChristmas present. � How many birth-day presents did you get? � Her col-leagues gave her a present when she gotmarried. 2. the time we are in now �The novel is set in the present. 3. theform of a verb showing that the action ishappening now � The present of theverb ‘to go’ is ‘he goes’ or ‘he is going’.� adjective at a place when somethinghappens there � How many people werepresent at the meeting? � at presentnow � The hotel still has some vacan-cies at present. � for the present fornow � That will be enough for thepresent.

present

present2 /pr��zent/ verb 1. to givesomething formally to someone as apresent � When he retired after thirtyyears, the firm presented him with alarge clock. 2. to introduce a show onTV or radio � She’s presenting a pro-gramme on gardening.

presentationpresentation /�prez(ə)n��teʃ(ə)n/noun 1. the act of giving something tosomeone � The chairman will make thepresentation to the retiring sales man-

ager. 2. a formal occasion on whichsomething is given to someone 3. a for-mal occasion on which someone tellsother people about their work � Thecompany made a presentation of theservices they could offer.

presently

presently /�prez(ə)ntli/ adverb 1. soon� I’ll be there presently. � He’ll be mak-ing a speech presently. 2. US now, at thepresent time � He’s presently workingfor a chemical company. � She’s pres-ently in England. � What is presentlybeing done to correct the problem?

preserve

preserve /pr��z�v/ verb 1. to look aftersomething and keep it in the same state� Our committee aims to preserve thewildlife in our area. � The doctors’ aimis to preserve the life of the unbornchild. � They would like to preservetheir own alphabet rather than use theRoman one. 2. to treat something so thatit does not decay � Meat can be pre-served in salt. � Freezing is a commonmethod of preserving meat.

president

president /�prezd(ə)nt/ noun the headof a republic � President Bush waselected in 2000. � The French presidentcame on an official visit. (NOTE: alsoused as a title before a surname: Pres-ident Wilson)

presidential

presidential /�prez��denʃəl/ adjectiverelating to a president

press

press /pres/ noun newspapers taken as agroup � The election wasn’t reported inthe British press. � There has been nomention of the problem in the press.(NOTE: no plural) � verb to push some-thing � Press ‘12’ for room service.

pressure

pressure /�preʃə/ noun 1. somethingwhich forces you to do something �Pressure from farmers forced the minis-ter to change his mind. � to put pres-sure on someone to do something totry to force someone to do something �They put pressure on the government tobuild a new motorway. 2. the force ofsomething such as air which is pushingor squeezing � There is not enoughpressure in your tyres. � under pres-sure feeling that you are being forced todo something � He did it under pres-sure. � We’re under pressure to agree toa postponement.


pretend 241 principalpretendpretend /pr��tend/ verb to make some-

one believe something that is not true �He got into the house by pretending tobe a telephone engineer. � She pretend-ed she had flu and phoned to say shewas having the day off.

prettypretty /�prti/ adjective 1. a pretty wom-an or girl has a face that is quite attrac-tive � Her daughters are very pretty.(NOTE: prettier – prettiest. Usuallypretty is used of things or girls, not ofboys or men.) 2. quite pleasant to lookat � That’s a pretty necklace. � adverbfairly (informal) � The patient’s condi-tion is pretty much the same as it wasyesterday. � I’m pretty sure I’m right. �You did pretty well, considering it wasthe first time you had tried rock-climb-ing.

preventprevent /pr��vent/ verb to stop some-thing happening � We must try to pre-vent any more flooding.

previousprevious /�priviəs/ adjective happen-ing or existing at an earlier time � Theletter was sent to my previous address.� The gang of workers had arrived theprevious night and started work firstthing in the morning. � I had spent theprevious day getting to know my wayround the town.

previouslypreviously /�priviəsli/ adverb at a timebefore � This is my first train trip toParis – previously I’ve always gone byplane. � The arrangements had beenmade six weeks previously. � At thattime they were living in New York, andpreviously had lived in London.

preyprey /pre/ noun an animal eaten by an-other animal � Mice and small birds arethe favourite prey of owls.

priceprice /pras/ noun money which youhave to pay to buy something � Theprice of petrol is going up. � I don’twant to pay such a high price for a hotelroom. � There has been a sharp in-crease in house prices during the firstsix months of the year.

prickprick /prk/ verb to make a very smallhole with a sharp point in the outer layerof something such as skin � She prickedher finger when she was picking roses.� Prick the sausages before you frythem to stop them from bursting.

prickle

prickle /�prk(ə)l/ noun a sharp point ona plant or animal

pride

pride /prad/ noun 1. a pleasure in yourown ability or possessions � He takesgreat pride in his garden. 2. a feeling ofrespect for yourself that is sometimestoo strong, making you behave wrongly� His pride would not let him admit thathe had made a mistake.

priest

priest /prist/ noun a person who carriesout formal religious duties

primary

primary /�praməri/ adjective main, ba-sic � Our primary concern is the safetyof our passengers.

primary school

primary school /�praməri skul/noun a school for children up to the ageof eleven

prime

prime /pram/ adjective 1. most impor-tant � The prime suspect in the case isthe dead woman’s husband. � This is aprime example of what is wrong withthis country. 2. most likely to be chosen� She is a prime target for any kidnap-per.

prime minister

prime minister /�pram �mnstə/noun the head of the government inBritain and other countries � the Aus-tralian Prime Minister or the PrimeMinister of Australia � She cut out thepicture of the Prime Minister from thenewspaper. � The Prime Minister willaddress the nation at 6 o’clock tonight.� He was determined to become primeminister before the age of 40. (NOTE:Use initial capitals when you are talk-ing about a particular prime minister.)

prince

prince /prns/ noun the son of a king orqueen

princess

princess /prn��ses/ noun the daughterof a king or queen � Once upon a timea beautiful princess lived in a castle bythe edge of the forest. (NOTE: also usedas a title before a name: PrincessSophia. The plural is princesses.)

principal

principal /�prnsp(ə)l/ adjective mostimportant � The country’s principalproducts are paper and wood. � Sheplayed a principal role in setting up theorganisation. � noun the head of aschool or college � The principal wantsto see you in her office. (NOTE: Do notconfuse with principle.)


principle 242 processprinciple

principle /�prnsp(ə)l/ noun a generalrule � the principles of nuclear physics� It is a principle in our system of jus-tice that a person is innocent until he isproved guilty.

print

print /prnt/ verb 1. to mark letters orpictures on paper with a machine, e.g. tomake a book � The book is printed di-rectly from a computer disk. � We hadfive hundred copies of the leaflet print-ed. 2. to write capital letters or letterswhich are not joined together � Printyour name in the space below. � noun1. letters printed on a page � I can’tread this book – the print is too small. 2.a photograph � If you are not happywith your prints, we can guarantee a fullrefund.

print out phrasal verb to print informa-tion from a computer through a printingmachine � She printed out three copiesof the letter.

printer

printer /�prntə/ noun 1. a person orcompany that prints things such asbooks and newspapers � The book hasgone to the printer, and we should havecopies next week. 2. a machine for print-ing documents

printout

printout /�prntaυt/ noun paper printedwith information from a computer

prior

prior /�praə/ adjective before; previous� The house can be visited by prior ar-rangement with the owner.

priority

priority /pra��ɒrti/ noun 1. a right to befirst � Children have priority in thewaiting list. 2. a thing which has to bedone first � Finding somewhere to staythe night was our main priority.

prison

prison /�prz(ə)n/ noun a building wherepeople are kept when they are beingpunished for a crime � The judge senthim to prison for five years. � His fa-ther’s in prison for burglary. (NOTE:Prison is often used without the articlethe.)

prisoner

prisoner /�prz(ə)nə/ noun a personwho is in prison � The prisoners weretaken away in a police van.

private

private /�pravət/ adjective 1. which be-longs to one person, and is not availableto everyone � He flew there in his pri-vate jet. 2. that you would not like to

discuss with most people � You have noright to interfere in my private affairs. �This is a private discussion between meand my son. � in private away fromother people � She asked to see theteacher in private.

prizeprize /praz/ noun a reward given tosomeone who has won a competition �He won first prize in the music competi-tion. � He answered all the questionscorrectly and claimed the prize. � Theprize was awarded jointly to the youngBritish and Russian competitors.

probableprobable /�prɒbəb(ə)l/ adjective likely� It’s probable that the ship sank in astorm.

probablyprobably /�prɒbəbli/ adverb used forsaying that something is likely to hap-pen � We’re probably going to Spain forour holidays. � My father is probablygoing to retire next year. � Are you go-ing to Spain as usual this year? – Veryprobably.

problemproblem /�prɒbləm/ noun 1. somethingor someone that causes difficulty �We’re having problems with the newcomputer system. � to solve a problemto find an answer to a problem � Thepolice are trying to solve the problem ofhow the thieves got into the house. � Wehave called in an expert to solve ourcomputer problem. 2. a question in atest, especially in mathematics � Mostof the students could do all the problemsin the maths test. � no problem usedfor giving an informal agreement to arequest

procedureprocedure /prə��sid"ə/ noun 1. the wayin which something should be carriedout � To obtain permission to build anew house you need to follow the cor-rect procedure. 2. a medical treatment �a new procedure for treating burns

proceedproceed /prə��sid/ verb 1. to go further� He proceeded down the High Streettowards the river. 2. to do something af-ter something else � The students thenproceeded to shout and throw bottles atpassing cars.

processprocess /prəυ��ses/ noun 1. the way inwhich something is done, or the fact ofit being done � a new process for ex-tracting oil from coal (NOTE: The plural


procession 243 progress

is processes.) 2. � in the process ofdoing something while doing some-thing � She interrupted me while I wasin the process of writing my report. �We were in the process of moving toLondon when I had the offer of a job inAustralia. � verb 1. to make goods fromraw materials � The uranium has to beprocessed before it can be used in a nu-clear reactor. 2. to deal with a claim orbill in the usual way � to process an in-surance claim � Orders are processedin our warehouse.

processionprocession /prə��seʃ(ə)n/ noun a groupof people walking in line, sometimeswith music playing

produce

produce1 /prə��djus/ verb 1. to showsomething or bring something out ofe.g. your pocket � The tax office askedhim to produce the relevant documents.� He produced a bundle of notes fromhis inside pocket. � The factory produc-es cars and trucks. 2. to organise a playor film � She is producing ‘Hamlet’ forthe local drama club. 3. to make some-thing, especially in a factory 4. to givebirth to young � Our cat has producedsix kittens. 5. to grow crops � The re-gion produces enough rice to supply theneeds of the whole country.

produceproduce2 /�prɒdjus/ noun things thathave been grown in a garden or on afarm � vegetables and other gardenproduce (NOTE: Do not confuse withproduct.)

producerproducer /prə��djusə/ noun a companyor country which makes or grows some-thing � an important producer of steel �The company is a major car producer.

productproduct /�prɒd�kt/ noun a thing whichis made in a factory � The governmentis helping industry to sell more productsabroad. (NOTE: Do not confuse withproduce.)

productionproduction /prə��d�kʃən/ noun 1. theprocess of making of something � Weare trying to step up production. � Pro-duction will probably be held up by thestrike. 2. organising a play or film � Thefilm is currently in production.

professionprofession /prə��feʃ(ə)n/ noun workwhich needs special training, skill orknowledge � the legal profession � the

medical profession � the teaching pro-fession

professional

professional /prə��feʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adjec-tive 1. relating to a profession � Hekeeps his professional life and his pri-vate life completely separate. 2. expertor skilled � They did a very professionaljob in designing the new office. 3. (ofsportsmen) who is paid to play � a pro-fessional footballer � noun an expert �Don’t try to deal with the problem your-self – get a professional in.

professor

professor /prə��fesə/ noun 1. the mostsenior teacher in a particular subject at auniversity � a professor of English � aneconomics professor 2. the title taken bysome teachers of music and art � Shegoes to Professor Smith for piano les-sons. (NOTE: used as a title before aname: Professor Smith.)

profit

profit /�prɒft/ noun money you gainfrom selling something � The sale pro-duced a good profit or a handsome prof-it.

program

program /�prəυ'r�m/ noun a set of in-structions given to a computer � to loada program � to run a program � aword-processing program � verb togive instructions to a computer � Theyprogram computers for a living. (NOTE:programs – programming – pro-grammed)

programme

programme /�prəυ'r�m/ noun 1. a TVor radio show � We watched a pro-gramme on life in the 17th century. �There’s a football programme on afterthe news. � I want to listen to the phone-in programme at 9.15. � There are nogood television programmes tonight. �The programme gives a list of the ac-tors. 2. a paper in a theatre or at a sportsevent, which gives information aboutthe show � verb to arrange programmeson TV or radio � The new chat show isprogrammed to compete with the gar-dening programme on the other chan-nel.

progress

progress1 /�prəυ'res/ noun 1. a move-ment forwards � We are making goodprogress towards finishing the house.(NOTE: no plural) 2. � in progresswhich is happening or being done � The


progress 244 proposal

meeting is still in progress. � We stillhave a lot of work in progress.

progress

progress2 /prəυ��'res/ verb to developor move forwards � Work on the newroad is progressing slowly.

project

project1 /�prɒd"ekt/ noun work plannedby students on their own � She askedher teacher for some pointers to helpher with her project.

project

project2 /prə��d"ekt/ verb to send a pic-ture onto a screen � The lecturer pro-jected slides of his visit to the Arctic.

projector

projector /prə��d"ektə/ noun a machinewhich sends pictures onto a screen

promise

promise /�prɒms/ noun the act of say-ing that you will definitely do some-thing � But you made a promise not totell anyone else and now you’ve told mymother! � I’ll pay you back on Friday –that’s a promise. � verb to give yourword that you will definitely do some-thing � They promised to be back forsupper. � You must promise to bring thecomputer back when you have finishedwith it. � He promised he would lookinto the problem. � She promised thestaff an extra week’s holiday but it nevermaterialised.

promote

promote /prə��məυt/ verb 1. to givesomeone a better job � He was promot-ed from salesman to sales manager. 2. tomake sure that people know about aproduct or service, by advertising it �There are posters all over the place pro-moting the new night club. 3. to encour-age something � The club’s aim is topromote gardening.

promotion

promotion /prə��məυʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. amove to a better job � He ruined hischances of promotion when he arguedwith the boss. 2. the process of advertis-ing a new product � We’re giving awaysmall bottles of shampoo as a promo-tion.

prompt

prompt /prɒmpt/ adjective done imme-diately � Thank you for your prompt re-ply. � verb to tell an actor words whichhe or she has forgotten � He had to beprompted in the middle of a long speech.

promptly

promptly /�prɒmptli/ adverb very soonafter an event, in a way that is helpful orefficient

pronoun

pronoun /�prəυnaυn/ noun a word usedinstead of a noun, such as ‘I’, ‘you’,‘he’, ‘she’ and ‘it’

pronounce

pronounce /prə��naυns/ verb 1. tospeak sounds, especially in a particularway � How do you pronounce ‘Paris’ inFrench? 2. to state something officially� He was pronounced dead on arrivalat hospital. � The priest pronouncedthem man and wife.

pronunciation

pronunciation /prə��n�nsi��eʃ(ə)n/noun a way of saying words � What’sthe correct pronunciation of ‘controver-sy’? � You should try to improve yourpronunciation by taking lessons fromnative speakers.

proof

proof /pruf/ noun something whichproves that something is true � The po-lice have no proof that he committed themurder.

prop

prop /prɒp/ noun a support or stickwhich holds something up � I used apiece of wood as a prop to keep the win-dow open.

proper

proper /�prɒpə/ adjective right and cor-rect; in the way that things are normallydone � She didn’t put the sugar backinto its proper place in the cupboard. �This is the proper way to use a knife andfork. � The parcel wasn’t delivered be-cause it didn’t have the proper address.

properly

properly /�prɒpəli/ adverb correctly �The accident happened because the ga-rage hadn’t fitted the wheel properly. �The parcel wasn’t properly addressed.

property

property /�prɒpəti/ noun 1. somethingthat belongs to a particular person � Thefurniture is the property of the landlord.� The hotel guests lost all their propertyin the fire. � The management is not re-sponsible for property left in the restau-rant. 2. buildings and land � The familyowns property in West London. � A lotof industrial property was damaged inthe war. (NOTE: [all senses] no plural)

proportion

proportion /prə��pɔʃ(ə)n/ noun a partof a whole � Only a small proportion ofhis income comes from his TV appear-ances.

proposal

proposal /prə��pəυz(ə)l/ noun a planwhich has been suggested � The com-mittee made a proposal to rebuild the


propose 245 publication

clubhouse. � His proposal was accept-ed by the committee. � She put forwarda proposal but it was rejected.

propose

propose /prə��pəυz/ verb to make a sug-gestion � I propose that we all go for aswim.

prosecute

prosecute /�prɒskjut/ verb to bringsomeone to court to answer a criminalcharge � People found stealing from theshop will be prosecuted.

prospect

prospect /�prɒspekt/ noun a future pos-sibility � There is no prospect of gettingher to change her mind. � Faced withthe grim prospect of two weeks at homehe decided to go on holiday. � pluralnoun prospects future opportunities,especially in your work � His job pros-pects are very good. � What are ourprospects of success in this businessdeal?

protect

protect /prə��tekt/ verb to keep someoneor something safe from harm or danger� The cover protects the machineagainst dust. � The injection is sup-posed to protect you against the disease.

protection

protection /prə��tekʃən/ noun shelter,the process of being protected � Thetrees give some protection from the rain.� The legislation offers no protection totemporary workers. � The injectiongives some protection against cholera.

protein

protein /�prəυtin/ noun a substance infood such as meat, eggs and nuts whichis one of the elements in food which youneed to keep your body working proper-ly

protest

protest1 /�prəυtest/ noun a statementsaying that you object or disapprove ofsomething � The new road went aheaddespite the protests of the local inhabit-ants. � She resigned as a protest againstthe change in government policy.

protest

protest2 /prə��test/ verb 1. to say orshow that you do not approve of some-thing � After being stuck in the train fortwenty minutes, the passengers began toprotest. � to protest against somethingto object strongly to something � Eve-ryone has protested against the increasein fares. 2. to insist that something istrue, when others think it isn’t � She

went to prison still protesting her inno-cence.

protesterprotester /prə��testə/ noun a personwho protests in a public way aboutsomething they don’t agree with � Sev-eral protesters stood outside the bank’soffices handing out leaflets.

proud

proud /praυd/ adjective showing pleas-ure in what you or someone else hasdone or in something which belongs toyou � We’re proud of the fact we did itall without help from anyone else.

proudly

proudly /�praυdli/ adverb showing thatyou are proud of something

proveprove /pruv/ verb to show that some-thing is true � The police think he stolethe car but they can’t prove it. � I wasdetermined to prove him wrong or thathe was wrong. � proof (NOTE: proves –proving – proved)

proverbproverb /�prɒv�b/ noun a saying whichteaches you something

provide

provide /prə��vad/ verb to supply some-thing � Medical help was provided bythe Red Cross. � Our hosts provided uswith a car and driver.

provided provided (that) /prə��vadd ð�t/, pro-viding /prə��vadŋ/ conjunction oncondition that; as long as, so long as �It’s nice to go on a picnic provided itdoesn’t rain. � You can all come towatch the rehearsal providing you don’tinterrupt.

prudent

prudent /�prudənt/ adjective showinggood sense and using good judgement �It would be prudent to consult a lawyerbefore you sign the contract.

pubpub /p�b/ noun a place where you canbuy beer and other alcoholic drinks, andsometimes meals � I happened to meethim at the pub. � We had a sandwichand some beer in the pub.

publicpublic /�p�blk/ adjective relating to thepeople in general � The crown jewelsare on public display in the Tower ofLondon. � It’s in the public interest thatthe facts should be known. � noun peo-ple in general � The public have theright to know what is going on.

publicationpublication /�p�bl��keʃ(ə)n/ noun 1.the process of making something public� The publication of the official figures


publicity 246 pupil

has been delayed. 2. a book or newspa-per which has been published � Heasked the library for a list of gardeningpublications.

publicity

publicity /p��blsti/ noun advertisingwhich attracts people’s attention tosomething � We’re trying to get public-ity for our school play. � The failure ofthe show was blamed on bad publicity.

publicly

publicly /�p�blkli/ adverb in public �The Prime Minister publicly denied theaccusations.

publishpublish /�p�blʃ/ verb 1. to bring out abook or newspaper for sale � The com-pany publishes six magazines for thebusiness market. � We publish diction-aries for students. 2. to make somethingpublicly known � The government hasnot published the figures yet.

publisher

publisher /�p�blʃə/ noun a person orcompany that produces books or news-papers for sale

pudding

pudding /�pυdŋ/ noun 1. a sweet dish atthe end of the meal � I’ll have ice creamfor my pudding. 2. a sweet cooked food

puddle

puddle /�p�d(ə)l/ noun a small pool ofwater, e.g. on the ground after it hasrained

pullpull /pυl/ verb to move something to-wards you or after you � Pull the doorto open it, don’t push it. � The truck waspulling a trailer. � She pulled an enve-lope out of her bag.pull off phrasal verb 1. to take off apiece of clothing by pulling � He satdown and pulled off his dirty boots. 2. tosucceed in doing something very good,especially if it is unexpected � The dealwill be great for the company, if we canpull it off.pull out phrasal verb 1. to take some-thing out by pulling � They used a ropeto pull the car out of the river. 2. to drivea car away from the side of the road �He forgot to signal as he was pullingout. � Don’t pull out into the main roaduntil you can see that there is nothingcoming.pull over phrasal verb to drive a car to-wards the side of the road and stop �The police car signalled to him to pullover.

pull up phrasal verb 1. to bring some-thing closer � Pull your chair up to thewindow. 2. (of a vehicle) to stop � A carpulled up and the driver asked me if Iwanted a lift. � He didn’t manage topull up in time and ran into the back ofthe car in front.

pulloverpullover /�pυləυvə/ noun a piece ofclothing made of wool, which coversthe top part of your body

pulsepulse /p�ls/ noun a regular beat of yourheart � The doctor took his pulse. � Herpulse is very weak.

pumppump /p�mp/ noun a machine for forc-ing liquids or air into something � a bi-cycle pump � verb to force in somethingsuch as liquid or air with a pump � Yourback tyre needs pumping up. � Theheart pumps blood round the body.

punch

punch /p�ntʃ/ noun 1. a blow with thefist � She landed two punches on hishead. 2. a metal tool for making holes �The holes in the belt are made with apunch. (NOTE: The plural is punches.)� verb 1. to hit someone with your fist� He punched me on the nose. 2. tomake holes in something with a punch �The conductor punched my ticket.

punctualpunctual /�p�ŋktʃuəl/ adjective on time� He was punctual for his appointmentwith the dentist.

punctuationpunctuation /�p�ŋktʃu��eʃ(ə)n/ nounthe practice of dividing up groups ofwords using special printed symbols

puncturepuncture /�p�ŋktʃə/ noun a hole in atyre � I’ve got a puncture in my backtyre. � verb to make a small hole insomething � The tyre had been punc-tured by a nail.

punish

punish /�p�nʃ/ verb to make someonesuffer because of something they havedone � The children must be punishedfor stealing apples. � The simplest wayto punish them will be to make them payfor the damage they caused.

punishment

punishment /�p�nʃmənt/ noun atreatment given to punish someone � Asa punishment, you’ll wash the kitchenfloor.

pupilpupil /�pjup(ə)l/ noun 1. a child at aschool � There are twenty-five pupils inthe class. � The piano teacher thinks


puppet 247 put

she is her best pupil. 2. a black hole inthe central part of the eye, throughwhich the light passes � The pupil of theeye grows larger when there is less light.

puppet

puppet /�p�pt/ noun a doll whichmoves, used to give a show

puppy

puppy /�p�pi/ noun a young dog � Ourdog has had six puppies. (NOTE: Theplural is puppies.)

purchase

purchase /�p�tʃs/ noun somethingthat has been bought � She had difficul-ty getting all her purchases into the car.� to make a purchase to buy something� We didn’t make many purchases onour trip to Oxford Street. � verb to buysomething � They purchased their carin France and brought it back to the UK

purchaser

purchaser /�p�tʃsə/ noun a personwho buys something

pure

pure /pjυə/ adjective 1. not spoiled bybeing mixed with other things or sub-stances of a lower quality � a bottle ofpure water � a pure silk blouse � a puremountain stream 2. total, complete �This is pure nonsense. � It is pure extor-tion. � It is pure spite on his part. � Itwas by pure good luck that I happenedto find it. (NOTE: purer – purest)

purple

purple /�p�p(ə)l/ adjective blue-red incolour � The sky turned purple as nightapproached. � His face was purple withfury. � noun a blue-red colour � Theypainted their living room a deep purple.

purpose

purpose /�p�pəs/ noun an aim or plan� The purpose of the meeting is to planthe village fair.

purse

purse /p�s/ noun a small bag for carry-ing money � I know I had my purse inmy pocket when I left home. � She puther ticket in her purse so that shewouldn’t forget where it was.

pursue

pursue /pə��sju/ verb to go after some-one in order to try to catch him or her(formal) � The police pursued the stolencar across London. � The boys fled,pursued by their older brother.

push

push /pυʃ/ noun the action of makingsomething move forwards � Can yougive the car a push? – It won’t start. �verb to make something move awayfrom you or in front of you � We’ll haveto push the car to get it to start. � The

piano is too heavy to lift, so we’ll haveto push it into the next room. � Did shefall down the stairs or was she pushed?

put

put /pυt/ verb to place something some-where � Did you remember to put themilk in the fridge? � Where do you wantme to put this book? (NOTE: puts –putting – put – has put)

put back phrasal verb to put some-thing where it was beforeput down phrasal verb 1. to placesomething lower down onto a surface �He put his suitcase down on the floorbeside him. 2. to kill an animal that isold or ill, painlessly using drugs � Thecat will have to be put down.put in phrasal verb 1. to place some-thing inside something � I forgot to putin my pyjamas when I packed the case.2. to fix something such as a system ora large piece of equipment in place sothat it can be used � The first thing wehave to do with the cottage is to put incentral heating.put off phrasal verb 1. to arrange forsomething to take place later � We haveput the meeting off until next month. 2.to take someone’s attention so that theycannot do things properly � Stop mak-ing that strange noise, it’s putting me offmy work. 3. to say something that makessomeone decide not to do something �He told a story about cows that put meoff my food. � I was going to see thefilm, but my brother said somethingwhich put me off.put on phrasal verb 1. to place some-thing on top of something, on a surface� Put the lid on the saucepan. � He puthis hand on my arm. � Put the suitcasesdown on the floor. 2. to dress yourself ina certain piece of clothing � I put aclean shirt on before I went to the party.� Put your gloves on, it’s cold outside.� Put on your wellies if you’re goingout in the rain. 3. to switch somethingon � Can you put the light on, it’s get-ting dark? � Put on the kettle and we’llhave some tea.put out phrasal verb 1. to place some-thing outside � Did you remember toput the cat out? 2. to switch something


puzzle 248 pyramid

off � He put the light out and went tobed.put up phrasal verb 1. to attach some-thing to a wall, to attach something highup � I’ve put up the photos of my familyover my desk. � They are putting upChristmas decorations all along RegentStreet. 2. to build something � They putup a wooden shed in their garden. 3. toincrease something, to make somethinghigher � The shop has put up all itsprices by 5%. 4. to give someone a placeto sleep in your house � They’ve missedthe last train, can you put them up forthe night?

put up with phrasal verb to acceptsomeone or something unpleasant � Idon’t think I can put up with that noiseany longer.

puzzle

puzzle /�p�z(ə)l/ noun 1. a game whereyou have to find the answer to a problem� I can’t do today’s crossword puzzle. 2.something that is hard to understand �It’s a puzzle to me why they don’t go tolive in the country. � verb to be difficultto understand � It puzzles me how therobbers managed to get away.

pyramid

pyramid /�prəmd/ noun a shape with asquare base and four sides rising to meetat a point


Qq

q /kju/, Q noun the seventeenth letter ofthe alphabet, between P and R

qualification

qualification /�kwɒlf��keʃ(ə)n/ noun1. something necessary for a job, e.g.proof that you have completed a partic-ular course of study � Does she have theright qualifications for the job? 2.something which limits the meaning ofa statement, or shows that you do notagree with something completely � Iwant to add one qualification to theagreement: if the goods are not deliv-ered by the 30th of June, then the orderwill be cancelled. 3. success in a test orcompetition which takes you on to thenext stage � She didn’t reach the neces-sary standard for qualification.

qualify

qualify /�kwɒlfa/ verb to attach condi-tions to something � I must qualify theoffer by saying that your proposals stillhave to be approved by the chairman.(NOTE: qualifies – qualifying – quali-fied)

quality

quality /�kwɒlti/ noun 1. how goodsomething is � We want to measure theair quality in the centre of town. � Thereare several high-quality restaurants inthe West End. (NOTE: no plural) 2. some-thing which is part of a person’s charac-ter � She has many good qualities, butunfortunately is extremely lazy. � Whatqualities do you expect in a good sales-man? (NOTE: The plural is qualities.)

quantity

quantity /�kwɒntti/ noun how much ofsomething there is (NOTE: The plural isquantities.)

quarrel

quarrel /�kwɒrəl/ noun an occasionwhen people argue about something �They have had a quarrel and aren’tspeaking to each other. � I think thequarrel was over who was in charge ofthe cash desk.

quarter

quarter /�kwɔtə/ noun one of fourequal parts of something � She cut thepear into quarters. � The jar is only a

quarter empty. � He paid only a quarterof the normal fare because he works forthe airline.

quay

quay /ki/ noun the part of a harbour orport where boats stop (NOTE: Do notconfuse with key.)

queen

queen /kwin/ noun 1. the wife of a king� King Charles I’s queen was thedaughter of the king of France. 2. awoman who rules a country � TheQueen sometimes lives in Windsor Cas-tle. � Queen Victoria was queen formany years. (NOTE: queen is spelt witha capital letter when used before aname or when referring to a particularperson: Queen Elizabeth I.) 3. in thegame of chess, the second most impor-tant piece, after the king � In threemoves he had captured my queen.

query

query /�kwəri/ noun a question � Shehad to answer a mass of queries aboutthe tax form. (NOTE: The plural is que-ries.)

question

question /�kwestʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a sen-tence which needs an answer � Theteacher couldn’t answer the children’squestions. � Some of the questions inthe exam were too difficult. � The man-ager refused to answer questions fromjournalists about the fire. 2. a problemor matter � The question is, who do weappoint to run the shop when we’re onholiday? � The main question is that ofcost. � He raised the question of movingto a less expensive part of town. � verbto ask questions � The police ques-tioned the driver for four hours. � inquestion under discussion � Pleasekeep to the matter in question.

question mark

question mark /�kweʃtʃən mɑk/noun a sign (?) used in writing to showthat a question is being asked

questionnaire

questionnaire /�kwestʃə��neə/ noun aprinted list of questions given to people


queue 250 quote

to answer, usually questions about whatthey like or what they buy

queue

queue /kju/ noun a line of people orthings such as cars, waiting one behindthe other for something � There was aqueue of people waiting to get into theexhibition. � We joined the queue at theentrance to the stadium. � verb to standin a line and wait for something � Wespent hours queuing for tickets. (NOTE:queues – queuing – queued)

quick

quick /kwk/ adjective done with speedor in a short time � I’m trying to workout the quickest way to get to the Towerof London. � We had a quick lunch andthen went off for a walk. � He is muchquicker at calculating than I am. � I amnot sure that going by air to Paris isquicker than taking the train.

quickly

quickly /�kwkli/ adverb very fast, with-out taking much time � He ate his sup-per very quickly because he wanted towatch the match on TV. � The firemencame quickly when we called 999.

quiet

quiet /�kwaət/ adjective 1. without anynoise � a house in a quiet street � I wishthe children would be quiet. – I’m tryingto work. 2. with no great excitement �We had a quiet holiday by the sea. � It’sa quiet little village. � The hotel is in thequietest part of the town.

quietly

quietly /�kwaətli/ adverb without mak-ing any noise � The burglar climbed

quietly up to the window. � She shut thedoor quietly behind her.

quitquit /kwt/ verb 1. to leave somethingsuch as a job or a place and not return �When the boss criticised her, she quit. �I’m fed up with the office, I’m thinkingof quitting. 2. US to stop doing some-thing � Will you quit bothering me! �He quit smoking. (NOTE: quits – quit-ting – quit or quitted)

quitequite /kwat/ adverb 1. to some degree �It’s quite a long play. � She’s quite agood writer. � The book is quite amus-ing but I liked the TV play better. 2. to agreat degree � You’re quite mad to gowalking in a snowstorm. � He’s quiteright. � I don’t quite understand whyyou want to go China.

quizquiz /kwz/ noun a game where you areasked a series of questions � She got allthe questions right in the quiz. � Theyorganised a general knowledge quiz.(NOTE: The plural is quizzes.)

quotationquotation /kwəυ��teʃ(ə)n/ noun thewords of one person which are repeatedby another person � The article endedwith a quotation from one of Churchill’sspeeches.

quotequote /kwəυt/ noun a quotation � I needsome good quotes from his speech to putinto my report. � verb to repeat whatsomeone has said or written � He start-ed his speech by quoting lines fromShakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’.


Rr

r /ɑ/, R noun the eighteenth letter of thealphabet, between Q and S

rabbit

rabbit /�r�bt/ noun a common wild an-imal with grey fur, long ears and a shortwhite tail � The rabbit ran down itshole. � She keeps a pet rabbit in a cage.

race

race /res/ noun a competition to seewhich person, animal or vehicle is thefastest � She was second in the 200 me-tres race. � The bicycle race goes roundthe whole country. � verb 1. to run fast� They saw the bus coming and raced tothe bus stop. � He snatched somewatches from the shop window and thenraced away down the street. 2. to runwith someone in order to find out who isfastest � I’ll race you to see who gets toschool first.

rack

rack /r�k/ noun a frame for holdingthings, e.g. letters, tools or suitcases �He put the envelope in the letter rack onhis desk.

racket

racket /�r�kt/ noun 1. a light framewith tight strings, used for hitting theball in games � She bought a new tennisracket at the start of the summer season.� She asked if she could borrow hisbadminton racket for the tournament. 2.a loud noise (informal) � Stop that rack-et at once! � The people next door makea terrible racket when they’re having aparty.

radiator

radiator /�redietə/ noun 1. a metal ob-ject, usually fixed to a wall, which isfilled with hot water for heating a room� Turn the radiator down – it’s boilingin here. � When we arrived at the hotelour room was cold, so we switched theradiators on. 2. a metal container filledwith cold water for preventing a car en-gine from becoming too hot � The radi-ator overheated causing the car tobreak down.

radio

radio /�rediəυ/ noun 1. a method ofsending out and receiving messages us-

ing air waves � They got the news by ra-dio. � We always listen to BBC radiowhen we’re on holiday. 2. a machinewhich sends out and receives messagesusing air waves � Turn on the radio –it’s time for the weather forecast. � Iheard the news on the car radio. �Please, turn the radio down – I’m on thephone.

radius

radius /�rediəs/ noun 1. a line from thecentre of a circle to the outside edge �We were all asked to measure the radiusof the circle. 2. the distance in any direc-tion from a particular central point �People within a radius of twenty milesheard the explosion. � The school ac-cepts children living within a two-mileradius. (NOTE: The plural is radii or ra-diuses.)

rag

rag /r�'/ noun a piece of torn cloth � Heused an old oily rag to clean his motor-bike.

rage

rage /red"/ noun sudden extreme anger� Her face was red with rage. � verb tobe violent � The storm raged all night.

raid

raid /red/ noun a sudden attack; a sud-den visit by the police � Robbers car-ried out six raids on post offices duringthe night. � Police carried out a seriesof raids on addresses in London. � verbto make a sudden attack on a place �The police raided the club. � We caughtthe boys raiding the fridge.

rail

rail /rel/ noun 1. a straight metal orwooden bar � The pictures all hangfrom a picture rail. � Hold onto the railas you go down the stairs. � There is aheated towel rail in the bathroom. 2.one of two parallel metal bars on whichtrains run � Don’t try to cross the rails– it’s dangerous. 3. the railway, a systemof travel using trains � Six million com-muters travel to work by rail each day. �We ship all our goods by rail. � Railtravellers are complaining about rising


railway 252 rash

fares. � Rail travel is cheaper than airtravel.

railway

railway /�relwe/ noun a way of travel-ling which uses trains to carry passen-gers and goods � The railway station isin the centre of town. � The French rail-way system has high-speed trains to allmajor cities.

rain

rain /ren/ noun drops of water which fallfrom the clouds � The ground is verydry – we’ve had no rain for days. � Yes-terday we had 3cm of rain or 3cm of rainfell here yesterday. � If you have to goout in the rain take an umbrella. � Allthis rain will help the plants grow. �verb to fall as drops of water from theclouds � As soon as we sat down andtook out the sandwiches it started torain. � Look at the clouds, it’s going torain.

rainbow

rainbow /�renbəυ/ noun a shape likehalf a circle which shines with manycolours in the sky when it is sunny andraining at the same time

raincoat

raincoat /�renkəυt/ noun a coat whichkeeps off water, which you wear when itis raining

rain forest

rain forest /�ren �fɒrst/ noun a thickforest which grows in tropical regionswhere there is a lot of rain

raise

raise /rez/ verb 1. to put something in ahigher position or at a higher level � Hepicked up the flag and raised it over hishead. � Air fares will be raised on June1st. 2. to mention a subject which couldbe discussed � No one raised the sub-ject of politics. � The manager tried toprevent the question of pay being raised.3. to obtain money � The hospital is try-ing to raise £2m to finance its buildingprogramme. � Where will he raise themoney from to start up his business? 4.to look after a child � She was raised byher aunt in Canada. (NOTE: raises –raising – raised)

rally

rally /�r�li/ noun a large meeting ofmembers of a group or political party �We are holding a rally to protest againstthe job cuts.

ran

ran /r�n/ past tense of runranch

ranch /rɑntʃ/ noun a farm where horsesor cows are kept, especially in North or

South America � The cowboys returnedto the ranch each evening. � They leftthe city and bought a ranch in Colora-do.

rang

rang /r�ŋ/ past tense of ringrange

range /rend"/ noun 1. a choice or seriesof things which are available � We havea range of holidays at all prices. � I amlooking for something in the £20–£30price range. 2. a distance which you cango; a distance over which you can see orhear � The missile only has a range of100 km. � The police said the man hadbeen shot at close range. � The opticiantold her that her range of vision wouldbe limited. 3. a series of buildings ormountains in line � There is a range ofoutbuildings next to the farmhousewhich can be converted into holidaycottages. � They looked out at the vastmountain range from the plane window.� verb � to range from include alltypes between two limits � The sizesrange from small to extra large. � Holi-days range in price from £150 to £350per person. � The quality of this year’sexamination papers ranged from excel-lent to very poor.

rank

rank /r�ŋk/ noun an official position inthe army, the police force or a similarorganisation � She rose to the rank ofcaptain.

rapid

rapid /�r�pd/ adjective done very quick-ly or happening very quickly � Therehas been a rapid rise in property pricesthis year. � The rapid change in theweather forced the yachts to turn forhome.

rapidly

rapidly /�r�pdli/ adverb quicklyrare

rare /reə/ adjective not usual or common� It’s very rare to meet a foreigner whospeaks perfect Chinese. � Experiencedsales staff are rare these days. � Thewoodland is the habitat of a rare speciesof frog. (NOTE: rarer – rarest)

rarely

rarely /�reəli/ adverb almost never � Irarely buy a Sunday newspaper. � He israrely in his office on Friday afternoons.

rash

rash /r�ʃ/ noun a mass of red spots onyour skin, which stays for a time andthen disappears � She had a rash on herarms. � adjective done without think-


rat 253 reader

ing carefully or sensibly � It was a bitrash of him to suggest that he would payfor everyone.

rat

rat /r�t/ noun a small furry animal like alarge mouse which has a long tail andcan carry disease

rate

rate /ret/ noun 1. a number shown as aproportion of another 2. how frequentlysomething is done or how often some-thing happens � a sharp increase in thecountry’s birth rate � His heart wasbeating at a rate of only 59 per minute.3. a level of payment � He immediatelyaccepted the rate offered. � Before wediscuss the project further, I would liketo talk about the rates of payment. �Their rate of pay is lower than ours. 4.speed � At the rate he’s going, he’ll bethere before us. � If you type at a steadyrate of 70 words per minute you’ll finishcopying the text today.

rather

rather /�rɑðə/ adverb to a slight degree� Their house is rather on the smallside. � Her dress is a rather prettyshade of blue.

ratio

ratio /�reʃiəυ/ noun an amount of some-thing measured in relation to anotheramount � the ratio of successes to fail-ures � Our athletes beat theirs by a ra-tio of two to one (2:1). (NOTE: The pluralis ratios.)

rattle

rattle /�r�t(ə)l/ verb to make a repeatednoise like two pieces of wood hittingeach other � The wind made the win-dows rattle.

raw

raw /rɔ/ adjective not cooked � Don’t besilly – you can’t eat raw potatoes! � Wehad a salad of raw cabbage and toma-toes. � Sushi is a Japanese dish of rawfish. � They served the meat almost raw.

ray

ray /re/ noun a beam of light or heat � Aray of sunshine hit the window pane andlit up the gloomy room.

razor

razor /�rezə/ noun an instrument with avery sharp blade for removing hair fromthe face or body

reach

reach /ritʃ/ noun how far you canstretch out your hand � Keep the medi-cine bottle out of the reach of the chil-dren. � verb 1. to stretch out your handin order to touch or take something �She reached across the table and took

some meat from my plate. � He’s quitetall enough to reach the tool cupboard.� Can you reach me down the suitcasefrom the top shelf? 2. to arrive at a place� We were held up by fog and onlyreached home at midnight. � The planereaches Hong Kong at midday. � Wewrote to tell her we were coming to visit,but the letter never reached her. 3. to getto a certain level � The amount we owethe bank has reached £100,000.

react

react /ri��kt/ verb to do or to say some-thing as a result of something that some-one else does or says � How will he re-act when we tell him the news? � Whenshe heard the rumour she didn’t react atall.

reaction

reaction /ri��kʃən/ noun 1. a thing doneor said as a result of something else �His immediate reaction to the news wasto burst into laughter. � There was avery negative reaction to the proposedbuilding development. 2. a process ofchemical change � A chemical reactiontakes place when the acid is added.

read

read /rid/ verb 1. to look at and under-stand written words � She was readinga book when I saw her. � What are youreading at the moment? � We’re read-ing about the general election. 2. tolook at and understand written music �She can play the piano by ear, but can’tread music. 3. to understand the mean-ing of data from something such as acomputer disk or a piece of electronicequipment � My PC cannot read theseold disks. � The scanner reads the codeon each product. 4. to speak the wordsof something which is written � Thechairman read a message from the pres-ident during the meeting. � She reads astory to the children every night. � Canyou read the instructions on the medi-cine bottle? – The print is too small forme. (NOTE: reads – reading – read)

read aloud, read out phrasal verb tospeak the words you are reading

reader

reader /�ridə/ noun 1. a person whoreads, especially a person who readsregularly or who reads a particularnewspaper or type of book � a messagefrom the editor to all our readers �She’s a great reader of science fiction.


reading 254 reasonable

2. a school book to help children tolearn to read � The teacher handed outthe new readers to the class. � I remem-ber one of my first readers – it wasabout pirates.

reading

reading /�ridŋ/ noun 1. the act of look-ing at and understanding written words� Reading and writing should be taughtearly. 2. an occasion when someonespeaks the words of something which iswritten � They gave a poetry reading inthe bookshop.

ready

ready /�redi/ adjective 1. prepared forsomething � Hold on – I’ll be ready intwo minutes. � Are all the childrenready to go to school? � Why isn’t thecoach here? – The group are all readyand waiting to go. 2. available and suit-able to be used or eaten � Don’t sitdown yet – the meal isn’t ready. � Is mydry cleaning ready yet?

real

real /rəl/ adjective 1. not false or artifi-cial � Is that watch real gold? � Thatplastic apple looks very real or looksjust like the real thing. � He has a realleather case. 2. used for emphasisingsomething � That car is a real bargainat £300. � Their little girl is going to bea real beauty. � Wasps can be a realproblem on picnics. � There’s a realdanger that the shop will be closed. 3.which exists in the world, not only insomeone’s imagination or in stories �She believes fairies are real.

realise

realise /�rəlaz/, realize verb 1. to un-derstand clearly something that you didnot understand before � He didn’t real-ise what he was letting himself in forwhen he said he would paint the house.� We soon realised we were on thewrong road. � When she went into themanager’s office she did not realise shewas going to be sacked. 2. to makesomething become real � After fouryears of hard work, the motor racingteam realised their dream of winning theGrand Prix. � By buying a house by thesea he realised his greatest ambition.

reality

reality /ri��lti/ noun situations whichare real and not imaginary � the grimrealities of life in an industrial town �He worked hard, and his dreams ofwealth soon became a reality. (NOTE:

The plural is realities.) � in reality infact � She always told people she waspoor, but in reality she was worth mil-lions.

really

really /�rəli/ adverb 1. in fact � Thebuilding really belongs to my father. 2.used to show surprise � She’s not reallyFrench, is she? � She doesn’t like ap-ples. – Really, how strange! � Did youreally mean what you said?

rear

rear /rə/ noun the part at the back � Therear of the car was damaged in the acci-dent. � They sat towards the rear of thecinema. � adjective at the back � Thechildren sat in the rear seats in the car.� He wound down the rear window. �verb 1. to look after animals or childrenas they are growing up � They rearhorses on their farm. � They stoppedrearing pigs because of the smell. 2. torise up, or to lift something up � A rhinosuddenly reared up out of the longgrass. � The walls of the castle rearedup before them.

reason

reason /�riz(ə)n/ noun 1. a thing whichexplains why something has happened� The airline gave no reason for theplane’s late arrival. � The boss askedhim for the reason why he was behindwith his work. 2. the ability to make sen-sible judgments � She wouldn’t listen toreason. � verb to think or to plan some-thing carefully and sensibly � He rea-soned that any work is better than nowork, so he took the job. � If you takethe time to reason it out, you’ll find a so-lution to the problem. � it stands toreason it is reasonable � It stands toreason that he wants to join his father’sfirm. � to see reason to see that some-one’s argument is right or reasonable �She was going to report her neighboursto the police, but in the end we got her tosee reason. � within reason to a sensi-ble degree, in a sensible way � The chil-dren get £5 pocket money each week,and we let them spend it as they like,within reason.

reasonable

reasonable /�riz(ə)nəb(ə)l/ adjective1. sensible � The manager of the shopwas very reasonable when she tried toexplain that she had left her credit cardsat home. 2. not expensive � The hotel’s


rebel 255 recognise

charges are quite reasonable. � The res-taurant offers good food at reasonableprices.

rebel

rebel1 /�reb(ə)l/ noun a person whofights against a government or againstthose who are in authority � The rebelsfled to the mountains after the armycaptured their headquarters. � He con-siders himself something of a rebel be-cause he wears his hair in a ponytail.

rebel

rebel2 /r��bel/ verb to fight against some-one or something � The peasants are re-belling against the king’s men. � Theclass rebelled at the idea of doing extrahomework. (NOTE: rebels – rebelling –rebelled)

recall

recall1 /�rikɔl/ noun the act of askingfor products to be returned, or the act ofordering someone to return � The recallof the faulty goods caused the manufac-turers some serious 3problems.

recall

recall2 /r��kɔl/ verb 1. to remembersomething � I don’t recall having mether before. � She couldn’t recall any de-tails of the accident. 2. (of amanufacturer) to ask for products to bereturned because of possible faults �They recalled 10,000 washing machinesbecause of a faulty electrical connec-tion. � They have recalled all their 2001models as there is a fault in the steering.3. to tell a government official to comehome from a foreign country � TheUnited States recalled their representa-tives after the military coup.

receipt

receipt /r��sit/ noun a piece of paperthat shows you have paid for somethingor shows you have received something� We can’t give you your money back ifyou don’t have a receipt.

receive

receive /r��siv/ verb 1. to get somethingwhich has been sent � We received aparcel from the supplier this morning. �We only received our tickets the day be-fore we were due to leave. � The staffhave not received any wages for sixmonths. 2. to meet or to welcome a vis-itor � The group was received by themayor.

recent

recent /�ris(ə)nt/ adjective somethingwhich is recent took place not very longago � We will mail you our most recent

catalogue. � The changes are recent –they were made only last week.

recentlyrecently /�ris(ə)ntli/ adverb only ashort time ago � I’ve seen him quite alot recently. � They recently decided tomove to Australia.

receptionreception /r��sepʃən/ noun 1. the wayin which people react to something thathappens or to someone who arrives �The committee gave the proposal a fa-vourable reception. � The critics gavethe play a warm reception. 2. the placein a hotel where guests go when they ar-rive or leave, e.g. to get the key to theirroom � Let’s meet at reception at 9.00am tomorrow. 3. a place in a large build-ing where visitors go when they arriveand say who they have come to see �There’s a parcel waiting for you in re-ception. 4. a big party held to welcomespecial guests � He hosted a receptionfor the prince. 5. the quality of thesound on a radio or the sound and pic-ture of a TV broadcast � Perhaps you’dget better reception if you moved theaerial.

receptionistreceptionist /r��sepʃənst/ noun a per-son in a place such as a hotel or doctor’soffice who meets visitors and answersthe telephone

reciperecipe /�resəpi/ noun instructions forcooking food � I copied the recipe forleek soup from the newspaper. � Youcan buy postcards with recipes of localdishes.

reckonreckon /�rekən/ verb 1. to calculatesomething or to estimate something �We reckon the costs to be about £25,000.� We reckon we’ll be there before lunch.2. to have an opinion about somethingor to make a judgment about something� I reckon we should have stayed athome.

recognisablerecognisable /�rekə'nazəb(ə)l/ ad-jective who can be recognised

recogniserecognise /�rekə'naz/, recognizeverb 1. to know someone or somethingbecause you have seen him or her or itbefore � He’d changed so much since Ilast saw him that I hardly recognisedhim. � He didn’t recognise his father’svoice over the phone. � Do you recog-nise the handwriting on the letter? 2. to


recognition 256 reduce

admit something that has gone wrong oris bad � I recognise that we should haveacted earlier. 3. to approve of some-thing or someone officially � The lan-guage school has been recognised bythe Ministry of Education. � She is rec-ognised as an expert in the field of ge-netics. 4. to express praise for some-thing which has been done � They rec-ognised her years of service.

recognition

recognition /�rekə'��nʃ(ə)n/ nounpraise expressed for something thatsomeone has done � In recognition ofhis services he was given a watch.

recommend

recommend /�rekə��mend/ verb 1. totell someone that it would be good to dosomething � I would recommend thatyou talk to the bank manager. � Thisrestaurant was recommended by afriend. 2. to praise something or some-one � She was highly recommended byher boss. � I certainly would not recom-mend Miss Smith for the job. � Can yourecommend a good hotel in Amsterdam?

record

record1 /�rekɔd/ noun 1. a success insport which is better than any other per-formance � She holds the world recordfor the 100 metres. � He broke the worldrecord or he set up a new world recordat the last Olympics. � The college teamis trying to set a new record for eatingtins of beans. 2. written evidence ofsomething which has happened � Wehave no record of the sale. 3. a flatround piece of usually black plastic onwhich sound is stored � She bought mean old Elvis Presley record for Christ-mas. � Burglars broke into his flat andstole his record collection. � off therecord in private and not to be madepublic � She spoke off the record abouther marriage.

record

record2 /r��kɔd/ verb 1. to report some-thing or to make a note of something �First, I have to record the sales, then I’llpost the parcels. 2. to put sounds or im-ages onto something such as a film, tapeor disc � The police recorded the wholeconversation on a hidden tape-recorder.� This song has been badly recorded.

recorder

recorder /r��kɔdə/ noun 1. an instru-ment which records sound � My tape re-corder doesn’t work, so I can’t record

the concert. 2. a musical instrument thatyou play by blowing � Like most chil-dren, I learnt to play the recorder atschool.

recording

recording /r��kɔdŋ/ noun 1. the actionof putting sounds or images onto some-thing such as a film, tape or disc � therecording of a video � The recordingsession starts at 3pm. 2. music orspeech which has been recorded � Didyou know there was a new recording ofthe concerto?

recover

recover /r��k�və/ verb 1. to feel healthyagain after being ill � Has she recoveredfrom her operation? 2. to get backsomething which has been lost or stolen� You must work much harder if youwant to recover the money you investedin your business. � She’s trying to re-cover damages from the driver of thecar.

recovery

recovery /r��k�v(ə)ri/ noun 1. the proc-ess of becoming healthy again after be-ing ill � She made a quick recovery andis now back at work. 2. the act of gettingback something which has been lost orstolen � The TV programme led to therecovery of all the stolen goods. � Weare aiming for the complete recovery ofthe money invested.

recreation

recreation /�rekri��eʃ(ə)n/ noun enjoy-able activities that people do for fun �The park is used for sport and recrea-tion.

rectangle

rectangle /�rekt�ŋ'əl/ noun a shapewith four sides and right angles at thecorners, with two long sides and twoshort sides

recycle

recycle /ri��sak(ə)l/ verb to processwaste material so that it can be usedagain

red

red /red/ adjective coloured like the col-our of blood � She turned bright redwhen we asked her what had happenedto the money. � Don’t start yet – thetraffic lights are still red. � noun a col-our like the colour of blood � I wouldlike a darker red for the door. � Don’tstart yet – the traffic lights are still onred.

reduce

reduce /r��djus/ verb to make some-thing smaller or less � The police are


reduction 257 regard

fighting to reduce traffic accidents. �Prices have been reduced by 15 percent. � I’d like to reduce the size of thephotograph so that we can use it as aChristmas card.

reduction

reduction /r��d�kʃən/ noun the act ofmaking something smaller in size ornumber � Price reductions start on 1stAugust. � The company was forced tomake job reductions.

reef

reef /rif/ noun a long line of rocks justabove or below the surface of the sea �The yacht hit a reef and sank.

refer

refer /r��f�/ verb 1. to be about some-thing or someone � Do you think he wasreferring to me when he said some staffwould have to leave? 2. to look intosomething for information � He re-ferred to his diary to see if he had a freeafternoon. 3. to pass a problem to some-one to decide � We have referred yourcomplaint to our head office. � He wasreferred to an ear specialist by his GP.(NOTE: refers – referring – referred)

referee

referee /�refə��ri/ noun (in sports) a per-son who makes sure that a game isplayed according to the rules � Whenfighting broke out between the players,the referee stopped the match. � The ref-eree sent several players off.

reference

reference /�ref(ə)rəns/ noun an act ofmentioning something or someone �She made a reference to her brother-in-law. � The report made no reference tothe bank. � with reference to concern-ing something � With reference to yourletter of May 25th.

refill

refill1 /ri��fl/ verb to fill a container thathas become empty � The waiter refilledour glasses. � We stopped twice to refillthe car on the way to Scotland.

refill

refill2 /�rifl/ noun another amount of adrink that you have finished � Yourglass is empty – can I get you a refill?

reflect

reflect /r��flekt/ verb to send back light,heat or an image of something � a pic-ture of snow-capped mountains reflect-ed in a clear blue lake � The light re-flected on the top of the car. � Whitesurfaces reflect light better than darkones.

reformreform /r��fɔm/ noun the act of chang-ing something in order to make it better� The government is planning a seriesof reforms to the benefit system. � verb1. to change something in order to makeit better � They want to reform the edu-cational system. 2. to stop committingcrimes, or to stop having bad habits andto become good � After her time in pris-on she became a reformed character. �He used to drink a lot, but since he gotmarried he has reformed.

refreshingrefreshing /r��freʃŋ/ adjective some-thing which is refreshing makes youfeel fresh or full of energy again � I hada refreshing drink of cold water. � A re-freshing shower of rain cooled the air.

refrigeratorrefrigerator /r��frd"əretə/ noun anelectrical machine used in the kitchenfor keeping food and drink cold �There’s some orange juice in the refrig-erator. (NOTE: often called a fridge)

refugeerefugee /�refjυ��d"i/ noun a person whohas left his or her country because ofwar or because the government did notlike allow his or her religious or politi-cal beliefs

refusalrefusal /r��fjuz(ə)l/ noun an act of say-ing that you do not accept something �His refusal to help was unexpected. �Did you accept? – no! I sent a letter ofrefusal.

refuserefuse1 /r��fjuz/ verb 1. to say that youwill not do something � His father re-fused to lend him any more money. � Heasked for permission to see his family,but it was refused. 2. � the car refusedto start the car would not start � Onceagain this morning the car refused tostart.

refuserefuse2 /�refjus/ noun rubbish andthings which are not wanted � Pleaseput all refuse in the bin. � Refuse collec-tion on our road is on Thursdays. (NOTE:no plural)

regardregard /r��'ɑd/ noun 1. care or concernfor something � She had no regard forthe safety of her children. 2. an opinionof someone � He is held in high regardby his staff. 3. � regards best wishes �She sends her (kind) regards. � Pleasegive my regards to your mother. � verbto have an opinion about someone � She


region 258 relation

is highly regarded by the manager. � asregards relating to � As regards thecost of the trip, I’ll let you know soonwhat the final figure is. � with regardto relating to � With regard to your re-quest for extra funds.

region

region /�rid"ən/ noun a large area of acountry � The South-West region is wellknown for its apples.

regional

regional /�rid"(ə)nəl/ adjective relatingto a region � The recession has not af-fected the whole country – it is only re-gional. � After the national news, hereis the regional news for the South West.

register

register /�red"stə/ noun 1. a list ofnames � I can’t find your name in theregister. � His name was struck off theregister. 2. a book in which you signyour name � Please sign the hotel reg-ister when you check in. � verb to writea name officially in a list � If you don’tregister, we won’t be able to get in touchwith you. � Babies have to be registeredwith the registrar as soon as they areborn.

regret

regret /r��'ret/ noun the feeling of beingsorry that something has happened � Ihave absolutely no regrets about whatwe did. � verb to be sorry that some-thing has happened � I regret to say thatyou were not successful. � I regret thetrouble this has caused you. � We regretthe delay in the arrival of our flight fromAmsterdam. (NOTE: regrets – regret-ting – regretted)

regular

regular /�re'jυlə/ adjective 1. done atthe same time each day � His regulartrain is the 12.45. � The regular flight toAthens leaves at 06.00. 2. usual orstandard � The regular price is £1.25,but we are offering them at 99p.

regularly

regularly /�re'jυləli/ adverb on mostoccasions � She is regularly the firstperson to arrive at the office each morn-ing.

regulation

regulation /�re'jυ��leʃ(ə)n/ noun an of-ficial rule about how to do something �safety regulations � plural noun regu-lations laws or rules controlling some-thing � The restaurant broke the fireregulations. � Safety regulations werenot being properly followed.

rehearsal

rehearsal /r��h�s(ə)l/ noun a practiceof a play or concert before the first pub-lic performance

reign

reign /ren/ noun a period when a king,queen or emperor rules � during thereign of Elizabeth I � verb to rule �Queen Victoria reigned between 1837and 1901. � She reigned during a peri-od of great prosperity. (NOTE: Do notconfuse with rain.)

reject

reject1 /r��d"ekt/ verb 1. to refuse to ac-cept something � She rejected my sug-gestion that we changed our plans. �The proposals for the new project wererejected. 2. to refuse to accept some-thing because it is not satisfactory �Poles shorter than the standard size arerejected.

reject

reject2 /�rid"ekt/ noun somethingwhich is not accepted because it is notsatisfactory

relate

relate /r��let/ verb 1. to be concernedwith something � The regulations relateto the movement of boats in the harbour.2. to tell a story � It took him half anhour to relate what had happened.

related to

related to /r��letd tυ/ adjective 1. be-longing to the same family as � Are yourelated to the Smith family in LondonRoad? 2. connected in some way with �The disease is related to the weakness ofthe heart muscle. � There are severalrelated items on the agenda.

relating to

relating to /r��letŋ tu/ adverb relat-ing to or connected with � documentsrelating to the sale of the house

relation

relation /r��leʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a memberof a family � All my relations live inCanada. � Laura’s no relation of mine,she’s just a friend. 2. a link between twothings � Is there any relation betweenhis appointment as MD and the fact thathis uncle owns the business? � in rela-tion to relating to or connected with �Documents in relation to the sale. � plu-ral noun relations the way that peopleor organizations behave towards eachother � We try to maintain good rela-tions with our customers. � Relationsbetween the two countries have becometense.


relationship 259 remarkablyrelationship

relationship /r��leʃ(ə)nʃp/ noun 1. aclose friendship, especially one inwhich two people are involved in a ro-mantic or sexual way with each other �She decided to end the relationshipwhen she found he had been seeing oth-er women. 2. the way that people or or-ganizations behave towards each other� We try to have a good working rela-tionship with our staff. 3. a link or con-nection � There is a proven relationshipbetween smoking and lung cancer.

relative

relative /�relətv/ noun a person who isrelated to someone � We have severalrelatives living in Canada. � He has noliving relatives.

relatively

relatively /�relətvli/ adverb to some ex-tent � The children have been relativelyfree from colds this winter. � We aredealing with a relatively new company.

relax

relax /r��l�ks/ verb to rest from work orto be less tense � They spent the firstweek of their holiday relaxing on thebeach. � Guests can relax in the bar be-fore going to eat in the restaurant. �Just lie back and relax – the injectionwon’t hurt.

relaxed

relaxed /r��l�kst/ adjective not upset ornervous � Even if he failed his test, he’sstill very relaxed about the whole thing.

relaxing

relaxing /r��l�ksŋ/ adjective whichmakes you less tense

release

release /r��lis/ verb 1. to stop holdingsomething, or to stop keeping someoneprisoner � Pull that lever to release thebrakes. � The hostages were releasedlast night. 2. to make something public� The government has released figuresabout the number of people out of work.

relevant

relevant /�reləv(ə)nt/ adjective if some-thing is relevant, it has something to dowith the thing being mentioned � Whichis the relevant government department?� Can you give me the relevant papers?� Is this information at all relevant?

reliable

reliable /r��laəb(ə)l/ adjective whichcan be relied on or which can be trusted� It is a very reliable car. � The salesmanager is completely reliable.

relief

relief /r��lif/ noun 1. the pleasant feelingyou get when pain has stopped or whenyou are no longer nervous or worried �

An aspirin should bring relief. � Hebreathed a sigh of relief when the policecar went past without stopping. � Whata relief to have finished my exams! 2.help for people in a difficult or danger-ous situation � The Red Cross is organ-ising relief for the flood victims.

relievedrelieved /r��livd/ adjective glad to berid of a problem

religionreligion /r��ld"ən/ noun a belief in godsor in one God � Does their religion helpthem to lead a good life? � It is againstmy religion to eat meat on Fridays.

religiousreligious /rə��ld"əs/ adjective relatingto religion � There is a period of reli-gious study every morning.

reluctantreluctant /r��l�ktənt/ adjective not will-ing to do something � He seemed reluc-tant to help.

reluctantlyreluctantly /r��l�ktəntli/ adverb notwillingly

rely

rely verbrely on phrasal verb to believe or knowthat something will happen or thatsomeone will do something � We canrely on him to finish the work on time. �Can these machines be relied on?

remainremain /r��men/ verb 1. to continue tobe in a particular place or state, with nochanges � We expect it will remain finefor the rest of the week. � She remainedbehind at the office to finish her work. 2.to be left � Half the food remained un-eaten and had to be thrown away. � Af-ter the accident not much remained ofthe car.

remainderremainder /r��mendə/ noun what isleft after everything else has gone �What shall we do for the remainder ofthe holidays?

remarkremark /r��mɑk/ noun something thatsomeone says � I heard his remark evenif he spoke in a low voice. � verb to no-tice and comment on � She remarked onhow dirty the café was.

remarkableremarkable /r��mɑkəb(ə)l/ adjectivevery unusual � She’s a remarkablewoman. � It’s remarkable that the bankhas not asked us to pay back the money.

remarkablyremarkably /r��mɑkəbli/ adverb to anunusually great degree, or in an unusualway � She remained remarkably calm.


remedy 260 replacementremedy

remedy /�remədi/ noun a thing whichmay cure an illness or may solve a prob-lem � It’s an old remedy for hayfever.

remember

remember /r��membə/ verb to bringback into your mind something whichyou have seen or heard before � Do youremember when we got lost in the fog?� My grandmother can remember see-ing the first television programmes. �She can’t remember where she put herumbrella. � I don’t remember havingbeen in this hotel before. � I remembermy grandmother very well. � Did youremember to switch off the kitchenlight? (NOTE: You remember doingsomething which you did in the past;you remember to do something inthe future.)

remind

remind /r��mand/ verb to make some-one remember something � Now thatyou’ve reminded me, I do remember see-ing him last week. � Remind me to bookthe tickets for New York. � She remind-ed him that the meeting had to finish at6.30.

remote

remote /r��məυt/ adjective 1. far awayfrom towns and places where there arelots of people � The hotel is situated ina remote mountain village. 2. not verylikely � There’s a remote chance offinding a cure for his illness. � The pos-sibility of him arriving on time is re-mote. (NOTE: remoter – remotest)

remote control

remote control /r��məυt kən��trəυl/noun a small piece of electronic equip-ment which you use for controllingsomething such as a TV or CD playerfrom a distance

remotely

remotely /r��məυtli/ adverb 1. veryslightly, or not even very slightly � I’mnot remotely interested in meeting him.2. at a great distance from a town � a re-motely situated farm 3. without directphysical contact � They were able to setthe controls remotely.

removal

removal /r��muv(ə)l/ noun 1. takingsomething or someone away � the re-moval of the ban on importing comput-ers � Refuse collectors are responsiblefor the removal of household waste. �The opposition called for the removal ofthe Foreign Secretary. 2. the act of mov-

ing to a new home, new office, etc. � aremoval van

remove

remove /r��muv/ verb to take some-thing away � You can remove his namefrom the mailing list. � The waitress re-moved the dirty plates and brought ussome tea.

renowned

renowned /r��naυnd/ adjective knownand admired by many people � the re-nowned Italian conductor � Rome is re-nowned as the centre of Catholicism.

rent

rent /rent/ noun money paid to live in aflat or house or to use an office or car �Rents are high in the centre of the town.� The landlord asked me to pay threemonths’ rent in advance. � verb to paymoney to use a house, flat, office or car� He rents an office in the centre oftown. � He rented a villa by the beachfor three weeks.

repair

repair /r��peə/ verb to make somethingwork which is broken or damaged � Idropped my watch on the pavement, andI don’t think it can be repaired. � She’strying to repair the washing machine. �The photocopier is being repaired. �noun the act of making somethingwhich is broken or damaged work again� His car is in the garage for repair. �The hotel is closed while they are carry-ing out repairs to the kitchens.

repeat

repeat /r��pit/ verb to say somethingagain � Could you repeat what you justsaid? � He repeated the address so thatthe policeman could write it down. �She kept on repeating that she wanted togo home.

repeatedly

repeatedly /r��pitdli/ adverb verymany times, often so many that it is an-noying

replace

replace /r��ples/ verb to put somethingback where it was before � Please re-place the books correctly on the shelves.

replacement

replacement /r��plesmənt/ noun 1. athing which is used to replace some-thing � An electric motor was bought asa replacement for the old one. 2. the actof replacing something with somethingelse � The mechanics recommended thereplacement of the hand pump with anelectric model.


replicate 261 researchreplicate

replicate /�replket/ verb to do or makesomething in exactly the same way asbefore

reply

reply /r��pla/ noun 1. an answer, espe-cially to a letter or telephone call � Wewrote last week, but haven’t had a replyyet. � We had six replies to our adver-tisement. (NOTE: The plural is replies.)2. � in reply as an answer � In reply tomy letter, I received a fax two days later.� She just shook her head in reply andturned away. � verb to give or send ananswer to something such as a messageor letter � He never replies to my letters.� We wrote last week, but he hasn’t re-plied yet. � He refused to reply to ques-tions until his lawyer arrived. (NOTE: re-plies – replying – replied)

report

report /r��pɔt/ noun a description ofwhat has happened or what will happen� We read the reports of the accident inthe newspaper. � Can you confirm thereport that the council is planning tosell the old town hall? � verb to gosomewhere officially, or to say that youhave arrived somewhere � to report forwork � Candidates should report to theoffice at 9.00.

reporter

reporter /r��pɔtə/ noun a journalistwho writes reports of events for a news-paper or for a TV news programme

represent

represent /�repr��zent/ verb 1. to speakor act on behalf of someone or of agroup of people � He asked his solicitorto represent him at the meeting. 2. tomean something, or to be a symbol ofsomething g � The dark green on themap represents woods.

representative

representative /�repr��zentətv/ ad-jective typical of all the people or thingsin a group � The sample isn’t represent-ative of the whole batch. � noun a per-son who represents, who speaks on be-half of someone else � He asked his so-licitor to act as his representative. �Representatives of the workforce haveasked to meet the management.

reproduce

reproduce /�riprə��djus/ verb to makea copy of something � His letters havebeen reproduced in the biography. � Itis very difficult to reproduce the soundof an owl accurately.

reptile

reptile /�reptal/ noun a cold-bloodedanimal which has skin covered withscales and which lays eggs

republic

republic /r��p�blk/ noun a system ofgovernment in which elected represent-atives have power and the leader is anelected or nominated president �France is a republic while Spain is amonarchy.

reputation

reputation /�repjυ��teʃ(ə)n/ noun anopinion that people have of someone �He has a reputation for being difficult todeal with. � His bad reputation won’thelp him find a suitable job.

request

request /r��kwest/ noun asking forsomething � Your request will be dealtwith as soon as possible. � verb to askfor something politely or formally � Iam enclosing the leaflets you requested.� Guests are requested to leave theirkeys at reception. � on request ifasked for � ‘catalogue available on re-quest’

require

require /r��kwaə/ verb to need some-thing � The disease requires carefulnursing. � Writing the program requiresa computer specialist.

required

required /r��kwaəd/ adjective whichmust be done or provided � We can cutthe wood to the required length. � Wecan’t reply because we don’t have therequired information.

requirement

requirement /r��kwaəmənt/ nounwhat is necessary � It is a requirementof the job that you should be able todrive.

rescue

rescue /�reskju/ verb to save someonefrom a dangerous or difficult situation �When the river flooded, the party oftourists had to be rescued by helicopter.� The company nearly collapsed, butwas rescued by the bank. � noun the ac-tion of saving someone or something ina difficult or dangerous situation � Noone could swim well enough to go to herrescue.

research

research /r��s�tʃ/ noun scientific studywhich tries to find out facts � The com-pany is carrying out research to find acure for colds. � The research laborato-ry has come up with encouraging re-sults. � Our researches proved that the


resent 262 responsibility

letter was a forgery. � verb to studysomething in order to find out facts �Research your subject thoroughly be-fore you start writing about it.

resent

resent /r��zent/ verb to feel annoyed be-cause of something that you think is un-fair � She resents having to do otherpeople’s work.

resentment

resentment /r��zentmənt/ noun thefeeling of being angry and upset aboutsomething that someone else has done �The decision caused a lot of resentmentamong local people.

reservation

reservation /�rezə��veʃ(ə)n/ noun theact of booking something, e.g. a seat ortable � I want to make a reservation onthe train to Plymouth tomorrowevening.

reserve

reserve /r��z�v/ verb to book a seat or atable � I want to reserve a table for fourpeople. � Can you reserve two seats forme for the evening performance? �We’re very busy this evening. Have youreserved? � noun an amount kept backin case it is needed in the future � Ourreserves of coal were used up during thewinter. � in reserve waiting to be used� We’re keeping the can of petrol in re-serve.

reservoir

reservoir /�rezəvwɑ/ noun a large,usually artificial, lake where drinkingwater is kept for supplying a city

resident

resident /�rezd(ə)nt/ noun a personwho lives in a place, e.g. a country or ahotel � You need an entry permit ifyou’re not a resident of the country. �Only residents are allowed to park theircars here. � adjective who lives perma-nently in a place � There is a residentcaretaker.

resign

resign /r��zan/ verb to give up a job �He resigned with effect from July 1st. �She has resigned (her position) as fi-nance director.

resist

resist /r��zst/ verb to oppose or fightagainst something � He resisted all at-tempts to make him sell the house. �Bands of guerrillas resisted doggedly inthe mountains. � They resisted the ene-my attacks for two weeks.

resistance

resistance /r��zstəns/ noun oppositionto or fighting against something � The

patients had no resistance to disease. �Skiers crouch down low to minimisewind resistance. � There was a lot of re-sistance to the new plan from the localresidents.

resolveresolve /r��zɒlv/ (formal) verb to strong-ly decide to do something � We all re-solved to avoid these mistakes next time.� noun a strong decision to do some-thing � The head teacher encouragedhim in his resolve to go to university.

resourceresource /r��zɔs/ noun a source of sup-ply for what is needed or used � finan-cial resources � The country is rich inoil, minerals and other natural resourc-es.

respectrespect /r��spekt/ noun admiration forsomeone � No one deserves more re-spect than her mother for the way shecoped with the bad news. � He showedvery little respect for his teacher. � verbto admire someone, especially becauseof his or her achievements or status �Everyone respected her for what shedid.

respectablerespectable /r��spektəb(ə)l/ adjectiveconsidered by people to be good, anddeserving to be respected � She’s mar-rying a very respectable young engi-neer. � I don’t want to bring up my chil-dren here, it is not a respectable area.

respondrespond /r��spɒnd/ verb 1. to give a re-ply � She shouted at him, but he didn’trespond. 2. to show that you like or ap-prove of something � I hope the publicwill respond to our new advertisement.� The government has responded topressure from industry.

responseresponse /r��spɒns/ noun somethingthat you do or say as a reaction to some-thing � There was no response to ourcall for help. � The changes provokedan angry response from customers. � inresponse to something as an answer orreaction to something � In response tothe United Nations’ request for aid, thegovernment has sent blankets and tents.

responsibilityresponsibility /r��spɒns��blti/ noun1. the position of someone who mustlook after or deal with something � Themanagement accepts no responsibilityfor customers’ property. � There is noresponsibility on his part for the poor


responsible 263 return

results. � Who should take responsibili-ty for the students’ welfare? 2. some-thing that someone is responsible for

responsible

responsible /r��spɒnsb(ə)l/ adjective1. looking after something and so likelyto be blamed if something goes wrong �He is not responsible for the restaurantnext door to his hotel. � Customers areresponsible for all breakages. � He isresponsible for a class of 25 children. �responsible to someone under the au-thority of someone � She’s directly re-sponsible to the sales manager. 2. (of aperson) reliable and able to be trusted tobe sensible

rest

rest /rest/ noun 1. a period of being quietand peaceful, being asleep or doingnothing � All you need is a good night’srest and you’ll be fine again tomorrow.� We took a few minutes’ rest and start-ed running again. � I’m having a well-earned rest after working hard all week.2. what is left � Here are the twins, butwhere are the rest of the children? � Idrank most of the milk and the cat drankthe rest. � Throw the rest of the foodaway – it will go bad. (NOTE: Resttakes a singular verb when it refers toa singular: Here’s the rest of the milk;Where’s the rest of the string? The restof the money has been lost. It takes aplural verb when it refers to a plural:Here are the rest of the children;Where are the rest of the chairs? Therest of the books have been lost.) �verb 1. to spend time relaxing or not us-ing energy � Don’t disturb your father –he’s resting. � They ran for ten miles,rested for a few minutes, and then ranon again. 2. to lean something againstsomething � She rested her bike againstthe wall.

restaurant

restaurant /�rest(ə)rɒnt/ noun a placewhere you can buy and eat a meal � Idon’t want to stay at home tonight – let’sgo out to the Italian restaurant in theHigh Street. � She’s was waiting for meat the restaurant.

restful

restful /�restf(ə)l/ adjective whichmakes you feel calm and relaxed

restless

restless /�restləs/ adjective too nerv-ous, worried or full of energy to keepstill

restore

restore /r��stɔ/ verb to repair somethingand make it seem new again � The oldhouse has been restored and is nowopen to the public.

restrain

restrain /r��stren/ verb to prevent or tryto stop someone doing something � Ittook six policemen to restrain him. � torestrain yourself to keep your temperunder control � Next time, I won’t re-strain myself: I’ll tell him exactly what Ithink of him.

restrict

restrict /r��strkt/ verb to limit someoneor something � You are restricted to twobottles per person.

result

result /r��z�lt/ noun 1. something whichhappens because of something else �What was the result of the police inves-tigation? � as a result (of something)because of something � There was atraffic jam and as a result, she missedher plane. 2. the final score in a game,the final marks in an exam, etc. � Sheisn’t pleased with her exam results. � Ihad great fun making the rug but I’monly partly happy with the result. � Helistened to the football results on the ra-dio.

retire

retire /r��taə/ verb 1. to stop work andtake a pension � He will retire from hisjob as manager next April. � She’s retir-ing this year. 2. to make an employeestop work and take a pension � They de-cided to retire all staff over 50.

retreatretreat /r��trit/ verb to pull back from abattle � Napoleon retreated from Mos-cow in 1812. � noun the act of pullingback an army from a battle � The ar-my’s retreat was swift and unexpected.

return

return /r��t�n/ noun 1. the act of goingor coming back to a place � It snowedon the day of her return from Canada. �I’ll come and see you on my return. 2.the key on a keyboard which you presswhen you have finished keying some-thing, or when you want to start a newline � To change directory, type C: andpress return. � verb 1. to come back orgo back � When she returned fromlunch she found two messages waitingfor her. � When do you plan to return toParis? 2. to give or send something back� The letter was returned to the sender.� many happy returns of the day


reveal 264 rhythm

greetings said to someone on his or herbirthday

reveal

reveal /r��vil/ verb to show or mentionsomething which was hidden � He re-vealed his ignorance about cars. � Anunexpected fault was revealed duringthe test. � The X-ray revealed a braintumour.

revenge

revenge /r��vend"/ noun the act of pun-ishing someone in return for harm he orshe has caused you � They attacked thepolice station in revenge for the arrest ofthree members of the gang. � All thetime he spent in prison, his only thoughtwas of revenge. � He had his revenge inthe end, when her car broke down andshe had to phone for help.

reverse

reverse /r��v�s/ adjective opposite tothe front � The reverse side of the carpetis made of foam rubber. � The condi-tions are printed on the reverse side ofthe invoice. � in reverse order back-wards � They called out the names ofthe prize-winners in reverse order. �noun 1. the opposite side � Didn’t youread what was on the reverse of the la-bel? 2. a car gear which makes you gobackwards � Put the car into reverseand back very slowly into the garage. �The car’s stuck in reverse! � verb 1. tomake something do the opposite � Thepage order was reversed by mistake. �Don’t try to reverse the trend, go alongwith it. 2. to make a car go backwards �Reverse as far as you can, then go for-ward. � Be careful not to reverse intothat lamppost.

review

review /r��vju/ noun 1. written com-ments on something, e.g. a book, play orfilm, published in a newspaper or maga-zine � Did you read the review of herlatest film in today’s paper? � His bookgot some very good reviews. 2. a month-ly or weekly magazine which containsarticles of general interest � His firstshort story appeared in a Scottish liter-ary review. 3. an examination of severalthings together � The company’s annu-al review of each department’s perform-ance. � verb 1. to read a book, see afilm, etc., and write comments about itin a newspaper or magazine � Her exhi-bition was reviewed in today’s paper. �

Whoever reviewed her latest book, obvi-ously didn’t like it. 2. to examine some-thing in a general way � The bank willreview our overdraft position at the endof the month. � Let’s review the situa-tion in the light of the new develop-ments. 3. US to study a lesson again �You must review your geography beforethe exam.

revise

revise /r��vaz/ verb 1. to study a lessonagain � There isn’t enough time to re-vise before the exam. � I’m revising formy history test. 2. to change somethingor make something correct � He is re-vising the speech he is due to give thisevening. � These figures will have to berevised, there seems to be a mistake.

revision

revision /r��v"(ə)n/ noun the action ofrevising something

revolting

revolting /r��vəυltŋ/ adjective ex-tremely unpleasant, often so unpleasantas to make you feel ill � a revoltingsmell

revolution

revolution /�revə��luʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a vi-olent attempt to get rid of a governmentor ruler � He led an unsuccessful revo-lution against the last president. 2. achange in the way things are done � arevolution in data processing

reward

reward /r��wɔd/ noun money given tosomeone for work done or as a prize forfinding something, or for informationabout something � When she took thepurse she had found to the police stationshe got a £25 reward. � He is not inter-ested in money – the Olympic gold med-al will be reward enough. � verb to givesomeone money as a prize for findingsomething, or for doing something � Hewas rewarded for finding the box of pa-pers. � All her efforts were rewardedwhen she won first prize.

rhyme

rhyme /ram/ noun the way in whichsome words end in the same sound �Can you think of a rhyme for ‘taught’?� verb � to rhyme with something toend with the same sound as anotherword � ‘Mr’ rhymes with ‘sister’

rhythm

rhythm /�rð(ə)m/ noun a strong regularbeat in music or poetry � They stampedtheir feet to the rhythm of the music.


rib 265 ringrib

rib /rb/ noun one of 24 curved boneswhich protect your chest � He fell downwhile skiing and broke two ribs.

ribbon

ribbon /�rbən/ noun a long thin piece ofmaterial for tying things or used as dec-oration

rice

rice /ras/ noun the seeds of a tropicalplant which are cooked and eaten � Sheonly had a bowl of rice for her eveningmeal. (NOTE: no plural: some rice, abowl of rice, a spoonful of rice)

rich

rich /rtʃ/ adjective 1. who has a lot ofmoney � If only we were rich, then wecould buy a bigger house. � He neverspends anything, and so he gets richerand richer. 2. made with a lot of cream,butter, or eggs � This cream cake is toorich for me.

rid

rid /rd/ adjective � to get rid of some-thing to throw something away � Doyou want to get rid of that old bookcase?� We have been told to get rid of twentystaff. � She doesn’t seem able to get ridof her cold.

ride

ride /rad/ noun a pleasant trip, e.g. on ahorse or a bike or in a car � Does any-one want to come for a bike ride? � CanI have a ride on your motorbike? � Hetook us all for a ride in his new car. �The station is only a short bus ride fromthe college. � verb to go on a horse, ona bike, etc. � He rode his bike across theroad without looking. � She’s never rid-den (on) an elephant. � My little sisteris learning to ride, but she’s frightenedof big horses. (NOTE: rides – riding –rode /rəυd/ – ridden /�rd(ə)n/)

rider

rider /�radə/ noun a person who rides �The rider of the black horse fell at thefirst fence. � Motorcycle riders mustwear helmets.

ridiculous

ridiculous /r��dkjυləs/ adjective ex-tremely silly or unreasonable

rifle

rifle /�raf(ə)l/ noun a gun with a longbarrel which you hold with two hands,against your shoulder � The gunmanwas on a roof with a rifle. � He wasshooting at a target with an air rifle.

right

right /rat/ adjective 1. correct � Shedidn’t put the bottles back in the �You’re right – the number 8 bus doesn’tgo to Marble Arch. � She gave the right

answer every time. � He says the an-swer is 285 – quite right! � Is the stationclock right? � Is this the right train forManchester? � all right 2. on the sameside as the hand which most people useto write with � In England cars don’tdrive on the right side of the road. � Thekeys are in the top right drawer of mydesk. � He was holding the suitcase inhis right hand. � noun the side oppositeto the left � When driving in France re-member to keep to the right. � Whenyou get to the next crossroads, turn tothe right. � Who was that girl sitting onthe right of your father? � Go straightahead, and take the second road on theright. � adverb 1. directly, or in astraight line � Instead of stopping at thecrossroads, he drove right on across themain road and � To get to the police sta-tion, keep right on to the end of the road,and then turn left. � Go right along tothe end of the corridor, you’ll see my of-fice in front of you. 2. exactly � The pubis right at the end of the road. � Thephone rang right in the middle of the TVprogramme. � She stood right in front ofthe TV and no one could see the screen.3. towards the right-hand side � To getto the station, turn right at the trafficlights. � Children should be taught tolook right and left before crossing theroad. � interjection agreed, OK �Right, so we all meet again at 7 o’clock?

right-hand

right-hand /�rat �h�nd/ adjective onthe right side

right-handed

right-handed /�rat �h�ndd/ adjectiveusing the right hand more often than theleft for things like writing and eating

right-wing

right-wing /�rat �wŋ/ adjective be-longing or relating to the conservativepolitical parties

rigid

rigid /�rd"d/ adjective stiff and notbending much

rim

rim /rm/ noun 1. the edge of somethinground, like a wheel or a cup � The rimof the glass is chipped. 2. a frame of apair of spectacles � He wears glasseswith steel rims.

ring

ring /rŋ/ noun 1. a round object, espe-cially a piece of jewellery � She has agold ring in her nose. � He wears a ringon his little finger. 2. a circle of people


rinse 266 road

or things � The teacher asked the chil-dren to sit in a ring round her. 3. thenoise of an electric bell � There was aring at the door. 4. a space where a cir-cus show takes place or where a boxingmatch is held � The horses gallopedround the ring the ring. � The ringmas-ter came into the ring with his top hatand whip. � verb 1. to make a soundwith a bell � The postman rang thedoorbell. � Is that your phone ringing?2. to telephone someone � He rang meto say he would be late. � Don’t ring to-morrow afternoon – the office will beclosed. � Don’t ring me, I’ll ring you.(NOTE: rings – ringing – rang /r�ŋ/ –rung /r�ŋ/) � to ring a bell to remindsomeone of something � The namerings a bell. � Does the name Arbuthnotring any bells?

ring up phrasal verb to speak to some-one using a telephone

rinse

rinse /rns/ verb to put things coveredwith soap or dirty things into clean wa-ter to remove the soap or the dirt � Rinsethe dishes before putting them on thedraining board to dry. � noun the act ofwashing something in clean water to getrid of soap � Give your shirt a goodrinse.

riot

riot /�raət/ noun noisy and usually vio-lent behaviour by a crowd of people �The protesters started a riot.

rip

rip /rp/ noun a tear in cloth � He lost therace because of a rip in his sail. � verb1. to tear something roughly � I rippedmy sleeve on a nail. � She ripped openthe parcel to see what he had given her.� The old bathroom is being ripped outand new units put in. 2. to go throughsomething violently � The fire rippedthrough the building. (NOTE: rips – rip-ping – ripped)

ripe

ripe /rap/ adjective ready to eat or to bepicked � Don’t eat that apple – it isn’tripe yet.

ripple

ripple /�rp(ə)l/ noun a little wave � Evena little stone thrown into the water willmake ripples. � In the desert, the windcreates ripples on the sand.

rise

rise /raz/ noun a movement or slope up-wards � There is a gentle rise until you

get to the top of the hill. � Salaries areincreasing to keep up with the rise in thecost of living. � The recent rise in inter-est rates has made mortgages more ex-pensive. � verb to go up � The sun al-ways rises in the east. � The road risessteeply for a few miles. � Prices havebeen rising steadily all year. � If youopen the oven door, the cake won’t riseproperly. (NOTE: rises – rising – rose/rəυz/ – risen /�rz(ə)n/)

risk

risk /rsk/ noun a possible bad result �There is not much risk of rain in August.� The risk of going blind is very remote.� There is a financial risk attached tothis deal. � At the risk of looking fool-ish, I’m going to ask her to come outwith me. � verb to do something whichmay possibly harm you � The firemanrisked his life to save her. � He riskedall his savings on buying the bookshop.

risky

risky /�rski/ adjective which is danger-ous (NOTE: riskier – riskiest)

rival

rival /�rav(ə)l/ adjective who competes� Two rival companies are trying to winthe contract. � Is this the rival productyou were talking about? � Simon and Iare friends but we play for rival teams.� noun a person or a company that com-petes � Do you know if he has any ri-vals? � We keep our prices low to un-dercut our biggest rival. � We keep ourprices low to compete with our rivals.

river

river /�rvə/ noun a large mass of freshwater which runs across the land andgoes into the sea or into a large lake �London is on the River Thames. � Theriver is very deep here, so it’s dangerousto swim in it. (NOTE: With names of riv-ers, you usually say the River: the Riv-er Thames; the River Amazon; the Riv-er Nile.)

road

road /rəυd/ noun a hard surface whichvehicles travel on � The road to Yorkgoes directly north from London. �Drivers must be careful because roadsare icy. � Children are taught to lookboth ways before crossing the road. �Our office address is: 26 London Road.(NOTE: often used in names: LondonRoad, York Road, etc., and usuallywritten Rd: London Rd, etc.)


roar 267 roomroar

roar /rɔ/ verb to make a deep loud noise� He roared with laughter at the film. �The lion roared and then attacked.

roastroast /rəυst/ verb to cook food over a fireor in an oven � You can either roast pi-geons or cook them in a casserole. � ad-jective which has been roasted � What alovely smell of roast meat! � We hadroast chicken for dinner.

robrob /rɒb/ verb to attack and steal fromsomeone (NOTE: robs – robbing –robbed)

robber

robber /�rɒbə/ noun a person who at-tacks and steals from someone

robotrobot /�rəυbɒt/ noun a machine which isdesigned to work like a person automat-ically

rock

rock /rɒk/ noun 1. a large stone or a largepiece of stone � The ship was breakingup on the rocks. 2. a hard pink sweetshaped like a stick, often with the nameof a town printed in it, bought mainly bytourists � a stick of Brighton rock 3.rock music loud popular music with astrong rhythm � Rock is the only musiche listens to. � verb to move from sideto side, or to make something movefrom side to side � The little boat rockedin the wake of the ferry. � The explosionrocked the town.

rocketrocket /�rɒkt/ noun 1. a type of spacevehicle that looks like a tall tower 2. atype of firework which flies up into thesky � We stood in the square andwatched the rockets lighting up the sky.3. a type of bomb which is shot throughspace at an enemy � They fired a home-made rocket into the police station.

rodrod /rɒd/ noun a long stick � You needsomething rigid like a metal rod to holdthe tent upright.

rode

rode /rəυd/ past tense of riderole

role /rəυl/ noun 1. a part played by some-one in a play or film � He plays the roleof the king. 2. the purpose of someone orsomething in real life � He played animportant role in getting the project offthe ground. (NOTE: Do not confuse withroll.)

roll

roll /rəυl/ noun 1. a tube of somethingwhich has been turned over and over onitself � a roll of fax paper � a roll of toi-

let paper or a toilet roll 2. a very smallloaf of bread for one person, sometimescut in half and used to make a sandwich� a bowl of soup and a bread roll � verb1. to make something go forward byturning it over and over � He rolled theball to the other player. 2. to go forwardby turning over and over � The ballrolled down the hill. � My pound coinhas rolled under the piano. 3. to makesomething move on wheels or rollers �The table is fitted with wheels, just rollit into the room. � The patient wasrolled into the operating theatre tenminutes ago. 4. to turn something flatover and over � He rolled the posterinto a tube.

roller

roller /�rəυlə/ noun 1. a heavy round ob-ject which rolls, e.g. one used for mak-ing lawns or cricket pitches flat � Theground is so bumpy, you’ll need a rollerto flatten it. � They used the roller justbefore the match started. 2. a plastictube used for rolling hair into curls

romantic

romantic /rəυ��m�ntk/ adjective 1. fullof mystery and love � romantic music �The atmosphere in the restaurant wasvery romantic. 2. used to describe some-thing, often a literary or artistic style,which is based on personal emotions orimagination � His style is too romanticfor my liking. � She has a romantic viewof life.

roof

roof /ruf/ noun 1. a part of a buildingwhich covers it and protects it � The catwalked across the roof of the green-house. � She lives in a little cottage witha thatched roof. 2. the top of the insideof the mouth � I burnt the roof of mymouth drinking hot soup. 3. the top of avehicle, e.g. a car, bus or lorry � We hadto put the cases on the roof of the car.

room

room /rum/ noun 1. a part of a building,divided from other parts by walls � Theflat has six rooms, plus kitchen andbathroom. � We want an office with atleast four rooms. 2. a bedroom in a hotel� Your room is 316 – here’s your key. �His room is just opposite mine. 3. spacefor something � The table is too big – ittakes up a lot of room. � There isn’tenough room in the car for six people. �


root 268 routine

We can’t have a piano in our flat – therejust isn’t enough room.

root

root /rut/ noun 1. a part of a plant whichgoes down into the ground, and whichtakes nourishment from the soil � I’mnot surprised the plant died – it hashardly any roots. 2. the part of a hair ora tooth which goes down into the skin �He pulled her hair out by the roots.

rope

rope /rəυp/ noun a very thick cord �You’ll need a rope to pull the car out ofthe ditch. � The burglar climbed downfrom the balcony on a rope. � verb to tietogether with a rope � The climbersroped themselves together. � We ropedthe sofa onto the roof of the car.

rose

rose /rəυz/ noun a common garden flow-er with a strong pleasant smell � Hegave her a bunch of red roses. � Theseroses have a beautiful scent. � pasttense of rise

rot

rot /rɒt/ verb to decay � The woodenfence is not very old but it has alreadystarted to rot. � rotten (NOTE: rots –rotting – rotted)

rotate

rotate /rəυ��tet/ verb to turn round orturn something round an axis like awheel

rotten

rotten /�rɒt(ə)n/ adjective 1. decayed �The apple looked nice on the outside,but inside it was rotten. � Don’t walk onthat plank, I think it is rotten. 2. unpleas-ant � I had a rotten time at the party –no one would dance with me. � We hadrotten weather on holiday.

rough

rough /r�f/ adjective 1. not smooth �Rub down any rough edges with sand-paper. 2. not very accurate � I madesome rough calculations on the back ofan envelope. 3. not finished, or with nodetails � He made a rough draft of thenew design. 4. not gentle � Don’t berough when you’re playing with thepuppy.

roughly

roughly /�r�fli/ adverb 1. in a way that isnot gentle enough � Don’t play soroughly with the children. � The menthrew the boxes of china roughly into theback of their van. 2. approximately �There were roughly one hundred peoplein the audience. � Ten euros makeroughly six pounds. � The cost of build-

ing the new kitchen will be roughly£25,000.

round

round /raυnd/ adjective 1. with a shapelike a circle � In Chinese restaurants,you usually sit at round tables. 2. with ashape like a sphere � Soccer is playedwith a round ball, while a Rugby ball isoval. � People used to believe that theEarth was flat, not round. � adverb,preposition 1. in a circular way ormovement � The wheels of the lorrywent round and round. � The Earthgoes round the Sun. � He was the firstperson to sail round the world single-handed. � We all sat round the tablechatting. � He ran down the street anddisappeared round a corner. 2. towardsthe back � She turned round when hetapped her on the shoulder. � Don’tlook round when you’re driving on themotorway. 3. from one person to anoth-er � They passed round some papers foreveryone to sign. � Can you pass theplate of cakes round, please? 4. in vari-ous places � They spent the afternoongoing round the town.

round up phrasal verb to gather peopleor animals together � The secret policerounded up about fifty suspects and tookthem off in vans. � She rounded up thechildren and took them into the muse-um. � The farmer is out in the fieldsrounding up his sheep.

roundabout

roundabout /�raυndəbaυt/ noun 1. aplace where several roads meet, andtraffic has to move in a circle � Whenyou get to the next roundabout, turnright. 2. a heavy wheel which turns, andwhich children ride on in a park � Thechildren all ran to get on the rounda-bout. � A small child fell from theroundabout and hurt his leg badly. 3. (ina fairground) a large machine in a fair-ground which turns round and playsmusic, usually with horses to sit onwhich move up and down

route

route /rut/ noun a way to be followed toget to a destination � We still have to de-cide which route we will take.

routine

routine /ru��tin/ noun the usual, regularway of doing things � He doesn’t likehis daily routine to be disturbed. � Achange of routine might do you good. �


row 269 run

adjective done as part of a regular pat-tern of activities � He went to the doctorfor a routine examination.

row

row1 /rəυ/ noun a line of things, side byside or one after the other � He has arow of cabbages in the garden. � Theypulled down an old house to build a rowof shops. � I want two seats in the frontrow.

row

row2 /raυ/ noun (informal) 1. a seriousargument � They had a row about whowas responsible for the accident. 2. aloud noise � Stop making that dreadfulrow!

royal

royal /�rɔəl/ adjective relating to a kingor queen

rub

rub /r�b/ verb to move something acrossthe surface of something else � Herubbed his hands together to get themwarm. � These new shoes have rubbedagainst my heel and given me a blister.� The cat rubbed herself against mylegs. (NOTE: rubs – rubbing – rubbed)

rub out phrasal verb to remove a pen-cil mark with a rubber

rubber

rubber /�r�bə/ noun 1. a strong sub-stance that bends easily, made from thesap of a tropical tree � Car tyres aremade of rubber. � Many years ago, wevisited a rubber plantation in Malaysia.2. a piece of rubber used for removingpencil marks � He used a rubber to tryto rub out what he had written.

rubbish

rubbish /�r�bʃ/ noun 1. waste, thingswhich are no use and are thrown away �We had to step over heaps of rubbish toget to the restaurant. 2. worthless non-sense � Have you read his new book? –It’s rubbish! � He’s talking rubbish,don’t listen to him. (NOTE: no plural)

rude

rude /rud/ adjective not polite and likelyto offend people � Don’t point at people– it’s rude. � The teacher asked whohad written rude words on the board. �He was rude to the teacher.

rudely

rudely /�rudli/ adverb in a rude wayrug

rug /r�'/ noun 1. a small carpet � Thisbeautiful rug comes from the MiddleEast. 2. a thick blanket, especially oneused when travelling � Put a rug overyour knees if you’re cold. � We spreadrugs on the grass to have our picnic.

rugby

rugby /�r�'bi/, rugby football /�r�'bi�fυtbɔl/ noun a type of football playedwith an oval ball which is thrown as wellas kicked

ruin

ruin /�run/ verb to spoil somethingcompletely � The rain spoiled our pic-nic.

rule

rule /rul/ noun a strict order telling peo-ple the way to behave � There are norules that forbid parking here at night.� According to the rules, your ticketmust be paid for two weeks in advance.� verb to govern or to control a place ora people � The president rules the coun-try according to very old-fashionedprinciples.

ruler

ruler /�rulə/ noun 1. a person who gov-erns � A ruler should be fair. � He’s theruler of a small African state. 2. a longpiece of wood or plastic with measure-ments marked on it, used for measuringand drawing straight lines � You need aruler to draw straight lines.

run

run /r�n/ verb 1. to go quickly on foot �When she heard the telephone, she ranupstairs. � Children must be taught notto run across the road. � She’s runningin the 200 metre race. 2. (of buses,trains, etc.) to be operating � All under-ground trains are running late becauseof the accident. � This bus doesn’t runon Sundays. 3. (of vehicles) to work �He left his car in the street with the en-gine running. � My car’s not runningvery well at the moment. 4. to direct theway an organisation operates � He runsa chain of shoe shops. � I want someoneto run the sales department for me whenI’m away on holiday. � He runs the lo-cal youth club. � The country is run bythe army. 5. to drive someone by car �Let me run you to the station. 6. (ofliquid) to flow somewhere � The riverruns past our house. (NOTE: runs – run-ning – ran – run) � noun 1. the act ofgoing quickly on foot, usually as a sport� She entered for the 10-mile run. � Ialways go for a run before breakfast. �You must be tired out after that long run.2. a score of 1 in cricket � He made 45runs before he was out.run away phrasal verb to escape or togo away fast � They were running away


rung 270 rut

from the police. � She ran away fromschool when she was 16. � The young-sters ran away to Paris.run into phrasal verb 1. to go into aplace fast � She ran into the street,shouting ‘Fire!’. 2. to go fast and hitsomething, usually in a vehicle � Hedidn’t look where he was going and raninto an old lady. � The bus turned thecorner too fast and ran into a parkedvan. 3. to amount to something � Costshave run into thousands of pounds. �Her income runs into five figures. 4. tofind someone by chance � I ran intohim again in a café on the South Bank.run out phrasal verb to have nothingleft of something � The car ran out ofpetrol on the motorway. � I must go tothe supermarket – we’re running out ofbutter.run over phrasal verb to knock some-one down by hitting them with a vehicle� She was run over by a taxi. � The carran over a dog.

rungrung /r�ŋ/ noun one of the bars on a lad-der � Put your foot on the bottom rungto hold the ladder steady. � past partici-ple of ring

runnerrunner /�r�nə/ noun a person or horserunning in a race � My horse came inlast of seven runners. � There are30,000 runners in the London Mara-thon.

runningrunning /�r�nŋ/ adjective � for threedays running one day after another forthree days � The company have made aprofit for six years or the sixth year run-ning. � noun 1. the activity of running,as a sport or a leisure activity 2. the ac-tion of managing � I now leave the run-ning of the firm to my daughter. � to be

in the running to be a candidate forsomething � Three people are in therunning for the post of chairperson. �

to be out of the running to no longerbe a candidate for something � She’sout of the running for the job in France.

runway

runway /�r�nwe/ noun a track on whichplanes land and take off at an airport

rural

rural /�rυərəl/ adjective relating to thecountryside � Rural roads are usuallyfairly narrow. � We live quite close to atown but the country round us still looksvery rural.

rush

rush /r�ʃ/ noun a fast movement � Therewas a rush of hot air when they openedthe door. � There has been a rush tochange pounds to euros. � When thefilm ended there was a rush for the toi-lets. � verb to hurry, to go forward fast� The ambulance rushed to the acci-dent. � Crowds of shoppers rushed tothe shops on the first day of the sales.

rustle

rustle /�r�s(ə)l/ verb to make a soft noiselike dry surfaces rubbing against eachother � Her long skirt rustled as she satdown. � Don’t rustle the newspaperwhen the radio is on, I can’t hear itproperly. � noun the noise of dry leavesor pieces of paper rubbing together �Listen to the rustle of the dry leaves inthe hedge.

rusty

rusty /�r�sti/ adjective covered with rust� She tried to cut the string with a pairof rusty old scissors. � He has a rustyold fridge in his front garden. (NOTE:rustier – rustiest)

rut

rut /r�t/ noun a deep track made in softearth by the wheels of vehicles � Thefront wheel of the car was stuck in adeep rut.


Ss

s /es/, S noun the nineteenth letter of thealphabet, between R and T

sack

sack /s�k/ noun a large bag made ofstrong cloth or paper, used for carryingheavy things � He hurt his back liftingup the sack of potatoes. � verb to forcesomeone to leave his or her job � Hewas sacked because he was always latefor work.

sad

sad /s�d/ adjective not happy � He’s sadbecause the holidays have come to anend. � What a sad film – everyone wascrying. � Reading his poems makes mesad. � It was sad to leave the house forthe last time. � He felt sad watching theboat sail away. � It’s sad that he can’tcome to see us. (NOTE: sadder – sad-dest)

saddle

saddle /�s�d(ə)l/ noun 1. a rider’s seaton a bicycle or motorbike 2. a rider’sseat on a horse � He leapt into the sad-dle and rode away.

sadly

sadly /�s�dli/ adverb 1. in a sad way �She smiled sadly. 2. used for saying thatsomething makes you sad � Sadly, Johncouldn’t join us for my birthday party.

sadness

sadness /�s�dnəs/ noun a feeling of be-ing very unhappy

safe

safe /sef/ adjective not in danger, or notlikely to be hurt � In this cave, weshould be safe from the thunderstorm. �All the children are safe, but the schoolwas burnt down. � Is it safe to touch thissnake? � noun a strong box for keepingthings such as documents, money orjewels in � Put your valuables in the ho-tel safe. � The burglars managed toopen the safe.

safely

safely /�sefli/ adverb without being hurt� The rescue services succeeded in get-ting all the passengers safely off theburning train. � We were shown how tohandle explosives safely. � ‘Drive safe-ly!’ she said as she waved goodbye.

safety

safety /�sefti/ noun 1. the fact of beingsafe � The police tried to ensure thesafety of the public. � I am worriedabout the safety of air bags in cars. 2. �for safety in order to make somethingsafe � Put the money in the office safefor safety. � Keep a note of the numbersof your traveller’s cheques for safety.

said

said /sed/ past tense and past participle ofsay

sail

sail /sel/ noun a piece of cloth whichcatches the wind and drives a boat along� The wind dropped so they lowered thesail and started to row. � They hoistedthe sail and set out across the Channel.� verb 1. to travel on water � The shipwas sailing towards the rocks. � Wewere sailing east. � He was the first per-son to sail across the Atlantic single-handed. � She’s planning to sail roundthe world. 2. to leave a harbour � Theferry sails at 12.00.

sailing

sailing /�selŋ/ noun travel in a shipsailor

sailor /�selə/ noun a person who workson a ship � The sailors were washingdown the deck of the ship.

sake

sake /sek/ noun � for the sake of some-thing, for something’s sake for certainreasons or purposes, or because ofsomething � They gave the childrensweets, just for the sake of a little peaceand quiet. � The muggers killed the oldlady, just for the sake of £20. � for thesake of someone, for someone’s sakebecause you want to help someone or toplease someone � Will you come to theparty for my sake? � The president de-cided to resign for the sake of the coun-try. � for old times’ sake in order to re-member a relationship or activity fromthe past � We always send them aChristmas card, just for old times’ sake.� for heaven’s sake, for goodness’sake used for showing you are annoyedor worried � What’s all the fuss? It’s


salad 272 Saturday

only a little scratch, for heaven’s sake. �For goodness’ sake try to be quiet, wedon’t want wake everyone!

salad

salad /�s�ləd/ noun a mixture of coldvegetables eaten raw, or a meal that in-cludes such a mixture � a chicken saladsandwich � We found some ham, toma-toes and lettuce in the fridge, and madeourselves a salad.

salary

salary /�s�ləri/ noun payment for work,especially in a professional or office job� She started work at a low salary, butsoon went up the salary scale. � I expecta salary increase as from next month.

sale

sale /sel/ noun 1. the act of sellingsomething � The sale of the house pro-duced £200,000. � The shop onlyopened this morning and we’ve justmade our first sale. 2. an occasion whenthings are sold at cheaper prices �There’s a sale this week in the depart-ment store along the High Street. � Ibought these plates for £1 in a sale. �The sale price is 50% of the normalprice.

salesperson

salesperson /�selz��p�s(ə)n/ noun aperson who sells goods in a shop

salt

salt /sɔlt/ noun a white substance thatyou put on food to make it taste better orput on roads to make snow or ice melt

salute

salute /sə��lut/ noun a movement whichexpresses respect or recognition, espe-cially the movement of putting yourright hand up to touch the side of yourforehead � The officer returned the sol-dier’s salute. � verb to give a salute tosomeone � Ordinary soldiers must sa-lute their officers.

same

same /sem/ adjective, pronoun 1. be-ing, looking, sounding, etc. exactlyalike � These two beers taste the same.� You must get very bored doing thesame work every day. � She was wear-ing the same dress as me. � This book isnot the same size as that one. 2. showingthat two or more things are in fact one �They all live in the same street. � Shouldwe all leave at the same time? � Ourchildren go to the same school as theirs.

sample

sample /�sɑmpəl/ noun a small partwhich is used to show what the whole islike � a sample of the cloth or a cloth

sample � Try a sample of the localcheese. � He gave a blood sample. � Weinterviewed a sample of potential cus-tomers.

sandsand /s�nd/ noun a mass of very smallbits of rock found on beaches and in thedesert � a beach of fine white sand � theblack sand beaches of the Northerncoast of New Zealand

sandalsandal /�s�nd(ə)l/ noun a light shoewith an open top

sandwichsandwich /�s�nwd"/ noun a light mealmade with two pieces of bread with oth-er food between them � She ordered acheese sandwich and a cup of coffee. �What sort of sandwiches do you want totake for your lunch? � I didn’t have abig meal – just a sandwich with somebeer in the pub.

sangsang /s�ŋ/ past tense of singsanksank /s�ŋk/ past tense of sinksatsat /s�t/ past tense and past participle of

sitsatellitesatellite /�s�təlat/ noun 1. an object in

space which goes round the Earth andsends and receives signals, pictures anddata � The signals are transmitted bysatellite all round the world. 2. an objectlike a planet which goes round a planet� The Moon is the only satellite of theEarth.

satisfactionsatisfaction /�s�ts��f�kʃən/ noun afeeling of comfort or happiness � Afterfinishing his meal he gave a deep sigh ofsatisfaction. � I get no satisfaction fromtelling you this – you’re fired.

satisfactorysatisfactory /�s�ts��f�kt(ə)ri/ adjec-tive good enough, or quite good

satisfiedsatisfied /�s�tsfad/ adjective accept-ing that something is enough, is good oris correct

satisfysatisfy /�s�tsfa/ verb to make some-one pleased with what he or she has re-ceived or achieved � The council’s deci-sion should satisfy most people. � Ouraim is to satisfy our customers. (NOTE:satisfies – satisfying – satisfied)

SaturdaySaturday /�s�təde/ noun the sixth dayof the week, the day between Friday andSunday � He works in a shop, so Satur-day is a normal working day for him. �We go shopping in London most Satur-


sauce 273 scared

days. � Saturday is the Jewish day ofrest. � Today is Saturday, November15th. � The 15th is a Saturday, so the16th must be a Sunday. � We arrangedto meet up on Saturday.

sauce

sauce /sɔs/ noun a liquid with a partic-ular taste, poured over food � ice creamwith chocolate sauce � We had chickenwith a barbecue sauce. � The waitressput a bottle of tomato sauce on the table.

saucepan

saucepan /�sɔspən/ noun a deep metalcooking pan with a lid and a long handle

saucer

saucer /�sɔsə/ noun a shallow dishwhich a cup stands on

sausage

sausage /�sɒsd"/ noun a food which isa tube of skin full of a mixture of meatand spices

save

save /sev/ verb 1. to stop somethingfrom being damaged � We managed tosave most of the paintings from the fire.2. to keep things such as money, food orother articles so that you can use themlater � If you save £10 a week, you’llhave £520 at the end of a year. � Theysave old pieces of bread to give to theducks in the park. � He saves bits ofstring in case he may need them later. 3.not to waste something such as time ormoney � By walking to work, he saves£25 a week in bus fares. � She took theparcel herself so as to save the cost ofpostage. � If you have your car checkedregularly it will save you a lot of ex-pense in the future. � Going by air savesa lot of time. 4. to stop someone frombeing hurt or killed � The firefighterssaved six people from the burninghouse. � How many passengers weresaved when the ferry sank? 5. to storeinformation on a computer disk � Don’tforget to save your files when you havefinished working on them.

saving

saving /�sevŋ/ noun the act of usingless of something � We are aiming for a10% saving in fuel. � suffix which usesless � energy-saving light bulbs

saw

saw /sɔ/ past tense of see � noun a toolwith a long metal blade with teeth alongits edge, used for cutting � He was cut-ting logs with a saw. � verb to cut some-thing with a saw � She was sawingwood. � You will need to saw that piece

of wood in half. (NOTE: saws – sawing– sawed – has sawn /sɔn/)

saysay /se/ verb 1. to speak words � What’sshe saying? – I don’t know, I don’t un-derstand Dutch. � She says the fee is £3per person. � Don’t forget to say ‘thankyou’ after the party. � The weather fore-cast said it was going to rain and it did.� I was just saying that we never seeJames any more. 2. to give informationin writing � The letter says that we owethe bank £200. � The notice says thatyou are not allowed to walk on thegrass. (NOTE: says /sez/ – saying –said /sed/)

sayingsaying /�seŋ/ noun a phrase which isoften used to describe an aspect of eve-ryday life

scalescale /skel/ noun 1. the size of a smallerform of something compared to the realsize � a map with a scale of 1 to100,000 � a scale model of the newtown centre development � The archi-tect’s design is drawn to scale. 2. ameasuring system in which there areseveral levels � The Richter scale isused to measure earthquakes.

scarscar /skɑ/ noun a mark left on the skinafter a wound has healed � He still hasthe scars of his operation. � verb 1. toleave a mark on the skin after a woundhas healed � His arm was scarred as aresult of the accident. 2. to affect some-one’s feelings badly � The bullying shereceived at school has scarred her forlife. (NOTE: scars – scarring –scarred)

scarcescarce /skeəs/ adjective if something isscarce, there is much less of it than youneed � This happened at a period whenfood was scarce. � Good designers aregetting scarce.

scare

scare /skeə/ verb to make someone feelfear � The thought of travelling aloneacross Africa scares me. � She wasscared by the spider in the bathroom. �noun a fright � What a scare you gaveme – jumping out at me in the dark likethat!

scaredscared /skeəd/ adjective feeling orshowing fear � Don’t be scared – thesnake is harmless. � She was too scaredto answer the door. � I’m scared at the


scarf 274 score

idea of driving in London’s rush-hourtraffic. � She looked round with ascared expression.

scarf

scarf /skɑf/ noun a long piece of clothwhich is worn round your neck to keepyourself warm � Take your scarf – it’ssnowing. (NOTE: The plural is scarves/skɑvz/.)

scatter

scatter /�sk�tə/ verb 1. to throw some-thing in various places � The crowdscattered flowers all over the path. 2. torun in different directions � When thepolice arrived, the children scattered.

scene

scene /sin/ noun 1. a place where some-thing has happened � It took the ambu-lance ten minutes to get to the scene ofthe accident. � A photographer was atthe scene to record the ceremony. 2. ashort part of a play or film � Did youlike the scene where he is trying to climbup the skyscraper? � It was one of thefunniest scenes I have ever seen.

scenery

scenery /�sinəri/ noun 1. the features ofthe countryside � the beautiful sceneryof the Lake District 2. the objects andbackgrounds on a theatre stage thatmake it look like a real place � Theylowered the scenery onto the stage. � Inbetween the acts all the scenery has tobe changed. (NOTE: no plural)

scent

scent /sent/ noun 1. a pleasant smell ofa particular type � the scent of roses inthe cottage garden 2. perfume � Thatnew scent of yours makes me sneeze.(NOTE: Do not confuse with cent,sent.)

sceptical

sceptical /�skeptk(ə)l/ adjective think-ing that something is probably not trueor good � You seem sceptical about hisnew plan. � I’m sceptical of the need forthese changes.

scheme

scheme /skim/ noun a plan for makingsomething work � She joined the com-pany pension scheme. � He has thoughtup some scheme for making money veryquickly.

school

school /skul/ noun 1. a place where stu-dents, usually children, are taught �Our little boy is four, so he’ll be going toschool this year. � Some children startschool younger than that. � What didthe children do at school today? � When

he was sixteen, he left school and joinedthe army. � Which school did you go to?2. a section of a college or university �The school of medicine is one of thelargest in the country. � She’s studyingat law school. � verb to train someonein a particular skill

sciencescience /�saəns/ noun the study of nat-ural physical things � She took a sci-ence course or studied science. � Wehave a new science teacher this term. �He has a master’s degree in marine sci-ence.

scientificscientific /�saən��tfk/ adjective relat-ing to science � We employ hundreds ofpeople in scientific research. � He’s thedirector of a scientific institute.

scientist

scientist /�saəntst/ noun a personwho studies a science, often doing re-search � Scientists have not yet found acure for the common cold. � Space sci-entists are examining the photographsof Mars.

scissorsscissors /�szəz/ plural noun a tool forcutting things such as paper and cloth,made of two blades attached in the mid-dle, with handles with holes for thethumb and fingers � These scissorsaren’t very sharp. � Have you got a pairof scissors I can borrow?

scoop

scoop /skup/ noun 1. a deep roundspoon with a short handle, for servingsoft food such as ice cream � You mustwash the scoop each time you use it. 2.a portion of soft food such as ice cream� I’ll have one scoop of strawberry andone scoop of vanilla, please. � verb tolift something or someone up in a singlequick movement � She scooped up thebabies into her arms and ran upstairs. �He scooped all the newspapers off thefloor.

scooter

scooter /�skutə/ noun 1. a child’s two-wheeled vehicle which is pushed alongwith one foot while the other foot is onthe board 2. a vehicle like a small mo-torbike with a platform for the feet �She dodged through the traffic on herscooter.

scorescore /skɔ/ noun the number of goals orpoints made in a match � The finalscore in the rugby match was 22–10. �I didn’t see the beginning of the match –


Scot 275 scrub

what’s the score? � verb to make a goalor point in a match � They scored threegoals in the first twenty minutes. � Shescored sixty-five!

Scot

Scot /skɒt/ noun a person from ScotlandScotch

Scotch /skɒtʃ/ adjective used for refer-ring to some things, especially food anddrink, from Scotland

Scotland

Scotland /�skɒtlənd/ noun a country tothe north of England, forming part ofthe United Kingdom � He was broughtup in Scotland. � Scotland’s most fa-mous export is whisky.

Scots

Scots /skɒts/ adjective Scottish � ‘Notproven’ is a decision in Scots Law.

Scottish

Scottish /�skɒtʃ/ adjective relating toScotland

scramble

scramble /�skr�mbəl/ verb 1. to climbusing your hands and knees � Hescrambled up the steep bank. 2. to hurryto do something � They scrambled toget a seat.

scrap

scrap /skr�p/ noun 1. a little piece � ascrap of paper � There isn’t a scrap ofevidence against him. � She is collect-ing scraps of cloth to make a quilt. 2.waste materials � to sell a car for scrap� The scrap value of the car is £200. �verb 1. to throw something away as use-less � They had to scrap 10,000 faultyspare parts. 2. to give up or stop work-ing on a plan � We’ve scrapped ourplans to go to Greece. (NOTE: scraps –scrapping – scrapped)

scrape

scrape /skrep/ verb 1. to scratch some-thing with a hard object which is pulledacross a surface � She scraped the paintoff the door. � He fell off his bike andscraped his knee on the pavement. 2. toremove something from the surface ofsomething � She scraped the paint offthe door.

scratch

scratch /skr�tʃ/ noun 1. a long woundon the skin � Put some antiseptic on thescratches on your arms. 2. a long markmade by a sharp point � I will never beable to cover up the scratches on the cardoor. � verb 1. to make a long wound onthe skin � His legs were scratched bythe bushes along the path. 2. to make amark on something with a sharp point �I must touch up the car where it has

been scratched. 3. to rub a part of thebody which itches with your fingernails� He scratched his head as he wonderedwhat to do next. � Stop scratching – itwill make your rash worse!

scream

scream /skrim/ noun a loud cry of painor excitement � He let out a scream ofpain. � verb to make a loud cry of painor excitement � People on the thirdfloor were screaming for help. � Theyscreamed with pain. � She screamed atthe class to stop singing.

screen

screen /skrin/ noun 1. a flat surfacewhich acts as protection against some-thing, e.g. fire or noise � a screen deco-rated with flowers and birds � Thehedge acts as a screen against the noisefrom the motorway. 2. a flat glass sur-face on which a picture is shown � acomputer screen � a TV screen � I’llcall the information up on the screen. 3.a flat white surface on which thingssuch as films or slides are shown � acinema complex with four screens �We’ll put up the screen on the stage. �verb to show a film in a cinema or onTV � Tonight’s film will be screenedhalf an hour later than advertised.

screw

screw /skru/ noun a type of nail whichyou twist to make it go into a hard sur-face � I need some longer screws to gothrough this thick plank. � The platewas fixed to the door with brass screws.� verb 1. to attach something withscrews � The picture was screwed to thewall. 2. to attach something by twisting� He filled up the bottle and screwed onthe top. � Screw the lid on tightly.

scribble

scribble /�skrb(ə)l/ verb 1. to makemarks which don’t have any meaning �The kids have scribbled all over theirbedroom walls. 2. to write somethinghurriedly and badly � She scribbled afew notes in the train.

scrub

scrub /skr�b/ verb to clean somethingby rubbing it with a brush � a well-scrubbed kitchen table � Scrub your fin-gernails to get rid of the dirt. (NOTE:scrubs – scrubbing – scrubbed) �noun 1. an area of land with a few smallbushes � They walked for miles throughthe scrub until they came to a river. 2.


sculpture 276 second-class

the action of scrubbing � After a gameof rugby you will need a good scrub.

sculpture

sculpture /�sk�lptʃə/ noun a piece ofart that is a figure carved out of stone orwood or made out of metal

sea

sea /si/ noun an area of salt water be-tween continents or islands which islarge but not as large as an ocean �Swimming in the sea is more excitingthan swimming in a river. � The sea’stoo rough for the ferries to operate. �His friends own a house by the sea. �The North Sea separates Britain fromDenmark and Germany.

seagull

seagull /�si'�l/ noun a large white seabird

seal

seal /sil/ noun a large animal with shortsmooth fur which eats fish and livesnear or in the sea � verb to close some-thing tightly � a box carefully sealedwith sticky tape

search

search /s�tʃ/ noun the action of tryingto find something � Our search of theflat revealed nothing. � They carriedout a search for the missing children. �I did a quick search on the Internet forreferences to Proust. � verb 1. to exam-ine something or someone very careful-ly � The police searched the house butdidn’t find any weapons. � She wasstopped and searched by customs. 2. tolook carefully to try to find something �The police searched the house for weap-ons. � to search for someone or some-thing to try to find someone or some-thing � The police searched for themissing children. � I searched the Inter-net for references to Ireland.

seaside

seaside /�sidsad/ noun an area nearthe sea where people go to have a holi-day

season

season /�siz(ə)n/ noun 1. one of fourparts of a year � Autumn is her favouriteseason. 2. a part of the year when some-thing usually happens � The tourist sea-son is very long here – from March toSeptember. � The football season lastsfrom September to May. � London isvery crowded during the school holidayseason.

seat

seat /sit/ noun a chair or similar objectwhich you sit on � He was sitting in the

driver’s seat. � Can we have two seatsin the front row? � Our kitchen chairshave wooden seats. � Bicycle seats arenarrow. � to take a seat to sit down �Please take a seat, the dentist will seeyou in a few minutes. � Please take yourseats, the play is about to begin. � Allthe seats on the bus were taken so I hadto stand.

second

second /�sekənd/ noun 1. one of sixtyparts which make up a minute � I’ll giveyou ten seconds to get out of my room. �They say the bomb will go off in twentyseconds. 2. a very short time � Pleasewait a second. � Wait here, I’ll be backin a second. 3. the thing which isnumber 2 in a series � Today is the sec-ond of March or March the second(March 2nd). � The Great Fire of Lon-don took place when Charles the Sec-ond (Charles II) was king. (NOTE: Indates second is usually written 2nd or2: August 2nd, 1932, 2 July, 1666(American style is July 2, 1666), say‘the second of July’ or ‘July the second’(American style is ‘July second’). Withnames of kings and queens second isusually written II: Queen Elizabeth II(say ‘Queen Elizabeth the Second’).)� adjective 1. coming after the first andbefore the third � February is the sec-ond month of the year. � It’s his secondbirthday next week. � Women’s clothesare on the second floor. � That’s thesecond time the telephone has rungwhile we’re eating. 2. next after thelongest, best, tallest etc. (followed by asuperlative) � This is the second long-est bridge in the world. � He’s the sec-ond highest paid member of staff.

secondary

secondary /�sekənd(ə)ri/ adjective lessimportant

second-class

second-class /�sekənd �klɑs/ adjec-tive, adverb 1. less expensive and lesscomfortable than first-class � I find sec-ond-class hotels are perfectly adequate.� We always travel second-class be-cause it is cheaper. 2. less expensive andslower than the first-class postal service� A second-class letter is cheaper thana first-class. � Send it second-class if itis not urgent.


secrecy 277 seemsecrecy

secrecy /�sikrəsi/ noun the fact of be-ing secret or keeping something secret

secret

secret /�sikrət/ adjective not knownabout by other people � There is a se-cret door into the cellar. � noun some-thing which other people do not knowabout � Have I told you my secret?

secretary

secretary /�sekrət(ə)ri/ noun a personwho does work such as writing letters,answering the phone and filing docu-ments for someone (NOTE: The plural issecretaries.)

secretive

secretive /�sikrətv/ adjective liking tokeep things secret � She’s very secretiveabout her holiday plans.

secretly

secretly /�sikrətli/ adverb without any-one knowing

section

section /�sekʃən/ noun a part of some-thing which, when joined to other parts,makes up a whole � the brass section ofthe orchestra � the financial section ofthe newspaper � He works in a com-pletely different section of the organisa-tion.

sector

sector /�sektə/ noun 1. a part of theeconomy or of the business organisationof a country � All sectors of industrysuffered from the rise in the exchangerate. � Computer technology is a boom-ing sector of the economy. 2. a part of acircle between two lines drawn from thecentre to the outside edge � The circlehad been divided into five sectors.

secure

secure /s��kjυə/ adjective firmly fixed �Don’t step on that plank, it’s not secure.� verb to be successful in getting some-thing important � He secured the sup-port of a big bank. � They secured a val-uable new contract.

securely

securely /s��kjυəli/ adverb in a secureway

security

security /s��kjυərti/ noun 1. safety orprotection against harm � There wereworries about security during theprince’s visit. � Security in this office isnil. � Security guards patrol the factoryat night. 2. a thing given to someonewho has lent you money and which isreturned when the loan is repaid � Heuses his house as security for a loan. �The bank lent him £20,000 without se-curity.

see

see /si/ verb 1. to use your eyes to noticesomething � Can you see that tree in thedistance? � They say eating carrotshelps you to see in the dark. � We ranbecause we could see the bus coming. 2.to watch something such as a film � Idon’t want to go to the cinema this week,I’ve seen that film twice already. � Wesaw the football match on TV. 3. to un-derstand something � I can’t see whythey need to borrow so much money. �You must see that it’s very important foreverything to be ready on time. � Don’tyou see that they’re trying to trick you?� I see – you want me to lend you somemoney. 4. to visit someone, e.g. a lawyeror doctor � If your tooth aches that bad-ly you should see a dentist. � He went tosee his bank manager to arrange amortgage. (NOTE: sees – seeing – saw/sɔ/ – seen /sin/)

see off phrasal verb to go to the airportor station with someone who is leavingon a journeysee through phrasal verb 1. to seefrom one side of something to the other� I can’t see through the window – it’sso dirty. 2. not to be tricked by some-thing or someone � Won’t they quicklysee through such a poor excuse? � Hepretended he was helping me, but I soonsaw through him.see to phrasal verb to arrange some-thing or make sure that something isdone

seed

seed /sid/ noun a part of a plant which isformed after the flowers die and fromwhich a new plant will grow � a packetof carrot seed � Sow the seeds in fineearth. � Can you eat pumpkin seeds?

seek

seek /sik/ verb to look for someone orsomething (formal) � The police areseeking a group of teenagers who werein the area when the attack took place.(NOTE: seeks – seeking – sought/sɔt/ – has sought)

seem

seem /sim/ verb to give the appearanceof being something � She seems to likeor It seems that she likes her new job. �Everyone seemed to be having a goodtime at the party. � The new boss seemsvery nice. � It seems to me that the par-cel has gone to the wrong house. � It


seize 278 sensation

seemed strange to us that no one an-swered the phone.

seize

seize /siz/ verb to grab something andhold it tight � She seized the bag ofsweets in both hands and would not letgo.

seldom

seldom /�seldəm/ adverb not often(NOTE: Note the word order when sel-dom is at the beginning of a phrase:you seldom hear or seldom do youhear)

select

select /s��lekt/ verb to choose somethingor someone carefully � She lookedcarefully at the shelves before selectinga book. � He was selected for the Eng-land squad. � Selected items are re-duced by 25%.

selection

selection /s��lekʃən/ noun 1. a range �There is a huge selection of hats tochoose from. 2. a thing which has orthings which have been chosen � a se-lection of our product line � a selectionof French cheeses

self

self /self/ noun your own person or char-acter � She was ill for some time, butnow she’s her old self again. � She’s nother usual happy self today – I thinkshe’s got something on her mind. (NOTE:The plural is selves.)

selfish

selfish /�selfʃ/ adjective doing thingsonly for yourself and not for other peo-ple

sell

sell /sel/ verb 1. to give something tosomeone for money � He sold his houseto my father. � She sold him her bicyclefor next to nothing. � We managed tosell the car for £500. � The shop sellsvegetables but not meat. 2. to be sold �Those packs sell for £25 a dozen. � Herlatest book is selling very well. (NOTE:sells – selling – sold /səυld/)

sell off phrasal verb to sell goodsquickly and cheaply to get rid of them �At the end of the day the market stallssell off their fruit and vegetables verycheaply.sell out phrasal verb 1. to sell everyitem of a particular type � Have you gotthe dress in a size 12? – No, I’m afraidwe’ve sold out. � We’re selling out ofthese hats fast. 2. US to sell a business

to someone � He sold out to his partnerand retired. 3. to give in to a group ofinfluential people � The environmentalgroup has accused the government ofselling out to the oil companies.sell up phrasal verb to sell a business �He sold up and retired.

semicolon

semicolon /�semi��kəυlɒn/ noun apunctuation mark (;) used to separatetwo parts of a sentence and also used toshow a pause

semi-final

semi-final /�semi �fan(ə)l/ noun one ofthe last two matches in a competition,the winners of which go into the finalgame

senate

senate /�senət/ noun the upper house ofthe legislative body in some countries �She was first elected to the Senate in2001.

senator

senator /�senətə/ noun a member of asenate (NOTE: written with a capital let-ter when used as a title: Senator Jack-son)

send

send /send/ verb 1. to make someone orsomething go from one place to another� My mother sent me to the baker’s tobuy some bread. � I was sent home fromschool because I had a headache. � Hesent the ball into the net. � The firm issending him out to Australia for sixmonths. 2. to use the postal services toget something to someone � The officesends 200 Christmas cards every year. �Send me a postcard when you get toRussia. � Send the letter by air if youwant it to arrive next week. � Send yourdonations to the following address.(NOTE: sends – sending – sent/sent/)

send for phrasal verb to ask someoneto come

senior

senior /�siniə/ adjective 1. older � thesenior members of the tribe 2. more im-portant, e.g. in rank � A sergeant is sen-ior to a corporal. � My senior col-leagues do not agree with me.

sensation

sensation /sen��seʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a gen-eral feeling � I felt a curious sensationas if I had been in the room before. 2. aphysical feeling � She had a burningsensation in her arm. 3. a thing or per-son that causes great excitement � The


sense 279 serious

new ballet was the sensation of the sea-son.

sensesense /sens/ noun 1. one of the fiveways in which you notice something(sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) � Hemay be 93, but he still has all his senses.� His senses had been dulled by thedrugs he was taking. � Dogs have agood sense of smell. 2. a meaning � Hewas using ‘bear’ in the sense of ‘to car-ry’. 3. the fact of being sensible � Atleast someone showed some sense andtried to calm the situation. � She didn’thave the sense to refuse. � I thoughtPatrick would have had more sense thanthat.

senseless

senseless /�sensləs/ adjective done forno good reason � a senseless attack ona little old lady � It’s senseless to buyclothes you don’t need, just becausethey are in the sales.

sensiblesensible /�sensb(ə)l/ adjective 1.showing good judgment and wisdom �Staying indoors was the sensible thingto do. � Try and be sensible for once! 2.(of shoes) strong and comfortable forwalking, rather than fashionable

sensitivesensitive /�senstv/ adjective 1. easilyupset � She’s a very sensitive youngwoman. � Some actors are extremelysensitive to criticism. 2. which measuresvery accurately � a very sensitive lightmeter

sentsent /sent/ past tense and past participleof send

sentencesentence /�sentəns/ noun 1. a series ofwords put together to make a completestatement, usually ending in a full stop� I don’t understand the second sen-tence in your letter. � Begin each sen-tence with a capital letter. 2. a judgmentof a court � He was given a six-monthprison sentence. � The judge passedsentence on the accused. � verb to givesomeone an official legal punishment �She was sentenced to three weeks inprison. � He was sentenced to death formurder.

separateseparate1 /�sep(ə)rət/ adjective not to-gether or attached � They are in sepa-rate rooms. � The house has one bath-room with a separate toilet. � The dogswere kept separate from the other pets.

� Can you give us two separate invoic-es?

separate

separate2 /�sepəret/ verb 1. to dividepeople or things � The employees areseparated into permanent and tempo-rary staff. � The teacher separated theclass into two groups. 2. to keep peopleor things apart � The police tried to sep-arate the two gangs. � Is it possible toseparate religion and politics?

separately

separately /�sep(ə)rətli/ adverb indi-vidually, rather than together or as agroup

September

September /sep��tembə/ noun the ninthmonth of the year, between August andOctober � September 3 � The weatheris usually good in September. � Herbirthday is in September. � Today isSeptember 3rd. � We always try to takea short holiday in September. (NOTE:September 3rd or September 3: say‘September the third’ or ‘the third ofSeptember’ or in US English ‘Septem-ber third’.)

sequence

sequence /�sikwəns/ noun a series ofthings which happen or follow one afterthe other � The sequence of eventswhich led to the accident.

sergeant

sergeant /�sɑd"ənt/ noun a non-com-missioned officer in the army, or an of-ficer of low rank in the police (NOTE:also used as a title before a surname:Sergeant Jones)

serial

serial /�səriəl/ noun a story that isbroadcast on TV or radio in separateparts � an Australian police serial(NOTE: Do not confuse with cereal.)

series

series /�səriz/ noun 1. a group ofthings which come one after the other inorder � We had a series of phone callsfrom the bank. 2. TV or radio pro-grammes which are broadcast at thesame time each week � There’s a newwildlife series starting this week. (NOTE:The plural is series.)

serious

serious /�səriəs/ adjective 1. not funnyor not joking � a very serious play �He’s such a serious little boy. � Stoplaughing – it’s very serious. � He’s veryserious about the proposal. � The doc-tor’s expression was very serious. 2. im-portant and possibly dangerous � There


seriously 280 settee

was a serious accident on the motorway.� The storm caused serious damage. �There’s no need to worry – it’s nothingserious. 3. carefully planned � Themanagement is making serious attemptsto improve working conditions.

seriously

seriously /�səriəsli/ adverb 1. in a seri-ous way � She should laugh more – shemustn’t always take things so seriously.2. to a great extent � The cargo was se-riously damaged by water. � Her moth-er is seriously ill.

seriousness

seriousness /�siriəsnəs/ noun the factof being serious

servant

servant /�s�vənt/ noun a person who ispaid to work for a family � They employtwo servants in their London home. �Get it yourself – I’m not your servant!

serve

serve /s�v/ verb 1. to give food or drinkto someone � She served the soup insmall bowls. � Just take a plate andserve yourself. � Has everyone beenserved? 2. to go with a dish � Fish isserved with a white sauce. � You usuallyserve red wine with meat. 3. to help acustomer, e.g. in a shop � Are you beingserved? � The manager served me him-self. � Will you serve this lady next,please? 4. (in games like tennis) to startthe game by hitting the ball � Sheserved two faults in a row. � He servedfirst.

service

service /�s�vs/ noun 1. a facility whichthe public needs � Our train service toLondon is very bad. � The postal serv-ice is efficient. � The bus service is veryirregular. � The hotel provides a laun-dry service. 2. the act of serving or help-ing someone in a shop or restaurant �The food is good here, but the service isvery slow. � The bill includes an extra10% for service. � Is the service includ-ed? � The bill does not include service.3. a regular check of a machine � Thecar has had its 20,000-kilometre serv-ice. 4. a group of people working to-gether � the ambulance service 5. atime when you work for a company ororganisation or in the armed forces �Did he enjoy his service in the army? �She did six years’ service in the police.� He was awarded a gold watch for hislong service to the company. � He saw

service in Northern Ireland. 6. a reli-gious ceremony � My mother nevermisses the nine o’clock service on Sun-days. 7. (in games like tennis) the ac-tion of hitting the ball first � She has avery powerful service. � verb to keep amachine in good working order � Thecar needs to be serviced every sixmonths.

session

session /�seʃ(ə)n/ noun the time whenan activity is taking place � All theselong sessions in front of the computerscreen are ruining my eyesight.

set

set /set/ noun a group of things which gotogether, which are used together orwhich are sold together � He carries aset of tools in the back of his car. � Thesix chairs are sold as a set. � verb 1. toput something in a special place � Sheset the plate of biscuits down on the ta-ble next to her chair. 2. to fix something� When we go to France we have to setour watches to French time. � The priceof the new computer has been set at£500. 3. to make something happen �He went to sleep smoking a cigaretteand set the house on fire. � All the pris-oners were set free. � I had been wor-ried about her, but her letter set my mindat rest. 4. when the sun sets, it goesdown � The sun rises in the east andsets in the west. (NOTE: sets – setting– set) � adjective ready � We’re all setfor a swim. � My bags are packed andI’m all set to leave. � Her latest novel isset to become the best-selling book ofthe year.

set off phrasal verb 1. to begin a trip �We’re setting off for Germany tomor-row. � They all set off on a long walk af-ter lunch. 2. to start somethinghappening � They set off a bomb in theshopping centre. � If you touch the wireit will set off the alarm. � Being in thesame room as a cat will set off my asth-ma.set out phrasal verb to begin a journey� The hunters set out to cross the moun-tains. � We have to set out early tomor-row.

settee

settee /se��ti/ noun a long seat with asoft back where several people can sit


setting 281 sexuallysetting

setting /�setŋ/ noun the background fora story � The setting for the story isHong Kong in 1935.

settlesettle /�set(ə)l/ verb 1. to arrange oragree something � Well, I’m glad every-thing’s settled at last. � Have you set-tled the title for the new film yet? � Ittook six months of negotiation for theunion and management to settle theirdifferences. 2. to place yourself in acomfortable position � She switched onthe television and settled in her favour-ite armchair. 3. to fall to the ground, orto the bottom of something, gently �Wait for the dust to settle. � A layer ofmud settled at the bottom of the pond.settle down phrasal verb 1. to placeyourself in a comfortable position � Af-ter dinner, she likes to settle down in acomfortable chair with a good book. 2.to change to a calmer way of life with-out many changes of house or muchtravelling � He has worked all over theworld, and doesn’t seem ready to settledown. � She had lots of boyfriends, andthen got married and settled down inSurrey.

seven

seven /�sev(ə)n/ noun the number 7 �There are only seven children in hisclass. � She’s seven (years old) nextweek. � The train is supposed to leaveat seven (o’clock).

seventeen

seventeen /�sev(ə)n��tin/ noun thenumber 17 � He will be seventeen(years old) next month. � The trainleaves at seventeen sixteen (17.16).

seventeenthseventeenth /�sev(ə)n��tinθ/ adjective,noun number 17 in a series � Today isOctober the seventeenth or the seven-teenth of October (October 17th). � Q isthe seventeenth letter of the alphabet. �It’s his seventeenth birthday next week.� He came seventeenth out of thirty. �noun the thing that is number 17 in a se-ries � Today is October the seventeenthor the seventeenth of October (October17th).

seventhseventh /�sevənθ/ adjective, nounnumber 7 in a series � His office is onthe seventh floor. � It’s her seventhbirthday on Saturday. � What is the sev-enth letter of the alphabet? � She cameseventh in the race. � noun 1. the thing

that is number 7 in a series � Today isJune the seventh or the seventh of June(June 7th). 2. one of seven equal parts

seventieth

seventieth /�sevəntiəθ/ adjectivenumber 70 in a series � It’s his seventi-eth birthday next week � He came sev-entieth out of a hundred. � noun thething that is number 70 in a series

seventy

seventy /�sev(ə)nti/ noun the number70 � She will be seventy (years old) onTuesday. � That shirt cost him morethan seventy dollars.

several

several /�sev(ə)rəl/ adjective, pronounmore than a few, but not a lot � Severalbuildings were damaged in the storm. �We’ve met several times. � Several ofthe students are going to Italy. � Most ofthe guests left early but several stayedon till midnight.

severe

severe /s��və/ adjective 1. very strict �He was very severe with any child whodid not behave. � Discipline in theschool was severe. 2. having a very badeffect � The government imposed se-vere financial restrictions on importers.� The severe weather has closed severalmain roads. (NOTE: severer – sever-est)

severely

severely /s��vəli/ adverb 1. strictly �She was severely punished for beinglate. 2. to a great extent � a severely in-jured survivor � Train services havebeen severely affected by snow.

sew

sew /səυ/ verb to attach, make or repairsomething by using a needle and thread(NOTE: Do not confuse with sow. Notealso: sews – sewing – sewed – sewn/səυn/.)

sex

sex /seks/ noun 1. one of two groups,male and female, into which animalsand plants can be divided � They’ve hada baby, but I don’t know what sex it is. 2.physical activity which, between a manand a woman, could cause a baby to de-velop � a film full of sex and violence �Sex was the last thing on her mind.

sexual

sexual /�sekʃuəl/ adjective relating tothe activity of having sex � Their rela-tionship was never sexual.

sexually

sexually /�sekʃυəli/ adverb in a sexualway


shabby 282 sharpenshabbyshabby /�ʃ�bi/ adjective (of clothes)

used about clothes which are of poorquality or look worn out � He wore ashabby coat with two buttons missing.

shadeshade /ʃed/ noun 1. a variety of a par-ticular colour � Her hat is a rather pret-ty shade of green. 2. a dark place whichis not in the sun � Let’s try and findsome shade – it’s too hot in the sun. �The sun’s so hot that we’ll have to sit inthe shade.

shadowshadow /�ʃ�dəυ/ noun a dark place be-hind an object where light is cut off bythe object � In the evening, the treescast long shadows across the lawn. �She saw his shadow move down the hall.� They rested for a while, in the shadowof a large tree.

shaftshaft /ʃɑft/ noun 1. the long handle of atool such as a spade � The shaft of thespade was so old it snapped in two. 2. athin beam of light � Tiny particles ofdust were dancing in a shaft of sunlight.3. a deep hole connecting one place toanother � The shaft had become blockedwith rubbish.

shakeshake /ʃek/ verb to move somethingfrom side to side or up and down �Shake the bottle before pouring. � Thehouse shakes every time a train goespast. � His hand shook as he opened theenvelope. (NOTE: shakes – shaking –shook /ʃυk/ – shaken)

shallshall /ʃəl, ʃ�l/ modal verb 1. used tomake the future tense � We shall be outon Saturday evening. � I shan’t say an-ything – I shall keep my mouth shut! �Tomorrow we shan’t be home until after10 o’clock. 2. used to show a suggestion� Shall we open the windows? � Shall Igive them a ring? (NOTE: shall is mainlyused with I and we. The negative isshan’t /ʃɑnt/. The past tense isshould, should not usually shoul-dn’t.)

shallowshallow /�ʃ�ləυ/ adjective not far fromtop to bottom � Children were playingin the shallow end of the pool. � The riv-er is so shallow in summer that you canwalk across it.

shameshame /ʃem/ noun the feeling you havewhen you know you have done some-thing bad or wrong � She went bright

red with shame. � To my shame, I didnothing to help.

shampooshampoo /ʃ�m��pu/ noun 1. liquidsoap for washing your hair or for wash-ing things such as carpets or cars 2. theaction of washing the hair � She went tothe hairdresser’s for a shampoo.

shapeshape /ʃep/ noun the form of howsomething looks � A design in the shapeof a letter S. � The old table was a funnyshape. � verb to make into a certainform � He shaped the pastry into theform of a little boat.

shapedshaped /ʃept/ adjective with a certainshape

shareshare /ʃeə/ noun a part of something thatis divided between two or more people� Did he get his share of the prize? �Take your share of the cake and leaveme the rest. � She should have paid hershare of the food bill. � There’s a lot ofwork to do, so everyone must do theirshare. � verb 1. also share out to di-vide up something among several peo-ple � Let’s share the bill. � In her will,her money was shared out among hersons. 2. to use something which some-one else also uses � We share an office.� We shared a taxi to the airport.

sharkshark /ʃɑk/ noun a large dangerous fishwhich lives in the sea and can kill peo-ple

sharpsharp /ʃɑp/ adjective 1. with an edge orpoint which can easily cut or passthrough something � For injections, aneedle has to have a very sharp point. �The beach is covered with sharp stones.� This knife is useless – it isn’t sharpenough. 2. sudden and great � Therewas a sharp drop in interest rates. � Theroad makes a sharp right-hand bend. �He received a sharp blow on the back ofhis head. � We had a sharp frost lastnight. 3. bitter � Lemons have a verysharp taste. 4. quick to notice things �He has a sharp sense of justice. � Shehas a sharp eye for a bargain. � He’spretty sharp at spotting mistakes. � ad-verb 1. exactly � The coach will leavethe hotel at 7.30 sharp. 2. suddenly, atan angle � The road turned sharp right.

sharpensharpen /�ʃɑpən/ verb to make some-thing sharp


shave 283 shiftshave

shave /ʃev/ noun the act of cutting offthe hair on your face with a razor � Hedecided to have a shave before goingout to dinner. � verb 1. to cut off thehair on your face with a razor � He cuthimself shaving. 2. to cut the hair onyour head or, on a part of your body, sothat it is very short � I didn’t recognisehim with his head shaved.

she

she /ʃi/ pronoun used for referring to afemale person, a female animal andsometimes to cars, ships and countries �She’s my sister. � She and I are going onholiday to France together. � I’m angrywith her – she’s taken my motorbike. �She’s a sweet little cat, but she’s nogood at catching mice. � The customsofficers boarded the ship when shedocked. (NOTE: When it is the object,she becomes her: She hit the ball orthe ball hit her. When it follows the verbto be, she usually becomes her:Who’s that? – It’s her, the girl we metyesterday.)

shed

shed /ʃed/ noun a small wooden building� They kept the mower in a shed at thebottom of the garden. � verb to losesomething which you are carrying orwearing � In autumn, the trees shedtheir leaves as soon as the weather turnscold. � A lorry has shed its load of woodat the roundabout. � We shed ourclothes and dived into the cool water.(NOTE: sheds – shedding – shed)

sheep

sheep /ʃip/ noun a common farm ani-mal, which gives wool and meat � aflock of sheep � The sheep are in thefield. (NOTE: The plural is sheep.)

sheer

sheer /ʃə/ adjective 1. used for empha-sizing something � It was sheer heavento get into a hot bath after skiing. � Shewas crying out of sheer frustration. �It’s sheer madness to go out without acoat in this weather. 2. very steep � Itwas a sheer drop to the beach below.

sheet

sheet /ʃit/ noun 1. a large piece of thincloth which is put on a bed, either to lieon or to cover you � She changed thesheets on the bed. 2. a large flat piece ofsomething such as paper, metal, ice orplastic � Can you give me another sheetof paper?

shelf

shelf /ʃelf/ noun a flat piece of wood at-tached to a wall or in a cupboard onwhich things can be put � He put up orbuilt some shelves in the kitchen. � Theshelves were packed with books. � Putthat book back on the shelf. � Can youreach me down the box from the topshelf? � The plates are on the top shelfin the kitchen cupboard. (NOTE: Theplural is shelves.)

shell

shell /ʃel/ noun 1. the hard outside partwhich covers some animals such assnails or tortoises � The children spenthours collecting shells on the beach. 2.the hard outside part of an egg or a nut� I found a big piece of shell in my ome-lette. 3. a metal tube which is fired froma gun and explodes when it hits some-thing � A shell landed on the hospital.

shelter

shelter /�ʃeltə/ noun 1. protection � Westood in the shelter of a tree waiting forthe rain to stop. � On the mountainthere was no shelter from the pouringrain. � to take shelter to go somewherefor protection � When the gunmen start-ed to shoot we all took shelter behind awall. 2. a structure or building whichprotects you from bad weather or dan-ger � People stood in the bus shelter outof the rain as they waited for the bus tocome. � verb to go somewhere for pro-tection � Sheep were sheltering from thesnow beside the hedge.

shelves

shelves /ʃelvz/ plural of shelfsheriff

sheriff /�ʃerf/ noun US an official incharge of justice in a particular part of astate � the sheriff of Orange County

shield

shield /ʃild/ noun a large plate held inone hand, carried by people such as po-lice as a protection � The policemencowered behind their plastic shields. �verb to protect someone or somethingfrom being reached or seen � He tried toshield her from the wind.

shift

shift /ʃft/ noun a change of somethingsuch as position or direction � The com-pany is taking advantage of a shift in themarket towards higher priced goods. �There has been a shift of emphasis fromopposition to partnership. � I don’t un-derstand this shift in attitude. � verb tochange position or direction � We’veshifted the television from the kitchen


shin 284 shopping

into the dining room. � My opinion hasshifted since I read the official report.

shin

shin /ʃn/ noun the front part of your legbelow the knee � He scraped his shinclimbing over the wall. � They kickedhim in the shins.

shine

shine /ʃan/ verb 1. to be bright withlight � The sun is shining and they sayit’ll be hot today. � She polished the ta-ble until it shone. � The wine glassesshone in the light of the candles. � Whydo cats’ eyes shine in the dark? � Themoon shone down on the waiting crowd.2. to make light fall on something � Heshone his torch into the cellar. (NOTE:shines – shining – shone /ʃɒn/)

shiny

shiny /�ʃani/ adjective which shines(NOTE: shinier – shiniest)

ship

ship /ʃp/ noun a large boat for carryingpassengers and goods on the sea � She’sa fine ship. � How many ships does theRoyal Navy have? � The first time wewent to the United States, we went byship. (NOTE: A ship is often referred toas she or her.)

shirt

shirt /ʃ�t/ noun a light piece of clothingwhich you wear on the top part of thebody � The teacher wore a blue suit anda white shirt. � When he came backfrom the trip he had a suitcase full ofdirty shirts. � It’s so hot that the work-ers in the fields have taken their shirtsoff.

shiver

shiver /�ʃvə/ verb to shake with cold orfear � She shivered in the cold night air.� He was coughing and shivering, sothe doctor told him to stay in bed. �noun the action of shaking because offeeling cold or frightened

shock

shock /ʃɒk/ noun a sudden unpleasantsurprise � It gave me quite a shock whenyou walked in. � He’s in for a nastyshock. � in a state of shock reactingbadly to a sudden unpleasant surprise �She was in a state of shock after hearingof the accident. � verb to give someonea sudden unpleasant surprise � The con-ditions in the hospital shocked the in-spectors.

shocked

shocked /ʃɒkt/ adjective having an un-pleasant surprise

shocking

shocking /�ʃɒkŋ/ adjective very un-pleasant, which gives someone a suddensurprise

shoe

shoe /ʃu/ noun a piece of clothingwhich is worn on your foot � She’sbought a new pair of shoes. � He put hisshoes on and went out. � Take yourshoes off if your feet hurt. (NOTE: Theplural is shoes.)

shone

shone /ʃɒn/ past tense and past participleof shine

shook

shook /ʃυk/ past tense of shakeshoot

shoot /ʃut/ noun a new growth of aplant, growing from a seed or from abranch � One or two green shoots arealready showing where I sowed my let-tuces. � After pruning, the roses willsend out a lot of strong new shoots. �verb 1. to fire a gun � Soldiers wereshooting into the woods. 2. to hit or killa person or animal by firing a gun � Oneof the robbers was shot by a policemanwhen he tried to run away. � We wentout hunting and shot two rabbits. 3. togo very fast � When the bell rang sheshot down the stairs. � He started theengine and the car shot out of the ga-rage. 4. in some sports, to aim a ball atthe goal � He shot, and the ball bouncedoff the post. (NOTE: shoots – shooting– shot /ʃɒt/)

shop

shop /ʃɒp/ noun a place where you canbuy things � Quite a few shops are openon Sundays. � I never go to that shop –it’s much too expensive. � The sweetshop is opposite the fire station. � verbto look for and buy things in shops �She’s out shopping for his birthdaypresent. � Mum’s gone shopping intown. � They went shopping in OxfordStreet. � Do you ever shop locally?(NOTE: shops – shopping –shopped)

shopkeeper

shopkeeper /�ʃɒpkipə/ noun a personwho owns a shop

shopping

shopping /�ʃɒpŋ/ noun 1. the activityof buying things in a shop � We do allour shopping at the weekend. � He’sgone out to do the weekly shopping. 2.things which you have bought in a shop� Put all your shopping on the table. �She was carrying two baskets of shop-


shore 285 show

ping. (NOTE: no plural: some shopping,a lot of shopping)

shore

shore /ʃɔ/ noun land at the edge of thesea or a lake � She stood on the shorewaving as the boat sailed away.

short

short /ʃɔt/ adjective 1. not long � Haveyou got a short piece of wire? 2. (of dis-tance) not far � She only lives a shortdistance away. � The taxi driver wantedto take me through the high street, but Itold him there was a shorter route. �The shortest way to the railway stationis to go through the park. 3. (of time) notlasting a long time � He phoned a shorttime ago. � We had a short holiday inJune. � She managed to have a shortsleep on the plane. 4. not tall � He isonly 1m 40 – much shorter than hisbrother.

shortage

shortage /�ʃɔtd"/ noun the fact thatyou do not have something you need �a shortage of skilled staff � During thewar, there were food shortages.

shortly

shortly /�ʃɔtli/ adverb soonshot

shot /ʃɒt/ noun 1. the action of shooting� The police fired two shots at the car. �Some shots were fired during the bankrobbery. 2. a kick or hit to try to score agoal � He kicked but his shot wasstopped by the goalkeeper. � past tenseand past participle of shoot

should

should /ʃυd/ modal verb 1. used in giv-ing advice or warnings for saying whatis the best thing to do � You should goto the doctor if your cough gets worse. �I should have been more careful. � Sheshouldn’t eat so much if she’s trying tolose weight. � Should I ask for more cof-fee? � Why should I clean up yourmess? (NOTE: Ought to can be used in-stead of should.) 2. used to say whatyou expect to happen � If you leave nowyou should be there by 4 o’clock. �Their train should have arrived by now.� There shouldn’t be any more prob-lems now. (NOTE: Ought to can beused instead of should.) 3. used toshow a possibility � If the Presidentshould die in office, the Vice-Presidentautomatically takes over. � I’ll be in thenext room should you need me. 4. sameas would (dated) � We should like tooffer you our congratulations. � If I had

enough money I should like to buy a newcar.

shoulder

shoulder /�ʃəυldə/ noun the part of thebody at the top of the arm � The police-man hurt me on the shoulder. � Lookover your shoulder, he’s just behind you.

shout

shout /ʃaυt/ noun a loud cry � She gavea shout and dived into the water. � Peo-ple came running when they heard theshouts of the children. � verb to make aloud cry or to speak very loudly � Theystamped on the floor and shouted. � Ihad to shout to the waitress to getserved. � They were shouting greetingsto one another across the street.

shove

shove /ʃ�v/ noun a sudden push � Shegave the car a shove and it rolled downthe hill. � verb to push someone orsomething roughly � He shoved the pa-pers into his pocket. � Stop shoving –there’s no more room on the bus.

show

show /ʃəυ/ noun 1. an exhibition � TheHampton Court Flower Show opens to-morrow. � She has entered her two catsfor the local cat show. 2. a play or otherperformance which is on at a theatre �‘Cats’ is a wonderful show. � We’re go-ing to a show tonight. � The show startsat 7.30, so let’s have dinner early. �verb 1. to let someone see something �He wanted to show me his holiday pho-tos. � She proudly showed me her newcar. � You don’t have to show your pass-port when you’re travelling to Ireland.2. to point something out to someone �Show me where the accident happened.� He asked me to show him the way tothe railway station. � The salesmanshowed her how to work the photocopi-er. � My watch shows the date as well asthe time. 3. to be seen, or to be obvious� The repairs were badly done and itshows. � Her rash has almost disap-peared and hardly shows at all. (NOTE:shows – showing – showed –shown /ʃəυn/) � on show arrangedfor everyone to see � Is there anythingnew on show in this year’s exhibition?

show off phrasal verb 1. to show howmuch better than other people you thinkyou are � Don’t watch her dancingabout like that – she’s just showing off.2. to let a lot of people see something


shower 286 shut

which you are proud of � He drove pastwith the radio on very loud, showing offhis new car.show up phrasal verb 1. to do some-thing which shows other people to beworse than you � She dances so wellthat she shows us all up. 2. to be seenclearly � When I ride my bike at night Iwear an orange jacket because it showsup clearly in the dark. 3. to come to orarrive in a place (informal) � We invitedall our friends to the picnic but it rainedand only five of them showed up.

shower

shower /�ʃaυə/ noun 1. a slight fall ofrain or snow � In April there’s usually amixture of sunshine and showers. �There were snow showers this morning,but it is sunny again now. 2. a piece ofequipment in a bathroom, usually fixedhigh up on the wall, which sends outwater to wash your whole body 3. an oc-casion when you wash your body with ashower � She went up to her room andhad a shower. � He has a cold showerevery morning. � You can’t take a show-er now, there’s no hot water. � verb towash yourself under a shower � Heshowered and went down to greet hisguests.

shown

shown /ʃəυn/ past participle of showshrank

shrank /ʃr�ŋk/ past tense of shrinkshred

shred /ʃred/ noun a long narrow piecetorn off something � She tore his news-paper to shreds. � The curtains were onthe floor in shreds. � verb 1. to tear orcut paper into long thin pieces, whichcan then be thrown away or used aspacking material � They sent a pile ofold invoices to be shredded. � She toldthe police that the manager had told herto shred all the documents in the file. 2.to cut something into very thin pieces �Here’s a utensil for shredding vegeta-bles. � Add a cup of shredded carrot.(NOTE: shreds – shredding – shred-ded)

shrink

shrink /ʃrŋk/ verb 1. to make smaller �The water must have been too hot – it’sshrunk my shirt. 2. to get smaller � Myshirt has shrunk in the wash. � The mar-ket for typewriters has shrunk almost tonothing. (NOTE: shrinks – shrinking –shrank /ʃr�ŋk/ – shrunk /ʃr�ŋk/)

shrivel

shrivel /�ʃrv(ə)l/ verb to make the sur-face of something become dry andcreased, or to become like this (NOTE:shrivels – shrivelling – shrivelled)

shrunk

shrunk /ʃr�ŋk/ past participle of shrinkshuffle

shuffle /�ʃ�f(ə)l/ verb 1. to walk drag-ging your feet along the ground � Heshuffled into the room in his slippers. 2.to mix the playing cards before startinga game � I think he must have donesomething to the cards when he wasshuffling them.

shut

shut /ʃ�t/ adjective not open � Someshops are shut on Sundays, but most bigstores are open. � We tried to get intothe museum but it was shut. � She laywith her eyes shut. � Come in – the doorisn’t shut! � verb 1. to close somethingwhich is open � Can you please shut thewindow – it’s getting cold in here. �Here’s your present – shut your eyesand guess what it is. 2. to close for busi-ness � In Germany, shops shut on Sat-urday afternoons. � The restaurantshuts at midnight. (NOTE: shuts – shut-ting – shut)

shut down phrasal verb 1. to closecompletely � The factory shut down forthe holiday weekend. 2. to switch off anelectrical system � They had to shutdown the factory because pollution lev-els were too high.shut in phrasal verb to lock someoneinside a placeshut off phrasal verb 1. to switchsomething off � Can you shut off thewater while I mend the tap? 2. to stopaccess to � We can shut off the diningroom with folding doors. � The house isshut off from the road by a high wall.shut out phrasal verb 1. to lock some-one outside a place � I was shut out ofthe house because I’d left my keys in-side. � If the dog keeps on barkingyou’ll have to shut him out. 2. to stoplight getting inside, or to stop peopleseeing inside � Those thick curtainsshould shut out the light from the chil-dren’s room. � A high wall shuts out theview of the factory. 3. to stop thinkingabout something � Try to shut out thememory of the accident.


shutter 287 sign

shut up phrasal verb 1. to close some-thing inside a place � I hate being shutup indoors on a sunny day. 2. an impo-lite way of telling someone to stop talk-ing or to stop making a noise � Tellthose children to shut up – I’m trying towork. � Shut up! – we’re tired of listen-ing to your complaints. � Once he startstalking it’s impossible to shut him up.

shutter

shutter /�ʃ�tə/ noun 1. a folding woodenor metal cover for a window � Close theshutters if the sunlight is too bright. 2.the part of a camera which opens andcloses very quickly to allow the light togo on to the film � He released the shut-ter and took the picture.

shy

shy /ʃa/ adjective nervous and afraid tospeak or do something � He’s so shy hesat in the back row and didn’t speak toanyone.

sick

sick /sk/ adjective 1. not in good health� He’s been sick for months. � We havefive staff off sick. 2. � to be sick to bringup food from the stomach into themouth � The last time I ate oysters I wassick all night. � to feel sick to feel ill be-cause you want to bring up food fromthe stomach � When I got up this morn-ing I felt sick and went back to bed. �The greasy food made her feel sick. 3. �to make someone sick to make some-one very annoyed � All my friends earnmore than I do – it makes me sick! 4. in-volving subjects or behaviour that manypeople are upset or offended by � a sickjoke � noun the contents of the stomachwhen they come out through the mouth(informal)

side

side /sad/ noun 1. one of the four partswhich with the top and bottom make asolid object such as a box � Stand thebox upright – don’t turn it onto its side.2. one of the two parts which with thefront and back make a building � Thegarage is attached to the side of thehouse. 3. one of the surfaces of a flat ob-ject � Please write on both sides of thepaper. 4. one of two or more parts oredges of something � Our office is onthe opposite side of the street to thebank. � London’s Heathrow Airport ison the west side of the city. � The hitch-hikers were standing by the side of the

road. � She sat to one side of the fire-place. 5. one of two parts separated bysomething � She jumped over the fenceto get to the other side. � In the UK,cars drive on the left-hand side of theroad. 6. a sports team � The local sidewas beaten 2 – 0. 7. the part of the bodybetween the top of the legs and theshoulder � I can’t sleep when I’m lyingon my right side. � The policemen stoodby the prisoner’s side. � They all stoodside by side. � adjective which is at theside � There is a side entrance to theshop. � Can you take that bucket roundto the side door?

sidewalk

sidewalk /�sadwɔk/ noun US a pave-ment � A girl was walking slowly alongthe sidewalk. � We sat at a sidewalkcafé.

sideways

sideways /�sadwez/ adverb to the sideor from the side � Crabs walk sideways.� Take a step sideways and you will beable to see the castle. � If you look at thepost sideways you’ll see how bent it is.

sigh

sigh /sa/ noun a long deep breath, show-ing feelings such as sadness or showingthat you feel tired � She gave a deepsigh and put the phone down. � Youcould hear the sighs of relief from theaudience when the hero was saved. �verb to breathe with a sigh � He sighedand wrote out another cheque.

sight

sight /sat/ noun 1. the sense that is theability to see � My grandfather’s sightisn’t very good any more. 2. the fact ofbeing able to see something � He can’tstand the sight of blood. � We caughtsight of an eagle up in the mountains. �She kept waving until the car disap-peared from sight. � The fog clearedand the mountains came into sight. �They waved until the boat was out ofsight. 3. something, especially some-thing famous, which is interesting to see� They went off on foot to see the sightsof the town. � The guidebook lists themain tourist sights in Beijing. (NOTE: Donot confuse with site.)

sign

sign /san/ noun 1. a movement of thehand which means something � Hemade a sign to us to sit down. 2. some-thing such as a drawing or a noticewhich advertises something � The shop


signal 288 simply

has a big sign outside it saying ‘forsale’. � A ‘no smoking’ sign hung on thewall. 3. something which shows thatsomething is happening or has hap-pened � There is no sign of the rainstopping. � The economy is showingsigns of improvement. � The police canfind no sign of how the burglars got intothe office. � He should have arrived bynow, but there’s no sign of him. 4. aprinted character � the pound sign (£) �the dollar sign ($) � verb to write yourname in a special way on a document toshow that you have written it or that youhave approved it � Sign on the dottedline, please. � The letter is signed by themanaging director. � A cheque is notvalid if it has not been signed.

signal

signal /�s'n(ə)l/ noun 1. a sign ormovement which tells someone to dosomething � I’ll give you a signal tostart singing. 2. a piece of equipmentused to tell someone to do something �The signal was at red so the train had tostop. � verb to make signs to tell some-one to do something � The driver sig-nalled to show that he was turning right.� She signalled to me that we were run-ning out of time. (NOTE: signals – sig-nalling – signalled. The US spellingis signaling – signaled.)

signature

signature /�s'ntʃə/ noun a name writ-ten in a special way by someone to showthat a document has been officially ac-cepted � He found a pile of cheques onhis desk waiting for his signature. � Hersignature doesn’t look like her name atall. � The shopkeeper looked veryclosely at her signature and compared itwith the one on the credit card.

significant

significant /s'��nfkənt/ adjective im-portant or noticeable � It is highly sig-nificant that everyone else was asked tothe meeting, but not the finance director.� There has been a significant improve-ment in his condition.

silence

silence /�saləns/ noun a situation whichis quiet, without any noise � I love thesilence of the countryside at night. �The crowd of tourists waited in silence.� The mayor held up his hand and askedfor silence. � There was a sudden si-

lence as she came in. � There will be aminute’s silence at 11 o’clock.

silent

silent /�salənt/ adjective not talking ormaking any noise � He kept silent forthe whole meeting. � This new washingmachine is almost silent. � They showedsome old silent films.

silk

silk /slk/ noun cloth made from fibresproduced by insects � She was wearinga beautiful silk scarf. � I bought someblue silk to make a dress.

silly

silly /�sli/ adjective stupid in an annoy-ing way � Don’t be silly – you can’t goto the party dressed like that! � Sheasked a lot of silly questions. � Of allthe silly newspaper articles that must bethe silliest. (NOTE: sillier – silliest)

silver

silver /�slvə/ noun a precious white met-al often used for making jewellery �Gold is worth more than silver. � Howmuch is an ounce of silver worth? � ad-jective of a shiny white colour, like sil-ver � The car has been resprayed withsilver paint. � She wore silver sandalsto match her handbag.

similar

similar /�smlə/ adjective very muchlike someone or something but not ex-actly the same � The two cars are verysimilar in appearance. � Our situationis rather similar to yours.

similarity

similarity /�sm��l�rti/ noun beingsimilar (NOTE: The plural is similari-ties.)

similarly

similarly /�smləli/ adverb in a similarway � All these infections must be treat-ed similarly. � He always writes a nicethank you letter, and similarly so doeshis sister.

simple

simple /�smpəl/ adjective 1. easy to door understand � The machine is verysimple to use. 2. not unusual, special orcomplicated � They had a simple mealof bread and soup. � It’s a very simplepattern of lines and squares.

simply

simply /�smpli/ adverb 1. in a simpleway � He described very simply howthe accident had happened. � She al-ways dresses very simply. 2. only � Hedid it simply to annoy everyone. � Shegave a new look to the room simply bypainting one wall red. 3. used for em-phasis � Your garden is simply beauti-


since 289 site

ful. � It’s simply terrible – what shall wedo?

since

since /sns/ preposition during the peri-od after � She’s been here since Mon-day. � We’ve been working non-stopsince four o’clock – can’t we have arest? � conjunction 1. during the periodafter � He has had trouble borrowingmoney ever since he was rude to thebank manager. � Since we got to the ho-tel, it has rained every day. 2. because �Since he’s ill, you can’t ask him to helpyou. � Since it’s such a fine day, let’s gofor a walk. � adverb during the perioduntil now � She phoned on Sunday andwe haven’t heard from her since. � Heleft England in 1990 and has livedabroad ever since.

sincere

sincere /sn��sə/ adjective very honestand real, not false or pretended

sincerely

sincerely /sn��səli/ adverb honestly orreally

sing

sing /sŋ/ verb to make music with yourvoice � She was singing as she worked.� Please sing another song. � He al-ways sings in the bath. � She sang a fun-ny song about elephants. � The birdswere singing in the garden. (NOTE:sings – singing – sang /s�ŋ/ – sung/s�ŋ/)

singer

singer /�sŋə/ noun a person who singssingle

single /�sŋ'(ə)l/ adjective 1. one alone� He handed her a single sheet of paper.� There wasn’t a single person I knew atthe party. � The single most importantfact about him is that he has no money.2. for one person only � Have you got asingle room for two nights, please? �We prefer two single beds to a doublebed. 3. not married � She’s twenty-nineand still single. � Are there any singlemen on the course?

singular

singular /�sŋ'jυlə/ adjective showingthat there is only one thing or person �‘She’ is a singular pronoun.

sink

sink /sŋk/ noun a fixed container for wa-ter in which you wash things such asdishes in a kitchen � The sink was piledhigh with dirty dishes. � He was wash-ing his hands at the kitchen sink. � verb1. to go down to the bottom of some-thing such as water or mud � The ferry

sank in 30m of water. � The paper boatfloated for a few minutes, then sank. �You should tie a piece of lead to yourfishing line to make it sink. 2. to fall sud-denly � She was so upset that she justsank into an armchair and closed hereyes. � My heart sank when I heard thenews. (NOTE: sinks – sinking – sank/s�ŋk/ – sunk /s�ŋk/)

sipsip /sp/ noun the act of drinking a smallamount � She took a sip of water, andwent on with her speech. � verb to drinksomething taking only a small amountat a time � The girl was sipping herdrink quietly. (NOTE: sips – sipping –sipped)

sir

sir /s�/ noun 1. a polite way of speakingto a man, e.g. a man who is a customerin a shop � Would you like a drink withyour lunch, sir? � Please come this way,sir. 2. � Dear Sir a polite way of begin-ning a letter to a man you do not know3. the title given to a baronet or knight

sirensiren /�sarən/ noun a piece of equip-ment which makes a loud warning sig-nal

sistersister /�sstə/ noun 1. a girl or womanwho has the same father and mother assomeone else � His three sisters all lookalike. � My younger sister Louise worksin a bank. � Do you have any sisters? 2.a senior female nurse in charge of award � The sister told me my son wasgetting better. (NOTE: The male equiva-lent is charge nurse.)

sitsit /st/ verb 1. to be resting with yourbottom on something � Mother was sit-ting in bed eating her breakfast. 2. (of abird) to rest on something � The robinalways comes and sits on the fence whenI’m digging. (NOTE: sits – sitting – sat/s�t/)sit down phrasal verb to sit on a seatsit up phrasal verb 1. to sit with yourback straight � Sit up straight! 2. tomove from a lying to a sitting position �He’s too weak to sit up. � He sat up inbed to eat his breakfast. 3. to delay go-ing to bed or to go to bed later than usual� We sat up playing cards until 2 a.m.

sitesite /sat/ noun 1. a place where some-thing is or will be � This is the site forthe new factory. 2. a place where some-


sitting room 290 skill

thing happened, or where somethingonce existed � This was the site of theBattle of Hastings in 1066. � They’retrying to locate the site of the old Romanfort.

sitting room

sitting room /�stŋ rum/ noun a com-fortable room in a house for sitting in

situation

situation /�stʃu��eʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. theposition which someone or something isin because of things which have hap-pened � What’s your opinion of thecompany’s present situation? � I won-der how she got herself into this situa-tion? 2. a place where something is �The hotel is in a very pleasant situationby the sea.

six

six /sks/ noun the number 6 � He’s six(years old). � We’re having some peopleround for drinks at six (o’clock). �There are only six chocolates left in thebox – who’s eaten the rest?

sixteen

sixteen /�sks��tin/ noun the number 16� He’ll be sixteen next month. � Thetrain leaves at seventeen sixteen(17.16).

sixteenth

sixteenth /sks��tinθ/ adjective number16 in a series � She came sixteenth inthe race. � Her sixteenth birthday is onTuesday. � noun the thing that isnumber 16 in a series � Today is July thesixteenth or the sixteenth of July (July16th).

sixth

sixth /sksθ/ adjective number 6 in a se-ries � His office is on the sixth floor. �What is the sixth letter of the alphabet?� Tomorrow is her sixth birthday. �noun 1. the thing that is number 6 in aseries � Today is September the sixth orthe sixth of September (September 6th).2. one part of six equal parts � Ten min-utes is a sixth of an hour.

sixtieth

sixtieth /�skstəθ/ adjective numbersixty in a series � his sixtieth birthday �noun the thing that is number sixty in aseries

sixty

sixty /�sksti/ noun the number 60 �She’s sixty (years old). � Over sixtyplayers took part in the competition.

size

size /saz/ noun the measurements ofsomething, or how big something is �Their garage is about the same size asour house. � The school has an Olympic

size swimming pool. � He takes size tenin shoes. � What size collars do youtake? � The size of the staff has doubledin the last two years.

sizzle

sizzle /�sz(ə)l/ verb to make a sound likefood cooking in oil or fat

skate

skate /sket/ noun a boot with a blade at-tached to the bottom which you wear forsliding over ice � a pair of skates � verbto move wearing skates � She skatedacross the frozen lake. (NOTE: skates –skating – skated)

skateboard

skateboard /�sketbɔd/ noun a boardwith two pairs of wheels underneath,which you stand on to move about

skeleton

skeleton /�skelt(ə)n/ noun all thebones which make up a body � Theyfound the skeleton of a rabbit in the gar-den shed. � He demonstrated joints us-ing the skeleton in the biology lab.

skeptical

skeptical /�skeptk(ə)l/ adjective USspelling of sceptical

sketch

sketch /sketʃ/ noun a rough quick draw-ing � He made a sketch of the church. �verb to make a rough quick drawing ofsomething � She was sketching the oldchurch. � He sketched out his plan onthe back of an envelope.

sketchbook

sketchbook /�sketʃbυk/ noun a bookof drawing paper for sketching

ski

ski /ski/ noun one of two long flat ob-jects which are attached to your bootsfor sliding over snow � We always hireskis when we get to the ski resort. �Someone stole my new pair of skis. �verb to travel on skis � The mountainrescue team had to ski to the site of theavalanche. � We skied down to the bot-tom of the slope without falling. � Shebroke her arm skiing. (NOTE: skis – ski-ing – skied)

skiing

skiing /�skiŋ/ noun the sport of slidingon skis

skilful

skilful /�sklf(ə)l/ adjective showing a lotof skill

skilfully

skilfully /�sklfυli/ adverb in a skilfulway � It was difficult but he did it veryskilfully.

skill

skill /skl/ noun the ability to do some-thing well as a result of training or expe-rience � Portrait painting needs a lot of


skilled 291 slaughter

skill. � This job will help you developmanagement skills.

skilled

skilled /skld/ adjective 1. able to dosomething well, using a particular skill� She’s a skilled therapist. � We needskilled programmers. 2. needing a par-ticular skill � nursing and other skilledprofessions

skillful

skillful /�sklf(ə)l/ adjective US spellingof skilful

skim

skim /skm/ verb 1. to remove thingsfloating on a liquid � Skim the soup toremove the fat on the surface. 2. to movequickly over the surface of something �Flies skimmed across the surface of thelake. (NOTE: skims – skimming –skimmed)

skin

skin /skn/ noun 1. the outer surface ofthe body � The baby’s skin is verysmooth. 2. the outer surface of a fruit orvegetable � This orange has a very thickskin. � You can cook these new potatoeswith their skins on.

skinny

skinny /�skni/ adjective too thin to beattractive � A tall skinny guy walked in.� She has very skinny legs. (NOTE: skin-nier – skinniest)

skip

skip /skp/ verb 1. to run along partlyhopping and partly jumping � The chil-dren skipped happily down the lane. 2.to jump over a rope which you turn overyour head � The boys played footballand the girls were skipping. 3. to misspart of something (informal) � Sheskipped the middle chapters and wenton to read the end of the story. � I’m nothungry, I’ll skip the pudding. (NOTE:skips – skipping – skipped)

skirt

skirt /sk�t/ noun a piece of clothingworn by women over the lower part ofthe body from the waist down � Shestarted wearing jeans to work, but wastold to wear a skirt.

skull

skull /sk�l/ noun the bones which arejoined together to form the head

sky

sky /ska/ noun a space above the earthwhich is blue during the day and wherethe moon and stars appear at night �What makes the sky blue? � It’s going tobe a beautiful day – there’s not a cloudin the sky. � The wind carried the gliderhigh up into the sky.

skyscraper

skyscraper /�skaskrepə/ noun a verytall building

slab

slab /sl�b/ noun a flat square or rectan-gular block of stone or concrete

slack

slack /sl�k/ adjective 1. not pulled tightor not fitting tightly � The wind haddropped and the sails were slack. � Theropes are slack – pull on them to makethem tight. 2. not busy � Business isslack at the end of the week. � Januaryis always a slack period for us.

slam

slam /sl�m/ verb 1. to bang a door shut� When he saw me, he slammed thedoor in my face. 2. to shut with a bang �The door slammed and I was locked out.3. to move, or to hit something, withgreat force � The car slammed into atree. � He slammed his fist on the desk.(NOTE: slams – slamming –slammed)

slang

slang /sl�ŋ/ noun popular words orphrases used by certain groups of peo-ple, but which are not used in formal sit-uations � Don’t use slang in your essay.� Slang expressions are sometimes dif-ficult to understand.

slant

slant /slɑnt/ noun a slope � The gardenis on a slant, which makes cutting thelawn difficult. � verb to slope � Thepath slants down the side of the hill. �The picture seems to be slanting to theright.

slap

slap /sl�p/ noun a blow given with yourhand flat � She gave him a slap in theface. � verb 1. to hit someone or some-thing with your hand flat � She slappedhis face. 2. to hit someone or somethinggently with your open hand as a sign offriendship � They all slapped him on theback to congratulate him. (NOTE: slaps– slapping – slapped)

slash

slash /sl�ʃ/ verb to make a long cut insomething with a knife, often violently� He slashed the painting with a kitchenknife.

slate

slate /slet/ noun a thin piece of thisstone used to cover a roof � The slateswere already piled up on the roof readyfor fixing.

slaughter

slaughter /�slɔtə/ noun 1. the killing ofmany people � the terrible slaughter ofinnocent people in the riots 2. the killing


sleek 292 slope

of animals � These lambs will be readyfor slaughter in a week or so. � verb 1.to kill many people or animals at thesame time � Thousands of civilianswere slaughtered by the advancing ar-my. 2. to kill animals for their meat

sleek

sleek /slik/ adjective smooth and shiny� the cat’s sleek coat � After dinner wewalked across the sleek lawns to the riv-er.

sleep

sleep /slip/ verb to rest with your eyesclosed in an unconscious state � Shenever sleeps for more than six hourseach night. � He slept through thewhole of the TV news. � Don’t make anynoise – Daddy’s trying to sleep. (NOTE:sleeps – sleeping – slept /slept/)

sleepy

sleepy /�slipi/ adjective feeling ready togo to sleep � The children had a busyday – they were very sleepy by 8 o’clock.� The injection will make you feelsleepy. � If you feel sleepy, don’t try todrive the car. � Sitting in front of the TVmade him sleepier and sleepier. (NOTE:sleepier – sleepiest)

sleet

sleet /slit/ noun snow mixed with rain �The temperature fell and the rain turnedto sleet.

sleeve

sleeve /sliv/ noun the part of a piece ofclothing which covers your arm � Thesleeves on this shirt are too long. � Hewas wearing a blue shirt with shortsleeves.

slender

slender /�slendə/ adjective long andthin, or tall and slim � slender fingers �a slender flower stem � a girl with aslender figure

slept

slept /slept/ past tense and past participleof sleep

slice

slice /slas/ noun a thin piece cut offsomething to eat � Can you cut somemore slices of bread? � Have a slice ofchocolate cake. � Would you like anoth-er slice of chicken? � verb to cut some-thing into thin pieces � She stood at thetable slicing the joint for lunch.

slide

slide /slad/ noun 1. a slippery metal orplastic structure for children to slidedown � There are swings and a slide inthe local playground. 2. a small piece offilm which can be shown on a screen �She put the screen up and showed us the

slides of her last trip. � There will be aslide show in the village hall. � verb tomove smoothly over a slippery surface� The drawer slides in and out easily. �The car slid to a stop. � The childrenwere sliding on the ice when it broke.(NOTE: slides – sliding – slid /sld/)

slight

slight /slat/ adjective not very big or no-ticeable � a slight difference � Shewasn’t the slightest bit nervous.

slightly

slightly /�slatli/ adverb to only a smallextent � He was only slightly hurt in thecar crash. � The American bank is of-fering a slightly better interest rate. � Ionly know him slightly.

slim

slim /slm/ adjective with a body that isthin in an attractive way � How do youmanage to stay so slim? � She looksslimmer in that dress. (NOTE: slimmer –slimmest) � verb to eat less food, oreat only special foods, in order to be-come thin � She started slimming be-fore her summer holidays. (NOTE: slims– slimming – slimmed)

slime

slime /slam/ noun a slippery substance,which covers surfaces

slimy

slimy /�slami/ adjective covered withsomething that is unpleasant and slip-pery � Watch out, the rocks are slimy. �What’s this slimy mess at the bottom ofthe fridge? (NOTE: slimier – slimiest)

slip

slip /slp/ verb 1. to push something with-out being seen � The postman slippedthe letters through the letter box. � Heslipped the keys into his pocket. 2. to goquickly � I’ll just slip down to the postoffice with this letter. (NOTE: slips –slipping – slipped) � noun a small,often careless mistake � Don’t worryabout that. It was just a slip. � He madea few slips in his calculations.

slippers

slippers /�slpəz/ noun light comforta-ble shoes worn indoors � They put theirslippers on when they come into thehouse.

slippery

slippery /�slp(ə)ri/ adjective so smooththat one can easily slip and fall

slit

slit /slt/ noun a long cut or narrow open-ing � She peeped through a slit in thecurtains.

slope

slope /sləυp/ noun a surface or piece ofground that has one end higher than the


slot 293 smoke

other � The land rises in a gentle slopeto the church. � They stopped halfwaydown the slope. � verb to have one endhigher than the other � The road slopesdown to the sea.

slot

slot /slɒt/ noun a long thin hole � A coinhas got stuck in the slot of the parkingmeter. � Put the system disk into the sloton the front of your computer.

slow

slow /sləυ/ adjective 1. needing a longtime to do something � Luckily, the carwas only going at a slow speed. � She isthe slowest walker of the group. � Thecompany is very slow at answering myletters. � Sales got off to a slow start butpicked up later. 2. showing a time whichis earlier than the right time � The officeclock is four minutes slow.

slow down phrasal verb 1. to go moreslowly � The van had to slow down as itcame to the traffic lights. � Please slowdown, I can’t keep up with you. 2. tomake something go more slowly � Thesnow slowed the traffic down on the mo-torway.

slowly

slowly /�sləυli/ adverb at a slow speed �Luckily, the car was going very slowlywhen it hit the fence. � The groupwalked slowly round the exhibition. �Speak more slowly so that everyone canunderstand.

sly

sly /sla/ adjective good at doing secret orslightly dishonest things

smack

smack /sm�k/ verb to hit someone orsomething with your hand flat � Shesmacked the little girl for being rude. �noun an act of hitting someone, espe-cially a child, with your hand flat � Ifyou pull the cat’s tail you’ll get a smack.

small

small /smɔl/ adjective not large in sizeor amount � Small cars are more eco-nomical than large ones. � The house istoo big for us, so we’re selling it andbuying a smaller one. � She only paid asmall amount for that clock. � Theguidebook isn’t small enough to carry inyour pocket. � These trousers are al-ready too small for him.

smart

smart /smɑt/ adjective 1. having a neatappearance � A smart young man askedme if he could use my mobile phone. �He looked very smart in his uniform. 2.

intelligent � It was smart of her to notethe car’s number plate. � verb if some-thing smarts, it hurts with a burningfeeling � The place where I burnt myhand is still smarting.

smash

smash /sm�ʃ/ verb 1. to break into piec-es � He dropped the plate and itsmashed to pieces. 2. to break some-thing into pieces, often using force orviolence � Demonstrators smashed thewindows of police cars. 3. to do betterthan the previous best performance �She smashed the world record. � Sixrecords were smashed at the Olympics.4. to hit against something violently �The train smashed into the car. � Thecrowd smashed through the railings.

smell

smell /smel/ noun 1. the sense that al-lows you to be aware of somethingthrough your nose � Animals have abetter sense of smell than humans. �These dogs have a very keen sense ofsmell and can sniff out even a minutequantity of drugs. 2. something whichyou can sense with your nose � I lovethe smell of coffee. � She noticed a smellof gas downstairs. � verb 1. to noticethe smell of something � Can you smellgas? � Wild animals can smell humans.� My nose is blocked – I can’t smell an-ything. 2. to make a smell � I don’t likecheese which smells too strong. �What’s for dinner? – it smells verygood! � There’s something whichsmells funny in the bathroom. � It smeltof gas in the kitchen. 3. to bring yournose close to something to smell it �She bent down to smell the snowdrops.(NOTE: smells – smelling – smelledor smelt /smelt/)

smile

smile /smal/ noun an act of turning yourmouth up at the corners to show that youare pleased � The dentist gave me afriendly smile. � She had a big smile asshe told them the good news. � verb toshow that you are pleased by turningyour mouth up at the corners � That girlhas just smiled at me. � Everyone smileplease – I’m taking a picture!

smoke

smoke /sməυk/ noun a white, grey orblack substance produced by somethingthat is burning � The restaurant was fullof cigarette smoke. � Clouds of smoke


smooth 294 sneak

were pouring out of the upstairs win-dows. � Two people died from inhalingtoxic smoke. � Smoke detectors are fit-ted in all the rooms. � verb 1. to pro-duce smoke � Two days after the fire,the ruins of the factory were still smok-ing. 2. to breathe in smoke from some-thing such as a cigarette � Everyonewas smoking even though the signs said‘no smoking’. � She doesn’t smokemuch. � You shouldn’t smoke if youwant to play football. (NOTE: smokes –smoking – smoked)

smoothsmooth /smuð/ adjective 1. with nobumps or rough parts � the smooth sur-face of a polished table � The baby’sskin is very smooth. � Velvet has asmooth side and a rough side. 2. with nosudden unpleasant movements � Dirt inthe fuel tank can prevent the smoothrunning of the engine. � We had a verysmooth ride.

smoothlysmoothly /�smuðli/ adverb in a smoothway

smoothnesssmoothness /�smuðnəs/ noun thestate of being smooth � The fabric hasall the smoothness of a baby’s skin. �The smoothness of the ride makes up forthe high fare.

smother

smother /�sm�ðə/ verb 1. to kill some-one by stopping them from breathing �They took the kittens and smotheredthem. � Never put a pillow over some-one’s face – you may smother them! 2.to cover something completely � achocolate cake simply smothered incream � The firemen put out the fire bysmothering it with foam.

smudgesmudge /sm�d"/ noun a dirty mark �There is a smudge on the top corner ofthe photograph. � He had a blacksmudge on his cheek. � verb to make adirty mark, e.g. by rubbing ink which isnot dry � Don’t touch the print withyour wet hands, or you’ll smudge it.

smugsmug /sm�'/ adjective pleased aboutsomething, especially your ownachievements, in a way that is annoying(NOTE: smugger – smuggest)

smugglesmuggle /�sm�'(ə)l/ verb 1. to takegoods into a country secretly and ille-gally � They tried to smuggle cigarettesinto the country. � We had to smuggle

the spare parts over the border. 2. totake something into or out of a place se-cretly and dishonestly � The kniveswere smuggled into the prison by asomeone visiting a prisoner. � We’llnever know how they smuggled the let-ter out.

snack

snack /sn�k/ noun a light meal, or asmall amount of food eaten betweenmeals � We didn’t have time to stop fora proper lunch, so we just had a snackon the motorway.

snag

snag /sn�'/ noun a little problem whichprevents you from doing something �We’ve run into a snag: there are noflights to the island on Sundays. � Theonly snag is that he’s not a very gooddriver.

snail

snail /snel/ noun a small animal whichmoves slowly along the ground, whichhas a soft body and a spiral-shaped shellon its back

snake

snake /snek/ noun a long thin animalwhich has no legs and moves along theground by wriggling � Is this snake safeto handle?

snap

snap /sn�p/ noun a photograph takenquickly (informal) � She showed me anold black-and-white snap of the house.� He took a lot of snaps of his children.� adjective sudden � They carried out asnap check or a snap inspection of thepassengers’ luggage. � The governmentcalled a snap election. � verb 1. tobreak sharply with a dry noise � Hesnapped a branch off the bush. 2. tobreak and make a loud high noise � Thehandle snapped off. (NOTE: snaps –snapping – snapped)

snarl

snarl /snɑl/ verb to growl angrily � Theleopard snarled as he approached itscage. � ‘Take your money, and get out’he snarled. � noun an angry growl � Asshe opened the door of the cage sheheard a snarl.

snatch

snatch /sn�tʃ/ verb to grab somethingsuddenly and quickly � He came besideher on his bike and snatched her hand-bag.

sneak

sneak /snik/ verb to go somewhere qui-etly without being seen � She sneaked


sneer 295 sob

into the room. � The burglar sneaked upto the house, hidden by the trees.

sneer

sneer /snə/ noun an unpleasant smile �He held the whip in his hand and lookedat her with a sneer. � verb to give some-one a sarcastic smile or to speak in acontemptuous way � He sneered at herattempts to speak French. � You shoul-dn’t sneer at her clothes – they’re by thebest designers and are very expensive.

sneeze

sneeze /sniz/ noun the uncontrolled ac-tion of blowing air suddenly out throughyour mouth and nose because of an irri-tation inside your nose � Coughs andsneezes spread diseases. � verb to makea sneeze � The smell of roses makes mesneeze.

sniff

sniff /snf/ noun the act of breathing inair through your nose � The dog gave asniff at the plate before licking it. � Hegave a little sniff and walked out of theshop. � verb to breathe in air throughyour nose � He sniffed and said ‘I cansmell fish and chips’. � The customs in-spection is very strict, a dog is takenround to sniff (at) each bag and suit-case.

snooker

snooker /�snukə/ noun a game for twoplayers played on a table with twenty-two balls of different colours which youhit with a long thin stick

snore

snore /snɔ/ noun a loud noise whichsomeone who is sleeping produces inhis or her nose and throat � His snoreskept her awake. � verb to make a snore� I can’t get to sleep because my hus-band snores.

snow

snow /snəυ/ noun water which falls aslight white pieces of ice in cold weather� Two metres of snow fell during thenight. � The highest mountains are al-ways covered with snow. � Childrenwere out playing in the snow. � We wentfor a skiing holiday and there was hard-ly any snow. � verb to fall as snow �Look – it’s started to snow! � It snowedall day, and the streets were blocked. �It hardly ever snows here in March.(NOTE: The verb snow is always usedwith the subject it.)

snug

snug /sn�'/ adjective warm and com-fortable (NOTE: snugger – snuggest)

snuggle

snuggle /�sn�'(ə)l/ verb to curl yourbody into a warm comfortable position� They snuggled under their blankets.

so

so /səυ/ adverb 1. showing how much �It’s so cold that the lake is covered withice. � We liked Greece so much thatwe’re going there again on holiday nextyear. � The soup was so salty that Icouldn’t eat it. 2. also � She was lateand so was I. � The children all caughtflu, and so did their teacher. � I like ap-ples. – So do I. � He’s a good cook andso is his wife. � The teacher will be lateand so will everyone else. 3. showingthat the answer is ‘yes’ � Does this traingo to London? – I think so. � Was yourcar completely smashed? – I’m afraidso. � Will you be coming to the party? –I hope so! � Are they going to be at themeeting? – I suppose so. � conjunctionand this is the reason why � It wassnowing hard so we couldn’t go for awalk. � She’s got flu so she can’t cometo the office. � so what what does itmatter?

soak

soak /səυk/ verb 1. to put something in aliquid for a time � Dry beans should besoaked in cold water for 24 hours. 2. tobecome very wet, or to make somethingvery wet � I forgot my umbrella and gotsoaked. � The rain soaked the soil.

soaking

soaking /�səυkŋ/ adjective, adverbvery wet � Don’t let the dog into thekitchen – he’s soaking or he’s soakingwet.

soap

soap /səυp/ noun a substance which youwash with, made from oils and usuallywith a pleasant smell � There’s no soapleft in the bathroom. � I’ve put a newbar of soap in the kitchen. (NOTE: noplural: some soap, a bar or a cake or apiece of soap)

soar

soar /sɔ/ verb 1. to go up very quickly �Food prices soared during the coldweather. 2. to fly high up into the sky �The rocket went soaring into the nightsky. (NOTE: Do not confuse with sore.)

sob

sob /sɒb/ verb to cry, taking short breathslike hiccups � She lay sobbing on thebed. � The little girl sobbed herself tosleep. (NOTE: sobs – sobbing –sobbed) � noun a short breath like ahiccup, made by someone who is crying


soccer 296 solid

� You could hear the sobs as she lay onher bed. � He gave a sob, and put thephone down.

soccer

soccer /�sɒkə/ noun a game played be-tween two teams of eleven players witha round ball which can be kicked or hitwith the head, but not carried (NOTE:The game is called football in mostcountries, but is generally called soc-cer in the USA to distinguish it fromAmerican football.)

social

social /�səυʃ(ə)l/ adjective relating topeople as a group, or to human societyin general � an area with very serioussocial problems

socially

socially /�səυʃ(ə)li/ adverb 1. in afriendly situation � I know her fromwork but I’ve never met her socially. �They get on very well socially. 2. withrespect to other people or society � thesocially unacceptable behaviour ofsome football fans � These policies aresocially divisive.

society

society /sə��saəti/ noun 1. a large groupof people, usually all the people livingin a country, considered as an organisedcommunity � a free and democratic so-ciety � a member of society � Societyneeds to be protected against thesecriminals. (NOTE: no plural) 2. a club orassociation of people who have thesame interests � He belongs to the localdrama society. (NOTE: The plural is so-cieties.)

sock

sock /sɒk/ noun a piece of clothing wornon your foot inside a shoe � a pair ofsocks

sofa

sofa /�səυfə/ noun a long comfortableseat with a soft back

so far

so far /səυ �fɑ/ adverb until nowsoft

soft /sɒft/ adjective 1. which moves eas-ily when pressed � I don’t like soft seatsin a car. � Do you like soft ice cream? 2.not loud � When she spoke, her voicewas so soft that we could hardly hearher. � Soft music was playing in thebackground. 3. not bright � Soft lightingmakes a room look warm.

software

software /�sɒftweə/ noun computerprograms which are put into a computerto make it work, as opposed to the com-puter itself � What word-processing

software do you use? Compare hard-ware (NOTE: no plural)

soggy

soggy /�sɒ'i/ adjective wet and soft to anunpleasant degree (NOTE: soggier –soggiest)

soil

soil /sɔl/ noun the earth in which plantsgrow � Put some soil in the plant potand then sow your flower seeds. � Thissoil’s too poor for growing fruit trees. �The farm has fields of rich black soil.

solar

solar /�səυlə/ adjective relating to thesun (NOTE: The similar word relating tothe moon is lunar and to the stars isstellar.)

sold

sold /səυld/ past tense and past participleof sell

soldier

soldier /�səυld"ə/ noun a member of anarmy � Here’s a photograph of my fa-ther as a soldier. � We were just in timeto see the soldiers march past. � Enemysoldiers blew up the bridge. � The chil-dren are playing with their toy soldiers.

sole

sole /səυl/ adjective only; belonging toone person � Their sole aim is to makemoney. � She was the sole survivor fromthe crash. � I have sole responsibilityfor what goes on in this office. � noun 1.the underneath side of your foot � Hetickled the soles of her feet. 2. the mainunderneath part of a shoe, but not theheel � These shoes need mending – I’vegot holes in both soles. (NOTE: Do notconfuse with soul.)

solemn

solemn /�sɒləm/ adjective 1. serious andformal � The doctor looked very solemnand shook his head. � At the most sol-emn moment of the ceremony someone’smobile phone rang. 2. which should betreated as very serious � He made a sol-emn promise never to smoke again.

solicitor

solicitor /sə��lstə/ noun a lawyer whogives advice to members of the publicand acts for them in legal matters

solid

solid /�sɒld/ adjective 1. hard and notliquid � a solid lump of fat � She is al-lowed some solid food. 2. firm or strong� Is the table solid enough to stand on?� His wealth is built on a solid base ofproperty and shares. 3. not hollow �Cricket is played with a solid ball. 4.made only of one material � The box ismade of solid silver. � noun a hard sub-


solo 297 soon

stance which is not liquid � Many solidsmelt when heated and become liquids.

solo

solo /�səυləυ/ noun a piece of musicplayed or sung by one person alone �She played a violin solo. (NOTE: Theplural is solos.) � adjective done byone person alone � a piece for solotrumpet � She gave a solo performancein the Albert Hall. � He crashed on hisfirst solo flight.

solution

solution /sə��luʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a way ofsolving a problem � It took us weeks tofind a solution. 2. a mixture of a solidsubstance dissolved in a liquid � Batheyour eye in a weak salt solution.

solve

solve /sɒlv/ verb to find an answer to aproblem or question � The loan willsolve some of his financial problems. �He tried to solve the riddle.

some

some /səm, s�m/ adjective, pronoun 1.a certain number of � Some young driv-ers drive much too fast. � Some bookswere damaged in the fire. � Some daysit was so hot that we just stayed by theswimming pool all day. � Can you cutsome more slices of bread? � Shebought some oranges and bananas. �We’ve just picked some strawberries. 2.a certain amount of � Can you buy somebread when you go to town? � Can Ihave some more coffee? � Her illness isof some concern to her family. 3. usedfor referring to a person or thing youcannot identify (followed by a singularnoun) � Some man just knocked on thedoor and tried to sell me a magazine. �I read it in some book I borrowed fromthe library. � We saw it in some shop orother in Regent Street. 4. relating to aperiod of time or a distance � Don’twait for me, I may be some time. � Theirhouse is some way away from the rail-way station.

somebody

somebody /�s�mbədi/ pronoun 1.same as someone 2. someone who isconsidered to be important

some day

some day /�s�m de/ adverb at a time inthe future that is not specified � Someday I’ll get round to cleaning out the ga-rage.

somehow

somehow /�s�mhaυ/ adverb by somemeans that are not yet known � Some-

how we must get back home by 6o’clock.

someone

someone /�s�mw�n/ pronoun a personwho is not identified or referred to inparticular way � Can someone answerthe phone? � I know someone who canfix your car. � I need someone tall whocan reach the top shelf for me. � some-one else an extra person, or a differentperson � I’ve got four volunteers al-ready, but I still need someone else. � IfJo is ill, could someone else help you?

somersault

somersault /�s�məsɔlt/ noun a move-ment in which you roll over, head first �He did a couple of somersaults on themat.

something

something /�s�mθŋ/ pronoun 1. athing which is not identified or referredto in particular � There’s something softat the bottom of the bag. � Something’sgone wrong with the TV. � Can I havesomething to drink, please? � There’ssomething about her that I don’t like. 2.an important thing � Come in and sitdown, I’ve got something to tell you.

sometimes

sometimes /�s�mtamz/ adverb onsome occasions but not on others �Sometimes the car starts easily, andsometimes it won’t start at all. � Shesometimes comes to see us when she’s intown on business.

somewhat

somewhat /�s�mwɒt/ adverb to a fairlygreat degree (formal)

somewhere

somewhere /�s�mweə/ adverb in or ata place which is not identified � I leftmy umbrella somewhere when I was inLondon. � Let’s go somewhere else, thispub is full. � His parents live some-where in Germany.

son

son /s�n/ noun a male child � They havea large family – two sons and fourdaughters. � Her son has got married atlast. � Their youngest son is in hospital.

song

song /sɒŋ/ noun a set of words which aresung, usually to music � She was sing-ing a song in the bath. � The group’slatest song has just come out on CD. �The soldiers marched along, singing asong.

soon

soon /sun/ adverb in a short time fromnow � Don’t worry, we’ll soon be in Ox-


sooner 298 sow

ford. � It will soon be time to go to bed.� The fire started soon after 11 o’clock.

sooner

sooner /�sunə/ adverb earlier � Can’twe meet any sooner than that?

soprano

soprano /sə��prɑnəυ/ adjective relatingto a high-pitched woman’s singingvoice � She sings soprano in the localchoir. � noun a woman with a high-pitched singing voice � The sopranosare too feeble – I can hardly hear them.(NOTE: The plural is sopranos.)

sore

sore /sɔ/ adjective rough and swollen orpainful � He can’t play tennis becausehe has a sore elbow.

sorry

sorry /�sɒri/ adjective feeling unhappy,ashamed or disappointed about some-thing � interjection used to excuseyourself � Sorry! I didn’t see that tablehad been reserved. � Can I have anoth-er mint, please? – sorry, I haven’t anyleft.

sort

sort /sɔt/ noun a type � There were allsorts of people at the meeting. � I hadan unpleasant sort of day at the office. �What sorts of ice cream have you got? �Do you like this sort of TV show? � verbto arrange things in order or groups �The apples are sorted according to sizebefore being packed. � The votes aresorted then counted.

sought

sought /sɔt/ past tense and past partici-ple of seek

soul

soul /səυl/ noun the spirit in a person,which is believed by some people to goon existing after the person dies � Doyou believe your soul lives on when yourbody dies? � From the depths of his soulhe longed to be free. (NOTE: Do not con-fuse with sole.)

sound

sound /saυnd/ noun something whichyou can hear � Sounds of music camefrom the street. � I thought I heard thesound of guns. � Please can you turndown the sound on the TV when I’m onthe phone? � She crept out of her bed-room and we didn’t hear a sound. �verb 1. to make a noise with something� Sound your horn when you come to acorner. � They sounded the alarm aftertwo prisoners escaped. 2. to seem to bethe case � It sounds as if he’s made anunfortunate choice. � The book sounds

interesting according to what I’veheard. � adverb deeply � The childrenwere sound asleep when the policecame.

soup

soup /sup/ noun a liquid food whichyou eat hot from a bowl at the beginningof a meal, usually made from meat, fishor vegetables � We have onion soup ormushroom soup today. � Does anyonewant soup? � A bowl of hot soup is al-ways welcome on a cold day. � If you’rehungry, open a tin of soup.

sour

sour /�saυə/ adjective with a sharp bittertaste � If the cooked fruit is too sour, youcan add some sugar. � Nobody likessour milk.

source

source /sɔs/ noun a place where some-thing comes from � I think the source ofthe infection is in one of your teeth. �The source of the river is in the moun-tains. � You must declare income fromall sources to the tax office.

sourness

sourness /�saυənəs/ noun the state ofbeing sour

south

south /saυθ/ noun 1. the direction facingtowards the sun at midday � Look southfrom the mountain, and you will see thecity in the distance. � The city is to thesouth of the river. � The wind is blowingfrom the south. 2. the part of a countryto the south of the rest � The south of thecountry is warmer than the north. � Shewent to live in the south of England. �adjective relating to the south � Thesouth coast is popular for holidaymak-ers. � Cross to the south side of the riv-er. � adverb towards the south � Manybirds fly south for the winter. � The riverflows south into the Mediterranean.

southern

southern /�s�ð(ə)n/ adjective of thesouth � The southern part of the countryis warmer than the north.

souvenir

souvenir /�suvə��nə/ noun a thingbought to remind you of the place whereyou bought it

sow

sow /səυ/ verb to put seeds into soil sothat they become plants � Peas andbeans should be sown in April. � Sowthe seed thinly in fine soil. (NOTE: Donot confuse with sew. Note also: sows– sowing – sowed – sown /səυn/.)


space 299 specialistspace

space /spes/ noun 1. an empty place be-tween other things � There’s a space topark your car over there. � Write yourname and reference number in the spaceat the top of the paper. 2. an area whichis available for something � His desktakes up too much space. 3. also outerspace the area beyond the earth’s at-mosphere � exploring outer space �space vehicles

spade

spade /sped/ noun 1. a tool with a widesquare blade at the end of a long handle,used for digging or moving somethingsuch as soil or sand 2. a similar smallplastic tool, used by children � The chil-dren took their buckets and spades tothe beach.

spaghetti

spaghetti /spə��'eti/ noun long thinstrips of pasta, cooked and eaten with asauce

span

span /sp�n/ noun the width of wings orof an arch � Each section of the bridgehas a span of fifty feet. � verb to stretchacross space or time � Her careerspanned thirty years. � A stone bridgespans the river. (NOTE: spans – span-ning – spanned)

spare

spare /speə/ adjective available but notbeing used � I always take a spare pairof shoes when I travel. � plural nounspares spare parts or pieces used tomend broken parts of a car or other ma-chine � We can’t get spares for thatmake of washing machine. � It’s diffi-cult to get spares for the car becausethey don’t make this model any more. �verb to give something or to do withoutsomething � Can you spare your assist-ant to help me for a day? � Can youspare about five minutes to talk aboutthe problem? � If you have a moment tospare, can you clean the car?

spark

spark /spɑk/ noun a little flash of fire orof light � Sparks flew as the train wentover the junction. � verb 1. to send outsparks or to make electric sparks 2. tomake something start � The proposedclosure of the station sparked angeramongst travellers. � The shooting ofthe teenager sparked off a riot.

spark off phrasal verb same as sparkverb 2

sparklesparkle /�spɑk(ə)l/ verb to shine bright-ly � Her jewels sparkled in the light ofthe candles. � His eyes sparkled whenhe heard the salary offered.

speakspeak /spik/ verb 1. to say words � Shespoke to me when the meeting was over.� He walked past me without speaking.� He was speaking to the postman whenI saw him. � The manager wants tospeak to you about sales in Africa. 2. tobe able to say things in a particular lan-guage � We need someone who canspeak Russian. � He speaks Englishwith an American accent. � You willhave to brush up your Japanese as mymother speaks hardly any English.(NOTE: speaks – speaking – spoke/spəυk/ – has spoken /�spəυkn/) � tospeak your mind to say exactly whatyou thinkspeak out phrasal verb to make youropinions or feelings known stronglyspeak up phrasal verb to speak louder;to say what you have to say in a loudervoice � Can you speak up please – wecan’t hear you at the back!

speakerspeaker /�spikə/ noun 1. a person whospeaks � We need an English speaker tohelp with the tour. 2. a loudspeaker �One of the speakers doesn’t work.

spearspear /spə/ noun a long pointed throw-ing stick, formerly used as a weapon �They kill fish with spears. � verb to pushsomething sharp into something to catchit � Spearing fish is not easy. � Shemanaged to spear a sausage on the bar-becue with her fork.

specialspecial /�speʃ(ə)l/ adjective having aparticular importance or use � This is avery special day for us – it’s our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. � He has aspecial pair of scissors for cutting met-al.

specialisespecialise /�speʃəlaz/, specializeverb 1. to study one particular subject �At university, she specialised in marinebiology. 2. to produce one thing in par-ticular � The company specialises inelectronic components.

specialistspecialist /�speʃəlst/ noun 1. a personwho knows a lot about something � Youshould go to a tax specialist for advice.2. a doctor who specialises in a certain


species 300 spin

branch of medicine � He was referredto a heart specialist.

species

species /�spiʃiz/ noun a group of liv-ing things such as animals or plantswhich can breed with each other � Sev-eral species of butterfly are likely to be-come extinct.

specific

specific /spə��sfk/ adjective relating tosomething in particular � Can you bemore specific about what you’re tryingto achieve? � I gave specific instruc-tions that I was not to be disturbed. � Isthe money intended for a specific pur-pose?

specifically

specifically /spə��sfkli/ adverb partic-ularly � I specifically said I didn’t wanta blue door. � The advertisement is spe-cifically aimed at people over 50.

specimen

specimen /�spesmn/ noun an exam-ple of something � The bank asked fora specimen signature for their records.

spectator

spectator /spek��tetə/ noun a personwho watches an event like a footballmatch or a horse show

speech

speech /spitʃ/ noun 1. a formal talkgiven to an audience � She made somenotes before giving her speech. � Hewound up his speech with a story abouthis father. � Who will be making thespeech at the prize giving? 2. the abilityto say words, or the act of saying words� His speech has been affected by braindamage. � Some of these expressionsare only used in speech, not in writing.

speed

speed /spid/ noun the rate at whichsomething moves or is done � Thecoach was travelling at a high speedwhen it crashed. � The speed withwhich they repaired the gas leak was in-credible. � verb to move quickly � Theball sped across the ice. (NOTE: speeds– speeding – sped /sped/ or speed-ed)

spell

spell /spel/ verb to write or say correctlythe letters that make a word � W-O-R-R-Y spells ‘worry’ � How do you spellyour surname? � We spelt his namewrong on the envelope. (NOTE: spells –spelling – spelled or spelt /spelt/ –has spelled or has spelt) � nounwords which are intended to have amagic effect when they are spoken �

The wicked witch cast a spell on theprincess.

spelling

spelling /�spelŋ/ noun the correct wayin which words are spelt

spelt

spelt /spelt/ past tense and past participleof spell

spend

spend /spend/ verb 1. to pay money � Iwent shopping and spent a fortune. �Why do we spend so much money onfood? 2. to use time doing something �He wants to spend more time with hisfamily. � She spent months arguing withthe income tax people. � Don’t spendtoo long on your homework. � Whydon’t you come and spend the weekendwith us? (NOTE: spends – spending –spent /spent/)

sphere

sphere /sfə/ noun an object which isperfectly round like a ball � The earth isnot quite a perfect sphere.

spice

spice /spas/ noun a substance madefrom the roots, flowers, seeds or leavesof plants, which is used to flavour food� Add a blend of your favourite spices.� You need lots of different spices for In-dian cookery.

spider

spider /�spadə/ noun a small animalwith eight legs which makes a web andeats insects

spike

spike /spak/ noun a piece of metal orwood wit ha sharp point � The wall wastopped with a row of metal spikes.

spill

spill /spl/ verb to pour a liquid or a pow-der out of a container by mistake � Thatglass is too full – you’ll spill it. � Hespilt soup down the front of his shirt. �She dropped the bag and some of theflour spilled out onto the floor. (NOTE:spills – spilling – spilled or spilt/splt/) � noun the act of pouring a liq-uid by accident � The authorities aretrying to cope with the oil spill from thetanker.

spin

spin /spn/ verb 1. to move round andround very fast � The earth is spinningin space. � The plane was spinning outof control. 2. to make something turnround and round � The washing ma-chine spins the clothes to get the waterout of them. � He spun the wheel tomake sure it turned freely. 3. (of aspider) to make a web � The spider has


spine 301 spoon

spun a web between the two posts.(NOTE: spins – spinning – spun/sp�n/) � noun the turning movementof a ball as it moves � He put so muchspin on the ball that it bounced side-ways. � He jammed on the brakes andthe car went into a spin.spin out phrasal verb to make some-thing last as long as possible

spinespine /span/ noun 1. a series of bonesjoined together from your skull downthe middle of your back � He injuredhis spine playing rugby. (NOTE: Thebones in the spine are the vertebrae.)2. a sharp part like a pin, on a plant, an-imal or fish � Did you know that lemontrees had spines? 3. the back edge of abook, which usually has the title printedon it � The title and the author’s nameare printed on the front of the book andalso on the spine.

spiralspiral /�sparəl/ noun a shape which istwisted round and round like a spring �He drew a spiral on the sheet of paper.� adjective which twists round andround � A spiral staircase leads to thetop of the tower.

spiritspirit /�sprt/ noun 1. the mental attitudewhich controls how someone behavesgenerally � She has a great spirit of fun.� He had an independent spirit. 2. feel-ings which are typical of a particular oc-casion 3. the part of a person that is saidto still exist after death 4. alcohol (NOTE:usually plural)

spiritualspiritual /�sprtʃuəl/ adjective relatingto the spirit or the soul � The church’smain task is to give spiritual advice toits members.

spitespite /spat/ noun 1. bad feeling � Theysprayed his car with white paint out ofspite. 2. � in spite of although some-thing happened or was done � In spite ofall his meetings, he still found time toring his wife. � We all enjoyed our-selves, in spite of the awful weather. �verb to annoy someone on purpose �He did it to spite his sister.

spitefulspiteful /�spatf(ə)l/ adjective full of anasty feelings against someone

splashsplash /spl�ʃ/ noun a sound made whensomething falls into a liquid or when aliquid hits something hard � She fell

into the pool with a loud splash. � Lis-ten to the splash of the waves against therocks. � verb 1. (of liquid) to make anoise when something is dropped into itor when it hits something � I missed theball and it splashed into the pool. � Therain splashed against the windows. 2. tomake someone wet by sending liquid onto him or her � The car drove pastthrough a puddle and splashed my trou-sers. 3. to move through water, makinga noise � He splashed his way throughthe shallow water to the rocks. � The lit-tle children were splashing about in thepaddling pool.

splendid

splendid /�splendd/ adjective extreme-ly good or impressive

splitsplit /splt/ verb 1. to divide somethinginto parts � He split the log into smallpieces with an axe. 2. to divide or comeapart � My trousers were too tight – theysplit when I bent down. � After they lostthe election, the party split into variousfactions. (NOTE: splits – splitting –split)

spoilspoil /spɔl/ verb 1. to change somethingwhich was good so that it is no longergood � We had such bad weather thatour camping holiday was spoilt. � Halfthe contents of the warehouse werespoiled by floodwater. 2. to be too kindto someone, especially a child, so thathe or she sometimes becomes badly be-haved � You’ll spoil that child if you al-ways give in to him. � Grandparents areallowed to spoil their grandchildren alittle. (NOTE: spoils – spoiling – spoilt/spɔlt/ or spoiled)

spokespoke /spəυk/ past tense of speakspokenspoken /�spəυkən/ past participle of

speakspongesponge /sp�nd"/ noun 1. a soft material

full of small holes used to make thingslike cushions � The sofa has spongecushions. 2. a sea animal with a skeletonwhich is full of holes � Diving downinto the Red Sea you could see spongeson the sea floor. � verb to wipe cleanwith a sponge � He sponged the kitchentable.

spoonspoon /spun/ noun an object used foreating liquids and soft food, or for stir-ring food which is being cooked, with a


sport 302 spun

handle at one end and a small bowl atthe other, � Use a spoon to eat yourpudding. � We need a big spoon to servethe soup.

sport

sport /spɔt/ noun a game or games in-volving physical activity and competi-tion � Do you like watching sport onTV? � The world of sport is mourningthe death of the racing driver. � Theonly sport I play is tennis. � She doesn’tplay any sport at all.

spot

spot /spɒt/ noun 1. a coloured mark,usually round � Her dress has a patternof white and red spots. � He wore a bluetie with white spots. 2. a particular place� This is the exact spot where the queendied. 3. a small round mark or pimple onthe skin � She suddenly came out inspots after eating fish. � verb to noticesomething or someone � The teacherdidn’t spot the mistake. � We spottedhim in the crowd. (NOTE: spots – spot-ting – spotted)

spotless

spotless /�spɒtləs/ adjective complete-ly clean, with no dirty marks at all

spout

spout /spaυt/ noun a tube on a containerwhich is shaped for pouring liquid outof the container � You fill the kettlethrough the spout. � Cut here and pullout to form a spout.

sprain

sprain /spren/ verb to damage a joint ofthe body by twisting it suddenly and vi-olently � He sprained his ankle jumpingover the fence. � noun a conditionwhere a joint is injured because of a sud-den violent movement � He is walkingwith a stick because of an ankle sprain.

sprang

sprang /spr�ŋ/ past tense of springsprawl

sprawl /sprɔl/ verb to lie with your armsand legs spread out � He sprawled in hisarmchair and turned on the TV. � Theboy on the bike hit her and sent hersprawling.

spray

spray /spre/ noun a mass of tiny dropsof liquid � The waves crashed againstthe sea wall sending spray over theroad. � She uses a nasal spray to clearher catarrh. � verb to send out liquid infine drops � He sprayed water all overthe garden with the hose. � Theysprayed the room with disinfectant.

spread

spread /spred/ verb 1. to arrange some-thing over a wide area � Spread the pa-per flat on the table. 2. to move over awide area � The fire started in the topfloor and soon spread to the roof. � Theflu epidemic spread rapidly. 3. to covera surface with a layer of something �She spread a white cloth over the table.� He was spreading butter on a piece ofbread. (NOTE: spreads – spreading –spread) � noun 1. the action of movingover a wide area � Doctors are trying tocheck the spread of the disease. 2. a softfood consisting of meat, fish or cheese,which you can spread on somethingsuch as bread � As snacks, they offeredus water biscuits with cheese spread.

spring

spring /sprŋ/ noun 1. the season of theyear between winter and summer � Inspring all the trees start to grow newleaves. � We always go to Greece in thespring. � They started work last springor in the spring of last year and they stillhaven’t finished. 2. a wire which istwisted round and round and which goesback to its original shape after you havepulled it or pushed it � The mattress isso old the springs have burst throughthe cover. � There’s a spring to keep thedoor shut. 3. a place where a stream ofwater rushes out of the ground � Thetown of Bath was built in Roman timesaround hot springs. � verb to move sud-denly � Everyone sprang to life whenthe officer shouted. � The door sprangopen without anyone touching it. (NOTE:springs – springing – sprang/spr�ŋ/ – has sprung /spr�ŋ/)

sprinkle

sprinkle /�sprŋkəl/ verb to put smallamounts of a liquid or powder over asurface by shaking

sprint

sprint /sprnt/ verb to run very fast overa short distance � I had to sprint tocatch the bus. � She sprinted down thetrack.

sprout

sprout /spraυt/ noun a new shoot of aplant � The vine is covered with newsprouts. � verb to produce new shoots �Throw those old potatoes away, they’restarting to sprout. � The bush had be-gun to sprout fresh green leaves.

spun

spun /sp�n/ past participle of spin


spurt 303 stabspurt

spurt /sp�t/ verb 1. � to spurt out tocome out in a strong jet � Oil spurtedout of the burst pipe. 2. to run fast sud-denly � He spurted past two runnersand came in first. � noun a strong flowof liquid � They tried to block the spurtsof water coming out of the pipe.

spy

spy /spa/ noun a person who is paid totry to find out secret information aboutthe enemy or a rival group � He was ex-ecuted as a Russian spy. (NOTE: Theplural is spies.) � verb to work as a spy(NOTE: spies – spying – spied) � tospy on someone to watch someone insecret, to find out what they are plan-ning to do � We discovered that ourneighbours had been spying on us.

squalid

squalid /�skwɒld/ adjective a squalidroom or building is dirty and unpleasant� The prisoners are kept in squalid con-ditions.

square

square /skweə/ noun 1. a shape withfour equal sides and four right-angledcorners � The board on which you playchess is made up of black and whitesquares. � Graph paper is covered withsmall squares. 2. an open space in atown, with big buildings all round � Thehotel is in the main square of the town,opposite the town hall. � Red Square isin the middle of Moscow. 3. a numberthat is the result of multiplying anothernumber by itself � 9 is the square of 3.� adjective 1. shaped like a square, withfour equal sides and four right-angledcorners � You can’t fit six people rounda small square table. � An A4 piece ofpaper isn’t square. 2. multiplied by it-self

squash

squash /skwɒʃ/ verb to crush or tosqueeze something � Hundreds of pas-sengers were squashed into the train. �He sat on my hat and squashed it flat. �noun a fast game for two players playedin an enclosed court, with a small,squashy rubber ball and light, long-han-dled rackets � He plays squash to un-wind after a day at the office. � Let’splay a game of squash.

squat

squat /skwɒt/ verb to move your bodyclose to the ground so that you are sit-ting on your heels � She squatted on thefloor, trying to get the stains out of the

carpet. (NOTE: squats – squatting –squatted)

squeaksqueak /skwik/ noun a quiet highsound like the sound that a mousemakes � You can tell when someonecomes into the garden by the squeak ofthe gate. � verb to make a squeak �That door squeaks – the hinges need oil-ing.

squealsqueal /skwil/ noun a loud high noise �The children let out squeals of delightwhen they saw the presents under theChristmas tree. � The car turned thecorner with a squeal of tyres. � verb tomake a loud high-pitched noise � Shesquealed when she heard she had wonfirst prize. � As the car turned the cor-ner its tyres squealed.

squeezesqueeze /skwiz/ noun the act of press-ing or crushing � I gave her hand asqueeze. � verb 1. to press on some-thing or to press or crush something likea fruit or a tube to get something out ofit � She squeezed my arm gently. � Hesqueezed an orange to get the juice. �She squeezed some toothpaste out ontoher brush. 2. to force something, or toforce your own body, into a small space� You can’t squeeze six people into thatlittle car. � More people tried to squeezeon the train even though it was full al-ready. � The cat managed to squeezethrough the window.

squirrelsquirrel /�skwrəl/ noun a small red orgrey wild animal with a large tail whichlives in trees and eats nuts � The squir-rel sat up on a branch nibbling a nut. �Squirrels hoard nuts for the winter.

squirtsquirt /skw�t/ verb to send out a thinpowerful flow of liquid � Don’t squirtso much washing-up liquid into thebowl. � She squeezed the tube hard andmasses of toothpaste squirted out.

StSt abbr 1. street 2. saintstabstab /st�b/ verb to push a sharp knife

with force into someone or something �He was stabbed in the chest. (NOTE:stabs – stabbing – stabbed) � nouna deep wound made by the point of aknife � He died of stab wounds. � tohave a stab at something to try to dosomething � I’m keen to have a stab atdriving the tractor.


stable 304 stammerstable

stable /�steb(ə)l/ adjective which doesnot change � The hospital said his con-dition was stable. � noun a building forkeeping a horse � My horse is not in hisstable, who’s riding him?

stack

stack /st�k/ noun a pile or heap ofthings one on top of the other � a stackof books and papers � verb to pilethings on top of each other � The skisare stacked outside the chalet. � Shestacked up the dirty plates. � The ware-house is stacked with boxes.

stadium

stadium /�stediəm/ noun a large build-ing where crowds of people watch sport,with seats arranged around a sports field(NOTE: The plural is stadiums or sta-dia.)

staff

staff /stɑf/ noun all the people whowork in a company, school, college, orother organisation � She’s on the schoolstaff. � Only staff can use this lift. � Aquarter of our staff are ill. � That firmpays its staff very badly. � He joined thestaff last Monday. � Three members ofstaff are away sick. (NOTE: staff refersto a group of people and so is often fol-lowed by a verb in the plural.)

stage

stage /sted"/ noun 1. a raised floor, es-pecially where the actors perform in atheatre � The pop group came onto thestage and started to sing. 2. one of sev-eral points of development � the differ-ent stages of a production process � Thefirst stage in the process is to grind therock to powder. 3. a section of a longjourney � Stage one of the tour takes usfrom Paris to Bordeaux. � verb to put onor arrange a play, a show, a musical orother performance or event � The exhi-bition is being staged in the college li-brary.

stagger

stagger /�st�'ə/ verb 1. to walk in waythat is not steady or controlled, almostfalling down � She managed to staggeracross the road and into the police sta-tion. � Three men staggered out of thepub. 2. to surprise someone very much� I was staggered at the amount theycharge for service. 3. to arrange some-thing such as holidays or working hours,so that they do not all begin and end atthe same time � We have to stagger thelunch hour so that there is always some-

one on the switchboard. � noun themovement of someone who is stagger-ing � He walked with a noticeable stag-ger.

stain

stain /sten/ noun a mark which is diffi-cult to remove, e.g. ink or blood � It isdifficult to remove coffee stains from thetablecloth. � There was a round stain onthe table where he had put his wineglass. � verb to make a mark of a differ-ent colour on something � If you eatthose berries they will stain your teeth.� His shirt was stained with blood.

stair

stair /steə/ noun one step in a series ofsteps, going up or down inside a build-ing � He was sitting on the bottom stair.

staircase

staircase /�steəkes/ noun a set of stairswhich go from one floor in a building toanother

stake

stake /stek/ noun a strong pointed pieceof wood or metal, pushed into theground to mark something, or to holdsomething up � They hammered stakesinto the ground to put up a wire fence. �The apple trees are attached to stakes.

stale

stale /stel/ adjective food which is staleis old and no longer fresh

stalk

stalk /stɔk/ noun the stem of a plantwhich holds a leaf, a flower or a fruit �Roses with very long stalks are more ex-pensive. � verb to stay near someoneand watch him or her all the time, espe-cially in a way that is frightening or up-setting � She told the police that a manwas stalking her. � The hunters stalkedthe deer for several miles.

stall

stall /stɔl/ noun a place in a marketwhere one person sells his or her goods� He has a flower stall at Waterloo Sta-tion. � We wandered round the marketlooking at the stalls. � verb (of a car en-gine) to stop unintentionally, oftenwhen trying to drive off without acceler-ating � If he takes his foot off the accel-erator, the engine stalls. � The carstalled at the traffic lights and hecouldn’t restart it.

stammer

stammer /�st�mə/ verb to repeatsounds when speaking, e.g. because offeeling nervous � He stammers badlywhen making speeches. � She rushedinto the police station and stammered


stamp 305 star

out ‘he’s – he’s – he’s after me, he’s got– got – a knife’. � noun a speech prob-lem that involves hesitating and repeat-ing sounds when speaking � Because ofhis stammer he was shy and reserved atschool.

stamp

stamp /st�mp/ noun 1. a little piece ofpaper with a price printed on it whichyou stick on a letter to show that youhave paid for it to be sent by post � afirst-class stamp � She forgot to put astamp on the letter before she posted it.� He wants to show me his stamp col-lection. 2. a mark made on something �The invoice has the stamp ‘received withthanks’ on it. � The customs officerlooked at the stamps in his passport. �verb 1. to mark something with a stamp� They stamped my passport when I en-tered the country. 2. to walk, or to putyour feet down, with loud or forcefulsteps � They stamped on the ants to killthem. � He was so angry that hestamped out of the room.

stand

stand /st�nd/ verb 1. to be upright onyour feet and not sitting or lying down �She stood on a chair to reach the topshelf. � They were so tired they couldhardly keep standing. � If there are noseats left, we’ll have to stand. � Don’tjust stand there doing nothing – comeand help us. 2. to be upright � Only afew houses were still standing after theearthquake. � The jar was standing inthe middle of the table. 3. to acceptsomething bad that continues � The of-fice is filthy – I don’t know how you canstand working here. � She can’t standall this noise. � He stopped going toFrench lessons because he couldn’tstand the teacher. (NOTE: stands –standing – stood /stυd/) � nounsomething which holds something up �The pot of flowers fell off its stand.

stand for phrasal verb to have a mean-ing � What do the letters BBC standfor?stand out phrasal verb to be easilyseen � Their house stands out because itis painted pink. � Her red hair makesher stand out in a crowd.stand up phrasal verb to get up fromsitting � When the teacher comes into

the room all the children should standup. � He stood up to offer his seat to theold lady.stand up for phrasal verb to try to de-fend someone or something in a diffi-cult situation � He stood up for therights of children.stand up to phrasal verb 1. to opposesomeone bravely � No one was pre-pared to stand up to the head of depart-ment. 2. to be able to resist difficultconditions � A carpet in a shop has tostand up to a lot of wear.

standard

standard /�st�ndəd/ noun 1. the levelof quality something has � The stand-ard of service in this restaurant is veryhigh. � This piece of work is not up toyour usual standard. 2. an excellentquality which something or someone isexpected to achieve � This product doesnot meet our standards. � She has set astandard which it will be difficult tomatch. 3. a large official flag � The roy-al standard flies over Buckingham Pal-ace. � adjective 1. usual, not special �She joined on a standard contract. �You will need to follow the standard pro-cedure to join the association. 2. on atall pole

stank

stank /st�ŋk/ past tense of stinkstaple

staple /�step(ə)l/ noun a piece of wirewhich is pushed through papers andbent over to hold them together � Heused some scissors to take the staplesout of the papers. � verb to fasten pa-pers together with a staple or with sta-ples � Don’t staple the cheque to the or-der form.

star

star /stɑ/ noun 1. a bright object whichcan be seen in the sky at night like a verydistant bright light � On a clear nightyou can see thousands of stars. � Thepole star shows the direction of theNorth Pole. 2. a shape that has severalpoints like a star � Draw a big star andcolour it red. 3. a famous person who isvery well known to the public � footballstars � Who is your favourite film star?� verb to appear as a main character ina film or play � She starred in ‘Gonewith the Wind’. � He has a starring rolein the new play. (NOTE: stars – starring– starred)


stare 306 staystare

stare /steə/ verb to look at someone orsomething for a long time � She staredsadly out of the window at the rain. �noun a long fixed look � He gave her astare and walked on.

start

start /stɑt/ noun the beginning of some-thing � Building the house took only sixmonths from start to finish. � Thingswent wrong from the start. � Let’s forgetall you’ve done up to now, and make afresh start. � verb 1. to begin to dosomething � The babies all started tocry or all started crying at the sametime. � He started to eat or he startedeating his dinner before the rest of thefamily. � Take an umbrella – it’s start-ing to rain. � When you learn Russian,you have to start by learning the alpha-bet. 2. (of a machine) to begin to work� The car won’t start – the battery mustbe flat. � The engine started beautifully.� to start with first of all � We havelots to do but to start with we’ll do thewashing up.

start off phrasal verb 1. to begin �We’ll start off with soup and then havea meat dish. 2. to leave on a journey �You can start off now, and I’ll followwhen I’m ready.

startle

startle /�stɑt(ə)l/ verb to make someonesuddenly surprised

starve

starve /stɑv/ verb not to have enoughfood � Many people starved to death inthe desert.

state

state /stet/ noun 1. the way somethingor someone is at a specific time � Thechildren are in a state of excitement. �They left the flat in a terrible state. �She’s not in a fit state to receive visitors.2. the government of a country � We allpay taxes to the state. � The state shouldpay for the upkeep of museums. 3. an in-dependent country � The member statesof the European Union. 4. one of theparts into which some countries are di-vided � the State of Arizona � NewSouth Wales has the largest populationof all the Australian states. � verb togive information clearly � Please stateyour name and address. � It states in theinstructions that you must not open thecan near a flame. � The document statesthat all revenue has to be declared to the

tax office. � in a state 1. in a very un-happy, worried or upset condition �She’s in such a state that I don’t want toleave her alone. � He was in a terriblestate after the phone call. 2. in a dirty orbad condition � Look at the state ofyour trousers. � They left our flat in aterrible state.

statementstatement /�stetmənt/ noun 1. some-thing that is spoken or written publicly� a statement about or on the new pro-cedures � She refused to issue a state-ment to the press. 2. a written documentfrom a bank showing how much moneyis in an account

stationstation /�steʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a placewhere trains stop and passengers get onor off � The train leaves the CentralStation at 14.15. � This is a fast train –it doesn’t stop at every station. � We’lltry to get a sandwich at the station buf-fet. 2. a large main building for a service� The fire station is just down the roadfrom us. � He was arrested and taken tothe local police station.

stationarystationary /�steʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ adjectivenot moving (NOTE: Do not confuse withstationery.)

stationerystationery /�steʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ noun thingssuch as paper, envelopes, pens and inkwhich you use for writing (NOTE: noplural. Do not confuse with station-ary.)

statuestatue /�st�tʃu/ noun a solid image of aperson or animal made from a substancesuch as stone or metal

statusstatus /�stetəs/ noun 1. social impor-tance when compared to other people �He has a low-status job on the Under-ground. � His status in the company hasbeen rising steadily. 2. a general posi-tion

staystay /ste/ verb 1. not to change � Thetemperature stayed below zero all day.� In spite of the fire, he stayed calm. � Iwon’t be able to stay awake until mid-night. 2. to stop in a place � They camefor lunch and stayed until after mid-night. � I’m rather tired so I’ll stay athome tomorrow. � He’s ill and has tostay in bed. 3. to stop in a place as a vis-itor � They stayed two nights in Edin-burgh on their tour of Scotland. �


steadily 307 stew

Where will you be staying when you’rein New York? � My parents are stayingat the Hotel London.

stay up phrasal verb not to go to bedsteadily

steadily /�stedli/ adverb regularly orcontinuously

steady

steady /�stedi/ adjective 1. firm and notmoving or shaking � You need a steadyhand to draw a straight line without aruler. � He put a piece of paper underthe table leg to keep it steady. 2. contin-uing in a regular way � There is a steadydemand for computers. � The car wasdoing a steady seventy miles an hour. �She hasn’t got a steady boyfriend.(NOTE: steadier – steadiest) � verb tokeep something firm � He put out hishand to steady the ladder. (NOTE:steadies – steadying – steadied)

steak

steak /stek/ noun 1. a thick piece ofmeat, usually beef � He ordered steakand chips. � I’m going to grill thesesteaks. 2. a thick piece of a big fish � Agrilled salmon steak for me, please!(NOTE: Do not confuse with stake.)

steal

steal /stil/ verb 1. to take and keepsomething that belongs to another per-son without permission � Someonetried to steal my handbag. � He was ar-rested for stealing cars. 2. to move qui-etly � He stole into the cellar and triedto find the safe. (NOTE: Do not confusewith steel. Note also: steals – steal-ing – stole /stəυl/ – stolen /�stəυlən/)

steam

steam /stim/ noun the substance likeclouds which comes off hot or boilingwater � Clouds of steam were comingout of the kitchen.

steel

steel /stil/ noun a strong metal madefrom iron and carbon � Steel knives arebest for the kitchen. � The door is madeof solid steel.

steep

steep /stip/ adjective 1. which rises orfalls quickly � The car climbed thesteep hill with some difficulty. � Thesteps up the church tower are steeperthan our stairs at home. 2. very sharplyincreasing or falling � a steep increasein interest charges � a steep fall in shareprices

steer

steer /stə/ verb to make a vehicle go ina particular direction � She steered thecar into the garage.

stem

stem /stem/ noun the tall thin part of aplant which holds a leaf, a flower or afruit � Trim the stems before you put theflowers in the vase.

step

step /step/ noun 1. a movement of yourfoot when walking � I wonder when thebaby will take his first steps. � Take astep sideways and you will be able to seethe castle. 2. a regular movement of feetat the same time as other people 3. onestair in a set of stairs � There are twosteps down into the kitchen. � I counted75 steps to the top of the tower. � Becareful, there’s a step up into the bath-room. 4. an action which is done or hasto be done out of several � The first andmost important step is to find out howmuch money we can spend. � verb tomove forwards, backwards or sidewayson foot � He stepped out in front of a bi-cycle and was knocked down. � Shestepped off the bus into a puddle. �Don’t step back, there’s a child behindyou. (NOTE: steps – stepping –stepped) � in step moving your feet atthe same rate as everybody else � I triedto keep in step with him as we walkedalong. � The recruits can’t even marchin step. � out of step moving your feetat a different rate from everyone else �One of the squad always gets out of step.� to take steps to to act to encourageor prevent something � We should takesteps to encourage female applicants. �The museum must take steps to makesure that nothing else is stolen.

stereo

stereo /�steriəυ/ noun a machine whichplays music or other sound through twodifferent loudspeakers � I bought a newpair of speakers for my stereo. � in ster-eo using two speakers to produce sound

stern

stern /st�n/ adjective serious and strict� The judge addressed some sternwords to the boys.

stew

stew /stju/ noun a dish of meat and veg-etables cooked together for a long time� This lamb stew is a French recipe. �verb to cook food for a long time in liq-uid � Stew the apples until they arecompletely soft.


stick 308 stitchstick

stick /stk/ noun 1. a thin piece of wood� He jabbed a pointed stick into thehole. � I need a strong stick to tie thisplant to. 2. a thin branch of a tree 3. an-ything long and thin � carrots cut intosticks � verb 1. to attach somethingwith glue � Can you stick the pieces ofthe cup together again? � She stuck thestamp on the letter. � They stuck a post-er on the door. 2. to be fixed or not to beable to move � The car was stuck in themud. � The door sticks – you need topush it hard to open it. � The cake willstick if you don’t grease the tin. � Hewas stuck in Italy without any money. 3.to push something into something � Hestuck his hand into the hole. � She stuckher finger in the jam to taste it. � Shestuck the ticket into her bag. � She stucka needle into her finger. 4. to stay in aplace � Stick close to your mother andyou won’t get lost. 5. to accept some-thing bad that continues � I don’t knowhow she can stick working in that office.� I’m going, I can’t stick it here anylonger. (NOTE: sticks – sticking –stuck /st�k/) � to stick together tostay together � If we stick together theyshould let us into the club.

stick out phrasal verb 1. to push some-thing out 2. to be further forward or fur-ther away from something � Yourwallet is sticking out of your pocket. �The balcony sticks out over the road.

sticker

sticker /�stkə/ noun a small piece of pa-per or plastic which you can stick onsomething to show a price, as a decora-tion or to advertise something

sticky

sticky /�stki/ adjective 1. covered withsomething which sticks like glue � Myfingers are all sticky. � This stuff is ter-ribly sticky – I can’t get it off my fingers.2. with glue on one side so that it stickseasily (NOTE: stickier – stickiest)

stiff

stiff /stf/ adjective 1. which does notmove easily � The lock is very stiff – Ican’t turn the key. � I’ve got a stiff neck.� She was feeling stiff all over after run-ning in the race. 2. with hard bristles �You need a stiff brush to get the mud offyour shoes.

stiffness

stiffness /�stfnəs/ noun 1. having mus-cle pains after doing exercise, or being

unable to move easily because of dam-aged joints � Arthritis accompanied bya certain amount of stiffness in thejoints. 2. the quality of being stiff � Thestiffness of the material makes it unsuit-able for a dress.

stillstill /stl/ adjective not moving � Standstill while I take the photo. � There wasno wind, and the surface of the lake wascompletely still. � adverb 1. continuinguntil now or until then � I thought hehad left, but I see he’s still there. � Theycame for lunch and were still sitting atthe table at eight o’clock in the evening.� Weeks afterwards, they’re still talkingabout the accident. 2. in spite of every-thing � It wasn’t sunny for the picnic –still, it didn’t rain. � He still insisted ongoing on holiday even though he hadbroken his leg.

stimulusstimulus /�stmjυləs/ noun an encour-agement or incentive that leads to great-er activity

stingsting /stŋ/ noun a wound made by an in-sect or plant � Bee stings can be verypainful. � Have you anything for waspstings? � verb 1. to wound someonewith an insect’s or plant’s sting � I’vebeen stung by a wasp. � The plantsstung her bare legs. 2. to give a burningfeeling � The antiseptic may sting a lit-tle at first. (NOTE: stings – stinging –stung /st�ŋ/)

stinkstink /stŋk/ (informal) noun a very un-pleasant smell � the stink of cigarettesmoke � verb to make an unpleasantsmell � The office stinks of gas. (NOTE:stinks – stinking – stank /st�ŋk/ –stunk /st�ŋk/)

stirstir /st�/ verb to move a liquid or powderor something which is cooking, to mix itup � He was stirring the sugar into hiscoffee. � Keep stirring the porridge, orit will stick to the bottom of the pan.(NOTE: stirs – stirring – stirred)

stirringstirring /�st�rŋ/ adjective making youfeel strong emotions, especially pride orenthusiasm

stitchstitch /sttʃ/ noun 1. a little loop ofthread made with a needle in sewing orwith knitting needles when knitting �She used very small stitches in her em-broidery. � Very fine wool will give you


stock 309 stop

more stitches than in the pattern. 2. asmall loop of thread used by a surgeonto attach the sides of a wound togetherto help it to heal � She had three stitchesin her arm. � Come back in ten days’time to have the stitches removed. �verb to attach something with a needleand thread � She stitched the badge tohis jacket.

stock

stock /stɒk/ noun 1. a supply of some-thing kept to use when needed � I keepa good stock of printing paper at home.� Our stocks of food are running low. �The factory has large stocks of coal. 2. aliquid made from boiling bones in wa-ter, used as a base for soups and sauces� Fry the onions and pour in somechicken stock. � verb to keep goods forsale in a shop or warehouse � Theydon’t stock this book. � We try to stockthe most popular colours.

stocking

stocking /�stɒkŋ/ noun a long lightpiece of women’s clothing which coversall of a leg and foot

stole

stole /stəυl/ past tense of stealstolen

stolen /�stəυlən/ past participle of stealstomach

stomach /�st�mək/ noun 1. a part of thebody shaped like a bag, into which foodpasses after being swallowed and whereit continues to be digested � I don’twant anything to eat – my stomach’s up-set or I have a stomach upset. � He hashad stomach trouble for some time. 2.the front of your body between yourchest and your waist � He had beenkicked in the stomach.

stone

stone /stəυn/ noun 1. a very hard mate-rial, found in the earth, used for building� All the houses in the town are built inthe local grey stone. � The stone carv-ings in the old church date from the 15thcentury. � Stone floors can be very cold.(NOTE: no plural: some stone, a pieceof stone, a block of stone) 2. a smallpiece of stone � The children were play-ing at throwing stones into the pond. �The beach isn’t good for bathing as it’scovered with very sharp stones. 3. aBritish measure of weight equal to 14pounds or 6.35 kilograms � She’s tryingto lose weight and so far has lost a stoneand a half. � He weighs twelve stone ten

(i.e. 12 stone 10 pounds). (NOTE: no plu-ral in this sense: He weighs ten stone.In the USA, human body weight is al-ways given only in pounds.)

stony

stony /�stəυni/ adjective made of lots ofstones � They walked carefully acrossthe stony beach.

stood

stood /stυd/ past tense and past partici-ple of stand

stool

stool /stul/ noun a small seat with noback � When the little girl sat on the pi-ano stool her feet didn’t touch the floor.

stoop

stoop /stup/ verb to bend forward � Shestooped and picked something up off thecarpet. � I found him standing at the ta-ble, stooped over a spreadsheet.

stop

stop /stɒp/ verb 1. not to move any more� The motorcycle didn’t stop at the redlights. � This train stops at all stationsto London Waterloo. 2. to make some-thing not move any more � The police-man stopped the traffic to let the lorryback out of the garage. � Stop that boy!– he’s stolen my purse. 3. not to dosomething any more � The office clockhas stopped at 4.15. � At last it stoppedraining and we could go out. � Shespoke for two hours without stopping. �We all stopped work and went home. �The restaurant stops serving meals atmidnight. 4. � to stop someone orsomething (from) doing something tomake someone or something not dosomething any more � The rain stoppedus from having a picnic. � How can thepolice stop people stealing cars? �Can’t you stop the children from makingsuch a noise? � The plumber couldn’tstop the tap dripping. 5. to stay as a vis-itor in a place � They stopped for a fewdays in Paris. � I expect to stop in Romefor the weekend. (NOTE: stops – stop-ping – stopped) � noun 1. the end ofsomething, especially of movement �The police want to put a stop to carcrimes. 2. a place where you break ajourney � We’ll make a stop at the nextservice station. 3. a place where a bus ortrain lets passengers get on or off � Wehave been waiting at the bus stop fortwenty minutes. � There are six stopsbetween here and Marble Arch.


stopper 310 strapstopper

stopper /�stɒpə/ noun an object that youput into the mouth of a bottle or jar toclose it

store

store /stɔ/ noun a shop, usually a bigshop � You can buy shoes in any of thebig stores in town. � Does the storehave a food department? � verb 1. tokeep food etc. to use later � We store(away) all our vegetables in the gardenshed. 2. to keep something in a compu-ter file � We store all our personnelrecords on computer.

storey

storey /�stɔri/ noun a whole floor in abuilding

storm

storm /stɔm/ noun a high wind and verybad weather � Several ships got into dif-ficulties in the storm. � How many treeswere blown down in last night’s storm?

stormy

stormy /�stɔmi/ adjective when thereare storms � They are forecastingstormy weather for the weekend. (NOTE:stormier – stormiest)

story

story /�stɔri/ noun 1. a description thattells things that did not really happenbut are invented by someone � The bookis the story of two children during thewar. � She writes children’s storiesabout animals. 2. a description that tellswhat really happened � She told her sto-ry to the journalist. (NOTE: The plural isstories.)

stout

stout /staυt/ adjective 1. (of a person)quite fat � He has become much stouterand has difficulty going up stairs. 2. (ofmaterial) strong or thick � Take a fewsheets of stout paper. � Find a stoutbranch to stand on.

stove

stove /stəυv/ noun a piece of equipmentfor heating or cooking

straight

straight /stret/ adjective 1. not curved� a long straight street � The line isn’tstraight. � She has straight black hair. �Stand up straight! 2. not sloping � Is thepicture straight? � Your tie isn’tstraight. � adverb 1. in a straight line,not curving � The road goes straightacross the plain for two hundred kilome-tres. � She was sitting straight in frontof you. 2. immediately � Wait for mehere – I’ll come straight back. � If thereis a problem, you should go straight tothe manager. 3. without stopping or

changing � She drank the milk straightout of the bottle. � The cat ran straightacross the road in front of the car. � Helooked me straight in the face. � Theplane flies straight to Washington.

straighten

straighten /�stret(ə)n/ verb to makesomething straight

straightforward

straightforward /stret��fɔwəd/ ad-jective easy to understand or carry out �The instructions are quite straightfor-ward.

strain

strain /stren/ noun 1. nervous feelingscaused by a busy or difficult situation �Can she stand the strain of working inthat office? 2. a variety of a living thing� They are trying to find a cure for anew strain of the flu virus. � He crossedtwo strains of rice to produce a varietywhich is resistant to disease. � verb 1.to injure part of your body by pullingtoo hard � He strained a muscle in hisback or he strained his back. � The ef-fort strained his heart. 2. to make greatefforts to do something � They strainedto lift the piano into the van. 3. to pourliquid through a sieve to separate solidparts in it � Boil the peas for ten minutesand then strain.

strange

strange /strend"/ adjective 1. not usual� Something is the matter with the en-gine – it’s making a strange noise. � Shetold some very strange stories about thefirm she used to work for. � It feltstrange to be sitting in the office on aSaturday afternoon. � It’s strange thatno one spotted the mistake. 2. whichyou have never seen before or whereyou have never been before � I find itdifficult getting to sleep in a strangeroom. � We went to Korea and had lotsof strange food to eat.

stranger

stranger /�strend"ə/ noun 1. a personwhom you have never met � He’s acomplete stranger to me. � Children aretold not to accept lifts from strangers. 2.a person in a place where he or she hasnever been before � I can’t tell you howto get to the post office – I’m a strangerhere myself.

strap

strap /str�p/ noun a long flat piece ofmaterial used to attach something �Can you do up the strap of my bag forme? � I put a strap round my suitcase to


strategy 311 stretch

make it more secure. � verb to fastensomething with a strap � He strappedon his rucksack. � The patient wasstrapped to a stretcher. � Make sure thebaby is strapped into her seat. (NOTE:straps – strapping – strapped)

strategy

strategy /�str�təd"i/ noun the deci-sions you make about how you are go-ing to do something � Their strategy isto note which of their rival’s modelssells best and then copy it. � The gov-ernment has no long-term strategy fordealing with crime. (NOTE: The plural isstrategies.)

straw

straw /strɔ/ noun 1. dry stems andleaves of crops, used for animals tosleep on � You’ve been lying on theground – you’ve got bits of straw in yourhair. � The tractor picked up bundles ofstraw and loaded them onto a truck. 2. athin plastic tube for sucking up liquids �She was drinking orange juice througha straw.

strawberry

strawberry /�strɔb(ə)ri/ noun a com-mon soft red summer fruit which growson low plants (NOTE: The plural isstrawberries.)

stray

stray /stre/ verb to move away from theusual or expected place � The sheepstrayed onto the golf course. � The chil-dren had strayed too far and couldn’tget back. � noun a pet animal which islost or without a home � We have twofemale cats at home and they attract allthe strays in the district. � adjective 1.not where it should be � He was killedby a stray bullet from a sniper. 2. ((of apet animal)) lost or without a home �We found a stray cat and brought ithome.

stream

stream /strim/ noun 1. a small river �Can you jump across that stream? 2. anumber of things which pass in a contin-uous flow � Crossing the road is diffi-cult because of the stream of traffic. �We had a stream of customers on thefirst day of the sale. � Streams of refu-gees tried to cross the border.

street

street /strit/ noun 1. a road in a town,usually with houses on each side � It isdifficult to park in our street on Satur-day mornings. � Her flat is on a noisystreet. � The school is in the next street.

2. used with names � What’s your officeaddress? – 16 Cambridge Street. � Ox-ford Street, Bond Street and RegentStreet are the main shopping areas inLondon. (NOTE: When used in names,street is usually written St: Oxford St.)

strength

strength /streŋθ/ noun the fact thatsomething or someone is physicallystrong � She hasn’t got the strength tolift it. � You should test the strength ofthe rope before you start climbing.

strenuous

strenuous /�strenjuəs/ adjective re-quiring a lot of physical effort or energy� The doctor has told him to avoidstrenuous exercise. � It’s a very strenu-ous job.

stress

stress /stres/ noun 1. nervous straincaused by an outside influence � thestresses of working in a busy office �She’s suffering from stress. 2. the forceor pressure on something � Stresses in-side the earth create earthquakes. �verb to put emphasis on something � Imust stress the importance of keepingthe plan secret.

stretch

stretch /stretʃ/ verb 1. to spread out fora great distance � The line of carsstretched for three miles from the acci-dent. � The queue stretched from thedoor of the cinema right round the cor-ner. � White sandy beaches stretch asfar as the eye can see. 2. to push outyour arms or legs as far as they can go �The cat woke up and stretched. � Themonkey stretched out through the barsand grabbed the little boy’s cap. 3. topull something out so that it becomesloose, or to become loose by pulling �Don’t hang your jumper up like that –you will just stretch it. � These trousersare not supposed to stretch. � noun 1. along piece of land, water or road �Stretches of the river have been so pol-luted that bathing is dangerous. 2. along period of time � For long stretcheswe had nothing to do. � at a stretchwithout a break � He played the pianofor two hours at a stretch. � to stretchyour legs to go for a short walk aftersitting for a long time � In the coffeebreak I went out into the garden tostretch my legs.


strict 312 structurestrict

strict /strkt/ adjective 1. which must beobeyed � I gave strict instructions thatno one was to be allowed in. � The rulesare very strict and any bad behaviourwill be severely punished. 2. expectingpeople to obey rules � Our parents arevery strict with us about staying up late.

strictly

strictly /�strktli/ adverb in a strict way� All staff must follow strictly the proce-dures in the training manual.

stride

stride /strad/ noun a long step � Inthree strides he was across the room andout of the door. � verb to walk with longsteps � He strode into the room. � Wecould see him striding across the field totake shelter from the rain. (NOTE:strides – striding – strode /strəυd/)

strike

strike /strak/ noun the stopping of workby workers because of lack of agree-ment with management or because oforders from a trade union � They all vot-ed in favour of a strike. � A strike wasavoided at the last minute. � verb 1. tostop working because of disagreementwith management � The workers arestriking in protest against bad workingconditions. 2. to hit something hard �He struck her with a bottle. � She struckher head on the low door. � He struck amatch and lit the fire. 3. (of a clock) toring to mark an hour � The clock hadjust struck one when she heard a noisein the corridor. 4. to come to someone’smind � A thought just struck me. � Itsuddenly struck me that I had seen himsomewhere before. (NOTE: strikes –striking – struck /str�k/)

string

string /strŋ/ noun 1. a strong thin fibreused for tying up things such as parcels� This string isn’t strong enough to tieup that big parcel. � She bought a ballof string. � We’ve run out of string.(NOTE: no plural in this sense: somestring; a piece of string) 2. one of thelong pieces of fibre or wire on a musicalinstrument which makes a note whenyou hit it � a guitar has six strings � Hewas playing the violin when one of thestrings broke. 3. one of the strong piecesof fibre which form the flat part of a ten-nis racket � One of the strings hassnapped.

strip

strip /strp/ noun a long narrow piece ofsomething � He tore the paper intostrips. � Houses are to be built alongthe strip of land near the church. � verbto take off your clothes � Strip to thewaist for your chest X-ray. � Hestripped down to his underpants. (NOTE:strips – stripping – stripped)

stripe

stripe /strap/ noun a long line of colour� He has an umbrella with red, whiteand blue stripes.

strive

strive /strav/ verb to try very hard to dosomething, especially over a long periodof time � He always strove to do as wellas his brother. � Everyone is striving fora solution to the dispute. (NOTE: striv-ing – strove /strəυv/ – has striven/�strv(ə)n/)

strode

strode /strəυd/ past tense of stridestroke

stroke /strəυk/ noun 1. a serious medi-cal condition in which someone sudden-ly becomes unconscious because bloodhas stopped flowing normally to thebrain � He was paralysed after hisstroke. � She had a stroke and died. 2.the act of hitting something such as aball � It took him three strokes to get theball onto the green. 3. a style of swim-ming � She won the 200m breast stroke.� verb to run your hands gently oversomething or someone � She was strok-ing the cat as it sat in her lap.

strong

strong /strɒŋ/ adjective 1. who has a lotof strength � I’m not strong enough tocarry that box. 2. which has a lot offorce or strength � The string broke –we need something stronger. � The windwas so strong that it blew some tiles offthe roof. 3. having a powerful smell,taste or effect � I don’t like strongcheese. � You need a cup of strong blackcoffee to wake you up. � There was astrong smell of gas in the kitchen. �

strengthstrongly

strongly /�strɒŋli/ adverb in a strongway

strove

strove /strəυv/ past tense of strivestruck

struck /str�k/ past tense and past partici-ple of strike

structure

structure /�str�ktʃə/ noun a building orsomething else that is built


struggle 313 stutterstruggle

struggle /�str�'(ə)l/ noun a fight � Af-ter a short struggle the burglar was ar-rested. � verb to try hard to do some-thing difficult � She’s struggling withher maths homework. � She struggledto carry all the shopping to the car.

stubborn

stubborn /�st�bən/ adjective deter-mined not to change your mind � He’sso stubborn – he only does what hewants to do.

stuckstuck /st�k/ past tense and past participleof stick

student

student /�stjud(ə)nt/ noun a personwho is studying at a college, universityor school � All the science studentscame to my lecture. � She’s a brilliantstudent. � Two students had to sit theexam again.

studio

studio /�stjudiəυ/ noun 1. a roomwhere an artist paints � She uses thisroom as a studio because of the goodlight. 2. a place where things such asfilms or broadcasts are made � Andnow, back to the studio for the latestnews and weather report. � They spentthe whole day recording the piece in thestudio. 3. a very small flat for one per-son, usually one room with a smallkitchen and bathroom � You can rent astudio overlooking the sea for £300 aweek in high season. (NOTE: The pluralis studios.)

studystudy /�st�di/ noun the work of examin-ing something carefully to learn moreabout it � The company asked the con-sultant to prepare a study into new pro-duction techniques. � The review haspublished studies on the new drug.(NOTE: The plural is studies.) � verb 1.to learn about a subject at college or uni-versity � He is studying medicine be-cause he wants to be a doctor. � She’sstudying French and Spanish in themodern languages department. 2. tolook at something carefully � She wasstudying the guidebook. (NOTE: studies– studying – studied)

stuff

stuff /st�f/ noun 1. a substance, especial-ly something unpleasant � You’ve gotsome black stuff stuck to your shoe. 2.equipment or possessions � Dump allyour stuff in the living room. � Take allthat stuff and put it in the dustbin. � All

your photographic stuff is still in theback of my car. � verb 1. to push some-thing into something to fill it � Hestuffed his pockets full of peppermints. �The £20 notes were stuffed into a smallplastic wallet. 2. to put small pieces offood such as bread, meat or herbs insidemeat or vegetables before cooking them� We had roast veal stuffed with mush-rooms.

stuffy

stuffy /�st�fi/ adjective without anyfresh air � Can’t you open a window, it’sso stuffy in here? (NOTE: stuffier –stuffiest)

stumble

stumble /�st�mbəl/ verb 1. to almostfall by hitting your foot against some-thing � He stumbled as he tried to getdown the stairs in the dark. 2. to makemistakes when reading aloud or speak-ing � She stumbled a little when had toread the foreign words.

stump

stump /st�mp/ noun 1. a short piece ofsomething left sticking up, such as themain stem of a tree that has been cutdown � After cutting down the trees, weneed to get rid of the stumps. 2. one ofthe three sticks placed in the ground incricket � The ball hit the stumps and thelast man was out.

stun

stun /st�n/ verb 1. to make someone be-come unconscious with a blow to thehead � The blow on the head stunnedhim. 2. to shock someone completely �She was stunned when he told her thathe was already married. (NOTE: stuns –stunning – stunned)

stupid

stupid /�stjupd/ adjective 1. not veryintelligent � What a stupid man! 2. be-having in a way that is not sensible � Itwas stupid of her not to wear a helmetwhen riding on her scooter. � He madeseveral stupid mistakes.

sturdy

sturdy /�st�di/ adjective well made andnot easily damaged (NOTE: sturdier –sturdiest)

stutter

stutter /�st�tə/ noun a speech problemwhere you repeat the sound at the begin-ning of a word several times � He is tak-ing therapy to try to cure his stutter. �verb to repeat the same sounds whenspeaking � He stuttered badly whenmaking his speech.


style 314 successstyle

style /stal/ noun 1. a way of doingsomething, especially a way of design-ing, drawing or writing � The room isdecorated in Chinese style. � The paint-ing is in his usual style. � That style wasfashionable in the 1940s. 2. a fashiona-ble way of doing things � She alwaysdresses with style. � They live in grandstyle. � hairstyle

subject

subject /�s�bd"kt/ noun 1. the thingwhich you are talking about or writingabout � He suddenly changed the sub-ject of the conversation. � The newspa-per has devoted a special issue to thesubject of pollution. 2. an area of knowl-edge which you are studying � Maths ishis weakest subject. � You can take upto five subjects at ‘A’ Level. 3. � to bethe subject of to be the person or thingtalked about or studied � The painterChagall will be the subject of our lec-ture today. � Advertising costs are thesubject of close examination by the au-ditors. 4. (in grammar) a noun or pro-noun which comes before a verb andshows the person or thing that does theaction expressed by the verb � In thesentence ‘the cat sat on the mat’ theword ‘cat’ is the subject of the verb‘sat’.

subject matter

subject matter /�s�bd"kt �m�tə/noun the subject dealt with in some-thing such as a book or TV programme

submarine

submarine /�s�bmərin/ noun a specialtype of ship which can travel under wa-ter � The submarine dived before shewas spotted by enemy aircraft. � adjec-tive under the water � a submarinepipeline

submit

submit /səb��mt/ verb to give somethingfor someone to examine � You are re-quested to submit your proposal to theplanning committee. � He submitted aclaim to the insurers. � Reps are askedto submit their expenses claims once amonth. (NOTE: submits – submitting –submitted) � to accept that someonehas the power to make you do some-thing you don’t want to do

subsequent

subsequent /�s�bskwənt/ adjectivewhich comes later (formal) � The rainand the subsequent flooding disruptedthe match. � All subsequent reports

must be sent to me immediately they ar-rive.

subsequently

subsequently /�s�bskwəntli/ adverbhappening later or following somethingwhich has already happened � I subse-quently discovered that there had been amistake.

substance

substance /�s�bstəns/ noun a solid orliquid material, especially one used inchemistry � A secret substance is addedto the product to give it its yellow colour.� Toxic substances got into the drinkingwater.

substantial

substantial /səb��st�nʃəl/ adjective 1.large or important � She was awardedsubstantial damages. � He received asubstantial sum when he left the compa-ny. � A substantial amount of work re-mains to be done. 2. large enough to sat-isfy someone � We had a substantialmeal at the local pub. 3. solid or strong� This wall is too flimsy, we need some-thing much more substantial.

subtract

subtract /səb��tr�kt/ verb to take onenumber away from another (NOTE: Sub-tracting is usually shown by the minussign – : 10 – 4 = 6: say ‘ten subtractfour equals six’.)

subtraction

subtraction /səb��tr�kʃən/ noun theact of subtracting one number from an-other

suburb

suburb /�s�b�b/ noun an area on theedge of a town where there are housesand shops but not usually factories orother large industries

subway

subway /�s�bwe/ noun 1. an under-ground passage along which people canwalk, e.g. so that they do not have tocross a busy road � There’s a subwayfrom the bus station to the shopping cen-tre. 2. US an underground railway sys-tem � the New York subway � It will bequicker to take the subway to GrandCentral Station. (NOTE: The Londonequivalent is the tube or Under-ground.)

succeed

succeed /sək��sid/ verb to do well or tomake a lot of profit � His business hassucceeded more than he had expected.

success

success /sək��ses/ noun 1. the fact ofachieving what you have been trying todo � She’s been looking for a job in a li-


successful 315 suitable

brary, but without any success so far. 2.the fact that someone does somethingwell � Her photo was in the newspapersafter her Olympic success. � The newcar has not had much success in theJapanese market. (NOTE: The plural issuccesses.)

successfulsuccessful /sək��sesf(ə)l/ adjectivewho or which does well � He’s a suc-cessful business man. � She’s very suc-cessful at hiding her real age. � Theirtrip to German proved successful.

successfullysuccessfully /sək��sesf(ə)li/ adverbachieving what was intended

suchsuch /s�tʃ/ adjective 1. of this type �The police are looking for such things asdrugs or stolen goods. � no such (per-son or thing) a person or thing like thatis not in existence � There is no suchday as April 31st. � Someone was ask-ing for a Mr Simpson but there is nosuch person working here. 2. very; somuch � There was such a crowd at theparty that there weren’t enough chairsto go round. � It’s such a shame thatshe’s ill and has to miss her sister’swedding. � such as used for giving anexample � Some shops such as foodstores are open on Sundays.

suck

suck /s�k/ verb 1. to hold somethingwith your mouth and pull at it with yourtongue � The baby didn’t stop suckinghis thumb until he was six. 2. to havesomething in your mouth which makesyour mouth produce water � He boughta bag of sweets to suck in the car.

suddensudden /�s�d(ə)n/ adjective which hap-pens very quickly or unexpectedly �The sudden change in the weathercaught us unprepared. � The bus cameto a sudden stop. � His decision to go toCanada was very sudden. � all of asudden suddenly � All of a sudden theroom went dark.

suddenlysuddenly /�s�d(ə)nli/ adverb quicklyand giving you a shock � The car infront stopped suddenly and I ran into theback of it. � Suddenly the room wentdark. � She suddenly realised it was al-ready five o’clock.

suffersuffer /�s�fə/ verb 1. to receive an injury� He suffered multiple injuries in theaccident. 2. � to suffer from some-

thing to have an illness or a fault � Shesuffers from arthritis. � The company’sproducts suffer from bad design. � Ourcar suffers from a tendency to overheat.

sufficient

sufficient /sə��fʃ(ə)nt/ adjective asmuch as is needed � Does she have suf-ficient funds to pay for her trip? � Thereisn’t sufficient room to put the big sofain here. � Allow yourself sufficient timeto get to the airport.

suffix

suffix /�s�fks/ noun letters added to theend of a word to make another word.Compare prefix (NOTE: The plural issuffixes.)

sugar

sugar /�ʃυ'ə/ noun a substance that youuse to make food sweet � How muchsugar do you take in your tea? � Canyou pass me the sugar, please?

suggest

suggest /sə��d"est/ verb to mention anidea to see what other people think of it� The chairman suggested that the nextmeeting should be held in October. �What does he suggest we do in thiscase?

suggestion

suggestion /sə��d"estʃən/ noun an ideathat you mention for people to thinkabout � We have asked for suggestionsfrom passengers. � The company actedupon your suggestion. � Whose sugges-tion was it that we should go out in aboat? � I bought those shares at thestockbroker’s suggestion.

suit

suit /sut/ noun 1. a set of pieces of cloth-ing made of the same cloth and worn to-gether, e.g. a jacket and trousers or skirt� A dark grey suit will be just right forthe interview. � The pale blue suit shewas wearing was very chic. 2. one of thefour sets of cards with the same symbolin a pack of cards � Clubs and spadesare the two black suits and hearts anddiamonds are the two red suits. � verb1. to look good when worn by someone� Green usually suits people with redhair. � That hat doesn’t suit her. 2. to beconvenient for someone � He’ll only doit when it suits him to do it. � Thursdayat 11 o’clock will suit me fine.

suitable

suitable /�sutəb(ə)l/ adjective whichfits or which is convenient � I’m look-ing for a suitable present � We adver-tised the job again because there were


suitcase 316 support

no suitable candidates. � A blue dresswould be more suitable for an interview.

suitcase

suitcase /�sutkes/ noun a box with ahandle which you carry your clothes inwhen you are travelling

sulk

sulk /s�lk/ verb to show you are annoyedby not saying anything � They’re sulk-ing because we didn’t invite them.

sum

sum /s�m/ noun 1. a quantity of money� He only paid a small sum for the car.� A large sum of money was stolen fromhis safe. � We are owed the sum of £500.2. a simple problem in mathematics �She tried to do the sum in her head. 3.the total of two or more numbers addedtogether � The sum of all four sides willgive you the perimeter of the field.

summary

summary /�s�məri/ noun a short de-scription of what has been said or writ-ten, or of what happened, without givingall the details � She gave a summary ofwhat happened at the meeting. � Here’sa summary of the book in case you don’thave time to read it. (NOTE: The plural issummaries.)

summer

summer /�s�mə/ noun the hottest seasonof the year, between spring and autumn� Next summer we are going to Greece.� The summer in Australia coincideswith our winter here in England. � I ha-ven’t any summer clothes – it’s neverhot enough here.

summit

summit /�s�mt/ noun the top of amountain � It took us three hour’s hardclimbing to reach the summit.

sun

sun /s�n/ noun 1. a very bright star roundwhich the earth travels and which giveslight and heat � The sun was just risingwhen I got up. � I’ll try taking a photo-graph now that the sun’s come out. 2.the light from the sun � I’d prefer a ta-ble out of the sun. � She spent her wholeholiday just sitting in the sun.

sunburnt

sunburnt /�s�nb�nt/ adjective (of theskin) damaged or made red by the sun

Sunday

Sunday /�s�nde/ noun the seventh dayof the week, the day between Saturdayand Monday � Last Sunday we went ona picnic. � Most shops are now open onSundays. � Can we fix a lunch for nextSunday? � The 15th is a Saturday, so

the 16th must be a Sunday. � Today isSunday, November 19th.

sunk

sunk /s�ŋk/ past participle of sinksunlight

sunlight /�s�nlat/ noun the light whichcomes from the sun (NOTE: no plural)

sunny

sunny /�s�ni/ adjective 1. with the sunshining � Another sunny day! � Theyforecast that it will be sunny this after-noon. 2. where the sun often shines �We live on the sunny side of the street. �Their sitting room is bright and sunny,but the dining room is dark. (NOTE: sun-nier – sunniest)

sunrise

sunrise /�s�nraz/ noun the time whenthe sun comes up in the morning

sunset

sunset /�s�nset/ noun the time when thesun goes down in the evening

sunshine

sunshine /�s�nʃan/ noun a pleasantlight from the sun (NOTE: no plural)

super

super /�supə/ adjective very good(dated)

superlative

superlative /sυ��p�lətv/ adjective ex-tremely good � He’s a superlative goal-keeper. � noun the form of an adjectiveor adverb showing the highest levelwhen compared with another � ‘Big-gest’ is the superlative of ‘big.’

supermarket

supermarket /�supəmɑkt/ noun alarge store selling mainly food andgoods for the house, where customersserve themselves and pay at a checkout

supervisor

supervisor /�supəvazə/ noun a per-son whose job is making sure that otherpeople are working well

supper

supper /�s�pə/ noun the meal which youeat in the evening

supply

supply /sə��pla/ noun a store of some-thing which is needed � We have twoweeks’ supply of coal. (NOTE: The pluralis supplies.) � verb to provide some-thing which is needed � Details of ad-dresses and phone numbers can be sup-plied by the store staff. � He was askedto supply a blood sample. (NOTE: sup-plies – supplying – supplied) � inshort supply not available in largeenough quantities to meet people’sneeds � Fresh vegetables are in shortsupply during the winter.

support

support /sə��pɔt/ noun 1. an object orstructure which stops something from


supporter 317 surprise

falling � They had to build wooden sup-ports to hold up the wall. 2. help or en-couragement � We have had no finan-cial support from the bank. 3. an act ofencouraging and helping someone, or ofagreeing with their plans � The chair-man has the support of the committee. �She spoke in support of our plan. � verb1. to hold something up to stop it fallingdown � The roof is supported on tenhuge pillars. 2. to provide money tohelp someone or something � We hopethe banks will support us during the de-velopment period. 3. to encouragesomeone or something � Which footballteam do you support? � She hopes theother members of the committee willsupport her.

supporter

supporter /sə��pɔtə/ noun a personwho encourages someone or something� It sounds a good idea to me – I’m sur-prised it hasn’t attracted more support-ers.

suppose

suppose /sə��pəυz/ verb 1. to thinksomething is likely to be true or to hap-pen � Where is the secretary? – I sup-pose she’s going to be late as usual. � Isuppose you’ve heard the news? � Whatdo you suppose they’re talking about? �Will you be coming to the meeting thisevening? – I suppose I’ll have to. � Idon’t suppose many people will come.2. (showing doubt) what happens if? �Suppose it rains tomorrow, do you stillwant to go for a walk? � He’s very late– suppose he’s had an accident? � Sup-pose I win the lottery!

sure

sure /ʃυə/ adjective without any doubt �Is he sure he can borrow his mother’scar? � I’m sure I left my wallet in mycoat pocket. � It’s sure to be cold inRussia in December. � Make sure or besure that your computer is switched offbefore you leave. � adverb mainly USmeaning yes � Can I borrow your car?– sure, go ahead! � I need someone tohelp with this computer program – sure,I can do it.

surely

surely /�ʃυəli/ adverb of course, certain-ly (used mostly in questions where acertain answer is expected) � Surelythey can’t expect us to work on Sun-days? � But surely their office is in Lon-

don, not Oxford? � They’ll surely com-plain about the amount of work theyhave to do.

surf

surf /s�f/ noun 1. a mass of white foamcoming onto a beach on large waves �The surf is too rough for children tobathe. 2. waves breaking along a shore� verb to ride on large waves comingonto a beach on a surf board � I’d like tobe able to surf. � It’s too dangerous togo surfing today.

surface

surface /�s�fs/ noun the top part ofsomething � When it rains, water col-lects on the surface of the road. � Thesurface of the water was completelystill. � He stayed a long time under wa-ter before coming back to the surface. �Dinosaurs disappeared from the surfaceof the earth millions of years ago. �verb to come up to the surface � Thecaptain gave orders for the submarineto surface. � His fear of failure has sur-faced again.

surgeon

surgeon /�s�d"ən/ noun a doctor whoperforms medical operations

surgery

surgery /�s�d"əri/ noun 1. treatment ofdisease in which doctors cut into or re-move part of the body � She had sur-gery to straighten her nose. � The pa-tient will need surgery to remove thescars left by the accident. (NOTE: no plu-ral in this sense) 2. a room where a doc-tor or dentist sees and examines patients� I phoned the doctor’s surgery to makean appointment. (NOTE: The plural issurgeries.)

surname

surname /�s�nem/ noun the name ofsomeone’s family, shared by all peoplein the family

surprise

surprise /sə��praz/ noun 1. the feelingyou get when something happens whichyou did not expect to happen � He ex-pressed surprise when I told him I’d lostmy job. � To his great surprise, a lot ofpeople bought his book. � What a sur-prise to find that we were at school to-gether! 2. an unexpected event � Theybaked a cake for her birthday as a sur-prise. � What a surprise to see youagain after so long! � verb to makesomeone surprised � It wouldn’t sur-prise me if it rained. � What surprises


surprised 318 swarm

me is that she left without saying good-bye.

surprised

surprised /sə��prazd/ adjective feelingor showing surprise � She was sur-prised to see her former boyfriend at theparty. � We were surprised to hear thathe’s got a good job.

surprising

surprising /sə��prazŋ/ adjective whichyou do not expect � There was a sur-prising end to the story. � Wasn’t it sur-prising to see the two sisters togetheragain? � It’s hardly surprising shedoesn’t want to meet you again afterwhat you said.

surrender

surrender /sə��rendə/ noun giving in toan enemy because you have lost � thesurrender of the enemy generals � verbto accept that you have been defeated bysomeone else � Our troops were sur-rounded by the enemy and were forcedto surrender.

surround

surround /sə��raυnd/ verb to be allround something or someone � Thehouse is surrounded by beautiful coun-tryside. � The President has surroundedhimself with experts.

survey

survey1 /�s�ve/ noun 1. a way of find-ing out about something by asking peo-ple questions 2. the careful examinationof a building to see if it is in goodenough condition

survey

survey2 /sə��ve/ verb 1. to ask peoplequestions to get information aboutsomething � Roughly half the people wesurveyed were in favour of the scheme.� They’re surveying the site. 2. to meas-ure land in order to produce a plan ormap � They’re surveying the area wherethe new runway will be built.

survival

survival /sə��vav(ə)l/ noun the state ofcontinuing to exist � The survival of thecrew depended on the supplies carriedin the boat. � The survival rate of ba-bies has started to fall.

survive

survive /sə��vav/ verb to continue to bealive after an experience such as acci-dent, attack or serious illness � It wassuch a terrible crash, it was miracle thatanyone survived. � He survived a mas-sive heart attack.

survivor

survivor /sə��vavə/ noun a person whois still alive after an experience such asan accident, attack or serious illness

suspect

suspect1 /sə��spekt/ verb 1. � to sus-pect someone of doing something tothink that someone may have donesomething wrong � I suspect him of be-ing involved in the robbery. � They werewrongly suspected of taking bribes. 2. tothink that something is likely � I sus-pect it’s going to be more difficult thanwe thought at first. � We suspected allalong that something was wrong.

suspect

suspect2 /�s�spekt/ noun a person whois thought to have committed a crime �The police arrested several suspects forquestioning. � adjective 1. which is notreliable � Such high figures for exportslook a bit suspect to me. 2. which mightbe dangerous or illegal � a suspectpackage

suspense

suspense /sə��spens/ noun nervous ex-citement experienced while waiting forsomething to happen or for someone todo something

suspicious

suspicious /sə��spʃəs/ adjective whichseems to be wrong, dangerous or con-nected with a crime � The police founda suspicious package on the stationplatform. � We became suspicious whenwe realised we hadn’t seen him for threedays.

swallow

swallow /�swɒləυ/ verb to make food orliquid pass down your throat from yourmouth to the stomach � He swallowedhis beer and ran back to the office. �She swallowed hard and knocked on thedoor to the interview room.

swam

swam /sw�m/ past tense of swimswan

swan /swɒn/ noun a large white waterbird with a long curved neck

swap

swap /swɒp/ verb to exchange some-thing for something else � Can I swapmy tickets for next Friday’s show? �Let’s swap places, so that I can talk toSusan. � After every game the playersswapped jerseys with the other team.(NOTE: swaps – swapping –swapped)

swarm

swarm /swɔm/ noun a large group ofinsects flying around together � Aswarm of flies buzzed around the meat.


sway 319 swingsway

sway /swe/ verb 1. to move slowly andsmoothly from side to side � The crowdswayed in time to the music. � The palmtrees swayed in the breeze. 2. to have aninfluence on someone � The committeewas swayed by a letter from the presi-dent.

swear

swear /sweə/ verb 1. to make a seriouspublic promise � He swore he wouldn’ttouch alcohol again. � The witnessesswore to tell the truth. 2. to shout offen-sive or rude words � They were shoutingand swearing at the police. � Don’t letme catch you swearing again! (NOTE:swears – swearing – swore – sworn)� I could have sworn I was complete-ly sure � I could have sworn I put mykeys in my coat pocket.

sweat

sweat /swet/ noun drops of salt liquidwhich come through your skin whenyou are hot or when you are afraid � Af-ter working in the vineyard he wasdrenched with sweat. � He broke outinto a cold sweat when they called hisname. � verb to produce sweat � He ranup the hill, sweating and red in the face.

sweater

sweater /�swetə/ noun a thick piece ofclothing with sleeves that covers yourupper body

sweatshirt

sweatshirt /�swetʃ�t/ noun a thickcotton shirt with long sleeves

sweep

sweep /swip/ verb 1. to clear up dustand dirt from the floor with a brush �Have you swept the kitchen floor yet? 2.to move quickly � She swept into theroom with a glass of wine in her hand. �The party swept to power in the generalelection. � A feeling of anger sweptthrough the crowd. (NOTE: sweeps –sweeping – swept /swept/)

sweetsweet /swit/ adjective 1. tasting likesugar, and neither sour nor bitter �These apples are sweeter than thosegreen ones. 2. very kind or pleasant �He sent me such a sweet birthday card.� It was sweet of her to send me flowers.� What a sweet little girl! � How sweetof you to help me with my luggage! �noun 1. a small piece of sweet food,made with sugar � She bought somesweets to eat in the cinema. � He likesto suck sweets when he is driving. 2.sweet food eaten at the end of a meal �

What’s on the menu for sweet? � I’mafraid I haven’t made a sweet. � I won’thave any sweet, thank you, just somecoffee. � to have a sweet tooth to likesweet food � He’s very fond of puddings– he’s got a real sweet tooth!

sweetness

sweetness /�switnəs/ noun a state ofbeing sweet

swell

swell /swel/ verb to become larger, usu-ally because of an illness or injury �Her feet started to swell. (NOTE: swells– swelling – swollen /�swəυlən/ –swelled) � to swell (up) to becomelarger or to increase in size � She wasbitten by an insect and her hand swelled(up).

swelling

swelling /�swelŋ/ noun a conditionwhere liquid forms in part of the body,making that part swell up

swept

swept /swept/ past tense and past parti-ciple of sweep

swerve

swerve /sw�v/ verb to move suddenlyto one side � They think the car swervedto the left and hit a wall. � She had toswerve to avoid the bicycle.

swift

swift /swft/ adjective very fast � Theirphone call brought a swift responsefrom the police.

swim

swim /swm/ verb to move in the waterusing your arms and legs to push youalong � She can’t swim, but she’s takingswimming lessons. � She swam acrossthe English Channel. (NOTE: swims –swimming – swam /sw�m/ – swum/sw�m/) � noun an occasion when youswim � What about a swim beforebreakfast? � It’s too cold for a swim.

swimmer

swimmer /�swmə/ noun a person whois swimming

swimming

swimming /�swmŋ/ noun the activityor sport of moving through water usingyour arms and legs

swing

swing /swŋ/ verb to move, or movesomething, from side to side or forwardsand backwards, while hanging from acentral point � She picked up the babyand swung him round and round. � Heswung up and down on the gardenswing. � A window swung open and aman looked out. (NOTE: swings –swinging – swung /sw�ŋ/) � noun aseat held by two ropes or chains, to sit


switch 320 system

on and move backwards and forwards,usually outdoors � She sat on the swingand ate an apple.

switchswitch /swtʃ/ noun a small objectwhich you push up or down to stop orstart a piece of electrical equipment �The switch to turn off the electricity is inthe cupboard. � There is a light switchby the bed. � verb 1. to do somethingdifferent suddenly � We decided toswitch from gas to electricity. 2. tochange or exchange something � Let’sswitch places. � He switched flights inMontreal and went on to Calgary. � Thejob was switched from our British facto-ry to the States.switch off phrasal verb to make anpiece of electrical equipment stop �Don’t forget to switch off the TV beforeyou go to bed. � She forgot to switch hercar lights off or switch off her car lights.� The kettle switches itself off automat-ically when it boils.switch on phrasal verb to make a pieceof electrical equipment start � Can youswitch the radio on – it’s time for theevening news. � When you put the lighton in the bathroom, the fan switches it-self on automatically.

swollenswollen /�swəυlən/ past participle ofswell � adjective much bigger thanusual

swoopswoop /swup/ verb to come downquickly � The planes swooped (down)low over the enemy camp.

swopswop /swɒp/ noun, verb same as swapswordsword /sɔd/ noun a weapon with a han-

dle and a long sharp bladesworeswore /swɔ/ past tense of swearswumswum /sw�m/ past participle of swimswungswung /sw�ŋ/ past tense and past parti-

ciple of swingsyllablesyllable /�sləb(ə)l/ noun a whole word

or part of a word which has one singlesound

symbol

symbol /�smbəl/ noun a sign, letter,picture or shape which means some-thing or shows something � The crownwas the symbol of the empire. � The ol-ive branch is a symbol of peace. � Pb isthe chemical symbol for lead.

sympathetic

sympathetic /�smpə��θetk/ adjectiveshowing that you understand someone’sproblems

sympathise

sympathise /�smpəθaz/, sympa-thize verb to show that you understandsomeone’s problems � I sympathisewith you, my husband snores too. � I getback pains, and I sympathise with allfellow sufferers.

sympathy

sympathy /�smpəθi/ noun a feeling ofunderstanding for someone else’s prob-lems, or after someone’s death � We re-ceived many messages of sympathywhen my wife died. � He had no sympa-thy for his secretary who complained ofbeing overworked.

symptom

symptom /�smptəm/ noun 1. a changein the body, showing that a disease ispresent � He has all the symptoms offlu. 2. a visible sign which shows thatsomething is happening � Rubbish eve-rywhere on the pavements is a symptomof the economic crisis facing the bor-ough.

synonym

synonym /�snənm/ noun a wordwhich means almost the same as anoth-er word

syrup

syrup /�srəp/ noun a sweet liquid � Tomake syrup, dissolve sugar in a cup ofboiling water.

system

system /�sstəm/ noun 1. a group ofthings which work together � the sys-tem of motorways or the motorway sys-tem � the London underground railwaysystem 2. a way in which things are or-ganised � I’ve got my own system fordealing with invoices.


Tt

t /ti/, T noun the twentieth letter of the al-phabet, between S and U

table

table /�teb(ə)l/ noun 1. a piece of furni-ture with a flat top and legs, used to eator work at � We had breakfast sittinground the kitchen table. � He asked fora table by the window. � She says shebooked a table for six people for 12.30.2. a list of numbers, facts, or informa-tion set out in an organised way

tablecloth

tablecloth /�teb(ə)l��klɒθ/ noun a clothwhich covers a table during a meal

tablet

tablet /�t�blət/ noun a small round pilltaken as medicine � Take two tablets be-fore meals.

table tennis

table tennis /�teb(ə)l �tens/ noun agame similar to tennis, but played on alarge table with a net across the centre,with small round bats and a very lightwhite ball

tackle

tackle /�t�k(ə)l/ verb 1. to try to dealwith a problem or job � You can’t tacklea job like changing the central heatingsystem on your own. � You start clean-ing the dining room and I’ll tackle thewashing up. 2. (in football, etc.) to try toget the ball from an opposing player �He was tackled before he could score. �noun equipment � He brought his fish-ing tackle with him.

tail

tail /tel/ noun 1. a long thin part at theend of the body of an animal or bird,which can move � All you could see wasa slight movement of the cat’s tail. �The dog rushed up to him, wagging itstail. 2. an end or back part of something� The tail of the queue stretched roundthe corner and into the next street. � Iprefer to sit near the tail of the aircraft.

take

take /tek/ verb 1. to lift and move some-thing � She took the pot of jam downfrom the shelf. � The waiter took the ta-blecloth off the table. 2. to carry some-thing to another place � Can you takethis cheque to the bank for me, please?

3. to go with someone or something toanother place � He’s taking the childrento school. � They took the car to the ga-rage. � We took a taxi to the hotel. 4. tosteal something � Someone’s taken mywatch. 5. to go away with somethingwhich someone else was using � Some-one has taken the newspaper I was read-ing. � Who’s taken my cup of coffee? 6.to use or occupy something � Sorry, allthese seats are taken. 7. to do a test �You must go to bed early because you’llbe taking your exams tomorrow morn-ing. � She had to take her driving testthree times before she finally passed. 8.to accept something � If they offer youthe job, take it immediately. 9. to do cer-tain actions � We took our holiday inSeptember this year. � She’s taking ashower after going to the beach. � Shetook a photograph or took a picture ofthe Tower of London. � She needs totake a rest. 10. to need a certain amountof time or number of people � It tookthree strong men to move the piano. �They took two days or it took them twodays to get to London. � When he wantsto watch a TV programme it never seemsto take him long to finish his homework.(NOTE: takes – taking – took /tυk/ –taken /�tek(ə)n/)

take away phrasal verb 1. to removesomething or someone � Take thosescissors away from little Nicky – hecould cut himself. � The ambulancecame and took her away. � The policetook away piles of documents from theoffice. 2. to subtract one number fromanother (NOTE: Take away is usuallyshown by the sign – : 10 – 4 = 6: say‘ten take away four equals six’.)take off phrasal verb 1. to removesomething, especially your clothes � Hetook off all his clothes or he took all hisclothes off. � Take your dirty boots offbefore you come into the kitchen. � hat


takeaway 322 tape

2. to make an amount smaller � He took£25 off the price. 3. (of a plane) to leavethe ground � The plane took off at 4.30.take over phrasal verb 1. to start to dosomething in place of someone else �Miss Black took over from Mr Jones onMay 1st. � When our history teacherwas ill, the English teacher had to takeover his classes. � The Socialists tookover from the Conservatives. 2. to buy abusiness by buying most of its shares �The company was taken over by a biggroup last month.take up phrasal verb 1. to fill a spaceor time � This settee takes up too muchroom. � Being in charge of the staffsports club takes up too much of mytime. 2. to remove something which wason a floor or other low surface � Youwill need to take up the rugs if you wantto polish the floor.

takeaway

takeaway /�tekəwe/ noun a shopwhere you can buy cooked food to eatsomewhere else � There’s an Indiantakeaway round the corner. � We had aChinese takeaway. � noun, adjective ahot meal that you buy in a shop and eatsomewhere else � We had a takeawayChinese meal.

taken

taken /�tekən/ past participle of taketale

tale /tel/ noun a story (literary) � A taleof princesses and wicked fairies.

talent

talent /�t�lənt/ noun an ability or skill �Her many talents include singing andplaying the piano.

talented

talented /�t�ləntd/ adjective with a lotof talent

talk

talk /tɔk/ verb to say things � I didn’tunderstand what he was talking about.� We must talk to the neighbours abouttheir noisy dog – it kept me awake againlast night. � noun 1. a conversation or adiscussion � We had a little talk, andshe agreed with what the committee haddecided. � I had a long talk with my fa-ther about what I should study at uni-versity. 2. a lecture about a subject � Hegave a short talk about the history of thetown.

talk over phrasal verb to discuss some-thing

talkative

talkative /�tɔkətv/ adjective liking totalk a lot, or sometimes too much

talltall /tɔl/ adjective high, usually higherthan normal � the tallest building inLondon � Can you see those tall treesover there? � He’s the tallest boy in hisclass. � How tall are you? – I’m 1 metre68 centimetres. � His brother is over sixfeet tall. (NOTE: taller – tallest. Tall isused with people and thin things liketrees or skyscrapers; for things whichare a long way above the ground usehigh: high clouds, a high mountain.)

tame

tame /tem/ adjective a tame animal canlive with people because it is no longerwild � Don’t be afraid of that fox – he’sperfectly tame.

tantan /t�n/ noun a brownish-yellow colourof the skin after being in the sun � Shegot a tan from spending each day on thebeach. � verb to get brown from beingin the sun � She tans easily – just half anhour in the sun and she’s quite brown.(NOTE: tans – tanning – tanned)

tanktank /t�ŋk/ noun 1. a large container forliquids � How much oil is left in thetank? 2. an army vehicle which is cov-ered in strong metal, has tracks insteadof wheels and has powerful guns �Tanks rolled along the main streets ofthe town.

tap

tap /t�p/ noun an object which you turnin order to let liquid or gas come out ofa pipe � He washed his hands under thetap in the kitchen. � verb to hit some-thing gently � She tapped him on theknee with her finger. � A policemantapped him on the shoulder and arrestedhim. (NOTE: taps – tapping – tapped)

tape

tape /tep/ noun 1. a long narrow piece ofcloth or plastic � She stitched tapealong the bottom of the sleeves to stop itfraying. 2. � magnetic tape specialplastic tape on which sounds and pic-tures can be recorded, also used for re-cording computer data � verb 1. torecord something on tape or on video �The whole conversation was taped bythe police. � I didn’t see the programmebecause I was at work, but I’ve taped it.2. to attach something with sticky tape� She taped up the box before taking itto the post office.


target 323 teartargettarget /�tɑ't/ noun 1. an object which

you aim at, e.g. with a gun � His lastshot missed the target altogether. � Shehit the target three times in all. 2. some-thing which you intend to achieve

tasktask /tɑsk/ noun something, especially apiece of work, that has to be done � Hehad the unpleasant task of telling hismother about it.

tastetaste /test/ noun 1. the sense on yourtongue that allows you to be aware ofthe flavour of something when you putit in your mouth � I’ve got a cold, soI’ve lost all sense of taste. 2. a flavour ofsomething that you eat or drink � Thepudding has a funny or strange taste. �Do you like the taste of garlic? � Thismilk shake has no taste at all. � verb 1.to notice the taste of something withyour tongue � Can you taste the onionsin this soup? � She’s got a cold so shecan’t taste anything. 2. to have a certainflavour � This cake tastes of soap. �What is this green stuff? – It tastes likecabbage. � The pudding tastes verygood. 3. to try food or drink to see if youlike it � Would you like to taste thewine? � She asked if she could taste thecheese before buying it.

tastytasty /�testi/ adjective with a pleasanttaste (NOTE: tastier – tastiest)

taughttaught /tɔt/ past tense and past partici-ple of teach

taxtax /t�ks/ noun money taken by the gov-ernment to pay for government services� The government is planning to intro-duce a tax on food. � You must pay yourtax on the correct date. � The newspa-per headline says ‘TAXES TO GO UP’.

taxitaxi /�t�ksi/ noun a car which you canhire with a driver � Can you call a taxito take me to the airport? � Why aren’tthere any taxis at the station today? �There are no buses on Sunday after-noons, so we had to take a taxi to theparty. (NOTE: also often called a caband sometimes taxicab)

teatea /ti/ noun 1. a drink made from hotwater which has been poured onto thedried leaves of a tropical plant � Can Ihave another cup of tea or some moretea? � I don’t like tea – can I have coffeeinstead? 2. a cup of tea � Can we have

two teas and two cakes, please? 3. thedried leaves of a tropical plant used tomake a warm drink � We’ve run out oftea, can you put it on your shoppinglist? 4. a meal eaten in the late afternoonor early evening � The children havehad their tea.

teachteach /titʃ/ verb to show someone howto do something � She taught me how todance. � He teaches maths in the localschool. (NOTE: teaches – teaching –taught /tɔt/)

teacherteacher /�titʃə/ noun a person whoteaches, especially in a school � MrJones is our maths teacher. � TheFrench teacher is ill today. � He trainedas a primary school teacher. � pet

teaching

teaching /�titʃŋ/ noun the work of be-ing a teacher or of giving lessons � Thereport praised the high standard ofteaching at the college. � He was work-ing in a bank, but has decided to go intoteaching instead.

teamteam /tim/ noun 1. a group of peoplewho play a game together � There areeleven people in a football team and fif-teen in a rugby team. � He’s a fan of thelocal football team. � Our college teamplayed badly last Saturday. 2. a group ofpeople who work together � They makea very effective team. � In this job youhave to be able to work as a member ofa team.

teapotteapot /�tipɒt/ noun a container whichis used for making tea in

teartear1 /tə/ noun a drop of salt waterwhich forms in your eye when you cry� Tears were running down her cheeks.� in tears crying � All the family werein tears. � to burst into tears to sud-denly start crying

teartear2 /teə/ verb 1. to make a hole insomething by pulling � He tore his trou-sers climbing over the fence. � My coatis torn – can it be mended? 2. to pullsomething into small pieces � He torethe letter in half. � She tore up old news-papers to pack the cups and saucers.(NOTE: tears – tearing – tore /tɔ/ –torn /tɔn/) � noun a place wheresomething has a hole in it from beingtorn � Can you mend the tear in myjeans?


tease 324 templetease

tease /tiz/ verb to say or do somethingto annoy someone on purpose � Heteased her about her new haircut. �Stop teasing that poor cat.

teaspoon

teaspoon /�tispun/ noun a smallspoon for stirring tea or other liquid �Can you bring me a teaspoon, please?

technical

technical /�teknk(ə)l/ adjective relat-ing to industrial processes or practicalwork � Don’t bother with the technicaldetails of how the machine works, justtell me what it does. � The instructionsare too technical for the ordinary per-son to understand.

technique

technique /tek��nik/ noun a way of do-ing something � He developed a newtechnique for processing steel. � Shehas a specially effective technique fordealing with complaints from custom-ers.

technology

technology /tek��nɒləd"i/ noun the useor study of industrial or scientific skills� We already have the technology toproduce such a machine. � The govern-ment has promised increased supportfor science and technology.

teenager

teenager /�tined"ə/ noun a young per-son aged between 13 and 19 � Shewrites stories for teenagers.

teeshirt

teeshirt /�tiʃ�t/, T-shirt noun a lightshirt with a round neck and no buttonsor collar, usually with short sleeves

teeth

teeth /tiθ/ plural of toothtelephone

telephone /�telfəυn/ noun a machinewhich you use to speak to someone whois some distance away � I was in thegarden when you called, but by the timeI got to the house the telephone hadstopped ringing. � She lifted the tele-phone and called the ambulance. � verbto call someone using a telephone �Your wife telephoned when you wereout. � Can you telephone me at teno’clock tomorrow evening? � I need totelephone our office in New York. (NOTE:Telephone is often shortened tophone: phone call, phone book.)

telescope

telescope /�telskəυp/ noun a piece ofequipment for looking at objects whichare very far away, consisting of a longtube with a series of lenses in it � Witha telescope you can see the ships very

clearly. � He watched the stars using atelescope in his back garden.

television

television /�tel��v"(ə)n/ noun 1. soundand pictures which are sent through theair or along cables and appear on a spe-cial machine � television programmes� We don’t watch television every night.� Is there any football on television to-night? 2. a piece of electrical equipmentwhich shows television pictures � Iswitched off the television before goingto bed. (NOTE: Television is often writ-ten or spoken as TV /�ti �vi/.)

tell

tell /tel/ verb 1. to communicate some-thing to someone, e.g. a story or a joke� She told me a long story about howshe got lost in London. � I don’t thinkthey are telling the truth. 2. to give in-formation to someone � The policemantold them how to get to the post office. �He told the police that he had seen theaccident take place. � Don’t tell mymother you saw me at the pub. � No-body told us about the picnic. 3. � to tellsomeone what to do to give someoneinstructions � The teacher told the chil-dren to stand in a line. � Give a shout totell us when to start. 4. to notice some-thing � He can’t tell the difference be-tween butter and margarine. � You cantell he is embarrassed when his facegoes red. (NOTE: tells – telling – told/təυld/)

temper

temper /�tempə/ noun the state of be-coming angry � You have to learn tocontrol your temper. � He has a violenttemper. � She got into a temper.

temperature

temperature /�temprtʃə/ noun 1. heatmeasured in degrees � The temperatureof water in the swimming pool is 25°. �Temperatures in the Arctic can be verylow. � I can’t start the car when the tem-perature is below zero. � Put the ther-mometer in the patient’s mouth – I wantto take her temperature. 2. an illnesswhere your body is hotter than normal �She’s off work with a temperature. �The doctor says he’s got a temperatureand has to stay in bed.

temple

temple /�tempəl/ noun a building forworship, usually Hindu or Buddhist, orancient Greek or Roman � We visitedthe Greek temples on the islands.


temporarily 325 terrifictemporarily

temporarily /�temp(ə) ��rerəli/ adverbfor a short time only

temporary

temporary /�temp(ə)rəri/ adjective ex-isting or lasting only for a limited time� She has a temporary job with a con-struction company. � This arrangementis only temporary.

tempt

tempt /tempt/ verb to try to persuadesomeone to do something, especiallysomething pleasant or wrong � Can Itempt you to have another cream cake?� They tried to tempt him to leave hisjob and work for them.

ten

ten /ten/ noun the number 10 � In themarket they’re selling ten oranges fortwo dollars. � She’s ten (years old) nextweek. � The next plane for Paris leavesat 10 (o’clock) in the evening.

tend

tend /tend/ verb 1. to look after some-thing � His job is to tend the flower bedsin front of the town hall. 2. � to tend todo something to be likely to do some-thing � She tends to lose her tempervery easily.

tendency

tendency /�tendənsi/ noun the way inwhich someone or something is likely toact � The photocopier has a tendency tobreak down if you try to do too manycopies at the same time. � He has an un-fortunate tendency to sit in a corner andgo to sleep at parties.

tender

tender /�tendə/ adjective 1. (of food)easy to cut or chew � a plate of tenderyoung beans � The meat was so tender,you hardly needed a knife to cut it. 2.showing love � The plants need a lot oftender loving care. 3. painful whentouched

tennis

tennis /�tens/ noun a game for two orfour players who use rackets to hit a ballover a net � He’s joined the local tennisclub. � Would you like a game of tennis?

tenor

tenor /�tenə/ adjective with a high pitch,similar to that of a tenor � He plays thetenor saxophone. � He has a pleasanttenor voice. Compare bass � noun aman who sings with the highest malevoice � The tenors start the song, fol-lowed by the sopranos.

tense

tense /tens/ adjective nervous and wor-ried � I always get tense before going toan interview. � The atmosphere in the

hall was tense as everyone waited forthe result of the vote. � noun the form ofa verb which shows the time when theaction takes place

tension

tension /�tenʃən/ noun 1. nervous orworried feelings � Tension built up aswe waited for the result. 2. feelings ofanger or hate between countries or races� There is tension in the area caused byfighting between tribes. 3. the state ofbeing tight � You need to adjust the ten-sion in your tennis racket.

tent

tent /tent/ noun a shelter made of cloth,held up by poles and attached to theground with ropes

tenth

tenth /tenθ/ adjective number 10 in a se-ries � That’s the tenth phone call I’vehad this morning. � She came tenth in anational competition. � noun the thingthat is number 10 in a series � the tenthof April or April the tenth (April 10th)

term

term /t�m/ noun 1. one of the parts of aschool or university year � The autumnterm ends on December 15th. � Nextterm I’ll be starting to learn the piano.2. a word or phrase which has a particu-lar meaning � He used several technicalterms which I didn’t understand. �Some people use ‘darling’ as a term ofaffection.

terminal

terminal /�t�mn(ə)l/ noun a building atan airport where planes arrive or leave �The flight leaves from Terminal 4. � ad-jective referring to the last period of aserious illness that will lead to death �The condition is terminal.

terrace

terrace /�terəs/ noun 1. a flat outdoorarea which is raised above another area� The guests had drinks on the terracebefore going in to dinner. 2. a row ofsimilar houses connected together

terrible

terrible /�terb(ə)l/ adjective very bad �We shouldn’t have come to this party –the music’s terrible. � There was a ter-rible storm last night.

terribly

terribly /�terbli/ adverb 1. very � I’mterribly sorry to have kept you waiting.� The situation is terribly serious. 2. ina very bad way � The farmers sufferedterribly from drought.

terrific

terrific /tə��rfk/ adjective 1. extremelygood � We had a terrific time at the par-


terrify 326 that

ty. 2. very big or loud � There was a ter-rific bang and the whole building col-lapsed.

terrify

terrify /�terfa/ verb to make someonevery frightened � The sound of thunderterrifies me. (NOTE: terrifies – terrify-ing – terrified)

territory

territory /�tert(ə)ri/ noun 1. a large areaof land � They occupied all the territoryon the east bank of the river. 2. landwhich belongs to a country � A group ofsoldiers had wandered into enemy terri-tory. 3. an area which an animal or birdthinks belongs only to it � Animals of-ten fight to defend their territories.(NOTE: The plural is territories.)

terror

terror /�terə/ noun great fear � They livein constant terror of terrorist attacks.

terrorist

terrorist /�terərst/ noun a person whopractises terrorism � Terrorists hijackeda plane and told the pilot to fly to Rome.� adjective referring to terrorism � Ter-rorist attacks have increased over thelast few weeks.

test

test /test/ noun 1. an examination to seeif you know something � We had anEnglish test yesterday. � She passed herdriving test. 2. an examination to see ifsomething is working well � The doctorwill have to do a blood test. � It is agood test of the car’s ability to brakefast. � verb 1. to find out how wellsomeone can do something or how wellsomeone knows something � Theteacher tested my spoken German. 2. toexamine someone or something to see ifeverything is working well � We need totest your reactions to noise and brightlights. � He has to have his eyes tested.� She tested her new car in the snow.

text

text /tekst/ noun the written parts of adocument or book, not the pictures �It’s a book for little children, with lots ofpictures and very little text.

textbook

textbook /�tekstbυk/ noun a bookwhich students use to learn about thesubject they are studying

text message

text message /�tekst �mesd"/ noun amessage sent by telephone, using shortforms of words, which appear on thescreen of a mobile phone

than

than /ðən, ð�n/ conjunction used toshow a comparison � It’s hotter thisweek than it was last week. � preposi-tion used to link two parts of a compari-son � His car is bigger than mine. � Shewas born in London, so she knows it bet-ter than any other town. � You can’t getmore than four people into this lift. �It’s less than five kilometres to the near-est station.

thank

thank /θ�ŋk/ verb to say or do some-thing that shows you are grateful tosomeone for doing something for you �She thanked the policeman for helpingher to cross the street. � Don’t forget tothank Aunt Ann for her present.

thanks

thanks /θ�ŋks/ noun a word showingthat you are grateful � We sent ourthanks for the gift. � We did our best tohelp but got no thanks for it. � The com-mittee passed a vote of thanks to theschool for having organised the meet-ing. � Many thanks for your letter of the15th. � interjection used to show youare grateful � Do you want some moretea? – No thanks. I’ve had two cups al-ready. � Anyone want a lift to the sta-tion? – Thanks, it’s a long walk fromhere.

thanks to

thanks to /�θ�ŋks tu/ preposition usedfor saying that someone or something isresponsible for something or to blamefor something

thank you

thank you /�θ�ŋk ju/ interjectionshowing that you are grateful � Thankyou very much for your letter of the15th. � Did you remember to say thankyou to your grandmother for thepresent? � Would you like another pieceof cake? – No thank you, I’ve hadenough. � noun something that you door say to show you are grateful � Let’ssay a big thank you to the people whoorganised the show.

that

that /ð�t/ adjective used to show some-thing or someone that is further away orin the past � Can you see that whitehouse on the corner over there? � Doyou remember the name of that awfulhotel in Brighton? Compare this (NOTE:The plural is those.) � pronoun some-thing or someone that is further away �That’s the book I was talking about. �


thaw 327 then

Do you know who that is sitting at thenext table? � Is that the one? – Yes,that’s it. Compare this � relative pro-noun used to give more informationabout someone or something just men-tioned � Where is the parcel that shesent you yesterday? � Can you see theman that sold you the ticket? � There’sthe suitcase that you left on the train!(NOTE: When it is the object of a rela-tive clause, that can sometimes be leftout: Where’s the letter he sent you?Here’s the box you left in the bedroom.When it is the subject, that can be re-placed by which or who: a house thathas red windows or a house which hasred windows; the man that stole thecar or the man who stole the car.) �conjunction used after verbs like ‘say’or ‘think’ and adjectives like ‘glad’ or‘disappointed’, and after ‘so’ or ‘such’� The restaurant was so expensive thatwe could only afford one dish. � Itrained so hard that the street was like ariver. � We had such a lot of work thatwe didn’t have any lunch. � There wassuch a long queue that we didn’t botherwaiting. � They told me that the manag-er was out. � I don’t think they knewthat we were coming. � I’m glad that theweather turned out fine. (NOTE: That isoften left out: He didn’t know we werecoming; It’s so hot in here we all wanta drink of water.) � adverb to such a de-gree � You must remember him, it’s notall that long ago that we had a drinkwith him. � His new car is not reallythat big.

thaw

thaw /θɔ/ noun a time of warm weatherwhich makes snow and ice melt � Thethaw came early this year. � verb tomelt � The ice is thawing on the villagepond.

the

the /ðə/; before a vowel /ð/ article 1.meaning something in particular, as op-posed to ‘a’ � Where’s the book youbrought back from the library? � That’sthe cat from next door. � The town cen-tre has been made into a pedestrianzone. 2. used with something of whichonly one exists, e.g. in the names ofplaces � an expedition to the Antarctic� A spacecraft landed on the moon. �The sun came up over the hills. 3. used

for referring to a thing in general �There’s nothing interesting on the tele-vision tonight. � She refuses to use thetelephone. � The streets are crowded atlunchtime. � Both sisters play the flute.4. meaning something special � It’s theshop for men’s clothes. � She’s the doc-tor for children’s diseases. � That’s notthe Charlie Chaplin, is it? 5. used tocompare � The more he eats the thinnerhe seems to get. � The sooner you do itthe better. � This is by far the shortestway to London. � She’s the tallest per-son in the office.

theater

theater /�θətə/ noun US spelling of the-atre

theatre

theatre /�θətə/ noun a building in whichplays are shown � I’m trying to get tick-ets for the theatre tonight. � What is theplay at the local theatre this week? �We’ll have dinner early and then go tothe theatre.

their

their /ðeə/ adjective belonging to them �After the film, we went to their house forsupper. (NOTE: Do not confuse withthere, they’re.)

theirs

theirs /ðeəz/ pronoun the one that be-longs to them � Which car is theirs – theFord? � She’s a friend of theirs. � Thegirls wanted to borrow my car – theirswouldn’t start.

them

them /ðəm, ðem/ pronoun 1. referring topeople or things that have been men-tioned before � Do you like creamcakes? – No, I don’t like them verymuch. � There’s a group of people wait-ing outside. – Tell them to come in. �She saw her friends and asked them tohelp her. 2. referring to a single person,used instead of him or her � If someonephones, ask them to call back later.

theme

theme /θim/ noun the main subject of abook or article � The theme of the bookis how to deal with illness in the family.

themselves

themselves /ðəm��selvz/ pronoun re-ferring to the same people or things thatare the subject of the verb � Cats alwaysspend a lot of time cleaning themselves.� It’s no use going to the surgery – thedoctors are all ill themselves.

then

then /ðen/ adverb 1. at that time in thepast or future � He had been very busy


theory 328 think

up till then. � Ever since then I’ve re-fused to eat oysters. � We’re having aparty next week. – What a pity! I’ll be inScotland then. 2. after that � We all satdown, and then after a few minutes thewaiter brought us the menu. � It was abusy trip – he went to Greece, then to It-aly and finally to Spain.

theory

theory /�θəri/ noun 1. an explanation ofsomething which has not been provedbut which you believe is true � I have atheory which explains why the policenever found the murder weapon. 2. acareful scientific explanation of whysomething happens � Galileo put for-ward the theory that the earth turnsround the sun. 3. a statement of generalprinciples which may not apply in prac-tice � In theory the treatment shouldwork, but no one has ever tried it.(NOTE: The plural is theories.)

there

there /ðeə/ adverb 1. in that place � Isthat black van still there parked outsidethe house? � Where have you put thetea? – There, on the kitchen counter. 2.to that place � We haven’t been to theBritish Museum yet. – Let’s go there to-morrow. � Have you ever been to Chi-na? – Yes, I went there last month. 3.used when giving something to some-one � There you are: two fish and chipsand a pot of tea. (NOTE: Do not confusewith their, they’re.) � pronoun usedusually before the verb when the realsubject follows the verb � There’s a lit-tle door leading onto the patio. �There’s someone at the door asking foryou. � There are some pages missing inmy newspaper. � Were there a lot ofpeople at the cinema? � There seems tohave been a lot of rain during the night.

therefore

therefore /�ðeəfɔ/ adverb for this rea-son � I therefore have decided not togrant his request. � They have reducedtheir prices, therefore we should reduceours if we want to stay competitive.

thermometer

thermometer /θə��mɒmtə/ noun an in-strument for measuring temperature

these

these /ðiz/ plural of thisthey

they /ðe/ pronoun 1. referring to peopleor things � Where do you keep thespoons? – They’re in the right-handdrawer. � Who are those people in uni-

form? – They’re traffic wardens. � Thechildren played in the sun and they allgot sunburnt. 2. referring to people ingeneral � They say it’s going to be finethis weekend. (NOTE: When it is the ob-ject, them is used instead of they: Wegave it to them; The police beat themwith sticks; also when it follows theverb to be: Who’s that? – It’s them!)

they’rethey’re /ðeə/ short form they are (NOTE:Do not confuse with their, there.)

thickthick /θk/ adjective 1. bigger than usualwhen measured from side to side � Hecut a slice of bread which was so thick itwouldn’t go into the toaster. � The wallsof the castle are three metres thick. �Some oranges have very thick skins. �He took a piece of thick rope. 2. growingclose together � They tried to make theirway through thick jungle. � The fieldwas covered with thick grass. 3. (of aliquid) which cannot flow easily � If thepaint is too thick add some water. � Abowl of thick soup is just what we needon a cold day like this.

thiefthief /θif/ noun a person who steals(NOTE: The plural is thieves /θivz/.)

thighthigh /θa/ noun the part at the top of theleg between your knee and your hip

thinthin /θn/ adjective 1. not fat � The tablehas very thin legs. � He looks too thin –he should eat more. 2. not thick � aplate of thin sandwiches � The book isprinted on very thin paper. � The parcelwas sent in a thin cardboard box. 3. (ofa liquid) which flows easily, often be-cause of containing too much water �All we had for lunch was a bowl of thinsoup. � Add water to make the paintthinner.

thingthing /θŋ/ noun 1. an object � Can yousee that black thing in the pan of soup?� What do you use that big blue thingfor? 2. something in general � They alljust sat there and didn’t say a thing. �The first thing to do is to call an ambu-lance. � That was a stupid thing to do!

thinkthink /θŋk/ verb 1. to consider some-thing � We never think about what peo-ple might say, we always do what wethink is right. 2. to have an opinion � Ithink London is a nicer town to live inthan Frankfurt. � Everyone thinks we’re


third 329 those

mad to go on holiday in December. �The weather forecasters think it’s goingto rain. � The gang is thought to bebased in Spain. 3. to make a plan to dosomething � We’re thinking we mightopen an office in New York. (NOTE:thinks – thinking – thought /θɔt/) �to think twice to consider very careful-ly � Think twice before you sign thatcontract. � I’d think twice about spend-ing all the money you’ve saved.

think about phrasal verb 1. to havesomeone or something in your mind � Iwas just thinking about you when youphoned. � All she thinks about is food.2. to have an opinion about something �What do you think about the govern-ment’s plans to increase taxes?think of phrasal verb 1. to consider aplan in your mind � We are thinking ofgoing to Greece on holiday. 2. to havean opinion about something � What doyou think of the government’s plans toincrease taxes? � I didn’t think much ofthe play. � She asked him what hethought of her idea. � to think betterof something to change your mindabout something � He was going to paythe whole cost himself, and then thoughtbetter of it.think up phrasal verb to invent a planor new idea

third

third /θ�d/ adjective 1. number 3 in a se-ries � She came third in the race. � Thecake shop is the third shop on the right.� It will be her third birthday next Fri-day. 2. next after the longest, best, tall-est etc. (followed by a superlative) �This is the third tallest building in theworld. � He’s the third most seniormember of staff. � noun 1. the thing thatis number three in a series � Her birth-day is on the third of March or Marchthe third (March 3rd). 2. one of threeequal parts of something � A third of theairline’s planes are jumbos. � Two-thirds of the staff are part-timers.

thirsty

thirsty /�θ�sti/ adjective feeling thatyou want to drink � It’s so hot here thatit makes me thirsty.

thirteen

thirteen /�θ��tin/ noun the number 13� He’s only thirteen (years old), but he

can drive a car. � She’ll be thirteen nextMonday.

thirteenth

thirteenth /θ��tinθ/ adjective number13 in a series � It’s her thirteenth birth-day on Monday. � noun the thing that isnumber 13 in a series � The thirteenthof September or September the thir-teenth (September 13th).

thirtieth

thirtieth /�θ�təθ/ adjective number 30in a series � her thirtieth birthday(NOTE: With dates thirtieth is usuallywritten 30th: May 30th, 1921; June30th, 1896 (American style is June 30,1896): say ‘the thirtieth of June’ or‘June the thirtieth’ (American style is‘June thirtieth’).) � noun the thing thatis number 30 in a series

thirty

thirty /�θ�ti/ noun the number 30 � He’sthirty (years old). � Over thirty peoplecomplained. � they are both in theirthirties they are both aged between 30and 39 years old � the (nineteen-) thir-ties (1930s) the period from 1930 to1939

this

this /ðs/ adjective, pronoun used toshow something which is nearer or inthe present, in contrast to somethingelse � This is the shop I was telling youabout. � I prefer these earrings to thoseones. � I saw him on the train this morn-ing. � My mother is coming for tea thisafternoon. � I expect to hear from himthis week. (NOTE: The plural is these.)� adverb so much � I knew you weregoing to be late, but I didn’t expect youto be this late.

thorn

thorn /θɔn/ noun a thin pointed part onsome plants � Most roses have thorns.

thorough

thorough /�θ�rə/ adjective 1. dealingwith everything very carefully � Thepolice have carried out a thoroughsearch of the woods. 2. used for empha-sis � They made a thorough mess of it.� It was a thorough waste of time.

thoroughly

thoroughly /�θ�rəli/ adverb 1. in acomplete and careful way � Wesearched the garden thoroughly butcouldn’t find his red ball. 2. used foremphasis � I’m thoroughly fed up withthe whole business.

those

those /ðəυz/ plural of that


though 330 throughoutthough

though /ðəυ/ adverb, conjunction 1.used for mentioning something thatmakes something else seem surprising� Though tired, she still kept on run-ning. � We don’t employ a computerprogrammer, though many companiesdo. 2. but � It is unlikely though possi-ble. � as though as if � His voicesounded strange over the telephone, asthough he was standing in a cave. �That shirt doesn’t look as though it hasbeen ironed. � It looks as though thereis no one in.

thought

thought /θɔt/ past tense and past parti-ciple of think � noun an idea which youhave when thinking � He had an awfulthought – suppose they had left the bath-room taps running?

thoughtful

thoughtful /�θɔtf(ə)l/ adjective 1.thinking about something a lot � Helooked thoughtful, and I wondered ifthere was something wrong. 2. beingsensitive to what other people want � Itwas very thoughtful of you to come tosee me in hospital.

thousand

thousand /�θaυz(ə)nd/ noun thenumber 1,000 � We paid two hundredthousand pounds for the house(£200,000). � Thousands of people hadtheir holidays spoilt by the storm.

thousandth

thousandth /�θaυzənθ/ adjectivenumber 1,000 in a series � The touristoffice gave a prize to their thousandthvisitor.

thrash

thrash /θr�ʃ/ verb to defeat another per-son or team easily (informal) � She ex-pects to be thrashed by the champion.

thread

thread /θred/ noun a long piece of cot-ton, silk, or other fibre � A spider spinsa thread to make its web. � Wait a mo-ment, there’s a white thread showing onyour coat.

threat

threat /θret/ noun a warning to someonethat you are going to do something un-pleasant, especially if he or she does notdo what you want � Her former hus-band had been making threats againsther and the children. � The police tookthe threat to the Prime Minister very se-riously. � Do you think they will carryout their threat to bomb the capital if wedon’t surrender?

threaten

threaten /�θret(ə)n/ verb to warn thatyou are going to do something unpleas-ant, especially if someone does not dowhat you want � She threatened to go tothe police. � The teacher threatened herwith punishment.

threatening

threatening /�θret(ə)nŋ/ adjectivesuggesting that something unpleasantwill happen

three

three /θri/ noun the number 3 � She’sonly three (years old), so she can’t readyet. � Come and see me at three(o’clock). � Three men walked into thebank and pulled out guns. (NOTE: three(3) but third (3rd))

threw

threw /θru/ past tense of throw (NOTE:Do not confuse with through.)

thrill

thrill /θrl/ noun a feeling of great excite-ment � It gave me a thrill to see you allagain after so many years. � I experi-enced the thrill of sailing near to a wa-terfall. � verb to make someone veryexcited � We were thrilled to get yourletter.

thrilling

thrilling /�θrlŋ/ adjective which makesyou very excited

throat

throat /θrəυt/ noun 1. the tube whichgoes from the back of your mouth downthe inside of your neck � I’ve got a sorethroat. � She got a fish bone stuck in herthroat. 2. your neck, especially the frontpart � He put his hands round her throatand pressed hard.

through

through /θru/ preposition 1. across tothe inside of something � The bulletwent straight through the door. � Shelooked through the open door. � Coldair is coming in through the hole in thewall. � The street goes straight throughthe centre of the town. � She pushed theneedle through the ball of wool. 2. dur-ing a period of time � They insisted ontalking all through the film. � Snow ac-cumulated through the winter. � adverbgoing in at one side and coming out ofthe other side � Someone left the gateopen and all the sheep got through.

throughout

throughout /θru��aυt/ preposition, ad-verb in all or several parts of �Throughout the country floods are caus-ing problems on the roads. � Heavysnow fell throughout the night.


throw 331 ticklethrowthrow /θrəυ/ verb to send something

through the air � How far can he throwa cricket ball? � They were throwingstones through car windows. � Shethrew the letter into the wastepaper bas-ket. � He was thrown into the air by theblast from the bomb. (NOTE: throws –throwing – threw /θru/ – thrown/θrəυn/)throw away phrasal verb to get rid ofsomething which you do not need anymorethrow out phrasal verb 1. to pushsomeone outside � When they started tofight, they were thrown out of the res-taurant. 2. to get rid of something whichyou do not need � I’m throwing out thisold office desk.throw up phrasal verb to let food comeup from your stomach and out throughyour mouth (informal) � The cat threwup all over the sofa.

thrustthrust /θr�st/ verb to push somethingsomewhere suddenly and hard � Hethrust the newspaper into his pocket. �She thrust the documents into her brief-case. (NOTE: thrusts – thrusting –thrust) � noun the act of suddenlypushing something strongly � He waskilled with a thrust of his opponent’ssword.

thudthud /θ�d/ noun a dull, heavy noise � Hishead hit the ground with a sickeningthud. � They could hear the thud of theguns in the distance. � verb to make adull noise � A stone thudded into thewall behind him. (NOTE: thuds – thud-ding – thudded)

thumbthumb /θ�m/ noun a part on the side ofyour hand that looks like a short thickfinger � The baby was sucking itsthumb. � How she cried when she hither thumb with the hammer!

thumpthump /θ�mp/ noun a dull noise � Therewas a thump from upstairs as if someonehad fallen out of bed. � verb to hitsomeone hard with your fist � Herushed up to the policeman and startedthumping him on the chest. � Shethumped him on the back when hechoked.

thunderthunder /�θ�ndə/ noun a loud noise inthe air following a flash of lightning � a

tropical storm accompanied by thunderand lightning � He was woken by thesound of thunder. � verb to make a loudnoise in the air following lightning � Itthundered during the night.

thunderstorm

thunderstorm /�θ�ndəstɔm/ noun astorm with rain, thunder and lightning

Thursday

Thursday /�θ�zde/ noun the day be-tween Wednesday and Friday, the fourthday of the week � Last Thursday wasChristmas Day. � Shall we arrange tomeet next Thursday? � Today is Thurs-day, April 14th. � The club meets onThursdays or every Thursday. � The15th is a Wednesday, so the 16th must bea Thursday.

thus

thus /ð�s/ adverb 1. in this way � Thetwo pieces fit together thus. � She isonly fifteen, and thus cannot vote. 2. asa result � She is only fifteen, and thus isnot able to take part in the over-sixteenscompetition.

tick

tick /tk/ noun 1. a sound made every sec-ond by a clock � The only sound wecould hear in the room was the tick ofthe grandfather clock. 2. a mark writtento show that something is correct � Puta tick in the box marked ‘R’. � verb 1.to mark something with a tick to showthat you approve � Tick the box marked‘R’ if you require a receipt. 2. to make aquiet regular sound noise like a clock �All you could hear was the clock tickingin the corner of the library. � Watch out!That parcel’s ticking!

ticket

ticket /�tkt/ noun 1. a piece of paper orcard which allows you to travel � Theywon’t let you get onto the train withouta ticket. � We’ve lost our plane tickets –how can we get to Chicago? 2. a pieceof paper which allows you to go into aplace, e.g. a cinema or an exhibition �Can I have three tickets for the 8.30show please? � We tried several thea-tres but there were no tickets left any-where.

tickle

tickle /�tk(ə)l/ verb 1. to touch someonein a sensitive part of the body in order tomake him or her laugh � She tickled histoes and made him laugh. 2. to cause aslight uncomfortable feeling on the skinof part of the body, or to have that feel-ing


tide 332 timetide

tide /tad/ noun the regular rising andfalling movement of the sea � The tidecame in and cut off the children on therocks. � The tide is out – we can walkacross the sand.

tidily

tidily /�tadli/ adverb in a tidy waytidy

tidy /�tadi/ adjective with everything ar-ranged in the correct way or in an organ-ised way � I want your room to be com-pletely tidy before you go out. � She puther clothes in a tidy pile.

tie

tie /ta/ noun 1. a long piece of colouredcloth which men wear round their necksunder the collar of their shirts � He’swearing a blue tie with red stripes. �They won’t let you into the restaurant ifyou haven’t got a tie on. 2. a result in acompetition or election where bothsides have the same score � The resultwas a tie and the vote had to be takenagain. � verb 1. to attach somethingwith string, rope or twine � The parcelwas tied with a little piece of string. �He tied his horse to the post. � The bur-glars tied his hands behind his back. 2.to have the same score as another teamin a competition � They tied for secondplace. (NOTE: ties – tying – tied)

tiger

tiger /�ta'ə/ noun a large wild animal ofthe cat family which is yellow withblack stripes and lives mainly in Indiaand China (NOTE: The female is a ti-gress.)

tight

tight /tat/ adjective 1. fitting too closely� These shoes hurt – they’re too tight. 2.holding firmly � Keep a tight hold of thebag, we don’t want it stolen.

tighten

tighten /�tat(ə)n/ verb to make some-thing tight, or to become tight

tightly

tightly /�tatli/ adverb in a tight waytill

till /tl/ preposition, conjunction up to thetime when � I don’t expect him to behome till after nine o’clock. � Theyworked from morning till night to finishthe job. � We worked till the sun wentdown. � noun a drawer for keeping cashin a shop � There was not much moneyin the till at the end of the day.

tilt

tilt /tlt/ verb 1. to slope � The shelf is tilt-ing to the right. � You’ll have to changeplaces – the boat is tilting. 2. to putsomething in a sloping position � He

tilted the barrel over to get the lastdrops of beer out.

timber

timber /�tmbə/ noun wood cut ready forbuilding � These trees are being grownto provide timber for houses. (NOTE: noplural: for one item say a piece of tim-ber)

time

time /tam/ noun 1. a particular point inthe day shown in hours and minutes �What time is it or what’s the time? �Can you tell me the time please? � Thetime is exactly four thirty. � Departuretimes are delayed by up to fifteen min-utes because of the volume of traffic. �to tell the time to read the time on aclock or watch � She’s only three so shecan’t tell the time yet. 2. the hour atwhich something usually happens � Theclosing time for the office is 5.30. � It’smust be nearly time for dinner – I’mhungry. � Is it time for the children to goto bed? 3. an amount of hours, days,weeks, months or years � There’s noneed to hurry – we’ve got plenty of time.� Do you have time for a cup of coffee?� He spent all that time watching theTV. � If the fire alarm rings, don’t wastetime putting clothes on – run out of thehotel fast. 4. a certain period � We ha-ven’t been to France for a long time. �We had a letter from my mother a shorttime ago. 5. a particular moment whensomething happens � They didn’t hearanything as they were asleep at the time.� By the time the ambulance arrived theman had died. � You can’t do two thingsat the same time. 6. a period whenthings are pleasant or bad � Everyonehad a good time at the party. � We hadan awful time on holiday – the hotel wasdreadful, and it rained solidly for tendays. 7. one of several moments or peri-ods when something happens � I’veseen that film on TV four times already.� That’s the last time I’ll ask them toplay cards. � Next time you come, bringyour swimming things. 8. the rhythm ofa piece of music � It’s difficult keepingtime in a modern piece like this. � Hetapped his foot in time to the music. �verb to count something in hours, min-utes and seconds � I timed him as he ranround the track. � Don’t forget to timethe eggs – they have to cook for only


timetable 333 title

three minutes. � find time /�fandtam/ to do something even though youare busy � In the middle of the meetinghe still found time to phone his girl-friend. � We must find time to visit thenew staff sports club. � for the timebeing temporarily � We will leave thefurniture as it is for the time being. � in… time after a particular period fromnow � We’re going on holiday in fourweeks’ time. � to take time to need acertain amount of time � It didn’t takeyou much time to get dressed. � Don’thurry me, I like to take my time.

timetable

timetable /�tamteb(ə)l/ noun a printedlist which shows the times at whichsomething such as classes in school ortrains leaving will happen � We havetwo English lessons on the timetable to-day. � According to the timetable, thereshould be a train to London at 10.22. �verb to arrange the times for somethingto happen � You are timetabled to speakat 4.30.

tin

tin /tn/ noun 1. a silver-coloured softmetal � Bronze is a mixture of copperand tin. � There have been tin mines inCornwall since Roman times. 2. a metalcontainer in which food or another sub-stance is sold and can be kept for a longtime � I’ll just open a tin of soup. � Shebought three tins of cat food. � We’llneed three tins of white paint for theceiling. 3. any metal box � Keep the bis-cuits in a tin or they’ll go soft. � Sheputs her spare coins into a tin by the tel-ephone.

tingle

tingle /�tŋ'əl/ noun a feeling like a lotof small sharp things sticking into yourskin � It didn’t hurt, I just felt a tingle inmy leg. � We felt a tingle of excitementas we queued for the roller coaster. �verb to have a sharp prickling feeling �‘Are your fingers tingling?’ asked thedoctor. � It will tingle when I put the an-tiseptic on your cut.

tinkle

tinkle /�tŋkəl/ noun a noise like the ring-ing of a little bell � the gentle tinkle ofcow bells in the distance � verb to makea little ringing noise � The little bell tin-kled as she went into the shop.

tinned

tinned /tnd/ adjective preserved andsold in a tin

tin opener

tin opener /�tn �əυp(ə)nə/ noun an ob-ject used for opening tins of food

tiny

tiny /�tani/ adjective very small � Can Ihave just a tiny bit more pudding? � Thespot is so tiny you can hardly see it. �She lives in a tiny village in the Welshmountains. (NOTE: tinier – tiniest)

tip

tip /tp/ noun 1. the end of somethinglong � She touched the page with thetips of her fingers. � He poked the dogwith the tip of his walking stick. 2. mon-ey given to someone who has provided aservice � The service hasn’t been verygood – should we leave a tip for thewaiter? � The staff are not allowed toaccept tips. 3. advice on somethingwhich could bring you a benefit � Hegave me a tip about a horse which waslikely to win. � She gave me a tip abouta cheap restaurant just round the cornerfrom the hotel. 4. a place where rubbishfrom houses is taken to be thrown away� I must take these bags of rubbish tothe tip. � verb 1. to pour something out� He picked up the box and tipped thecontents out onto the floor. � She tippedall the food out of the bag. 2. to givemoney to someone who has helped you� I tipped the waiter £1. � Should we tipthe driver? (NOTE: tips – tipping –tipped)

tiptoe

tiptoe /�tptəυ/ verb to walk quietly onthe tips of your toes � She tiptoed intothe room and looked at the baby. (NOTE:tiptoes – tiptoeing – tiptoed)

tired

tired /�taəd/ adjective 1. feeling that youwant to sleep � I’m tired – I think I’ll goto bed. � If you feel tired, lie down onmy bed. 2. feeling that you need rest �We’re all tired after a long day at the of-fice. � tired out feeling very tired orneeding a rest

tiring

tiring /�taərŋ/ adjective which makesyou tired

tissue

tissue /�tʃu/ noun a soft paper hand-kerchief � There is a box of tissues be-side the bed.

title

title /�tat(ə)l/ noun 1. the name of some-thing, e.g. a book, play, painting or film� He’s almost finished the play buthasn’t found a title for it yet. 2. a wordsuch as Dr, Mr, Professor, Lord, Sir or


to 334 tongue

Lady put in front of a name to show anhonour or a qualification

toto /tə, tυ, tu/ preposition 1. showing di-rection or place � They went to the po-lice station. � Do you know the way tothe beach? � The river is to the north ofthe town. � Everyone take one step tothe right, please. 2. showing a period oftime � The office is open from 9.30 to5.30, Monday to Friday. � She sleptfrom 11.30 to 8.30 the following morn-ing. 3. showing time in minutes beforean hour � Get up – it’s five to seven(6.55). � The train leaves at a quarter toeight (7.45). (NOTE: To is used for timesbetween the half hour and o’clock:3.35 = twenty-five to four; 3.45 = aquarter to four; 3.55 = five minutes tofour. For times after the hour seepast.) 4. showing a person or animalthat receives something � Take the bookto the librarian. � Pass the salt to yourgrandfather. � You must be kind to cats.5. showing a connection or relationship� They lost by twelve to nine. � Thereare four keys to the office. � In this classthere are 28 children to one teacher.

toasttoast /təυst/ noun pieces of bread whichhave been heated at a high temperatureuntil they are brown � Can you makesome more toast? � She asked forscrambled eggs on toast.

tobaccotobacco /tə��b�kəυ/ noun the driedleaves of a plant used to make cigarettesand cigars, and for smoking in pipes(NOTE: no plural)

todaytoday /tə��de/ noun this day � Today’sher sixth birthday. � What’s the date to-day? � There’s a story in today’s news-paper about a burglary in our road. �adverb on this day � He said he wantedto see me today, but he hasn’t come yet.

toddlertoddler /�tɒdlə/ noun a child who hasjust learnt to walk

toetoe /təυ/ noun one of the five parts likefingers at the end of the foot � She trodon my toe and didn’t say she was sorry.

togethertogether /tə��'eðə/ adverb 1. doingsomething with someone else or in agroup � Tell the children to stay togeth-er or they’ll get lost. � Why don’t we allgo to the cinema? 2. joined with some-thing else or with each other � Tie the

sticks together with string. � Do youthink you can stick the pieces of the cuptogether again? � If you add all the fig-ures together, you’ll get the total sales.� We’ve had three sandwiches and threebeers – how much does that come to alltogether?

toilettoilet /�tɔlət/ noun 1. a bowl with a seaton which you sit to get rid of waste fromyour body � There is a shower and toi-let in the bathroom. 2. a room with a toi-let bowl in it � The ladies’ toilet is at theend of the corridor. � The gents’ toiletsare downstairs and to the right. �There’s a public toilet at the railwaystation.

told

told /təυld/ past tense and past participleof tell

tomatotomato /tə��mɑtəυ/ noun a small roundred fruit used in salads and cooking �Tomatoes cost 30p per kilo. � We had asalad of raw cabbage and tomatoes. �Someone in the crowd threw a tomato atthe speaker on the platform. (NOTE: Theplural is tomatoes.)

tomorrowtomorrow /tə��mɒrəυ/ adverb on to theday after today � Are you free for lunchtomorrow? � I mustn’t forget I have adentist’s appointment tomorrow morn-ing. � We are going to an Italian restau-rant tomorrow evening. � noun the dayafter today � Today’s Monday, so to-morrow must be Tuesday. � Tomorrowis our tenth wedding anniversary.

tonton /t�n/ noun a measure of weight equalto 2240 pounds � a ship carrying 1000tons of coal

tonetone /təυn/ noun a way of saying some-thing, or of writing something, whichshows a particular feeling � His tone ofvoice showed he was angry. � She saidhello in a friendly tone of voice. � Youcould tell from the tone of his letter thathe was annoyed.

tonguetongue /t�ŋ/ noun 1. the long organ inyour mouth which can move and is usedfor tasting, swallowing and speaking �The soup was so hot it burnt my tongue.2. a language (literary) � They spoke toeach other in a strange foreign tongue.� It was clear that English was not hisnative tongue. � mother tongue or na-tive tongue the language which you


tonight 335 totally

spoke when you were a little child � Shespeaks English very well, but German isher mother tongue.

tonight

tonight /tə��nat/ adverb, noun the nightor the evening of today � I can’t stop –we’re getting ready for tonight’s party.� I’ll be at home from eight o’clock to-night. � I don’t suppose there’s any-thing interesting on TV tonight.

tonne

tonne /t�n/ noun a measure of weightequal to 1,000 kilograms

too

too /tu/ adverb 1. more than necessary �There are too many people to fit into thelift. � I think we bought too much bread.� It’s too hot for us to sit in the sun. 2.(often at the end of a clause) also �She had some coffee and I had some too.� She comes from Scotland too.

took

took /tυk/ past tense of taketool

tool /tul/ noun an object which you holdin your hand to do specific work, e.g. ahammer or a spade � a set of tools formending the car

tooth

tooth /tuθ/ noun one of a set of hardwhite objects in the mouth which youuse to bite or chew food � Childrenmust learn to clean their teeth twice aday. � The dentist took one of her teethout. (NOTE: The plural is teeth /tiθ/.)

toothbrush

toothbrush /�tuθbr�ʃ/ noun a smallbrush which you use to clean your teeth(NOTE: The plural is toothbrushes.)

toothpaste

toothpaste /�tuθpest/ noun a softsubstance which you spread on a tooth-brush and then use to clean your teeth(NOTE: no plural: some toothpaste, atube of toothpaste)

top

top /tɒp/ noun 1. the highest place orhighest point of something � Heclimbed to the top of the stairs and satdown. � The bird is sitting on the top ofthe apple tree. � There is a roof gardenon top of the hotel. � Look at the photo-graph at the top of page four. � Man-chester United are still at the top of theleague table. � to feel on top of theworld to feel very healthy or very happy2. the flat upper surface of something �a birthday cake with sugar and fruit ontop � Do not put coffee cups on top ofthe computer. � The desk has a blacktop. 3. a cover for a container � Take the

top off the jar, and see what’s inside. �She forgot to screw the top back on thebottle. 4. a piece of clothing coveringthe upper part of the body � She worejeans and a yellow top. � adjective 1. inthe highest place � The restaurant is onthe top floor of the building. � Jams andmarmalades are on the top shelf. 2. best� She’s one of the world’s top tennisplayers. � on top of /ɒn �tɒp ɒv/ 1. onthe top surface of � He put the bookdown on top of the others he hadbought. 2. in addition to � On top of allmy office work, I have to clean the houseand look after the baby.

topic

topic /�tɒpk/ noun the subject of a dis-cussion or conversation � Can we moveon to another topic?

topple

topple /�tɒp(ə)l/ verb � He lost his bal-ance and toppled forwards.

topple over phrasal verb to fall downtorch

torch /tɔtʃ/ noun a small electric lightthat you can carry � Take a torch ifyou’re going into the cave. � I alwayscarry a small torch in the car.

tore

tore /tɔ/ past tense of teartorn

torn /tɔn/ past participle of teartortoise

tortoise /�tɔtəs/ noun a reptile coveredwith a hard shell which moves veryslowly on land and can live to be veryold

toss

toss /tɒs/ verb 1. to throw something upinto the air � He tried to toss the pan-cake and it fell on the kitchen floor. �She tossed me her car keys. 2. to movesomething about � The waves tossed thelittle boat up and down. � The horsetossed its head. � noun 1. the act ofthrowing something into the air 2. asharp movement of the head up anddown � With a toss of its head, the horsegalloped off.

total

total /�təυt(ə)l/ adjective complete orwhole � The expedition was a total fail-ure. � Their total losses come to over£400,000. � noun the whole amount �The total comes to more than £1,000.

totally

totally /�təυt(ə)li/ adverb used for em-phasis � The house was totally de-stroyed in the fire. � I had totally forgot-ten that I had promised to be there. � He


touch 336 trade

disagrees totally with what the firstspeaker said.

touch

touch /t�tʃ/ noun 1. the sense that al-lows you to be aware of something withthe fingers � The sense of touch be-comes very strong in the dark. 2. the actof passing of news and information � toget in touch with someone to contactsomeone � I’ll try to get in touch withyou next week. 3. a gentle physical con-tact � I felt a light touch on my hand. 4.a very small amount � He added a fewtouches of paint to the picture. � There’sa touch of frost in the air this morning.� verb 1. to feel something with yourfingers � The policeman touched him onthe shoulder. � Don’t touch that cake –it’s for your mother. 2. to be so close tosomething that you press against it �His feet don’t touch the floor when hesits on a big chair. � There is a mark onthe wall where the sofa touches it.

touching

touching /�t�tʃŋ/ adjective makingyou feel emotion, especially affection orsympathy � I had a touching letter frommy sister, thanking me for my help whenshe was ill.

tough

tough /t�f/ adjective 1. (of meat) diffi-cult to chew or to cut � My steak’s a bittough – how’s yours? 2. requiring a lotof physical effort, or a lot of bravery orconfidence � She’s very good at takingtough decisions. � You have to be toughto succeed in business.

tour

tour /tυə/ noun a holiday or journey inwhich you visit various places � Thereare so many tours to choose from – Ican’t decide which one to go on. � Shegave us a tour round the old castle. �verb to go on holiday, visiting variousplaces � They toured the south ofFrance.

tourist

tourist /�tυərst/ noun a person whogoes on holiday to visit places awayfrom their home � The tourists weretalking German. � There were parties oftourists visiting all the churches. � Tra-falgar Square is always full of tourists.

tow

tow /təυ/ verb to pull something behind avehicle � The motorways were crowdedwith cars towing caravans. � Theytowed the ship into port. � noun the ac-tion of pulling something � We got a

tractor to give us a tow to the nearestgarage. (NOTE: Do not confuse withtoe.)

towards

towards /tə��wɔdz/ preposition 1. in thedirection of � The crowd ran towardsthe police station. � The bus was travel-ling south, towards London. � The shipsailed straight towards the rocks. 2. nearin time � Do you have any free time to-wards the end of the month? � The exhi-bition will be held towards the middle ofOctober. 3. as part of the money to payfor something � He gave me £100 to-wards the cost of the hotel. 4. in relationto � She always behaved very kindly to-wards her father.

towel

towel /�taυəl/ noun a large piece of softcloth for drying something, especiallyyour body � There’s only one towel inthe bathroom. � After washing her hair,she wound the towel round her head. �I’ll get some fresh towels.

tower

tower /�taυə/ noun a tall structure � Thecastle has thick walls and four squaretowers.

town

town /taυn/ noun a place, larger than avillage, where people live and work,with houses, shops, offices, factoriesand other buildings � There’s no shop inour village, so we do our shopping inthe nearest town. � They moved their of-fice to the centre of town.

toy

toy /tɔ/ noun a thing for children to playwith � We gave him a box of toy soldiersfor Christmas. � The children’s toys areall over the sitting room floor.

trace

trace /tres/ noun something whichshows that something existed � The po-lice found traces of blood in the kitchen.� verb to find where someone or some-thing is � They couldn’t trace the letter.� The police traced him to Dover.

track

track /tr�k/ noun a rough path � We fol-lowed a track through the forest. � verbto follow someone or an animal � Thehunters tracked the bear through theforest. � The police tracked the gang toa flat in south London.

trade

trade /tred/ noun the business of buyingand selling goods � Britain’s trade withthe rest of Europe is up by 10%. � verbto buy and sell goods, to carry on a busi-


trademark 337 transfer

ness � The company has stopped trad-ing. � They trade in furs.

trademark

trademark /�tredmɑk/, trade name/�tred nem/ noun a particular name,design, etc., which has been registeredby the manufacturer and which cannotbe used by other manufacturers � Acmeis a registered trademark. � Theirtrademark is stamped on every item theyproduce.

tradition

tradition /trə��dʃ(ə)n/ noun beliefs, sto-ries and ways of doing things which arepassed from one generation to the next� It’s a family tradition for the eldestson to take over the business. � Accord-ing to local tradition, the queen died inthis bed.

traditional

traditional /trə��dʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adjectivedone in a way that has been used for along time � On Easter Day it is tradi-tional to give chocolate eggs to the chil-dren. � Villagers still wear their tradi-tional costumes on Sundays.

traditionally

traditionally /trə��dʃ(ə)nəli/ adverb ac-cording to tradition

traffic

traffic /�tr�fk/ noun cars, buses andother vehicles which are travelling on astreet or road � I leave the office earlyon Fridays because there is so muchtraffic leaving London. � The lightsturned green and the traffic moved for-ward. � Rush-hour traffic is worse onFridays.

traffic jam

traffic jam /�tr�fk d"�m/ noun a situ-ation where cars, buses and other vehi-cles cannot move forward on a road be-cause there is too much traffic, becausethere has been an accident or because ofroadworks

tragedy

tragedy /�tr�d"ədi/ noun 1. a seriousplay, film, or novel which ends sadly �Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘King Lear’ isplaying at the National Theatre. 2. avery unhappy event � Tragedy struckthe family when their mother was killedin a car crash. (NOTE: The plural istragedies.)

tragic

tragic /�tr�d"k/ adjective very sad � atragic accident on the motorway

trail

trail /trel/ noun 1. tracks left by an ani-mal or by a criminal � We followed thetrail of the bear through the forest. �

The burglars left in a red sports car, anda police car was soon on their trail. 2. apath or track � Keep to the trail other-wise you will get lost. � verb � to trailbehind someone to follow slowly aftersomeone � She came third, trailing along way behind the first two runners. �The little children trailed behind theolder ones.

trailer

trailer /�trelə/ noun 1. a small goods ve-hicle pulled behind a car � We carriedall our camping gear in the trailer. 2.US a van with beds, a table, and wash-ing facilities, which can be towed by acar 3. parts of a full-length film shownas an advertisement for it � We saw thetrailer last week, and it put me off thefilm.

train

train /tren/ noun a railway vehicle con-sisting of an engine and the coaches itpulls � The train to Paris leaves fromplatform 1. � Hundreds of people go towork every day by train. � The nexttrain to London will be in two minutes.� To get to Glasgow, you have to changetrains at Crewe. � verb 1. to teachsomeone or an animal how to do a par-ticular activity � She’s being trained tobe a bus driver. � The dogs are trainedto smell and find illegal substances. 2.to become fit by practising for a sport �He’s training for the 100 metres. �She’s training for the Olympics.

trained

trained /trend/ adjective who has beenthrough a course of training

trainer

trainer /�trenə/ noun a person whotrains an athlete � His trainer says he’sin peak condition for the fight. � pluralnoun trainers light sports shoes

training

training /�trenŋ/ noun 1. the activity oflearning a skill � The shop is closed onTuesday mornings for staff training. �There is a short training period for newstaff. 2. the activity of practising for asport

transfer

transfer verb 1. to move something orsomeone to another place � The moneywill be transferred directly to your bankaccount. � She transferred her passportfrom her handbag to her jacket pocket.� He’s been transferred to our NewYork office. 2. to change from one typeof travel to another � When you get to


transform 338 treasure

London airport, you have to transferonto an internal flight. (NOTE: trans-fers – transferring – transferred)

transform

transform /tr�ns��fɔm/ verb to changethe appearance or character of someoneor something completely � The outsideof the building has been transformed bycleaning. � The book has transformedmy views on medical care.

translate

translate /tr�ns��let/ verb to put writ-ten or spoken words into another lan-guage � Can you translate what hesaid? � He asked his secretary to trans-late the letter from the German agent. �She translates mainly from Spanish intoEnglish, not from English into Spanish.

translation

translation /tr�ns��leʃ(ə)n/ noun writ-ing or speech which has been translated� I read Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’ intranslation. � She passed the transla-tion of the letter to the accounts depart-ment.

transparent

transparent /tr�ns��p�rənt/ adjectivewhich you can see through � The meatis wrapped in transparent plastic film.

transplant

transplant1 /�tr�nsplɑnt/ noun 1. theact of replacing a damaged organ or partof the body with a part from anotherbody, or with a part from somewhereelse on the same body � He had a hearttransplant. 2. an organ or piece of tissuewhich is transplanted � The kidneytransplant was rejected.

transplant

transplant2 /tr�ns��plɑnt/ verb 1. tomove a plant from one place to another� You should not transplant trees in thesummer. 2. to replace a damaged organor other body part with a healthy part �They transplanted a kidney from hisbrother.

transport

transport1 /�tr�nspɔt/ noun the move-ment of goods or people in vehicles �Air transport is the quickest way to trav-el from one country to another. � Railtransport costs are getting lower. �What means of transport will you use toget to the hotel?

transport

transport2 /tr�ns��pɔt/ verb to movegoods or people from one place to an-other in a vehicle � The company trans-ports millions of tons of goods by rail

each year. � The visitors will be trans-ported to the factory by helicopter.

traptrap /tr�p/ noun an object used for catch-ing an animal � We have a mouse in thekitchen so we will put down a trap. �verb to catch or hold someone or some-thing � Several people were trapped inthe wreckage of the plane. � He wastrapped on video as he entered the bank.(NOTE: traps – trapping – trapped)

traveltravel /�tr�v(ə)l/ noun the action ofmoving from one country or place to an-other � Air travel is the only really fastmethod of going from one country to an-other. � verb to move from one countryor place to another � He travels fiftymiles by car to go to work every day. �He has travelled across the UnitedStates several times on his motorbike. �The bullet must have travelled severalmetres before it hit the wall. (NOTE:travels – travelling – travelled. TheUS spelling is traveling – traveled.)

travellertraveller /�tr�v(ə)lə/ noun 1. a personwho travels � travellers on the 9 o’clocktrain to London � Travellers to Franceare experiencing delays because of thedock strike. 2. a person who has no fixedhome and who travels around the coun-try � The fields were full of hippies andtravellers.

traytray /tre/ noun a flat board for carryingfood, and things like glasses, cups andsaucers � He had his lunch on a tray inhis bedroom. � She bumped into a wait-ress who was carrying a tray of glasses.

treacheroustreacherous /�tretʃərəs/ adverb 1.dangerous � There are treacherousreefs just offshore. � Black ice is makingthe roads very treacherous. 2. not to betrusted � His treacherous behaviour ledto the loss of the town to the enemy.

tread

tread /tred/ verb to step or to walk � Shetrod on my toe and didn’t say she wassorry. � Watch where you’re treading –there’s broken glass on the floor. (NOTE:treads – treading – trod /trɒd/ – trod-den /�trɒd(ə)n/) � noun the top part ofa stair or step which you stand on � Thecarpet on the bottom tread is loose. �Metal treads are noisy.

treasuretreasure /�tre"ə/ noun jewels, gold, orother valuable things � the treasures in


treat 339 triumph

the British Museum � They are diving inthe Caribbean looking for pirates’treasure.

treat

treat /trit/ noun a special thing whichgives pleasure � It’s always a treat to sitdown quietly at home after a hard day inthe shop. � verb 1. to deal with some-one or something � She was badly treat-ed by her uncle. � It you treat the staffwell they will work well. � He didn’ttreat my suggestion seriously. 2. to givemedical help to a sick or injured person� After the accident some of the passen-gers had to be treated in hospital forcuts and bruises. � She is being treatedfor rheumatism.

treatment

treatment /�tritmənt/ noun 1. a way ofbehaving towards something or some-one � The report criticised the treat-ment of prisoners in the jail. � Whatsort of treatment did you get at school?2. a way of looking after a sick or in-jured person � He is having a course ofheat treatment. � The treatment for skincancer is very painful.

tree

tree /tri/ noun a very large plant, with athick trunk, branches and leaves � Thecat climbed up an apple tree andcouldn’t get down. � In autumn, theleaves on the trees in the park turnbrown and red. � He was sheltering un-der a tree and was struck by lightning.

tremble

tremble /�trembəl/ verb to shake be-cause you are cold or afraid, or worriedby something � She was trembling withcold. � I tremble at the thought of howmuch the meal will cost.

tremendous

tremendous /tr��mendəs/ adjectivevery big � There was a tremendous ex-plosion and all the lights went out. �There’s tremendous excitement as wewait for the election result.

trend

trend /trend/ noun a general tendency �There is a trend away from small localfood stores. � The government studieseconomic trends to decide whether toraise taxes or not.

trial

trial /�traəl/ noun 1. a court case held be-fore a judge � The trial will be heardnext week. 2. the act of testing some-thing � The new model is undergoing itsfinal trials.

triangle

triangle /�tra�ŋ'əl/ noun a shape withthree straight sides and three angles �The end of the roof is shaped like a tri-angle.

tribe

tribe /trab/ noun a group of people withthe same race, language and customs �She went into the jungle to study the jun-gle tribes.

trick

trick /trk/ noun a clever act to deceive orconfuse someone � The recorded soundof barking is just a trick to make bur-glars think there is a dog in the house. �verb to deceive someone � We’ve beentricked, there’s nothing in the box.

trickle

trickle /�trk(ə)l/ verb to flow slowly orgently � Water trickled out of the cave.

tricky

tricky /�trki/ adjective requiring a lot ofskill, patience or intelligence � Gettingthe wire through the little hole is quitetricky.

tried

tried /¯(,`./`/ past tense and past participleof try

tries

tries /traz/ 3rd person singular presentof try

trigger

trigger /�tr'ə/ noun the part of a gunthat you pull to fire it � He pointed thegun at her and pulled the trigger.

trim

trim /trm/ verb to cut something to makeit tidy � Ask the hairdresser to trim yourbeard. (NOTE: trims – trimming –trimmed) � adjective 1. cut short togive a tidy appearance � She alwayskeeps her hedges trim. 2. slim and fit �He keeps himself trim by going for along walk every day. (NOTE: trimmer –trimmest)

trip

trip /trp/ noun a short journey � Our tripto Paris was cancelled. � We’re goingon a trip to the seaside. � verb to catchyour foot in something so that you al-most fall down � She tripped as she wascoming out of the kitchen with a tray offood. (NOTE: trips – tripping –tripped)

trip over phrasal verb to catch yourfoot in something so that you fall � Shewas running away from him when shetripped over.

triumph

triumph /�tra�mf/ noun a great victoryor great achievement � They scored atriumph in their game against the


triumphant 340 T-shirt

French. � The bridge is a triumph ofmodern engineering.

triumphanttriumphant /tra��mfənt/ adjectivehappy or proud because you have won

trodtrod /trɒd/ past tense of treadtroddentrodden /�trɒd(ə)n/ past participle of

treadtrolley

trolley /�trɒli/ noun a small vehicle onwheels which is designed to be pushed� They put the piano onto a trolley tomove it out of the house.

trooptroop /trup/ noun a large group of peo-ple � She took a troop of schoolchildrento visit the museum. � plural nountroops soldiers � Enemy troops occu-pied the town.

tropicaltropical /�trɒpk(ə)l/ adjective relatingto hot countries � In tropical countriesit is always hot.

trottrot /trɒt/ noun the action of running withshort regular steps, like a horse does �Let’s start today’s exercises with a shorttrot round the football field. � verb torun with short regular steps � We’ve gotno butter left, so I’ll trot off to the shopto buy some. � She trotted down thepath to meet us. (NOTE: trots – trotting– trotted)

troubletrouble /�tr�b(ə)l/ noun problems orworries � The trouble with old cars isthat sometimes they don’t start. � Thechildren were no trouble at all. � We arehaving some computer trouble or sometrouble with the computer. � verb tomake someone feel worried � I can seethat there’s something troubling him.

trouserstrousers /�traυzəz/ plural noun clotheswhich cover your body from the waistdown, each leg separately � He tore histrousers climbing over the fence. � Shewas wearing a red jumper and greytrousers. � He bought two pairs of trou-sers in the sale.

trucktruck /tr�k/ noun a goods vehicle usedfor carrying heavy loads (informal) �Trucks thundered past the house allnight. � They loaded the truck withbricks.

truetrue /tru/ adjective 1. correct accordingto facts or reality � What he says is sim-ply not true. � It’s quite true that shecomes from Scotland. � Is it true that

he’s been married twice? � truth 2.faithful or loyal � an expression of truelove � She’s a true friend. � to cometrue to happen as was predicted � Herforecast of bad storms came true. � trueto life like things really are

truly

truly /�truli/ adverb used for emphasis �He truly believes that was what hap-pened. � I’m truly grateful for all yourhelp. � Do you love me, really and tru-ly?

trumpet

trumpet /�tr�mpt/ noun a brass musicalinstrument which is played by blowing,with three parts which you press withyour fingers � He plays the trumpet inthe school orchestra. � She practisesthe trumpet in the evenings.

trunk

trunk /tr�ŋk/ noun 1. the thick stem of atree � Ivy was climbing up the trunk ofthe oak tree. 2. an elephant’s long nose3. a large box for storing or sendingclothes � They sent a trunk of clothes inadvance to the new house.

trust

trust /tr�st/ verb to be confident thatsomeone is reliable � You can trust hisinstructions – he knows a lot about com-puters. � I wouldn’t trust him fartherthan I could kick him. � noun a beliefthat something will work well or thatsomeone will do something � Don’t puttoo much trust in his navigating skills.

truth

truth /truθ/ noun things which are true �Do you think he is telling the truth? �The police are trying to work out thetruth about what happened. � I don’tthink there is any truth in his story.

truthful

truthful /�truθf(ə)l/ adjective 1. who al-ways tells the truth � She’s a very truth-ful child. 2. giving true facts � To betruthful, I’m not quite sure where weare. � The young man gave a truthfulaccount of what happened.

try

try /tra/ verb to make an effort to dosomething � You have to try hard if youwant to succeed. (NOTE: tries – trying –tried) � noun an attempt to do some-thing � She’s going to have a try at wa-ter skiing. � He had two tries before hepassed his driving test. (NOTE: The plu-ral is tries.)

T-shirt

T-shirt /�tiʃ�t/ noun another spelling ofteeshirt � She was wearing jeans and a


tube 341 turn

T-shirt. � No wonder you’re cold if youwent out in just a T-shirt.

tubetube /tjub/ noun 1. a long pipe for car-rying liquids or gas � He was lying in ahospital bed with tubes coming out ofhis nose and mouth. � Air flows downthis tube to the face mask. 2. a soft con-tainer for a soft substance like tooth-paste, which you squeeze to get the sub-stance out � I forgot to pack a tube oftoothpaste. � I need a tube of glue tomend the cup. � She bought a tube ofmustard. 3. (in London) the under-ground railway system � It’s quicker totake the tube to Oxford Circus than to goby bus. � You’ll have to go by bus be-cause there’s a tube strike.

tucktuck /t�k/ verb to put something careful-ly into a narrow or small place � Shetucked the blanket around the baby. �He tucked the note into his shirt pocket.tuck in phrasal verb 1. to fold some-thing carefully around someone orsomething and push the ends in � Shetucked the baby in or She tucked theblanket in (around the baby). 2. to starteating enthusiastically � The food’sready, everyone can tuck in. � We alltucked in to a huge lunch.tuck up /�t�k ��p/ to push the edge ofthe bedclothes around someone to keepthem warm � By eight o’clock the chil-dren were all tucked up in bed.

TuesdayTuesday /�tjuzde/ noun the secondday of the week, the day between Mon-day and Wednesday � I saw him in theoffice last Tuesday. � The club alwaysmeets on Tuesdays. � Shall we meet nextTuesday evening? � Today is Tuesday,April 30th. � The 15th is a Monday, sothe 16th must be a Tuesday. � We wentto the cinema last Tuesday.

tugtug /t�'/ verb to give something a suddenhard pull � He tugged on the rope and abell rang. (NOTE: tugs – tugging –tugged) � noun a sudden pull � He felta tug on the line – he had caught a fish!

tumbletumble /�t�mbəl/ verb to fall � He tum-bled down the stairs head first. � Shearrived home late after the party andjust tumbled into bed.

tunetune /tjun/ noun a series of musicalnotes which have a pattern � He wrote

some of the tunes for the musical. � Shewalked away whistling a little tune.

tunneltunnel /�t�n(ə)l/ noun a long passage un-der the ground � The Channel Tunnellinks Britain to France. � The roadround Lake Lucerne goes through sixtunnels. � They are digging a new tun-nel for the underground railway.

turkeyturkey /�t�ki/ noun a large farm bird,similar to a chicken but much bigger, of-ten eaten at Christmas � We had roastturkey and potatoes. � Who’s going tocarve the turkey?

TurkeyTurkey /�t�ki/ noun a country in theeastern Mediterranean, south of theBlack Sea (NOTE: capital: Ankara; peo-ple: the Turks; language: Turkish;currency: Turkish lira)

turnturn /t�n/ noun 1. a change of direction,especially of a vehicle � The bus madea sudden turn to the left. 2. a road whichleaves another road � Take the next turnon the right. � verb 1. to go round in acircle � The wheels of the train startedto turn slowly. � Be careful – the ma-chine goes on turning for a few secondsafter it has been switched off. 2. to makesomething go round � Turn the handleto the right to open the safe. 3. to changedirection � Turn left at the next trafficlights. � The car turned the corner toofast and hit a lamppost. � The pathturns to the right after the pub. 4. tomove your head or body so that you facein another direction � Can everyoneturn to look at the camera, please. 5. tochange into something different �Leaves turn red or brown in the autumn.� When he was fifty, his hair turnedgrey.turn into phrasal verb 1. to change tobecome something different � Thewitch turned the prince into a frog. �We are planning to turn this room into amuseum. 2. to change direction and gointo something � We went down themain road for a short way and thenturned into a little lane on the left.turn round phrasal verb to move yourhead or body so that you face in anotherdirectionturn back phrasal verb to turn roundand go back in the opposite direction


turning 342 twirl

turn down phrasal verb to refusesomething which is offered � She hasturned down a job or turned a job downin the town hall.turn off phrasal verb 1. to make a pieceof electrical equipment stop working �Don’t forget to turn the TV off when yougo to bed. � Turn off the lights or turnthe lights off – father’s going to showhis holiday films. 2. to leave a road youare travelling on � Here’s where weturn off.turn on phrasal verb to make a piece ofelectrical equipment start working �Can you turn the light on or turn on thelight – it’s too dark to read.turn over phrasal verb to roll over �The lorry went round the corner too fastand turned over. � Their boat turnedover in the storm.turn up phrasal verb 1. to arrive � Thefood was spoiled because half the guestsdidn’t turn up until nine o’clock. � Heturned up unexpectedly just as I wasleaving the office. 2. to be found in aparticular place � The police searchedeverywhere, and the little girl finallyturned up in Edinburgh. � The keysturned up in my trouser pocket. 3. tomake something louder or stronger �Can you turn up the radio or turn the ra-dio up – I can’t hear it. � Turn up thegas or turn the gas up, the potatoesaren’t cooked yet.

turning

turning /�t�nŋ/ noun a road which goesaway from another road

tutor

tutor /�tjutə/ noun a teacher, especiallya person who teaches only one studentor a small group of students � His firstjob was as private tutor to some Ger-man children. � verb to teach a smallgroup of students (formal) � She earnsextra money by tutoring foreign studentsin English.

TV

TV /�ti �vi/ noun a television � Theywatch TV every night. � The TV news isusually at nine o’clock. � Some chil-dren’s TV programmes are very dull. �The daughter of a friend of mine was onTV last night.

twelfth

twelfth /twelfθ/ adjective number 12 ina series � It’s her twelfth birthday next

week. � He came twelfth out of two hun-dred in the competition. � noun thething that is number 12 in a series � To-day is September the twelfth or thetwelfth of September (September 6th).

twelve

twelve /twelv/ noun the number 12 �She’s twelve (years old) tomorrow. �Come round for a cup of coffee at twelveo’clock. � There are twelve months in ayear.

twentieth

twentieth /�twentəθ/ adjective number20 in a series � She was twentieth out oftwenty in the race. � It’s her twentiethbirthday on Wednesday. � noun thething that is number 20 in a series � To-day is December the twentieth or thetwentieth of December (December20th).

twenty

twenty /�twenti/ noun the number 20 �She’s twenty (years old) next week. �They have over twenty pets. (NOTE:twenty-one (21), twenty-two (22)etc., but twenty-first (21st), twenty-second (22nd), etc.) � he’s in histwenties he is between 20 and 29 yearsold � the (nineteen) twenties (1920s)the years from 1920 to 1929

twice

twice /twas/ adverb two times � Turn itoff – I’ve seen that programme twice al-ready. � Twice two is four, twice four iseight. � I’m fifteen, she’s thirty, so she’stwice as old as I am.

twig

twig /tw'/ noun a little branch of a treeor bush � There is a bud at the end ofeach twig. � The bird made its nest oftwigs and leaves.

twilight

twilight /�twalat/ noun a time when thelight is weak, between sunset and night

twin

twin /twn/ adjective, noun one of twobabies born at the same time to the samemother � he and his twin brother �She’s expecting twins.

twinkle

twinkle /�twŋkəl/ verb (of stars oreyes) to shine with a little moving light� His eyes twinkled as he showed thechildren the sweets he had bought. � Wecould see the lights of the harbour twin-kling in the distance.

twirl

twirl /tw�l/ verb 1. to twist somethinground in your hand � I wish I could twirla baton like those girls in the proces-


twist 343 tyre

sion. 2. to spin round � Models twirledround on the catwalk.

twisttwist /twst/ verb 1. to wind somethinground something � She twisted thestring round a piece of stick. 2. to turn indifferent directions � The path twistedbetween the fields.

twotwo /tu/ noun the number 2 � There areonly two peppermints left in the box. �His son’s only two (years old), so hecan’t read yet. � She didn’t come homeuntil after two (o’clock).

tyingtying /�taŋ/ present participle of tietypetype /tap/ noun a group of people, ani-

mals or things that are similar to eachother � This type of bank account pays10% interest. � What type of accommo-dation are you looking for? � verb to

write with a computer or typewriter �Please type your letters – your writing’sso bad I can’t read it. � She only typedtwo lines and made six mistakes.

typewriter

typewriter /�tapratə/ noun a machinewhich prints letters or numbers on apiece of paper when keys are pressed

typical

typical /�tpk(ə)l/ adjective having theusual qualities of a particular group oroccasion � Describe a typical day atschool. � He’s definitely not a typicalbank manager.

tyre

tyre /�taə/ noun a ring made of rubberwhich is put round a wheel � Check thepressure in the car tyres before startinga journey. � They used an old tyre tomake a seat for the garden swing.


Uu

u /ju/, U noun the twenty-first letter ofthe alphabet, between T and V

ugly

ugly /��'li/ adjective unpleasant to lookat � What an ugly pattern! � The part ofthe town round the railway station iseven uglier than the rest. (NOTE: uglier– ugliest)

UK

UK abbr United Kingdom � Exports fromthe UK or UK exports rose last year.

umbrella

umbrella /�m��brelə/ noun a roundframe covered with cloth which youhold over your head to keep off the rain� Can I borrow your umbrella? � As itwas starting to rain, he opened his um-brella. � The wind blew my umbrella in-side out.

unable

unable /�n��eb(ə)l/ adjective not able todo something � I regret that I am unableto accept your suggestion. � She wasunable to come to the meeting. (NOTE:be unable to is a rather formal way ofsaying can’t.)

unattractive

unattractive /��nə��tr�ktv/ adjectivenot attractive � Her husband is a ratherunattractive man. � The house is unat-tractive from the outside.

unbearable

unbearable /�n��beərəb(ə)l/ adjectiveso bad that you cannot accept it or dealwith it

unbelievable

unbelievable /��nb��livəb(ə)l/ adjec-tive which is difficult to believe

unbreakable

unbreakable /�n��brekəb(ə)l/ adjec-tive which cannot be broken

uncertain

uncertain /�n��s�t(ə)n/ adjective notsure, or not decided � She is uncertainwhether to accept the job. � He’s uncer-tain about what to do next. � Theirplans are still uncertain.

uncle

uncle /��ŋk(ə)l/ noun a brother of yourfather or mother � He was brought upby his uncle in Scotland. � We had asurprise visitor last night – old UncleCharles.

uncomfortableuncomfortable /�n��k�mftəb(ə)l/ ad-jective not comfortable � What a veryuncomfortable bed! � Plastic seats arevery uncomfortable in hot weather.

uncommonuncommon /�n��kɒmən/ adjectivestrange or unusual

uncommunicativeuncommunicative /��nkə�

�mjunkətv/ adjective not sayingmuch, or not answering people

uncomplicateduncomplicated /�n��kɒmplketd/adjective easy to deal with or under-stand � In children’s books, the writingshould be clear and uncomplicated. �The procedure is relatively quick anduncomplicated.

unconsciousunconscious /�n��kɒnʃəs/ adjective ina physical condition in which you arenot aware of what is happening � Hewas found unconscious in the street. �She was unconscious for two days afterthe accident.

uncontrolled

uncontrolled /��nkən��trəυld/ adjec-tive which has not been controlled

underunder /��ndə/ preposition 1. in or to aplace where something else is on top orabove � We all hid under the table. �My pen rolled under the sofa. 2. lessthan a number � It took under twoweeks to sell the house. � The train goesto Paris in under three hours. � Underhalf of the members turned up for themeeting. � The old table sold for under£10.

undergroundunderground1 /��ndə��'raυnd/ adverbunder the ground � The ordinary rail-way line goes underground for a shortdistance. � Worms live all their life un-derground. � adjective built under theground � There’s an underground pas-sage to the tower. � The hotel has an un-derground car park.

undergroundunderground2 /��ndə'raυnd/ noun arailway in a town, which runs under theground � Thousands of people use theunderground to go to work. � Take the


underline 345 unfriendly

underground to go to Oxford Circus. �It’s usually quicker to get across townby underground. (NOTE: The LondonUnderground is often called the Tube.In the United States, an undergroundrailway is called a subway.)

underline

underline verb to write a line under aword or figure � He wrote the title andthen underlined it in red.

underneath

underneath /��ndə��niθ/ prepositionunder � She wore a long green jumperunderneath her coat. � Can you see ifmy pen is underneath the sofa? � ad-verb under � He put the box of booksdown on the kitchen table and my sand-wiches were underneath!

understand

understand /��ndə��st�nd/ verb 1. toknow what something means � Don’ttry to talk English to Mr Yoshida – hedoesn’t understand it. 2. to have sympa-thy for someone � She’s a good teacher– she really understands children. 3. toknow why something happens or howsomething works � I can easily under-stand why his wife left him. � I stilldon’t understand how to operate thenew laser printer. (NOTE: understands– understanding – understood/�ndə��stυd/)

understanding

understanding /��ndə��st�ndŋ/ noun1. the ability to understand something �My understanding of how the Internetworks is severely limited. 2. sympathyfor someone else and their problems �The boss showed no understandingwhen she told him about her financialdifficulties. � The aim is to promote un-derstanding between the two countries.3. a private agreement � We reached anunderstanding with the lawyers. � Theunderstanding was that we would all goto the office after lunch. � adjectivesympathetic � His understanding atti-tude was much appreciated.

underwater

underwater /��ndə��wɔtə/ adjectivebelow the surface of the water � Howlong can you stay underwater? � Hedived and swam underwater for severalseconds. � She goes on holiday to theRed Sea to do underwater photography.

underwear

underwear /��ndəweə/ noun clothesworn next to your skin under otherclothes (NOTE: no plural)

undo

undo /�n��du/ verb to open somethingwhich is tied or fastened � The firstthing he did on getting home was toundo his tie. � Undo your top button ifyour collar is too tight. (NOTE: undoes/�n��d�z/ – undid /�n��dd/ – undone/�n��d�n/)

undress

undress /�n��dres/ verb to take yourclothes off

undressedundressed /�n��drest/ adjective havingjust taken off your clothes � The chil-dren are getting undressed ready forbed. � Are you undressed yet?

uneasy

uneasy /�n��izi/ adjective nervous andworried (NOTE: uneasier – uneasiest)

unemployedunemployed /��nm��plɔd/ adjectivewithout a job � The government is en-couraging unemployed teenagers to ap-ply for training grants.

unemployment

unemployment /��nm��plɔmənt/noun a lack of work � The unemploy-ment figures or the figures for unem-ployment are rising.

uneven

uneven /�n��iv(ə)n/ adjective notsmooth or flat

unexpected

unexpected /��nk��spektd/ adjectivewhich is surprising and not what wasexpected � We had an unexpected visitfrom the police. � His failure was quiteunexpected.

unexpectedly

unexpectedly /��nk��spektdli/ ad-verb in an unexpected way

unfairunfair /�n��feə/ adjective not fair � It’sunfair to expect her to do all the house-work while her sisters don’t lift a fingerto help.

unfairly

unfairly /�n��feəli/ adverb in an unfairway

unfairnessunfairness /�n��feənəs/ noun lack ofjustice or fairness

unfortunate

unfortunate /�n��fɔtʃ(ə)nət/ adjectivewhich makes you sad � It was very un-fortunate that she couldn’t come to seeus.

unfortunately

unfortunately /�n��fɔtʃ(ə)nətli/ ad-verb which you wish was not true � Un-fortunately the train arrived so late thatshe missed the meeting.

unfriendly

unfriendly /�n��frendli/ adjective notacting like a friend (NOTE: unfriendlier– unfriendliest)


ungrateful 346 unnecessaryungrateful

ungrateful /�n��'retf(ə)l/ adjective notgrateful

unhappily

unhappily /�n��h�pli/ adverb in a sadway

unhappy

unhappy /�n��h�pi/ adjective sad, nothappy � He’s unhappy in his job be-cause his boss is always criticising him.� She looked very unhappy when shecame out of the hospital. � The childrenhad an unhappy childhood. (NOTE: un-happier – unhappiest)

unhealthy

unhealthy /�n��helθi/ adjective nothealthy, especially often ill � I thoughther face was an unhealthy colour.(NOTE: unhealthier – unhealthiest)

uniform

uniform /�junfɔm/ noun specialclothes worn by all members of an or-ganisation or group � He went to thefancy dress party dressed in a police-man’s uniform. � Who are those peoplein French army uniform? � What colouris her school uniform? � The holidaycamp staff all wear yellow uniforms.

unimportant

unimportant /��nm��pɔt(ə)nt/ adjec-tive not important

union

union /�junjən/ noun the state of beingjoined together, or the process of joiningtogether � We support the union of thesevarious groups under one umbrella or-ganisation.

unique

unique /ju��nik/ adjective different toanything else and therefore the only onof its type � The stamp is unique, and sois worth a great deal. � He’s studyingthe unique vegetation of the island.

unit

unit /�junt/ noun 1. one part of some-thing larger � If you pass three units ofthe course you can move to the next lev-el. 2. one piece of furniture which canbe matched with others � The kitchen isdesigned as a basic set of units withmore units which can be added later. 3.the amount used to measure something� Kilos and pounds are units of weight.4. a single number less than ten � 63 hassix tens and three units.

unite

unite /ju��nat/ verb to join together intoa single body

united

united /ju��natd/ adjective joined to-gether as a whole � Relief workers fromvarious countries worked as a united

team. � They were united in their desireto improve their working conditions.

universal

universal /�jun��v�s(ə)l/ adjectivewhich is understood or experienced byeveryone in the world � There is a uni-versal hope for peace in the region.

universe

universe /�junv�s/ noun all space andeverything that exists in it, including theearth, the planets and the stars

university

university /�jun��v�sti/ noun an edu-cational institution where students studyfor degrees and where students andteachers do research � You need to dowell at school to be able to go to univer-sity. � My sister is at university. (NOTE:The plural is universities.)

unkind

unkind /�n��kand/ adjective acting in anunpleasant way to someone � It was un-kind of him to keep talking about herweight. (NOTE: unkinder – unkindest)

unkindness

unkindness /�n��kandnəs/ noun theaction of treating someone unpleasantly

unless

unless /ən��les/ conjunction except if �Unless we hear from you within tendays, we will start legal action. � I thinkthey don’t want to see us, unless ofcourse they’re ill.

unlike

unlike /�n��lak/ adjective, preposition 1.totally different from � He’s quite un-like his brother. 2. not normal or typical

unlikely

unlikely /�n��lakli/ adjective 1. not like-ly � It’s unlikely that many people willcome to the show. 2. which is probablynot true � He trotted out some unlikelyexcuse about how his train ticket hadbeen eaten by the dog.

unlimited

unlimited /�n��lmtd/ adjective withno limits

unload

unload /�n��ləυd/ verb to remove a loadfrom a vehicle

unlock

unlock /�n��lɒk/ verb to open somethingwhich was locked

unluckily

unluckily /�n��l�kli/ adverb with badluck

unlucky

unlucky /�n��l�ki/ adjective not lucky, orbringing bad luck (NOTE: unluckier –unluckiest)

unnecessary

unnecessary /�n��nesəs(ə)ri/ adjectivewhich is not needed, or which does nothave to be done � It is unnecessary for


unoccupied 347 upset

you to wear a suit to the party. � Shemakes a lot of unnecessary phone calls.

unoccupiedunoccupied /�n��ɒkjυpad/ adjectivenot being used by anyone

unpackunpack /�n��p�k/ verb to take things outof cases in which they were sent or car-ried

unpleasantunpleasant /�n��plez(ə)nt/ adjectivenot pleasant � There’s a very unpleas-ant smell in the kitchen. � Try not to beunpleasant to the waitress.

unreasonableunreasonable /�n��riz(ə)nəb(ə)l/ ad-jective not reasonable or fair

unselfishunselfish /�n��selfʃ/ adjective thinkingonly of other people

unsightlyunsightly /�n��satli/ adjective very un-pleasant to look at � She has an unsight-ly scar on her face.

unsuccessfulunsuccessful /��nsək��sesf(ə)l/ adjec-tive which does not succeed

unsuitableunsuitable /�n��sutəb(ə)l/ adjectivenot suitable

unsureunsure /�n��ʃυə/ adjective not sure � Shewas unsure whether to go to work or tostay at home. � I’m unsure as to whichroute is the quickest.

untidyuntidy /�n��tadi/ adjective not tidy(NOTE: untidier – untidiest)

untieuntie /�n��ta/ verb to open somethingwhich is tied with a knot (NOTE: unties– untying – untied)

untiluntil /�n��tl/ conjunction up to the timewhen � She was perfectly well until sheate the strawberries. � He blew hiswhistle until the police came. � prepo-sition, conjunction up to the time when� I don’t expect to be back until after teno’clock. � Until yesterday, I felt verywell.

untrueuntrue /�n��tru/ adjective not trueunusualunusual /�n��ju"υəl/ adjective not nor-

mal or expected � It is unusual to haverain at this time of year. � She chose avery unusual colour scheme for her sit-ting room.

unwellunwell /�n��wel/ adjective in a bad stateof health (NOTE: not used before anoun: the baby was unwell but a sickbaby)

unwillingunwilling /�n��wlŋ/ adjective not want-ing to do something

up

up /�p/ adverb 1. in or to a high place �Put your hands up above your head. �What’s the cat doing up there on thecupboard? (NOTE: up is often used af-ter verbs: to keep up, to turn up.) 2. toa higher position � His temperaturewent up suddenly. � The price of petrolseems to go up every week. 3. not in bed� The children were still up when theyshould have been in bed. � They stayedup all night watching films on TV. � Hegot up at six because he had an earlytrain to catch. � It’s past eight o’clock –you should be up by now. 4. completely,entirely � The puddles dried up quicklyin the sun. 5. happening in an unpleas-ant or dangerous way � Something’s up– the engine has stopped! � preposition1. in or to a high place � They ran up thestairs. � She doesn’t like going up lad-ders. 2. along � Go up the street to thetraffic lights and then turn right. � Thehouse is about two hundred metres upthe road. � what’s up? what’s the mat-ter?

upon

upon /��pɒn/ preposition 1. on � Thechurch was built upon a grassy hill. 2.likely to happen soon � The summerholidays will soon be upon us again.

upper

upper /��pə/ adjective higher or furtherup � The upper slopes of the mountainare covered in snow. � He had a rash onhis right upper arm.

upright

upright /��prat/ adjective straight up �He got dizzy as soon as he stood up-right. � Put the backs of your seats intothe upright position for landing. � Shepicked up the vase and placed it uprighton the table.

upset

upset1 /�p��set/ adjective very worried orunhappy � His parents get upset if hecomes home late. � verb 1. to makesomeone worried or unhappy � Don’tupset your mother by telling her. 2. toknock something over � He upset allthe coffee cups. (NOTE: upsets – up-setting – upset)

upset

upset2 /��pset/ noun 1. an unexpecteddefeat � There was a major upset in thetennis tournament when the numberthree seed was beaten in the first round.2. a slight illness because of something


upside down 348 usually

you have eaten or drunk � a stomachupset

upside down

upside down /��psad �daυn/ adverbwith the top underneath � Don’t turnthe box upside down – all the paperswill fall out. � The car shot off the roadand ended up upside down in a ditch. �Bats were hanging upside down fromthe branches.

upstairs

upstairs /��p��steəz/ adverb on or to theupper part of something, e.g. a buildingor bus � She ran upstairs with the letter.� I left my glasses upstairs. � Let’s goupstairs onto the top deck – you can seeLondon much better. � adjective on theupper floors of a building � We have anupstairs kitchen. � We let the one of theupstairs offices to an accountant.

up to date

up to date /��p tə �det/, up-to-dateadverb with the latest information � Ikeep myself up to date on the politicalsituation by reading the newspaper eve-ry day.

upwards

upwards /��pwədz/ adverb towards thetop � The path went upwards for a milethen levelled off.

urban

urban /��bən/ adjective 1. relating totowns � They enjoy an urban lifestyle.2. living in towns � The urban fox hasbecome a menace in parts of London.

urge

urge /�d"/ noun a strong wish to dosomething � She felt an urge to punchhim on the nose. � verb to advise some-one strongly to do something � Heurged her to do what her father said. �I would urge you to vote for the propos-al. � Our lawyer urged us to be carefuland avoid breaking the law.

urgent

urgent /��d"ənt/ adjective which is im-portant and needs to be done quickly �He had an urgent message to go to thepolice station. � She had an urgent op-eration. � The leader of the councilcalled an urgent meeting. � This parcelis urgent and needs to get there tomor-row.

us

us /əs, �s/ object pronoun meaning meand other people � Mother gave us each50p to buy ice cream. � Who’s there? –It’s us! � The company did well lastyear – the management have given us abonus.

use

use1 /juz/ verb 1. to take somethingsuch as a tool and do something with it� Did you use a sewing machine tomake your curtains? � The car’s worthquite a lot of money – it’s hardly beenused. � Do you know how to use a com-puter? � Can I use this knife for cuttingmeat? 2. to take a substance and dosomething with it � Don’t use the tapwater for drinking. � Does this car usemuch petrol? � Turn down the heating –we’re using too much gas.

use

use2 /jus/ noun 1. a purpose � Can youfind any use for this piece of cloth? 2.the fact of being used � The coffee ma-chine has been in daily use for years. 3.� to make use of something to usesomething � You should make more useof your bicycle.

used

used /juzd/ adjective which is not new� a shop selling used clothes

used to

used to /�juzt tu/ showing that some-thing happened often or regularly in thepast � There used to be lots of smallshops in the village until the supermar-ket was built. � When we were children,we used to go to France every year forour holidays. � The police think he usedto live in London. � He used not tosmoke a pipe. (NOTE: The forms used inthe negative and questions: He usedto work in London, He didn’t use towork in London or He used not to workin London, Didn’t he use to work inLondon?)

useful

useful /�jusf(ə)l/ adjective who orwhich can help you do something � Ifind these scissors very useful for open-ing letters. � She’s a very useful personto have in the office.

useless

useless /�jusləs/ adjective which is notuseful

user

user /�juzə/ noun a person who uses atool or a service � We have mailed theusers of our equipment about the possi-ble design fault.

usual

usual /�ju"uəl/ adjective done or usedon most occasions � She took her usualbus to the office. � Is it usual for him toarrive so late?

usually

usually /�ju"uəli/ adverb in most casesor on most occasions


utensil 349 utiliseutensil

utensil /ju��tens(ə)l/ noun a tool or ob-ject used when cooking � knives, bowlsand other kitchen utensils

utilise

utilise /�jutlaz/, utilize verb to usesomething (formal) � He’s keen to uti-lise his programming skills.


Vvv /vi/, V noun the twenty-second letter of

the alphabet, between U and WVV /vi/ noun the Roman numeral for five

or fifth � King George Vvacantvacant /�vekənt/ adjective empty and

available for you to use � There are sixrooms vacant in the new wing of the ho-tel. � Is the toilet vacant yet?

vacationvacation /və��keʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. espe-cially US a holiday � The family wenton vacation in Canada. 2. a periodwhen the universities and law courts areclosed � I’m spending my vacationworking on a vineyard in Italy.

vaguevague /ve'/ adjective with no detailsvainvain /ven/ adjective very proud of your

appearance or achievements � He’s al-ways combing his hair – he’s very vain.(NOTE: Do not confuse with vein.)

validvalid /�v�ld/ adjective 1. which can belawfully used for a particular time �Travellers must have a valid ticket be-fore boarding the train. � I have a sea-son ticket which is valid for one year. �He was carrying a valid passport. 2.which is acceptable because it is true �That is not a valid argument or excuse.� She made several valid points in herspeech.

valleyvalley /�v�li/ noun a long piece of lowland through which a river runs � Fogforms in the valleys at night. � A lot ofcomputer companies are based in theThames Valley.

valuablevaluable /�v�ljυəb(ə)l/ adjective 1.worth a lot of money � Be careful, thatglass is valuable! � The burglars stoleeverything that was valuable. 2. usefulor helpful � She gave me some very val-uable advice.

valuevalue /�v�lju/ noun an amount of mon-ey which something is worth � the fallin the value of the yen � He importedgoods to the value of £500. � Items ofvalue can be deposited in the hotel safe

overnight. � verb to consider somethingas being valuable � She values herfriendship with him.

vanvan /v�n/ noun a covered goods vehicle� A delivery van ran into the back of mycar. � Our van will call this afternoon topick up the goods.

vanishvanish /�v�nʃ/ verb to disappear sud-denly � The magician made the rabbitvanish.

variationvariation /�veəri��eʃ(ə)n/ noun a changefrom one state or level to another � Thevariation in colour or the colour varia-tion is because the cloth has been dyedby hand. � The diagram shows the var-iations in price over a period of sixmonths.

varietyvariety /və��raəti/ noun 1. differences �Her new job, unlike the old one, doesn’tlack variety. 2. a different type of plantor animal in the same species � Do youhave this new variety of rose? � Is this anew variety of potato?

variousvarious /�veəriəs/ adjective several dif-ferent � The shop sells goods from var-ious countries. � I’ll be out of the officetoday – I have to see various suppliers.

varyvary /�veəri/ verb 1. to be different in dif-ferent situations, or change within cer-tain limits � The temperature variesfrom 8 degrees C at night to 18 degreesC during the day. 2. to be different �Prices of flats vary from a few thousandpounds to millions. (NOTE: varies –varying – varied)

vasevase /vɑz/ noun a container used for cutflowers, or simply for decoration

vastvast /vɑst/ adjective extremely big, of-ten extremely wide � vast differences inprice � A vast ship suddenly appearedout of the fog.

vegetablevegetable /�ved"təb(ə)l/ noun a plantwhich is grown to be eaten but which isnot usually sweet � We grow potatoes,carrots and other sorts of vegetables in


vegetarian 351 vigilant

the garden. � The soup of the day is veg-etable soup. � Green vegetables are agood source of dietary fibre.

vegetarian

vegetarian /�ved"��teəriən/ noun aperson who eats only fruit, vegetables,bread, eggs, etc., but does not eat meat,and sometimes not fish � a range ofvegetarian dishes � Our children are allvegetarians.

vehicle

vehicle /�vik(ə)l/ noun a machinewhich carries passengers or goods, e.g.a car or bus � a three-wheeled vehicle �Goods vehicles can park at the back ofthe building.

vein

vein /ven/ noun a small tube in the bodywhich takes blood back to the heart �The veins in her legs are swollen. (NOTE:Do not confuse with vain.)

verb

verb /v�b/ noun a word which shows anaction, being or feeling, such as ‘to hit’or ‘to thank’

verbal

verbal /�v�b(ə)l/ adjective spoken andnot written down � She gave me a ver-bal account of what had happened. � Itwas a verbal agreement between the twoof us.

verdict

verdict /�v�dkt/ noun a decision madein a court

verse

verse /v�s/ noun 1. a group of lineswhich form a part of a song or poem �We sang all the verses of the NationalAnthem. � She read the first verse to theclass. 2. poetry � He published a smallbook of verse. (NOTE: no plural in thissense)

version

version /�v�ʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a descriptionof what happened as seen by one person� The victim told her version of eventsto the jury. 2. a type of something, e.g. awork of art or model of car � This is thefilm version of the novel. � He boughtthe cheapest version available.

vertical

vertical /�v�tk(ə)l/ adjective standingor rising straight up � He drew a fewvertical lines to represent trees. � Welooked at the vertical cliff and wonderedhow to climb it.

very

very /�veri/ adverb used to make an ad-jective or adverb stronger � It’s very hotin the car – why don’t you open a win-dow? � Can you see that very tall pinetree over there? � The time seemed to

go very quickly when we were on holi-day. � adjective used to make a nounstronger � He did his very best to gettickets. � The scene takes place at thevery beginning of the book.

vessel

vessel /�ves(ə)l/ noun a ship � Vesselsfrom all countries crowded into the har-bour.

via

via /�vaə/ preposition through � Wedrove to London via Windsor. � We aresending the payment via our office inLondon. � The shipment is going via theSuez Canal.

vibration

vibration /va��breʃ(ə)n/ noun a fastand continuous shaking movement

vicious

vicious /�vʃəs/ adjective cruel and vio-lent � a vicious attack on an elderlylady

victim

victim /�vktm/ noun a person who is at-tacked or who is in an accident � Thevictims of the train crash were taken tothe local hospital. � She was the victimof a violent attack outside her frontdoor. � Earthquake victims were housedin tents.

victory

victory /�vkt(ə)ri/ noun the fact of win-ning something, e.g. a battle, a fight or agame � the American victory in the Ol-ympics � They won a clear victory in thegeneral election. � The guerrillas won avictory over the government troops.(NOTE: The plural is victories.)

video

video /�vdiəυ/ noun 1. a machine whichrecords TV programmes � Don’t forgetto set the video for 8 p.m. before you goout. 2. a magnetic tape on which youcan record TV programmes or films forplaying back on a television set � Shebought a box of blank videos. (NOTE:The plural is videos.)

view

view /vju/ noun 1. what you can seefrom a certain place � You can get agood view of the sea from the churchtower. � We asked for a room with a seaview and were given one looking outover the bus depot. 2. a way of thinkingabout something � In his view, the gov-ernment ought to act now.

vigilant

vigilant /�vd"lənt/ adjective stayingvery aware of possible danger � Thedisease particularly affects young chil-dren, so parents must remain vigilant.


village 352 vocabularyvillage

village /�vld"/ noun a small group ofhouses in the country, like a little town,often with a church, and usually someshops � They live in a little village in theSwiss Alps. � The village shop sells justabout everything we need.

vine

vine /van/ noun a climbing plant whichproduces grapes

vinegar

vinegar /�vn'ə/ noun a liquid with asour taste, usually made from wine,used in cooking and for pickling

violence

violence /�vaələns/ noun action whichis intended to hurt someone � Acts of vi-olence must be punished.

violent

violent /�vaələnt/ adjective 1. verystrong � The discussion led to a violentargument. � A violent storm blew allnight. 2. using force to hurt people �Her husband was a very violent man.

violently

violently /�vaələntli/ adverb 1. withphysical force, often with the intentionof hurting � This horse threw him vio-lently onto the ground. � She hurled thebottle violently across the table. 2. withgreat feeling � She violently rejected theaccusations made against her. � He re-acted violently to the injection. � Theoysters made her violently sick.

violin

violin /vaə��ln/ noun a musical instru-ment with strings that hold under yourchin and play with a bow

virtual

virtual /�v�tʃuəl/ adjective almost �The company has a virtual monopoly ofFrench wine imports. � His grandfatherhas become a virtual recluse.

virtually

virtually /�v�tʃuəli/ adverb almost �These shirts have been reduced so muchthat we’re virtually giving them away. �It’s virtually impossible to get tickets forthe concert.

virtual reality

virtual reality /�v�tʃυəl ri��lti/ nounthe simulation of a real-life scene or realevents on a computer

virus

virus /�varəs/ noun 1. a very small liv-ing thing that causes disease by living inthe bodies of people or animals � Scien-tists have isolated a new flu virus. �Shingles is caused by the same virus aschickenpox. 2. a part of a computer pro-gram which is designed to destroy fileson someone else’s computer � You must

check the program for viruses. (NOTE:The plural is viruses.)

visible

visible /�vzb(ə)l/ adjective which canbe seen

visibly

visibly /�vzbli/ adverb in a way whicheveryone can see

vision

vision /�v"(ə)n/ noun 1. your ability tosee � After the age of 50, the vision ofmany people begins to fail. 2. a thingwhich you imagine � He had visions ofhimself stuck in London with no pass-port and no money. � She had visions ofhim being arrested for drug smuggling.

visit

visit /�vzt/ noun a short stay with some-one or in a town or a country � They hada visit from the police. � We will bemaking a short visit to London nextweek. � The manager is on a businessvisit to China. � verb to stay a shorttime with someone or in a town or coun-try � I am on my way to visit my sisterin hospital. � They are away visitingfriends in the north of the country. � Thegroup of tourists are going to visit theglass factory. � He spent a week in Scot-land, visiting museums in Edinburghand Glasgow.

visitor

visitor /�vztə/ noun a person whocomes to visit � How many visitorscome to the museum each year? � Wehad a surprise visitor yesterday – thebank manager!

vital

vital /�vat(ə)l/ adjective extremely im-portant � It is vital that we act quickly.� Oxygen is vital to human life.

vitamin

vitamin /�vtəmn/ noun an essentialsubstance which is found in food and isneeded for growth and health

vivid

vivid /�vvd/ adjective 1. very bright �vivid yellow sunflowers � the vivid col-ours of the Mediterranean beach 2. rep-resenting real events clearly � She has avivid imagination. � I had a really vividdream last night. � She gave a vivid ac-count of her experiences at the hands ofthe kidnappers.

vocabulary

vocabulary /vəυ��k�bjυləri/ noun 1. allthe words used by a person or group ofpersons � specialist legal vocabulary �She reads French newspapers to im-prove her French vocabulary. 2. a print-ed list of words � There is a German-


voice 353 voyage

English vocabulary at the back of thebook. (NOTE: The plural is vocabular-ies.)

voicevoice /vɔs/ noun a sound made whenyou speak or sing � I didn’t recognisehis voice over the telephone. � Thechairman spoke for a few minutes in alow voice.

volcano

volcano /vɒl��kenəυ/ noun a mountainwhich lava, ash and gas may flow out offrom time to time (NOTE: The plural isvolcanoes.)

volumevolume /�vɒljum/ noun 1. the amountof sound � She turned down the volumeon the radio. � He drives with the carradio on at full volume. 2. the amountwhich is contained inside something �What is the volume of this barrel? 3. onebook, especially one in a series � Haveyou read the third volume of his historyof medieval Europe?

voluntary

voluntary /�vɒlənt(ə)ri/ adjective 1.done because you want to do it, anddone without being paid � Many retiredpeople do voluntary work. 2. done will-ingly, without being forced � He madea voluntary contribution to the fund.

volunteervolunteer /�vɒlən��tə/ noun a personwho offers to do something without be-ing paid or being forced to do it � The

school relies on volunteers to help withthe sports day. � The information deskis manned by volunteers. � verb to offerto do something without being paid orbeing forced to do it � He volunteeredto collect the entrance tickets. � Will an-yone volunteer for the job of washingup?

vote

vote /vəυt/ noun the act of marking a pa-per, holding up your hand, etc., to showyour opinion or to show who you wantto be elected � How many votes did youget? � There were only ten votes againstthe plan. � verb to mark a paper, to holdup your hand, etc., to show your opinionor to show who you want to be elected �Fifty per cent of the people voted in theelection. � We all voted to go on strike.

voter

voter /�vəυtə/ noun a person who votesor who has the right to vote

vowel

vowel /�vaυəl/ noun one of the five let-ters, a, e, i, o and u, which representsounds made without using the teeth,tongue or lips (NOTE: The letters repre-senting sounds which are not vowelsare consonants. Note also that insome languages ‘y’ is a vowel.)

voyage

voyage /�vɔd"/ noun a long journey,especially by ship or spacecraft � thevoyages of Sir Francis Drake


Www /�d�b(ə)lju/, W noun the twenty-third

letter of the alphabet, between V and Xwadewade /wed/ verb to walk through water

� They waded into the sea.wagwag /w�'/ verb to move something from

side to side or up and down � The dogran up to him, wagging its tail. � Thegrandmother wagged her finger at thelittle boy who was picking the flowers.(NOTE: wags – wagging – wagged)

wagewage /wed"/, wages /�wed"z/ nounmoney paid, usually in cash each week,to a worker for work done � The compa-ny pays quite good wages. � She isearning a good wage or good wages inthe pizza restaurant.

wagonwagon /�w�'ən/ noun a railway truckused for carrying heavy loads

waistwaist /west/ noun 1. the narrow part ofthe body between the bottom of thechest and the hips � She measures 32inches round the waist or has a 32-inchwaist. 2. the part of a piece of clothing,e.g. a skirt, trousers or dress, that goesround the middle of your body � Thewaist of these trousers is too small forme. (NOTE: Do not confuse withwaste.)

waitwait /wet/ verb to stay where you are,and not do anything until somethinghappens or someone comes � Wait herewhile I call an ambulance. � They hadbeen waiting for half an hour in the rainbefore the bus finally arrived. � Wait aminute, my shoelace is undone. � Don’twait for me, I’ll be late.

waiterwaiter /�wetə/ noun a man who bringsfood and drink to customers in a restau-rant

waitresswaitress /�wetrəs/ noun a woman whobrings food and drink to customers in arestaurant (NOTE: The plural is wait-resses.)

wakewake /wek/ verb 1. to stop someone’ssleep � The telephone woke her or she

was woken by the telephone. � I bangedon her door, but I can’t wake her. � Heasked to be woken at 7.00. 2. to stopsleeping � He woke suddenly, feelingdrops of water falling on his head.(NOTE: wakes – waking – woke/wəυk/ – woken)

wake up phrasal verb 1. to stop some-one’s sleep � He was woken up by thesound of the dog barking. 2. to stopsleeping � She woke up in the middle ofthe night, thinking she had heard anoise. � Come on, wake up! It’s past teno’clock. � He woke up to find watercoming through the roof of the tent.

Wales

Wales /welz/ noun a country to the westof England, forming part of the UnitedKingdom � There are some high moun-tains in North Wales. � Welsh (NOTE:capital: Cardiff; people: the Welsh;languages: Welsh, English)

walk

walk /wɔk/ verb 1. to go somewhere onfoot � The baby is ten months old, andis just starting to walk. � She was walk-ing along the high street on her way tothe bank. � We walked slowly across thebridge. � The visitors walked round thefactory. � to walk someone home to gowith someone who is walking home � Itwas getting late, so I walked her home.2. to take an animal for a walk � He’sgone to walk the dog in the fields. � Shewalks her dog every morning. � noun 1.a usually pleasant journey on foot �Let’s all go for a walk in the park. 2. adistance which you cover on foot � It’sonly a short walk to the beach. � It’sonly five minutes’ walk from the office tothe bank or the bank is only a five min-utes’ walk from the office.

wall

wall /wɔl/ noun a structure made fromthings such as bricks or stones, built upto make one of the sides of a building, ofa room or to surround a space � Thewalls of the restaurant are decoratedwith pictures of film stars. � There’s a


wallet 355 wash

clock on the wall behind my desk. � Hegot into the house by climbing over thegarden wall.

wallet

wallet /�wɒlt/ noun a small flat leathercase for carrying things such as creditcards and banknotes in your pocket

wallpaper

wallpaper /�wɔlpepə/ noun paperwith different patterns on it, coveringthe walls of a room � The wallpaperwas light green to match the carpet.

wander

wander /�wɒndə/ verb to walk aroundwithout any particular aim � They wan-dered round the town in the rain.

want

want /wɒnt/ verb 1. to hope that you willdo something, that something will hap-pen, or that you will get something �She wants a new car for her birthday. �Where do you want to go for your holi-days? � He wants to be a teacher. 2. toask someone to do something � Themanager wants me to go and see him. �I want those windows painted. 3. toneed something � With five children,what they want is a bigger house. � Youwant to take some rest.

war

war /wɔ/ noun a period of fighting be-tween countries � Millions of soldiersand civilians were killed during the war.� In 1914 Britain was at war with Ger-many or Britain and Germany were atwar.

ward

ward /wɔd/ noun a room or set of roomsin a hospital, with beds for patients �The children’s ward is at the end of thecorridor. � She was taken into the acci-dent and emergency ward.

wardrobe

wardrobe /�wɔdrəυb/ noun a tall cup-board in which you hang your clothes �He moved the wardrobe from the land-ing into the bedroom.

warehouse

warehouse /�weəhaυs/ noun a largebuilding where goods are stored � Ourgoods are dispatched from the centralwarehouse to shops all over the country.

warm

warm /wɔm/ adjective 1. fairly hot �The temperature is below freezing out-side but it’s nice and warm in the office.� The children tried to keep warm byplaying football. � Are you warmenough, or do you want another blan-ket? � This coat is not very warm. � Thewinter sun can be quite warm in Febru-

ary. 2. pleasant and friendly � We had awarm welcome from our friends. � Shehas a really warm personality. � verb tomake something hotter � Come andwarm your hands by the fire. � I’llwarm some soup.

warmth

warmth /wɔmθ/ noun the fact of beingwarm or feeling warm � It was cold andrainy outside, and he looked forward tothe warmth of his home.

warn

warn /wɔn/ verb 1. to inform someoneof a possible danger � Children arewarned not to play on the frozen lake. �The group was warned to look out forpickpockets. � The guide warned us thatthere might be snakes in the grass. 2. toinform someone that something is likelyto happen � The railway has warnedthat there will be a strike tomorrow. �The weather forecast warned of stormsin the English Channel. (NOTE: Youwarn someone of something, or warnsomeone that something may hap-pen.)

warning

warning /�wɔnŋ/ noun news about apossible danger � He shouted a warn-ing to the children. � The governmentissued a warning about travelling insome countries in the area. � Eachpacket of cigarettes has a governmenthealth warning printed on it. � adjec-tive which informs about a danger �Red warning flags are raised if the seais dangerous. � Warning notices wereput up round the building site.

wary

wary /�weəri/ adjective aware of a possi-ble problem with someone or something� I am very wary of any of his ideas formaking money. (NOTE: warier – wari-est)

was

was /wəz, wɒz/ past tense of bewash

wash /wɒʃ/ verb to clean something us-ing water � Cooks should always washtheir hands before touching food! � Imust wash the car before we go to thewedding. � The moment I had washedthe windows it started to rain. � Hisfootball shirt needs washing. � nounthe action of cleaning, using water �The car needs a wash. � He’s in thebathroom, having a quick wash.

wash up phrasal verb to clean objects


washbasin 356 wave

such as dirty cups, plates, knives andforks with water � It took us hours towash up after the party. � My brother’swashing up, while I’m sitting watchingthe TV.

washbasinwashbasin /�wɒʃbes(ə)n/ noun a con-tainer for holding water for washing thehands and face, which has taps and isusually attached to the wall of a bath-room

washing

washing /�wɒʃŋ/ noun clothes whichhave been washed, or which are ready tobe washed � Put the washing in thewashing machine. � She hung out thewashing to dry.

washing machine

washing machine /�wɒʃŋ mə��ʃin/noun a machine for washing clothes(NOTE: A machine for washing platesand cutlery is a dishwasher.)

wasp

wasp /wɒsp/ noun an insect which hasblack and yellow bands of colour roundits body and which can sting

waste

waste /west/ noun 1. an unnecessaryuse of time or money � It is a waste oftime asking the boss for a rise. � Thatcomputer is a waste of money – thereare plenty of cheaper models. 2. thingswhich are no use and are thrown away �Put all your waste in the rubbish bin. �verb to use more of something than youneed � Don’t waste time putting yourshoes on – jump out of the window now.� We turned off all the heating so as notto waste energy. (NOTE: wastes – wast-ing – wasted) � adjective useless andready to be thrown away � Waste prod-ucts should not be dumped in the sea. �Recycle all your waste paper.

watch

watch /wɒtʃ/ verb 1. to look at and no-tice something � Did you watch the TVnews last night? � We went to the sportsground to watch the football match. �Everyone was watching the childrendancing. 2. to look at something care-fully to make sure that nothing happens� Watch the saucepan – I don’t want thepotatoes to burn. � Can you watch thebaby while I’m at the hairdresser’s? �noun 1. an object like a little clockwhich you wear on your wrist � Shelooked at her watch impatiently. � Whattime is it? – my watch has stopped.(NOTE: The plural in this sense is

watches) 2. the activity of watchingsomething carefully � Visitors shouldbe on the watch for pickpockets. � Keepa watch on the potatoes to make surethey don’t burn. (NOTE: no plural)

watch out phrasal verb to be careful �Watch out! there’s a car coming!

water

water /�wɔtə/ noun the liquid whichfalls as rain and forms rivers, lakes andseas. It makes up a large part of the bod-ies of living creatures, and is used fordrinking and in cooking; also in indus-trial processes. � Can we have threeglasses of water please? � Cook thevegetables in boiling water. � Is the tapwater safe to drink? � The water tem-perature is 60°. (NOTE: no plural: somewater; a drop of water) � verb to pourwater on the soil round a plant to makeit grow � Because it is hot we need towater the garden every day. � She waswatering her pots of flowers.

waterfall

waterfall /�wɔtəfɔl/ noun a placewhere a stream falls down a steep drop

waterlogged

waterlogged /�wɔtəlɒ'd/ adjectivewaterlogged ground is full of water, sothe surface stays wet for a long time �After so much rain, the waterlogged golfcourse had to be closed. � Most plantscannot grow in waterlogged soil.

waterproof

waterproof /�wɔtəpruf/ adjectivewhich does not let water go through �waterproof clothing � These bootsaren’t waterproof – my socks are soak-ing wet.

wave

wave /wev/ noun 1. a raised mass of wa-ter on the surface of the sea, a lake or ariver � Waves were breaking on therocks. � Watch out for big waves on thebeach. � The sea was calm, with hardlyany waves. 2. an up and down move-ment of your hand 3. a regular curve onthe surface of hair � His hair has a nat-ural wave. 4. a sudden increase in some-thing � A wave of anger surged throughthe crowd. � verb 1. to move up anddown in the wind � The flags were wav-ing outside the town hall. 2. to make anup and down movement of the handwhen saying ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’ or forattracting attention � They waved untilthe car was out of sight. � They wavedgoodbye as the boat left the harbour. �


waver 357 wear

to wave to someone to signal to some-one by moving your hand up and down� When I saw him I waved to him tocross the road.

waver

waver /�wevə/ verb to be unable to de-cide what to do � He is still waveringabout whether or not to leave the com-pany.

wax

wax /w�ks/ noun a solid substance madefrom fat or oil, used for making thingssuch as candles and polish � Shebrought a tin of wax polish and startedto polish the furniture.

way

way /we/ noun 1. the direction in whichsomething can be found or in whichsomeone or something is going � Doyou know the way to the post office? �The bus is going the wrong way for thestation. � She showed us the way to therailway station. � They lost their wayand had to ask for directions. � I’ll leadthe way – just follow me. 2. the means ofdoing something � My mother showedme the way to make marmalade. � Isn’tthere any other way of making it? � Hethought of a way of making moneyquickly. � The way she said it implied itwas my fault. 3. � to make your way togo to a place with some difficulty � Canyou make your way to passport control?� He made his way to the tourist infor-mation office. 4. the distance betweenone place and another � The nearestbank is quite a long way away. � He’sgot a long way to go before he qualifiesas a doctor. 5. a path or road which goessomewhere � Our neighbours acrossthe way. � I’ll walk the first part of theway home with you. 6. a particular di-rection from here � a one-way street �Can you tell which way the wind isblowing? � This way please, everybody!7. a space where someone wants to be orwhich someone wants to use � Get outof my way – I’m in a hurry. � It’s best tokeep out of the way of the police for amoment. � I wanted to take a short cut,but there was a lorry in the way.

way in

way in /�we �n/ noun an entranceway out

way out /�we �aυt/ noun an exit � Thisis the way out of the car park. � Hecouldn’t find the way out in the dark.

way up

way up /�we ��p/ noun a way in whichsomething stands

we

we /wi/ pronoun used by someonespeaking or writing to refer to himself orherself and others � He said we couldgo into the exhibition. � We were not al-lowed into the restaurant in jeans. � Wehad a wonderful holiday – we all en-joyed ourselves enormously. (NOTE:When it is the object we becomes us:We gave it to him; He gave it to us.When it follows the verb to be, we usu-ally becomes us: Who is it? – It’s us!)

weak

weak /wik/ adjective 1. not strong � Af-ter his illness he is still very weak. � Idon’t like weak tea. 2. not effective � aweak leader � a weak argument 3. nothaving knowledge or skill � She’sweaker at science than at maths. �French is his weakest subject. (NOTE:weaker – weakest. Do not confusewith week.)

wealth

wealth /welθ/ noun a large amount ofmoney and property which someoneowns � His wealth was acquired inbusiness. (NOTE: no plural)

wealthy

wealthy /�welθi/ adjective (of a person)very rich (NOTE: wealthier – wealthi-est)

weapon

weapon /�wepən/ noun an object suchas a gun or sword, which you fight with� nuclear weapons � The crowd usediron bars as weapons.

wear

wear /weə/ verb 1. to have somethingsuch as clothes or jewellery on yourbody � What dress are you wearing tothe party? � When last seen, he waswearing a blue raincoat. � She’s wear-ing her mother’s earrings. � She wearsher hair very short. 2. to damage some-thing or make it thin through using it �I’ve worn a hole in the heel of my sock.(NOTE: wears – wearing – wore /wɔ/– worn /wɔn/)

wear out phrasal verb 1. to use some-thing so much that it becomes brokenand useless � Walking across the USA,he wore out three pairs of boots. 2. � towear yourself out to become very tiredthrough doing something � She woreherself out looking after the old lady.


weather 358 welcomeweather

weather /�weðə/ noun conditions out-side, e.g. if it is raining, hot, cold or sun-ny � What’s the weather going to be liketoday? � If the weather gets any better,then we can go out in the boat.

weave

weave /wiv/ verb 1. to make cloth bytwisting fibres over and under each oth-er � The cloth is woven from the wool oflocal sheep. � The new weaving ma-chines were installed last week. 2. tomake something by a similar method,but using things such as very thin piecesof wood or the dried stems of plants �She learnt how to weave baskets. (NOTE:weaves – weaving – wove /wəυv/ –woven /�wəυvən/)

web

web /web/ noun 1. a net spun by spiders� The garden is full of spiders’ webs inautumn. 2. � the web the thousands ofwebsites and webpages within the Inter-net, which users can visit

webpage

webpage /�webped"/ noun a single fileof text and graphics, forming part of awebsite

website

website /�websat/ noun a collection ofpages on the Web which have been pro-duced by one person or organisation andare linked together

wedding

wedding /�wedŋ/ noun a marriage cer-emony, when two people are officiallymade husband and wife � This SaturdayI’m going to John and Mary’s wedding.

wedge

wedge /wed"/ noun a solid piece ofsomething such as wood, metal or rub-ber in the shape of a V � Put a wedgeunder the door to hold it open.

Wednesday

Wednesday /�wenzde/ noun the daybetween Tuesday and Thursday, thethird day of the week � She came for tealast Wednesday. � Wednesdays are al-ways busy days for us. � Can we meetnext Wednesday afternoon? � Wednes-day the 24th would be a good date for ameeting. � The 15th is a Tuesday, so the16th must be a Wednesday.

weed

weed /wid/ noun a wild plant that youdo not want in a garden or crop

week

week /wik/ noun a period of seven days,usually from Monday to Sunday �There are 52 weeks in the year. � Thefirm gives us two weeks’ holiday atEaster. � It’s my aunt’s 80th birthday

next week. � I go to the cinema at leastonce a week. (NOTE: Do not confusewith weak.)

weekend

weekend /wik��end/ noun Saturday andSunday, or the period from Fridayevening to Sunday evening � We’re go-ing to the coast for the weekend. � Whydon’t you come to spend next weekendwith us in the country? � At weekends,we try to spend time in the garden.

weekly

weekly /�wikli/ adjective, adverb whichhappens or is published once a week �We have a weekly paper which tells usall the local news. � The weekly rate forthe job is £250. � Are you paid weeklyor monthly?

weigh

weigh /we/ verb 1. to measure howheavy something or someone is � Canyou weigh this parcel for me? � Theyweighed his suitcase at the check-indesk. � I weighed myself this morning.2. to have a particular weight � Thispiece of meat weighs 100 grams. � Howmuch do you weigh? � She only weighs40 kilos.

weight

weight /wet/ noun 1. how heavy some-thing is � What’s the maximum weightof parcel the post office will accept? 2.how heavy a person is � His weight isless than it was a year ago. 3. somethingwhich is heavy � If you lift heavyweights like paving stones, you may hurtyour back. (NOTE: Do not confuse withwait.)

weird

weird /wəd/ adjective strange in a waythat makes you feel nervous or fright-ened

welcome

welcome /�welkəm/ verb 1. to greetsomeone in a friendly way � The staffwelcomed the new assistant to the office.� When we arrived at the hotel we werewelcomed by a couple of barking guarddogs. 2. to be pleased to hear news � Iwarmly welcome the result of the elec-tion. � I would welcome any sugges-tions as to how to stop the water seepinginto the basement. (NOTE: welcomes –welcoming – welcomed) � noun theaction of greeting someone � There wasnot much of a welcome from the staffwhen we arrived at the hotel. � adjec-tive met or greeted with pleasure � Theymade me very welcome. � you’re wel-


welfare 359 what

come! a reply to ‘thank you’ � Thanksfor carrying the bags for me – you’rewelcome!

welfare

welfare /�welfeə/ noun the act or prac-tice of providing the things which peo-ple need and which help them to behealthy � The club looks after the wel-fare of the old people in the town. � Thegovernment has taken measures to re-form the welfare system.

well

well /wel/ adverb 1. in a way that is satis-factory � He doesn’t speak Russian verywell. � Our business is small, but it’sdoing well. � Is the new computer work-ing well? 2. very much � He got backfrom the office late – well after eighto’clock. � You should go to the Tower ofLondon – it’s well worth a visit. � Therewere well over sixty people at the meet-ing. � She’s well over eighty. � adjec-tive healthy � She’s looking well afterher holiday! � The secretary’s not verywell today – she’s had to stay off work.� It took him some weeks to get well af-ter his flu. � interjection used for start-ing a sentence � Well, I’ll show youround the house first. � Well now, we’vedone the washing up so we can sit andwatch TV. � noun a very deep hole dugin the ground with water or oil at thebottom � as well also � When my auntcomes to stay she brings her two catsand the dog as well. � You can’t eat fishand chips and a meat pie as well! � aswell as in addition to � Some newsa-gents sell groceries as well as newspa-pers. � She ate a slice of cheesecake aswell as two scoops of ice cream. � welldone used for praising someone fortheir success � Well done, the Englandteam! � Well done to all of you whopassed the exam!

well-known

well-known /�wel �nəυn/ adjectiveknown by a lot of people

well-paid

well-paid /�wel �ped/ adjective earninga good salary

Welsh

Welsh /welʃ/ adjective relating to Wales� We will be going climbing in theWelsh mountains at Easter. � noun 1. �the Welsh the people of Wales � TheWelsh are proud of their heritage. � TheWelsh are magnificent singers. 2. the

language spoken in Wales � Welsh isused in schools in many parts of Wales.

wentwent /went/ past tense of gowerewere /wə, w�/ 1st person plural past of

be. 2nd person plural past of be. 3rdperson plural past of be

westwest /west/ noun the direction in whichthe sun sets � The sun sets in the westand rises in the east. � We live in a vil-lage to the west of the town. � Theirhouse has a garden that faces west or awest-facing garden. � adjective in or tothe west � She lives on the west coast ofthe United States. � The west part of thetown is near the river. � adverb towardsthe west � Go west for about ten kilo-metres, and then you’ll come to the na-tional park. � The river flows west intothe ocean.

westernwestern /�westən/ adjective from or inthe west � Great Britain is part of West-ern Europe. � The Western part of Can-ada has wonderful scenery.

wetwet /wet/ adjective 1. covered in water orother liquid � She forgot her umbrellaand got wet walking back from theshops. � The chair’s all wet where heknocked over his beer. � The baby is wet– can you change her nappy? 2. raining� The summer months are the wettestpart of the year. � There’s nothing I likebetter than a wet Sunday in London. 3.not yet dry � Watch out! – the paint’sstill wet. (NOTE: wetter – wettest)

whalewhale /wel/ noun a very large creaturethat lives in the sea � You can take aboat into the mouth of the river to seethe whales.

whatwhat /wɒt/ adjective asking a question �What kind of music do you like? � Whattype of food does he like best? � pro-noun 1. the thing which � Did you seewhat was in the box? � What we like todo most on holiday is just to visit oldchurches. 2. asking a question � What’sthe correct time? � What did he giveyou for your birthday? � What hap-pened to his car? (NOTE: When whatused to ask a direct question, the verbis put before the subject: What’s thetime? but not when it is used in a state-ment: They don’t know what the timeis.) � adverb showing surprise � What


whatever 360 whether

a huge meal! � What beautiful weather!� interjection showing surprise � What!did you hear what he said? � I won thelottery! – What!

whatever

whatever /wɒt��evə/ pronoun 1. it doesnot matter what (form of ‘what’ used foremphasis; in questions) � You canhave whatever you like for Christmas. �She always does whatever she feels likedoing. � I want that car whatever theprice. 2. used instead of ‘what’ for em-phasis in questions � ‘I’ve sold the car.’‘Whatever for?’ � Whatever made himdo that? � Whatever does that red lightmean?

wheat

wheat /wit/ noun a plant of which thegrain is used to make flour (NOTE: noplural)

wheel

wheel /wil/ noun 1. a round object onwhich a vehicle such as a bicycle, a caror a train runs � The front wheel and theback wheel of the motorbike were bothdamaged in the accident. � We got a flattyre so I had to get out to change thewheel. 2. any similar round objectwhich turns � a steering wheel � gearwheels � verb to push something alongwhich has wheels � He wheeled his mo-torbike into the garage. � She waswheeling her bike along the pavement.� The waiter wheeled in a sweet trolley.

wheelbarrow

wheelbarrow /�wilb�rəυ/ noun alarge container with one wheel at thefront and two handles, used by peoplesuch as builders and gardeners for push-ing heavy loads around

wheelchair

wheelchair /�wiltʃeə/ noun a chair onwheels which people who cannot walkuse to move around � a special entrancefor wheelchair users

when

when /wen/ adverb at what time (askinga question) � When is the last train forParis? � When did you last go to thedentist? � When are we going to getpaid? � Since when has he been wear-ing glasses? � I asked her when herfriend was leaving. (NOTE: After whenused to ask a direct question, the verbis put before the subject: When doesthe film start?; When is he coming? butnot when it is used in a statement: Hedoesn’t know when the film starts.;They can’t tell me when he is coming.)

� conjunction 1. at the time that �When he was young, the family was liv-ing in London. � When you go on holi-day, leave your key with the neighboursso they can feed the cat. � Do you re-member the day when we all went for apicnic in the park? � Let me know whenyou’re ready to go. 2. after � When thespeaker had finished, he sat down. �Wash up the plates when you’ve finishedyour breakfast. 3. even if � The sales-man said the car was worth £5,000when he really knew it was worth onlyhalf that.

whenever

whenever /wen��evə/ adverb at any timethat � Come for tea whenever you like.� We try to see my mother whenever wecan or whenever possible.

where

where /weə/ adverb 1. (asking a ques-tion) in what place, to what place �Where did I put my glasses? � Do youknow where the restaurant is? � Whereare the knives and forks? � Where areyou going for your holiday? 2. in a placein which � Stay where you are and don’tmove. � They still live in the same housewhere they were living twenty years ago.� Here’s where the wire has been cut.(NOTE: After where used to ask a directquestion, the verb is put before thesubject: Where is the bottle? but notwhen it is used in a statement: Hedoesn’t know where the bottle is.)

whereas

whereas /weər��z/ conjunction if youcompare this with the fact that � Helikes tea whereas she prefers coffee.

wherever

wherever /weər��evə/ adverb 1. to or inany place � You can sit wherever youwant. � Wherever we go on holiday, wenever make hotel reservations. � Thepolice want to ask her questions, wher-ever she may be. 2. used instead of‘where’ for emphasis � Wherever didyou get that hat?

whether

whether /�weðə/ conjunction 1. used tomean ‘if’ for showing doubt, or forshowing that you have not decidedsomething � Do you know whetherthey’re coming? � I can’t make up mymind whether to go on holiday now orlater. 2. used for referring to either oftwo things or people � All employees,whether managers or ordinary staff,


which 361 who

must take a medical test. (NOTE: Do notconfuse with weather.)

whichwhich /wtʃ/ adjective, pronoun 1. (ask-ing a question) what person or thing �Which dress are you wearing to thewedding? � Which boy threw thatstone? 2. (only used with things, notpeople) that � The French restaurantwhich is next door to the office. �They’ve eaten all the bread which youbought yesterday.

whilewhile /wal/ conjunction 1. at the timethat � He tried to cut my hair while hewas watching TV. � While we were onholiday someone broke into our house.� Shall I clean the kitchen while you’rehaving a bath? 2. showing difference �He likes meat, while his sister is a vege-tarian. � Everyone is watching TV,while I’m in the kitchen making the din-ner. 3. although (formal) � While theremay still be delays, the service is muchbetter than it used to be. � noun a shorttime � It’s a while since I’ve seen him.� in a while in a short time, soon � I’llbe ready in a while.

whinewhine /wan/ verb 1. to make a loud highnoise � You can hear the engines of theracing cars whining in the background.� The dogs whined when we lockedthem up in the kitchen. 2. to complain ina loud high voice that annoys other peo-ple � She’s always whining about howlittle money she has. (NOTE: Do not con-fuse with wine. Note also: whines –whining – whined.)

whipwhip /wp/ noun a long, thin piece ofleather with a handle, used to hit ani-mals to make them do what you want �The rider used her whip to make thehorse run faster. � verb to hit someoneor an animal with a whip � He whippedthe horse to make it go faster. (NOTE:whips – whipping – whipped)

whirlwhirl /w�l/ verb to turn round quickly �She put on her new skirt and whirledaround for every one to see. � The chil-dren’s paper windmills whirled in thewind.

whiskeywhiskey /�wski/ noun Irish or Ameri-can whisky

whiskywhisky /�wski/ noun an alcoholic drink,made in Scotland from barley � The

company produces thousands of bottlesof whisky every year. (NOTE: The pluralis whiskies.)

whisper

whisper /�wspə/ verb to speak very qui-etly, so that only the person you are talk-ing to can hear � He whispered instruc-tions to the other members of the gang.� She whispered to the nurse that shewanted something to drink. � noun aquiet voice, or words spoken very quiet-ly � She spoke in a whisper.

whistle

whistle /�ws(ə)l/ noun 1. a high soundmade by blowing through your lipswhen they are almost closed � She gavea whistle of surprise. � We heard awhistle and saw a dog running acrossthe field. 2. a simple instrument whichmakes a high sound, played by blowing� He blew on his whistle to stop thematch. � verb 1. to blow through yourlips to make a high sound � Theymarched along, whistling an Irish song.� He whistled for a taxi. 2. to make ahigh sound using a small metal instru-ment � The referee whistled to stop thematch.

white

white /wat/ adjective of a colour likesnow or milk � A white shirt is part ofthe uniform. � A white car will alwayslook dirty. � Her hair is now completelywhite. � Do you take your coffee blackor white? � noun 1. a person whoseskin is pale � Whites are in the minorityin African countries. 2. a white part ofsomething � the white of an egg � Thewhites of his eyes were slightly red. 3. awhite wine � A glass of house white,please.

white lie

white lie /�wat �la/ noun a lie aboutsomething unimportant, especially a lietold in order not to upset someone(informal)

who

who /hu/ pronoun 1. (asking a ques-tion) which person or persons � Whophoned? � Who are you talking to? �Who spoke at the meeting? 2. the personor the people that � The men who cameyesterday morning work for the electric-ity company. � Anyone who didn’t gettickets early won’t be able to get in. �There’s the taxi driver who took ushome last night. (NOTE: After an object,who can be left out: There’s the man I


whoever 362 will

saw at the pub. When who is used toask a direct question, the verb is putafter ‘who’ and before the subject:Who is that man over there?, but notwhen it is used in a statement: I don’tknow who that man is over there.When who is used as an object, it issometimes written whom /hum/ butthis is formal and not common: theman whom I met in the office; Whomdo you want to see?)

whoeverwhoever /hu��evə/ pronoun (emphaticform of ‘who’) no matter who, anyonewho � Whoever finds the umbrella cankeep it. � Go home with whoever youlike.

whole

whole /həυl/ adjective all of something� She must have been hungry – she atea whole apple pie. � We spent the wholewinter in the south. � A whole lot ofpeople went down with flu. � noun all ofsomething � She stayed in bed thewhole of Sunday morning and read thenewspapers. � The whole of the north ofthe country was covered with snow. �Did you watch the whole of the pro-gramme? (NOTE: Do not confuse withhole.) � adverb in one piece � Thebirds catch small fish and swallow themwhole.

whomwhom /hum/ � whowhosewhose /huz/ pronoun 1. (asking a

question) which belongs to which per-son � Whose is that car? � Whose bookis this? � Whose money was stolen? 2.of whom � the family whose house wasburgled � the man whose hat you bor-rowed � the girl whose foot you trod on(NOTE: Do not confuse with who’s.)

whywhy /wa/ adverb 1. for what reason �Why did he have to phone me in the mid-dle of the TV film? � I asked the ticketcollector why the train was late. 2. giv-ing a reason � She told me why shecouldn’t go to the party. 3. agreeingwith a suggestion � ‘Would you likesome lunch?’ ‘Why not?’

wickedwicked /�wkd/ adjective very bad �What a wicked thing to say! � It waswicked of them to steal the birds’ eggs.

widewide /wad/ adjective 1. which measuresfrom side to side � The table is threefoot or three feet wide. � The river is not

very wide at this point. 2. includingmany things � The shop carries a widerange of imported goods. � She has awide knowledge of French painting. �

width � adverb as far as possible, asmuch as possible � She opened her eyeswide. � The door was wide open so wejust walked in.

widely

widely /�wadli/ adverb 1. by a widerange of people � It is widely expectedthat he will resign. 2. over a wide area �Contamination spread widely over thearea round the factory. � She has trav-elled widely in Greece.

widow

widow /�wdəυ/ noun a woman whosehusband has died and who has not mar-ried again

width

width /wdθ/ noun 1. a measurement ofsomething from one side to another � Ineed to know the width of the sofa. �The width of the garden is at least fortyfeet or the garden is at least forty feet inwidth. 2. the distance from one side toanother of a swimming pool � Sheswam three widths easily.

wife

wife /waf/ noun a woman who is mar-ried to a man � I know Mr Jones quitewell but I’ve never met his wife. � Theyboth came with their wives. (NOTE: Theplural is wives /wavz/.)

wig

wig /w'/ noun false hair worn on thehead

wild

wild /wald/ adjective 1. living naturally,not with people as a pet 2. very angry orvery excited � He will be wild when hesees what I have done to the car. � Thefans went wild at the end of the match.3. not thinking carefully � She made afew wild guesses, but didn’t find theright answer. � They had the wild ideaof walking across the Sahara. � adverbwithout any control � The crowds wererunning wild through the centre of thetown.

wildlife

wildlife /�waldlaf/ noun birds, plantsand animals in their natural conditions

will

will /wl/ modal verb 1. used to form thefuture tense � The party will start soon.� Will they be staying a long time? � Wewon’t be able to come to tea. � If youask her to play the piano, she’ll say‘no’. 2. used as a polite way of asking


willing 363 winter

someone to do something � Will every-one please sit down? � Will someoneclose the curtains? � (formal) Won’tyou sit down? 3. used for showing thatyou are keen to do something � Don’tcall a taxi – I’ll take you home. � Thecar will never start when we want it to.� Don’t worry – I will do it. (NOTE: thenegative: will not is usually writtenwon’t /wəυnt/. The past is: would,negative: would not, usually writtenwouldn’t. Note also that will is oftenshortened to ’ll: he’ll = he will) � noun1. someone’s desire that something willhappen � against your will withoutyour agreement � He was forced to paythe money against his will. 2. a legaldocument by which a person gives in-structions about what should happen tohis or her property after he or she dies �He wrote his will in 1984. � Accordingto her will, all her property is left to herchildren. � Has she made a will yet? �

at will whenever someone wants to �Visitors can wander around the gardensat will.

willing

willing /�wlŋ/ adjective keen to help �Is there anyone who is willing to drivethe jeep? � I need two willing helpers towash the car.

win

win /wn/ verb 1. to beat someone in agame, or be first in a race or competition� I expect our team will win tomorrow.� The local team won their match yes-terday. � She won the race easily. 2. toget something as a prize � She won firstprize in the art competition. � He wontwo million pounds on the lottery. �She’s hoping to win a new car in a com-petition in the paper. (NOTE: wins –winning – won /w�n/) � noun the actof winning a game, race or competition� The local team has only had two winsso far this year. � We’re disappointed,we expected a win.

wind

wind1 /wnd/ noun air moving outdoors� The wind blew two trees down in thepark. � There’s no point trying to use anumbrella in this wind. � There’s not abreath of wind – the sailing boats aren’tmoving at all.

wind

wind2 /wand/ verb to twist round andround � He wound the towel round his

waist. � She wound the string into aball. (NOTE: winds – winding –wound /waυnd/)

wind up phrasal verb 1. to turn a key tomake a machine work � When did youwind up the clock or wind the clock up?2. to turn a key to make something go up� Wind up your window if it starts torain. 3. to be in a situation at the end ofa period (informal) � They wound upowing the bank thousands of pounds.

window

window /�wndəυ/ noun 1. an openingin a surface such as a wall or door,which is filled with glass � a seat by thewindow � I looked out of the kitchenwindow and saw a fox. � It’s dangerousto lean out of car windows. � The bur-glar must have got in through the bath-room window. 2. any of several sectionsof a computer screen on which informa-tion is shown � Open the command win-dow to see the range of possible com-mands.

windy

windy /�wndi/ adjective when a strongwind is blowing (informal) (NOTE:windier – windiest)

wine

wine /wan/ noun an alcoholic drinkmade from grapes � We had a glass ofFrench red wine. � Two glasses of whitewine, please. � Should we have somewhite wine with the fish?

wing

wing /wŋ/ noun 1. one of the two partsof the body, which a bird or butterflyetc. uses to fly � The little birds wereflapping their wings, trying to fly. �Which part of the chicken do you prefer:a leg or a wing? 2. one of the two flatparts sticking from the side of an air-craft, which hold the aircraft in the air �He had a seat by the wing, so could notsee much out of the window.

wink

wink /wŋk/ verb to shut and open oneeye quickly, as a signal � She winked athim to try to tell him that everything wasgoing well.

winner

winner /�wnə/ noun 1. a person whowins something � The winner of therace gets a silver cup. 2. somethingwhich is successful � His latest book isa winner.

winter

winter /�wntə/ noun the coldest seasonof the year, the season between autumn


wipe 364 woman

and spring � It’s too cold to do any gar-dening in the winter. � We’re taking awinter holiday in Mexico.

wipewipe /wap/ verb to clean or dry some-thing with a cloth � Wipe your shoeswith a cloth before you polish them. �Use the blue towel to wipe your hands.

wirewire /�waə/ noun 1. a thin piece of metalor metal thread � He used bits of wire toattach the apple tree to the wall. � Thechip basket is made of woven wire. 2. �(electric) wire thin metal thread alongwhich electricity flows, usually coveredwith coloured plastic � The wires seemto be all right, so there must be a prob-lem with the computer itself.

wisdomwisdom /�wzdəm/ noun general com-mon sense and the ability to make gooddecisions

wisewise /waz/ adjective having intelligenceand being sensible � It was a wise deci-sion to cancel the trip. � I don’t thinkit’s wise to keep all that money in thehouse.

wishwish /wʃ/ noun 1. what you want to hap-pen 2. a greeting � Best wishes for theNew Year! � Please give my good wish-es to your family. (NOTE: The plural iswishes.) � verb 1. to want somethingto happen � She sometimes wished shecould live in the country. � I wish youwouldn’t be so unkind! 2. to hope some-thing good will happen � She wishedhim good luck in his interview. � Hewished me a Happy New Year. � Wishme luck – it’s my exam tomorrow.

witchwitch /wtʃ/ noun a woman believed tohave magic powers (NOTE: The plural iswitches.)

withwith /wð, wθ/ preposition 1. showingthat things or people are together � Shecame here with her mother. � My sisteris staying with us for a few days. (NOTE:with is used with many adjectives andverbs: to agree with, to be pleasedwith.) 2. something which you have �The girl with fair hair. � They live in thehouse with the pink door. 3. showingsomething which is used � He waschopping up wood with an axe. � Sincehis accident he walks with a stick. � Thecrowd attacked the police with stonesand bottles. 4. because of � Her little

hands were blue with cold. � Half thepeople in the office are ill with flu.

within

within /w��ðn/ preposition inside anarea or period of time � The house iswithin easy reach of the station. � Weare within walking distance of the shop.� I must go back for a another checkwithin three months. � They promised todeliver the sofa within a week.

without

without /w��ðaυt/ preposition 1. notwith � They came on a walking holidaywithout any boots. � She managed tolive for a few days without any food. �He was stuck in Germany without anymoney. � They were fined for travellingwithout tickets. 2. not doing something� She sang for an hour without stop-ping. � They lived in the hut in the forestwithout seeing anybody for weeks.

witness

witness /�wtnəs/ noun 1. a person whosees something happen or who ispresent when something happens � Thewitness happened to be outside thehouse when it was burgled. 2. a personwho is present when someone signs adocument � The contract has to besigned in front of two witnesses. � Hissister signed as a witness. � verb to bepresent when something happens, andsee it happening � Did anyone witnessthe accident?

witty

witty /�wti/ adjective clever and funny �She gave a witty and entertainingspeech. (NOTE: wittier – wittiest)

wives

wives /wavz/ plural of wifewobble

wobble /�wɒb(ə)l/ verb to move fromside to side in a way that is not smoothor steady � The children made the jellywobble in their bowls. � Don’t wobblethe table when I’m pouring coffee.

woke

woke /wəυk/ past tense of wakewoken

woken /�wəυk(ə)n/ past participle ofwake

wolf

wolf /wυlf/ noun a wild animal like alarge dog, which usually lives in groupsin the forest � At night the wolves cameand howled outside the hut. (NOTE: Theplural is wolves.)

woman

woman /�wυmən/ noun an adult femaleperson � The manager is an extremelyexperienced woman. � There are veryfew women in government. � There are


won 365 work

more and more women bus drivers.(NOTE: The plural is women /�wmn/.)

won

won /w�n/ past tense and past participleof win

wonder

wonder /�w�ndə/ verb 1. to want toknow something � I wonder why theroom has gone quiet. � If you don’t ringhome, your parents will start wonderingwhat has happened. 2. to think aboutsomething � I wonder how I can earnmore money. � He’s wondering what todo next. 3. asking a question politely �We were wondering if you would like tocome for dinner on Saturday.

wonderful

wonderful /�w�ndəf(ə)l/ adjective ex-tremely good or enjoyable � They had awonderful holiday by a lake in Sweden.� The weather was wonderful for thewhole holiday. � You passed your driv-ing test first time? – Wonderful!

wood

wood /wυd/ noun 1. a hard materialwhich comes from a tree � The kitchentable is made of wood. � She picked upa piece of wood and put it on the fire. �A wood floor would be just right for thisroom. (NOTE: no plural: some wood, apiece of wood) 2. an area in whichmany trees are growing together � Thepath goes straight through the wood. �Their house is on the edge of a wood.(NOTE: The plural is woods. Do notconfuse with would.)

wooden

wooden /�wυd(ə)n/ adjective made outof wood � In the market we bought littlewooden dolls for the children.

wool

wool /wυl/ noun 1. long threads of twist-ed animal hair, used to make clothes orcarpets etc. � The carpet is made ofwool. � I need an extra ball of wool tofinish this pullover. 2. the hair growingon a sheep � The sheep are sheared andthe wool sent to market in early summer.

woolly

woolly /�wυli/ adjective made out ofwool � She wore a woolly hat.

word

word /w�d/ noun 1. a separate piece oflanguage, either written or spoken �This sentence has five words. � He al-ways spells some words wrongly, suchas ‘though’. 2. something spoken � Shepassed me in the street but didn’t say aword. � I’d like to say a few words aboutMr Smith who is retiring today. 3. a

promise which you have made � to giveyour word to promise � He gave hisword that the matter would remain con-fidential. � to keep your word to dowhat you promised to do � He kept hisword, and the cheque arrived the nextday. � to take someone’s word for it toaccept what someone says as being true� OK, I’ll take your word for it. � tohave a word with someone to speakto someone � I must have a word withthe manager about the service. � Thesalesgirl had made so many mistakes, Ihad to have a word with her. � withouta word without saying anything � Shewent out of the room without a word. �word for word exactly as it is said orwritten � Tell me what he said word forword. � A word-for-word translation of-ten doesn’t make any sense.

word processing

word processing /�w�d �prəυsesŋ/noun using a computer to produce,check and change texts, reports and let-ters etc.

word processor

word processor /�w�d �prəυsesə/noun 1. a small computer which is usedto produce texts, reports and letters etc.� She offered to write the letter for meon her word processor. � You can usemy word processor to type your letter ifyou like. 2. a word-processing programwhich allows you to create texts, editthem and print them

wore

wore /wɔ/ past tense of wearwork

work /w�k/ noun 1. things that you dousing your strength or your brain �There’s a great deal of work still to bedone on the project. � There’s too muchwork for one person. � If you’ve fin-ished that piece of work, there’s plentymore to be done. � Cooking for twohundred people every day is hard work.2. a job done regularly to earn money �He goes to work every day on his bicy-cle. � Work starts at 9 a.m. and finishesat 5 p.m. � Her work involves a lot oftravelling. � He is still looking for work.3. something which has been made,painted or written by someone � thecomplete works of Shakespeare � Anexhibition of the work of local artists. �verb 1. to use your strength or brain todo something � I can’t work in the gar-


worker 366 worse

den if it’s raining. � He’s working wellat school, we’re very pleased with hisprogress. � Work hard and you’ll soonget a better job. 2. to have a job � Sheworks in an office in London. � He usedto work in his father’s shop. � She hadto stop working when her mother wasill. 3. (of a machine) to run � The com-puters aren’t working. � The machineworks by electricity. 4. to make a ma-chine run � She works the biggest print-ing machine in the factory. � Do youknow how to work the microwave? 5. tobe successful � His plan worked well. �Will the plan work? � If the cough med-icine doesn’t work, you’ll have to see adoctor.

work out phrasal verb 1. to solve aproblem by looking at information orcalculating figures � I’m trying to workout if we’ve sold more this year thanlast. � to work out at something toamount to an amount � The total worksout at £10.50 per person. 2. to succeed� Everything worked out quite well inthe end. � to work something out tofind a successful way of solving a prob-lem 3. to do exercises � He works outevery morning in the gym.

worker

worker /�w�kə/ noun 1. a person whoworks � She’s a good worker. � He’s afast worker. 2. a person who works in aparticular job � The factory closedwhen the workers went on strike. � Of-fice workers usually work from 9.30 to5.30.

working

working /�w�kŋ/ adjective relating to ajob or to work � the working populationof a country � The unions have com-plained about working conditions in thefactory. � He came to the party in hisworking clothes. � noun a way or waysin which something works � The work-ings of a car engine are a complete mys-tery to him. � I wish I could understandthe workings of local government!

working class

working class /�w�kŋ �klɑs/ noun agroup in society consisting of peoplewho work with their hands, usuallyearning wages not salaries

workman

workman /�w�kmən/ noun a man whoworks with his hands (NOTE: The pluralis workmen.)

works

works plural noun 1. the moving parts ofa machine � I looked inside the clockand there seems to be dust in the works.2. a factory � The steel works will beclosed next week for the Christmas hol-idays. � the works everything(informal) � They built a conservatorywith a fountain, automatic lighting, abarbecue – the works!

workshop

workshop /�w�kʃɒp/ noun a verysmall factory where things are made orrepaired

world

world /w�ld/ noun the earth on whichwe live � Here is a map of the world. �She flew round the world twice last year.� He has to travel all over the world onbusiness. � A round-the-world ticket al-lows several stopovers.

worm

worm /w�m/ noun a small thin animalwhich has no arms or legs and lives inthe soil � Birds were pecking at the soilfor worms.

worn

worn /wɔn/ past participle of wearworn out

worn out /�wɔn �aυt/ adjective verytired � He was worn out after the gameof rugby. � She comes home everyevening, worn out after a busy day at theoffice.

worried

worried /�w�rid/ adjective unhappy be-cause you think something bad will hap-pen or because something bad has hap-pened � He had a worried look on hisface. � She’s looking worried. � I’mworried that we may run out of petrol.

worry

worry /�w�ri/ verb to make someone feelanxious � She’s always looks so tired,and that worries me. (NOTE: worries –worrying – worried) � noun 1. some-thing that makes you anxious � Go onholiday and try to forget your worries.(NOTE: The plural is worries.) 2. thestate of being anxious � She is a greatsource of worry for her family. (NOTE:no plural)

worse

worse /w�s/ adjective 1. less good thansomething else � It rained for the firstweek of our holidays, and the secondweek was even worse. � I think this filmis worse than the one I saw last week. �Both children are naughty – but the littlegirl is worse than her brother. 2. more ill� He’s much worse since he started tak-


worship 367 wrestle

ing his medicine. � adverb not as well �He drives badly enough but his sisterdrives even worse.

worship

worship /�w�ʃp/ verb 1. to praise andrespect God � The ancient peoples wor-shipped stone statues of their gods. 2. totake part in a church service � Theyworship regularly in the local church.(NOTE: worships – worshipping –worshipped)

worst

worst /w�st/ adjective worse than any-thing else � I think this is the worst filmhe’s ever made. � adverb less well thananything or anyone else or than at anyother time � It’s difficult to say whichteam played worst. � She works worstwhen she’s tired. � noun a very badthing � This summer is the worst for fif-ty years.

worth

worth /w�θ/ adjective 1. � to be worthto have a certain value or price � Thisring’s worth a lot of money. � Gold isworth more than silver. � The house isworth more than £250,000. 2. � to beworth doing something to find some-thing good or helpful to do � It’s worthtaking a map with you, as you may getlost in the little streets. � His latest filmis well worth seeing. � The old castle iswell worth visiting or is well worth avisit. � noun a value � Its worth will in-crease each year. � She lost jewellery ofgreat worth in the fire. � Can you giveme twenty pounds’ worth of petrol?

would

would /wυd/ modal verb 1. used as a po-lite way of asking someone to do some-thing � Would you please stop talking?� Would someone please tell me wherethe library is? � Would you like somemore tea? 2. used as the past of ‘will’ �He said he would be here for lunch. �She hoped she would be well enough tocome. � He wouldn’t go even if I paidhim. 3. used as the past of ‘will’, show-ing something which often happens �He would bring his dog with him, eventhough we asked him not to. � My hus-band forgot my birthday again this year– he would! 4. used for showing some-thing which often happened in the past� Every morning she would go and feedthe chickens. � He would always bethere waiting outside the station. � They

would often bring us flowers. 5. usedfollowing a condition � I’m sure that ifthey could come, they would. � Iwould’ve done it if you had asked me to.� If she were alive, she would or she’dbe a hundred years old today. � If itsnowed we would or we’d go skiing.(NOTE: The negative would not is usu-ally written wouldn’t. Note also thatwould is often shortened to ’d she’d bea hundred, he’d stay at home. Notealso that would is only used with otherverbs and is not followed by to)

would rather phrasal verb to preferwound

wound1 /wund/ noun a cut made onsomeone’s body, usually in fighting �verb 1. to hurt someone badly by cuttinginto their flesh � Two of the gang werewounded in the bank robbery. 2. to hurtsomeone’s feelings � She was deeplywounded by what he said.

wound

wound2 /waυnd/ past tense and past par-ticiple of wind

wove

wove /wəυv/ past tense of weavewoven

woven /�wəυv(ə)n/ past participle ofweave

wrap

wrap /r�p/ verb to cover something byputting something over it � Shewrapped the parcel in paper. (NOTE:wraps -wrapping – wrapped) � noun1. a type of shawl that is put round theshoulders or the top part of the body �She pulled her wrap closer around her.2. a piece of material used to coversomething � Remove the wrap beforeputting the dish in the microwave.

wrapping

wrapping /�r�pŋ/ noun the paper orplastic used to wrap something up

wreck

wreck /rek/ noun 1. a ship which hasbeen sunk or badly damaged � Divershave discovered the wreck on the sea-bed. � The wreck of the ‘Mary Rose’was found in the sea near Southampton.2. anything which has been damagedand cannot be used � The police towedaway the wreck of the car. � Their houseis now a total wreck. � verb to damagesomething very badly � The ship waswrecked on the rocks in the storm. � Thebank was wrecked by the explosion.

wrestle

wrestle /�res(ə)l/ verb to fight withsomeone to try to throw him to the


wriggle 368 wrung

ground � The President’s guards wres-tled with the demonstrators.

wriggle

wriggle /�r'(ə)l/ verb to twist from sideto side � The baby wriggled in her fa-ther’s arms. � The worm wriggled backinto the soil.

wringwring /rŋ/ verb to twist something, espe-cially to get water out of it � Wring theface cloth (dry) after you have used it. �He wrung out his shirt before putting itto dry. (NOTE: wrings – wringing –wrung /r�ŋ/)

wrinkle

wrinkle /�rŋkəl/ noun a fold in the skin� She had an operation to remove wrin-kles round her eyes.

wrinkledwrinkled /�rŋkəld/ adjective full oflines or creases

wristwrist /rst/ noun the joint between thearm and the hand

write

write /rat/ verb 1. to put words or num-bers on paper etc. using a pen, pencil,computer etc. � She wrote the addresson the back of an envelope. � Write thereference number at the top of the letter.2. to write a letter and send it to some-one � She writes to me twice a week. �Don’t forget to write as soon as you getto your hotel. 3. to be the author of abook or music etc. � He wrote a book onkeeping tropical fish. � Didn’t you knowshe used to write for the ‘SundayTimes’? (NOTE: writes – writing –wrote /rəυt/ – written /�rt(ə)n/)write down phrasal verb to write

somethingwriterwriter /�ratə/ noun a person who writes

books or articleswritingwriting /�ratŋ/ noun something which

is written � Please don’t phone, reply inwriting. � Put everything in writing,then you have a record of what has beendone.

writtenwritten1 /�rt(ə)n/ adjective which hasbeen put in writing

writtenwritten2 /�rt(ə)n/ past participle ofwrite

wrongwrong /rɒŋ/ adjective 1. not correct �He gave three wrong answers and failedthe test. � That’s not the right time, is it?– No, the clock is wrong. � You’ve cometo the wrong house – there’s no onecalled Jones living here. � I must havepressed the wrong button. 2. not suitable� You came just at the wrong time, whenwe were bathing the children. � She waswearing the wrong sort of dress for awedding. 3. not working properly �There is something wrong with the tele-vision. 4. morally bad � It’s wrong totalk like that about her. � Cheating inexams is wrong. 5. making someoneworried � adverb badly � Everythingwent wrong yesterday. � She spelt myname wrong.

wronglywrongly /�rɒŋli/ adverb not correctlywrotewrote /rəυt/ past tense of writewrungwrung /r�ŋ/ past tense and past participle

of wring


XYZxx /eks/, X noun the twenty-fourth letter of

the alphabet, between W and Y � sym-bol 1. a multiplication sign � 3 x 3 = 9.(NOTE: say ‘three times three equalsnine’) 2. showing size � The table top is24 x 36cm. (NOTE: say ‘twenty-four bythirty-six centimetres’)

XX /eks/ noun the Roman numeral for tenor tenth

X-rayX-ray /�eks re/ noun 1. a type of radia-tion that doctors use for taking photo-graphs of the inside of your body � TheX-ray examination showed the key wasinside the baby’s stomach. � The X-raydepartment is closed for lunch. 2. a pho-tograph taken with X-rays � The X-rayshowed that the bone was broken in twoplaces. � They will take an X-ray of hisleg. � She was sent to hospital for an X-ray. � verb to take an X-ray photographof someone � There are six patientswaiting to be X-rayed. � They X-rayedmy leg to see if it was broken.

yy /wa/, Y noun the twenty-fifth letter ofthe alphabet, between X and Z

yachtyacht /jɒt/ noun 1. a sailing boat used forpleasure and sport 2. a large comforta-ble boat with a motor � She spent herholiday on a yacht in the Mediterrane-an.

yardyard /jɑd/ noun 1. a measurement oflength, equal to 0.914 metres � The po-lice station is only yards away fromwhere the fight took place. � Can youmove your car a couple of yards as it isblocking the entrance to our garage? 2.an area of concrete at the back or side ofa house � We keep our bikes in the yard.

yarnyarn /jɑn/ noun a long piece of woolused in knitting or weaving � She sellsyarn from the wool of her sheep.

yawnyawn /jɔn/ verb to open your mouthwide and breathe in and out deeply

when you are tired or bored � He wenton speaking for so long that half thepeople at the meeting started yawningor started to yawn.

yeah

yeah /jeə/ interjection yesyear

year /jə/ noun 1. a period of time lastingtwelve months, from January 1st to De-cember 31st � Columbus discoveredAmerica in the year 1492. � Great cele-brations which took place in the year2000. � Last year we did not have anyholiday. � Next year she’s going on hol-iday in Australia. � The weather wasvery bad for most of the year. � all yearround working or open for the wholeyear � The museum is open all yearround. 2. a period of twelve monthsfrom a particular time � We spent fiveyears in Hong Kong. � He died two hun-dred years ago today. � She’ll be elevenyears old tomorrow. � How many yearshave you been working for the compa-ny?

yell

yell /jel/ verb to shout very loudly � Thepoliceman yelled to her to get out of theway.

yellow

yellow /�jeləυ/ adjective of a colour likethat of the sun or of gold � His new caris bright yellow. � She’s wearing yellowsandals. � At this time of year the fieldsare full of yellow flowers. � noun thecolour of the sun or gold � Do you haveany hats of a lighter yellow than thisone?

yes

yes /jes/ adverb a word showing that youagree with someone, accept something,or give permission for something �They asked her if she wanted to comeand she said ‘yes’. � Anyone want morecoffee? – Yes, please. � You don’t likeliving in London? – Yes I do! � Didn’tyou work in Scotland at one time? – Yes,


yesterday 370 zoom

I did. � I need a clear answer – is it‘yes’ or ‘no’?

yesterday

yesterday /�jestəde/ adverb, noun theday before today � Yesterday wasMarch 1st so today must be the 2nd. �She came to see us yesterday evening.

yet

yet /jet/ adverb now, before now, or untilnow � Has the manager arrived yet? �I haven’t seen her yet this morning. �Don’t throw the newspaper away – I ha-ven’t read it yet. � conjunction however� He’s very small and yet he can kick aball a long way. � It was starting tosnow, and yet he went out without acoat.

yield

yield /jild/ noun the quantity of a crop ora product produced from a plant or froman area of land � What is the normalyield per hectare? � verb 1. to producea result � Their researches finally yield-ed the information they were looking for.2. to produce a crop or a product � Thisvariety of rice can yield up to 2 tonnesper hectare. � The North Sea oil depos-its yield 100,000 barrels a month. 3. todo or agree to do something that youhave been trying not to do

yolk

yolk /jəυk/ noun the yellow part inside anegg

you

you /jυ, ju/ pronoun 1. referring tosomeone being spoken to � Are youready? � You look tired, you should resta bit. � If I give you my address will yougive me yours? � Hello, how are you? �Are you both keeping well? 2. referringto anyone � You never know when youmight need a penknife. � You have to bevery tall to be a policeman. (NOTE: Youis both singular and plural.)

young

young /j�ŋ/ adjective not old � She’svery young, she’s only six. � He becamePrime Minister when he was still ayoung man. � My little brother’s muchyounger than me or than I am. � In theafternoon there are TV programmes forvery young children. � This is whereyour Daddy lived when he was young. �noun young animals or birds � Animalsfight to protect their young.

youngster

youngster /�j�ŋstə/ noun a young per-son � My grandparents don’t under-stand today’s youngsters.

your

your /jɔ/ adjective belonging to you � Ihope you didn’t forget to bring yourtoothbrush. � This letter is for yourbrother.

yours

yours /jɔz/ pronoun belonging to you �This is my car – where’s yours? � Mycar’s in the garage, can I borrow yours?

yourself

yourself /jə��self/ pronoun relating to‘you’ as a subject � Why do you washthe car yourself, when you could easilytake it to the car wash? � Watch out forthe broken glass – you might hurt your-self. � I hope you are all going to enjoyyourselves. (NOTE: The plural is your-selves.)

youth

youth /juθ/ noun 1. a young man �Gangs of youths were causing trouble inthe village. � A youth, aged 16, was ar-rested for possessing drugs. 2. a periodwhen you are young, especially the timebetween being a child and being anadult � In his youth he was a great trav-eller. � I haven’t done that since thedays of my youth!

z

z /zed/, Z noun US the last and twenty-sixth letter of the alphabet

zap

zap /z�p/ verb (informal) 1. to hit or killsomeone 2. to shut down the televisionusing the remote control (NOTE: zaps –zapping – zapped)

zero

zero /�zərəυ/ noun 1. the number 0 � Tomake an international call you dial zerozero (00), followed by the number of thecountry. 2. the temperature at which wa-ter freezes � The temperature stayed be-low zero for days. 3. nothing at all �They lost ten – zero. (NOTE: The plural iszeros.)

zigzag

zigzag /�z'z�'/ adjective used to de-scribe a line which turns one way, thenthe opposite way � There are zigzaglines painted at pedestrian crossings toshow that cars must not stop there.

zone

zone /zəυn/ noun an area � Police carsare patrolling the inner city zones.

zoo

zoo /zu/ noun a place where wild ani-mals are kept, and where people can goto see them

zoom

zoom /zum/ verb to go very fast � Carswere zooming past me on the motorway.


SUPPLEMENT

Irregular VerbsVerb Past tense Past participle

arise arose arisenawake awoke awokenbe was, were beenbear bore bornebeat beat beatenbecome became becomebegin began begunbend bent bentbet bet betbid bid bidbind bound boundbite bit bittenbleed bled bledblow blew blownbreak broke brokenbreed bred bredbring brought broughtbroadcast broadcast broadcastbuild built builtburn burnt, burned burnt, burnedburst burst burstbuy bought boughtcast cast castcatch caught caughtchoose chose chosencome came comecost cost costcreep crept creptcut cut cutdeal dealt dealtdig dug dugdo did donedraw drew drawndream dreamed, dreamt dreamed, dreamtdrink drank drunkdrive drove driveneat ate eatenfall fell fallenfeed fed fedfeel felt feltfight fought foughtfind found foundflee fled fledfling flung flungfly flew flownforbid forbade forbiddenforecast forecast forecastforget forgot forgottenforgive forgave forgivenfreeze froze frozenget got got, (US) gottengive gave givengo went gonegrind ground groundgrow grew grownhang hung hunghave had hadhear heard heard


hide hid hiddenhit hit hithold held heldhurt hurt hurtkeep kept keptkneel knelt, kneeled knelt, kneeledknit knit, knitted knit, knittedknow knew knownlay laid laidlead led ledlean leant, leaned leant, leanedleap leapt, leaped leapt, leapedlearn learnt, learned learnt, learnedleave left leftlend lent lentlet let letlie lay lainlight lit litlose lost lostmake made mademean meant meantmeet met metmistake mistook mistakenovercome overcame overcomeoverhear overheard overheardovertake overtook overtakenpay paid paidput put putquit quit quitread read readride rode riddenring rang rungrise rose risenrun ran runsaw sawed sawnsay said saidsee saw seenseek sought soughtsell sold soldsend sent sentset set setsew sewed sewed, sewnshake shook shakenshed shed shedshine shone shoneshoot shot shotshow showed shownshrink shrank shrunkshut shut shutsing sang sungsink sank sunksit sat satsleep slept sleptslide slid slidsmell smelt, smelled smelt, smelledsow sowed sownspeak spoke spokenspeed sped sped


spell spelt, spelled spelt, spelledspend spent spentspill spilt, spilled spilt, spilledspin span spunsplit split splitspoil spoilt, spoiled spoilt, spoiledspread spread spreadspring sprang sprungstand stood stoodsteal stole stolenstick stuck stucksting stung stungstink stank stunkstride strode strodestrike struck struckstrive strove strivenswear swore swornsweep swept sweptswell swelled swelled, swollenswim swam swumswing swung swungtake took takenteach taught taughttear tore torntell told toldthink thought thoughtthrow threw thrownthrust thrust thrusttread trod troddenunderstand understood understoodundo undid undoneupset upset upsetwake woke wokenwear wore wornweave wove wovenwin won wonwind wound woundwring wrung wrungwrite wrote written

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